Car Tunes

Jon Langford - Gold Brick/Nashville Radio Companion CD

Jonboy is on a roll. I've been enjoying these two new releases immensely. Gold Brick is a proper solo album (the logical follow up to Skull Orchard?) while Nashville Radio is the companion cd from the coffee table book that highlights the artwork and lyrics from the mekons to the waco's. This book is beautiful. The songs are acoustic versions of songs from Jon's career. Langford may be the most important songwriter anywhere right now. More on the book from the Bloodshot website.

Nashville Radio is the first collection of his acclaimed art. It reproduces 215 paintings and etchings, along with song lyrics and autobiographical writings. The book also comes with an specially recorded exclusive CD of Langford performing 18 of the printed songs.

Here's what the pointy-headed art history people have to say about it:

"Langford’s 'song-paintings' fuse publicity-shot portraiture with imagery derived from folk art, Dutch still life, classic Western wear, and the cold, cold war—all instilled with sharp, sardonic wit and a Constructivist sense of the power of language. He applies his completely distinctive style to the depiction of American music giants such as Bob Wills, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash, and also to more ghostly, marginalized figures — blindfolded cowboys, astronauts, and dancers — jerked around by the forces of success and exploitation, fame and neglect.

Built to Spill - You in Reverse *UPDATE*
This is the new one for BTS fans. Wow. I've listened twice and it may be their best effort. The song 'Conventional Wisdom' is my first favorite. My initial reaction to it was, 'this sounds like a Phyllis song. So it has to be fabulous. I suspect I'll be listening to this much closer on the plane to San Fran today.

Nick Lowe - Party of One
I found this in the used pile at Luna recently. I love Nick Lowe. There, I said it. His songwriting just hits me in the right place (The Beast in Me is a top 20 fave song for me). Party of One is a fun album from the mid-90's that includes some classics like, You Got the Look I Like, Jumbo Ark, What's Shakin on the Hill, All Men are Liars (a personal favorite). Scoop it up for some fun pub rock.

The Posies - Every Kind of Light

This is the latest from the re-formed Posies. We all loved them in the 90's, but now they are back with a great album. Jack Rabid from the Big Takeover, told me to pick this up. I had been skeptical from some reviews I read, but he was right, it's a winner. Jon Auer wins in the songwriting dual. At least 3 of these melodies will trouble you for days. Highly recommended.