Weeping in Fits and Starts - You Do Everything But Heal Me
1998

Although times have changed now, indie-rockers tended to shun self-promotion in the '90s. In hindsight, this can partially be seen as a reaction against the overt commercialism of the '80s, but it was also ingrained into the ethos of DIY. Wanting it too badly was a faux pas; the music was supposed to stand on its own.

Greg Jacobs, the main songwriter behind Boston band Weeping in Fits and Starts, is a classic example of a talented musician who put enormous thought and creativity to writing and recording music but not nearly enough into getting it heard. Like many others, Jacobs opted to release his music himself.

"Rhubarb Records was my own half-assed attempt to have a record label," Jacobs says. "I quickly discovered I shouldn't be running a record label. I couldn't get any distribution or get any kind of foothold or leeway into the music scene at all. No one could buy it unless they bought one at a show or read a review somewhere and took the effort to write to us and buy one directly."

Growing up in Rochester, NY, Jacobs cut his teeth in the music scene playing drums for the Lynchbugs and later the Lotus Eaters. He started playing guitar in college and eventually began writing his own music with a rotating band of players. He had suggested Weeping in Fits and Starts as an album title for the Lotus Eaters, but ended up using it for his side project when they rejected the name. During the last half of the '90s, Weeping in Fits and Starts released two 45's, an EP, and two LP's. The final album, Blue Funnel World did garner some positive press notices, but sold very poorly.

"My friend Pete Weiss, who ran Zippah Studios where Blue Funnel World was recorded, had a joke that his last album went paper. Meaning that if selling one million is Platinum, and 500K Gold, if you followed that down to selling about 20 records, then hey, you can say it went paper! I have no idea how many sold, but not many at all."

"You Do Everything But Heal Me," possibly Jacobs' finest song, was originally released on an EP in 1998, and also included on the Blue Funnel World CD. Weeping in Fits and Starts dissolved in 2000 as the band members and Jacobs moved on to other projects. However, Jacobs recently decided to do a one-off reunion show in May.