J. Robbins
Encyclopedia
James Robbins is an American
rock music
artist. He began his career as a bassist for Government Issue
, and has also led four of his own bands: Jawbox
, Rollkicker Laydown, Burning Airlines
, and Channels
. He was a touring bassist for Scream
and played bass on the debut 7" from Jack Potential, which was issued by DeSoto Records
in 1993. More recently he played bass in Report Suspicious Activity with Vic Bondi
, which released 2 albums on Alternative Tentacles Records.
Robbins is also a successful producer and engineer for bands such as Ponytail
, Clutch
(and sideproject The Bakerton Group
), Jets to Brazil
, Hey Mercedes
, Shiner
, Mock Orange
, The Life and Times
, Miranda Sound, Time Spent Driving, Faraquet
, The Dismemberment Plan
, The Monorchid, The Promise Ring
, Dwindle, Pilot to Gunner
, Paint it Black, None More Black
, Jawbreaker
, Against Me!
, Goodbye Soundscape, Modern Life is War
, Stapleton
, Murder By Death
, mewithoutYou
, Black Cross (hardcore), Lemuria
, Caustic Casanova
, and Nakatomi Plaza.
In 2007, Robbins' son Callum was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy
, an incurable nerve disorder. A number of benefit shows for Callum Robbins have been organized and played in cities such as Chicago, Washington DC, Minneapolis, and New York.
In 2011, Robbins, along with Kerosene 454
's drummer and fellow Channels bandmate Darrek Zentek, bassist Brooks Harlan, and guitarist/cellist Gordon Withers, released an EP under the name Office of Future Plans
.http://www.dischord.com/release/OFP1/2-song-7 The band, who had been playing since 2009 http://officeoffutureplans.com/post/1004087402/the-infamous-only-video-of-us-on-the-internet, opened one of the reunion shows of The Dismemberment Plan
in late January 2011.http://officeoffutureplans.com/post/2926748731/our-show-with-the-dismemberment-plan
Office of Future Plans will release an album on DIschord Records in late 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
artist. He began his career as a bassist for Government Issue
Government Issue
Government Issue was an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1980 to 1989. The band experienced many changes in membership during its nine-year existence, with singer John Stabb as the only consistent member in an ever-fluctuating lineup that at various times included...
, and has also led four of his own bands: Jawbox
Jawbox
Jawbox was an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., U.S.. Its original members were J. Robbins , Kim Coletta and Adam Wade...
, Rollkicker Laydown, Burning Airlines
Burning Airlines
Burning Airlines were an American rock band from Washington, D.C.. J. Robbins and Bill Barbot of Jawbox formed the band with Peter Moffett, formerly of Government Issue...
, and Channels
Channels (band)
Channels is a rock band. They are based in Baltimore, Maryland.Started in 2003, Channels features Jawbox and Burning Airlines frontman J. Robbins, as well as bassist Janet Morgan and drummer Darren Zentek of Kerosene 454 and Oswego....
. He was a touring bassist for Scream
Scream (band)
Scream is a hardcore punk band from Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia active from 1981 to 1990. As of 2009, the band has reunited to play several shows.-Biography:...
and played bass on the debut 7" from Jack Potential, which was issued by DeSoto Records
DeSoto Records
DeSoto Records is an American record label based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1989, it is run by Bill Barbot and Kim Coletta, both formerly of the band Jawbox. It was first founded by members of the band Edsel to release their first single. Jawbox next used the name DeSoto for their first EP. It...
in 1993. More recently he played bass in Report Suspicious Activity with Vic Bondi
Vic Bondi
Vic Bondi is a singer/songwriter and one of the founding members of political Chicago punk band called Articles of Faith. Bondi was originally a protest singer with decidedly leftist views. He went on to form Alloy, and Jones Very after AoF's demise. At the time of AoF's original breakup Bondi was...
, which released 2 albums on Alternative Tentacles Records.
Robbins is also a successful producer and engineer for bands such as Ponytail
Ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...
, Clutch
Clutch (band)
Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
(and sideproject The Bakerton Group
The Bakerton Group
The Bakerton Group is an instrumental blues jam band and the side project of the blues rock outfit Clutch. They incorporate elements of blues-rock, psychedelic rock, jazz and stoner rock.-Biography:...
), Jets to Brazil
Jets to Brazil
Jets to Brazil was an American rock band formed in 1997. It was founded by Blake Schwarzenbach, former frontman of Jawbreaker. When Schwarzenbach relocated to Brooklyn, New York, after Jawbreaker had disbanded, he reunited with friend Jeremy Chatelain and the two began working on four-track...
, Hey Mercedes
Hey Mercedes
Hey Mercedes was an emo band from Milwaukee, WI/Chicago, IL, USA, that formed in 1999/2000 after the dissolution of Braid. The band consisted of Bob Nanna on guitar and vocals, Todd Bell on bass and vocals, Mark Dawursk on guitar and vocals and Damon Atkinson on drums.Hey Mercedes' first release...
, Shiner
Shiner (band)
-History:The group formed in 1992, and quickly found wide exposure, releasing a vinyl EP in 1993 and touring with acts such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Chore, Jawbox, Season to Risk, The Jesus Lizard, and Girls Against Boys. The group released their first LP, Splay in 1996, and a second album, Lula...
, Mock Orange
Mock Orange (band)
Mock Orange is an indie rock band from Newburgh, Indiana, USA.-Overview:Mock Orange first introduced their sound in 1998 with “Nines & Sixes.” The record immediately established Mock Orange on the national scene and received critical acclaim in the press along with a spot on the CMJ Top 60 college...
