Band of the Week: Jitney

Whenever I listen to 86-300, the latest album from Casey Meegan (aka Jitney), I begin to understand the meaning of the words sacrifice and dedication. Maybe it is because I have read his back story, maybe it is because I can picture the endless nights circle the congested Chicago street. As I explore the swirling melodies that were trapped inside of him as he searched and struggled for an outlet, I can hear the journey and the joy of release in his voice. These are songs that were written in cabs, written in coffee shops, written in the heart of someone who is not afraid to fight.

Last Fall Casey started a record label to release his album 86-300, but he wanted it to be unique. Rock Proper has become one of the most refreshing label in Chicago as it has consistently released free digital albums since its inception last fall. With releases from Jay Bennett, Where the Moon Came From, and more, Rock Proper is establishing a traditions of roots rock mixed with a flare of independence.

Recently, Casey was kind enough to answer a few of my questions, and for those of you in Chicago, Jitney will be performing tonight at The Hideout.

Orange Alert (OA): Why did you first start Rock Proper, and why has it remained a labor of love?
Casey Meehan (CM): Over the past decade, my friends and I have been working on a collection of music that we felt passionate about. We had all taken risks to make this music. Many of us have decided to forgo financial security, heath insurance and the traditional cycle of school, job, marriage, house, kids to create these records.

Some of our records, were released on independent labels, a few on major labels, but most were self released. Hand screened jackets for CDRs or 7”s, stuff like that. Years past, everyone seemed very hungry to take their music to the next level. Everybody was going for broke and working really hard on their craft. We were playing good shows, opening for some good bands but still stuck.

The irony was that we while we were all getting much better at making music, we were watching the music industry disintegrating in front of us. It felt a lot like running up an escalator.
It was hard not make any money on a record. But the real tragedy is seeing great records, records folks had spent years on, sitting on a shelf with only a dozen people knowing they existed. We called these “Dead Records” and they started accumulating.

I became frustrated with our limited options. Dollars to donuts, I kept coming back the fact that I wanted our music to be heard by as many people as possible. So I convinced a few bands to forgo costs of manufacturing records and forgo the tiny trickle of revenue that had ever come from record sales in return for a chance to reach a wide variety of listeners. If we were going to fail, I’d rather fail at doing something new.

We launched Rock Proper in late October of ’08. Originally my record, 86-300, was supposed to be the first guinea pig pushed through the system, but a good friend of mine, Jay Bennett, was under a time crunch and wanted to get his record “Whatever Happened I Apologize” into the world. So he bravely offered it up as our first featured release.

We have been pretty encouraged by what’s happened since October. There have been more records downloaded than I ever could have ever moved out of the trunk of the taxi. One cool side effect is that a success for one record is a success for all the records, and we are not tethered to retail like the traditional distribution channels.

OA: It seems like there was quite a journey leading up to the new Jitney album. What can you tell us about the album?
CM: This album was born out of some pretty painful experiences. In the summer of 2005, I nearly lost my left leg. I was lucky to find a surgeon who could put the sucker back together. He mentioned it was “like creating a potato out of a bag of potato chips”. After multiple surgeries, I couldn’t walk at all for about 4 months and couldn’t drive my taxi for about 8 or 9 months. I was juiced up on more painkillers than I would ever wish on anyone. I thought it would be a great chance to write.

But after listening to those compositions sober, it was clear that they needed to be secured in a lockbox and sunk into the nearest large body of water, Lake Michigan in my case. I guess a couple snippets of that stuff made it onto the album, but most of what appears on the record was written when I was able to get back in the cab.

At this point, frustrations caused by my immense medical debt quickly suffocated the relationship I was in and left me with a great deal of time. Late at night, while I was in between fares, I started scribbling lyrics in the back of my Chauffeurs guide sipping Dunkin Donuts coffee. Soon I started stitching bits and pieces of these songs together.

Around this time, my good friend, Matt “Dino” Dewine, was looking for some new potential clients for his studio. After these recent events, I didn’t feel much like recording or putting a band together and I didn’t have any money. Dino would call endlessly in an effort to get me back on track; I truly owe him for that. Once I was in the studio, the songs, the best ones, just kinda seemed to happen with little effort.

OA: You have also released albums by Jay Bennett and Notes and Scratches among others, is there a certain sound you are looking for in a Rock Proper release?
CM: That’s a good question, the only unifying word I can find to describe the Rock Proper “sound” would be integrity. Much of it was recorded at Pieholden so there is also certain aesthetic about the instruments and analog technology that produced these records. But I believe our true scope to be larger than that.

For Rock Proper to work, the music has to stand on its own. Our marketing is nearly entirely viral in nature. Currently there is no budget for schmoozing or glossy one-sheets telling claiming that are artists are the best thing since tight jeans. It’s just the music speaking for itself, available instantly and free, anywhere in the world.

OA: How does a younger band get involved with the label?
CM: I’d encourage anyone who might be interested to reach out via the site.

OA: As someone who runs a label in Chicago do you feel Chicago labels get the respect they deserve?
CM: I think Chicago is a unique city in many ways. It is a hard working town and the musicians and labels here are no different. I feel that the established independent labels here are respected but that there is a ton of great Chicago rock that the national and international audiences are missing.

OA: Do you make any physical copies of your albums?
CM: Every release is different; we are still trying many things out to see what works best. The physical copies we create are mainly for promotion of the site, they are not really for sale, we encourage people to rip the disc and pass it on.

The Notes and Scratches is partnering with Whistler Records to make a 7” of a couple songs from their upcoming Rock Proper release. I am pretty excited about that.

OA: What is the next step for the label?
CM: Well, the most basic next step is to continue putting out music. Other than that, we are going to look for interesting ways to get the word out, we are going to make some viral videos, I think we are going to have a show / donation drive in the fall to celebrate our 1 year anniversary.

If anybody reading this has free time, free talent or good ideas, shoot us a note.

OA: What is next for Jitney?
CM: Right now Jitney is focusing on playing live the Midwest, Madison and Milwaukee in particular, mainly because I love visiting these places. I’m also scheduling some sessions to begin the second Jitney record.

For more information on Jitney and Rock Proper Records please visit their website.