• Artist: Jawbox
• Album: For Your Own Special Sweetheart
• Label: Atlantic (Original), DeSoto (Re-issue)
• Release: 1994, 2009
• Links: DeSoto, Dischord

It is easy to criticize artists for signing to major labels until you realized how hard it is to be in a good or even successful band. Most passionate fans of independent music are guilty of this, including myself. I’m pretty sure I would give in to temptation if someone approached me with a large sum of money and the goal of helping me live out my dreams. Granted, the 90’s are full of horror stories about bands that were eaten alive when they signed to a major and then only fed the beast when they did indeed salt themselves artistically. Jawbox, one of the finest bands to ever come out of Washington D.C., are a peculiar case and an exception. They took the expected amount of flack when they, along with Shudder To Think, became the first bands from the beloved Dischord label to sign to a major. The amazing thing is that instead of degrading themselves, Jawbox grew as songwriters and put out their best music when they signed to Atlantic Records.

Jawbox’s major debut and third album overall, For Your Own Special Sweetheart, was released in 1994. Looking back, it shouldn’t have been a huge surprise that it wasn’t a crossover hit. In the wake of grunge, I would have no idea how to market a post-punk band with obtuse lyrics to a mainstream audience and my guess is that Atlantic didn’t have a clue either. The bizarre music video for “Savory” says it all. At least Atlantic tried harder than Geffen did for Jawbreaker, Jawbox’s west coast brethren. They even managed to get “Cruel Swing” played in an episode of My So-Called Life for about four seconds. Many parallels can be drawn between that program and the 90’s lost bands. Sweetheart has been out of print for years, but DeSoto, the label operated by bassist Kim Coletta and guitarist Bill Barbot, made it available on iTunes in 2006. In a move to take things full circle, Dischord stepped in to bring the album back in physical form with a fresh re-master from Shellac’s Bob Weston.

Re-mastering the album was a great move because it sounds better than ever and nothing has been sacrificed from what I can tell. Sweetheart was the first album that featured Zach Barocas on drums and his presence is huge on this re-issue. The same can be said for Coletta’s bass. There are so many moments on this record where everything comes together perfectly and Barocas and Coletta are a big part of that. They are the ideal compliment to the twin attack of Bill Barbot and the infamous J. Robbins. Good things happen when Barbot and Robbins play together. This was proved again when the duo re-teamed for Burning Airlines after Jawbox broke up. I can’t play a guitar to save my life, but even I know that the interplay on Sweetheart between Barbot and Robbins is a very special thing.

Hearing this re-issue has only enhanced my appreciation for Jawbox.  There is no denying that “Savory” is bigger than life and contains one of the best riffs of the previous decade. The scary thing is that songs such as “Breathe” and “LS/MFT” come close to countering it. I rarely have an idea as to what the underrated J. Robbins is singing about on Sweetheart, but his voice never sounded as powerful as it does here. It still gives me chills when he proclaims that “One hand will wash the other” on “Savory.” All of this admiration brings me to one conclusion: Jawbox and Fugazi are the kings of the D.C. scene and no one has come close to bettering them. My only hope is that DeSoto and Dischord have similar plans to re-issue the group’s self-titled swan song that followed two years later.

Jawbox will perform “Savory” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon tomorrow, December 8th. No other reunion appearances are planned, but I’m sure that the 9:30 Club would welcome them with open arms.

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