This indie power pop trio from Dublin, Ireland, comprising Mark Greaney (b. Dublin, Eire; guitar/vocals), Hilary Woods (bass) and Fergal Matthews (b. County Meath, Eire; drums), received some extravagant praise from the UK music press before they had even released their debut single, November 1999's "October Swimmer". Some commentators even went so far as to suggest that the band was the most important Irish rock act to appear since U2.
The band was formed in 1995 by Greaney and Matthews while they were attending Dublin's Belvedere College, with bass player Garvin Smith the first of several other members to pass through the early line-up. Their unusual name refers to a window made of 72 jam jars in the school's art department. Initially Greaney and Matthews had to balance school work with live appearances and writing songs. Their demo tape was eventually picked up by the independent label Lakota Records, and after several acclaimed live appearances with new bass player Woods the band released "October Swimmer". Greaney's striking vocals, moving abruptly from melodic burr to a demented falsetto howl, gave much needed substance to the trio's sub-Manic Street Preachers power pop. The follow-up singles "Snow", "Long Way South" and "Oxygen', and August 2000"s self-titled debut album, showed further signs of promise.
