S/D Songs: Ohia

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I'm looking to write a conceptual article for Careless Talk Costs Lives around Jason Molina and his spooked, changing circle of musicians...

Does anybody have any opinions or favourites or stories?

I have 24 hours.

― Jerry, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Half way through a show in Toronto he realized he was chewing gum, apologized to the crowd and got rid of the gum. Just him, a mic and his acoustic guitar.
Never let the crowd see his face either, kept it hidden with a cheap baseball cap.

― Mr Noodles, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Proof the man had no eyes that night.

― Mr Noodles, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i've only heard axxes and ace and the single track off that my morning jacket ep... i've really enjoyed both

― jack, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Shitee, meant to mention classic: Cabway Lingo, Take Five or Captian Badass or whatever he calls it and Hot Black Silk from Axxess & Ace, Tigeress from The Lioness.
Destroy: I dont know what it is exactly and I can't blame any song in particular but I can barely make it through The Lioness without being bored off my rocker. Maybe its the sequencing, I dont know.

― Mr Noodles, Wednesday, 3 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've enjoyed each one more than the previous, although they take some time to 'hit'.... At first I thought "Didn't it Rain" was shite, but now i think it's the best album so far...

I heard he's gonna do a Waits and release two new albums on the same day.....

― Baxter Wingnut, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

ok so "Captain Badass" has got to be one of my favorite songs of all time. The guy is a depressing wreck, but the music he puts out is timeless. He is def. rocking the Cohen Bible in his spare time, but Didn't It Rain is a real treat. "Blue Factory Flame" is worth checking out on that album. He played here in Harrisonburg, VA for a college music festival. They kicked everyone out of the theatre he was performing in, so he took the show to the front of a court house and did an acoustic set. it was jaw dropping. def. one of my favorite singer/songwriters out right now.

― Brock K., Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

songs:ohia is absolutely fucking amazing. sorta.

S: Everything on the absolutely brilliant "Axxcess & Ace"; 'The Raven' from "Hecla & Griper" (I think); 'Tigeress' from "The Lioness"; 'Didn't it Rain' from "Didn't it Rain". |

D: Most of the stuff that came between "A&A" and "DiR".

― sean, Thursday, 4 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

Well, I just got the new live CD in the mail today, Trials and Errors. After listening to it through, I am simply blown away. I've been a fan of all the Songs: Ohia CD's I've heard before, and this one is just amazing. Molina is still the "depressing wreck" that Brock K. described him as, but his sound has evolved to have so much more energy to it. Everyone talked about how Magnolia Electric Co had so much more energy than his past albums; I think I read somewhere that two of the songs could "actually be played in a bar." He's gone further in that direction now, and it's especially evident on new versions of old songs, such as "Always not good enough" from the Magnolia Electric Co album.

Super classic!

― Mickey (modestmickey), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Jason Molina is a modern classic,

I've enjoyed most of his records, although my all time favorite remains the Lioness. I love the backing band provided by guys in the Arab Strap and Appendix Out, every note is played with guts and grace, and I've been a convert ever since. Cannot wait for the next one.

― Jena (JenaP), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 22:45 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, I know he's already announced he will, but I hope he doesn't retire the Songs:Ohia label. Magnolia Electric Co. is great, but I want both.

― Mickey (modestmickey), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

did anyone order "trials and errors" on LP and receive a strange but very attractive manila envelope with an assortment of hand-penciled (i think?) notes and pictures cut out of books and a set list written in sharpie marker and a "magnolia" guitar pick affixed to the front with electrical tape? because i did, and i can't figure it out, but i know i like it. the record's really great too.

― a spectator bird (a spectator bird), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 23:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Trials and Errors is tremendous. Perhaps lacks some of the haunted, desperate quality Electric Magnolia the album (or maybe that's just the lack of pedal steel and guest vocalists of the calibre of Scout Niblett and that amazing country baritone guy on Old Black Hen - who is he, and where else can I hear him?) but it rocks in that loose, intense Neil Young circa Time Fades Away style. The version of Almost Was Good Enough on T&E is immense and when the trumpet appears on the last couple of songs, you're blown away.
There's a nice bit of frisson there too - Molina going "You got something still to say about it?" in the middle of the song, presumably addressing some Belgian heckler. It's hardly Metallic KO or Dylan at the Manchester Free Trade Hall, but I'm glad they left it in.

