Jack Ruby presents

Last show of 2011

Jesse — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:50:57 +0000

We have just one show left in our epic White Eagle Saloon Residency. We’ve had three wonderful Mondays with some amazing bands and great friends. Our deepest gratitude to everyone who has made it out and to the McMenamins crew for hosting us. This has really been a blast.

After Monday we’ll be taking some time off from playing shows to put some hard work into our new record. This week we’ll be playing the whole album, and then we’ll spend the next month fleshing it out in the studio. We’d love for you to come take a first listen to our as-of-yet untitled record. We’re really proud of it.

Our tentative track/set list is after the jump:

American Night

Boy Between

Poor Kids Wine

Dreams

Casualty

Radio

Freeway Cross

Son, Again

Cityscape

Fast Break

Wedding Song

Old

Drink Tickets

Two shows left!

Jesse — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:32:04 +0000

We have just two shows left in our epic White Eagle Residency. Thus far things have been awesome. Great bands, good beer, and some solid Tuesday morning hangovers. This coming week we’ll be bringing back some really old songs, and a few things that most people have never heard. We’ll be joined by Sara Jackson-Holman and Ed and the Red Reds. Both put on really solid shows. Not an evening to be missed! We hope to see you there.

White Eagle Residency in November

Jesse — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:20:38 +0000

We are so excited to announce our ever first residency at the legendary McMenamins White Eagle Saloon. We will be playing four epic Monday nights in a row with some of our absolute favorite bands in Portland. All the shows are FREE, 21+, and start at 8:30.

This is a really cool month for us. We have a bunch of new songs to debut, and old songs to bring back. We would really love to see you there.

Full lineup and details after the jump.

November 7:
Jarad Miles
Future Historians

November 14:
JohnHeartJackie
Violet Isle

November 21:
Sara Jackson-Holman
Ed and the Red Reds

November 28:
Evan Way (of The Parson Red Heads)
Fanno Creek

Live From the Banana Stand

Jesse — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:23:25 +0000

On June 25th we will be doing our first live recording at the Banana Stand in SE Portland with phenomenal Shaky Hands off-shoot, Death Songs . We are really thrilled to be able to put out an album, which we hope will have the same excitement and energy that we feel whenever we play live. This is a really cool opportunity for us, and we would love for everyone who has been following us over the past three years to be a part of it. We will be debuting a few songs from our upcoming album, as well as playing some of our favorites from Over Wires. Because of the nature of free basement shows, the address is a secret, if you’d like to come out please send us a note, and we will get you the address. It will be a really fun night with some some really killer local music. If you can’t make it the 25th, stay tuned, we will be releasing the album online in the coming months. In summation:

Junetwenty-fifth.NinePM.Free.All Ages.BYOB.

For more information please visit Banana Stand Media.

The Haunting

Jesse — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:03:21 +0000

The idea and most of the lyrics for this song came to me one night while studying in the library when I was in college. I realized that I wanted to write a song about a man who is haunted by his dead wife. However, it was important to me to leave some ambiguity in the lyrics so as to let the listener decide whether the man loved her and killed her or just loved her and has not been able to reconcile the loss.

Lyrics:

Scattered words on paper, can’t decide to send or burn

With haste he moves to the doorway, empty hall, white noise

Sweat under the sheets wishing to feel her cold caress

Candle flickers out, she breathes

He sweats under the moonlight while she lies under the ground

The fear, the need, the dreams, the love, the peace he has never found

He screams, “I know you’re lonely; I know I’m lonely”

And he drinks

And he screams, “I know you’re lonely; I know I’m lonely”

And he drinks

One last round

Words cast to the fire, too late to be saved

With them his confession, his hope, his grace

Returns now to the darkness, four more years inside this space

From the outside looking in, he breathes

He sweats under the moonlight while she lies under the ground

The fear, the need, the dreams, the love, the peace he has never found

He screams, “I know you’re lonely; I know I’m lonely”

And he drinks

And he screams, “I know you’re lonely; I know I’m lonely”

And he drinks

One last round

Chris Hernandez – Vocals, Mandolin, Acoustic Guitar

Melissa Davaz – Vocals, Keys

Aaron Owens – Drums (One Take)

Jesse Hughey – Vocals, Electric Guitar/Noise

Brenden McEldery – Banjo

Danny Jones – Bass

-Chris

Stay

Jesse — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 07:33:03 +0000

Stay is a brief sentimental mood at the center an album written generally from less hopeful perspective. The song is dedicated to my dear friend Matthew Hancock (from whom I stole the chords to the song) and my younger brother Benjamin. The lyrics were written while away from both of them for a number of months, and as we were all poised at the edge of new things.

