uggh, where to start!

www.neighborhoodtexturejam.com
www.myspace.com/neighborhoodtexturejam

LISTEN: Live Music Archive Memphis on 07-23-2006

Joe Lapsley - vocals
Tee Cloar - guitars
Greg Easterly - texture
Steven Conn - bass
Paul Buchignani - drums
John Whittemore - guitar

NTJ was a soccer thug. One who wore a skinny, black tie and held a Bachelor's in psychology, a Master's in sociology, and a PhD in History. He worked as a linguist at a Philosophy think-tank on the first orbital university, specializing in North/South Beat Dialectic and Faulkner. He usually triumphed in debates after biting his opponent's face. Then he threw a kegger, invited everyone, and rocked their balls off. Tired of wannabe's and corporate punk? Try NTJ's Funeral Mountain and hear what the real deal is all about. Highly recommended. - Gavin Shore, Urban Punk Review

These guys rock like their lives depended on it. - Rolling Stone

...a tight, rhythmic, hard rocking unit...Its heavy shit. - Spin

A welcome spit in the face of the newfound commercial acceptability of punk. - Memphis Flyer

this six-piece Memphis groups' music hits you like a crazed, slogan-chanting activist whose Doc Martens just trampled your bare feet. - LA Weekly Reader

a dose of Lou Reed realism and pounding grooves - Vanderbilt Hustler

If a garbage can could scream, chances are the result would sound very much like this amazing band of Memphis skronkmeisters. - Riff

You have to wonder if the youngsters fully understand what it means when those yellow posters start appearing around town bearing the letters NTJ. Oh, sure, they know it's a band. That's pretty obvious. But do they have any idea what a monster of a band it is? For all my sweet kiddies out there in the twentysomething set who were learning long division back when Rolling Stone raved about how Neighborhood Texture Jam was the best unsigned band in America, here's a quick rundown: NTJ is a collective of jock- punk pioneers with a political edge that makes Henry Rollins look like a civics class dropout. Whether commenting on Rush Limbaugh's dirigible-like girth or telling some corporate drone at the drive-thru, "If I'd wanted a damn pie, I'd have ordered a damn pie," they manage to criticize the lemming-like behavior of consumer culture without ever seeming pedantic. On the flip side, tunes like "I Fell Into the Borax Factory of Your Love" are frenzied fun that will make the most "over that" dude out there forget how cool he is and slam-dance like it's 1989. - Memphis Flyer

It bears repeating - Neighborhood Texture Jam is one helluva rock and roll band. Anyone familiar with their work will tell you that they make music that is smart, funny, and ambitious. However, NTJ never forgets to “rock out”, and they perform an especially danceable version of rock and roll. Literate, satirical lyrics are propelled along by some of the most infectious riffs you’ve ever heard. The band is tight and every player is impressive. These guys just don’t know how to goof around. - David Perry, Memphis Mojo