Rebels Without a Pause by Melissa Giannini (4/16/01)

These guys used to practice in a space next to my basement bedroom. I would hide away in my room, pretending to be cleaning or reading, but really I'd be leaning against the wall listening to what sounded like Jeff Buckley in my leaky, musty basement. Oh, how my heart ached that he was gone and oh, how happy I was that this band existed. Sincerity and dedication oozed from those walls as they worked patiently until each chord change and vocal harmony reached perfection. I wasn't the only one who knew Judah Johnson was destined for greatness. A West Coast A&R rep picked up on singer/guitarist Dan Johnson's soulful song smarts early on. Johnson thus formed Judah Johnson with Charlie Koltak (Fedora) on drums, Zach Roberts (Atomic Houston) on bass, Brian Pierson (Fern) on lead guitar and Nate Cavalieri (Scenes From the Next) on keyboards. The group then headed to the studio to record with legendary producer Don Dixon (REM, the Smithereens) before even booking any shows. Combining the lyrical intelligence of Elvis Costello, the instrumental innovativeness of Swervedriver and the vocal range and soul of Buckley, Judah Johnson are definitely "Made for Greatness."