Jeffrey Lewis

Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis performing at The Luminaire, London, England.
Background information
Origin	New York City, New York, U.S.
Genre(s)	Anti-folk
Years active	1997–present
Label(s)	Rough Trade
Website	Official Site
Members
Jeffrey Lewis Jack Lewis

Jeffrey Lewis (born November 20, 1975 in New York City) is an American Anti-folk singer/songwriter and comic-book artist. He attended State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1997. His final thesis was on the Alan Moore graphic novel "Watchmen".

Several of his musical influences have been acknowledged in his songs such as "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror", "The History of The Fall" and "The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song", concerning the song by Leonard Cohen. Lewis' lyrics are complex and literate, often combining a nihilistic world-view with a hopeful message and sharp wit. Growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan Island his songs are also highly informed by his home surroundings, with songs namechecking places such as Williamsburg, the FDR Drive and the East River.

After being signed by the British record label Rough Trade in 2001, Jeffrey Lewis released his first official album The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane and in 2003 he released the album It's The Ones Who've Cracked That The Light Shines Through. His third record, City and Eastern Songs, was released in the UK in November 2005 and in the US in September 2006. All three of these albums also include his brother, Jack Lewis, who wrote and sang a number of the songs. In October 2007, Jeffrey released 12 Crass Songs, an album consisting entirely of songs written by the anarcho-pacifist British punk band Crass, reworked to match Jeffrey's anti-folk style.

He has also performed and collaborated with Kimya Dawson of The Moldy Peaches as well as Diane Cluck. Some of his hand-drawn comics appear in the cover art of his CD releases.

Jeffrey has his own comic book series titled 'Fuff' (formerly called 'Guff') available via Olive Juice Music.

In 2006, Jeffrey Lewis was as Adam Green's support act and also embarked on a solo tour of the UK; in 2007 he played several dates in the UK supporting Daniel Johnston.

Discography

• When Madman Was Good - Version One (1997)
• When Madman Was Good - Version Two (1998)
• Indie-Rock Fortune Cookie (1998)
• Journey to the Center of the Earth (1999)
• The Only Time I Feel Right Is When I'm Drawing Comic Books (2000)
• I Am, Of Course, Glad (2000)
• Kimya Dawson And Jeff Lewis (2001)
• Songs From Austin (2001)
• The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song (2001)
• Diane Cluck And Jeffrey Lewis (2001)
• The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane (2001)
• Guitar Situations: Musical Conduct (2002)
• Back When I Was Four (2002)
• Graveyard/Spirit of Love (2002)
• AntiFolk Collaborations Volume 1 (2002)
• No LSD Tonight/Don't Let The Record Label Take You Out To Lunch (2003)
• It's The Ones Who've Cracked That The Light Shines Through (2003)
• Jeffrey Lewis "Four Seasons" Box Set (2004)
• City and Eastern Songs (2005)
• Tapes From The Crypt (2006)
• 12 Crass Songs (2007)

External links

• The official Jeffrey Lewis website
• Official Jeffrey Lewis Band MySpace page
• An unofficial fan-led message board
• Interview in Life In A Bungalo Digest
• Jeff Lewis' Music Video for "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror" + Interview with director Mark Locke
• Internet Radio Interview with Jeffrey Lewis

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