If you only knew their name (pronounced Black Jacks) and their hometown (Johannesburg, South Africa) you might have come to this band’s show expecting to see something a bit different from the other showcase acts. But the Jacks’ killer set was not just off the beaten path of that evening’s lineup, but also pretty much out of range of any genre classification. You can hear Africa in their music, if only in the few lyrics that were not in English, but BLK JKS’s energetic and diverse sound would better be described as worldly than as World music.
The Jacks shredded high-necked guitar solos over huge bass, and the drummer’s dreadlocks rarely stopped flying around as he pounded out machine-gun fast beats. The rhythm guitarist, perhaps the most charismatic of a charismatic group, alternatively jumped around the stage and played kneeling on it. The sound was intense and chameleonic, and BLK JKS mash up elements of rock, metal, and dub with some jazz sensibilities. Of course, you have to see and hear it yourself to see how such a broad range of descriptors can all apply to the same band, but since the showcase was sponsored in part by Youtube, you can check it out here.
DOWNLOAD: BLK JKS - Lakeside (MP3) or Follow us for more BLK JKS MP3s (Twitter)
he is amazing bro his style can not be touched....some people dont know what he is talking about caz u dont do what he does he is sickkk bra
by dylyn on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 11.59 am from the entry: Wiz Khalifa: Burn After Rolling (Mixtape)
Wow,Great post.Thanks for sharing with us. land wi
by wisconsin land on Thu Mar 18, 2010 at 09.53 am from the entry: of Montreal + Gang Gang Dance - Orpheum Theatre (Boston, MA; Oct. 30, 2008)
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
