Jacobi, James

Biography

The following is copied from the Jim Jacobi/Crap Detectors Facebook page:

Another name for Crap Detectors is Jim Jacobi with 39 projects over 39 years of music and painting sometimes called punk but always "outsider." Jim Jacobi draws influences from punk, blues, garage, rockabilly, soul, noise rock, rhythm and blues and hip hop.

Because of its tone and difference in music the Crap Detectors were mistakenly named punk in the 1970's and 80's because garage is the best way to describe the music..Over 38 years of punk/garage/electronic music and 36 releases. Jim Jacobi has remained true to his mission of serving up independent garage music for 35 years. His biting sarcasm and witty lyrics that cut to the bone complement his chunky, meaty guitar licks to perfection. He is a voice in independent American music being an outsider looking in, reinventing himself several times.

Jim Jacobi began recording in 1977 and released what has been known as one of the first DIY (Do It Yourself) records, called Victims of the Media in 1978. This recording was picked up by Dead Kennedy's lead singer, Jello Biafra, who named his record label Alternative Tentacles as "an antidote to the tentacles on the (Victims L.P.) cover"--possibly one of the first references to the word Alternative with music. Jacobi played all musical instruments on first L.P. and 1st 45 (1979) with the help of a drummer. He called this non-band Crap Detectors and soon had many incarnations in Lincoln, NE, Dallas, TX and Seattle, WA. The bands were incorrectly dubbed "punk" when the music and lyrics didn't match the English and Americans of that Genre in the 1970's but fit more into the punk sound of the late 1960's. Some of the Nebraska bands didn't pull off the tone set by Jacobi on his first L.P , but the Dallas/Seattle bands were aggressive, thought out musical odes, more like the original conception of Crap Detectors. In 1998, he returned to Nebraska and called the next bands the Joe Jakimbi Band and Jojakimbi Band as a phonetic anagram for Jim Jacobi. (Given to him by Charlie Burton in the early 80's) The songs were of a more personal nature opposed to the political/social/absurdist style of Crap Detectors with music that was a departure from the 1st 20 years. Then he returned to his roots to record solo work, experimenting with different musical styles and re-adapting a more political/social stance. In 2008 Crap Detectors are back.

Jacobi has opened for Wayne Kramer (MC5) and has done gigs with a variety of Seattle, Texas and Nebraska bands. He has played festivals with Reverend Horton Heat and The New Bohemians.

He has been described as "One of rocks great underrated heroes." (babysue LMNOP reviews- December 2003) "Jacobi is an 'old dog' that can teach YOU a thing or two" (Mark Lush midwestbands.com 2005) and " Lo Fi garage roots music never died, it just got a bigger garage" (J Wallace Indie Music.com 2005) His genre was named CHUNKARUNKUS in mid 1990's by University of Washington students. It is a modernization of Roadhouse music incorporating ska, metal, punk and grunge into the blues, jazz, rock a billy and garage rock. He is a general practitioner in a world of specialists and has never considered working for a major record label. (He considered that "Selling Out") "It Got too Deep!"(2008) was the 30 year anniversary of his 1978 release "Victims of the Media" with liner notes by Jello Biafra and emotes the same brand of rebellion as the original with the follow up release "Cornfield savages" (2009)

"On the psycho path of life" and "A case of sour grapes and other stories" 2014, Sleeping 2016.

Jim Jacobi/Crap Detectors Facebook page (source of above biography): https://www.facebook.com/pg/Jim-JacobiCrap-Detectors-74234975165/about/

See also Jim Jacobi's website: https://kahunas.incolor.com/index.html

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