The Jenny Thing

The Jenny Thing was a true college band. Not only did the group’s music echo the U.K.-dominated sounds of late-’80s campus radio stations, but the band actually formed at a college. Comprised of Matt Easton (vocals, guitar), Shyam Rao (guitar), Ehren Becker (bass), and Michael Phillips (drums), the Jenny Thing originated at U.C. Berkeley, CA, in 1991. Easton had known Phillips since childhood; he was introduced to Becker in junior high, and when he met Rao in college, pieces for a group were filled. While many other American alternative acts in the early ’90s began sporting flannel and spewing heavy metal riffs, the Jenny Thing remained loyal to their new wave roots, unabashedly revealing their Cure, Smiths, and New Order fixations. The Jenny Thing landed gigs at nearby clubs, finding support from fellow college students but never acquiring a major-label record deal. At one point, the Jenny Thing even appeared on TV’s Star Search. In 1993, the Jenny Thing released their debut album, Me, on the independent label Kendall Swim School Records. Two albums later, the Jenny Thing disbanded after Rao moved, and Easton started recording as a solo act. In 2000, Easton self-released Love Ambition Demo through the Internet. ~ Michael Sutton