IRON & (AND) WINE Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop) cd + cd ep 14.98
THIS VERSION W/ BONUS DISC IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY. REGULAR SINGLE CD VERSION IS AVAILABLE.
So here we go again! Iron And Wine's The Creek Drank The Cradle was an AQ record of the week last year, was a unanimous staff favorite, and made most of our top ten lists for the year. Rightfully so we might add. A more beautiful and perfect record we hadn't heard in forever. And a lot of times we try not to make another record by the same band a record of the week, since usually it's hard for a band to deliver another record as good as THAT record, the one that blew us away and convinced us it had to be record of the week. But of course sometimes we do, and sometimes a band does, and this new Iron And Wine just happens to be that record. Sam Beam, who pretty much IS Iron And Wine has upped the ante, somehow navigating the precarious course of trying to progress and grow and explore, without ruining what was already basically perfect. And somehow he's done it. All of the things we loved so much about the first record are still present: gently fingerpicked guitar, sweetly breathy vocals, gorgeous harmonies, melancholy melodies, twangy banjo, slippery slide guitar, wistful and cryptic lyrics amd songs. The songs! So perfectly sweet and instantly classic. Songs that you find yourself humming to yourself even after only one listen. So what is it about this new record that makes it worthy of record of the week status? Hard to say. In fact we weren't sure if this record was actually better, or if we were just so excited to have more Iron And Wine! Because on first listen, Our Endless Numbered Days sounds like the perfect part two of The Creek Drank The Cradle. Which is a good thing. A very good thing in fact. We were all wishing The Creek was twice as long or even ten times as long. One of those records you want to never end. But the more we listened to Our Endless Numbered Days, the more it revealed itself as an entirely new record. But subtly so. It's a little more aggressive, and propulsive, the drums play a bigger part, and there are some distinctly intense bits, where the guitars are rough and the drums kind of rock. But only kind of. The core of the record is still Beam's perfect pop songs, twangy and folky, but sweet and lush, with melodies that while totally memorable and unforgettable, are so unique and fresh to your ears that you just have to sit and listen and let the sounds and songs envelop you. Some obvious reference points are Elliott Smith, America, Bread, Palace, Songs:Ohia, but the more you listen, and the more we hear from Iron And Wine, the more we realise that Beam occupies a singular place in popular music, referencing all sort of other musics, but existing totally and completely in his own sonic space. It's a rare performer who can pull that off, especially nowdays drawing from a century of recorded music. The only complaint we have, and it may not bother you if you don't mind buying the same record twice, is that both formats, cd and lp, come with different extra music. The cd comes with a bonus disc that includes two demo versions and two unreleased tracks. The lp comes with a bonus 7" with two entirely different bonus tracks. Argh. So to get it all, you have to buy both, but if you had to buy one record twice, it might as well be one as good as this!
MPEG Stream: "On Your Wings"
MPEG Stream: "Naked As We Came"
MPEG Stream: "Cinder And Smoke"

IRON & (AND) WINE Woman King (Sub Pop) cd ep 9.98
It's really difficult for a musician to develop a distinct sound, and then to progress from record to record in such a way, that your 'sound' continues to grow and change without losing the elements that made it so unique and personal in the first place. Sometimes, if you like a band enough, you don't mind if every record sounds the same, ten more songs that sound like the last ten songs you absolutely loved can only be more of a good thing, right? But it's the folks who do manage that delicate balancing act of moving forward but remaining true to their original vision that continue to truly inspire and blow us away. Iron & Wine happen to be one of those bands. After two full lengths and one ep in about two years, this newest ep takes Iron & Wine's hushed melancholia, with its gently strummed guitars, Sam Beam's whispered/sung breathless vocals, sweetly miserable arrangements, and brings the songs' emotional urgency to the fore, where before it was only hinted at lyrically and alluded to in minor key melodies and bleak lyrical imagery. This new batch of songs is much more aggressive in tone, reflected by more percussion, more propulsive tempos and a bigger reliance on different instrumentation (violin, piano, etc.) adding a sonic veil of death and despondency to this already mournful / melancholy song cycle. But even without these changes, there seems to be no end to Sam Beam's songwriting genius. Every song is a new dreamlike world, populated by pain and sorrow, hope and happiness, love and loss, immediately warm and recognizable, like a long lost memory from your childhood, or a song you already love and cherish, but at the same time each song is a wholly unique new musical discovery full of unlikely melodies and gorgeous musical landscapes that stick with you, as if the song is an experience you lived through and remember, catchy, timeless and totally unforgettable.
MPEG Stream: "Woman King"
MPEG Stream: "Jezebel"

IRON & (AND) WINE Woman King (Sub Pop) 12" 9.98
It's really difficult for a musician to develop a distinct sound, and then to progress from record to record in such a way, that your 'sound' continues to grow and change without losing the elements that made it so unique and personal in the first place. Sometimes, if you like a band enough, you don't mind if every record sounds the same, ten more songs that sound like the last ten songs you absolutely loved can only be more of a good thing, right? But it's the folks who do manage that delicate balancing act of moving forward but remaining true to their original vision that continue to truly inspire and blow us away. Iron & Wine happen to be one of those bands. After two full lengths and one ep in about two years, this newest ep takes Iron & Wine's hushed melancholia, with its gently strummed guitars, Sam Beam's whispered/sung breathless vocals, sweetly miserable arrangements, and brings the songs' emotional urgency to the fore, where before it was only hinted at lyrically and alluded to in minor key melodies and bleak lyrical imagery. This new batch of songs is much more aggressive in tone, reflected by more percussion, more propulsive tempos and a bigger reliance on different instrumentation (violin, piano, etc.) adding a sonic veil of death and despondency to this already mournful / melancholy song cycle. But even without these changes, there seems to be no end to Sam Beam's songwriting genius. Every song is a new dreamlike world, populated by pain and sorrow, hope and happiness, love and loss, immediately warm and recognizable, like a long lost memory from your childhood, or a song you already love and cherish, but at the same time each song is a wholly unique new musical discovery full of unlikely melodies and gorgeous musical landscapes that stick with you, as if the song is an experience you lived through and remember, catchy, timeless and totally unforgettable.
MPEG Stream: "Woman King"
MPEG Stream: "Jezebel"

IRON & THE ALBATROSS s/t (self-released) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
HOORAY! BACK IN STOCK!
Ara Anderson's sure stacked the decks in his favor for his debut release with a supporting cast that includes the beloved Jolie Holland on vocals, guitar and violin (perhaps repaying the kind favor of his stellar performance on her own Escondida album), and fine SF composer Erik Walker (psst, we also just got his wonderful album in stock on which you can also hear Mr. Anderson play). Much like that of Ms Holland, Mr. Anderson's music has an earthy, somber old tyme-y feel that's quite an anomaly these days. Much like the namesake of the seventh song ("Musee Mechanique" - the fabulous antique penny arcade here in SF) it's almost as though he's conjured his songbook pages from a very distant yesteryear. Richly expressive instrumentals are woven from player piano style ivory-tickling frolicks, wheezily congested horns, downtrodden strings and sullen woodwinds among other things -- occasionally off-kilter, whimsically carnivalesque, and often very melancholic. You might even wonder if Anderson was a silent movie score composer in a past life. The easiest (or, ahem, laziest) comparison that could be made is that many of these songs sound very much like the intimate rough-hewn music of Tom Waits minus the voice of Tom Waits (and actually Anderson has appeared on a couple of Waits' albums, Blood Money and Alice!), while others can be likened to the eccentric splendor of the Tin Hat Trio. Fans of both (as well as the abovementioned artists) should certainly take note of this talented gent. Simply wonderful!
MPEG Stream: "Musee Mechanique"
MPEG Stream: "Chinese Opera"

