10-Year Anniversary Deluxe Edition

 

Originally released in March of 2003, Songs: Ohia‘s The Magnolia Electric Co. is the hallmark of Jason Molina’s career. Ten years later, we wanted to place a spotlight on this important release and on our late friend’s extraordinary body of work by releasing the 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of The Magnolia Electric Co..

 

Includes the original album plus an album of home recorded solo demos.

 

Includes Download Coupon.

 

Album Notes:

The Magnolia Electric Co. is the seventh regular and final album by Songs: Ohia. It was recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago and released by Secretly Canadian on March 4, 2003. It received critical acclaim according to Metacritic (with a composite rating of 85, ranking 24th among best albums of 2003). Delusions of Adequacy called it “a watershed album, an artistic breakthrough, and the first album to fully realize Molina’s potential”. Allmusic was more reticent in its wording, claiming that “The Magnolia Electric Co. may not be the best Songs: Ohia album, but it is certainly the most approachable. It has a big, open feel certain to appeal to any classic rock fan, but retains the warm intimacy of previous albums”.

 

The naming of the album and comments by Jason Molina have led to discussions whether it is not, in fact, the first album by Molina’s new band, also named Magnolia Electric Co. In fact the artwork for the album does not contain the name Songs: Ohia anywhere. On the other hand, the album was recorded with different musicians than the current members of Magnolia Electric Co., and the decision to take on the new name was not announced until the tour following the release in the Spring of 2003. Molina has later declared Didn’t It Rain the final Songs: Ohia album.

 

Jason Molina is an American singer-songwriter, originally from Lorain, Ohio. He first came to prominence performing and recording as Songs: Ohia, both in solo projects and with a rotating cast of musicians. Since 2003, he has recorded either under his own name or with a stable line-up of band members as the Magnolia Electric Co.

 

Songs: Ohia (1996-2003)

Songs: Ohia was largely a project of revolving musicians with singer-songwriter Jason Molina as its center and sole stable member. Critics and fans alike have found considerable difficulty in trying to define the band’s changing sound, usually settling on more general labels such as indie rock, lo-fi, folk or alt-country. The second part of the name is an allusion to both the Hawaiian tree ‘Ōhi‘a lehua and Molina’s home state of Ohio.

 

Molina’s first release under the Songs: Ohia moniker came in 1996 as a single on Palace Records, Nor Cease Thou Never Now. This was followed by the 1997 full-length album, Songs: Ohia (known among fans as the Black Album), released on the Bloomington, Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian, the label on which Molina has remained since.

 

In 2000 Molina released three albums: The Lioness which was recorded in Glasgow by producer Andy Miller with help from Alasdair Roberts and members of Arab Strap, Ghost Tropic, recorded by Mike Mogis, and Protection Spells, a solo album which was sold at live shows and is now out of print. By 2000, Molina had given his tenor guitar a rest in favor of a regular six-string electric guitar and put together a full band to back him, including brothers Rob and Dan Sullivan on bass and guitar, Jeff Panall on drums, and Jim Grabowski on organ. In the same year the touring band also recorded a live album near Modena, Italy, which was released locally in 2001 as Mi Sei Apparso Come Un Fantasma.

 

In 2002 Molina recorded Didn’t It Rain in Philadelphia with members of bluegrass band Jim & Jennie & the Pinetops. On the album, named after a Mahalia Jackson song, the band achieved an almost gospel sound that was a vast departure from the dense feel of Ghost Tropic. Constantly recording and writing new songs, Songs: Ohia released a handful of singles and EPs in 2002, including a split EP with My Morning Jacket and a collaborative EP (under the name Amalgamated Sons of Rest) with Will Oldham and Alasdair Roberts.

 

The release of Magnolia Electric Co. in 2003 marked a shift in direction for Songs: Ohia. Several major differences set this album apart from previous Songs: Ohia releases. First, the album, recorded with renowned engineer Steve Albini, is the most driving and straightforward rock album in the Songs: Ohia catalog. Every song was recorded live in the studio with a full touring band plus musicians from Didn’t it Rain.

 

The album’s sound draws heavily from the heartland rock and folk-rock of the 1960s/70s, as well as, to some degree, Molina’s heavy metal roots (British metal pioneers Black Sabbath are often cited as one of Molina’s influences). Magnolia Electric Co. saw Molina relinquishing vocal duties on two of the eight tracks: local country singer Lawrence Peters lends his voice to “The Old Black Hen”, while fellow Secretly Canadian artist Scout Niblett takes over on “Peoria Lunch Box Blues” (both songs were written by Molina).

 

Companies etc:

Recorded at: Electrical Audio

Published by: Autumn Bird Songs

Mastered at: Salt Mastering

 

Credits:

Bass Guitar: Rob Sullivan (tracks: A1 to B4, E, F)

Drums: Jeff Panall (tracks: A1 to B4, E, F)

Guitar: Dan Sullivan (tracks: A1 to B4, E, F)

Guitar, Vocals, Violin: Dan Macadam (tracks: A1 to B4, E, F)

Lap Steel Guitar: Mike Brenner (tracks: A1 to B4, E, F)

Mastered by: Paul Gold

Painting: William Schaff

Photography by: Steve Gullick

Piano, Organ, Organ [Wurlitzer]: Three Nickel Jim Grabowski (tracks: A1 to B4, E, F)

Recorded by: Steve Albini (tracks: A1 to B4, E, F)

Vocals, Guitar: Jason Molina

Vocals, Mandolin: Jennie Benford (tracks: A1 to B4, E, F)

Written-by: Jason Molina

 

Track List:

A1. Farewell Transmission   

A2. I’ve Been Riding with the Ghost      

A3. Just Be Simple     

A4. Almost Was Good Enough      

B1. The Old Black Hen (Lead Vocals: Lawrence Peters)

B2. Peoria Lunch Box Blues (Lead Vocals: Scout Niblett)

B3. John Henry Split My Heart      

B4. Hold On Magnolia 

The Magnolia Electric Co - Demos

C1. Farewell Transmission   

C2. I’ve Been Riding With The Ghost     

C3. Just Be Simple     

C4. The Old Black Hen

C5. Peoria Lunchbox Blues   

D1. John Henry Split My Heart      

D2. Hold On Magnolia 

D3. The Big Game Is Every Night  

D4. Whip-Poor-Will     

 

The Magnolia Electric Co. [2xLP] by Songs Ohia is factory-sealed new. It has never been played and has always been kept in its original packaging. The LP is not a promo or cutout. There are no marks or punches of any kind. All our CDs and   vinyl are new! If you have any questions or want to see additional photos, just email us.

 

Same day shipping for payments received by 4:00 PM EST.

 

Payment must be received within 7 days. We accept and prefer PayPal. 

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