| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| frank_black_francis |
Posted - 08/18/2004 : 19:44:02
Anyone here ever heard this guy....apparently he's really reclusive but has a cult following....I tried to get into it, but sorry, cant bear him. It occurs to you repeatedly that it is beyond self-absorbed music.... |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| n/a |
Posted - 10/20/2004 : 15:10:12
wow, I was just thinking about this thread earlier, I was thinking I should've tried to order some stuff and I should dig the thread up, and now reclusive plays scotland, how very very bizarre
Frank Black ate my hamster |
| Chris Knight |
Posted - 10/20/2004 : 15:01:57
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/04-10/20.shtml#story2
Jandek Revealed!: Reclusive Songwriter Makes First-Ever Live Appearance at Scottish Festival
Jason Henn reports:
Faced with Jandek's obtuse sound and label Corwood Industries' intentionally aloof approach to PR, many folks are quick to put up defenses, declare, "Oh, I get it," and write-off Jandek as a PoMo prankster or a boring hack. Others, meanwhile (usually college radio music directors or basement record shop employees), sense something else going on inside the music's sour shell and take time to acquire the taste. The latter comprise the devoted cult for whom word of a Jandek personal appearance is news on the order of a manned Neptune landing.
With a single public performance last weekend at Glasgow's Instal Festival, the man we call Jandek forever put a new spin on the most interesting bio in recent music history. An incredible 26 years and 37 albums in the making, Jandek's reputation in the very lowest reaches of the underground was-- until Sunday, October 17th at 5:00 p.m. Glasgow time-- characterized by a complete unwillingness to perform, or to even show his face in public.
David Tibet of Current 93 also performed at the festival and confirmed via blog that it was "absolutely" Jandek who performed at Instal, though the performer never used the moniker to refer to himself and was, in fact, attending as "a representative from Corwood Industries." From his posts, it's obvious that Tibet has inside information, as he elaborated that the appearance was the result of seven months of secret negotiations resulting in an agreement to perform based on the condition that the name Jandek not be used in any of the festival's publicity materials. He also revealed that Jandek stayed in a separate hotel from all the other bands at the festival-- none of whom were aware he would be playing-- and that, apart from a brief appearance to see Six Organs of Admittance, he didn't attend any of the other performances.
The performance reportedly lasted an hour, with a dapper-dressed, hollow-cheeked version of the same man who appears on many of the Jandek album covers accompanied by Jagjaguwar artist Richard Youngs on bass and Alex Neilsen of Glasgow ensemble Scatter on drums. The set was reportedly frantic, featuring simple, repeated rhythmic patterns punctuated by a degree of improvisation, the arrangements shaped by cues from the frontman. There was no between song banter, though Jandek reportedly responded with a smile to the audience's warm reception.
Since Jandek's name was omitted from any promotional material, and in fact, was not even mentioned before or during any part of the performance, many crowd members were reportedly unaware of just what the fuck was going on. One attendee asserts that Jandek vanished the moment the performance had finished.
While this just about exhausts the verifiable facts about the appearance, some Jandek cult members are exploring what would, under any other circumstances and regarding any other artist, be the most excruciatingly minor details. Many discussion groups-- including the Outsider Music community of Livejournal.com, to which Tibet posted-- have exploded with chatter, much of which appears to be credible firsthand info from festival attendees.
One blogger reports that Jandek played "a surprisingly expensive looking Fender semi-acoustic with no soundhole." Others counter that it was a Godin. Seth Tisue, a Northwestern University employee who hosts the web's pre-eminent Jandek fansite, posted news of the appearance along with links to the resulting message board/file-sharing boom. Several pictures of the performance are easily located (one of which we've reprinted here), and a bootleg MP3 has already made its way onto Soulseek. For those who can stand the wait, Corwood reportedly plans a legit release of the performance on both audio CD and DVD.
As Tibet assessed the performance, "It was absolutely amazing. Jandek was happy and relaxed and looked great." To borrow the words of another Livejournal member, "It's nothing short of miraculous that this has happened."
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| ObfuscateByWill |
Posted - 08/20/2004 : 14:35:38
I DL'd "Ready for the House" last night.
Haven't listened to it yet.