IRON & WINE Norfolk 6/20/05 (Record Store Day) (Sub Pop) cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Another special Record Store Day release, this one from one of our all time faves, Iron & Wine, this live recording captured in 2005, and featuring tons of I+W favorites, 18 songs, almost seventy minutes. The sound is great, lush and full, but still plenty raw and immediate and live, no real banter, just the occasional sheepish thanks, and thunderous applause, but for the most part this is just Sam Beam and a guitar.
There's a batch of tracks in the second half that feature Beam with a full band, "Teeth In The Grass" is the hardest track of that bunch, pounding drums, and fuzzed out guitars, the song gets some serious teeth live, but the rest of the set is appropriately hushed and whispery, delicate and oh so beautiful.
We got a whole bunch of these, but most of them sold on Record Store Day, we did however hang on to a handful so you folks who couldn't make it in person, could still grab yourself one of these.
Cool packaging, designed like a cardstock floppy disc, with a printed inner sleeve featuring some of the Sub Pop catalog, which shows through the diecut big hole on one side. And sorry to say, once these are gone, we won't be able to get more.
(And psst... If all goes according to plan, Iron & Wine will soon be playing an instore at aQ! Stay tuned!)
MPEG Stream: "Sunset Soon Forgotten"
MPEG Stream: "Jezebel"
MPEG Stream: "Woman King"

IRWIN, CATHERINE Cut Yourself A Switch (Thrill Jockey) cd 15.98
Catherine Irwin is half of the beloved alt.country duo Freakwater... she's the dark haired modest beauty whose face crinkles up woefully when she harmonizes so prettily with Janet Bean (observed during one of our most memorable instores!) Anyway, this is her solo record and it's pretty good -- her low-key slightly grainy alto with its ever so slight kentucky accent is pretty irresistible but I will admit to really missing the incandescent harmonies she and Bean conjured up together -- this is what put Freakwater over the top. But this is still lovely, with covers of songs popularized by Elvis, Roger Miller, the Carter Family, etc., these being among the best tracks on the album.
So, if you're new to the wonderful Freakwater, then I highly recommend you first start with their sublime Feels Like the Third Time record, but if you've got all those Freakwater records, well, then here's more to tickle yer ears.
RealAudio clip: "Needle In A Haystack"
RealAudio clip: "Cry Our Little Eyes Out"

ISBELLS s/t (Zeal) cd 11.98
From the same label that brought us the most recent record of dark apocalyptic folk from Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat, comes this gorgeous bit of dreamy folkiness, recorded in an old stable in Belgium, Isbells create a lush softly strummed folky pop that reminds us of both Bon Iver and Iron And Wine. Mainman Gaetan Vandewoude has an impossibly gorgeous crystal clear voice, and has crafted the perfect musical backdrop for that voice, adding just the occasional bit of slide guitar, gentle horns here and there, scattered percussion, and spidery bits of extra melody, but for the most part, needing nothing but an acoustic guitar and his voice, the songs surprisingly lush, most warm and sun dappled, but occasionally, slightly dark and dreamily dramatic.
This is fast becoming a new favorite. Just listen to the sound samples, if you're anything like us, you'll be immediately smitten. So good!!
MPEG Stream: "As Long As It Takes"
MPEG Stream: "Without A Doubt"
MPEG Stream: "Reunite"
MPEG Stream: "My Apologies"

JACK ROSE & SILVESTER ANFANG split (Funeral Folk / AIM) 7" 6.50
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Most aQ customers will merely need to see the two bands sharing this split to know they need this. Then consider the fact that it's already out of print and we got the last 25 copies. We won't go into too much detail as these will most likely be gone in a heartbeat.
One side is Jack Rose, the modern master of neo-Appalachia, a demon with a slide guitar, which he demonstrates on the first track, an awesome Fahey cover. Elegant and effortless, the slide slippery and swooping, so smooth it almost makes it sound like the speed of the record is being altered. The second track is another cover, just as striking, this one a wicked bluegrass breakdown, all rapid fire fingerpicking and melancholy twang.
The flipside is one long track from Belgian funeral folk avant ambient doom collective Silvester Anfang, and it's a beauty, sounding like it could have come right off their recent Kosmies Slachtafval full length. Creepy and abstract, scattered percussion, haunting vocals, buzzing steel strings, little flurries of drumming, ominous chordal swells, building and building to a fever pitch. Some pagan musical ritual performed in a black forest in the middle of nowhere.
Cool creepy woodcut style cover, thick vinyl, and again, SUPER LIMITED, ONLY 250 COPIES and ALREADY OUT OF PRINT AT THE LABEL!

JACKSON, REVEREND CHARLIE God's Got It: The Legendary Booker and Jackson Singles (CaseQuarter) cd 14.98
What with all the eee-veeeel black metal we sell and celebrate, you might not expect us at Aquarius to go in for god-lovin' religious music as well -- well, you'd be wrong, at least in the case of this release, a collection of obscure '70s gospel sides by the Reverend Charlie Jackson that we do indeed like quite a bit. Originally released on 45s, circa 1970-1978, these vocal and guitar tracks haven't previously been available together on cd until now. Each one, whether an up-tempo bluesy rocker or a sparse, emotive sermon, radiate raw energy and spiritual enthusiasm. All the cuts feature Jackson on guitar, most also feature him doing the singing n' preaching, though there's a few where he's backing other vocalists like (his wife) Sister Frances Jackson and Brother Ike Gordon. This is juke-joint style Jesus music, dressed up for church to be sure but still real honest and rootsy. Compelling stuff.
This disc is the first release on Aum Fidelity's new Casequarter imprint, a new label run by a WMFU DJ devoted to rescuing and revitalizing the obscure gospel legacy of the deep south -- digging up rare 45s, documenting still-active practitioners, that sort of thing. This disc is a great start. We'll definitely be looking forward to further releases on the label, as they seem to know what they're doing!
MPEG Stream: "Wrapped Up And Tangled Up In Jesus"
MPEG Stream: "What A Time"

JACKSON, REVEREND CHARLIE God's Got It: The Legendary Booker Singles (CaseQuarter) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on vinyl (minus four singles tracks on the Reverend's Jackson label that was included with the CD version). What with all the eee-veeeel black metal we sell and celebrate, you might not expect us at Aquarius to go in for god-lovin' religious music as well -- well, you'd be wrong, at least in the case of this release, a collection of obscure '70s gospel sides by the Reverend Charlie Jackson that we do indeed like quite a bit. Originally released on 45s, circa 1970-1978. Each track, whether an up-tempo bluesy rocker or a sparse, emotive sermon, radiate raw energy and spiritual enthusiasm. All the cuts feature Jackson on guitar, most also feature him doing the singing n' preaching, though there's a few where he's backing other vocalists like (his wife) Sister Frances Jackson and Brother Ike Gordon. This is juke-joint style Jesus music, dressed up for church to be sure but still real honest and rootsy. Compelling stuff.
MPEG Stream: "Wrapped Up And Tangled Up In Jesus"
MPEG Stream: "What A Time"

JACKSON, STONEWALL The Life Of A Poor Boy (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
Another killer compilation from Omni, this once an overview of Stonewall Jackson, a name most folks probably aren't familiar with, even though between 1958 and 1971 he had THIRTY FIVE top 40 country hits, and was the first member of the Grand Ol Opry to become a member sans recording contract. And these days, Jackson is more famous for suing the Opry in 2007, a $20 million age discrimination suit, claiming the Opry told him he was "too old and too country" for the 'new' Opry.
Back in the day, Jackson was an unsung country music hero, hit after hit, amazing record after amazing record, yet he somehow still managed to remain under the radar of most country music fans. We first heard him on Omni's awesome Troubled Troubadours collection with the twisted track "Push The Panic Button", and while nothing included here is quite as far out, most of the songs are just as good, "I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water" is crazy catchy, twangy and heartfelt, "Drinking And Driving" is a classic country lament, with gorgeous lap steel and some deep crooned vocals, and it's about, well, drinking and driving, "While The Daises Grow Free" is a tragic tale of coal miners slaving away underground, while, well you know. The arrangements are lush, lots of harmonica and slide and both male and female background vocals, simple rhythms, fantastic guitar playing, and of course Jacksons's soulful croon, sweet and smooth. Like all Omni collections, we end up finding ourselves listening to this over and over, and it gets played in the store like crazy.
And also like all Omni collections, extensive liner notes, tons of photos, and many of these tracks available on cd for the first time ever.
MPEG Stream: "I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water"
MPEG Stream: "The Water's So Cold"
MPEG Stream: "While The Daisies Grow Free"
MPEG Stream: "Drinking And Driving"

