Joe Pisapia: Lead Vocals, Guitars etc.
Marc Pisapia: Drums, Percussion, vocals etc.
James "Hags" Haggerty: Bass, Vocals etc.
Influences
Jimi Hendrix, Antonio Carlos Jobim, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, Donnie Hathaway, The La's, Big Star, The Zombies, Mott the Hoople, David Bowie, R.E.M., Tom Waits, Squeeze, Les Paul, Django Reinhardt, The Byrds, Grateful Dead, Sade, Louis Prima, Velvet Underground, Nick Drake, The Smiths, Roberta Flack, The Band, Buena Vista Social Club, Led Zeppelin, U2, The Four Seasons, Brooke Benton, Art Bell...
Sounds Like
A refreshing amalgam of the best aspects of contemporary pop music
Although it has been 6 years since the release of their landmark, critically lauded album “Around the Year with Joe, Marc’s Brother,” the legacy of Joe, Marc’s Brother continues to grow, thanks in part to the members’ notable extracurricular work with Guster, Josh Rouse, and several other artists.
The JMB saga (of which a much more elaborate history has been presented on their website) began in the early 90’s when Joe and Marc Pisapia left their native New Jersey for greener pastures in Nashville (Music City), TN. Not long after settling into their new home, the brothers from NJ burst onto the Nashville music scene as a bright and shining star. With their memorable melodies, lush harmonies, and categorization-defying sound, JMB garnered legions of die-hard fans and a sizable (often suffocating) buzz in the music biz. The release of their debut album not-so-ironically titled “The Debut of Joe, Marc’s Brother,” earned the band airplay in the Southeast, a Nashville Music Award, critical praise and even more fans.
After years of performing as a 4 piece, the band was retooled with the departure of rhythm guitarist and golden throated singer David Mead for a solo career, subsequent departure of original bassist Pete Langella for family life, and the addition of newly transplanted New Yorker and Marc’s college band mate on bass, James “Hags” Haggerty. The band began phase 2 of JMB as a 3 piece in the converted basement of the house they shared in an idyllic neighborhood of Nashville.
JMB emerged from the basement with a slew of new songs, an entirely new sound, and a bag fool of tricks. The band lost little momentum as their dedicated fans ecstatically embraced the new JMB. The band continued to be “the” band to see in Music City. Several different studio sessions produced the (extremely limited) seasonal ep’s which comprised demo versions of many of the songs that would appear on “Around the Year”
1999 saw the band enter Alex the Great studio with musical duo Brad Jones and Robin Eaton (Jill Sobule, Josh Rouse, Marshall Crenshaw) in the production seats. Limited by time and funding, the sessions were recorded militia style in breaks from touring and downtime at the studio. Recorded and mixed in less than 2 weeks, “Around the Year with…” strikes the balance of energetic immediacy and polished perfection.
Although the release of “Around…” on their own Ambassador label garnered much praise from critics and peers, a worthwhile record deal eluded the band. In a time of uncertainty in the music business when new models of business were emerging thanks to the advent of the web and most record execs were making no-brainer marketing decisions glutting the channels with cookie-cutter modern rock, countless boy bands, and unforgivable commercial punk, JMB was a risk and categorically challenging.
Despite the lack of support from a record deal, the band managed to tour behind the album opening for friends’ bands like Guster and Superdrag as well as several D.I.Y adventures most notably their “Stream of Consciousness” tour that saw the band heading out West without a plan other than to play to whomever and wherever. (Details of the tour can be found on the band’s website)
After years of hard work, the band decided in 2002 to take a hiatus. Joe recorded the beautiful and critically acclaimed solo album “Daydreams” before being commandeered by Guster as their new 4th member, a relationship that would find him on the road for the greater part of the last 3 years as well as solidifying a pivotal influence on the bands’ sound. He is currently putting the finishing touches on their soon to be released album “Ganging Up On the Sun.” Marc and Hags were immediately enlisted by Josh Rouse as his new rhythm section and began a recording and touring relationship that would yield 2 of Josh’s best received albums to date “1972” and “Nashville” and see them globe trotting on several international tours.
Although the individual members have been immersed in outside projects, they have been returning with greater frequency to their JMB home base when time allows, giving hope that their work is not finished and that there may indeed be more to come.
The JMB legacy reveals the idealistic vision of a band of multi-talented musicians, unadulterated by the often compromising forces of the music business, making the music they wanted to hear. Their catalog is forever crystallized in its unabashed innocence and adventurousness.
We are proud to announce that after MUCH hard work and effort, The Sheriffs of Nottingham will be releasing our debut CD, "Hard Places: The EP" on Saturday, November 14th.
Track Listing: 1. Running Man 2. Easy 3. Hard Places 4. The Road 5. He Said/She Said 6. Same Old Song 7. Nineteen Eighty-Four
We are extremely proud of this CD and cannot wait for you to hear what we've been working on for so long! We will be releasing the CD early online, so visit back often for more details. For now, you can listen to two full tracks (Running Man and Nineteen Eighty-Four) on our MySpace.
We thank you for your patience and support and we hope to see you at a live concert soon,
Hey, wanted to let you know my CD release show for my new record is in Nashville at 12th & Porter at 8pm on Monday April 27th. Everyone who comes gets a free CD, hope to see you there! Check my myspace to hear the new tunes, get free downloads, and get all the info on the show! Thanks
-Rick
I saw you guys live in Santa Cruz, CA in the summer of 1998 on your "Stream of Consiousness Tour" if I remember correct. I believe the SCPD came and broke you up eventually but you were awesome. Where can I get your "Around the Year with Joe, Marc's Brother" album?
Oh no!! Did I miss another JMB performance? Do I have to wait another year to see one? I signed up for MySpace in hopes of not missing another JMB show. I'm so sad.
AEEE!! NO, why do I have to live in California!?? Have a great show, and some advance warning would be nice for the next one! I have some frequent flyer miles laying around here somewhere. . .
Online Now!
