Monday, September 19, 2011

Jason Molina once tried moving a mountain by singing to it

Its about 55 degrees outside, gray, and it's been raining all day. Actually, raining is too kind of a description; imagine someone spitting in your face and multiple that by one million. That should give you a general idea of what is going on outside today.



And, I get it world, its fall. We have clearly kissed whatever was left of summer goodbye and have moved headlong into fall. I get it, I can only live in a state of denial for so long. Coming to terms with this usually causes me to go into a contemplative state were I wonder whether it is too late to simply move to Vegas and become a professional gambler. Usually that's how it works. Today it turned into 'lets just listen to some Songs: Ohia, pretend to do work, and call it a day'. There is just something about these tracks from Magnolia Electric Co. The lyrics are the words of a man that seems to know his way around pain or loss or loneliness or some combination of all three. But what gets me every time is that guitar work at the very beginning of the song. I swear to god, rage could take over every inch of my body, and you could play this song and I'm sure those opening guitar notes would just make me melt. Every time. I just want to sit down with a bottle, drink and smoke cigarettes.

There is a man lost in these lyrics and he is slowly coming to grips with what is left around him. As much as I love the music the lyrics are what really seal the deal for me. Jason Molina's gravely half singing/half mumbling style might sound like gravel sometimes but it works, and it works perfectly. He is a man who has some shit and he is singing about a man who has seen some shit.

Sometimes musicians deliver the truth by thrashing around with their guitar and their drums. And some deliver it with an acoustic guitar, a cigarette, and a gravely voice.

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