Cap'n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology
Now let me start out. I am in no way an expert on Emo, much less the 90's Emo scene that emerged in the Mid-West. That being said, awhile back I was introduced to a band named American Football and their amazing 1999 self-titled album. The album opened my eyes to a world I had never known existed. Now I know this post is not about American Football, but let me get there. The reason I bring up American Football is because Cap'n Jazz shared one member, Mike Kinsella, and the similarities are noticeable.
Cap'n Jazz started in the late 80's and released a number of recordings on various labels. The only full length they released in 1995, was dubbed, Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards In The Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over, or simply, Schmap'n Schmazz.
In 1998, the label, Jade Tree Records, released the album Analphabetapolothology, three years after the bands untimely demise. Analphabetapolothology contains almost every single song recorded by the band and gives the best glimpse at what Cap'n Jazz was all about.
This album is pure gold. It combines a certain Punk mentality of instrumentation with a deep reflective lyricism that would later come to embody Emo. The album starts out fast with the first track, "Little league," moving quickly and lyrics like, 'hey coffee eyes. you got me coughin' up my cookie heart.' The sound is undeniably punk influenced, but the lyrics are not. "Little League" also introduces another element that makes Cap'n Jazz so good, that being their lack of diligence to the punk sound. What separates Cap'n Jazz from a punk band is their music ability. The band can stop on a dime and become the most quiet unsettling sound ever and 10 seconds later jump back into that fast sound hard punk sound you can hear they were raised on.
Not all the songs on Analphabetapolothology, follow the same formula. One such example comes from the song, 'Hey Ma, Do I have to Choke on These,' The slow lyric driven tune that can haunt your mind. With deep lyrics, the song is perfectly paired with a harmonica, an unusual instrument for the band, and shows that Cap'n Jazz isn't all noise.
Analphabetapolothology sound is so unproduced it's amazing. The drums fall flat, there's no real bass in the sound to speak of, and the lyrics sound like they were sung in a cave with a mic five feet away. The singer, Tim Kinsella, is by no ways a "crooner" and sounds flat the entire album. With all this being said, the album should not sound any different than it does. The raw talent this band possesses is more than apparent on every recording and speaks to the power of each member with the lack of good production. This band doesn't need good producing behind it because it would take away so much from what makes Cap'n Jazz. Analphabetapolothology was made in a time before all you needed to make music was a computer and some free time. You can hear the emotion and commitment the band has to their music in this recording, from every hit of the snare to every poor recorded scream. This album is complete and really enjoyable to listen to. Lo-fi ftw!
So that's it. From my late night ramblings, go forth and listen!
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