Are they brothers? Yes. Are they both named Jeff? No. Is at least one named Jeff? Again, no, but besides their catchy yet confusing moniker, JEFF the Brotherhood is an up-and-coming name in indie music that you are sure to be hearing more of soon. They’ve played SXSW the past two years and opened for a number of bigger acts, like Sonic Youth. Still, you’re most likely to catch them at a small, dingy club ÛÒ you know, the awesomely classy ones with the bathrooms that make the insides of a sewer seem like an attractive alternative.
JEFF the Brotherhood is comprised of two brothers. Jake plays guitar and carries the majority of the vocal duties, while Jamin provides the drum beats. This sounds simple, and in many ways JEFF does play stripped down rock, but they sound much louder than two guys. Layered guitar riffs provide the melodies, and Jake plays through a bass amp to give his guitar a bigger low-end punch.
At times JEFF sort of reminds me of early Weezer, not only due to the fuzzed out guitar but their similar lyrical content. The songs are mundane and very relatable if you’ve ever been a kid that just wanted to stay up late, hang out with friends, and play guitar. One might even think they plagiarized from “In the Garage.” I haven’t done my homework, but I doubt this is the case. JEFF is much faster, and guitarist Jake’s riffs are seemingly bold enough to duel Tony Iommi’s (of Black Sabbath fame) in guitar duel of death. They’re heavy.
Right now, this duo from Nashville, TN is fresh off of SXSW and just released their second LP, We Are the Champions. Maybe they’re really big Queen fans or just a bit narcissistic. Either way, this disc is a must-have in your music rotation for impending cruising with the windows down during the summer’s heat. If you’re new to JEFF though, I highly suggest you checkout 2009’s Heavy Days first. Or, better yet, track down their early 7 inch releases if vinyl is your persuasion.
So, back to the initial question: why JEFF? I’m not sure, but their simple, fast, loud sound is fun and infectious. Let it get you.