Jad Fair

Jad Fair
Born	Coldwater, Michigan, U.S.A.
Genres	Indie rock Alternative rock Punk rock
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1977–present
Labels	50 Skidillion Watts, Iridescence, Paperhouse, Alternative Tentacles
Associated acts	Half Japanese
Website	jadfair.org

Jad Fair is an American singer, guitarist and graphic artist, most famous for being a founding member of lo-fi alternative rock group Half Japanese.

Biography

In 1974, with his brother David, Jad Fair founded the lo-fi group Half Japanese. Since then, Half Japanese released nearly 30 records.

Fair performs and records as a solo artist, as well as collaborating with such artists as Terry Adams, Norman Blake, Kevin Blechdom, Isobel Campbell, Eugene Chadbourne, DQE, Steve Fisk, Fred Frith, God Is My Co-Pilot, Richard Hell, Daniel Johnston, J. Mascis, Jason Willett, Monster Party, R. Stevie Moore, Thurston Moore, The Pastels, Phono-Comb, Steve Shelley, Strobe Talbot, Teenage Fanclub, The Tinklers, Moe Tucker, Bill Wells, Jason Willett, Adult Rodeo, Lumberob, Yo La Tengo, and John Zorn.

Because of his constant output and his large series of collaborations, his discography is very large, and consists of mostly releases on small, independent labels.

He's also active as a visual artist, drawings as well as papercuttings. He took up papercutting to alleviate boredom while touring on the road. Many of the album covers are made by Fair. Four books of Fair's art have been published. Exhibitions of Fair's paper cuts and drawings have taken place in New York, Tokyo, Glasgow, Austin, Paris, London and Houston.

In 2008 Vincent Moon made a short documentary called Paris lost in Texas, which is part of his The Take-Away Shows-series. In this short movie he visits Fair in house in Texas. In the same year experimental instrument builder Yuri Landman constructed for Fair a special 2 string instrument called the Bachelor QS.

Discography

In Half Japanese

Main article: Half Japanese

Solo

Albums

• Everyone Knew ... But Me (Press, 1983)
• Monarchs (Iridescence, 1984)
• Best Wishes (Iridescence, 1987)
• Great Expectations (Bad Alchemy, 1989)
• Attack of Everything (Paperback, 1990)
• I Like It When You Smile (Paperhouse, 1992)
• Short Songs (Smells Like Records, 1993)
• Greater Expectations (Psycho Acoustic Sounds/TEC. Tones, 1995)
• Jackpot, Songs and Art (Paperback, 1997)
• Spooly Tales (Book & CD, 1997)
• Sunshiney Sunshine (download)

Compilation Albums

• Mr. Snail's Halloween Party (Snail Sounds, 2005)

EPs

• The Zombies of Mora-Tau (Press, 1982)
• Jad Fair EP (Seminal Twang, 1991)

Singles

• "Good Day" - (Arts & Crafts Series Vol. 1,  ?)
• "Three Cycles" (France, 2005)
• "Samantha" (Third Uncles Records, 2009)

With David Fair

• Jad and David Fair - Best Friends (UK Vesuvius, 1996)
• Jad and David Fair - 26 Monster Songs for Children (Kill Rock Stars, 1998)
• Jad and David Fair - Six Dozen Cookies (2006)
• David and Jad Fair - Halloween Songs (Thick Syrup Records, 2008)
• David and Jad Fair - I'll Be Moe (Thick Syrup Records, 2009)

With Daniel Johnston

• Jad Fair and Daniel Johnston - It's Spooky (50 Skidillion Watts, 1989)
• The Lucky Sperms - Somewhat Humorous (Jagjaguwar, 2001)

With Kramer

Albums

• Jad Fair and Kramer - Roll Out The Barrel (1988, Shimmy-Disc)
• Jad Fair and Kramer - The Sound of Music. An Unfinished Symphony in 12 Parts (1998, Shimmy-Disc/Knitting Factory)

In Mosquito

• Mosquito - Oh No Not Another Mosquito My House Is Full of Them! (Psycho Acoustic Sounds, 1993)
• Mosquito - Time Was (ERL/Smells Like Records, 1993)
• Mosquito - UFO Catcher (Japan. Time Bomb, 1993)
• Mosquito - Cupid's Fist (Hol. Red Note, 1994)

With Nao

Albums

• Jad and Nao - Half Robot (Paperhouse, 1993)
• Jad and Nao - Half Alien (Sakura Wrechords Japan, 1997)
• Jad and Nao - Half Monster (Misc. Music, 2008)

With The Pastels

EPs

• Jad Fair and The Pastels - This Could Be the Night EP (Paperhouse, 1991)
• Jad Fair and The Pastels - No. 2 EP (Paperhouse, 1992)

With The Shapir-O Rama

• Jad Fair & The Shapir-O'Rama - We Are the Rage (Japan. Avant) 1996
• I Like Your Face - Jad Fair & Shapir-O'Rama (1999)
• We Are the Rage - Jad Fair & the Shapir-O Rama (2002)

With Teenage Fanclub

Albums

• Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair - Words Of Wisdom And Hope (Domino, 2002)

Singles

• Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair - "Near To You" (Geographic, 2002)
• Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair - "Always In My Heart" (Alternative Tentacles, 2002)
• Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair - "Like a Monkey in a Zoo" (Pema, 2006)

With Jason Willett

Albums

• Jason Willett/Jad Fair/Gilles Rieder (Megaphone) (1992)
• Jason Willett & Jad Fair - It's All Good (Megaphone Limited) (1995)
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - Honeybee (Dr Jim's, 1996)
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - The Mighty Super-Heroes (Marginal Talent, 1997)
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - Wonderful World (Shrimper) (1997) triple cassette
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - Twister (Dark Beloved Cloud) (1997)lp
• Jason Willett & Jad Fair - We're Going to the Moon (Megaphone Limited) cd (1998)
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - Wild (Megaphone Limited) (1998) cd
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - The Mighty Hypnotic Eye (Dr Jim's) (1999) cd
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - Enjoyable songs (Alternative tentacles) lp & cd (1999)
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - The Attack of Everything (Paperback + cd) (2002)
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - Superfine (public eyesore) (2005) cd

Singles

• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - "Punk Rock" (Chlorophyl, 1996)
• Jad Fair & Jason Willett - "The Corpse is Missing" (Slab-O-Concrete, 1996)

With Yo La Tengo

• 1998: Yo La Tengo - Strange But True (an album based on the unusual stories taken from the Strange but True column of newspapers)

With Phono-Comb

• In A Haunted House 7" (Derivative Records, 1995)
• Monsters, Lullabies...and the Occasional Flying Saucer CD (Shake the Record, 1996)

Other Side Projects

• Between Meals - Oh No I Just Knocked Over a Cup of Coffee (Iridescence, 1983)
• Coo Coo Rocking Time - Coo Coo Party Time (50 Skidillion Watts, 1990)
• Workdogs in Hell - Workdogs in Hell (Sympathy For The Record Industry, 1993)
• Strobe Talbot - 20 Pop Songs (Alternative Tentacles, 2001)
• Jad Fair and R. Stevie Moore - FairMoore (Old Gold, 2002)
• Jad Fair & Bill Wells - Whale EP (Friends And Relatives Records, ?)
• Coo Coo Rocking Time - Seven Ways To Sunday (Thick Syrup Records Box Set, 2010)
• Coo Coo Rocking Time - Coo Coo Party Time - Remastered Louder (Thick Syrup Records, 2011)

References

• Biography on VH1

External links

• Jad Fair's official website
• Jad Fair on Myspace

Other

• Interview to Jad Fair