Jaguar Love is an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon / Seattle, Washington that formed in 2007.
Jaguar Love is one of two bands that have sprung out of the 2007 break-up of experimental hardcore band The Blood Brothers (the other being Past Lives, comprising ex-singer Jordan Blilie, ex-drummer Mark Gajadhar, ex-bassist Morgan Henderson, and original Blood Brothers guitarist Devin Welch). In Jaguar Love, singer/pianist Johnny Whitney and guitarist Cody Votolato are ex-members of The Blood Brothers, and Pretty Girls Make Graves member Jay Clark was the drummer: Due to unforeseen differences, Jay Clark has left the band. As of Januay 21, 2008 the band has signed to the independent label Matador. The Blood Brothers’ music could be described as a schizophrenic split between raging hardcore punk and jagged art-punk with Surrealistic lyrics. The three bands that developed as side-projects during The Blood Brothers’ existence—Whitney’s experimental post-hardcore bands Soiled Doves & Neon Blonde and the band’s other lead vocalist Jordan Billie & Votolato’s hardcore/thrash band Head Wound City—illustrated this. Jaguar Love has so far shown many characteristics found in Whitney’s past side-projects, albeit there is no electronica influence as heard in Neon Blonde and the “spazzcore” elements of Soiled Doves have been relatively toned down. In favor of the chaotic sound for those bands is the feeling of a more fully-fleshed out band with more concentration on melody, a lyrical maturation, and traditional songwriting that stylishly culls influence from indie rock, art-punk, soul, post-hardcore, jazz-rock, and glam metal. They are currently touring after finishing writing and recording the album [album]take me to the sea[/album] which is due out in august with production and recording duties being handled primarily by Clarke. Whitney’s clothing company Crystal City, which he co-owns with his wife Amy, has already designed and produced a handful of t-shirts for Jaguar Love. |