When we approached Over Wires, I was initially hesitant to record the song, as I had been happy with the version that appeared on “The Cardboard EP”, originally titled Stay (for Matt and Ben). After some thought, we decided that was an important song to include primarily because of its significance as a part of our history as a band. We all felt that it was important to leave some memory of the place that we have come from intact on this record.

Lyrics:

I hope you never loose your footing hope you’re always in control

I hope the wind is at your back while you’re searching for you soul

I hope you stay

‘cause all the cities that I’ve been to, they all smell just the same

they smell like broken bottles, cracked rim glass cocaine

I hope you stay

I’ve been to London, been to Antwerp and the people never change

they lie because they’re lonely and cry to feel something

I hope you stay

I hope you Stay

I hope that all these slings and arrows don’t find you in the night

I hope she makes you happy I hope you find your light

I hope you stay

Jesse – rhythm guitar lead vocals/electric guitar

Melissa- Harmonies and piano

Chris – Harmonies and mandolin

Aaron – Drums

-Jesse

The Recordedf History of Elizabeth Downs, in Brief (Aaron)

Jesse — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 20:30:30 +0000

Elizabeth downs is a song which I have to take much more seriously than the others when we play live and to my surprise, even more so in the studio. Playing this song live is a blast and I’d go as far as to say that it is our best song (my favorite at least) but, playing live is much different than recording in the studio and reproducing it for our friends and fans.

I have always wanted to be a professional drummer, but have found myself at times to be less practiced than I would like. In the studio, I required a level of perfection in my playing which was not readily attainable while recording Elizabeth. Realizing my performance shortcomings and embracing new technology, I was able to make a great step forward into the beginnings of my studio career which I think is just starting to blossom. The whole experience has led me to back to my past attempts as a computer programmer and train that focus on a career in music tech and audio engineering.

Long story short, our recording engineer, Daniel Jones of Marigold Digital, was able to take a combination of my attempts of Elizabeth Downs into the perfect performance for what we were able to offer. I did not play one perfect attempt at the song but it comes back as a pretty good replica as if I had. Thanks to Danny Jones at Marigold Digital for everything. We owe him a lot.

-Aaron

The Recorded History of Elizabeth Downs, in Brief

Jesse — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:54:19 +0000

This song took me six months to write. I wrote the first verse in about five minutes, and then sat on it for along time before I started adding words that I actually liked. During the first verse I had a picture in my head of a woman in a saloon in the western half of the country that was consoling herself over a man that had broken her heart, yet whom she still loves. Once the story took shape, it became about a woman who seeks vengeance on men that treat women in the worst of ways, and in the end she kills the man who broke her heart. In my mind he had harmed her physically while continually attempting to win her back. While the character in this tune is very fictional, she is based on a woman that is very dear to my heart.

Lyrics:

A sea of petals lost from he loves me he loves me not

The doors swing both ways, letting in the weather, and a lover, she’d left twice before

And the old time bomb ticks away the seconds to this disaster

She stands so tall

In the midst of men who think

That sober blood

Will save their souls

Well this rain could drown this whole dang town

But her eyes still force the strong to weep

When the lights burn out, and the streets go dark

Her love will force grown men to bleed

The shine of metal greets him on the walkway to this encounter

And the rose begins to wither, dying at the doorstep, to his dismay

So he bows his head in silence as the last chapter is told

She stands so tall

In the midst of men who think

That shallow love

Will save their souls

Well this rain could drown this whole dang town

But her eyes still force the strong to weep

When the lights burn out, and the streets go dark

Her love will force grown men to bleed

- - - - - - - - - - -

Chris Hernandez – Acoustic guitar and lead vocals

Melissa Davaz – Keys and vocals

Aaron Owens – Kickin’ Drums

Jesse Hughey – Noise, electric guitar, and vocals

Danny Jones – Bass

-Chris

Meet Me

Jesse — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 06:53:35 +0000

This is another re-recorded song, which originally appeared on The Cardboard EP, and the first song written for JRP. After several years of performing the song I started being accused of using the same introduction every time we played the song: This one is about going back to the town you grew up in and realizing that everyone you knew either went to prison or joined the army. Though I’ve stopped introducing it as such, the song is really based around realizing how feelings and people all change so drastically when going back home.

