Intergalactic Peace Jelly Brings Back the Feels of the 60’s & 70’s

By: Annie Kane

Intergalactic Peace Jelly will jam with you until you're gelatinous.

Ever feel that you’ve been born a few decades late, and now nobody can ever possibly understand you? Well, I’m here to say that I may have found your solution. Boulder band Intergalactic Peace Jelly (IPJ) bring back those improvisational feels reminiscent of The Grateful Dead in their most recent release, Allegedly Gelatinous. In the four songs on this EP, IPJ combines many various instruments and singers into their music, which is what allows them to work intricate details into each one of their songs. IPJ’s big and creative sound comes from their large composition of artists; the group is comprised of JD Rodgers (vocals/guitar/harmonica) Andrew Schuster (guitar/vocals), Max Gilbraith (bass/vocals), Evan DePuy (percussion), Gordon Lindley (drums), and Wesley Neimer (saxophone/vocals).

IPJ combines musical elements in a similar fashion to the band Phish. Their jazz-infused rock often goes off on experimental tangents, building on a song’s melody and then deconstructing it back to the original beat. The lyrics are catchy, and will have you singing out loud to them in no time (check out their song “Bird” below). The best illustration of IPJ’s musical talent can be heard in the song “Study Drugs”. The strong guitar carries this song, while the subtle drums help maintain the beat and elevate the other instruments and vocals to a stronger rock sound. The vocals in this song are a little rough around the edges, giving it a more classic rock vibe, too.

IPJ’s “Study Drugs”:

Since IPJ has that vibrant, big band sound, they chose to record the majority of Allegedly Gelatinous live in the studio. This not only attributes them more authenticity, but also drives listeners to make the effort to see them live. IPJ performs often around Denver and Boulder, playing with the “assurance that no two shows will ever be the same”. You can catch them playing at local bars or even CU’s Fiske Planetarium, performing memorable songs and improvising on the spot, making them a refreshing musical experience that departs from the more traditional format of concerts.

Check out Intergalactic Peace Jelly’s live performance video for their catchy track “Bird”:

-Annie

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All photos, videos, and embedded tracks per the artists featured and those credited. This feature was edited for brevity and clarity by BolderBeat.