The Jimmy Swift Band was a band from Halifax, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 that combined elements of rock

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...

, jam

Jam band

-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...

, and electronica

Electronica

Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...

. Composed of Craig Mercer on guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 and vocals, Mike MacDougall on bass

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

, Aaron Collier on keyboards

Electronic keyboard

An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...

 and effects, and Doug Cameron on drums

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

, the band was most often described as rocktronica.

Career

Formed by former members of the now defunct band PF Station, JSB draw their name from the name of the subject of one of PF Station's songs, "A Night in the Life of Fly Jimmy Swift". Before eventually choosing their current name, the band was known for a time as Fly Jimmy Swift.
Combining intricate guitar and a distinctly electronica keyboard sound with a hard hitting and rock solid rock rhythm

Rhythm

Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...

 section, the band is known for its lengthy progressive instrumental jams

Jam session

Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...

 that get the crowd up and moving.

The band has won three East Coast Music Awards, including Best Alternative Artist in 2002. The same year, JSB won three Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia (MIANS) awards, including Artist of the Year.

In 2004 the band produced their first video for the single "Two Hands on the Wheel" with New Brunswick filmmaker Greg Hemmings. On November 28, 2006, JSB released an animated video produced by Copernicus Studios for the single "Turnaround", from the album Weight of the World.

The band maintains a busy touring schedule across Canada and the US, and they have performed at numerous festivals including Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

's Evolve Festival

Evolve Festival

Evolve Festival is an annual music and cultural festival near Antigonish, dedicated to the promotion of sustainable living and environmental awareness. The festival uses renewable energy sources, recycled and biodegradable products and endeavours to limit solid waste...

, Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

's Shoreline Festival, Moedown (NY), Haymaker (VA), the World Electronic Music Festival (Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

) and many more. The group are at the head of a growing Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...

 jam scene, and frequently play with fellow scene mates Grand Theft Bus

Grand Theft Bus

Grand Theft Bus is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2000 from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. They are known for their live shows, playing about 150 shows across Canada, and occasionally touring festivals in the United States.-History:...

, and Slowcoaster

Slowcoaster

Slowcoaster is a Canadian indie rock band from Sydney, Nova Scotia.The band's sound is essentially rock-based, with strong influences of reggae, ska, folk and jazz, combined with pop hooks and improvisation.-History:...

.

On May 13th, 2011 it was announced by Aaron Collier on his website that the band had decided to break up.

Albums

• Now They Will Know We Were Here – 2002

1. "Creepin'"
2. "Up in Arms"
3. "Beautiful in the Morning"
4. "Drive By"
5. "Now They Will Know We Were Here"
6. "Dreams"
7. "Commotion"
8. "Warm and Fuzzy Feeling"
9. "Concrete"
10. "When Worlds Collide"
11. "Rearrange"

• Onward Through the Fog – 2003

1. "Two Hands on the Wheel"
2. "Running High"
3. "Granted"
4. "The 80s Runway Model"
5. "Anhedonia"
6. "When It Comes to It"
7. "Now and Then"
8. "Yard Sale"
9. "Astronauts Attempting to Take Off Their Spacesuits so They May Copulate"
10. "Alignment"

• The Rebirth Of Hooch – 2004

1. "Now They Will Know We Were Here (pt 1)"
2. "Now They Will Know We Were Here (pt 2)"
3. "Creepin'"
4. "Daisy"
5. "Astronauts Attempting to Take Off Their Spacesuits..."
6. "...So They May Copulate"
7. "The 80s Runway Model"

• Precious Gems & Rarities (8-track cartridge
  8-track cartridge
  Stereo 8, commonly known as the eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, or simply eight-track, is a magnetic tape sound recording technology. It was popular in the United States from the mid-1960s through the late 1970s, but was relatively unknown in many European countries...
  
  only) – 2005

• Weight of the World – 2006

1. "Daisy"
2. "Turnaround"
3. "Mobilized"
4. "Immobilize"
5. "Roadrage"
6. "Onward Through the Fog"
7. "Exploration"
8. "Weight of the World"
9. "Faceless"
10. "2012"
11. "Evacuation"

• When All Is Said And Done... ...There'll Be A Lot More Said Than Done – 2011

1. "Immobilized"
2. "Evacuation (Remix)"
3. "Daisy (Remix)"
4. "Medicine Chest"
5. "Turning Of The Tide"
6. "Running Through The Tall Grass"
7. "The Bend"
8. "Goodbye"
9. "Onward Through The Fog (Remix)"
10. "Faceless (Remix)"
11. "Weight Of The World (Remix)"
12. "Road Rage"
13. "Outfacing"

External links

• The Jimmy Swift Band official website
• The Jimmy Swift Band bandcamp site