JACKSON, STONEWALL The Lonesome In Me (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
Two new releases this week from kick ass country reissue label Omni, the other one a strange country fried soul funk (?!) record from Larry Jon Wilson, reviewed elsewhere on this week's list, this one, another from the mighty Stonewall Jackson, who we first heard on Omni's Troubled Troubadours compilation, and whose last Omni collection, Life Of A Poor Boy, was a big hit 'round here.
The Lonesome In Me was Jackson's forgotten masterpiece, originally released in 1970, on the tail end of a long slump from this one time country hitmaker. But to our ears, The Lonesome In Me, while not as rife with 'hits', is not that far removed from the tracks on Life Of A Poor Boy, the sound is lush, and classically country, but peppered with more poppy harmony vocals, and more mainstream arrangements, but the lyrics remain dark and bitter, it is country music after all, so there are tales of broken hearts, drinking too much, broken homes, cold hearted women, all set to some twangy, shuffly honky tonk country pop, swoonsome lap steel over stand up bass, skittery drums, a little banjo here and there, lots of piano, and of course Jackson's deep distinctive voice, his delivery slipping from dramatic sing/talking to powerful and emotional croon, the sound definitely a little bit darker, more melancholy and contemplative, but those pop elements balance the shift in mood. This record actually was another disappointment saleswise at the time and continued Jackson's slump, which wasn't broken until the next year, with an album that contained an unlikely Poco cover that cracked the top 10. That record is included here too, and ditches some of the poppiness of the preceding album, and shifts more toward classic honky tonk, the slide guitar playing a much bigger part, and the lyrical focus less overtly miserable. Omni also tacked on a bunch of singles tracks, almost all of these songs appearing on cd for the first time. And while it is a sort of hodgepodge of different albums and singles, it does somehow play as one fantastic sprawling classic country record. And really, anyone who has been digging all of these Omni reissues, specifically that Troubled Troubadours comp, will no doubt dig this too. And if you loved Life Of A Poor Boy as much as we did, well, obviously you're probably gonna need this too.
Like all Omni releases, includes a big booklet with extensive liner notes and tons of rare photos.
MPEG Stream: "Ship In The Bottle"
MPEG Stream: "I Miss You Most In The Winter Time"
MPEG Stream: "Blues Plus Booze (Means I Lose)"
MPEG Stream: "The Harm You've Done"

JADE Fly On Strangewings (Lightning Tree) cd 14.98

JAMES, SKIP 1931 Sessions (Mississippi) lp 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
By now, most folks are so obsessed with Mississippi Records, the vinyl only reissue label (and vinyl-only shop) of Portland, Oregon, that they'll buy ANYTHING those guys put out. And rightfully so. Mississippi has a knack for unearthing absolute treasures, and in most cases, issuing them on vinyl for the first time. The covers are gorgeous, the sound, the mastering, all top notch, The collections, assembled by the label, are like the best mix tape you could ever hope for. So every time there's a new Mississippi release, we get as many as we can afford, as many as we can fit in the store, and even then it's still usually not enough.
So on this week's list we have not one, not two, but THREE new releases on Mississippi. Actually two are represses of records that came and went in the blink of an eye and thus never made it on the list. But this one, Skip James' 1931 Sessions, is brand spanking new and this is the first time we've had it.
James is a legendary Delta Blues singer and guitarist, and unlike some of the other subjects of Mississippi reissues, his music has been fairly well documented, but this disc, originally released on Yazoo in the mid eighties, is available on vinyl for the first time (or at least the first time in 20 years), and features James' earliest work, and is considered some of the most unique and essential pre-war blues, and is often viewed as his finest work.
And hearing it again, who are we to argue. Not just a singer, or a guitarist, he also played a mean piano, and these songs demonstrate his various talents quite nicely, a gorgeous smooth high voice, rolling honky tonk piano, some awesome guitar picking, the songs timeless, classic, the recording quality varying from crystal clear, to all warm and fuzzy and crackly. His playing is incredibly unique, as is his voice, while he influenced many, few were able to emulate his style. You can read plenty more about James on the internet, but needless to say, this record sounds and looks beautiful.
Awesome jackets, each with original artwork and an actual photographic print affixed to the cover, and with all Mississippi releases, these will probably go fast, and if we are able to get more, we'll probably have to wait for the label to repress it, which they seem to do at their leisure (to be fair, they're also juggling the release and repress of about 5 or 6 other records at any given time) which means, don't dawdle, or you might be in for a bit of a wait...

JAMES, SKIP Hard Time Killin' Floor (Yazoo) cd 16.98

JAMES, SKIP I'd Rather Be The Devil: The Legendary 1931 Session (Rev-Ola) cd 15.98

JAMES, SKIP Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader (Monk) lp 22.00
For this list, we don't just have one, or two, but three of the Early Blues' heaviest hitters newly reissued on vinyl from the always amazing Monk label: Skip James, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and the "Mother of the Blues", Ma Rainey!!!
Of all the bluesmen from the Delta, Skip James is a true auteur. Master of the blues subgenre now known as the "Bentonia school", named for the region he hailed from in Mississippi. He's also one of the longest living, having survived through an early career and a later rediscovery. His signature style of odd guitar tunings, three finger picking and eerie falsetto vocals could make shivers run down your spine. He didn't just interpret material he invented it, influencing the likes of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and none other than Robert Johnson himself (Johnson's "Hellhound On My Trail, was derived from James "Devil Got My Women"). James didn't begin recording until the early thirties and this collection is pulled from lost Paramount 78 recordings recorded in Grafton, WI. All material is completely original including his most well-known songs such as "I'm So Glad", "Drunken Spree", "Devil Got My Woman" and "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues".

JAMES, SKIP The Complete Early Recordings of... (Yazoo) cd 15.98
If you're new to the wonderful Delta Blues sounds of Skip James (perhaps your first exposure to it was via the recent Ghost World film soundtrack), don't miss this '94 collection compiling his rare, early 78's. Highly influential and respected, Skip James' possessed a voice so raw, haunting, and passionate it's sure to send shivers down your spine. The recordings have all been remastered, but are still blessed with the crackle and hiss of the old original recordings. Kicking off the 18 tracks is the classic "Devil Got My Woman". Simply beautiful.

JANDEK Khartoum (Corwood Industries) cd 8.98
The 43rd album from the one and only Jandek is here! Doing his very distinct thing on acoustic guitar and vocals, a style that has become known to music nerds far and wide as "Jandekian", Khartoum is yet another dark, downer trip into this hermitic Texan's psyche. Well, maybe he's not so hermitic anymore, but even now that he's actually making public appearances (only 27 years after he released his first LP), his music remains as raw and mysterious as ever. And "Jandekian" hasn't lost its meaning. Khartoum consists of alienated, atonal strum-und-twang, teamed with loosely demented vocals, sometimes quietly spoken, sometimes pitched to a warbling holler, delivered with the stream of conciousness lyrical logic of a homeless poet. These songs, with titles like "You Wanted To Leave", "Fragmentation", "I Shot Myself", "In A Chair I Stare", and "Fork In The Road", seem fixated on past (broken) relationships, forgiveness, regret, and despair. Our attempt to transcribe the lyrics of "I Shot Myself" produced the following: "I shot myself I can't get up I am beyond repair I shot myself I'm over some hill beyond the valley stars in the black night sun filters through forgetting a mountain time slides in my mind and I know what it is its time to die..." Something like that. Or, from "New Dimension", another of Khartoum's eight tracks: "You're married, I presume I'm not looking but if you're not be careful I'm the vulnerable kind I love to hurt myself I hurt myself in love and I don't care and all the spirits in the spirit world don't equal you because you're gone and I took you for granted and I miss you so." It's a soul laid bare, speaking directly but in such an idiosyncratic manner that it will only be heard by those with a will to listen. Seriously, his scrabble of strings and chaotic chording provides almost a respite from his depressed words and sometimes excruciatingly miserable wail, one that at times reminds us of Oxbow's Eugene Robinson. So... another fine addition to any fan's sagging Jandek shelf!
MPEG Stream: "You Wanted To Leave"
MPEG Stream: "I Shot Myself"

JANDEK Khartoum Variations (Corwood Industries) cd 8.98
44th Jandek release...

