Jupiter In Velvet

Few performers on the modern scene invest as much time or forethought into their songwriting and presentation as Jupiter In Velvet. It isn’t even particularly a stretch to refer to him as a conceptually minded performer in the mold of David Bowie, but there’s much more of a brawling rocker spirit in Jupiter in Velvet than there ever was in Ziggy Stardust. Much of the album has a positive point of view and centers a lot of its attention on extolling the strengths of the individual. The album’s sound reflects this – instruments are typically tuned to the key of exuberant and often seem like they are leaping out of the speakers. Even at its slowest moments, there’s a real snap and rambunctiousness to what Jupiter in Velvet does and it comes off with charismatic vividness that’s difficult to forget.
The album’s production has a heated, claustrophobic quality. The rockier songs like the album’s opener “Rule Your Day” sound like they were cut live in the same room as the listener. The drumming is positioned particularly high in the mix and provides a constant and energetic pulse for the song. Jupiter in Velvet alternates the heavy pulse with lighter sections in the song’s second half. There’s tremendous tension evident from the first seconds of “Lose Yourself” onward and Jupiter in Velvet only amps it up as the song continues. His ability to summon up bludgeoning textures from his guitar while effortlessly gliding back into softer passages is quite remarkable to hear. Anthemic qualities are quite apparent on the album’s third song, “Peace This Thing Together”, but Jupiter in Velvet has the good taste to orchestrate the elements correctly and build it into something musically substantive rather than out of character musical pandering.
The likely highlight of the release as a whole comes with “Everyone’s Looking 4 Something They Can’t Find”. This track makes a case for being the fullest realization of Jupiter in Velvet’s sound yet, across every release, and makes a memorable impression thanks to its deft juggling of seemingly disparate styles. “2Day is the Day” has high entertainment value with its physical tempo and appealing pop oriented vocals while “Only Your Love” is the album’s last song with a pared back rock attack largely shorn of added adornments. The album’s finale, “Keep Your Eye on the Pearl”, is a return to the edginess heard on “Lose Yourself” and Jupiter in Velvet sounds positively delirious from its intensity at certain points. The ONE In The Many ends on the same monumental note that has propelled much of its running order. Few artists in modern music write and record albums oozing with such apparently effortless inspiration. Jupiter in Velvet is much more than just a mere indie musician. He is a performer, songwriter, views human relations with a poet’s eye, and never fails to commit himself to the material with the same passion he seeks to elicit from others. The One in the Many will find adherents across the board and its widespread appeal is assured.
9 out 10 stars

by Lydia Hillenburg - Vents Magazine

Expatriate songwriter, musician, and performer Jupiter iIn Velvet burst onto the indie scene a few years ago as, in some odd way, a modern Caucasian equivalent of Prince, writing songs fueled with a funked up hippie aesthetic and a cross section of musical influences fueled by his vocals and often audacious guitar playing.
His latest album The ONE In The Many is, like those preceding it, far more than merely some hodgepodge of pseudo funk and psychedelic musing merely mimicking much greater talents. The album’s ten songs range across a wide variety of tempos and textures, but the burning center of the collection remains Jupiter In Velvet’s high wire pop rock vocals and his often careening, rugged, but never out of control guitar. The production has a lot of DIY quality in it, but it never obscures the quality of the songwriting and instead often invests the material with happily unintended atmospherics.
Rule Your Day shows off some gritty guitar muscle, but Jupiter In Velvet expertly manipulates the song’s dynamic potential and alternates the six string workouts with lighter fare.
The album’s second song, however, takes a much different approach. There are brief reprieves sprinkled throughout the arrangement, but Lose Yourself seems on the lookout to largely crush the listener. The crashing guitar chords cutting open the verses leaves Jupiter In Velvet bleeding out his vocal one phrase at a time, but it never sounds tortured.
Instead, the effect is ultimately quite cathartic. The one true moment of pure pop bliss amidst the battling guitars and keyboards comes with the song Everyone’s Looking 4 Something They Can’t Find and Jupiter In Velvet takes full advantage of the songwriting opportunity he’s provided himself. The track builds a lot of momentum from its first seconds on and climaxes wonderfully.
Only I Can Bring Me Down has a strong message and low slung guitar figure that comes rumbling out at the listener. The backbeat is quite solid and unwavering throughout. Jupiter In Velvet has exhibited more than the required vocal firepower to make these songs fly, but material like this gives him a chance to pull back on things and show how deliberate and tasteful he can be when required.
Surrender 2 The Groove promises something more pop oriented, but Velvet focuses instead on creating an immense and intensely visceral rock groove that the instruments milk for every ounce of its dramatic power.
Take Over The World is a brooding, slowly developing track very much in the ballad mold, but nothing is ever entirely “normal” in Jupiter in Velvet’s hands.
Another example of his ability to spin things oddly comes with the album’s closing number. Keep Your Eye On The Pearl has a mixed message of positivity, but the music is another visit into moodiness and unease. There’s a sense presiding over this song that taking your eyes off the pearl comes with possible consequences no one wants to pay.
This is an important work. Jupiter In Velvet isn’t merely some fringe character plying out a sketchy trade along the margins of the music business, but rather a full blown songwriting visionary when such figures are in short supply. The ONE In The Many will make you a believer.
9 out of 10 stars.
By: Shannon Cowden - Indie Music Review

