Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments was a band from Columbus, Ohio active from 1989 to 2000.[1][2]
Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments | |
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Origin | Columbus, Ohio |
Genres | Lo-fi music |
Years active | 1989 | –2000
Labels | |
Past members |
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History
editThe band was formed in 1989 by Ron House, the former frontman of the band Great Plains.[3] The band is named after Thomas Jefferson's slave quarters at Monticello.[4] Soon after their formation, they released several 7"s in the Columbus area.[1] They followed these up with their debut album, Bait and Switch, which they recorded at a cost of $800,[5] and which was released in 1995 on American Recordings imprint Onion Records.[2] This album was followed by their second album, Straight to Video, which was released in 1997 on Anyway Records following Onion's closure.[3][6] Also in 1997, the band released a compilation album, You Lookin' for Treble,[7] which contained singles the band had released from 1990 to 1992, as well as songs from an EP released during that time.[8] Their third and last studio album, "No Old Guy Lo-Fi Cry", was released in 2000 on Rockathon Records, a label owned by Guided by Voices frontman Robert Pollard.[9]
While the band ended its initial run in 2000, they would continue to perform live in their native Ohio sporadically throughout the 2000s and 2010s.[10][11][12][13]
Guitarist Bob Petric died in April 2021.[14]
Critical reception
editBait and Switch received a favorable review from Entertainment Weekly's Ethan Smith, who wrote that the album was "short on polish, long on charm" and gave it a B+ rating.[15] Greg Kot also reviewed the album favorably, writing that there is "Nothing new here, just a clangorous, nasty good time courtesy of some saw-toothed riffs and a supremely estranged wit."[16] Robert Christgau gave Bait and Switch an A− rating, writing that the first five songs on the album "rush by in a perfect furious tunefest".[17] Another review of this album appeared in Spin, in which Eric Weisbard wrote that "House was right to reground his art, putting the way music flows and falls before singer-songwriterly commentary." He also said that on the album, House begins the process of doing something with noise, but that he does not go far enough.[18] In Billboard, David Sprague wrote that Bait and Switch "retain[s] the relaxed, lo-fi vibe" that was apparent on the band's early singles.[4]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- Bait and Switch (American Recordings, 1995)
- Straight to Video (Anyway, 1997)
- No Old Guy Lo-Fi Cry (Rockathon, 2000)
Compilation albums
edit- You Lookin' for Treble? (Year Zero/Vinyl Retentive, 1997)
References
edit- ^ a b DaRonco, Mike. "Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Lost Classics". Magnet. 15 April 2009. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ a b Sprague, David. "Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ a b Sprague, David (27 May 1995). "Slave Apartments Find a Home at Onion Imprint". Billboard. p. 13. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- ^ Wojciechowski, Mike (8 June 2012). "1995: Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments - Bait and Switch". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Morgan, Kellie; Lax, Tom (January 28, 2015). "TJSA 's Straight to Video to Be Released on Wax in March". Straight to Video. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
- ^ Graves, Karen E. "You Lookin' for Treble? Review". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Bruno, Franklin (March 1998). "Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments". CMJ. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Graves, Karen E. "No Old Guy Lo-Fi Cry". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ "70+ artists announced for 2015 Independents' Day Festival". 614now.com. 24 August 2015. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Donewaiting 9: Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments". donewaiting.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "2015 WCSB Halloween Masquerade Ball Lineup!". wcsb.org. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "2016 NMF Artists". nelsonvillefest.org. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ Koe-Krompecher, Bela. "Remembering Bob Petric, longtime guitarist for Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments". Columbus Alive. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ Smith, Ethan (28 July 1995). "Bait and Switch Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Kot, Greg (7 September 1995). "Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments Bait and Switch". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments". Village Voice. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Weisbard, Eric (August 1995). "Bait and Switch". Spin. pp. 94–5. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
Further reading
edit- Bradshaw, Erick (2022). Bait and Switch (LP liner notes). Dot Matrix Recordings. DM-5611.