Should I go see Johnny Dowd??

"Obvious" or "Reliable"? "Trusty", even.

Anyway, yes, you should go see him, given your above-stated preferences. Especially if he still has the female vocalist in his band -- the play between their voices is nice (I'm a sucker for raspy/sweet pairings, like John Prine and Iris DeMent or Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl). I saw him open for the Mekons a few years ago in Atlanta and was completely surprised and entertained (I'd never heard of him before that).

found Temporary Shelter by Johnny Dowd in the used CD bin today.

what a strange dude.

like who is this music for????

he was handpicked by The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening, a self-described fan of Dowd's music, to perform in the All Tomorrow's Parties festival

From Wiki

Or fans of Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart,

yeah i *kinda* get the waits thing, but not really....like honestly this song i'm listening to now is all droney synths, reminds me more of Dead Rider (D.Rider)/90s Pere Ubu in feel... i just feel like he's old and can't really sing so ppl just go to the waits or beefheart card. but waits is such a pop songwriter even at his weirderst, and all this stuff is really structured and doesn't feel wild in the beefheart way i guess

he's something else

Wow, totally forgot this dude existed, and I used to be a big fan. Thank you for the reminder!

http://www.johnnydowd.com/

new album coming out!

"The recurring theme of my new record is an incident in my (or was it Gargon's?) past. A young boy is abandoned at a filling station in 1953. Did this happen? Is it a memory, a dream, or a lie he told himself to justify all the nonsense that followed?
The title cut, 'Do the Gargon,' was inspired by one of my favorite oldies, 'The Monster Mash.' We flirt with different musical genres. I was listening to a lot of Betty Davis and ZZ Top, so maybe their influences crept in. But it's mostly self-referential. It's my most toe-tapping record so far.
We recorded this at The Shop in Willseyville, New York. Mike Stark played a Fender Rhodes piano through various pedals. Willie B played drums, bass pedals, and gong. I played a baritone and sissy guitar. Of course, I did the vocals, along with my buddy Gargon. The record took two weeks to make, which is plenty if you know what you're doing."--Johnny Dowd

I haven't done a good job keeping up with his records, but I love him. Last thing I have is "Cruel Words" from 2006 but I listen to it on the semi-reg.

He posts odd/cryptic/funny stuff on FB from time to time.

I would buy an album of stage banter, a la "Having Fun Onstage With Johnny Dowd" in a heartbeat.

"I always wanted to be a surfer...but I didn't leave near an ocean. And I was afraid of the water."

"Great to be here in St Paul, the capital of Minneapolis!"

Bump cuz I was listening to "Do the Gargon" yesterday and...I really don't know how to describe it...it's like a funk/noise record made by someone who is somehow nominally a country artist?

UMS once described it as Southern Fried Gothic Pere Ubu which is a pretty good shorthand.

I've got a bunch of his record and they're all weird and singular but "Do the Gargon" is really something else.