Description

Generally, the punk-inspired generation of bands that came to prominence in the late '90s fell into two camps; cred-soaked aesthetes in thrall to the art-punk approach of emo godfathers Fugazi and radio-friendly pop-punks following in the footsteps of Green Day. Around the turn of the century, Jimmy Eat World managed to acheive mainstream success while maintaining their underground credibility by incorporating a bit of both camps in their approach.

Biography

This Mesa, Arizona, USA-based band was formed in 1994 by Jim Adkins (b. 10 November 1975; guitar/vocals), Tom Linton (b. 8 August 1975; guitar/vocals), Mitch Porter (bass) and Zach Lind (drums). Their One, Two, Three, Four EP and self-titled debut album, with Linton handling the majority of the vocals, were released on the Wooden Blue Records label the same year. Split-singles with Christie Front Drive, Emery and Blueprint followed. Porter had been replaced by Rick Burch by the time the band signed a recording contract with Capitol Records. Their major label debut, 1996's Static Prevails, featured a more polished take on the debut's melodic hardcore. Lead vocals on the album were shared between Adkins and Linton. Further split-singles with Mineral and Jejune preceded the band's second major label release, 1999's Clarity. Adkins' lead vocals added a perfect sheen to the band's intense power pop, while remaining true to their underground roots. The album was also released on vinyl by Big Wheel Recreation but marked the end of their tenure with Capitol.
The quartet paid for the recording of their new album before signing a new recording contract with DreamWorks. Bleed American was released in 2001, with a vinyl version also issued through Grand Royal. The album, which outsold their Capitol output, placed them at the forefront of the new wave of so-called emo (emotional hardcore) bands breaking into the mainstream. The track "The Middle" also broke into the Top 5 on the singles chart in summer 2002. The band shifted to Interscope Records when DreamWorks was acquired by the conglomerate. They released their new album, Futures, in October 2004.
DISCOGRAPHY: Jimmy Eat World (Wooden Blue 1994)**, Static Prevails (Capitol 1996)***, Clarity (Capitol 1999)****, Bleed American (DreamWorks 2001)***, Futures (Interscope 2004)***.
COMPILATIONS: The Singles (Big Wheel Recreation 2000)***.
VIDEOGRAPHY: Jimmy Eat World EP (Dreamworks 2002).

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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