Josh Joplin Group
Encyclopedia
Josh Joplin Group was an American
Georgia
-based folk rock
band led by singer-songwriter
Josh Joplin
. Joplin brought the group its trademark combination of introspective lyrics, catchy melodies, and lead vocals that, to many, sound identical to those of R.E.M.
singer Michael Stipe
(to the point that one Joplin song, "Happy at Last," begins, "I sound like Michael Stipe and I dream like Carl Jung
").
After releasing two independent albums - Projector Head and Boxing Nostalgic - under the name Josh Joplin Band, the group signed to Artemis Records and released Useful Music in 2001. Produced largely by Shawn Mullins
, the album received strong reviews but failed to make much commercial impact. It did, however, spawn a mild hit in "Camera One," a thoughtful exploration of depression
and superficiality. Featuring a more rock-edged, radio-friendly sound than most of the material on Useful Music, the song peaked at #22 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart in 2001, and was featured in an episode of the comedy series Scrubs
(season 1, episode 7, "My Super Ego").
In September 2002, Josh Joplin Group released its second major-label album, The Future That Was. On this record, Joplin's lyrics were noticeably more clever and playful than on Useful Music, with subject matter including the nature of popularity ("The Wonderful Ones"), the absurdity of snobbery among music lovers ("It's Only Entertainment"), and the uselessness of trying to predict the future ("The Future That Was"). The musical styles were similarly varied, ranging from slow piano- and acoustic guitar-driven pop to upbeat keyboard- and electric guitar-based rock.
Like its predecessor, The Future That Was received critical acclaim but sold poorly. Artemis released two singles from the album, "I Am Not the Only Cowboy" and "Wonder Wheel," but neither one took off. In the fall of 2003, the band announced that it was breaking up and would play its final two shows in Atlanta in December of that year.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
-based folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band led by singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Josh Joplin
Josh Joplin
-Biography:Joplin was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Conestoga Valley, in the heart of Lancaster, Pa., until at the age of 12, when his family relocated to Columbia, Md....
. Joplin brought the group its trademark combination of introspective lyrics, catchy melodies, and lead vocals that, to many, sound identical to those of R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
singer Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
(to the point that one Joplin song, "Happy at Last," begins, "I sound like Michael Stipe and I dream like Carl Jung
Carl Jung
Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
").
After releasing two independent albums - Projector Head and Boxing Nostalgic - under the name Josh Joplin Band, the group signed to Artemis Records and released Useful Music in 2001. Produced largely by Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins
Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. He is best known for the 1998 single, "Lullaby", which hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.-Career:Mullins was born in...
, the album received strong reviews but failed to make much commercial impact. It did, however, spawn a mild hit in "Camera One," a thoughtful exploration of depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and superficiality. Featuring a more rock-edged, radio-friendly sound than most of the material on Useful Music, the song peaked at #22 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart in 2001, and was featured in an episode of the comedy series Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
(season 1, episode 7, "My Super Ego").
In September 2002, Josh Joplin Group released its second major-label album, The Future That Was. On this record, Joplin's lyrics were noticeably more clever and playful than on Useful Music, with subject matter including the nature of popularity ("The Wonderful Ones"), the absurdity of snobbery among music lovers ("It's Only Entertainment"), and the uselessness of trying to predict the future ("The Future That Was"). The musical styles were similarly varied, ranging from slow piano- and acoustic guitar-driven pop to upbeat keyboard- and electric guitar-based rock.
Like its predecessor, The Future That Was received critical acclaim but sold poorly. Artemis released two singles from the album, "I Am Not the Only Cowboy" and "Wonder Wheel," but neither one took off. In the fall of 2003, the band announced that it was breaking up and would play its final two shows in Atlanta in December of that year.
Josh Joplin Band
- Projector Head
- Release Date: January 1996
- Label: Self-released
- Boxing Nostalgic
- Release Date: May 1997
- Label: Self-released
- Useful Music
- Release Date: May 25, 1999
- Label: SMG Records
Josh Joplin Group
- Useful Music
- Release Date: January 23, 2001
- Label: Artemis Records
- The Future That Was
- Release Date: September 24, 2002
- Label: Artemis Records