Drive Like Jehu

Drive Like Jehu were a four-piece post-hardcore band from San Diego, California from 1990-1995. During this time, the band only recorded a rather limited amount of material. Despite this, they have proven to be indisputably influential in the genres of post-hardcore, alternative rock, and emo.  They established and refined many essential techniques and stylings that would continue to be staples in every band to follow's arsenal, even until now. Passionate, intense vocals, mixed with dynamic and progressive song structures, along with dueling guitars, muted strings, and octave chords are what Drive Like Jehu established, along with a few other bands around this time (Fugazi, Nation Of Ulysses, Quicksand). This also segued into the Gravity Records/San Diego scene, though Drive Like Jehu were never directly a part of, certainly paved the way for the bands that would immediately follow.

The band featured many noteworthy members from other projects. Prior to forming Drive Like Jehu, Rick Froberg and John Reis were a part of a band called Pitchfork. Reis was also in the very noteworthy band Rocket From The Crypt during and after Drive Like Jehu. Froberg and Reis formed another band in 1999 called Hot Snakes, which have also established and garnered a reputation in their own regard. Reis was also active in Sultans, Back Off Cupids, and currently The Night Marchers. Froberg currenly plays in Obits. Drummer Mark Trombino became a producer, who worked with many great bands, such as blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, Knapsack, Mineral, as well as many others.

A note on Yank Crime: this was their debut and only major label release, put out by Interscope (though later released on Reis' record label Swami Records). In 2003, it was re-released to include 2 songs from a 7" they did in 1992 ("Hand Over Fist" and "Bullet Train To Vegas"), as well as an early version of "Sinews", which appeared on a compilation also from 1992 titled Head Start To Purgatory. This re-released version is the one below. Enjoy, these guys are probably one of my favourite bands of all time.

Demo (1990)

1. O Pencil Sharp

2. Turn It Off

3. Spikes To You

4. If It Kills You

Drive Like Jehu (1991)

1. Caress

2. Spikes To You

3. Step On Chameleon

4. O Pencil Sharp

5. Atom Jack

6. If It Kills You

7. Turn It Off

8. Future Home Of Stucco Monstrosity

9. Good Luck In Jail

Yank Crime (1994)

1. Here Come The Rome Plows

2. Do You Compute

3. Golden Brown

4. Luau

5. Super Unison

6. New Intro

7. New Math

8. Human Interest

9. Sinews

10. Hand Over Fist

11. Bullet Train To Vegas

12. Sinews