Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co. (Songs by Jason Molina (December 16, 1973 – March 16, 2013))

It seems wrong to vote for something he doesn't sing lead on, and "Farewell Transmission" is obviously amazing, but I have to go with my sentimental favorite, "The Old Black Hen." It's very special to me.

This album really is great, it so heartfelt it actually hurts. I could pick so many different songs especially "Farewell Transmission,"The Old Black Hen" but the center piece for me is the haunting "Hold on Magnolia."

"Hold on magnolia
To the thunder and the rain
To the lightning that has just signed my name
To the bottom line"

A perfect album, it really is. But it has to be this one.

funny, Old Black Hen is one of my least faves on this. but it's all great. Farewell Transmission, John Henry... or Hold on Magnolia. Probably Magnolia.

"just be simple" is my jam. acoustic demo version that came with the first press of the LP is maybe even better.

"and everything you hated me for
honey, there was so much more
i just didn't get busted"

highly recommend checking out the demos for this record while they're still free streaming. among other things, they show that jason was smart to turn "old black hen" over to another singer, and i don't think he could have picked a more perfect one.

The demo version of "Just be simple" is stunning. It was the first Molina-song I ever heard, downloaded from Limewire or something, I guess in early 2003.

Xpost- the part in "old black hen" when the guy sings the line "trying to sing the blues the way i find them" is beautiful.....

It really came down to this one or Didn't It Rain

when it really shoulda been axxess + ace

Just Be Simple is an all time fav. for me. "you'll never hear me talk about one day getting out, why put a new address on the same old loneliness" is such a great opening. revisiting might put a different light on it, but that's my go-to track.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

fair result. I used to be quite a fan of John Henry...

It's sad to have this album celebrate its 10th anniversary on the back of Molina's tragic passing but I'm loving the reissue package and extras.

'The Big Game Is Every Night'. Wow. In both the demo (which is hauntingly beautiful) and the full band version (which is epic) it's the best thing he did in my opinion and that's saying something.

Made it to the Songs: Molina show tonight in Indianapolis, and it was flat-out great. Multiple guest vocalists, wide-ranging song selection, great encore w/ superb version of "Lioness"...yeah. I'm a little too happy to be sad right now.

Tomorrow night is the last show of the 4 night stand, in Chicago at the Hideout Inn. Go if you can! http://secretlycanadian.com/blog/2013/12/on-tour-january-jason-molina-tribute-shows-announced-stream-unreleased-song-the-big-game-is-every-night/

I listened to "Farewell Transmission" a lot at the very start of lockdown, because it seemed like it captured something about the eerie apocalyptic suddenness of it, the way the city just shut down overnight, and that feeling (that of course turned out to be false) that we were All In It Together.

Listened to it again for the first time in a year, and wow, that line about the sirens and the silences really stands out after a year of pandemic lockdown and wailing ambulances.

Anyway, walking around on a rainy day listening to "Farewell Transmission" felt weirdly therapeutic. Like it let me tap into a lot of suppressed grief about this year. And of course it's just such an incredibly beautiful song.

We will be gone but not forever
Come on let's try
know whatever we try,
We will be gone but not forever

^^ this post really resonates with me! i also for some reason returned to this song during covid and the lyrics i can't get out of my head are different ones from same song

the real truth about it is
no one gets it right
the real truth about it is
we're all supposed to try

the interpretable openness of "it" and "we" and "truth" and "right" and even "supposed to" seem ripe for so many different applications that i shared it with my students today as an example of how to come up with an idea for an analysis essay. i have been haunted by these words that have come up during wildly different contexts over the span of many years. i can't believe he has been gone since 2013 :( :( :(

just re-read this and now i am even sadder https://chicagoreader.com/music/jason-molinas-long-dark-blues/