Jerry Big’s World Famous Band – JBWFB
If the walls of Rochester’s music venues could talk, they’d likely be buzzing–quite literally–about Jerry Big’s World Famous Band. This trio–Jared Effman on bass and backup vocals, Yassir Ahmed on guitar, and Max Wakeling handling drums and lead vocals–might be a newer name on the scene, but the word spreading about their super-tight garage punk and explosive live shows is well and truly deserved. Their new self-titled EP, JBWFB, which hit the streets on April 25th, is a four-song affirmation of this burgeoning reputation, delivering a sound that’s far bigger than the sum of its three parts. JBWFB is our album of the week.
Right from the start, JBWFB makes it clear that this isn’t background music. It’s a full-frontal assault of garage punk grit and melodic hardcore urgency. The production feels immediate and raw, capturing the kind of live-wire intensity you’d expect in a packed, sweaty club. Ahmed’s guitar work is a thrilling concoction of distorted chops and searing riffs, anchored by Effman’s muscular basslines. Wakeling, pulling double duty, not only pounds the drums with authority, but also delivers a raw and impassioned vocal delivery that is ragged in all the right ways. There’s a compelling brashness here, a sonic confidence that nods to the strut of The Hives, the unhinged creativity of Jay Reatard, and even a touch of Queens of the Stone Age’s desert-rock heft, especially when the subtle psychedelic textures bleed through.
The EP kicks down the door with “Birds Got Beaks,” a track that barely crosses the minute mark but packs an incredible punch. Its sheer velocity and unbridled attack channel the spirit of hardcore heavyweights Turnstile, immediately establishing an atmosphere of barely contained chaos. The track is a micro storm, driven by colossal, distorted guitars, deep and sludgy bass, and a ferocious drum performance that is both intricate and pummeling–a clear invitation to the mosh pit. Next up, “Tell Me” keeps the pedal floored but throws in a few curveballs with some well placed phaser on the guitar, adding a psychedelic swirl to the formula. The track features a particularly potent drop-out and build-back-up breakdown, crowned by a blood-curdling scream from Wakeling that lands with genuine force.
“The Happening” offers the EP’s most overtly melodic moments, though it never lets up on the core intensity. Here, the band delivers prechorus lyrics that are ripe for a crowd scream-along: “I can make this work / somehow it gets worse / always I will run / just to find some way to say…” It’s a smart display of how to weave hooks into a fundamentally aggressive sound. The EP slams shut with “Methane Truck,” a raw, high-octane closer that serves as a final, potent reminder of the band’s core mission. Wakeling’s distinctive throaty growl rips through the choruses, fueling a track that’s pure kinetic energy.
These songs don’t belong on your ‘studytime lo-fi beats’ playlist. They belong on your ‘oops I just robbed a bank and am now fleeing from law enforcement in a 2006 Toyota Camry full of empty Red Bull cans’ playlist (don’t actually do that.) But really, if their 2024 EP The Jerry Big’s Tapes was the sound of the band finding their voice, JBWFB is them confidently blasting it through a bullhorn. Each track hits with precision and power, and as a whole, the EP serves as a solid indication that Jerry Big’s World Famous Band isn’t just making noise, they’re making a mark.
Categorised in: Album of the Week
This post was written by Ronald Walczyk