Jai Agnish is American, Canadian, and Indian. He’s a New Jersey born and based musician, journalist, publicist and promoter. Agnish has released two critically heralded indie-rock albums, founded Blue Bunny Records and a fanzine called Flygirl. Although Flygirl and Blue Bunny Records are no longer active, Agnish continues to record, release and perform new music.
BLUE BUNNY RECORDS
Taking a cue from lo-fi indie-rockers like Daniel Johnston, Soul-Junk, Lou Barlow and Beck, Agnish embraced the anti-establishment, do-it-yourself (DIY) philosophy of releasing music and began his own cassette/record label called Blue Bunny Recordings in the mid-1990s when he was in high school.
Agnish dubbed off copies of his and his friend's tapes and sold and traded them through indie distributors, record stores and 'zines. He released two compilation CDs and self-released his debut full-length CD called Automata on Blue Bunny Records.
FLYGIRL 'ZINE
Flygirl began around the same time as Blue Bunny Records. It was a photocopied 'zine that featured reviews and interviews with local bands and some of the indie bands that were touring through Hoboken and New York City. Early interviews included Liz Phair, Lou Barlow, Fugazi, The Treepeople and others. He also documented local happenings like a "freaks" vs. "jocks" war that broke out when Agnish was in high school.
With the seventh issue, Flygirl's focus turned to visual art and the music coverage was shifted to the Web site where he interviewed and reviewed some of his favorite bands like Trans Am, Built to Spill, Sufjan Stevens and Danielson. The final two print editions featured full page drawings, photographs and writings from a community of artists and musicians like Soul-Junk, Julie Doiron, Lou Barlow, Dennis Callaci, and Buzzsaw.
There were eight issues in total. The final two issues of the 'zine were accompanied by a 7" and CD compilation featuring new songs by some of Agnish's favorite artists like Lou Barlow (Sebedoh), Bonnie Prince Billie, Soul-Junk, and Danielson. Agnish, who had by this time amassed a slew of songs on his 4-track by this time, managed to sneak a song or two of his own (under the name Jags) on the compilations too.
Agnish has stopped publishing Flygirl and the associated Web site has been shuttered.
PUBLICITY, BOOKING, PROMOTION
In addition to publicizing his own music, Agnish headed up the first publicity campaigns for his friend's fledgling -- at the time -- labels, Asthmatic Kitty Records and Sounds Familyre. He worked Sufjan Stevens' "A Sun Came," and "Enjoy Your Rabbit," Half-Handed Cloud's "Learning About Your Scale" and Lenny Smith's "Deep Calls to Deep." Agnish helped initiate some of these artists' earliest exposure in publications like Pulse, Bandoppler, Pop Matters, Pitchfork and others.
He promoted the first Sounds Familyre label showcase in New York City. Agnish also has assembled and promoted numerous live bills with artists including Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Half-Handed Cloud, Lenny Smith, Denison Witmer, Ben+Vesper, LA Symphony, The Curvy Straights, Unwed Sailer, Saxon Shore and others.
WRITTEN AND VISUAL JOURNALISM
Along with being a former freelance music writer, Agnish is a professional newspaper journalist and editor by day.
His incessant habit of picture taking and video making helped him amass a noteworthy collection of photographs and video footage of some of the earliest performances of friends Sufjan Stevens, Half-Handed Cloud, and Liz Janes. Agnish also has documented rare Soul-Junk and Danielson performances.
Some of Agnish's footage of early Stevens' performances wound up on the documentary "Danielson: A Family Movie (or, Make a Joyful Noise Here" (2006). He also did some minor videography work for the director of the film at Danielson Famile headquarters in New Jersey.
Some of Agnish's photographs have been used for various band Web sites and music publications.
Check out some of this work on his YouTube channel and on his Flickr site.
