The January Transfer Window

Recommended For Listeners Of:  Rolling Stones, The Beatles, David Bowie, The Who, T-Rex, Marc Bolan, The Clash, Coldplay, Oasis, Morrissey, The Smiths, Kitchener, Sparrow, Roaring Lion, King Radio, , Bob Marley and The Wailers, U2, REM, The Pixies, Thin Lizzy, New York Dolls, Velvet Underground, Peter Tosh

Release Date: 29nd June, 2007
Label / Distributor: Anarchy On The Ave Records
Performers: Gary Hector (aka Mick Richardson)(Guitars & Vocals), Damon Homer ( Guitars), Dion Camacho (Drums), Jerome Girdharrie (Bass), Phil Hill (Keyboards/Synths)
Production and Engineering: Ryan Agostini,  IIII Know and Quality Daydream Time - Sean Poland,  Dancin in the Moonlight - Robert Beadon

Track Reviews

1. The Irony Of It All
A stirring track that is laced with pianos from the word go. Quiet to loud in delivery, The Irony of it All has Damon Homer's melodic lead guitar fills hooking you in from the first time you hear it. It carries the song into modern melodic britpop territory. It could be considered a glistening pop ballad but not for love but another cause. Gary Hector is almost on his knees when he sings. The line "And all the people keep on dying, but another shopping mall", does not sound like a romantic ode at all. Hector's change of phrasing on the "The Irony of it All" is brilliant, definitely making up for the limited lyrics. Phil Hill does a good Elton John like piano bit at the end to signal the addition of keyboards to jointpop's sound.

2.  Monday Morning Love Situation
Slamming you like Marc Bolan's T-Rex albeit a shiny polished version, Monday Morning kicks the record into a high gear. They have gone all 70's glam on this track. It is a polished reminder of tracks like "Children of the Revolution" ,"20th Century Boy" or Bowie's "Suffragette City". If only for Hector's vocals, this could be different band playing the second song on the album. Diversity is key and he even mentions "revolution".

3.  Mystery
Mystery is a cool breezy track that displays the songwriting prowess of jointpop. A simple repeating riff takes the record into calmer, gentle waters. Acoustic guitars and keyboards fills the spaces to give Hector a base to drop some finely honed lyrical melody. The beautifully sung "These days they seem to last forever, hold on..yeah hold on" at the end of the song ads to the already lush feel of this song. Overall a well crafted melodic gem that will surely grab your attention and maybe warm your heart as well.

4. Walsall Wonderland
Featuring some nasty guitar licks and Jaggerish vocals in the chorus, Walsall Wonderland is a tribute to their second home of sorts. The band toured the UK and spent some time in Walsall in 2006. Hector's lyrics on this, comes from the Morrissey school of thought. Most of the lyrics suggest a yearning for fame. The line "I don't want you, but I just need" you suggests the band would much prefer playing outside of Trinidad and Tobago. The bassist and drummer provide the perfect groove along with the retro styled keyboards to make this a solid roots rock track. 

5. Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono displays jointpop's unique sound as this song may well be any simple rock song but for the combination of Gary Hector's Trinidadian accented voice and Damon Homer's tasty playing. With his voice sounding a bit hoarse, Gary Hector exclaims, “Turn the newspapers off!". He goes on to tell us" That's what the little lady said". An assumption could be made that he is singing about Lennon's wife when he sings “She’s the wife of the big man." Homer's melodic Tom Verlaine (Television) styled guitars, drive this track from beginning to end.  The song itself is executed much in the way Television played much of their music with a lead guitar riding along with the vocals.

 6. The Desperate Housefly
A slight reggae-funk organ could be heard under bouncy island styled rhythm throughout this track. The mellow groove on Desperate Housefly has a touch of reggae, but a bit of "new wave funk" influence can be discerned. The rock edge is there in the form of attitude and Homer's wah-wah pedal. Desperate Housefly is also the shortest song on the record at two minutes, forty seconds.  This song maybe the closest thing to the old jointpop sound. They even named their recently premiered documentary after it.

7. The Fool
Considered by many fans as the best song they have ever written. This reviewer agrees. The Fool features subtle and carefully chosen guitar fills over a smooth groove from the bassist and drummer during the verses. The organ runs the melody as distant background ambiance. On the chorus, Homer drops lead guitar tones that have the bluesy edge as on previous records. This brings overall melodic feel of the song to another level. The singing is almost mischievous as Hector throttles his cool demeanor all over The Fool in a mellow, sweet sounding Tom Waits meets Van Morrison if there is such a thing.  The combination of the smooth groove and big chorus give the song that stadium size rock feel. Modern U2 and Tragically Hip with a dash of 70s rock will come to mind. One thing for sure it is distinctly jointpop. I could never see Bono singing it.