JANSCH, BERT A Rare Conundrum (Drag City) cd 14.98
One of three simultaneous reissues of the mid-seventies records Bert Jansch made for the Charisma label. Never before issued on cd, each one remastered under Jansch's personal supervision with extensive liner notes, bonus tracks and extras.
A Rare Conundrum from1977, sees Jansch returning to England and back to a more stripped down acoustic sound after the ambitious folly of Santa Barbara Honeymoon. Charisma at the time was focussed on the new Phil Collins-led Genesis era and gave Jansch lots of room to find a new band and record a new record. Focusing on more traditional, personal, and back-to-basics material ("Pretty Faro", "The Curragh of Kildare"), A Rare Conundrum feels like the most lost and overlooked of the three Charisma records. The backing band Jansch put together for the recording (including members of Dire Straights, Lindisfarne, and Dando Shaft) couldn't obligate themselves to touring, so the album didn't get promoted at all. That's no surprise since it's rather anachronistically out of step with where popular music was heading (punk being the driving musical force at the time), and Charisma's year long delay on its release sealed the record's fate as well as Jansch's stint on the label, which dropped him without notice a couple of years later. The bonus tracks include three song that were included on the European releases of the record under another title before Charisma officially released this record to US markets. A lovely record that is finally getting its much deserved due!
MPEG Stream: "One To A Hundred"
MPEG Stream: "Doctor, Doctor"
MPEG Stream: "Lost Love"

JANSCH, BERT A Rare Conundrum (Drag City) lp + cd 17.98
Now available on vinyl!
One of three simultaneous reissues of the mid-seventies records Bert Jansch made for the Charisma label. Never before issued on cd, each one remastered under Jansch's personal supervision with extensive liner notes, bonus tracks and extras.
A Rare Conundrum from 1977, sees Jansch returning to England and back to a more stripped down acoustic sound after the ambitious folly of Santa Barbara Honeymoon. Charisma at the time was focussed on the new Phil Collins-led Genesis era and gave Jansch lots of room to find a new band and record a new record. Focusing on more traditional, personal, and back-to-basics material ("Pretty Faro", "The Curragh of Kildare"), A Rare Conundrum feels like the most lost and overlooked of the three Charisma records. The backing band Jansch put together for the recording (including members of Dire Straights, Lindisfarne, and Dando Shaft) couldn't obligate themselves to touring, so the album didn't get promoted at all. That's no surprise since it's rather anachronistically out of step with where popular music was heading (punk being the driving musical force at the time), and Charisma's year long delay on its release sealed the record's fate as well as Jansch's stint on the label, which dropped him without notice a couple of years later. The bonus tracks include three song that were included on the European releases of the record under another title before Charisma officially released this record to US markets. A lovely record that is finally getting its much deserved due!
MPEG Stream: "One To A Hundred"
MPEG Stream: "Doctor, Doctor"
MPEG Stream: "Lost Love"

JANSCH, BERT Blackwater Slide (Spiritual Pajamas) 7" 10.98
Another leftover Black Friday Record Store Day 2012 release, we only have TWO remaining copies, that's it forever. The late great folk guitarist does "Blackwater Slide" on the A side, "Heartbreak Hotel" on the B side.

JANSCH, BERT Dazzling Stranger (Castle) 2cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Bert Jansch might be best known as one of the founding members of Pentangle, the mid-sixties psychedelic folk group who were, in a way, precursors to many of today's folkie indie bands like Essex Green, the Olivia Tremor Control, Damon and Naomi, etc. Yet his solo career began before Pentangle formed and has lasted much longer, to the present day. While he released lots of records in the '60s, his recent output has slowed to about one per five years. He's still got it though, as the last two selections below will prove.
This is a double disc anthology spanning Jansch's entire career. His singular style of fingerpicking is as immediately identifiable as John Fahey's, even if the traditional "Blackwaterslide" will remind you of Zeppelin because they covered it too. The liner notes list the provenance of each track in detail, so you can seek out individual albums based on which tracks ya like the best. A nice collection.
RealAudio clip: "Blackwaterslide"
RealAudio clip: "Needle of Death"
RealAudio clip: "I Wanna Know"
RealAudio clip: "Toy Balloon"

JANSCH, BERT L.A. Turnaround (Drag City) cd 14.98
One of three simultaneous reissues of the mid-seventies records Bert Jansch made for the Charisma label. Never before issued on cd, each one remastered under Jansch's personal supervision with extensive liner notes, bonus tracks and extras.
L.A. Turnaround from 1974 came out of a free-fall period between Pentangle's long-time-coming break-up and a label shake-up at Reprise records that found Jansch looking for new digs. He signed to the "Famous Charisma Label" (home of Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator and Lindisfarne) whose boss Tony Stratton Smith sought to reinvigorate Jansch's solo glory from what he considered the din of the Pentangle years. Legend has it that Jansch was invited to stay at Smith's Sussex country house where he arrived after an all-night bender with John Martyn. When he awoke the next morning, he was introduced to Mike Nesmith (of Monkees fame), O.J. "Red" Rhodes (a renowned slide guitar session player) and Klaus Voorman at breakfast. Noticing a mobile recording studio set up outside as well as a small film crew, Jansch quickly realized he was supposed to start recording right then with Nesmith brought in to produce. Half-recorded in Sussex and then finished in Los Angeles, L.A. Turnaround is the rarest and most sought after of the Charisma recordings, as well as the freshest, and is most linked to Jansch's Brit folk heyday, yet with a warm rootsy sheen evoked by Rhodes' stellar slide guitar. Jansch even reworks one of his most popular songs, "Needle of Death", with an earthy production that adds an edge the original lacked. The bonus tracks include many alternate version of songs plus "In The Bleak Midwinter", a Christmas single produced by Ralph McTell. There is also a film included on the enhanced cd of the recording sessions documenting four of the songs. Beautiful!
MPEG Stream: "Open Up The Watergate"
MPEG Stream: "Of Love and Lullaby"
MPEG Stream: "Cluck Old Hen"

JANSCH, BERT L.A. Turnaround (Drag City) lp + cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now available on vinyl!
One of three simultaneous reissues of the mid-seventies records Bert Jansch made for the Charisma label. Never before issued on cd, each one remastered under Jansch's personal supervision with extensive liner notes, bonus tracks and extras.
L.A. Turnaround from 1974 came out of a free-fall period between Pentangle's long-time-coming break-up and a label shake-up at Reprise records that found Jansch looking for new digs. He signed to the "Famous Charisma Label" (home of Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator and Lindisfarne) whose boss Tony Stratton Smith sought to reinvigorate Jansch's solo glory from what he considered the din of the Pentangle years. Legend has it that Jansch was invited to stay at Smith's Sussex country house where he arrived after an all-night bender with John Martyn. When he awoke the next morning, he was introduced to Mike Nesmith (of Monkees fame), O.J. "Red" Rhodes (a renowned slide guitar session player) and Klaus Voorman at breakfast. Noticing a mobile recording studio set up outside as well as a small film crew, Jansch quickly realized he was supposed to start recording right then with Nesmith brought in to produce. Half-recorded in Sussex and then finished in Los Angeles, L.A. Turnaround is the rarest and most sought after of the Charisma recordings, as well as the freshest, and is most linked to Jansch's Brit folk heyday, yet with a warm rootsy sheen evoked by Rhodes' stellar slide guitar. Jansch even reworks one of his most popular songs, "Needle of Death", with an earthy production that adds an edge the original lacked. The bonus tracks include many alternate version of songs plus "In The Bleak Midwinter", a Christmas single produced by Ralph McTell. Beautiful!
The LP comes with a cd featuring four bonus tracks and a mini documentary of the making of the album.
MPEG Stream: "Open Up The Watergate"
MPEG Stream: "Of Love and Lullaby"
MPEG Stream: "Cluck Old Hen"

