Brother JT3
Way To Go
(Drag City)
I want to testify! I'm going to testify! Let me just tell you that listening to the brand new Brother JT3 album makes me want to testify. Not in court or under oath of course, but testify nonetheless that "Way To Go" is a way-cool CD and deserves to be played at pagan rituals, sock-hops and Bar Mitzvahs all across the land. Just who is this Brother JT? Well, you might say that he is another hard-rockin' white boy who appears to be completely possessed by powerful and nefarious forces well beyond his own control. An inane punk/blues/soul shouter who fronted Philadelphia's Original Sins before getting religion, JT takes his stance to the absolute limit with some excellent production help from Adam & Eve (AKA Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux). Whoever came up with this "original-sinner-meets-trashrockin'-couple-from-hell" concept (probably someone at Drag City) deserves real credit because "Way To Go" succeeds admirably from start to finish. With psychedelic guitar flourishes and suitably deranged / inspired wordplay, this brother man tells it like it is and then some. While Iggy Pop has turned fifty and is getting all introspective and stuff, Brother JT is pushing his personal and spiritual muse to the limit and should not be overlooked.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.