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Gob Iron is an American musical group officially formed in 2006. It consists of Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt's Jay Farrar and Varnaline's Anders Parker. Their debut album, Death Songs for the Living was released on October 31, 2006 by Transmit Sound/Legacy Recordings. Their name comes from a British slang term for a harmonica.
The songs that would become Death Songs for the Living were recorded spontaneously during a five-day period in autumn of 2004 in Farrar's studio in St. Louis. Farrar had originally intended to record a new Son Volt album, but that project was postponed in favor of these songs.
The songs played, with one exception of a Farrar original, were reworked versions of traditional folk songs by artists such as Rev. J. M. Gates, Stephen Foster and the Stanley Brothers. Lyrics and melodies have been altered, some almost entirely rewritten through what is sometimes referred to as the "folk process". While Farrar and Parker chose the songs on the fly, it was later found that death was a common theme running through; hence the title, Death Songs for the Living. The songs are punctuated by nine short instrumentals, one between every pair of songs.
Allmusic praised Death Songs for the Living as Farrar's best effort since Son Volt's 1995 Trace . The album is described as "strong, deeply felt, and speaks of a genuine commitment to keeping the folk tradition alive through a willingness to challenge its structures". [1]
| Discography | Release Date | Label |
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| Death Songs for the Living | October 31, 2006 | Transmit Sound / Legacy Recordings |
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its first decade, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remaining from the original incarnation. Since early 2004, the lineup has been unchanged, consisting of Tweedy, Stirratt, guitarist Nels Cline, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, keyboard player Mikael Jorgensen, and drummer Glenn Kotche. Wilco has released twelve studio albums, a live double album, and four collaborations: three with Billy Bragg and one with The Minus 5.
Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville Records, before signing with Sire Records and expanding to a five-piece. Shortly after the release of the band's major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band due to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo split on May 1, 1994, after completing a farewell tour. Following the breakup, Farrar formed Son Volt with Heidorn, while the remaining members continued as Wilco.
Son Volt is an American rock band formed in 1994 by Jay Farrar after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo. The band's current line-up consists of Farrar, Andrew DuPlantis, John Horton (guitar), Mark Patterson (drums), and Mark Spencer. In addition to playing alternative rock, the band is considered a staple of the alternative country rock movement of the 1990s. The band's sound also is rooted in folk rock and Americana. The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, before reforming in 2004.
Jay Stuart Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis. A member of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his established talents as a songwriter, he is a guitarist, pianist, harmonicist, and a vocalist.
Jeffrey Scot Tweedy is an American musician, songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, started his music career in high school in his band The Plebes with Jay Farrar, which subsequently transitioned into the alternative country band Uncle Tupelo. After Uncle Tupelo broke up, Tweedy formed Wilco which found critical and commercial success, most notably with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born, the latter of which received a Grammy for Best Alternative Album in 2005.
A.M. is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Wilco, released on March 28, 1995, by Sire Records and Reprise Records. The album was released only months after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, an alternative country band that was the predecessor of Wilco. Prior to its release, there was debate about whether the album would be better than the debut album of Son Volt, the new band of former Uncle Tupelo lead singer Jay Farrar.
Trace is the debut studio album by American rock band Son Volt, released on September 19, 1995, through Warner Bros. Records. The band was formed the previous year by Jay Farrar after the breakup of the influential alt-country band Uncle Tupelo. Prior to its release, there was debate about whether Son Volt or Wilco, Uncle Tupelo's other offshoot, would produce a better album.
Jeffrey Foucault is an American songwriter and record producer from Whitewater, Wisconsin, United States, whose work marries the influence of American country, blues, rock 'n' roll, and folk music. He has released seven full-length solo albums under his own name and two full-band lyrical collaborations with poet Lisa Olstein, under the moniker Cold Satellite. Foucault has toured extensively in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe since 2001, in both full-band and solo appearances. From 2013 through 2020, he performed as a duo with drummer Billy Conway.
Wide Swing Tremolo is the third studio album by alternative country band Son Volt. It was released in 1998 on Warner Bros. Records.
Jay Brannan is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He was born in Texas and briefly studied in Ohio, but moved to California to become an actor. Brannan appeared in the 2006 movie Shortbus, which included one of his songs in its soundtrack, and began to build a fan base by performing on YouTube. He released an EP and acted in Holding Trevor in 2007. Since then, he has toured and released four albums.
Creston Electric Instruments is a producer of vintage-style custom solid body and chambered electric guitars and basses. Known to players as "Crestons", these guitars are sometimes made using unconventional woods for bodies such as sugar pine and butternut. Lifelong musician and former carpenter, founder Creston Lea combined two passions to create Creston Electric Instruments in 2004 after several years of repairing and producing guitars in Burlington, Vermont. Creston Guitars are played by several notable musicians in the alt-country, country, blues and rock genre. Crestons have been made from centuries-old barn beams, spare instrument parts from customers, and common lumber yard 2x12 planks. While customers can specify unorthodox materials, many choose traditional hardwoods for solid body guitars such as ash, poplar, mahogany and basswood.
Canyon was an American slowcore band from Washington, D.C., United States. Their style was heavily influenced by Americana, folk and country music.
Will Johnson is an American musician, singer-songwriter, author and painter who is the lead singer of the bands Centro-matic and South San Gabriel. Called "one of the most prolific artists in American indie rock", Johnson has also released solo records, and is a member of the bands Monsters of Folk, New Multitudes and Overseas, and has also performed as part of the Undertow Orchestra.
The Jay Farrar discography covers recordings with Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Gob Iron, and as solo artist.
Nora Lee Guthrie is the daughter of American folk musician and singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie and his second wife Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, sister of singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie, and granddaughter of renowned Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt. Nora Guthrie is president of The Woody Guthrie Foundation, president of Woody Guthrie Publications and founder of the Woody Guthrie Archive, and lives in Mt. Kisco, New York.
Okemah and the Melody of Riot is the fourth album by alt-country band Son Volt. It was released on October 5, 2005.
One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur is an album by Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar, released in 2009. The lyrics are based on the prose of Jack Kerouac's novel Big Sur (1962). One Fast Move or I'm Gone was a result of Gibbard's and Farrar's mutual appreciation for Kerouac's work while recording several songs for a feature-length documentary of the same name. Jim Sampas, who was a producer of the film, was executive producer of the album.
Anders Keith Parker is an American singer-songwriter, guitar player, singer and multi-instrumentalist with a career spanning two decades. He has performed and recorded as a solo artist and as a key member in bands such as Varnaline and Space Needle. Parker has been involved in various collaborations over the years including Gob Iron with Jay Farrar.
New Multitudes is a Woody Guthrie tribute album performed by Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker, and Jim James to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Guthrie's birth, released through Rounder Records on February 28, 2012. The project was initiated by Woody's daughter Nora Guthrie to have Farrar add music to her father's lyrics—specifically, his earliest songwriting years in Los Angeles. Over the course of several years, he invited the others to collaborate and recorded at a variety of locations across the United States. Each artist wrote music to lyrics that inspired him and presented it to the collaborators for recording. The result is an album with diverse musical genres that has garnered positive reviews from critics for its varied styles and instrumentation. The quartet promoted the album with a small promotional tour that took them to record stores, radio programs, theaters, and folk festivals. The group has plans for releasing a second volume.
Man of Sin is the debut album by the American band Varnaline, released in 1996. Varnaline supported the album by touring with the 1996 Lollapalooza festival.
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