Jon Brion

Ruin My Day (2001)
(from Meaningless)

This is my favorite pop record from the last five years. It never gets old or stale. The whole thing is tightly produced, beautifully arranged, and always easy to listen to. Jon Brion is probably better known to most for his scores/soundtracks: I Heart Huckabees, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Punch Drunk Love, and some others. He was also in the band The Grays with Jason Faulkner, was the producer for a number of people (Aimee Mann and Fiona Apple to name a few), has played various instruments on countless records, and most recently was co-executive producer on the forthcoming Kanye West LP Late Registration. Since that LP is supposedly going to leak this week, and more people are probably familiar with Kanye's work, it seemed fitting to post a Jon Brion track.

The combination of Brion and West has been much talked about and much anticipated. While most of us won't know until August 30 if the quality of the duo's output is worth talking about, one can't help but ponder what it will sound like when a usually ego-driven hip hop star gets together with one of the unsung heroes of indie/alternative music.

Meaningless was self-released by Brion in 2001. His website has been under construction for over a year now, however, you can pick up a copy for yourself at CD Baby. Needless to say, most people don't even know that the album exists. It hasn't been in-stock or on order at any indie retailer I've been to recently, but plenty of people buy it because CD Baby (the main retailer of the album) runs out of stock every few months. The album is 11 tracks of pop bliss, all meticulously constructed by Brion. Rumor has it that Brion is putting the finishing touches on his second solo LP, to be released later this year. That is, however, a rumor. The source is fairly reliable, but you never know until the album hits the shelves. For now, look out for Late Registration at the end of August and enjoy one of the best tracks off of Meaningless, "Ruin My Day."