music
Jukebox The Ghost
The appeal of a modern, on the rise indie band like Jukebox the Ghost is simple: They write catchy songs. On top of that, they're dynamic, skilled musicians. The band's records are carefully structured, yet wildly diverse affairs. And the live show? Energetic, crowd-pleasing, cathartic.
Since their 2008 debut, 'Let Live and Let Ghosts', a sunny, piano-led explosion of pop exuberance, JTG has logged hundreds of shows and thousands of hours on tour.
Originally formed during college in Washington D.C., Jukebox the Ghost (the name's an amalgam of Captain Beefheart and Nabakov references) won accolades for that first record, 'Let Live and Let Ghosts', which Spin called "a refreshing reminder that the lighthearted electricity of a fantastic pop song is still filled with live wires."
The band – Thornewill, Siegel and drummer Jesse Kristin – jelled quickly, despite their disparate musical backgrounds in everything from classical piano to prog to indie to 80s Brit-pop. Collectively, the group delivered an unabashedly upbeat, playful sound with a sly dark streak.
Besides delivering a raucous live show, one other thing will stay constant with Jukebox the Ghost, newfound maturity or not - the lack of a bass player. "That's how we started," says Kristin. "And we take a lot of pride in coloring every section of every song just with the three of us. We've sort of proven to be a successful oddity without one."