The story of Jeff The Brotherhood is a rollercoaster of twists, turns, drops and plot twists. The brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall (sons of famed songwriter/producer Robert Ellis Orrall, who has worked with everyone from Carlene Carter, Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire and Lindsay Lohan) have turned their gritty raw garage project into one of the most interesting bands of the indie scene. They’ve released nine albums, countless EPs, splits with the likes of Ty Segall and Best Coast, put out a live album on Jack White’s Third Man Records, Signed and dropped by Warner Bros. Records, produced by Dan Auerbach, performed with Insane Clown Posse, and even appeared on a PBS special!
With so many unpredictable turns, without hearing them, one would think they were a complex force of nature rewriting the meaning of rock n roll one opus at a time. Instead, most of their music is easy to digest, garage rock with more emphasis on grooves than pretentiousness. Fuzzy bass heavy grooves, distorted guitars and songs tailor made for heavy drinking, pot smoking and after hours parking lot debauchery. The kind of music that makes you want to smash empty bottles, sugar gas tanks, and spray paint humorous obscenities on billboards. Rock n Roll at it’s finest!
However, their music might fire on their the most carnal desires of youth, their ambitions match the unpredictability of their career. Their latest 12″ single Stay Up Late Boogie / Cool Out Boogie, (on Shed House Records, the label behind last year’s Natural Child “Freakin’ Weekend IV” live album) is yet another curve ball in their constantly evolving repertoire.
Instead of the gnarly garage rock anthems found on previous releases, Stay Up Late Boogie / Cool Out Boogie are two electronic heavy dance rock tracks, wildly different from there original versions. “Stay Up Late” is an ice gold synth heavy groove with smooth vocals giving the song an almost sinister vibe. “Cool Out” is heavy on sub-bass coupled with a choppy clean guitar riff, sounding like a New Wave/Hip-Hop hybrid until the digitally manipulated vocals start, giving the track a melancholy feeling of longing. Things I thought I’d never say about songs from this band!
Stay Up Late Boogie / Cool Out Boogie is strange, but oddly comforting. While it differs from most of their catalog, it’s a solid release that will go down in the band’s history as one of their most experimentally ambitious releases. With only around 200 made, it will probably go down as one of the most collectible as well. If you don’t catch the band out on one of their tours, the only place you will be able to purchase this 12″ is through Shed House Records. The limited special hand-poured variants with sultry (yet tasteful) album sleeves are likely gone by the time this article is posted, with the random colored and stamped covers pressing not far behind.
Do yourself a favor and seek out this special release. The songs are strange and unique to the band, and the record itself will make an interesting piece in your vinyl collection.
For more information on Jeff The Brotherhood visit their Official Website
To purchase Stay Up Late Boogie / Cool Out Boogie visit Shed House Records
