Jawbox

The Your Choice Live series pits Jawbox against Leatherface for this split LP. There could never be enough officially released live material from Jawbox, and one listen to the six tracks recorded at Lounge Ax in Chicago during late 1994 proves this. Their shows were clinics in intensity and band chemistry. They had one of the finest rhythm sections of their time in bassist Kim Coletta and drummer Zach Barochas (affectionately credited as "Lovey" in the sleeve -- don't be fooled), and guitarists J. Robbins and Bill Barbot always created an unholy racket in the vein of Gang of Four, Big Black, and Naked Raygun. The short set included here contains four tunes from their then-latest For Your Own Special Sweetheart, an older standard in "Tongues," and a track that would later appear as a single on Barbot and Coletta's DeSoto imprint, and, subsequently, on their final studio LP ("Chinese Fork Tie"). One might pity those who never saw this mighty band in action, but this series offers a fine substitute.~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide