JFA (band)

JFA (Jodie Foster's Army) is a punk rock band formed in 1981, with roots in Arizona and in Southern California skateboard culture. The original members include Brian Brannon (vocals), Don "Redondo" Pendleton (guitar), Michael Cornelius (bass), and Mike "Bam-Bam" Sversvold (drums). Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls also played bass for a while. The band was pivotal in the development of the skate punk and Skate Rock scenes. Over the years, the lineup has included many bass players and drummers but the core of Brannon and Pendleton has remained constant.

History

JFA was formed around March 1981. Pendleton, then in the band The Deez and Cornelius, then in the band Jr. Chemists, knew each other from shows around Phoenix, Arizona and from skateboarding. They began playing together after a D.O.A. concert during the band's "Hardcore 81" tour. Bam-Bam later joined after meeting Pendleton at an "Industrial Dance" in Phoenix. Brian Brannon was pulled into the band by Cornelius who met him skateboarding and at punk shows. The band's name is a reference to John Hinckley, Jr.'s, attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. Jodie Foster's Army was a song before the band took the title as their name.

The band's first show was opening for Black Flag at an Industrial Dance which was one of a series of early Phoenix punk shows. Their first song of the night was "Pipetruck".

Placebo Records released their debut EP "Blatant Localism" in late 1981. The band toured the west extensively and played many local shows. Their first national tour was in the summer of 1983 following the release of their first album "Valley of the Yakes".

The original bassist, Michael Cornelius, left the band in the summer of 1984 prior to the nine-week summer '84 tour. Alan Bishop of labelmates The Sun City Girls played bass until Cornelius returned for the 1986 release "Nowhere Blossoms".

The band received continuing coverage in the influential skateboard magazine Thrasher during the 1980s. Brannon eventually worked on the editorial staff full-time and Pendelton and Cornelius were contributors of articles and photographs.

Discography

Compact Discs/Records

*"Blatant Localism 7", Placebo
*"Valley of the Yakes 12", Placebo
*"Untitled 12", Placebo
*"Mad Gardens 12", Placebo
*"Live 1984 Tour 12", Placebo
*"My Movie 7", Placebo
*"Nowhere Blossoms 12", Placebo
*"Lightnin' Storm/People's Revolutionary Party 7", Buzzkill
*"Camp Out/Travels With Charlie 7", Spontaneous Combustion
*"Secret Agent Man Split 7" with Jack Killed Jill, NRA
*"Only Live Once CD, Hurricane
*"We Know You Suck CD, Alternative Tentacles
*"Live in Chicago 7" with the Faction, Spontaneous Combustion

Compilations

*"All the Rage, Volume 2", GMD
*"All the Rage 2000", GMD
*"Amuck", Placebo
*"Best of Flipside", Flipside
*"Best of Rodney on the ROQ", Poshboy
*"Best of Smoke 7", Bomp
*"Bite the Bullet", Know
*"Blazing Wheels & Barking Trucks, Skate Rock #2", High Speed
*"Born to Skate, Skate Rock #4", High Speed
*"Buried Alive", Smoke 7
*"Concrete Waves", Disaster Records
*"Eastern Front", Enigma/Eastern Front
*"Explicit Skate Rock, Skate Rock #10", High Speed
*"Flipside Vinyl Fanzine", Flipside
*"For the Kids", Together
*"Meathouse", Meathouse
*"More Coffee for the Politicians", Placebo
*"Old Skars & Upstarts", Disaster
*"Phenis", Phenis Fanzine
*"Pogo Strut Slam Swivel & Mosh", Devil Doll
*"Rat Music for Rat People, Vol. 2" (CD Presents, 1984)
*"Rodney on the ROQ, Volume 2", Poshboy
*"Scene Killer", Outsider
*"Sudden Death", Smoke 7
*"This is Phoenix, Not the Circle Jerks", Placebo
*"Thrasher Magazine Skate Rock #1", High Speed
*"VMLive, Series 2/Volume 2", VML
*"We Got Power", Mystic
*"Workers Comp", Recess

Foreign

*"Untitled" 12", Fundamental UK
*"Valley of the Yakes" 12", Fundamental UK

TV/Video Soundtracks

*Mt. Baldy Pipe segment, Bluetorch TV
*Nude Bowl segment, Bluetorch TV
*Pow Wow at Powell II, NSA Skate Video
*Risk It, Santa Cruz Skate Video
*Skatopia, Speed-Line Productions
*Speed Freaks, Santa Cruz Speed Wheels Video
*Wheels of Fire, Santa Cruz Speed Wheels Video

Video games

"Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4"

External links

* [http://www.jfamusic.com Official JFA web site]
* [http://www.operationphoenixrecords.com/maximumrocknrolljfa.html Maximumrocknroll Interview] - JFA interview from 1983