James Brandon Lewis & The Messthetics announce new album, Deface the Currency

Jazz saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and punk group The Messthetics—featuring half of Fugazi—have announced their second collaborative album. On February 20, they’ll release Deface the Currency via Impulse! Today they’ve shared a new track, “Gestations,” which you can hear below.

“The more you know someone, the better the relationship is, the more enriched it becomes,” Lewis said of their ongoing collaboration. “It’s like a cast-iron skillet: The more you keep cooking in it, the better the food gets. So I think that’s what you hear on the record, and you hear an urgency of now.” 

The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis’ self-titled debut is featured on our list of the 20 Best Jazz Albums of 2024.

The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis Deface the Currency tracklist:

1. Deface the Currency
2. Gestations
3. 30 Years of Knowing
4. Rules of the Game
5. Universal Security
6. Clutch
7. Serpent Tongue (Slight Return)

James Brandon Lewis & The Messthetics tour dates:

FRIDAY, APRIL 17 — PORTLAND, OR @ STAR THEATER
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 — SEATTLE, WA @ CLOCK-OUT LOUNGE
SUNDAY, APRIL 19 — VANCOUVER, BC @ WISE HALL
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 — RALEIGH, NC @ KINGS
SUNDAY, APRIL 26 — ASHEVILLE, NC @ AYURPRANA LISTENING ROOM
MONDAY, APRIL 27 — ATLANTA, GA @ THE EARL
TUESDAY, APRIL 28 — LEXINGTON, KY @ SINGLETARY CENTER FOR THE ARTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 30 — CHICAGO, IL @ CONSTELLATION
FRIDAY, MAY 1 — DETROIT, MI @ THIRD MAN RECORDS
SATURDAY, MAY 2 — TORONTO, ON @ 918 BATHURST
SUNDAY, MAY 3 — ERIE, PA @ CENTENNIAL HALL
MONDAY, MAY 4 — KINGSTON, NY @ TUBBY’S
TUESDAY, MAY 5 — BOSTON, MA @ CITY WINERY BOSTON
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 — NEW YORK, NY @ LE POISSON ROUGE
THURSDAY, MAY 7 — PITTSBURGH, PA @ PITTSBURGH JAZZ & POETRY FESTIVAL
FRIDAY, MAY 8 — PHILADELPHIA, PA @ SOLAR MYTH
SATURDAY, MAY 9 — WASHINGTON, DC @ THE BLACK CAT