― stew, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:15 (twenty-one years ago)

stew, haha, yeah, that part is great! It was to a heckler? I was wondering what that line was all about. My only problem with the album is I wish it had more actual between song dialogue.

― Mickey (modestmickey), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I dunno. I'm assuming it's a heckler - it's not really the sort of thing you'd have as part of a song. For a live album it's quite cleanly recorded - you don't hear much of the crowd or the banter. There's a nice bit where Molina refers to the stars in the sky, so it must be an outdoor gig, which is just beautiful. I hope Molina drags his ass over to the UK sometime soon. Being pals with Alisdair Roberts, surely he'll pay Scotland a visit sometime?

― stew, Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:29 (twenty-one years ago)

You'll probably have to wait a while since he's touring the US through May. http://www.songsohia.com/tour.html I get to see him in April!

― Mickey (modestmickey), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 01:35 (twenty-one years ago)

shit, i guess i'd better catch up, then. Always wrote him off as a palace clone, but I used to LOVE "Being in LOve" in college. Someone told me recently his new stuff is great, and now yall are vouching for it. Hmmm...what do I buy? Is this "Trials and Errors" you speak of limited edition or will i have no trouble finding it?

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Roger Fidelity, there was a sticker on the packaging today that said "Limited to x copies." I forgot what x was, but considering that the album just came out today I doubt you'll have a hard time finding it. Here's two songs from Trials and Errors, off Secretly Canadian's webpage:
http://www.secretlycanadian.com/mp3/sc/thedarkdonthideit.mp3
http://www.secretlycanadian.com/mp3/sc/crosstheroad.mp3

If you want to find old Songs:Ohia material, Epitonic has a great collection.
http://www.epitonic.com/artists/songsohia.html

― Mickey (modestmickey), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 04:35 (twenty-one years ago)

thanks dude!

yeah i feel like i saw a magnolia LP at the record store today. it sorta caught my eye, but, then, like i said, I was never a fan, still, something drew me to it, if only for a second. maybe i'll swing by tomorrow and pick it up. If it's teh otehr Magnola... LP , is that one worth getting too?

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Always wrote him off as a palace clone

I'd say he's closer to Neil Young. if Magnolia was his Tonight's the Night, Trials and Errors is his Live Rust, and the Magnolia Electric Co. is his Horse.

nonetheless, I love the new direction!

― bill neil (inabillity), Wednesday, 19 January 2005 05:02 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

I’m head over hills in love with their album The Magnolia Electric Co and think it’s one of the best albums so far this decade. (Listening to now so the reason for this bumped thread). I have always heard that their best album is Didn’t It Rain but won’t download it and will buy it used when I do find it one day. I did buy Axxess & Ace but have maybe played it twice, so really still don’t really know it.

Either way this band is amazing and wholly underrated in this day and age!

― BeeOK (boo radley), Sunday, 12 March 2006 09:19 (twenty years ago)

Jason Molina's solo "Pyramid Electric Co." is fucking classic, too.

― regular roundups (Dave M), Sunday, 12 March 2006 09:31 (twenty years ago)

five years pass...

jason molina pov:

farewell transmission
one pronunciation of glory
tigress
long desert train
steve albini's blues

― A cave dool approaches! (Lamp), Thursday, 14 July 2011 05:34 (fourteen years ago)

man for some reason i can still remember how much it used to frustrate me that you couldnt use the ':' in songs: ohia when labeling .mp3s

― A cave dool approaches! (Lamp), Thursday, 14 July 2011 05:37 (fourteen years ago)

one year passes...

Jason Molina has passed on:

http://www.chunklet.com/index.cfm?section=blogs&ID=742

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 18 March 2013 15:35 (thirteen years ago)

Holy fuck. That just hit like a punch to the gut. RIP one of the nicest musicians I've ever met.

― i kant believe it's not buffon (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 18 March 2013 15:50 (thirteen years ago)

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