[photo via Brooklyn DIY]

I was a full-throttle Jawbreaker fan right up until 1995’s Dear You, which seemed to ruin everything, especially for my admittedly biased-towards-the-rock college radio ears. I’m not sure how it would sit with me now, and I don’t really care. Life’s too short to revisit failure. I just remember the moment the single for “Fireman” arrived at WUSC, and we immediately slapped the 7″ on the turntable and stood around with our jaws open in shock and disappointment. Blake’s gravelly snarl had turned into whisper-singing? WTF. Anyway, I tried to perk up for Jets to Brazil, but by album number two that band had lost it for me as well. The pretentiousness outweighed the rock by a margin that my tolerance level could not reconcile. So, I’m intrigued by a new Blake Schwarzenbach band but also decidedly apprehensive. Twice-removed from Jawbreaker might be too watered down, but I’m open to being won over. Fleshing out Schwarzenbach’s new trio are drummer Aaron Cometbus (ex-Crimpshrine) and Daniela Sea from The L Word on bass. Sea plays the gender-confused Max on the Showtime drama that I’m sort of addicted to. So, that certainly raises the intrigue factor.

No videos posted for Thorns of Life yet UPDATE: Thorns of Life video thanks to watchful commenters:

And here’s a video from the glory days of Jawbreaker (“Boxcar” off 24-Hour Revenge Therapy live in Leeds 1993):