Jet! Everybody Plays the Game / Hear Me Sheila 7″ reissue
Until about five years ago, JET! was seemingly a complete unknown, nary a footnote in the annals of New Jersey power pop (which is actually New Jersey’s top export as a state, not “chemicals” as the internet may try to make you believe). JET! formed in Toms River, cut two of the greatest power pop 45s ever, and disappeared. Luckily, a NJ collector uncovered a stack of deadstock copies of those two singles, and soon us obsessives got our grubby little hands on copies of our own. And now, the immaculate Fish & Cheap Records continue to do what they do best and get another obscure slab to the masses. “Everybody Plays the Game” and “Here Me Sheila” represent the band’s second single, with the A-side being a little more driving than their first single “Please Mister Radio.” While the decision to be a bit more rocking may have caused the rift in the band that led to their split, they still managed to capture lightning in a second bottle. If you have even a passing interest in punky power pop, all four of their songs are an absolute must, and Fish & Cheap are making it so the sounds aren’t confined to the greasy collectors shelves. With any luck, they’ll give the first release the reissue treatment as well. Get this, now.