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The infectious pop-rock trio Jukebox The Ghost returns to the Free At Noon stage this week for the second time, playing fresh material as well as old favorites. The band just wrapped a North American tour with A Great Big World and spent part of the spring doing a mini-tour playing original sets and cover sets for fans. Safe Travels, the band’s third full-length album, was released in 2012, and they’ve recently put out two catchy new singles, “The Great Unknown” in May and "Sound of a Broken Heart” this month. Jukebox is currently working on its as-yet untitled fourth LP; join us to hear the new tunes and old faves at the performance or listen in at 88.5 FM or xpn.org.
"The Germans can't pronounce it," Jukebox the Ghost say of their name, which they admit "is impossible to say." The trio came together while attending George Washington University in D.C. when the drummer and keyboardist responded to a flyer the guitarist had put up in the school's music department. In their own words, "It was musical love at first sight." They initially performed under the name The Sunday Mail, but after a few years the band decided that a new identity was in order. Creating a sound full of fresh-faced indie-pop goodness, Jukebox the Ghost have found themselves often compared to the likes of They Might Be Giants and Ben Folds, with whom they toured in 2009.
This Philly-based trio, originally formed while guitarist Tommy Siegel, pianist Ben Thornewill, and drummer Jesse Kristin were in college in Washington, D.C. – is described as whimsical, quirky, energetic indie band featuring melodic pop tunes driven by a sizzling rock momentum. Jukebox The Ghost has a unique sound, with an eclectic mix of elements from artists Ben Folds, Elvis Costello, Queen, They Might Be Giants, and The Flaming Lips. Their debut album, Let Live and Let Ghosts was described as "a sunny, piano-led explosion of pop exuberance" by the group, and their new album, Everything Under the Sun, has been popularly accepted as catchy and skillfully structured, yet wildly diverse. The band has toured extensively, most notably with Guster and will soon be on tour with The Barenaked Ladies. They played SXSW in the spring, Lollapalloza in Chicago in August, and appeared on David Letterman in early September featuring their song "Schizophrenia." As their fan base grows and excitement over the recent album release increases, it is easy to guess that this group could be the next big thing in indie rock.
Jukebox the Ghosts' latest release, Everything Under the Sun, is still full of rich pop undertones, but there's something a bit more introspective, a bit more serious, about this 11-song collection. Released this past September, the record has undeniable Brit-pop influences but also some Philly flavor; JTG relocated to the City of Brotherly Love on a whim after their first release. "The music scene here is amazing," said Siegel. "A lot of bands here, like Dr. Dog, have a heavy Beatles vibe going– I think that made us realize that it's OK for us to wear our influences on our sleeves a little bit."
"We've been keeping our eyes and ears on Jukebox The Ghost since they debuted a couple years ago."
The band really nailed it on their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and has grown a lot over the last couple years.Jukebox The Ghost was chosen to be WXPN's Artist To Watch for October, 2010.
~Bruce Warren, Assistant GM of Programming for WXPN