JANSCH, BERT Santa Barbara Honeymoon (Drag City) cd 14.98
One of three simultaneous reissues of the mid-seventies records Bert Jansch made for the Charisma label. Never before issued on cd, each one remastered under Jansch's personal supervision with extensive liner notes, bonus tracks and extras.
British Folk meets West Coast folk-rock on this 1975 follow-up to L.A. Turnaround. Recorded in L.A. with a full on back-up band on a solo record for the first time, Santa Barbara Honeymoon is one of Jansch's more curious efforts. Perhaps that was due to the change in production crew (Nesmith didn't return to produce), but also may be due to the unlikely inclusion of a Dixieland Jazz ensemble on "Dance Lady Dance" as well as steel drums on "Baby Blue" (not the Dylan song!). While this was a financial and critical disappointment at the time, the quality of the songs still shine through, especially in the stripped down versions performed live at the Montreaux festival, included here as bonus tracks. It's one of those records that is very much of its time, but still a worthy touchstone in the context of bands like Vetiver, Fleet Foxes, and Two Gallants who continue to mine those warm seventies sunshine sounds.
MPEG Stream: "Blues Run The Game"
MPEG Stream: "Dynamite"
MPEG Stream: "One for Jo (live)"

JANSCH, BERT Santa Barbara Honeymoon (Drag City) lp + cd 17.98
Now available on vinyl!
One of three simultaneous reissues of the mid-seventies records Bert Jansch made for the Charisma label. Never before issued on cd, each one remastered under Jansch's personal supervision with extensive liner notes, bonus tracks and extras.
British Folk meets West Coast folk-rock on this 1975 follow-up to L.A. Turnaround. Recorded in L.A. with a full on back-up band on a solo record for the first time, Santa Barbara Honeymoon is one of Jansch's more curious efforts. Perhaps that was due to the change in production crew (Nesmith didn't return to produce), but also may be due to the unlikely inclusion of a Dixieland Jazz ensemble on "Dance Lady Dance" as well as steel drums on "Baby Blue" (not the Dylan song!). While this was a financial and critical disappointment at the time, the quality of the songs still shine through, especially in the stripped down versions performed live at the Montreaux festival, included here as bonus tracks. It's one of those records that is very much of its time, but still a worthy touchstone in the context of bands like Vetiver, Fleet Foxes, and Two Gallants who continue to mine those warm seventies sunshine sounds.
The vinyl comes with a cd that features six bonus tracks not on the album!
MPEG Stream: "Blues Run The Game"
MPEG Stream: "Dynamite"
MPEG Stream: "One for Jo (live)"

JANSCH, BERT The Black Swan (Drag City) cd 14.98
The Drag City revival ship has moored in our ports once again carrying with it one of the most important and influential British folk artists, Bert Jansch. Jansch, whether solo or with his band, Pentangle was a main figure in the sixties British folk revival bringing Celtic, blues, and eastern European forms to his eclectic and spirited guitar playing. Joined here by a cast of contemporary stars, including co-producer Noah Georgeson, Helena Espvall, Devendra Banhart, and Beth Orton, as well as Jansch's son Adam, Jansch brings his gauzy Scottish brogue to new and traditional songs including "Katie Cruel", and "My Pocket's Empty." For those who have never heard Jansch's seminal solo albums, such as Jack Orion, Lucky Thirteen or Rosemary Lane or don't know about his major influence on sixties artist's such as Neil Young and Jimmy Page, should pick this up right now! Incredible!
MPEG Stream: "The Black Swan"
MPEG Stream: "High Days"
MPEG Stream: "Katie Cruel"

JANSCH, BERT The Black Swan (Drag City) lp 14.98
The Drag City revival ship has moored in our ports once again carrying with it one of the most important and influential British folk artists, Bert Jansch. Jansch, whether solo or with his band, Pentangle was a main figure in the sixties British folk revival bringing Celtic, blues, and eastern European forms to his eclectic and spirited guitar playing. Joined here by a cast of contemporary stars, including co-producer Noah Georgeson, Helena Espvall, Devendra Banhart, and Beth Orton, as well as Jansch's son Adam, Jansch brings his gauzy Scottish brogue to new and traditional songs including "Katie Cruel", and "My Pocket's Empty." For those who have never heard Jansch's seminal solo albums, such as Jack Orion, Lucky Thirteen or Rosemary Lane or don't know about his major influence on sixties artist's such as Neil Young and Jimmy Page, should pick this up right now! Incredible!
MPEG Stream: "The Black Swan"
MPEG Stream: "High Days"
MPEG Stream: "Katie Cruel"

JAVERLING, RICKARD Two Times Five Lullaby (Yesternow Recording) cd 15.98
A debut album from a Swedish travelin' man that has totally won us over. Instrumental songs for a long daytime drive in the country. A beautiful pastoral ambiance that speaks of Javerling's time living in Glasgow and Ireland. You can almost see the wet green grass, the clouds floating in the blue sky, the birds soaring in soft circles. Imagine the instrumentation of Sufjan Stevens or if Colleen traded in her electronics and moved to the country. Erik Malmberg of Sagor and Swing makes guests on two of our favorite songs. So soothing and tender but never too sweet or syrupy. A musical world where nothing crazy or out of the ordinary happens but the sheer beauty of the surroundings totally and utterly sweeps you off your feet. So lovely!
MPEG Stream: "Track"
MPEG Stream: "Brandon Bay - Out To Steal!"

JAY, ABNER Folk Song Stylist (Mississippi) lp 14.98
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
It's possible that Abner Jay could have been completely overlooked and forgotten had his work not come to peoples' attention first with a collection on Subliminal Sounds and later with Mississippi, who issued the True Story Of... lp and the Terrible Comedy Blues 7" not too long ago. Mississippi is now back with another collection, featuring Jay on the cover looking poised and professional, a bit of a contrast from the wildman with a banjo, harmonica, and bass drum that we have familiarized ourselves with. Folk Song Stylist may at first seem to be a misleading title, because many of the songs here display an energized, '60s R&B approach, all driven forward by Jay's amazing, soulful vocals, which should certainly be enough to ensure his immortality in some circles. Lyrically, however, the songs focus on social injustices and personal struggle, namechecking Watts county, the state of employment, and the sub par state of housing as observed in Jay's native Georgia. Jay also finds time to offer his take on the classic Scottish ballad "Lord Randall", which he delivers with an amazing authenticity. Another welcome look into the incomparable style of this self proclaimed "Philosopher, Lecturer, Composer, Singer, and ONE MAN BAND".

JAY, ABNER Last Ole Minstrel Man (Mississippi) 10" 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT** **MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
The final set of songs from "folk song stylist", black minstrel showman and ramshackle one man blues band Abner Jay, as Mississippi continues to spread the word about this oft overlooked musical legend.
The tracks here are Jay's last recordings, all previously unreleased, including a new version of an old AJ classic, the sound is dramatically different too (on all but one of the tracks), as the one man band set up has been mostly left behind in favor of something much simpler, just acoustic guitar, harmonica and voice. The results are stunning, and posits an alternate reality, in which Jay, instead of telling crazy stories and jokes between songs, and performing his one man band schtick, was in fact simply a bluesman, a singer songwriter, as these songs display an impossible depth, so dark and sorrowful, melancholy and emotional. "I Cried" is heartbreaking, Jay's voice fragile yet still powerful, the music so sweetly sad. "Too Poor To Live, Too Poor To Die" is a classic slice of old time blues. The Jay classic "Cocaine Blues" gets reinterpreted as a much darker, more personal acoustic ditty, and "Love Wheel" is a dark and mysterious blues ballad. Finally, on "My Middle Name Is The Blues" Jay revisits the one man band one more time, that thick ominous riffing, simple foot driven drums, wheezing harmonica, his voice intense and commanding and so so so soulful.
A fantastic final missive from this legendary and unsung musical genius.
Super thick tip on sleeves, inside are two commemorative photos as well as a big booklet with incredible liner notes.
MPEG Stream: "I Cried"
MPEG Stream: "Love Wheel"
MPEG Stream: "My Middle Name is the Blues"

