The band AJJ, which originated in Phoenix, Arizona, coined uniquely as “Folk-Punk”, is coming to Mahall’s 20 lanes, Lakewood, Ohio on Dec. 6. JamBase links ticket prices averaging to $37.08.
Originally named Andrew Jackson Jihad, the band changed their title to AJJ to avoid political affiliation from the controversial seventh United States president, Andrew Jackson.
In an interview with Met Radio, Sean Bonnette, the lead singer of AJJ explained their expression of folk-punk derived from the band’s love for heavy metal and punk rock as teens, when the band formed.
Out of necessity, they used an acoustic guitar and “they just kind of went with it”. Their heavy influences like King Crimson and The Taxpayers, in combination with their acoustic melodies is what defined them to this genre. Bonnette said to Met Radio, “It was really just the community, we wanted to stick with it”. As they’ve aged, their influences have broadened from bands like King Crimson and The Taxpayers, to bands less intense such as Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and The Smiths.
They’ve never been shy about being experimental. Their tracks include instruments such as horns, the mandolin, kazoos, along with the typical instruments you’d expect, like drums and the guitar. AJJ is also diverse in theme coverage, speaking about subjects like mental health, poverty, relationships, and politics.
AJJ has risen across the punk scene as a lot of people can resonate with their thought provoking lyricism covering heavy topic matters with melancholy, humor, angst, and raw emotion.
The Handlebar, an online music newspage, calls AJJ, “ a voice for a generation grappling with uncertainty.” Further complementing the band, “With their evolving sound, poignant lyrics, and commitment to their craft, they continue to resonate with fans old and new.”
First Time Listener Review:
Lexi Barfay, a senior at Westerville South reviewed AJJ. “After listening to the first few tracks on all their albums, the very energetic, almost frantic at times, indie-rock / folksy energy that they play left a good first impression! They’ve got a pretty unique, lively sound despite not playing one of the most stand-out genres”.
On critique, Barfay comments,“At times the music got a little irritating because of the lack of variation of which they play, and the audio mixing seemed sometimes cheap, but this was only an occasional issue”. They continue, “I found that the mix of their songs seemed to improve within their later albums.”
Barfay concluded, “Overall, I think I’ll revisit some of these songs, and I’d be interested in hearing the ones I haven’t yet heard. But because their sound lacked in variation, I wouldn’t quite say I’m head over heels for them just yet.”
Barfay’s favorite songs from AJJ are Golden eagle and Normalization blues. They said they enjoyed most of what they heard and rated this band a seven out of ten. To hear more from AJJ or to get tickets for concerts, visit their website ajjtheband.com .
