Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE) will visit The Record Exchange (1105 W. Idaho St., Downtown Boise) for a meet-and-greet at 5 p.m. Sunday, April 24. As always, this Record Exchange in-store event is free and all ages.
The punk-rock legend will meet with fans and sign autographs prior to his show next door at Neurolux (8 p.m.). The Record Exchange will have a special tour poster and CD and vinyl copies of Watt’s latest album Hyphenated-Man. The meet-and-greet will include a special performance by Jumping Sharks, who are opening for Watt at Neurolux.
Twenty-six years after Minutemen‘s landmark Double Nickels on the Dime, Mike Watt returns to the familiar punk and jazz influenced sound he and his band made famous. This time, it’s more refined and more mature without lacking any of the energy or urgency of yesteryear. Hyphenated-Man features thirty songs in forty-seven minutes with Watt on bass, his deep baritone singing melodies and reciting spoken word while the Missingmen (Raul Morales and Tom Watson) wail on drums and guitar.
Add to all of this a special redrawn cover by legendary artist Raymond Pettibon, and you’ve got an album worthy of the history that led up to it. Watt is a legend and his output over the years (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, three solo efforts and currently his role with Iggy and the Stooges) has not only influenced several generations, but also helped to create and maintain an entire music scene.
Jumping Sharks‘ new full-length album Dreams of the Dying, Light of the Living was recorded at Audible Alchemy in Portland, a studio that has recorded many well-known bands, including Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. Music veteran Steven Wray Lobdell, who recorded and co-produced Built to Spill’s You in Reverse, produced, recorded and mixed the album.
In their short time on the music scene, Jumping Sharks (Zane Norsworthy, Reggie Townley, Mike Swain, Ben Wieland) have earned a reputation for their powerful musicianship, well-crafted lyrics, and wild, extended breakdowns. While their sound is distinctive and resists immediate categorization, influences include classic rock ranging from the Beatles to the Grateful Dead — as well as indie band favorites Ween, Flaming Lips and Super Furry Animals — with a little Tex Ritter, Woody Guthrie and Miles Davis thrown in for good measure.