On December 15, Sam Jayne, member of the PNW-bred and New-York-based indie-rock quintet Love as Laughter and Olympia post-hardcore trio Lync, was found passed away in his car at the age of 46. The songwriter held a prolific career, penning six albums under the Love as Laughter moniker. Today, in honor of his life, we take a look back at The Greks Bring Gifts, originally released on independent label K Records in 1996 as Love as Laughter’s debut. True to PNW tradition, this ramshackle collection is rife with fuzzy vocals and bargain-bin guitar growls that bring to mind groups like Bellingham’s Crayon and early, K Records-era Modest Mouse (of which Jayne was briefly a member).
In the early to mid 90s, Jayne occupied space spanning through Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia. Listening to Greks, it isn’t hard to imagine just how much dreary rain his little corner of the world endured, as the entire record bleeds “bummer culture” (a term coined by 90s hero Daria? I digress). Cassette-distorted vocals, murky recording, and speaker-slicing, sloppy guitars are punctuated and spiced by colorful harmonicas and casio keyboards most likely rescued from a Tacoma pawn shop. Diverse in sound, a sense of mastery is shown with each recording, as none of the instrumentation sounds amateurish by lack of skill. Rather than a result of a lack of options, the decidedly not hi-fi quality graces the record with its own intimacy, a necessity for any convincing independent release. This piece-it-together approach is even evident in the album’s art, itself a re-purposing of the cover of an obscure sci-fi novel of the same name by 20th century author Murray Leinster. (An approach similar to the repurposing of old LP covers by post-hardcore Olympia contemporaries Unwound.)
Despite the experimental nature of the release, a sense of cohesion is ever-present, with the cassette-recorded fidelity giving each song a similar sonic quality. Tracks like “The Youth Are Plastic” and “Keep Your Shade” display Jayne’s strong sense of power pop and infectious rock that permeates the collection. The caliber of his songwriting becomes clear on these tracks, as his boyish voice — similar to Sean Tollefson of Seattle 90s twee-pop quartet Tullycraft — flaunt his ability to craft infectious vocal mantras. On “Keep Your Shade,” Jayne croons “used to seek your company” throughout the entire track, a lyric suspended on a melody tripping in saccharine catchiness.
Looking beyond the more conventional indie-rock tracks reveals a wealth of oddities and soundscapes, illustrating the breadth of personality at work here. Cuts like “Uninvited Trumpets” and “Kung Fu Exercise Fountain” are more akin to improvised electronic explorations rather than songs and sound like Jayne’s attempt at making charming, yet dissonantly irritating, lo-fi dance hits primed for Olympia’s underground dance floors. The grooves are circuit-bent and rambunctious.
Public information on the record is scant, as rather than the result of focused recording sessions, The Greks Bring Gifts is instead a curated collection of 4-track captures Jayne was recording for friends at the time. As Love as Laughter eventually evolved from a solo project into a full band, it’s impressive to note that the bulk of this disc was recorded by Jayne himself, with the only instrumental collaborator being Steve “the Wizard” Dore, who supplied drum work (or “kicker beats,” as described by the album credits. Clearly, Jayne had style.)
It’s unfortunate this release isn’t well known (though this could be said for most of the absolute wealth of music that is the Olympia underground), as it’s a stronger release than similar lo-fi collections from the era. (Beck’s Mellow Gold, anyone?) From songcraft to textural mastery, The Greks Bring Gifts is an essential document of mid-90s PNW independent music, a strong starting point for the art of Sam Jayne, and an important reminder of how northwest music has evolved, succeeded, and persevered throughout the changing independent music landscape. From endearing pop to homemade, electronic one-offs, The Greks Bring Gifts serves as a call to honor our inner weirdness, our desire to experiment, our will to create, and our self-belief. Thanks to releases like this, Jayne’s legacy serves as testament to the value found in eschewing commercialism in favor of oddity. So go wild, freaks. Go wild, and let the Greks, whoever they are, bring you their gifts.
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