JAY, ABNER One Man Band (Subliminal Sounds) cd 16.98
REPRESSED! This disc was first we ever heard from ol' Abner Jay, subsequently the subject of several quite popular Mississippi label vinyl reissues too (most, if not all, out of print, now). But it remains the only cd we've seen.
Leave it to Swedish reissue label Subliminal Sounds, who've already brought us Parson Sound and the Stomachmouths from their native land, to turn us on to someone this disc's liner notes somewhat bizarrely refer to as American's Toscanini! Black minstrel showman Abner Jay hailed from south Georgia, and was one of the last of the travelling minstrel musicians. Presumably he's dead now, though his habit of laying on his belly to drink water from the Swaunee River helped him to persevere for more than fifty years in a career as a one man band, banging out tunes on his six-string banjo, bass drum, harmonica and little else. On the evidence of this disc, Abner Jay was quite the entertainer. He tells some off-color groaners 'tween songs (love the one about the kangaroo), but the humor in his show doesn't stop his most affecting songs from being truly morose and sad, and beautiful. He's got the blues alright (the "Cocaine Blues" to be precise). Indeed, one of his most moving songs is entitled "I'm So Depressed". Stick that alongside his risque jokes and more lighthearted fare, and you've got a manic-depressive masterpiece, not to mention a piece of close to forgotten history.
It doesn't say anywhere exactly when these tracks were recorded, or from which of Jay's rare records they were compiled, but from the sounds of things, and Abner Jay's between-song patter, we'd guess this material dates from the late sixties or so. There's a song about Vietnam, anyway, and mention of LSD. Definitely a slice of Americana worthy of checking out, kudos to Subliminal Sounds for digging this up!
FYI for folks with the Mississippi lps, this 13-track cd has a bunch of songs from True Story, and one or two from the others, but there's also songs on here not found on any of the Mississippi vinyl we're pretty sure.
MPEG Stream: "I'm So Depressed"
MPEG Stream: "Cocaine"

JAY, ABNER Terrible Comedy Blues (Mississippi) 7" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NEW ON MISSISSIPPI RECORDS!!!
Yep, along with the full length lp collection also just released on Mississippi, there's this here 7", which features two versions of one of our favorite, and perhaps one of Jay's most popular tunes "I'm So Depressed". A slightly different version is also on the lp collection, and like that one, this version too is gorgeous, sad, and heartbreaking, but still wistful and amusing, the lyrics clever and heartfelt, Jay's voice silky and beautiful, the instrumentation spare and stripped down, but still impossibly lush.
The flipside, features a different full band version of the same song, retitled "Depression", and credited to Koko Joe and The Jobhunters, and is way more raw and garage-y, sort of old school R+B, heavy on the reverb and the room sound, the rest of the band ramping it up a bit, there's even horns, but Jay is still the star of the show his voice and playing unmistakable!
Packaged in a simple old school juke box style, hand silkscreened black and white sleeve.

JAY, ABNER True Story Of (Mississippi) lp 14.98
**MISSISSIPPI RECORDS ALERT**
That's just for the folks who will buy anything and everything on Mississippi, and there are lots of them, and heck, pretty much everyone who works here is one too! But for those of you who need to know more, let's dig in a little shall we?
We recently reviewed a compilation of Abner Jay tracks on Swedish reissue label Subliminal Sounds, so we might as well, revisit that review just for those of you who are new to the musical world of Abner Jay and his unique sound.
Black minstrel showman Abner Jay hailed from south Georgia, and was one of the last of the travelling minstrel musicians. Presumably he's dead now, though his habit of laying on his belly to drink water from the Swaunee River helped him to persevere for more than fifty years in a career as a one man band, banging out tunes on his electric six-string banjo, bass drum, harmonica and little else. On the evidence of the music, Abner Jay was quite the entertainer. He tells some off-color groaners 'tween songs, but the humor in his show doesn't stop his most affecting songs from being truly morose and sad, and beautiful. He's got the blues all right (the "Cocaine Blues" to be precise). Indeed, one of his most moving songs is entitled "I'm So Depressed". Stick that alongside his risque jokes and more lighthearted fare, and you've got a manic-depressive masterpiece, not to mention a piece of close to forgotten history.
For this Mississippi collection, much of the between song banter and the wild stories and jokes, have been excised, leaving the record mostly music, and allowing the music to truly shine, and shine it does, bluesy and folky and so so soulful. A deep angelic voice, a gorgeous croon, no matter how bizarre the lyrics, coming from the mouth of Abner Jay they sound like a lullaby.
This collects a bunch of various tracks, most of them one man band numbers, but a few fleshed out with a full band, those numbers are surprisingly lush, total fifties style balladry, flecked with blues and folk, his electric banjo, sounding more like a subtly effected guitar, the guitar playing slipping from gentle and languid, to wild and tangly, the vocals from sing / speak story telling and lush crooning, the bass drum and highhat a steady beat, the harmonica rich and textured, but it's all about the voice, and the songs, some dark and haunting and mysterious, others melancholy and wistful, and still others wild and rambunctious.
There is some overlap with the Subliminal Sounds cd, but there's enough stuff here you haven't heard that it's totally worth it, PLUS, it's on vinyl, AND, it's just about the most deluxe Mississippi Records release yet. It comes with a ton of inserts, a photo of Abner Jay, a reproduction of Jay's biography, written and signed by the man himself, a flyer / advert announcing a string of gigs in Florida, with plenty of info about the man and his recordings, and a transcript of all the various stories and jokes and intros that were cut from the actual record. WOW. As always, great job Mississippi, and if you haven't heard the music of Abner Jay, boy are you in for a treat!

JAYHAWKS Hollywood Town Hall (American) cd 14.98
A while back we reviewed a killer collection / career retrospective from one of our favorite bands ever. The Jayhawks. A band we would rank right up there with Uncle Tupelo in that whole No Depression / alt country movement. But a band who was much more than alt country, they were classic pop songsmiths, like the Byrds, with two singers whose harmonies could rival any songwriting partnership of the last 50 years. But like all great bands, a collection only scratches the surface, bands like the Jayhawks didn't just write songs, they wrote records, so while a greatest hits package is definitely fine, it's the records proper where they really shine. So we were super psyched to discover that two of our favorite Jayhawks records got reissued, both on cd AND lp, the cd versions with tons of extra material. First, a little Jayhawks history lesson, from our review of the anthology:
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT, Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery, the two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise. Totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
Hollywood Town Hall was the band's third album, but for most folks, ourselves included, it was our first exposure to these guys, and all it took was one song, album opener "Waiting For The Sun", with it's minor key riff, and those soaring crystal clear vocals, the dark introspective verses and the contrastingly vibrant sunshiney chorus, not to mention, all the little sonic subtleties, the warm whirring organ, the minimal piano, it's pretty much a perfect pop song, in the guise of alt country. And the record just doesn't let up every song here is gorgeous, melancholy and twangy one minute, rollicking and rocking the next, but always, those hooks, those harmonies, the arrangements, it's hard to know what to say. Just listen to those sound samples, and if you can somehow resist, well, we give up.
The cd version tacks on 5 bonus tracks, two previously unreleased, three single B-sides, and all of them just as good as anything on the record proper. Also includes extensive new liner notes, and lots of photos.
MPEG Stream: "Waiting For The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "Crowded In The Wings"

JAYHAWKS Hollywood Town Hall (American) lp 17.98
A while back we reviewed a killer collection / career retrospective from one of our favorite bands ever. The Jayhawks. A band we would rank right up there with Uncle Tupelo in that whole No Depression / alt country movement. But a band who was much more than alt country, they were classic pop songsmiths, like the Byrds, with two singers whose harmonies could rival any songwriting partnership of the last 50 years. But like all great bands, a collection only scratches the surface, bands like the Jayhawks didn't just write songs, they wrote records, so while a greatest hits package is definitely fine, it's the records proper where they really shine. So we were super psyched to discover that two of our favorite Jayhawks records got reissued, both with tons of extra material. First, a little Jayhawks history lesson, from our review of the anthology:
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT, Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery, the two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise. Totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
Hollywood Town Hall was the band's third album, but for most folks, ourselves included, it was our first exposure to these guys, and all it took was one song, album opener "Waiting For The Sun", with it's minor key riff, and those soaring crystal clear vocals, the dark introspective verses and the contrastingly vibrant sunshiney chorus, not to mention, all the little sonic subtleties, the warm whirring organ, the minimal piano, it's pretty much a perfect pop song, in the guise of alt country. And the record just doesn't let up every song here is gorgeous, melancholy and twangy one minute, rollicking and rocking the next, but always, those hooks, those harmonies, the arrangements, it's hard to know what to say. Just listen to those sound samples, and if you can somehow resist, well, we give up.
This reissue tacks on 5 bonus tracks, two previously unreleased, three single B-sides, and all of them just as good as anything on the record proper. Also includes extensive new liner notes, and lots of photos.
MPEG Stream: "Waiting For The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "Crowded In The Wings"

