AP.net Remembers: Cap'n Jazz
 

Where's Weekly Nostalgia? Well, it hasn't exactly gone anywhere. We just beefed it up and gave it this new name. We'll still be paying tribute to those bands that made up the soundtrack for your high school summers, but we didn't want to limit ourselves to the recently departed. Rest assured that each week, we'll be shining the spotlight on a band from yesteryear that's shaped the music of today. Few bands exemplify humble beginnings spawning something hugely influential quite like Cap'n Jazz. I mean here's a band that contained both Tim and Mike Kinsella (who pretty much are Midwestern indie-rock) and Davey Von Bohlen (from a little band we've featured in this spot called The Promise Ring). Now, being an antecedent for greatness doesn't really imply anything (I imagine even I must have had an ancestor somewhere along the line who was a douchebag), Cap'n Jazz's music, however little of it there was-- just a single full-length and a few singles and miscellaneous tracks were all they produced, most of which appear on the Analphabetapolothology collection-- is more than satisfying. Their chaotic, messy tunes and fly-off-the-hinges rhythms might take the non-initiated some time to get used to, but no band sounded like they had as much fun making music as Cap'n Jazz. It's pretty safe to say that no one else could have pulled off a ramshackle cover of A-Ha's "Take On Me", turning a piece of vintage schmaltz into some fractured and utterly exuberant noise that's infinitely more entertaining than the polished original. And speaking of nostalgia, even if their music never filled your old playlists, Cap'n Jazz sound so completely youthful, it's hard to listen to their songs and not be transported to a better (or at least different) time, when living for the minute was all you knew, when the past and future didn't weigh on your mind in the least. And if that doesn't do it for you, well, at least they've got a song called "Little League".

"Oh Messy Life" (live)


"We Are Scientists" (Live)


"Que Suerte" (live)

good God, i fucking love Cap'n Jazz. everything about them was incredible. fuck.

This is making me want to go listen to Analphabetapolothology. Love me some Cap'n Jazz.

I'll follow you, if you follow me http://nobrain.dk

This band is amazing, but I like The Promise Ring and American Football better. Still everything these guys have done is great.

Cap'n Jazz is one of those bands that I wish I were around for. Seeing a show of theirs would have been awesome. I know that they're reuniting and technically I could see them, but I'm sure it won't be exactly the same.

Cap'n Jazz is just one of those bands.

I wish I could see them in DC but I'm going to be out of town. Tragic :-(

I hear you. Awesome avatar, by the way.

god I love this band...and take it as a good thing or a bad thing but Scary Kids Scaring Kids wouldn't be the same band they are if it weren't for these guys...I saw Owen a while back and it was dope

After Dark EP is excellent. What they've done since isn't worthwhile, but they did put out one awesome six-song effort.

-ACA

Yes. What a great band.

Cannot wait for them to announce their European tour. aaaaaaaaaah

i love everything kinsella.

Fuck yeah Cap'n Jazz!

Fans need to be listening to Algernon Cadwallader and Grown Ups.

This. Completely.

This is my favorite band.

such a great goddamn band. bummed i couldnt go to one of their reunion shows

I love the Kinsellas.

Cap'n Jazz is the band that every band takes their name from.

Yeah, we could pretty much just cycle through all the Cap'n Jazz/Kinsella-related projects for a while and you'd get well deserved praise all around. "No Use For A Piano Player When You've Got A Player Piano" and their "Take On Me" cover = my favorites.

Guys got a huge ego though thinking his band and his style of music is better than everyone ele. Remember his rant 3 years ago. Maybe by now he realized his shit still smells. I think the music sucks. Sounds like a mess

I've been quite familiar with Algernon Cadwallader for a couple years now, but this post has introduced me to Grown Ups and i'm lovin' it.

This.

Awesome work on this, Jeremy.

Algernon and grown ups both rule too

Anything related to the Kinsella brothers is automatic gold. I still like American Football more, but Cap'n Jazz was amazing.

i like mike better anyway

Yup.

So glad I bought my ticket for the Philly date.

everyone who likes Cap'n Jazz needs to listen to Snowing if you haven't. put out one of the best EPs of 2009!

Love this band. So very influential in my life.

good to see them back!

Grown ups. yes yes yes. Saw them Sunday and they were amazing.

Definitely, a lot like Capn Jazz.

one of my favorite bands, because of what they did for the scene and the bands who came out when they dissolved; Ghosts and Vodka, The Promise Ring, Joan of Arc, American Football, Owen, OWLs, Make Believe... all amazing.

Can someone recommend me their best album to listen to?

i love this band

Analphabetapolothology

it's a compilation of everything they recorded, except for like 3 songs.

they only have one, and that's Analphabetapolothology. just listen to it, it's incredible in every way.

Everyone in this band makes amazing music. So excited to see them in Philly!

They are reuniting in Louisville, KY at The Forecastle Festival on July 10:

http://www.forecastlefest.com

<3

Band makes me very happy

One of my favorite bands of all time. I've actually been listening to Analphabetapolothology a lot lately.

Awesome bands, also Midwest Pen Pals.

it's depressing this doesn't even have 50 replies yet some of the shittiest artists on the planet get 300+. God, people need to hear this band.

Thanks, will definitely be looking into it :-)

At first after listening to a song, I was like "????" But I listened to Little League and think it's pretty sweet

This band has really shaped who I am today in a lot of ways.