Live Review: JEFF The Brotherhood @ Bumbershoot 9/6

photo by Josh Lovseth
courtesy of Sound on the Sound

Monday 1.15pm
Center Square Stage

Nashville, Tennessee’s finest psychedelic garage rock double act JEFF (all caps no less!) The Brotherhood (they’re literally brothers) begin their Bumbershoot set with electronic pulses arpeggiating up and down in tone faster and faster and eventually settling into a melody and rhythm to which lead singer and guitarist Jake Orrall begins to jam along. His drummer brother Jamin Orrall quickly joins in after a few bars to belt out set opener “U Got The Look.”

Clad in a snug-fitting gray hoodie with a pink t-shirt, blue jeans, and a scraggly mustache, long hair and fringe, Jake and his brother-in-crime Jamin have carved out a niche playing straight-up, lo-fi, garage rock that sounds the exactly same whether being played in a dark, damp basement or in front of a large festival crowd.

“Sorry we’re late,” Jamin says, wearing a t-shirt with the words “Sorry Mom I’m Scum” printed on the front, as he chugs a Starbucks. “We’re gonna play a few more songs,” he says and the audience is more than happy for them to do so.

No frills and no gimmicks, JEFF sound like Japandroids had they started playing together during the early 1990s grunge era and really didn’t care what they sounded like. This is rock at its purest, no labels, no marketing or branding, just two dudes, guitar and drums; the ambitious sound of cheap beer and apathy. Sorry Polyphonic Spree, but the Brotherhood know that less is more.

High: The entire set inspires you to not wash for several days and wake up underneath a mound of empty pizza boxes clutching a guitar and endlessly jamming with your band. For the sake of Rock. That’s a good thing by the way.

Low: What is with the odd Latvian-style elevator music they play in between their songs over the PA?

In a Tweet: Scuzzy, swampy, disinterested and unrefined rock that’s not concerned with a movement or craft, just rocking out. For that JEFF, we salute you.

Did you see JEFF The Brotherhood rock out at Bumbershoot? What did you think of their show? Let KEXP know in the Comments section below!