Jawbox was a post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1989 around J. Robbins. They started on Dischord and jumped to Atlantic for For Your Own Special Sweetheart (1994) — still the record we point people to first, with the self-titled Jawbox (1996) close behind. Browse Jawbox vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Jawbox formed in Washington, D.C. in 1989 around J. Robbins (formerly of Government Issue). They released their early material on Ian MacKaye's Dischord Records before becoming one of the first Dischord bands to sign with a major label (Atlantic) for For Your Own Special Sweetheart (1994). The major-label move was controversial within the broader DC hardcore community. The band dissolved in 1997 after the self-titled Jawbox (1996). They reunited briefly in 2009 for a Late Night with Jimmy Fallon appearance promoting the reissue of For Your Own Special Sweetheart. They have since periodically reunited for touring across the 2010s and 2020s, with a new EP and album Sequel released in 2024.
Jawbox's sound combines post-hardcore, indie rock, math rock, alternative rock, and emo with intricate dual guitar work, J. Robbins's distinctive vocal delivery, and arrangements drawing on the broader DC hardcore tradition alongside more melodic and angular post-hardcore approaches. Their work has been widely cited as foundational to 1990s post-hardcore and emo.
Dischord and Atlantic pressings of the Jawbox catalog are widely collected. Multiple anniversary editions, including the deluxe For Your Own Special Sweetheart reissue, have been released through DeSoto Records (Coletta's post-Jawbox label).
Listeners new to Jawbox typically start with For Your Own Special Sweetheart (1994) or Jawbox (1996).
