Jason Heller

Git Some Loose Control Git Some have long been pigeonholed as "that ex-Planes Mistaken For Stars band." But the truth is, Git Some existed before guitarist Chuck French and bassist Neil Keener joined the final incarnation of Planes—and accordingly, Git Some are their own beast entirely. Jittery, discordant and blistering, the Denver quartet's new full-length, […]

Various Artists Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine Releasing a tribute album to yourself on your own label might seem a bit narcissistic, but anyone who knows veteran folkie John Prine can vouch for the man's integrity. Luckily, that integrity bleeds into Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows, a collection of Prine covers […]

Decemberunderground Having established the fact that they can do whatever the hell they want with their major-label breakthrough, 2003’s Sing The Sorrow, AFI used their second big-budget disc, Decemberunderground, to do something eminently self-indulgent: make the kind of album that got them into music when they were kids. Even slicker, sleeker and more immaculately angst-ridden than its predecessor, Decemberunderground dabbles in the cold, […]

Sing The Sorrow Following the 2001 release of Son Of Sam’s Songs From The Earth, a one-off album recorded with members of Samhain, AFI singer Davey Havok was offered the chance of a lifetime: to front the reformed Misfits. He said no. As it turns out, he made the right move: AFI's subsequent full-length, Sing The Sorrow, is not only […]

The Art Of Drowning So soon after making the major breakthrough that is 1999’s Black Sails In The Sunset, AFI found themselves maintaining their newfound artistic side with The Art Of Drowning. It's dark, sure, but at the same time, the band made their first blatant stab at mainstream radio play with "The Days Of The Phoenix," an admittedly catchy blast of choked-back bile and skipping riffs […]

Black Sails In The Sunset AFI threw many fans for a loop with the 1998 EP A Fire Inside, which featured covers of gloomy classics by Misfits and the Cure. But 1999’s Black Sails In The Sunset proves the EP was no fluke—and it also shows that the band have invaded and conquered previously unexplored territory. With new guitarist Jade Puget adding a sense of […]

Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes "Keeping Out Of Direct Sunlight (An Introduction)," the minute-long burst of angst, rage, and crushing breakdowns that kicks off AFI's third album, Shut Your Mouth And Open Your Eyes, is more than just a little intro. It's a statement of intent—and a blistering one at that. Finally shedding the prank-call […]

Very Proud Of Ya There's a point in adolescence when all the bad grades, zits and hormones stop being funny and start being seriously traumatizing—and AFI's 1996 sophomore album, Very Proud Of Ya, marks that turning point in the group. Granted, there's still plenty of the old-school prankishness of their 1995 debut Answer That And Stay Fashionable, but the attack is tighter, beefier, […]

Answer That And Stay Fashionable With all of the songs on Answer That And Stay Fashionable credited to Anthems For Insubordinates, it's clear where AFI got not only their name (A Fire Inside), but the disc's irreverent sense of humor. The California group's debut full-length is steeped in bratty disobedience and snarling, speedy West Coast hardcore that clearly establishes frontman Davey Havok […]