You’re Not Punk and I’m Telling Everyone: The Jawbreaker Story

The early 90s was a boom time for getting rich off Alternative Rock. Due to the breakout commercial success of REM, Nirvana and Green Day, major labels grabbed any band that could approximate their sounds in the hopes of them becoming the next big thing. If there was one band that felt primed to succeed in this landscape it was Jawbreaker.

Formed in New York before transplanting themselves to California, they blended Husker Du, Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus Lizard, infused with ultra-literate lyrics that spat frustration, dissatisfaction and heartbreak. But when it was their chance to cash-in on the alt rock gold-rush, Jawbreaker lost everything. Not punk and punk in equal measures, this is the story of 24 Hour Revenge Therapy and how Jawbreaker sold out.

#jawbreaker #poppunk #musicdocumentary

Fact-checking by Chad Van Wagner.

00:00 Introduction
00:48 Origin: “Seven Hundred Miles to Play to Fifteen Angry Men”
08:36 24 Hour Revenge Therapy: “The Clarity of Cal to Break Your Heart”
18:24 Nirvana & Green Day: “My Enemies Are All Too Familiar…”
25:36 Dear You: “We Could Be The Next Band That You Rob”
33:41 Legacy: “Some Make Exhaustion a Mode of Expression”

Bibliography
Sellout: The Major-Label Feeding Frenzy That Swept Punk, Emo, and Hardcore (1994–2007) by Dan Ozzi, 2021, DeyStrBks
24 Hour Revenge Therapy 33 1/3 Book by Ronen Givony, 2018, Bloomsbury Academic USA
Gimme Something Better by Jack Boulware & Silke Tudor, 2009, Penguin Books
Don’t Break Down: A Film About Jawbreaker (2017) dir. Tim Irwin & Keith Schieron
“Ep. 47: Blake Schwarzenbach discusses Jawbreaker’s ‘Boxcar'” by Chris DeMakes, Chris DeMakes a Podcast, Apr 2021
“Jawbreaker – July 3, 1993 @ 924 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA (Soundboard Audio)” by BLoss_iZR39, YouTube, Apr 2021 (https://youtu.be/ZI0-tlClahY?si=B8YzA62EHc28clMD)
“Jawbreaker – May 28, 1993 @ CBGB’s, NYC (Soundboard Audio)” by BLoss_iZR39, YouTube, Feb 2021 (https://youtu.be/23DI0LyeBQ0?si=ACYAJSDrVV64NDD5)
“The Definitive Oral History of Jawbreaker’s 24 Hour Revenge Therapy” by Leor Galil, Pitchfork, April 2017
“The Oral History of Jawbreaker” compiled by Trevor Kelley, Alternative Press, September 2010
“Decoding Jawbreaker’s Monumental 24 Hour Revenge Therapy 25 Years On” by Mischa Pearlman, Kerrang!, Feb 2019
“The Guide to Getting into Jawbreaker” by David Anthony, Noisey, Sep 2017
“Jawbreaker: Bivouac” by Kyle Ryan, AV Club, Nov 2006
“the last ever interview with JAWBREAKER” by Mike, Geek America, [date unknown]
“‘You could shoot a gun in the air and hit a great song’—Jawbreaker discuss ‘24 Hour Revenge Therapy’” by Trevor Kelley, Alternative Press, Oct 2014
“‘Dear You’: Jawbreaker’s Emo Cult Classic” by Jeff Terich, Udiscovermusic, Sep 2023
“Jawbreaker’s Reluctant Return, 21 Years After Their Implosion” by David Anthony, Noisey, Aug 2017
“Jawbreaker: you’re not punk and I’m telling everyone…” by Trevor Kelley, Punk Planet, Feb 2003
“Jawbreaker’s Blake Schwarzenbach On ‘Dear You’ And Getting Back On The Road To Tour Again” by Ian Cohen, UPROXX, Mar 2022
“Revisit SPIN’s 1994 Story on Jawbreaker’s 24 Hour Revenge Therapy” by SPIN Staff, Spin Magazine, Apr 1994
“Emo Scene, Their Fault” by Joe Gross, Spin Magazine, Feb 2004
“Jawbreaker’s Adam Pfahler on the legacy of the band’s most divisive album” by Dan Ozzi, Reply Alt, Mar 2022
“24 Hour Revenge Therapy Jawbreaker – Review” by Brandon Stosuy, Pitchfork, Oct 2014
“Jawbreaker Reflect on Debut Unfun” by Chris Ryan, Rolling Stone, Apr 2010
“Jawbreaker Reflect on 25 Years of Dear You, Promise “Guitar Catharsis” on Anniversary Tour” by Gary Graff, Consequence, Mar 2022
“Jawbreaker: You’re Not Punk, and I’m Telling Everyone” by Melissa Fossum, Phoenix New Times, Jul 2012
“The Story Behind L.A. Band Jawbreaker’s Return to Stage for ‘Dear You'” by Ryan Ritchie, Los Angeles Magazine, Apr 2022
“Blake Schwarzenbach on Jawbreaker’s Bivouac and Chesterfield King reissues” by MW, Giant Robot, Dec 2012
“What Turn You On? Sufjan Stevens, Jarvis Taveniere, Blake Schwarzenbach” by Erika Bogner, Serial Optimist, August 2013
“Jawbreaker’s Adam Pfahler: ‘We don’t take credit or blame for what came after us'” by Stuart Williams, Music Radar, March 2019

Soundtrack
Luar – Citrine (https://soundcloud.com/luarbeats)
Jesse Gallagher – The Golden Present
Luar – Anchor (https://soundcloud.com/luarbeats)

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Written by Trash Theory