Track Premiere: j and the 9s - "other side"

j and the 9s live at Pianos NYC Photo Credit: John Christou

For the past two decades, Brooklyn has overseen the rise of dozens of successful bands. From Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, to TV on the Radio, the borough of NYC is a musical hotspot with an electric pulse. The latest band to emerge is j and the 9s: a Glam-Rock outfit consisting of singer/flutist j9, drummer Chris Beatz, and bassist Kojo. The band's new single "other side" (premiering exclusively on Behind the Scene) is a ravenous, glitzy punk-rock bellower that yanks the listener through an arsenal of pummeling rhythms, walls of guitars soaked in distortion and pulsing with overdrive, and the aggressive, teeth-kicking vocal delivery of front-woman j9. The song echos the raw, powerful energy of bands like Iggy Pop and The Stooges mixed with the unwavering vocals of other female-fronted punk/alt-rock bands like Bikini Kill and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 

The band is currently on the Vans Warped Tour, but they're making their presence known differently than the rest of the lineup. j and the 9s are running what they call the "lessonoke" tent: a setup that allows fans to get onstage and play music of their choice with other festival-goers, collaborating spontaneously in heat-of-the-moment jam sessions. j and the 9s interject and play their own music during breaks, but the tent is largely audience-driven. The concept breaks down the wall between musicians and fans, bringing a sense of DIY inclusion to the long-running music festival. Warped Tour wraps up on August 6 in Pomona, CA, and j and the 9s are bringing the "lessonoke" tent to each remaining date. 

"other side" is the newest single off the band's forthcoming EP the terrible twos, which is slated to release this September. You can stream the song below on Spotify and on the band's Soundcloud, and be sure to keep up with j and the 9s on their website. 

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