Founded through a mutual love of 60’s and 70’s dub and punk by three friends namely Geoff Lagadec - (vocals / guitar) ; Dave Smith - (guitar / vocals) and Ben Murphy - (bass).
Jaya The Cat create songs ranging from booze fueled anthems to chilled out dance tracks to outright political commentary.
With a current line up including Jordi ‘Pockets’ Nieuwenburg on guitar, Jeroen Kok on bass, and Onverwagt on keyboards.
Following the 2001 release of their debut album Basement Style ( Gold Circle Records ), Jaya The Cat were joined by ex-Shadows Fall drummer David ‘The Germ’ Germain and began a steady touring schedule of stages across the United States and Europe, playing major clubs and festivals such as Lowlands in Holland, Pukkelpop in Belgium, and the Warped Tour in the US. Their music has also been featured in numerous skate, surf and snowboard videos.
Summer 2003 saw their sophomore release, First Beer of a New Day ‘’ (4tune Records).
Although both albums met with positive critical success and they had gathered a loyal worldwide following, personal differences saw the departure of Smith and Murphy that fall, which effectively left the band in limbo. After a freezing music-less winter working shitty jobs in Boston, Lagadec and Germain met up and decided to look for new members. Temporarily joined for a spring European tour by dutch musicians Jan Jaap Onverwagt (Green Lizard) and Alejandro Londoño, they took a 3 month sublet on an apartment in Amsterdam with the plan of regrouping and figuring out what the hell to do with themselves. Three months turned into three years.
In the interim, the band has continued to grow, playing hundreds of live shows to an ever expanding audience, as well as adding keyboards, samples, percussion and a tiki bar to their onstage act. An average Jaya the Cat concert usually becomes more of a party than a performance, with the audience singing, dancing and drinking right along with the band.
September 7th 2007, saw the European release of their third studio album entitled More Late Night Transmissions with... on I Scream Records. Drawing on their experiences, More Late Night Transmissions with... delivers 13 tracks filled with seedy bars, cheap hotels, dysfunctional love affairs and political disillusionment. Punk rock, reggae, ska and pop, glued in their own unique style.
More Late Night Transmissions with... was released on the 10th of May in the US by I Scream Records USA.
Discography:
* CD ‘Basement Style’ (Gold Circle Records 2000)
* CD ‘First ‘Beer Of A New Day’ (4Tune Records 2002)
* CD/LP ‘Ernesto’s Burning’ (Music Machine Records 2004)
* CD More Late Night Transmissions with... (I Scream Records 2007)
* CD Single ‘Closing Time’ (I Scream Records 2007)
* CD Single 'Good Morning' (I Scream Records 2008)
* CD More Late Night Transmissions with... (I Scream Records 2009)
Web links:
Jaya The Cat Official Site
Facebook Fan Page
Myspace page
Purevolume
Justice
Jaya the Cat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Flying high above this earth
Circeling around the pain
And all the suckers have lost their way
A million miles from ground control
Seperated from it all
As the days keep losing te the nights
And this city's covered in snow and ice
They tried to fight it, but time was against them
There were no second chances, no resurrection
And the machine went dead
Somewere there was a short in the system
And it all adds up to nothing
Somewere there was a short in the system
How long can you make it
You keep betting against the house, you end up getting taken
Where is the justice?
Where is the justice?
They tried to fight it, but time was against them
There were no second chances, no resurrection
They tried to fight it, but time was against them
There were no second chances, no
resurrection
The lyrics of Jaya the Cat's song "Justice" express a longing for freedom from the hardships of daily life, represented by imagery of flying like a bird and escaping the pain below. The sense of disconnection from society is emphasized by the reference to being "a million miles from ground control" and being "separated from it all." The line "they tried to fight it, but time was against them" suggests a struggle to overcome adversity or injustice, but ultimately failing due to circumstances beyond one's control. The repeated question "where is the justice?" reflects a frustration with the lack of fairness or equity in the world.
The reference to a "short in the system" has been interpreted by some as a commentary on the flaws in society's structures or institutions, which can lead to inequity and injustice. Other interpretations highlight the theme of individual agency and the consequences of taking risks or making bad choices in a society that is not always just or forgiving. The overall mood of the song is one of melancholy and resignation, with a hint of anger and defiance in the repeated refrain.
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.