Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens (2005)

Jens Lekman is the best thing to come out of Sweden since cheap, easy-to-assemble mode furniture. That's a pretty assured statement, considering the influx of talent coming from over there recently. But I'm able to say that with confidence because Jens channels the musical spirit of two of my favorite singers with souls full of melancholy; Morrissey & Stephen Merritt. You could call him the Swedish version of either one of those guys and you wouldn't be far off; even when Lekman's music is sunny and cheerful his lyrics are dark and rife with black humor.

Lekman got his records put out in the US by Secretly Canadian Records by writing them letters; he was on their mailing list and regularly ordered albums from them directly. He just happened to send some of his music on a CD-R one day, and ends up with a record deal. That's one of those stories that restores my faith in the record industry (it would take a tiny label from Bloomington, IN to do that for me; I wish you big major labels would pay attention to a business model like this).

Anyway; one of my favorite records of the decade- it's a compilation of all his 7" records, tour-only CD-R's and early singles.

Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens (2005; Secretly Canadian Records)
-link opens to YouTube playlist-

Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co (2003)

An album that lies at the intersection of "working class rock, white soul, swamp rock and outlaw country" (according to the one-sheet accompanying this record), Songs: Ohia has been native Buckeye-stater Jason Molina’s singular vision since 1996. His songs of love and hate on here are heralded as a major change for him both lyrically and musically, but ask him and he’ll tell you previous release Didn’t It Rain was the last Songs' record- he leaves behind the spare arrangements in favor of a bigger, fuller sound.

Either way, Molina is channeling the kindred spirits of Springsteen, Neil Young and John Cougar- blue collar country rock with an attitude; a shot and a beer with Jason and his road crew while Hank Williams plays on the jukebox at some hole in the wall in Skokie or Wabash. Guest vocalists Lawrence Peters (doing his best Merle Haggard impression) and Scout Niblett appear on two tracks right in the middle of the record; meshing with the material perfectly.

Oh, and it’s produced by Steve Albini himself, so…

Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co. (2003; Secretly Canadian Records)