Jointpop
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Singer, guitarist and songwriter Gary Hector is the main creative force behind jointpop. His influences range from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground through to The Clash, Bob Marley and early R.E.M., as well as calypsonians such as the Mighty Sparrow and the Mighty Spoiler. Hector uses Dylanesque imagery in his lyrics, and his songs are often about being in a rock and roll band that refuses to compromise its integrity in a country where rock is one of the less popular genres of music.
Hector and guitarist Damon Homer were the founding members of jointpop, with bassist Graham Granger and drummer Gerard Rajkumar rounding out the line-up. The band released their first full-length album, Port of Spain Style, in 1999. With additional instrumentation from saxophonist and flautist Libert Carimbocas and percussionist Geary de Souza, Port of Spain Style received strong critical praise and was fairly successful both in Trinidad and in the USA, where it sold well independently in New York and Miami. The album spawned a number of radio hits, in particular the nostalgic ballad “After Half Past Nine”.
The follow-up album, Exile, Baby, appeared in 2002. Produced by Jake Smith, it was a more polished and rock-oriented affair than Port of Spain Style, but no less well-received than its predecessor. The title track, a soulful meditation on dislocation and alienation, and the cheeky, upbeat “New Fast Food” were a couple of the songs to feature from the album.
From time to time, professional commitments abroad kept Graham Granger from playing live with jointpop. Corey Wallace, who was in the band Oddfellows Local with Gary Hector prior to jointpop’s formation, filled in during Granger’s absences. And it was Wallace who played the bass on the band’s next release, 2004’s self-titled, five-song EP. That EP spawned the anthem, “Let’s Pray For Rock And Roll”, which became the standard set-closer at the band’s shows.
Soon afterward jointpop announced their break-up. Less than a year later, however, Hector and Homer declared that the band had only been on hiatus, and they reformed, with guest musicians filling in on bass and drums. A greatest hits package, The Bess of jointpop: 17 Songs You Won’t Hear On The Radio, accompanied the band’s return, with a new single, “Who Shot Paradise?”. jointpop continue to perform live while working on material for a new release.
Studio releases
1999: Port of Spain Style
2002: ''Exile, Baby
2004: jointpop
2005: The Bess of jointpop
Trivia
In the credits to all of jointpop’s releases, Gary Hector appears under the name Mick Richardson.
jointpop are huge football fans, and recorded a tribute song for the Trinidad and Tobago national football team, entitled “Little Giants”, which they promised to play live only when the team made the World Cup. Trinidad and Tobago finally qualified for their first ever World Cup in late 2005, the band has made good on their promise.
External links
- [jointpop website]
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