Jack Off Jill
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| Jack Off Jill | |
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| Country | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida USA |
| Years active | 1992–2000 |
| Genres | Alternative rock, Gothic rock |
| Labels | Rectum Records, Risk Records |
Jack Off Jill was an alternative/Gothic rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, formed in 1992 by Jessicka Fodera, Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha, Robin Moulder, and Michelle Inhell. Though these four young women were the initial founders, twelve members rotated through the group in its life span, including Scott Putesky, lead guitarist and co-founder of industrial rock group Marilyn Manson. The band lasted eight years, with only Moulder and Fodera remaining through all its lineups. The group toured and performed with Marilyn Manson a significant number of times, and have been compared to the more famous rocker. Like Manson, they were known for raunchy shows. Despite this, the group bore a greater resemblance to riot grrl groups. Jessica was the only original member throughout the bands enitre history.
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[edit] History
Jack Off Jill got their start when they began opening for fellow Floridian and long time friend Marilyn Manson and his shock-rock outfit, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids in 1992. The fierce female foursome quickly became one of the most exciting and controversial underground bands during their heyday. Jessicka delivered gut-wrenching lyrics in an angelic to banshee-like voice and performed shocking on-stage antics that included stripping young men on stage while the band and crowd taunted the exposed fans, as well as covering the audience with spit and real blood and candy-covered razors. Jessicka even spent a night in jail when she and Manson were arrested after a 1994 concert in Jacksonville, Florida, after being accused by the town's Christian Coalition for breaking the town's adult entertainment codes. [1] Though the members of Jack Off Jill never claimed to be shock rockers, they were often labeled as such. In fact, Jack Off Jill had more in common musically with riot grrl acts such as Babes in Toyland than they did with Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, with whom Jack Off Jill would later be constantly compared. It did not help that Jessicka's rumored friendship with Manson's then girlfriend Missi Romero and long relationship with Twiggy Ramirez, former bass guitarist for the now infamous band, was also in the spotlight, making critics' comparisons draw even closer.
Jack Off Jill released several independent records: "Children 5 and Up", "The Boygrinder Sessions", "Cannibal Song Book", (produced by JOJ and Manson) "Cockroach Waltz", and several 7" singles. It was not until they played a benefit show with legendary Minneapolis based grrl band Babes in Toyland and 7 Year Bitch from Seattle, that Jack Off Jill caught the eye of record labels. Drummer Lori Barbero from Babes wanted to sign them to her now defunct Minneapolis label Spanish Fly, but it was not to be. Jack Off Jill then caught the eyes and ears of Risk Records, who signed them in January 1997. They replaced both Ah Cha Cha and Inhell with new members because the two were not ready to leave Florida. The band released their first national 7" "Girl Scout"/"American Made" in March of 1997. On September 9, their full-length Sexless Demons and Scars (produced by Don Fleming who produced early Hole) was released to the public.
After moderate underground success, touring with Lords of Acid, and playing to sold-out crowds in 1997, Jack Off Jill headed to Los Angeles in order to complete 1998's Covetous Creature, a remix EP of songs from Sexless Demons and Scars with the help of SMP (Scott Putesky), a founding member of Marilyn Manson, re-mixer de-jour Synical, and new drummer Claudia Rossi.[2] The new manifestation of Jack Off Jill hit the road on a national tour with Psychotica, joined along the way by Switchblade Symphony.
The band road-tested new songs in March of 1999 when JOJ were asked to take the opening slot on the Marilyn Manson / Monster Magnet / Hole tour after Hole departed. With Putesky no longer in the guitar position, JOJ enlisted the help of Jessicka's then-boyfriend gutarist Clint Walsh, original JOJ guitarist Michelle Inhell (Oliver), and drummer Norm Block and for the tour. In 2000, JOJ released their second full-length CD, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers on Risk Records, that featured a cover by arist Mark Ryden and was produced by Chris Vrenna of Tweaker and Nine Inch Nails, right as the label was preparing to close its doors.[3] Due to pressure, poor publicity for C.H.G.F, several line up changes, tension between founding members Jessicka and Robin, and management problems, Jack Off Jill played its last show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in April of 2000. They were joined onstage by guitarist Helen Storer of the UK all-girl band Fluffy and producer Chris Vrenna on drums. [4] JOJ officially called it quits in late 2000.
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Original Line-up
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[edit] Former members
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Most members listed have only contributed to live performances.
[edit] Trivia
- Tenni met Jessicka while attending Piper High School in Sunrise, Florida. They had begun writing songs, but had not yet formed a band when Moulder and Inhell joined them to create the band that would become Jack Off Jill.
- The song "My Cat" contains the line "My cat can eat a whole watermelon," a reference to the film Rubin and Ed, starring Crispin Glover. Jessicka's newer project Scarling. have released a song entitled "Crispin Glover," which contains references to another of Glover's movies, River's Edge.
- Sausage Pot Bri is credited as playing extra guitar tracks on "Swollen". Sausage Pot Bri was really Marilyn Manson. Keyboards on "My Cat" are credited to the big white dancing beav who was actually Robin Moulder.
[edit] Descendants
- Jessicka's new band is Scarling.
- Tenni Ah-Cha-Cha and Michelle Inhell's new project Set to Zero.
- Moulder's new project is TCR.
[edit] Discography
- Various demos produced by Marilyn Manson and Jeremy Staska (1992 -1995)
- Sexless Demons & Scars (1997), produced by Don Fleming
- Covetous Creature (1998), SDAS remixes
- Clear Hearts, Grey Flowers (2000), produced by Chris Vrenna
- Humid Teenage Mediocrity 1992-1995 (2006)
[edit] References
- ^ Baker, Greg. Program Notes 38 Miami New Times Jan 05, 1995
- ^ MTV news April 20, 1998
- ^ MTV news June 8, 1999
- ^ MTV news March 04, 2000
