an ace unable to change / as long as there's no forgiveness: the stark soundworld of jason molina

Jason Molina was well documented as being a fairly classic rock songwriter in a stark, symbolic vein, but the streak of constant invention in his realisation of sound recording is much less commented upon. Listening through his work of over 15 years as Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co. and under his own name, the consistency of voice is matched by the variety of approaches. The 70s midwest rock sounds of late Magnolia Electric Co. LPs like Josephine (2009) and Nashville Moon (2007) are a ways from the stark small lo fi clarities of early EPs like Our Golden Ratio (1998) and the stretched out solitudes of mid-career works like Pyramid Electric Co. (2004) or 'Howler' (2001).

We play an unusually song-based Avant Gardening to commemorate Molina's recent death, largely focused around the atmospheric strands that tie together this diverse canon of work.

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Playlist:

1. Songs Ohia, 'Lioness (acoustic version)' from split 7" with Scout Niblett (2001)

2. Jason Molina, 'Pyramid Electric Co' from Pyramid Electric Co (2004)

3. Jason Molina, 'Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go' from Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go (2006)

4. Songs: Ohia, 'There Will Be Distance' from Our Golden Ratio EP(1998)

5. Songs: Ohia, 'An Ace Unable to Change' from Impala (1998)
6. Songs: Ohia, 'One of Those Uncertain Hands' from Impala (1998)
7. Songs: Ohia, 'Howler' from Howler EP (2001)

8. Songs: Ohia, 'No Limits on the World' from Ghost Tropic (2000)
9. Songs: Ohia, 'Ghost Tropic (I)' from Ghost Tropic (2000)
10. Songs: Ohia, ' The Ocean's Nerve' from Ghost Tropic (2000)
11. Songs: Ohia, 'Ghost Tropic (II)' from Ghost Tropic (2000)
12. Songs: Ohia, 'Incantation' from Ghost Tropic (2000)

13. Magnolia Electric Co., 'Living in the Human World' from The Black Ram (2007)
14. Magnolia Electric Co., 'The Old Horizon' from The Black Ram (2007)
15. Magnolia Electric Co., 'The Nightshift Lullaby' from What Comes After the Blues (2005)
16. Magnolia Electric Co., 'I Cannot Have Seen the Light' from What Comes After the Blues (2005)
17. Magnolia Electric Co., 'Whip-Poor-Will' from Josephine (2009)

18. Magnolia Electric Co., ' Map of the Falling Sky' from Josephine (2009)
19. Molina & Johnson, 'All Falls Together' from Molina & Johnson (2009)

20. Jason Molina, 'Owl and Raven' from Autumn Songs (2012)

21. Jason Molina, 'A Sad Hard Change' from Autumn Songs (2012)

22. Songs: Ohia, 'The Black Crow' from The Lioness (2000)

23. Songs: Ohia, 'Farewell Transmission' from Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)

24. Songs: Ohia, 'I've Been Riding With The Ghost' from Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)
25. Songs: Ohia, 'Just Be Simple' from Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)

26. Songs: Ohia, 'Cabwaylingo/ Freedom pt 2' from Mi Sei Apparso Come Un Fantasma (2001)
27. Magnolia Electric Co, 'Such Pretty Eyes For A Snake' from Trials and Errors (2005)

28. Songs: Ohia, 'Captain Badass' from Axxess & Ace (1999)

29. Songs: Ohia, 'Ring the Bell' from Didn't It Rain (2001)

30. Songs: Ohia, 'Cross the Road Molina' from Didn't It Rain (2001)

31. Songs: Ohia, 'The Dark Wrong Turn' from The Ghost (1999)

32. Songs: Ohia, 'At Certain Hours it all Breaks' from The Ghost (1999)

33. Songs: Ohia, 'One Harrowing Night' from The Ghost (1999)

34. Songs: Ohia, 'One Red Star' from Protection Spells (2000)

35. Songs: Ohia, 'Whenever I Have Done a thing in Flames' from Protection Spells (2000)

36. Songs: Ohia, 'The Gray Tower' from The Gray Tower 7" (2002)

37. Jason Molina, 'Spectral Alphabet' from Pyramid Electric Co (2004)

38. Jason Molina, 'Red Comet Dust' from Pyramid Electric Co (2004)

39. Jason Molina, 'Long Desert Train' from Pyramid Electric Co (2004)

40. Magnolia Electric Co., 'Steady Now' from Shohola (2007)

41. Jason Molina, 'Alone with the Owls' from Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go (2006)

42. Jason Molina, 'Everything Should Try Again' from Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go (2006)

43. Jason Molina, 'Get Out Get Out Get Out Get Out' from Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go (2006)