8. The Bet
The bassist gets a chance to play a low end groove on this track. It gets this fantastically melodic masterpiece going. The song is a winner all-round as all members display some well cultured playing. The guitar fills are like modern Edge or Coldplay's Jonny Buckland.  The bass and drums work in tandem to provide a solid groove under the acoustic guitars and soft pianos. Hector's melodic crooning is well executed and not overdone with moments of pure genius. His shivering "oh nooo!" displays maturity and an understanding of the finer elements of singing. You can be reminded of U2's "A Man and a Woman".

9. The Spelling Bee
The Bet allowed the bassist to display some of his wares. The keyboardist shines here are he lays down some 80s new wave synths on a rocking number. Spelling Bee is the most distinct sounding song on the entire record for this. The keyboards interchange between a running synth melody and staccato like bursts. The guitars also go staccato during these moments adding to thickness of the sound. Spelling Bee will sit well amongst the modern new wave/post punk storm that is taking over the world.

10. Brass & Steel
A slow burner of a track. Acoustic guitars and again well placed lead guitar fills provide the backbone of this track. There is a bit melancholy in this song as Hectors sings his most personal song on the record.  He backs himself up as well. Funeral like organs fill the middle interlude, after which the song kicks the pace up with bass and drums joining in. The mood changes as well, to a joyous sing-a-long. It ends on this happy high note!!

11. Mayaro Heartburn Blues # 51
"In Mayaro...” The record was done at a beach house in the South East county of Mayaro in Trinidad. It's a Delta blues number recorded live, so it captures some good improvisations by the band. Just like the early blues, it's basically acoustic guitars, tambourine and a voice. Some good slide work and a Trinidadian cuss at the end. "Wotless Fucks!!" .

12. I I I I Know
A rockin' number in the T.Rex, Rolling Stones mold with a bit of Clash angst thrown in. Really, it is a New York Dolls glam stomper that shows the band know their history.  Driving rhythms pervades this track with some with some blues rock riffing by Homer. The dept of the other songs outshine this track but it carries the dirty rock and roll formula to good effect.

13. Quality Daydream Time
This track was written a long time before the other songs on this record. It was actually posted on their MySpace page along with "I I I I Know", "The Fool" and "Don't Believe a Word" a bit before anything else was heard from "The January Transfer Window”. The Smiths is glistening allover this track, as Homer spills some Johnny Marr tones and Hector lays down a Morrisseyesque croon (with a Trinidadian accent!).  The lyrics below are testament to the mighty Manchunian influence.

"I am in no hurry
 So why I worry,
 If I am wasting all my time
 Over you
 But you don't know me, nooo oh oh oh"

"And this horror story
 It's pretty gory
 But I tell it all the time
 Just to you
 Cause you don't scare me
 No..oh oh oh oh
 But if you wanna meet me, get in line.."

Steven Patrick would be proud. Overall the track is a cross between REM and The Smiths with that unique jointpop feel. Homer glides his guitar leads all over the song giving it that melodic textured feel. It can be considered by all means a jangly track and a good one too!

14. Dancin' in the Moonlight
The Cover of a Thin Lizzy classic. Lynott would be proud. If he was alive and by some means, heard this cover, he would approve. It is definitely one of the better covers of this song as jointpop stayed true to the original. Hector's voice is commanding and you can sense he made an effort to connect with the song. He makes if you wonder if he called upon Phil Lynott's ghost. Homer actually plays some of the saxophone leads on guitar to fine effect.  Overall this is a must be heard cover of a classic track. 

Why We Approve This?

The January Transfer Window stands out a record that in both unique and at the same time  paying homage to rock music in it's purest form. This band has been playing in their native Trinidad and Tobago for over ten (10) years at the same venues to the same crowd. The songwriting calibre and the talent of this band deserve to be experienced by a larger audience. They defintely add to the rock legacy. A band whose sound is essentially rock with a Caribbean twist. The previous records of jointpop had a distinct old calypso or kaiso feel to them. On January Transfer Window a bit of that calypso edge has been lost but the matured songwriting and execution makes this their strongest to date. The songs on this record will catch your ears immediately if you like something that is familiar, yet different from anything you have heard before. So many bands produce records that sound like another band you heard before. There are few that can honestly claim to be an "original" in modern times. jointpop is a one such band, they provide something that will stand out in an over crowded music collection. Maybe it's Gary Hectors vocals or Damon Homer's guitar playing. Maybe it's the Trinidad influence. So, if you want to hear a band and a record that you never heard before that is delivers unique, honest and welcoming rock and roll, The January Transfer Window is a definite get. Seeking out previous albums would also be worthwhile effort. It certainly won't leave you with "heartburn".....

