Jesse Ainslie | guitar/vocals
Josh Kimbrough | guitar/vocals
John Neville | drums
Joe Norkus | bass/vocals

1999-2001








Before there was Mortar and Pestle and before there was Westfalia, there was Straight No Chaser. Straight No Chaser was formed in 1999 by Josh Kimbrough, Jesse Ainslie, Joe Norkus and John Neville while all four members attended Chapel Hill High School. The bands’ two EPs document a distinct and understated legacy. A band known for songs that subscribe to unique and inherently complex structures while retaining the accessible innocence of a young band. The lyrics are simultaneously nonchalant and earnest, relflecting the enthusiasm of youth, but doing so tastefully. The band broke up in 2001 when Ainslie and Neville left for school in New York. Kimbrough and Norkus went on to form Westfalia with violinist Robert Britt before relocating to Greensboro, NC where they formed Mortar and Pestle. Ainslie currently fronts the alt-country/folk collective, Friends Band, in New York. He also plays as a touring member of Castanets, also from New York.

See also:
Barghest
Butterflies
Embarrassing Fruits




Rock the Episcopaleans is Straight No Chaser's six-song document. Split between restrained instrumentals and the hottest high school indie pop you've ever heard, this EP, recorded by Jay Murphy, is an interesting history lesson for fans of Mortar and Pestle and Westfalia.

Soldiers on the Other Side






     
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Alternate Website
Band
Booking
Press Materials
The Physics of Meaning
Snake Charmer

Aeroplanes and Hurricanes

Out: 09.16.08

Lost in the Trees
All Alone in an Empty House

Fireplace

Out: 09.09.08

Embarrassing Fruits
The First Time

First Time

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Endless Mic
Al Gore Bongwater Club Mix

Stompin On Bugz

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Endless Mic
Baby Geniuses

Watching Your World

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