Artist description Jerkwater was an accident.Chris didn't REALLY have a band when he booked that first show, just a couple of demo tapes of some sad little songs. Thankfully, his neighbor Steve HAD listened to those tapes, and would be able to manage the bass parts just fine. And maybe Steve's friend Johnny could sit in on drums, but he was a guitarist. Didn't he say something about playing drums when he was in high school? Yes, he did have some experience, and he's open to give it a shot. OK, so we now have a band, sort of.That first night in Hells Kitchen, a surly crowd witnessed the birth of Jerkwater - a trio who showed that crowd that spontaneity was still the most entertaining of rock and roll's characteristics.Barreling through the 5 songs from the tapes, and quickly running out of material, much of the set was made up as they went, but no one was able to tell. "Hmm... If we can bullshit our way through a 2 hour set, we can certainly make this work" one of them had said.They are still known to make things up when they play shows, and they have brought this approach into the creative process as well. The resulting sound has a deep sense of melody and melancholy that is tempered with humor and pop sensibilities. This can be heard on their debut Love and Latitude recorded in 2000, which brings out a mature cooperative effort at arranging and writing, while still capturing the individual personalities each of the musicians.All now in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the band can be found playing the NYC/Brooklyn scene and along the East Coast. Still, the band likes to book the "fun" shows such as opening for Fellini films on the West Side docks. It brings back that cherished sense of bewilderment that started this whole thing in the first place. Jerkwater is Chris Bowers (Guitar/ Vocals), Steve Christensen (Bass/ Vocals) and Johnny Rock (Drums/ Vocals).

Music Style Indie Rock, Lo Fi

Musical Influences Luna, Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Replacements

Similar Artists Mayflies USA, dbs, Hefner, Sugar

Group Members Chris Bowers, Steve Christensen and Johnny Rock

Albums Love and Latitude

Press Reviews "This Brooklyn trio crafts earnest indie-pop, letting guitars go soft and sparkling around mid-range melodies. Their latest, Love and Latitude, is a glimmering glimpse of heartbreak and good intentions gone awry. Despite their seemingly abrasive moniker, Jerkwater is in fact precocious and soft-spoken, the school wallflower with designs on the head cheerleader." -Philadelphia Weekly Based out of the hip Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, melodic indie-rock trio Jerkwater has been steadily gaining notice in the Northeast for its melancholy, glimmery style of pop. Gotham critics have compared the band to Velvet Underground, The Replacements and Mercury Rev. The trio - comprised of guitarist Chris Bowers ([ex] Cicada Sings), bassist Steve Christensen and drummer John Connell - is currently touring in support of its debut full-length, Love And Latitude (Plus), a 13-song collection engineered by Jacques Cohen (Silver Apples, Mercury Rev, Bright). -Ballard Lesemann, Flagpole Magazine, Athens, GA, 3/7/01 Every now 'n' again, I come across a band - a "rock"-type band - that's actually a pleasure to listen to again and again, a disc that sounds better with each repeated listen. The W'burg trio Jerkwater have fashioned such a disc, their debut Love And Latitude. It has all the good points of such jangle-pop and twee-rock such as Heavenly, Go Sailor, Love Tractor, Miracle Legion, Let's Active, The High Llamas and The Mayflies USA but they wisely avoid most of the pitfalls (sugary-ness, samey-ness, arch-ness, occasional wimpy-ness). The opener "Crowd Pleaser" gently shimmers like a lazy summer day and has a great "Dear Prudence"-style chorus with pensive, gossamer heartfelt harmonies right out of the Beach Boys' Sunflower. "Ballad Of Johnny Rock" and "Drag City Blues" have that sweet tra-la-la not-quite-corrupted innocence-bounce of Heavenly and The Softies. But the tart, mordant lyrics, a nice sense of dynamics and their irresistible sense of melody keep things from getting too cutesy-precious. And they remember to rock, too: "Heart Attack Station" and "Call Waiting" come across like a cross between Cheap Trick and Sugar at their respective peaks. This is most definitely a keeper, some of the niftiest, most memorable pop/rock since Bibi Farber's Firepop and The dBs' Repercussion. -Mark Keresman, Waterfront Week, Brooklyn, NY, 2/21/01

Location Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - USA

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