One of the most thrilling and inspired pop-rock musical artists of the early 21st century scores himself yet another bull's eye with his terrific latest album. Once again, Jupiter's exuberant voice soars and sails with utmost infectious passion and aplomb. His grasp of ridiculously catchy'n'bouncy hooks is faultless; ditto his keen understanding of bright effervescent melodies and tight'n'tuneful arrangements. Better yet, Jupiter's songwriting possesses an admirable clarity and concision that cuts right to the chase with refreshing directness. But it's the sheer abundance of sparkling joy and vitality that permeates every last incandescent note which in turn makes this album such a pleasure to listen to.  - JerseyBeat.com

Reinventing the wheel isn’t what makes Jupiter in Velvet special. The wheel doesn’t need reinvention and, besides, Jupiter in Velvet plays guitar chords, melodies, progressions, and tempos that we’ve heard before in some permutation. The thing that makes Jupiter in Velvet special is that he and his collaborators write and play as if it’s the first time they’ve heard this music. There’s a whip-snap sharp sense of discovery born from nothing so glamorous as following the voices and music in your own head. His fourth album, The World Didn’t Start With U, is a rollercoaster dash through his white-hot imagination. 
He brings together programmed dance beats with blazing guitar content to howitzer listeners with explosive riffs or blows them away with impassioned lead work on the album’s title song and opener. It’s equally impressive how his vocal style successfully straddles the line between a softer pop texture while retaining enough grit and gravel to work effectively as a hard rock vocalist. The pop grunge of “Alpha Me Omega U” has appealing quirkiness, but the real musical highlight of the piece is the colorful bass line that begins the song and remains steady through. The marriage of dance music elements with Velvet’s elephantine riffing isn’t as pronounced here and, thus, the pop colors bleed through to the song’s surface and give it an interesting twist.
“When Love Rules the Day” might be the album’s best union of pop, dance, and rock. It’s impossible to undersell melody as an important component of Velvet’s package and there are few tracks where their gift for melody is more apparent than here. It’s the introduction of organ to the band’s sound, however, that gives the track much of its inventive spin. Battering ram guitar riffs rise again on the muscular and strident “Turning Electric” which, perhaps unsurprisingly, pays subtle tribute to iconic riff merchants from a bygone era. Few places are Velvet’s penchant for experimentation more pronounced than on “Martini Rock”, but the guitar sound takes an altogether different approach a little more theatrical and self-conscious than heard elsewhere. Some might find it a little outside of their comfort zone, but it’s heartening to hear Jupiter in Velvet never resting on one slant and, instead, keeping all musical possibilities open. 
“No Matter Where U Go” never feels like cheap pandering or another oddball experiment gone awry despite the surprising introduction of lighter sounds and acoustic guitars into the band’s arsenal. The fire breathing rock guitar maven of earlier songs proves that he can switch things up and doesn’t rely on bluster alone to convey his spirit. Velvet’s guitar and vocals reach a final high point on the hard-nosed, nearly dissonant “Eat Your Fear” that seems intent on spontaneously combusting stereo speakers. The album closes with “Dive In2 My Sea”, much lighter fare that refrains from the earlier fireworks in favor of a gentler approach that provides the album with a fitting conclusion. 
Jupiter in Velvet crackles with one of a kind creativity that never sounds beholden to the past, flat-footed in the present, or unsure in the future. This is music and songwriting seemingly mainlined from the thoughts and experiences of daily life into their instruments. This is one of the year’s best indie releases and deserves any success that comes its way.  
9 out of 10 stars 
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/JupiterInVelvet 
Lydia Hillenburg - All What's Rock Blog

If Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimmy Page and Robert Smith had a baby, you might end up with the eclectic work on soloist Jupiter in Velvet’s latest work The World Didn’t Start with U. Even then you aren’t quite pinning this wily musician down. Hell, he’s not afraid to dabble in hard classic rock, industrial, dance and blues, oftentimes within the expanse of a single song. While sometimes his refusal to be defined work against him, more often than not his daring approach gives him an ethic like no one else.

