AJJ (band)

History

AJJ, who originally called themselves Andrew Jackson Jihad, got their start when Sean Bonnette, Ben Gallaty, and drummer Justin James White formed the band. White left not long after. Their debut LP, Candy Cigarettes & Cap Guns, came out in 2005 on the Audioconfusion Manifesto label.

In 2006, they played the New Times Music Showcase, got a nomination for Best Americana Band, and took home a Best of Phoenix award. The following year, they put out a split LP with Ghost Mice on Plan-It-X-Records, and then Asian Man Records released their second album, People Who Can Eat People Are the Luckiest People in the World, on September 11, 2007. In 2008, they joined the "Making Punk Fun Again" tour alongside The Queers, Bomb the Music Industry!, Lemuria, and Kepi Ghoulie, and also dropped the mostly acoustic EP "Only God Can Judge Me" on Plan-it-X Records.

Their third record, Can't Maintain, arrived in 2009 on Asian Man Records, and they toured the US with Kepi Ghoulie and Partners in 818. By then, the lineup was Bonnette, Gallaty, Deacon Batchelor on drums, and Preston Bryant on guitar and keyboards. In 2010, they toured the US with Blunt Mechanic, Europe with Kepi Ghoulie, and the west coast with Royal Monsters. The next year brought a second European tour, appearances at Plan-It-X Fest and Asian Man Records' 15th Anniversary, and the addition of cellist Mark Glick.

Their fourth album, Knife Man, came out on September 20, 2011, via Asian Man Records and on cassette through Lauren Records, and they supported it with a US tour featuring Frank Turner and Into It. Over It. In March 2012, they toured with Laura Stevenson and ROAR, followed by an April tour with Joyce Manor and Treasure Fleet. That September, they played several shows with Against Me! and Joyce Manor, then did a full US tour with Future of the Left and Jeff Rosenstock.