smoe.org mailing lists
ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "Stewart Mason" <craigtorso@verizon.net> |
| Subject | Fw: Daniel Johnston collaborates with Jason Falkner on first new album in six years, due this Fall |
| Date | Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:53:02 -0400 |
[Part 1 text/plain iso-8859-1 (5.9 kilobytes)]
(View Text in a separate window)
Can't say this is a collaboration I would have expected.
S
-----------------------------------------------
Daniel Johnston
Put the name 'Daniel Johnston' into any Internet search engine and you
will find
hundreds of pages about America's most unlikely pop phenomenon.
Dating back to
the earliest compilation of Songs of Pain in 1981, Johnston has spent
nearly three
decades exposing his heartrending tales of unrequited love, cosmic
mishaps and existential
torment to an ever-growing international cult audience. As a result,
he has been
hailed as an American original akin to blues-man Robert Johnson and
country legend
Hank Williams.
Johnston is the musician's cult hero, whose music is appreciated for
its utter lack
of artifice and undeniable simple brilliance. A wide range of notable
artists have
covered Johnston's songs, including Beck, Wilco, Sonic Youth, TV On
The Radio, M.
Ward, Flaming Lips, Death Cab For Cutie, Bright Eyes, Tom Waits, and
Pearl Jam.
With the October 6, 2009 release of his latest - and possibly
greatest - work, Is
And Always Was, Daniel adds another chapter to his artistic legend.
Is And Always Was is a decided step away from the lo-fi homemade
recordings for
which Johnston is famous. "Everyone needs to take their demos and go
back to the
studio," says Daniel.
On this album, Daniel allied with the musician and producer Jason
Falkner, who is
known for his own stellar solo career as well as his work with Beck,
Air, and Paul
McCartney. With Jason manning the boards, "Is And Always Was" was a
project that
aimed to take the rock and roll symphonies in Daniel's prolific
musical brain and
deliver fully-realized and professionally-produced recorded songs.
"He possesses
that rare individuality that makes the listener wonder where this
music comes from,"
Falkner says of Daniel Johnston. "It was challenging to make our minds
work together
but I really found myself immersed in his musical world. It's a unique
place to
live, that's for sure!"
While the Beatles may be an obvious touch point - Johnston has often
exclaimed his
passion for the Fab Four while Falkner has released two acclaimed
Bedtime with the
Beatles instrumental lullaby albums - the Is And Always Was sessions
were frequented
by discussions on the shared appreciation for 70's pop-rock icons such
as Queen,
Elton John, Wings, and ELO.
The high-level production is matched by top-notch musicianship.
Daniel's guitar/piano
and vocal melodies are backed by Falkner on guitar, bass, and
keyboards with help
from Joey Waronker (REM, Beck, Smashing Pumpkins) on drums. As with
all Johnston
recordings however, it's the
only-Daniel-Johnston-could-write-those-lyrics that
shines throughout.
On the high-tempo rave-up "Freedom," Daniel sings:
I want to win
Freedom talks of Freedom
I'm just a whim
I'm so trapped in boredom
I touched the shore
How did I get there?
To go away
Just to be nowhere
The album finishes with an epic six minute and thirty-four second
masterpiece titled
"Light Of Day" where love triumphs and "life's alright."
Took a ride in my car
Traveling far just to see you
I knew nothing about it
Destiny's star guided me to you
Got me thinking life's alright
In the middle of the night
I can see the light of day
Daniel Johnston is 48 now. Within his oversized adolescent frame and
underneath
that incongruously mopped grey hair lies a history of crash-and-burn
volatility
which co-exists with prolific creativity in music and the visual arts.
Daniel has said that his goal in life was to become a great artist,
and the music
was kind of 'accidental'. While he's always received attention for
his music, his
accomplishments in the art world have come to fruition as well. With
exhibits
worldwide since the late 80's, Daniel could finally feel he had
"arrived" when his
art was included in the Whitney Museum Of American art Biennial in
2006. In addition,
his first formal table-top art book was release in March of this year
by Rizzoli
Publication.
Little surprises Daniel any more. On the heels of the successful
2005 documentary
The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Daniel has now signed with Regenerate
(independent
filmmakers whose most recent release was My Suicide) for the
production of a feature
length movie about his life.
Now, for the technically savvy, you can even buy an iPhone game that
features his
art characters and music.
His output has been erratic and his career trajectory unpredictable,
but Johnston
continues to exert a powerful creative presence despite the demons
with which he
is beset. Johnston's personal troubles have sometimes overshadowed
his music legacy,
but they didn't derail his prodigious talents. Listening to the
amazing 11-song
journey that Is and Always Was, you get the feeling that Johnston is
feeling a
lot better and that everything is going to be alright.
Daniel Johnston is currently on a North American and European tour
that will go
through the end of the year.
Is And Always Was is scheduled for an October 6, 2009 release on
Daniel's own Eternal
Yip Eye Music label with distribution in the US, Canada, Europe,
Japan, and Australia.
DANIEL JOHNSTON
09/03/09 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
09/04/09 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
09/05/09 - Vancouver, BC @ The Venue
09/07/09 - Calgary, AB @ Knox United Church
09/08/09 - Edmonton, AB @ Meyer Horowitz Theatre
10/02/09 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
10/13/09 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/14/09 - New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
10/15/09 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
10/16/09 - Montreal, PQ @ UK Fed
10/17/09 - Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
10/22/09 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
10/23/09 - San Diego, CA @ Caines
10/24/09 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre
Daniel Johnston
Is And Always Was
(Eternal Yip Eye Music / High Wire Music)
Street date: Oct. 6, 2009
Mind Movies
Fake Records Of Rock And Roll
Queenie The Doggie
High Horse
Without You
I Had Lost My Mind
Freedom
Tears
Is And Always Was
Lost In My Infinite Memory
Light Of Day
For assistance, please contact
the smoe.org administrators.