Formerly known as Bonehead, Familiar 48 is among the many alternative pop/rock/post-grunge bands that came out of Philadelphia and its suburbs in the late ’90s. Familiar’s material is generally melodic and tuneful, and its influences -- either direct or indirect -- range from Pearl Jam to Live to Matchbox Twenty. Lead vocalist/songwriter Jayy Mannon, in fact, has acknowledged Pearl Jam as an early influence. Mannon has been quoted as saying that when he first started writing songs, his love of Pearl Jam inspired him to write a lot of angry songs, anger, after all, was one of grunge’s trademarks. But as time passed, his writing became less angry. Familiar was formed in 1997 when Mannon got together with four other Philly area natives. Mannon had been in and out of various Philly bands since early high school; he started out as a drummer before realizing that singing and writing songs would be his focus. At first, Familiar had five members, but it was eventually reduced to a foursome consisting of Mannon on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Kevin Hug on electric lead guitar and background vocals, Scott Stanley on electric bass and background vocals, and Nick DeNofa on drums and percussion. The band soon became a fixture on the Philly rock scene and their pop-minded style of post-grunge attracted a lot of college students. Philly, like Boston, is a big college town and boasts several major universities, which was good news for Familiar because in the late ’90s, college-age listeners typically spent a lot of money checking out alterna-rock bands. Familiar was still going by Bonehead when they released the debut album Fade on Vulgar Entertainment in 1999. But a name change became necessary when Mannon learned that the name Bonehead had been copyrighted by someone else; the other bands that went by Bonehead in the ’90s included a Filipino metal band and a rock en español band from Argentina. Wanting to avoid legal hassles, Philly’s Bonehead became Familiar 48. The new name was inspired by Stanley’s interest in sports-themed video games; Stanley considered 48 his lucky number when he played those games. In 2000, Fade came to the attention of producer Don Gehman -- who has worked with everyone from Hootie & the Blowfish to R.E.M. to John Cougar Mellencamp -- and Gehman’s enthusiasm for the Philadelphians led to a deal with Refuge/MCA. The following year, Gehman produced Wonderful Nothing, which is the band’s second album overall and first as Familiar 48. Wonderful Nothing was released by Refuge/MCA in April 2002 and "Learn to Love Again" became the album’s lead single. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide.
A Brief Bio.... ...Jason Mannon truly began his professional musical career during his years fronting the very popular Philadelphia area nightclub band, Bonehead. Throughout much of the 90s and into the new millennium, Jayy could be found perfecting his vocals and performance style in one packed, smoky bar after another. During these years he also began to explore the other side of his artistry that of a songwriter. As Bonehead began to mix in a few of his early writing efforts into their play lists, favorable audience reaction soon pointed the band in another direction completely. The nightclub business became a means to an end as more and more of Jayys music worked its way into their shows. Slowly and without fanfare, Jayys music and his reputation as a serious songwriter grew. An EP debut CD was met with great local success and was followed by even wider popularity with the groups second indie offering, Fade. As the success of this record spilled beyond the borders of the Philly area, national attention was finally focused on Jayys music. In early 2001, legendary producer Don Gehman (John Mellencamp, REM, Hootie & The Blowfish) was so impressed with Jayys songs, he immediately offered the band a recording contract with MCA Records. Bonehead soon became Familiar 48 and headed to Los Angeles for an extensive and exhausting 3-month recording period. Those efforts yielded Wonderful Nothing - an album whose poignant reflections on lost loves and the possibility of hope in the darkest moments touched a chord wherever it was heard. Its first single, The Question debuted as most added track at both Active Rock and Hot AC radio - a very rare feat in the record industry. Touring the country in support of this record added another dimension to Jayys ever widening experience as a musician. Based back home again in Philadelphia , Jayy begins to embark on a new chapter in his career that of a solo artist. Writing once again with Bonehead / F-48 guitarist and longtime songwriting collaborator Kevin Hug, brings the perfect atmosphere for renewed creativity. Bringing a wealth of knowledge, experience and subtle artistry to his new music, Jayy looks forward to communicating with his audience on an even more personal level. Even a casual listener to his songs knows that wont be difficult to achieve. Copied from :Bonehead / Jayy Mannon
Alot of you know that Familiar 48 is no more, but Jay Mannon kept producing and now plays back in his home state. The band is Bonehead and they are pretty flippin sweet! So, show your support for both Jayy and his bandmates!
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SHOWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS, PLEASE HEAD TO BONEHEAD / JAYY MANNON or visit their website www.boneheadlive.com...
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