Jandek

heavens, I didn't think of how old the representative of corwood industries is, but I did know he was in his mid 30s in 78 when "ready for the house" came out so I guess this shouldn't surprise me.

happy birthday

An early fave ever: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/jandek-and-me/

aw, HBD you freaky dude

The Representative was responsible for one of my favourite gig-going memories of all time.

Jandek have just played a successful set in a small disco, to be released as Camber Sands Sunday, as guests of Devendra Banhart as part of the Various US Curators of All Tomorrow's Parties. The Representative is joined on stage by Richard Youngs and Alex Neilson and the set is improv blues that veers at times into a distinct New Wave direction with a Talking Heads reference. It's neither particularly well received or attended, with many of those curious not lasting 10 minutes.

Some time after the set we are at the bar in the room while nothing is on there - I think Vashti Bunyan was playing an uninspired set upstairs with a drinks ban firmly in place - and the Representative comes out with David Keenan (who is the designated handler) and also stand at the bar next to us. It's not clear - as this is only about the second time he's performed in the modern era - how the Representative will interact with the public so we are chatting to David while the Representative listens in. In something of a relief, Ramblin' Jack Elliott (who had played earlier) comes out from backstage and strikes up a conversation with the Representative.

After about ten minutes, another person comes over. He goes to Jack and the Representative Android asks for a photo, holding out a camera. The Representative looks taken aback someone has asked for a photo with him, then a little panicked, before he realises it's Ramblin'Jack the punter wants a photo with and takes the proffered camera. He looks at it for what seems like an eternity before Keenan takes it from him, tales the picture and hands it back. The Representative then hands it on, acting as if he had done as requested himself, then goes backstage again after such sustained fan interaction.

one of his early drummers post-Neilson/Youngs was a former ILX poster who kept fairly mum about the gig.

I actually believe it was a 2-drummer lineup around that period (2005-2006?)

Happy birthday, guy least likely to perform in huge record store for free but who actually did

haha aldo that's great, thanks

I'm totally wrong, it was about the tenth time he'd played but before that sustained burst of shows in the US.

one of his early drummers post-Neilson/Youngs was a former ILX poster who kept fairly mum about the gig.

j0hn d.. also played with Jandek so I think there are two Jandek ILXors?

part of me wants to do a Jandek podcast, one ep per release. has anyone ever attempted this

i love that idea, simon h.

DO IT!

Damn man, I've been yelling on Twitter about wanting to do a Jandekcast for several years now. Sometimes I've been conceiving it seriously - or as something completely different while the Jandek album in question plays in the background.

Basically, the Jandekcast should be to podcasts what Jandek is to all other music. Or something.

Would be interesting doing track by track analysis with some of those albums,with snippets

Would definitely subscribe to the jandekcast patreon. Especially if elvis telecom made guest appearances.

At risk of liver damage, if our voices could make a Jandekcast work and worthy of the Rep - I'm in.

you need a separate podcast just for the LP covers. will never not be in awe of the countless non-chronological portraits captured of the rep throughout his life.

i think i could spend forever thinking about jandek.

I would 100% kickstart a moderately expensive coffee table/art book with good 12x12 reproductions of the original album covers

So one time the Rep from Corwood played a gig in Mankato, MN and his band featured some friends of mine so post-gig we end up at a little house party & the Rep himself was there, in all black, big hat, etc. And so obv no one is talking to him & it is all very awkward and weird, like this is a REALLY small place.

And we were kind of told by the host of the party that we probably shouldn't talk to him but one of my friends who I rode down with was like "we gotta talk to Jandek, but I don't know what to say" and my friend is not like a shy person at all but we were all a bit starstruck.

I decide, dude is from Texas, I know how to talk to someone from Texas, so I go up to him

"Hey, uh good show man"
Rep From Corward, totally stone faced: "..."
"Yeah...so, hey if I went to Houston where is the best place to get BBQ?"

At this point his eyes light up, he gets this little grin and sez: "huh, well I make the best BBQ in Texas" and from that point on I cannot get Jandek to shut up, we talk whiskey, hats, wild javelinas, BBQ, but anytime we even get close to music or anything he gets really quiet.

It was a weird night man, HBD weirdo

haha fucking brilliant. i feel like he's a normal bloke who doesn't want the spirits his house have given him. hank hill and the rep have a lot in common.

lmao that's an amazing story

perhaps it's just me but I really cooled on Jandek after that two-part interview in The Wire - like, I know he didn't actually say much but it was still kinda too much information

much preferred having a speculative relationship with the Jandek project

having said that the one time I saw him live (Melbourne, with David Keenan and Heather Leigh) was extraordinary

Was disappointed by the show I saw — he had an amazing band (Loren Mazzacane Connors, Matt Hecker, and Chris Corsano) but played synth and recited poetry all night instead of going improv noise-jam like you normally would if you had those three behind you. LMC got a couple of good solos off, though.

xp I'm pretty sure 90% of that interview was total BS

Saw three shows in the space of a week and were all very different from memory. Two Youngs/Neilsons bookended a Mick Flowers/Chris Corsano show which was probably the noisiest? Third show was most structured and had some definite angular/post punk tunes you could probably have hummed the tune to. One even had a dance routine of sorts, or at least defined arm waving.

Actually the thing I remember most is the Representative carrying around what seemed to be his musical wordly goods - lyrics sheets, song notes, strings - in a supermarket carrier bag that he held overly tightly.

I'm pretty sure 90% of that interview was total BS

BS as in it was deliberately trying to twist the tail of Wire-reading chins-strokers? Or BS as in made up?

Either way it was kind of a drag

completely made up, imo

he had an amazing band (Loren Mazzacane Connors, Matt Hecker, and Chris Corsano) but played synth and recited poetry all night instead of going improv noise-jam like you normally would if you had those three behind you.

this is the jandek way. he's not going to ride the wave, he's going to try to fuck it up and be alienating wherever possible. and recite poetry.

about to start marathon listening to entire corwood discography, one LP a week. groovy! who's in? ...anybody? ...

I'm in for a while, first 22 at least

I would be very down for a Jandek listening thread/discussion

I'm in

Jandek...the book.

Jandek New BOOK Release:

0127 The Rays Of Light That Did Not Illumine https://t.co/s2obsK93TT pic.twitter.com/SLwvEDCEIR

— Sheila Smith (@veganloca) May 17, 2021

I'm assuming poetry...but hoping for confessional autobiography.

Then it turns out it's just nothing but accounting figures.

"1990, good year."

Hoping for horror stories, expecting lyrics

hoping for political cartoons

given the title and shape I'm guessing LP cover photobook

friend of mine got it

20 page prose poem

only $10 on the website!