In terms of performance, the morning that I laid down vocals on this tune was a pretty rough one. I was feeling ill and my throat was really hurting. In the end, I think that the song sounds painful because it actually hurt to sing. Perhaps my favorite guitar tone one the album is the single strummed electric from the second verse on. That was all recorded with the same overdriven 1950s Guild Archtop. Our friend, Tyler Ramm-Gramenz came by the studio one afternoon and laid down the trumpet lead line on the chorus.

Lyrics:

Meet me at the bottom of the next whiskey bottle

Meet me at our favorite bar, I’ve been drinking, drinking for two since you quit drinking with me

Meet me at the edge of the bridge, rain covering your hair

Meet me in the ocean, I breathe salt water and curse the air

Cause I’ve been poppin’ pills all morning

and I don’t think I’ll live to see the sun

god damn this morning

they told me son, smile, you’re a hero

Meet me, your windows open let the breeze come floating in

Meet me, smile softly, like you can’t see the blood I shed

Meet me, come alone, look the hangman in the eye

Meet me, don’t wear a mask like everyone I know

Cause I’ve been drinking hard since sunset

and I don’t think I’ll see the sunrise

god damn this morning

they told me son stand like a hero

Oh, so cold this morning and there’s no one here to tell me I’m alone

I’ve been drinking hard since you left

and I don’t think I’ll live to see you come

god damn this morning

they told me son, stand like a hero

Meet me in the morning, bring my ring say boy you done fine

Meet me, hold my hand then lie and say I look alright

Meet me, blindfolded smoking cigarettes, waiting on the world to end

Meet me, last round for drinks listen to hear it’s done

Jesse – Rhythm guitar, archtop electric, and vocals

Aaron – Drums with brushes

Chris – Slide and lead guitar

Melissa – Organ, vocals

Tyler Ramm-Gramenz

Danny Jones – Bass

-Jesse

White Roses

Jesse — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:36:00 +0000

White Roses was among the first Jack Ruby recordings that were debuted on the Cardboard EP. The initial recording was dry and lacked rhythmic energy to complement and drive the lyric. Since the Cardboard EP, the tempo has increased comfortably and it has been sung as a duet. As a convenient arrangement akin to “Strange Fruit,” we often fit a couple of verses of “House of the Rising Sun” into this song during live performances.

As a work it expresses the grounded connection that the band–as individuals and as a collective group–has to the Portland area. Amidst our recognized and accepted brokenness, drunkenness, and stumbling fortitude as twenty-something year olds, we love where we live and what we’re doing. Of all the cities that could be our center, Portland is certainly a great one. It’s summer in the city of roses. Who knows where I’ll be after another twenty years; it is certain that many of the happiest memories of my youth will be buried here, in the company of good friends and the world‘s best beer.

This is another tune for dancing, full of vocal glissandos in harmony and some sweet overdriven electric guitar. Thanks to Danny Jones for adding the organ line, and to Joel Uram for tracking this song, perhaps my favorite on the album.

Lyrics:

Bury me white roses
And when I stumble just let me fall
Judge tried to kill me
But you can’t break a man
Who already done the work himself

I walked away on two broken feet
She called me a liar
And I said “I know”

So bury me in the sunlight
Bury me before this fog rolls in
Bury me while we’re still young
Bury me in the city that I love

Too drunk to stand
Crawl down this alleyway
But your apartment door was shut and locked
My last words on this bar napkin
It’s ink that’s mixed with wine and tears

Oh Madonna won’t you rescue me
before this lead stops my heart

So bury me in the sunlight
Bury me before this fog rolls in
Bury me while we’re still young
Bury me in the city that I love

Jesse – rhythm guitar, vocals

Melissa- Vocals

Chris – Lead guitar

Aaron – Drums

Danny Jones – Organ, Bass

Tracked by Joel Uram

-Melissa