Artist: The Jimmy Swift Band, Album: Onward Through The Fog, Song: Astronauts Attempting To Take Off Their Space Suits So That They May Copulate

The Jimmy Swift Band (aka JSB) were a rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia.  They were Craig Mercer, Mike MacDougall, Aaron Collier and Doug Cameron.  They formed around the year 1999 under the name, PF Station.  They later changed their name to The Jimmy Swift Band and in 2002, released their debut album.  The band was truly unique in that they combined rock and electronic music almost effortlessly.  The band produced music with no boundaries it seemed.  They could just as easily compose a radio friendly rock tune and then completely blow you away with a 12 minute jam session.  Much like this tune from their sophomore release in 2003, entitled, Onward Through The Fog.  The song, Astronauts Attempting To Take Off Their Space Suits So That They May Copulate, clocks in at 11 minutes and 46 seconds and you don't want to miss a single second of it.  I've always been more of a pop oriented listener and generally have a hard time keeping my focus after 4 minutes but this tune is unbelievable.  It also doesn't sound as contemporary as some of their other electronic rock jams but rather psychedelic at times.  It's a great tune that changes tempo at the three minute mark when it turns from space age keyboards and sounds to a guitar solo that could rival "Layla" by Derek & The Dominos.  I'm just getting too excited now.  Nuff said but do yourself a favour and download a copy from Itunes.  The album was partly recorded in a historic house called the Webster Mansion, in New Brunswick.  The album was also produced by Laurence Currie who has worked with bands like Sloan, The Gandharvas (see blog 5/21/11) and Mardeen (see blog 2/9/12).  The band actually broke up late last year but released 6 albums and won a number of regional awards over the last decade.  They toured all over North America and were well known among their fans for having an absolutely amazing live show.  You can follow them at http://www.facebook.com/thejimmyswiftband.  Mercer and Collier have formed a new band called, The Scientists Of Sound (http://www.scientistsofsound.com/).  You can purchase the album, Onward Through The Fog, from Itunes.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!