Railroad Jerk
Encyclopedia
Railroad Jerk was a New York
-based indie-rock band of the 1990s, specializing in a hard-driven punk blues
sound. Their lineup changed frequently, but the stalwart members were Minnesota
native Marcellus Hall
(vocals, guitar) and North Carolina
-born and Trenton, N.J.-bred Tony Lee
(bass). The two met in Trenton, New Jersey
in the spring of 1989 and quickly formed the band with drummer Jez Aspinall and second guitarist Chris Mueller rounding out the quartet.
The band gained a loyal following on the Manhattan
club scene and were signed to the prominent indie label Matador Records
, for whom they recorded four albums http://www.matadorrecords.com/bands/rrj/rrj_disc.html—all well received critically—before breaking up in the late 90s .
Beginning with Railroad Jerk (1990) and Raise the Plow (1993), the quartet defined the punk blues sound of the era. Although never achieving the kind of mainstream recognition enjoyed by other bands of the time, Railroad Jerk was an influential force in alternative rock
. With its legendary line-up in place, Railroad Jerk reached its biggest success with One Track Mind (1995).
Drummer Dave Varenka, guitarist Alec Stephen, bassist Tony Lee
, and guitarist/vocalist Marcellus Hall
brought the RRJ sound across America and to Europe and Japan. The "Rollerkoaster" video was shown on MTV
's Beavis & Butthead and the boys were sharing bills with the likes of Guided by Voices
, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
, Cibo Matto
, Girls Against Boys
, and Cat Power
. Everywhere people could be heard shouting "Bang the drum!" and the song "The Ballad of Railroad Jerk" became a college radio hit.
When The Third Rail (1996) was released, the nonstop touring and whirlwind media circus had begun to take its toll on the boys and they took refuge in the studio, recording demos
for the fifth Railroad Jerk LP which was to be entitled Masterpiecemeal. This final LP was never released but a bootleg
cassette version is coveted in underground circles as a record of the what many believe was the band's most productive period. Dave Varenka and Marcellus Hall went on to form the much lauded band White Hassle.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based indie-rock band of the 1990s, specializing in a hard-driven punk blues
Punk blues
Punk blues denotes a fusion genre of punk rock and blues. Punk blues musicians and bands usually incorporate elements of related styles, such as protopunk and blues rock. Its origins lie strongly within the garage rock sound of the 1960s and 1970s.Punk blues can be said to favor the common...
sound. Their lineup changed frequently, but the stalwart members were Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
native Marcellus Hall
Marcellus Hall
Marcellus Hall is an American artist and musician best known for his work in magazines including The New Yorker, Time and others.-Biography:...
(vocals, guitar) and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
-born and Trenton, N.J.-bred Tony Lee
Tony Lee
Tony Lee is a British comics writer, screenwriter, audio playwright and novelist.-Early life:Lee was born in Hayes, Middlesex in England...
(bass). The two met in Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
in the spring of 1989 and quickly formed the band with drummer Jez Aspinall and second guitarist Chris Mueller rounding out the quartet.
The band gained a loyal following on the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
club scene and were signed to the prominent indie label Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
, for whom they recorded four albums http://www.matadorrecords.com/bands/rrj/rrj_disc.html—all well received critically—before breaking up in the late 90s .
Beginning with Railroad Jerk (1990) and Raise the Plow (1993), the quartet defined the punk blues sound of the era. Although never achieving the kind of mainstream recognition enjoyed by other bands of the time, Railroad Jerk was an influential force in alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. With its legendary line-up in place, Railroad Jerk reached its biggest success with One Track Mind (1995).
Drummer Dave Varenka, guitarist Alec Stephen, bassist Tony Lee
Tony Lee
Tony Lee is a British comics writer, screenwriter, audio playwright and novelist.-Early life:Lee was born in Hayes, Middlesex in England...
, and guitarist/vocalist Marcellus Hall
Marcellus Hall
Marcellus Hall is an American artist and musician best known for his work in magazines including The New Yorker, Time and others.-Biography:...
brought the RRJ sound across America and to Europe and Japan. The "Rollerkoaster" video was shown on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Beavis & Butthead and the boys were sharing bills with the likes of Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are an American alternative rock trio, formed in 1991 and based out of New York City, New York. The band consists of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spencer on vocals, guitar and theremin...
, Cibo Matto
Cibo Matto
Cibo Matto are a New York City-based band formed by two Japanese women, Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori, in 1994...
, Girls Against Boys
Girls Against Boys
Girls Against Boys are an indie rock/post-hardcore band, originally forming in Washington, D.C. in 1988 and currently based in New York City.-Career:...
, and Cat Power
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
. Everywhere people could be heard shouting "Bang the drum!" and the song "The Ballad of Railroad Jerk" became a college radio hit.
When The Third Rail (1996) was released, the nonstop touring and whirlwind media circus had begun to take its toll on the boys and they took refuge in the studio, recording demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
for the fifth Railroad Jerk LP which was to be entitled Masterpiecemeal. This final LP was never released but a bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
cassette version is coveted in underground circles as a record of the what many believe was the band's most productive period. Dave Varenka and Marcellus Hall went on to form the much lauded band White Hassle.
Albums
- Railroad Jerk (1990), MatadorMatador RecordsMatador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
- Raise the Plow (1992), Matador
- One Track Mind (1995), Matador
- The Third Rail (1996), Matador
Singles, EPs
- "Younger Than You" - 7" (1991), Matador
- "Milk the Cow" - 2x7" (1992), PCP Entertainment
- 02.20.93 - 7" EP (1993), Walt Records
- "We Understand" - CDEP/2x7" (1993), Matador
- "Bang the Drum" - CDS/7" (1995), Matador
- Sauberes Hemd - CDEP (1996), Matador
- Railroad Jerk 2001 - 7" (2000), Sub Pop