JAYHAWKS Music From The North County: The Jayhawks Anthology (American) cd 13.98
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT acts Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery. The two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson, had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise.
Listen to the sound samples, that should really be all it takes, totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
For diehards, and anyone who is totally blown away by the sound samples below, there's also a super deluxe version with a second disc of rarities and unreleased tracks, as well as a DVD featuring all the bands videos, $33, needless to say WELL worth it. If you want that one, it's on the aQ site, search for it and add it to your cart. Otherwise, this single disc version is the perfect introduction to a group that could be your new favorite band.
MPEG Stream: "Waiting For The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "Blue"
MPEG Stream: "I'd Run Away"
MPEG Stream: "Tailspin"

JAYHAWKS Music From The North County: The Jayhawks Anthology (American) 2cd+dvd 33.00
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistantly amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery, the two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure i totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise.
Listen to the sound samples, that should really be all it takes, totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
This version is for diehards, and includes a second disc of rarities and unreleased tracks, as well as a DVD featuring all the bands videos!
MPEG Stream: "Waiting For The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "Blue"
MPEG Stream: "I'd Run Away"
MPEG Stream: "Tailspin"

JAYHAWKS Smile (Columbia) cd 15.98
The Jayhawks took what could have been a fatal blow when they lost main man Mark Olson, who was pretty much *the voice* of the band. (For what Mark's doing these days with wife Victoria Williams in the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers, see their three self-released, wonderful albums, all of which we carry.)
But Gary Louris and the rest of the Jayhawks have managed pretty nicely without Olson, it seems. (For the full story, see the long feature on them in this month's No Depression magazine.) A super rocking big time production courtesy of producer Bob Ezrin (Kiss, Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd etc.), "Smile" is both a blessing and perhaps the worst thing that could've happened. Three or four of the tracks are truly among the best they've ever recorded, full of crackly twang and perfect hooks that'll have you singing along. The album is completely worth it for those songs alone. But at times the band veers into Beatles-y lush pop directions, an ill-advised decision for such a band. I mean, there's *synthesizers* on this record. And, oh god, on some of the songs the drummer is supplanted by f**king *breakbeats*. This is a Jayhawks record! Is nothing sacred? Now, Aquarius is the last place to be all crotchety and unwilling to accept that bands change and mature and whatEVER, but... .
It might sound a little weird, but the best thing about "Smile" (besides the few really awesome songs on it) is that it has made Windy re-fall in love with the Jayhawks back catalog and Andee gets to crow (in a scene seemingly straight from Hi Fidelity) "Man, I always loved the Jayhawks. But their *early* stuff is the best'. All their previous output, especially "Hollywood Town Hall," "Tomorrow the Green Grass," and the underappreciated "Sound of Lies" are fucking amazing records so worth your time. Completely timeless and classic.
RealAudio clip: "What Led Me To This Town"
RealAudio clip: "A Break In The Rain"

JAYHAWKS Tomorrow The Green Grass (American) lp 17.98
A while back we reviewed a killer collection / career retrospective from one of our favorite bands ever. The Jayhawks. A band we would rank right up there with Uncle Tupelo in that whole No Depression / alt country movement. But a band who was much more than alt country, they were classic pop songsmiths, like the Byrds, with two singers whose harmonies could rival any songwriting partnership of the last 50 years. But like all great bands, a collection only scratches the surface, bands like the Jayhawks didn't just write songs, they wrote records, so while a greatest hits package is definitely fine, it's the records proper where they really shine. So we were super psyched to discover that two of our favorite Jayhawks records got reissued, both with tons of extra material. First, a little Jayhawks history lesson, from our review of the anthology:
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT, Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery, the two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise. Totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
Tomorrow The Green Grass was record number four, but the group's second release on American, and was maybe their most fully realized record up to that point, with easily some of their best songs. In fact, check out the sample for "Blue", which just might be our favorite Jayhawks song EVER, that effortless blend of melancholy country and big pop, strings and fiddles and piano, guitars and drums, and those perfect harmony vocals, and a killer chorus, not to mention a bridge that somehow manages to be even catchier. And like Hollywood Town Hall before it, Tomorrow The Green Grass just keeps the hits coming, "I'd Run Away" is another practically perfect jam, with it's loping melancholy piano flecked verse, and it's soaring string laden chorus, and so it goes, not a single bit of fluff or filler, seriously one of our favorite, most listened to records EVER.
The first disc tacks on 5 bonus tracks, three unreleased, two B-sides, and damn if "Tomorrow The Green Grass", which somehow got left off the album of the same name, doesn't sound just like Canadian power poppers Sloan, and listening to it now, the pop element in the rest of the record seems to blossom before our very ears. But "TTGG" is definitely a killer, as are the rest of the extras.
And as if that weren't enough, there's a whole bonus disc, the elusive "Mystery Demos", an incredible collection of stripped down early versions of tracks that would end up on later records, as well as a bunch of songs that never made it past the demo stage, just acoustic guitar, fiddle and vocals, and even stripped down, these guys manage to sound amazing, the harmonies still effortless even in this rough state. Not necessarily crucial listening for dabblers, but fans will be in heaven. And just further evidence that these guys should have been superstars.
Includes a big booklet with lots of liner notes, and tons of photos.
MPEG Stream: "Blue"
MPEG Stream: "I'd Run Away"

JAYHAWKS Tomorrow The Green Grass (Legacy Edition) (American) 2cd 17.98
A while back we reviewed a killer collection / career retrospective from one of our favorite bands ever. The Jayhawks. A band we would rank right up there with Uncle Tupelo in that whole No Depression / alt country movement. But a band who was much more than alt country, they were classic pop songsmiths, like the Byrds, with two singers whose harmonies could rival any songwriting partnership of the last 50 years. But like all great bands, a collection only scratches the surface, bands like the Jayhawks didn't just write songs, they wrote records, so while a greatest hits package is definitely fine, it's the records proper where they really shine. So we were super psyched to discover that two of our favorite Jayhawks records got reissued, both on cd AND lp, the cd versions with tons of extra material. First, a little Jayhawks history lesson, from our review of the anthology:
The whole No Depression movement spawned so many great bands, Uncle Tupelo of course, and post UT, Wilco and Son Volt, Blue Mountain, Whiskeytown, Freakwater, Old 97's, Scud Mountain Boys, Robbie Fulks, Tarnation, Split Lip Rayfield, and on and on. Very few of those bands, no matter how good or how much we dig 'em, come close to the sheer song writing genius and kick ass rocking of genre namesakes Uncle Tupelo, except for one. The Jayhawks, a consistently amazing band. Every record jam packed with incredible timeless songsmithery, the two vocalists, Gary Louris and Mark Olson had voices like angels, crafting perfect soaring harmonies, and both were incredible songwriters, one of those partnerships that comes along once in a blue moon. And the band, a crack collection of amazing players, they had EVERYTHING going for them. Yet for their whole career, success eluded them. While other, lesser bands went on to become critical darlings, or to make shit tons of money, the Jayhawks toiled in relative obscurity. So legendary was their bad luck that they were the subject of an extensive article in a national magazine (Newsweek, Business Day?) all about how to survive as a band, or not, as was the case with the Jayhawks. And their bad luck extended beyond the music business, as Mark Olson left at the height of the band's popularity to care for his wife, Victoria Williams who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. And listening to these songs again, it is criminal, and tragic, and simply hard to believe that a band this good, and songs this amazing, managed to remain so under the radar for so long. But there's something to be said for a cult following, and the Jayhawks have that in spades, fans are generally obsessed, and fans FOR LIFE. With Wilco or Ryan Adams, ask fans of those bands, and you'll probably get a "yeah, they're cool", or "sure I totally dig them, the new record is killer", but talk to ANY Jayhawks fan (Andee for instance) and you'll get an explosion of superlatives, a rant about how much better the Jayhawks are than ANY of their contemporaries, and how fucked it is that they were never huge, and since it's Andee who is writing this, well, needless to say, the Jayhawks ARE better than all of their contemporaries, and yeah, we're including Wilco and whoever else you want to stack up against these guys. It's a little country, a little rock, a little folk, a lot of pop, but they've created a sound and a style so immediately recognizable, and those voices, you'll never mistake these guys for anyone else. Easily some of the best music of the last 20 years, country, No Depression or otherwise. Totally perfect, twang flecked, utterly timeless pop music of the highest order, or maybe it IS country music, but whatever you want to call it, to these ears it sounds heavenly, and like the Jayhawks and no one else.
Tomorrow The Green Grass was record number four, but the group's second release on American, and was maybe their most fully realized record up to that point, with easily some of their best songs. In fact, check out the sample for "Blue", which just might be our favorite Jayhawks song EVER, that effortless blend of melancholy country and big pop, strings and fiddles and piano, guitars and drums, and those perfect harmony vocals, and a killer chorus, not to mention a bridge that somehow manages to be even catchier. And like Hollywood Town Hall before it, Tomorrow The Green Grass just keeps the hits coming, "I'd Run Away" is another practically perfect jam, with it's loping melancholy piano flecked verse, and it's soaring string laden chorus, and so it goes, not a single bit of fluff or filler, seriously one of our favorite, most listened to records EVER.
The first disc tacks on 5 bonus tracks, three unreleased, two B-sides, and damn if "Tomorrow The Green Grass", which somehow got left off the album of the same name, doesn't sound just like Canadian power poppers Sloan, and listening to it now, the pop element in the rest of the record seems to blossom before our very ears. But "TTGG" is definitely a killer, as are the rest of the extras.
And as if that weren't enough, there's a whole bonus disc, the elusive "Mystery Demos", an incredible collection of stripped down early versions of tracks that would end up on later records, as well as a bunch of songs that never made it past the demo stage, just acoustic guitar, fiddle and vocals, and even stripped down, these guys manage to sound amazing, the harmonies still effortless even in this rough state. Not necessarily crucial listening for dabblers, but fans will be in heaven. And just further evidence that these guys should have been superstars.
Includes a big booklet with lots of liner notes, and tons of photos.
MPEG Stream: "Blue"
MPEG Stream: "I'd Run Away"