Take for instance the powerhouse heavy rock heard on the title track. Sure there are electronic undercurrents with dance beats and sampled FX that lend a bit of radio friendliness, but the monolithic guitar work is more Led Zeppelin than say Nine Inch Nails. Similar edgy grooves are pumped throughout the veins of “Alpha Me Omega U (the U a running theme on the entire record)” which gives the bass guitar an equal amount of riff opportunities as the lead. Jupiter doesn’t simply had behind a computer and allow preset patterns to play out, instead he gets right into the action and lets his chops define the songs, while leaving the extra bells and whistles for a midnight overdubbing session.

With ferociously, down to earth guitar playing, he injects tracks like “Turning Electric,” “Martini Rock,” “Camden Shuffle” and “The Everything and the Nothing” with plenty of bluesy, riff-driven magic that out rocks Nickelback, Linkin Park and anything else currently occupying the rock radio strongholds. His grasp of honest to goodness 70s ethics lends him the fortitude needed to create exciting, vitriol-laced music that adheres to the standards set by the old guard, although this is but one side of his many talents.

Some of the material is moody but uplifting, like a strange split difference where Depeche Mode opens for a Bon Jovi concert. Such a style is displayed on the equally tender and rocking “The Beauty of U” and “I Love U Anyways,” a pair of cuts where the verses are sprinkled with keyboards and somber synths before rising up into rousing chorus arrangements. “When Love Rules the Day” is almost wholly positive in the way it exercises its limber guitar legs with ample Hammond organ accompaniment beaming in via a synthesizer. It’s markedly different from the gravel road acoustics of the rural detour taken on the country-tinged “No Matter Where U Go,” or the bleak oscillations and industrial menace of “Eat Your Fear.” Before the album ends, “Drive In2 my Sea” wades its way through murky, mud-slinging guitar riffs that could be on any classic rock station if it weren’t for the frequent use of synthetic accoutrements.

With so many styles happening, a few of the songs could use a bit of tightening up. “I Love U Anyways” and “Eat Your Fear” are interesting ideas that unfortunately fail to travel enough miles into their intricacies and sometimes the programmed elements like the clapping on the opening track feel a little too artificial for their own good. Despite a few breaks in the armor, The World Didn’t Start with U is more often great than average and Jupiter in Velvet is certainly a talent worth keeping an eye on.

8 out of 10 stars.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/JupiterInVelvet
Scott Wigley - Indie Artists Alliance

Jupiter in Velvet is not the name of a band but an artist from England with a deliciously schizophrenic sonic mash-up of varying genres on his latest release The World Didn’t Start with U. You’re playing with fire when you try ramming so many vastly differing compositions together, running a roughshod risk of ending with too much filler and no killer. Despite the clutter and a few half-baked songs, Jupiter’s risks equate to success more often than not.

Tagging this record with a genre is a Herculean task. After listening to the first three songs in their entirety (the title track, “Alpha Me Omega U” and “The Beauty of U” I frankly gave up on making a classification. Trying to pin Jupiter in Velvet down is like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall with a rubber mallet. You will just end up hitting yourself in the face. From the 70s steroid rock meets industrial on the opener to the 90s grunge of the Breeders’ kissed “Alpha Me Omega U” and “The Beauty of U’s” power guitar pop; it’s obvious you won’t be hearing the same tune twice. The brave choices made in song design simply give this recording a crossover status that should appeal to a wide spectrum of music fans.

Sometimes, the identity of a song switches several times within a single track like the sweet mixture of pop punk, new wave and alternative on the virile swing of “When Love Rules the Day.” At times the dynamic craftsmanship renders tunes that you’d expect to hear during a big stadium show. Then at other times you can smell the sweat, beer and smoke of a cutting edge underground dive, especially with the muscle flexing biker riffs of “Turning Electric” or the catchier, yet no less greasy “Martini Rock.” Heck, a coffee shop wouldn’t be an unheard of setting for the folky, harmonica and blissful singer/songwriter tendencies that “No Matter Where U Go.”

“Camden Shuffle” along with “The Everything and Nothing” again returns to the Harley engine roar of rock n’ roll’s humble roots with a slightly futuristic, pop industrial sheen polishing the metallic grind. With so many bombastic passages and ingenious shakedowns, the only disappoint is when the record culminates with the repeated use of restraint. Jupiter is a fine singer with a nasally, high-register voice totally suited to just about anything he plays but it’s within the album’s later going he seems to be struggling to find a monumental moment. “Eat your Fear” is okay, though leans towards filler; possessing neither a memorable vocal melody nor a mighty enough riff to get its point across.

