by Susie Salva
Seattle based alt rockers Jminus put forth an outstanding effort on their double 28-song disc, “Sun and Moon”. This Indie Rock band makes their music sound mainstream with jazzy riffs, crunchy guitars, and engaging vocals courtesy of – Trevor Wheetman, Chris Mongillo and Tasha Ehoff. Founded by a musical prodigy, who is both lyricist and songwriter, Dylan Fant wears many hats as primary lyricist, drummer, percussionist, guitar, bass, mandolin, piano, and banjo. Their music and lyrics deal heavily with faltering relationships, lost loves and finding that one special person that is your soulmate. Fant’s songs are familiar with stories of love, longing and loss. Fant wears his heart wide open and on his sleeve. Chris Mongillo gives insight to personal awakening in the world and Trevor Wheetman speaks through poetry and metaphor.
Like Phil Collins and Buddy Miles, Dylan Fant, who writes and produces most of the music including lyrics, is also a drummer like Don Henley, Dave Grohl, and Levon Helm, Fant doesn’t sing, leaving that task to Wheetman and Mongillio, who also play keyboards and guitar respectfully. Rounding out the line-up is Myer Harrell on bass and Matt Gamboa on guitar. With Fant’s captivating lyrics, distinguishable melodies and dynamic personalities, Jminus skillfully creates a musical experience that today’s marketplace craves, yet so desperately lacks. The music of Jminus spans the boundaries of rock, discovering new ground between postmodern alternative and an upbeat, yet subtly emotional delivery of acoustic rock.
On their first disc, “Sun”, both songs, “Caught” and “The Rest of Our Lives”, have the sound and feel as if they were channeling John Mayer and both talk about finding the right person and meeting that person halfway. “Run Around”, once again deals with finding that soulmate and has a catchy chorus and driving guitar riff. Tasha Ehoff lends her vocals on both discs on “As We Fall” and “Going Under”, reminiscent of Evanescence with her sweet, breathy vocals.
The second disc features “After Midnight”, where the lyrics talk about watching the sun set and rise, metaphorically talking about the ebb and flow of a relationship. “The One that Got Away” has a jazzy feel to it again professing about a relationship weathering out the one that makes you feel alive again. “Change Your Ways” is a straight-ahead rocker dealing with the subtext of mixed messages.
Jminus catapulted to success by gaining attention on the popular social networking site, MySpace with nearly 320,000 profile views and close to half a million plays. Their debut album, featuring the single, “After Midnight”, sold thousands of units without them having the backing of a major label – that is an accomplishment that few indies achieve. This album have proved to be a success, creating much anticipated online buzz and have catapulted them into putting forth an engaging live show. Check them out at: www.jminus.com and www.myspace.com/jminus for tour dates, merchandise, audio, and video clips, photos, and links, discography, blog reviews, and archives.