JEAN, NORMA Heaven Help The Working Girl (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
Another list and another batch of classic reissues from the always great Omni label (check elsewhere on this list our review of Hank Snow's Songs Of Tragedy!). Norma Jean was one of country music's early female stars, having gotten her start in 1950 at the tender age of 12 and later moving into good but tumultuous company with Porter Wagoner on his legendary TV show. To quote the liners, "Norma Jean is quite possibly the most misremembered and under appreciated of all country western singers," but this 30 song compilation featuring choice cuts from 1964-1973 should be enough to remind listeners of her considerable talents. Possessing a confident, crystal clear voice and covering all the usual time tested country topics (spurned love, drinking, and more spurned love) Norma Jean's reputation may have been somewhat eclipsed by Wagoner's next big discovery - Dolly Parton - but she had quite a prolific career before leaving the industry and venturing into darker, more alcoholic waters in the 1970s and then embracing Christianity. The material here is top shelf Nashville fare and one of our new favorites from Omni's ever expanding catalog.
MPEG Stream: "Heaven Help The Working Girl"
MPEG Stream: "I Wouldn't Buy A Used Car From Him"
MPEG Stream: "Don't Put Your Hands On Me"
MPEG Stream: "I Cried All The Way To The Bank"

JEFFERSON, BLIND LEMON I Want To Be Like Jesus In My Head (Monk) lp 22.00
For this list, we don't just have one, or two, but three of the Early Blues' heaviest hitters newly reissued on vinyl from the always amazing Monk label: Skip James, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and the "Mother of the Blues", Ma Rainey!!!
Perhaps the most well-known of the blind bluesmen and the quintessential purveyor of the Southern Gothic (it doesn't get much darker than "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean", though that song is not included here!), Blind Lemon Jefferson is one of the founders of the Texas Blues, and one of the first successful solo artists. Starting his career performing in brothels and barber shops, with his unique interplay of rural and urban blues techniques, as well as his lamenting theatrical vocal style, he was able to use his songs as a means to call attention to the plight of the poor and the destitute. Though he died at an early age (freezing to death in Chicago!), he managed to record nearly 100 songs in just a few years. This collection features some of his best, including "Black Snake Moan", "Bad Luck Blues", "Broke and Hungry", and "Beggin' Back".

JEFFERSON, BLIND LEMON Long Lonesome Blues: Lemon's Texts Revealed (World Arbiter) cd 16.98

JEFFERSON, BLIND LEMON See That My Grave's Kept Clean (Monk) lp 22.00
Monk Records returns with a second collection from legendary Texas blues master Blind Lemon Jefferson. The bulk of these songs were recorded in Chicago in 1927, showcasing Jefferson at the height of his powers, before boozing and the reckless lifestyle practiced by many bluesmen caught up with him at the end of the decade.... unless he died in a snowstorm, as has commonly been reported. Either way, Jefferson was the first superstar of the blues, and while he laid the groundwork for many other artists, he is truly one of a kind, an unbelievably powerful guitarist with a voice to match. Despite his star status, most of Jefferson's story remains a mystery, but when you listen to his music, you know this could be no one other than the man on the cover (the one known picture of him). His voice is a ghostly, high register wail rendered even more distant by Paramount Records' notoriously lousy sound quality. Still, none of Jefferson's power is diminished, and you will be blown away by his playing and his unconventional song structures, which often switch rhythms mid song for totally unexpected results. Two of the songs here, "He Arose From The Dead" and "See That My Grave's Kept Clean", were released under Jefferson's gospel oriented alter ego "Deacon L.J. Bates", presumably to put off record buyers who might take issue with prime Jefferson cuts like "Black Snake Moan" and "Easy Rider Blues". Lighter numbers, such as "Teddy Bear Blues" and "Hot Dogs", with its tap dancing rhythm accompaniment, help to showcase the wide range of material Jefferson knew so well, and this is essential stuff for anyone who wants to understand the origins of the blues. It doesn't get better than this.

JENNINGS, WAYLON Early Outlaw (Fruit Tree) cd 15.98

JENNINGS, WAYLON Folk-Country (BMG) cd 12.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

JENNINGS, WAYLON The Dark Side Of Fame (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
Another awesome collection of lost unsung country from Omni, this time, a collection of tracks from country music legend Waylon Jennings, from a period in Jennings' career that most folks consider a low point, before he had busted out as an 'outlaw', a younger man, playing by the rules, just another cog in the Nashville country music machine, whose music, to many, was safe and predictable, constantly simply striving for a hit. This collection begs to differ, big time, gathering up a whole mess of Jennings' best tracks from the period, and while to be fair, the sounds are definitely different than what we're used to from this outlaw, a lot of these songs are pretty fantastic. If these tracks were recorded by any other country singer, no one would bat an eye, but the enduring power of the outlaw era to follow seems to have permanently tainted these songs, which is definitely a shame.
The title track is dark and ominous, with some sitar like buzz, and some awesomely cinematic strings, and of course Jennings nails "Delia's Gone", haunting and intense, complete with some cool creepy female backing vox, this whole collection is super cool, weird covers, strange instrumentation, fuzz guitars, more of that sitar like buzz, lush instrumentation, lots of pop, subtle psychedelia, he may have been trolling for a hit, but it seems like maybe he was still doing his own thing, even if it was a bit too subtle for most folks to notice.
Fans of any of the Omni reissues will dig this too, and Waylon obsessives might do well to give these tracks another try. As always with Omni, the cd comes with a massive booklet packed with tons of photos, liner notes, old album covers and all sorts of other Jennings ephemera.
MPEG Stream: "Don't Play The Game"
MPEG Stream: "MacArthur Park"
MPEG Stream: "The Chokin' Kind"
MPEG Stream: "Six Strings Away"
MPEG Stream: "Rock, Salt And Nails (With Lee Hazlewood)"