Listen

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Buy joinpop  - The January Transfer Window
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Brief Artist Biography
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
City: Santa Cruz
Year Formed:1996

Gary Hector

jointpop through their unique blend of soulful rock and roll, calypso and punk was able to add a new dimension to the musical landscape of Trinidad and Tobago. A country traditionally know for it's steel-band and calypso music. As a band starting out with already experienced musicians/songwriters, they were heralded as the vanguard of the local original rock music scene. The rock music scene was initially built on bands playing pop rock and heavy metal covers in the 80s. With the death of 80s metal and the rise of alternative music globally, the late 80s and early 90s saw a few bands writing their own material and being able to play live shows. However, this was short lived as cover bands were getting more gigs and were payed better than the original bands. Most of the bands that played their own material either broke up or fizzled out on lack of interest. After 2000, the original music bands began to rise again with the introduction of the concert series (The Filth and The Fury, antipop and Circle of Rock). These concerts would feature primarily bands who played their own material. Incidentally Gary Hector was the mastermind behind the first of such, The Filth and The Fury. The underground was now bubbling with a huge interest being generated by a new generation of fans. jointpop would feature prominently at these concerts and the local press took notice as well with great reviews for their live performances at the various venues.

jointpop has released four(4) LPs, one(1) EP and a "best of" compilation, mostly under their own labels Little 2 Tune Records and Anarchy on The Ave. records.

(1999) Port-of-Spain Style:
Critically acclaimed debut record among fans for unique blend of early era calypso and rock.The tracks "After 1/2 Past Nine", "Urgent", "King Radio" and "Lost in Space" all received significant airplay in Trinidad. The record also sold extremely well in Trinidad and independently in New York and Miami. The band also produced videos for "Urgent" and "After 1/2 Past Nine" which can be seen on youtube.com (keyword:jointpop).

(2002) exile, baby:
Released in October 2002, the Trinidad entertainment press had a ball with this record. With slicker production and stronger arrangements the band gained a wider audience through their live shows and local radio airplay.  They received radio play for tracks "(I hate)Entertainment", "Exile,Baby", "La Belle Rosette" and "The New Fast Food". An animated video for "The New Fast Food" was also produced which can be seen on youtube.com (keyword:jointpop).

(2004) jointpop (5 song EP)
The lead track, "Let's Pray (for Rock n Roll)" topped local online radio charts and the EP includes now jointpop classics,   "Radio Luxembourg", "The Water Supreme", "Voodoo vs. Voodoo" and "Monsta Me".

(2007) The January Transfer Window:
Featuring the songs "Mystery", "The Desperate Housefly", "The Irony of it All", "Monday Morning Love Situation" and "Yoko Ono". This marked a new chapter in the history of the band as they added keyboards to their sound in Phil Hill. Dion Camacho (drums) and Jerome Girdharrie(bass) also became official members of the band.  

jointpop live

Over the years the bands has played numerous shows internationally and in their homeland of Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad shows include:-

• Pabloz (Back 2 Live concert series)
• Esquina Cantina (antipop concert series)
• Cascadia Hotel(circle of rock concert series)
• Pier 1 (opened for Delores O'Riordan, Blue Oyster Cult, Kansas at this venue)
• Tasca Latina (antipop concert series)
• Rafters(circle of rock concert series)
• The famous Little Carib Theatre
• 51 degrees
• World Beat music festival (Queens Park Savannah)
• JFK Lecture theatre (University of the West Indies)

International Tours include:-

• South Beach, Miami, FL (Cameo Theater, Roses, Churchill's)
• New York City, NY (CBGB, The Spiral Lounge, Kenny's Castaways, The Baggot Inn)
• London, U.K. (China White, BBC Club Bush House, Viva Viva, The Mitre, BBC Club West One, Southwark College)
• Midlands, U.K. (The Hard Rock Cafe Birmingham, The Walsall Wheat Sheaf)

For More Information.
Official web site