Though The World Didn’t Start with U isn’t a stranger to pop structure, the overly simplistic MTV-isms of “I Love U Anyways” is certainly too glossy to make a significant impact. These missteps could have been easily ignorable if the album ended by pushing down on the throttle. Sadly, “Drive in2 My Sea” treads calm, plaintive waters lacking a volume swell. None of these songs are even close to terrible, illustrating that Jupiter in Velvet on an off day is a lot better than many acts’ on a good one. All in all this is a very solid album that had me coming back for repeat listens even after the review was over.

8 out of 10 stars.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/JupiterInVelvet
Joshua Stryde - BandBlurb.com

Anyone losing faith in a younger generation of guitar players and songwriters coming along who can carry tradition a step forward into the future needs to hear Jupiter in Velvet. His fourth album, The World Didn’t Start With U, is cut from cloth that any guitar great would recognize. Velvet’s command of dynamics, phrasing, and his keen ear for how to present his playing for maximum effect recalls the best six string talents of this or any other generation. Debates about places in the pantheon are useless. The twelve songs on The World Didn’t Start With U don’t intend to make a case for Velvet being the next guitar icon, but aim instead at fusing his tremendous skills into an inventive musical framework.
He brings the thunder on the first song. The title track is a wildly energetic guitar workout with pulverizing percussion that beats the speakers hard, but never fails to swing. It’s an abiding element throughout the album’s songs that recalls the best rock albums of yesteryear – pounding drumming and lively tempos that always seem to be moving just slightly behind the beat and filling the music with subtle power. The bass line for “Alpha Me Omega U” establishes the groove early and the song rides it until the end, but Velvet’s strong vocal is another key to its success. “The Beauty of U” dispenses with the riffing and groove-oriented attack of previous songs in favor of a much more cinematic, sleek effort. The jangling guitars never carry the same sonic punch of his more fuzzed out fare and, naturally, drives the song melodically. “When Love Rules the Day” returns to a much more guitar heavy approach and opens with an urgently played guitar melody that forms the basis for the track. It bears mentioning that it’s actually rather rare to hear such heavy guitar crossed with Velvet’s relatively upbeat lyrical perspective here and elsewhere.
“No Matter Where U Go” couldn’t be more different from the swirling, fuzzed out guitars and thunderous backbeats from earlier songs. Velvet, instead, builds the song around strongly melodic acoustic guitars and sensitive vocals. He doesn’t stray far from his base strengths however and “Camden Shuffle” returns Jupiter in Velvet to guitar dominant rock. The drumming really stands out here as it locks into the shuffle groove from the outset and never lets up. “The Everything & the Nothing” has a divided personality on guitar, alternating between punky thrashing and spot on lead guitar, but the contrast between those styles creates tremendous drama. It’s, likewise, one of Velvet’s grittiest vocals.
“Eat Your Fear” and the finale “Dive In2 My Sea” are the album’s last highlights. The former is a punishing guitar battle with a seemingly bottomless reservoir of power and aggression. The “dirty” production and amped up sonics give it a practically industrial sound that is abrasive, yet dramatic, to hear. The album’s closer “Drive In2 My Sea” couldn’t be more different. It’s another mid-tempo jaunt with serviceable melodies and jangling, almost crystalline guitars.
There’s an impressive array of flavors and approaches here that vary the base element – guitar. His guitar playing certainly provides many of the highlights on The World Didn’t Start With U, but it isn’t the sole reason to pursue this album. Find this album and listen to it because none of us have the chance to often hear a songwriter who brings different genres under one tent with such apparent ease.
8 out of 10 stars.
Lance Wright - Indiemunity Music Blog

“In close, most famous artists out there have “it”, I’m not so sure what that is but Jupiter In Velvet has whatever ‘it’ is.” Michael Morrison, EVOR MAGAZINE, January 2013

“Ninety seconds into the first track “So Automatic” two of the first things crossing your mind are: 1) How undeniably infectious the music sounds, and 2) why the heck haven’t I heard of Jupiter In Velvet before?” - Gwendolyn Katz, Skope Magazine (Oct 14, 2014)

”Jupiter In Velvet displays a masterful mix of all genres, but his voice and amazing songwriter’s touch are the highlight of it all ” Michael Kula, GigBand, November 2, 2013

