Singles Spotlight:
J MAU & THE KISS OFF – “Poison”

Hello reader,

How are you today? I hope that you’re enjoying SWT content this week.

A few short weeks ago, I received an email with this intro: “Fronted by Justin Maurer of Clorox Girls, L.A. Drugz, and Maniac, the track blends West Coast punk DNA with cinematic outlaw country grit. Think The Gun Club meets Townes Van Zandt under an East Hollywood streetlight.”  Incredible, sounding right? The second line immediately caught my attention, and I was soon reading more about this new band, J MAU & THE KISS OFF.  As a fan of those artists listed, and let’s remain real at SWT, most of those who write about music, especially those in the past 50 years, have a Townes and also a Hunter S. Thompson phase, right? I would define that phase as when they’re deeply delving into both individuals, perhaps at peak appreciation for the artistry, mind, and body of work of both. I think the reverence often remains to a degree while you realize the significant flaws of both, while also still appreciating them. While reading that two-sentence intro in my email, I also thought of the legendary LA band X and their unforgettable sound and albums Los Angeles, Wild Gift, Under the Big Black Sun, and even More Fun in the New World, which were introduced to the world over four years from 1980 to 1983.  The first two releases are still among my favorite ’80s albums.

This is a new band on the scene, about to make some noise with this single and future album. The group was, according to the single’s press release, “Founded in 2025 by Justin ‘J Mau’ Maurer, longtime punk lifer and founder of Clorox Girls, Suspect Parts, L.A. Drugz, and Maniac, the project finds Maurer turning toward something darker and dustier without losing the bite that’s always defined him. Maurer’s story isn’t mythology. It’s messy and real. A CODA raised between Los Angeles and Bainbridge Island by a single Deaf mother, American Sign Language was his first language. Punk became his second. After surviving a turbulent childhood and helping put his abusive father in jail as a teenager, Maurer found autonomy in the underground. By fifteen, he was booking shows and touring. By twenty, he was releasing records and circling the globe with Clorox Girls. Along the way he built a parallel career as one of the country’s most respected ASL interpreters, working alongside prominent political figures like Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, and Joe Biden, stage interpreting for punk legends like Alice Bag and The Avengers, interpreting Deaf actor Troy Kotsur’s historic 2022 Academy Award acceptance speech, and appearing with Kotsur on Curb Your Enthusiasm. His life has always moved between worlds.”

The release continues with Mauer’s bio stating, “After stints living in Madrid, London, and Baja California, and in the wake of a divorce that leveled him, Maurer found himself flat on his back in an East Hollywood apartment, cowboy boots still on, old country records spinning. Hank Williams. Buck Owens. Merle Haggard. Gram Parsons. Kris Kristofferson. Townes Van Zandt. He finally understood it. ‘Real country music is poetry,’ Maurer says. ‘It’s about failure, heartbreak, and the tragic human condition. Music to laugh and cry and live and die by.’ That rock-bottom clarity led him to write ‘Poison.'”  That’s the fantastic single we’re going to shed some worthy spotlight upon today.

In his own words, Mauer states, “J Mau & the Kiss Off is the name of our latest project. We play music influenced by 1960s and 1970s Los Angeles, including Masque-era punk, Palomino-era honky tonk, and 1970s outsider troubadours. We have just released our debut single, a murder ballad corrido called ‘Poison.’ Introducing the band, we have the elegant Cynthia ”Mickie” Herrera on bass, the suave Jairo Gabriel on lead guitar, and the unparalleled Christopher “Crux” Michael on drums. I am grateful for my bandmates, and I’m lucky to have them. I am humble troubadour J Mau. I sing and play guitar. Our new band sounds different from anything I’ve ever done, yet it still meets the gold standard. These new songs sound like my true, authentic self, and I am very excited to share this band and this music with the world. My goal with our music is to be a source of humanity and joy, and a necessary, rebellious act against an often unjust world. Music needs to bring lightness and joy to combat anxiety and gloom. Long live rock n roll.”

Going back to the press release one more time because it’s so beautifully stated, “The lineup feels distinctly Los Angeles, different neighborhoods, different backgrounds, different histories colliding in one room. Together, they sit comfortably in the long L.A. tradition of bands who blurred punk and country before it had a name. From the ghosts of X and The Gun Club to Rank & File and the late-night mythology of Alvarado Street, this feels less like a costume change and more like someone leaning into what was already there. In the true spirit of collaboration, their unique alchemy has given them an opportunity  to make their own mark on the collective consciousness of the rich cultural tapestry of Los Angeles and beyond. They seem to instinctively know that music brings collective joy in the face of collective doom. “Poison” does just that, washes over us with an ethereal wave of cinematic west coast desert bliss.”

Hell yeah. I love the honky tonk melody, the grittiness of the collective sound and realism of the lyrics, the pedal steel, the guitars strumming. The combination of subgenres and sounds that some love to wax poetic about. From urban LA to desert to noir to a lot more. I love everything about this song from start to finish. The result of all these components is a song that is not as bleak and depressing as Townes, and not just a modern version of Townes; fans of Townes will like this. I am also confident that fans of X, artists like Sturgill Simpson, Alejandro Escovedo, Jason Isbell, John Hiatt, Lucinda Williams, DBT, and many, many more artists will enjoy this song. Open-minded music fans (who like more than just those listed), like many who frequent SWT are, will love this as well. Thanks for being here and continuing to support us. I think you will add it to your playlists and share it with your fellow music fans. “Poison” serves as a warm invitation to J MAU & THE KISS OFF, leaving us wanting more and eager to follow the band to see what’s next!

Without further hype, take a listen to the song for yourself and tell me what you think!

The Spaghetti Western theme is present within the video for the song “Poison” from J MAU & THE KISS OFF’s YouTube channel:

(All credits and rights to J MAU & THE KISS OFF)

The cover art for the lead single “Poison”:

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com