, The Life and Times
The Life and Times
The Life and Times is an independent American alternative and space rock band active in the 2000s.-History:Since August 2005, The Life and Times has played over 200 shows in support of their debut full-length release Suburban Hymns on US tours with bands like the The Appleseed Cast, Murder by...
, Miranda Sound, Time Spent Driving, Faraquet
Faraquet
Faraquet is an influential post-hardcore band from Washington D.C. sometimes placed in the math rock genre. They were formed in 1997, and disbanded in 2001. They were on Dischord Records, and were influenced by bands like Fugazi, Jawbox, Nation of Ulysses, as well as King Crimson...
, The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan is a Washington D.C. based indie rock band formed on January 1, 1993. Also known as D-Plan or The Plan, the name comes from a stray phrase uttered by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in the popular comedy Groundhog Day. The band members included Eric Axelson , Jason Caddell ,...
, The Monorchid, The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring is an American emo band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In their early years, their music was usually classified as emo, but their later albums could be described more accurately as indie pop. They split up in 2002 and temporarily reunited in 2005...
, Dwindle, Pilot to Gunner
Pilot to Gunner
Indie/post-punk revival band Pilot to Gunner came together in New York City around 1998. Led by the vocals and guitar of Scott V. Padden, Pilot to Gunner also includes guitarist Patrick Hegarty, bassist Martin McLoughlin, and drummer Kurt L. Herrman...
, Paint it Black, None More Black
None More Black
None More Black is a New Jersey-based melodic punk outfit on Fat Wreck Chords, formed by lead singer / guitarist Jason Shevchuk after the demise of his previous band, Philadelphia's Kid Dynamite...
, Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker (band)
Jawbreaker was an American punk rock band active from 1986 to 1996 and considered one of the most influential acts of the early-1990s emo movement...
, Against Me!
Against Me!
Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida and relocated to Gainesville, Florida in 1999. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records in 2002, was Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Misanthrope Records, Crasshole Records,...
, Goodbye Soundscape, Modern Life is War
Modern Life Is War
Modern Life Is War , was a Marshalltown, Iowa-based melodic hardcore punk band. They were known for their incendiary live shows and unique take on the melodic hardcore and hardcore sound, usually avoiding standard songs structures and almost entirely abandoning the use of breakdowns...
, Stapleton
Stapleton (band)
Stapleton is an independent rock band who come from Glasgow. They formed in April 1997 and have released four albums and two EPs. They have to date played over 300 shows. They have released records on a number of independent record labels and are presently signed to Xtra Mile Recordings in the...
, Murder By Death
Murder by Death (band)
Murder by Death is an American five-piece indie rock band from Bloomington, Indiana. Their name is derived from the 1976 Robert Moore film of the same name.- Early years :...
, mewithoutYou
MewithoutYou
Me Without You, stylized as mewithoutYou and abbreviated as mwY, is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarist Michael Weiss, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Rickie Mazzotta. MewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by...
, Black Cross (hardcore), Lemuria
Lemuria (band)
Lemuria is an indie/punk rock band from Buffalo, New York formed in 2004. Lemuria has recently released their "The First Collection" EP compilation and the LP, "Get Better"...
, Caustic Casanova
Caustic Casanova
Caustic Casanova is an American rock band, from Washington, DC, formed in 2005. The band self-released their first album, entitled Old Habits Die Hard, in May 2005, after playing one show at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where the three members attended college...
, and Nakatomi Plaza.
In 2007, Robbins' son Callum was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy
Spinal muscular atrophy
Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of motor neurons, resulting in progressive muscular atrophy and weakness. The clinical spectrum of SMA ranges from early infant death to normal adult life with only mild weakness...
, an incurable nerve disorder. A number of benefit shows for Callum Robbins have been organized and played in cities such as Chicago, Washington DC, Minneapolis, and New York.
In 2011, Robbins, along with Kerosene 454
Kerosene 454
Kerosene 454 was a punk rock band from Washington, D.C.. They formed in 1992. The core of the group, brothers John and Jim Wall along with Erik Denno, went through a number of drummers before hooking up with Darren Zentek in time to record their 1st LP, Situation At Hand...
's drummer and fellow Channels bandmate Darrek Zentek, bassist Brooks Harlan, and guitarist/cellist Gordon Withers, released an EP under the name Office of Future Plans
Office of Future Plans
Office of Future Plans is a music project that was started in 2009 by former Government Issue, Jawbox, Burning Airlines and Channels frontman/guitarist J. Robbins. It also consists of guitarist/cellist Gordon Withers, bassist Brooks Harlan and drummer Darrek Zentek...
.http://www.dischord.com/release/OFP1/2-song-7 The band, who had been playing since 2009 http://officeoffutureplans.com/post/1004087402/the-infamous-only-video-of-us-on-the-internet, opened one of the reunion shows of The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan is a Washington D.C. based indie rock band formed on January 1, 1993. Also known as D-Plan or The Plan, the name comes from a stray phrase uttered by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in the popular comedy Groundhog Day. The band members included Eric Axelson , Jason Caddell ,...
in late January 2011.http://officeoffutureplans.com/post/2926748731/our-show-with-the-dismemberment-plan
Office of Future Plans will release an album on DIschord Records in late 2011.
External links
- J. Robbins producer/engineer and Magpie Cage Recording Studio - Official website.
- Office of Future Plans - Official band website.
- Interview with J Robbins on Aural States (Oct 2009)
- Interview with Robbins and his new band, Channels, from Punk Planet 64
- Interview with Robbins from punknews.org
- Interview with Robbins from Sound Bites Dog E-Zine
- Benefit drive for Cal Robbins