-
I googled "Jandek" and hit upon the site apl mentioned. The All Music guide has reveiwed a bunch of his albums.
*Shka-pow! You're Dead! |
| n/a |
Posted - 08/20/2004 : 05:50:34
wow, thats so damned interesting....
I'm going to have to read more now.
 I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out.
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| frank_black_francis |
Posted - 08/19/2004 : 20:09:01
Thanks Peter Radiator....always on top of things it seems....very helpful. |
| apl4eris |
Posted - 08/19/2004 : 11:56:53
Hey thanks fbf and Peter Radiator.
Your description got my curiosity in full swing now. An inspiring character.
This site is interesting, and has some lyrics, discography, news, and album cover information:
http://tisue.net/jandek/
A mouse in a trap takes a long time to realize he’s in a trap. After that something in him never stops trembling. -John Berger |
| peter radiator |
Posted - 08/19/2004 : 11:44:22
I'm a diehard Jandek fan, and have been for years.
His records are certainly an acquired taste, and definitely not for everyone, but some Jandek fans can get very elitist and snobby about this and try to make people who don't enjoy his music think they "just don't get" Jandek.
Well, I'm here to tell you, those people are jackasses.
I "don't get Jandek" either, but I find his music and his mythology most intriguing.
In a nutshell, he's a reclusive guy from the Houston area, who for the past two and a half decades has independently pressed his own records (first vinyl, then CD) under the assumed name of Jandek. He has only given two brief interviews early in his "career," and even those were deceptive at best. Since then, he has maintained intense secrecy and has never spoken to anyone in the press.
He has never appeared live, played a concert, or allowed himself to be photgraphed by anyone outside of his immediate inner circle.
All his albums have the exact same typography on them, and only offer song titles and times, no lyrics or session info at all.
Most feature a blurry, badly-composed photograph of him, his house, or his yard on the front cover.
They are all recorded in his home, or someone's home, and most feature either him alone with a guitar, although a few have had extra folks playing awkward and amateurish drums or keyboards.
The tunes are rudimentary psychotic blues, and most seem to have lyrics that were made up on the spot, although this may be incorrect.
They are recorded on analog tape without overdubs, and many times theye are so disturbing to listen to that some people become upset and have to turn them off. This is true.
Many folks believe that "Jandek" is mentally or emotionally ill, but I believe he is merely an extreme loner who is completely consumed by his art.
The records are pressed in limited numbers, and usually can only be bought directly from his "company" which he runs through a Post Office box in Houston. He sells them very cheaply, but you usually have to buy as many as 20 copies of each one at a time, or send him a bunch of money, and he'll send you an assortment of albums, but not necessarily the ones you want.
This prevents most people from ordering any.
Recently, an interesting low-budget documentary was made about the man, and he gave it his "blessing," and allowed the filmmakers to use his music in it, but did not meet or speak to them in person. The film is mostly them interviewing the few people who have ever met or spoken to him, and getting their impressions on his importance and mental state.
There is even a girl in Japan who has a website that is a tribute to Jandek, but not his music. She merely takes blurry photographs in the style of his album covers (they are GREAT album covers, by the way - he really has an eye for photography).
There was a hard-to-find tribute album made to Jandek a few years back that features Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Bright Eyes among others.
Many people feel that Beck has often "pulled a Jandek," in regards to his guitar and singing style, but has never copped to liking the man's music.
Hope this info helps.
Jandek is where it's at, as far as I'm concerned.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| BLT |
Posted - 08/18/2004 : 21:00:42
I used to help a couple of my friends with a music fanzine back in the '80s. It seemed like we'd get a new Jandek LP in the mail every few months. They all looked very similar-- a grainy photo of Jandek on the front of a thick cardboard sleeve. I can't recall ever having listened to one, though. And I can't remember much about him, but we thought he was from Texas. |
| cvanepps |
Posted - 08/18/2004 : 19:59:19
Is that Jandek of the Philadelphia Jandeks? Ohhh, I remember that Jandek kid. He was the one with the runny nose and the mittens attached to his coat sleeves. We used to make sport of him all the time. We'da say, "Hey Jandek" and he'd go, "What?" Ahh, those were the days...
-= It's not easy to kidnap a fat man =-
http://www.cvanepps.com |
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