"I look at Jupiter In Velvet and I see a modern day version of David Bowie or even Paul McCartney" Loren Sperry - GasHouse Radio.com Oct. 23, 2013

“One of the most thrilling and inspired pop-rock musical artists of the early 21st century scores himself yet another bull's eye with his terrific latest album.” - Joe Wawryzniak, Jersey Beat (Jul 23, 2015)

“it's the sheer abundance of sparkling joy and vitality that permeates every last incandescent note which in turn makes this album such a pleasure to listen to.” - Joe Wawryzniak, Jersey Beat (Jul 23, 2015)

“Jupiter's songwriting possesses an admirable clarity and concision that cuts right to the chase with refreshing directness.” - Joe Wawryzniak, Jersey Beat (Jul 23, 2015)

“Lyrics have an emotional impact and this man writes music like he’s seen it all. All songs have messages worthy of your attention but you listen more than once to pick up on it” - Patrick Donahue, Indie Artist Alliance (Oct 13, 2014)

“Just when you think you got this guy and his band down you get blindsided by more songwriting depth” - Rick Bruton, GigBand (Oct 14, 2014)

“it will satisfy many, thus filling the void left by millions of bands who cannot dive this deep – not even close” - Wilma Franklin, BandBlurb.com (Oct 13, 2014)

“This is one of the most original sounding artists I’ve heard in quite some time” - Wilma Franklin, BandBlurb.com (Oct 13, 2014)

“13 catchy and uplifting songs that will keep the listener mesmerized” - Cecil Moore, Vents Magazine (Oct 13, 2014)

“Glitter On The Sun delivers amazing music for the senses that has no boundaries” - Cecil Moore, Vents Magazine (Oct 13, 2014)

“There are albums that you automatically know right from the punchy first note are going to be something special and extraordinary. Well, this certainly is one of them”- Joe Wawryzniak, Jersey Beat (Sep 06, 2014)

“Jupiter In Velvet rates highly as one of the most exciting and original artists of current vintage” - Joe Wawryzniak, Jersey Beat (Sep 06, 2014)

“This is insanely enjoyable and energetic pop-rock done by a true master craftsman” - Joe Wawryzniak, Jersey Beat (Sep 06, 2014)

“The whole CD is a breath of fresh air and is full of what I would call rocked out energy with pop-style music that appeals to so many different senses on so many different levels.” Michael Keith, Rock n’ Roll View Jan. 2013

“Jupiter’s passionate vocals soar to the heavens and beyond with rip-roaring gusto while his songwriting displays a winning knack for tasty hooks and catchy dynamic melodies.” Joe Wawryzniak, Jersey Beat September 2013

“Rock and Roll, re-imagined, and reinvigorated” Blaine Calhoun, All What’s Rock Blog, October 2013

“I believe there’s a detached and disgruntled audience just waiting for him to arrive.” Kelly Mancina, Music News Nashville, October 2013
“Jupiter in Velvet is just a breath away from Modern Pop or even Light Punk but skillfully and methodically never crosses the line into those realms. All songs are impressive snapshots - wonderfully simple but masterful in their overall arrangements.” Drew Blackwell, The Grateful Web January 2013

“Jupiter In Velvet who is a one man operation (except live) invites the listener to sift through a multitude of punk rock sounds, all of which congeal in a tangible yet gorgeous selection of songs.” Nathan Kidwell, Vents Mag October ‘13

“I believe there’s a detached and disgruntled audience just waiting for him to arrive.” Kelly Mancina, Music News Nashville, October 2013

“I see Jupiter In Velvet as a modern day David Bowie with a Rick Ocasek flair.” Ann Hollister, Skope Mag. October ‘13

“There is also a unique quality to this catalogue that breaks the mold from the mundane pop-rock that’s been filling the airwaves lately.” Heather Savage, Skope Magazine January 16, 2013

“Jupiter in Velvet makes glamorous pop at least as inclusive and scads more fun than Lady Gaga’s archer iterations to similar effect. Jupiter’s worth a trip.” Jamie Lee Rake Express Milwaukee.com Sept 19, 2013

“The whole CD is a breath of fresh air and is full of what I would call rocked out energy with pop-style music that appeals to so many different senses on so many different levels.” Michael Keith, Rock n’ Roll View January 2013

“Shut Off Your Mind” is a great album and is not far from groundbreaking for Jupiter In Velvet.” Loren Sperry, Gashouse Radio.com

“Jupiter In Velvet’s appealing sound, hot to the touch playing and writing style hit the mark with intellectually stimulating lyrics providing a very real and powerful source of inspiration” Blaine Calhoun, All What’s Rock, Oct ‘13 - Various