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Daniel Johnston: Is And Always Was
Cult figure gets a guitar pop overhaul It’s been quite a journey for Daniel Johnston. The fragile, Beatles-obsessed songwriter began the ’80s releasing primitive cassettes of his direct, tuneful songs, leading to an erratic career as a cult recording (and visual) artist, punctuated by his famous struggles with manic depression and resulting in an unsparing documentary film. Now Johnston wraps up 2009 by working with an actual Beatles associate. On Is And Always Was, Jason Falkner, the guitarist from Paul McCartney’s band, handles the production chores (and much of the musical accompaniment, save ace session drummer Joey Waronker) and the... read more
Found in: Music, ReviewsStep Out Into The Light: Fourteen Covers Of Daniel Johnston's "True Love Will Find You In The End"
What is it about this song? Like almost all the music of Daniel Johnston (whose first album in six years, Is And Always Was, came out last week), it's so much more massive than the sum of its parts—just this man and his springy guitar and wavery, unsteady voice. But the words are so reassuring, so deeply comforting, promising us something that we all really want to be true, that it's really hard not to love it. And that, paired with its astounding simplicity (it ain't no "Stairway to Heaven," that's for sure), makes it ripe for the covering. Here... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayDaniel Johnston's Art Comes To Life On the iPhone
"Hi, How Are You." This is the simple catchphrase minted in singer-songwriter and artist Daniel Johnston's mural, which you may have seen while rounding the corner of 21st Street and Guadalupe in Austin, Texas. The words are painted in bold caps over a poppy-eyed cartoon frog named Jeremiah the Innocent, the new protagonist in an iPhone game based on Johnston's zany yet poignant drawings.... read more
Found in: Games, NewsAustin City Limits 2009 Day One Photos Ft. Avett Brothers, Them Crooked Vultures, Phoenix, YYYs and More
[Above: The Avett Brothers]Photos taken by Jason McElweenie at ACL 2009... read more
Found in: Blogs, 1000 WordsHi, How Are You? Better, Now That Daniel Johnston's First New Album in Six Years is Coming
Listening to Daniel Johnston records isn't exactly a social activity. His recordings, dating back to 1981, feel best suited for lonesome listening in a small room with headphones and a lyrics sheet. That's likely because Johnston's records sound like they were made in a small room with a pair of headphones and a lyrics sheet.... read more
Found in: Music, NewsDaniel Johnston - "Freedom"
Stream/download Daniel Johnston's "Freedom" here.Johnston's new album, Is And Always Was, comes out Oct. 6 on Eternal Yip Eye Music/High Wire Music.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Free MP3The Definitive All-Time Top 10 Rock 'n' Roll Documentaries List
The art of the rock documentary is a delicate one. A good rockumentary strikes a balance between moving concert footage and revealing backstage confessions, telling a story while illuminating the band's impact on both fans and the cultural zeitgeist. Because they capture a broad swath of culture from such a unique perspective, they are often compelling films, which makes it hard to pick only 10 to call “the best.” Excluding those that are concert films (sorry, Scorcese, but The Last Waltz falls in this category, as well as Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense), here are the definitive top 10 rock... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DayJeffrey Lewis' 10 Overlooked or Misunderstood Musical Gems
Comic book fiend, anti-folk hero and Paste Artist of the Week Jeffrey Lewis recently dug through his record crates to share with us, in his own words, ten overlooked or misunderstood musical gems. (Enjoy the tracks we could find online, and have fun hunting down the rest.)... read more
Found in: Blogs, List of the DaySXSW 2009: Day Two Photos ft. Justin Townes Earle, Daniel Johnston, Samantha Crain, No Age and more
[Above: Phosphorescent]Photos taken by Amber Roussel (Earle, Johnston, Crain, Bird, Harper), Mike White (Simone, Cursive, Datarock, Obits, TAAS) and Jonathan Jackson (Phosphorescent, No Age)... read more
Found in: Blogs, 1000 WordsDaniel Johnston tours Europe, hits up Good Folk Fest
Cult folk phenom Daniel Johnston is hitting the European road, starting tonight. This time around, the tour is just about him and the John Dear Mowing Club, and while we will miss the awesome appearances made on his last jaunt, nothing says stripped down musical fun like a Daniel Johnston show.... read more
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