O'jordan, Jordan / Not Style Nor Season Nor Hard-Handed Lesson
Album: Not Style Nor Season Nor Hard-Handed Lesson   Collection:General
Artist:O'jordan, Jordan   Added:Sep 2006
Label:Columbus Discount Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2006-09-17 Pull Date: 2006-11-19
Week Ending: Nov 19 Nov 12 Nov 5 Oct 29 Oct 22 Oct 15 Oct 8 Oct 1
Airplays: 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 2

Recent Airplay
1. Oct 30, 2024: Duck, Duck, Nooch!
The Baker's Tale
4. Nov 09, 2006: Finneman's Market
The Baker's Tale
2. Nov 15, 2006: I once was a 'hamster
An Old Foundry Fable
5. Nov 02, 2006: Finneman's Market
The Ghost Of Andy Pratt, The Baker's Tale
3. Nov 14, 2006: What's in the Ice Box?
By Balloon Or Sinking Ship
6. Oct 31, 2006: What's in the Ice Box?
By Balloon Or Sinking Ship

Album Review
Claire
Reviewed 2006-09-17
Sassy vaudeville folk. First release from an adorable queer singer-songwriter originally from Ohio, now based in Seattle. Think self-assured, good-humored, surrealistic queer fairy tales grounded in the down-home goodness of the banjo. Instrumentation is acoustic, mostly banjo with the occasional guitar/harp/piano/vocal accompaniment, ranging from fast country-western style to bluesier tracks. Likewise vocals range from quick, melodic speaking to boyish, almost nursery-rhyme-esque (there's actually a song about blackbirds in a pie), to deeper, darker crooning—sometimes all in one song. The lyrics are consistently funny, clever, and mysterious, but maybe wouldn't be quite so charming if it weren't for his voice's ability to switch between humor, sincerity, wit, and high drama like it ain't no thang. Play this! Picks: 4, 5, 7, 12 (1, 2, 3 also good). FCC Clean.


1. Guitar and banjo, mid-tempo, "She's a sad, seductive old queen..."
2. Light, waltz-y piano, boyish vocals, builds to stronger piano and chorus of la-la-la's
3. Light acoustic guitar, funny song about how stupid fashion is with a girl's incredulous voice asking questions throughout the song
*4. Richer and more varied voice, love song, beautiful
*5. Dark, twangy blues-country style banjo tune about blackbirds baking in a pie and suicide, awesome "mm-mm-mm's" thrown in
6. Country western banjo, low voice, "one night stand romance"
*7. Echo-y banjo and pretty vocals "I know about you"
8. Fast country style banjo, good twist on "you are my sunshine" with girl backup vox
9. More echo-y banjo, song about his hometown, includes album's more sassy moments
10. Whistling and weird guitar intro, sounds like Nick Cave, dark, crooning, baritone backup vox
11. Minimal banjo, sounds a lot like track 4, good lyrics
*12. Quiet, serious, strings and tambourines accompanying, builds to big arrangement sounding a lot like the Decemberists

Track Listing
1. Letter To A Lightning Bug   7. By Balloon Or Sinking Ship
2. Hard-Handed Lesson   8. Waverly, Ohio
3. Blame Fashion   9. A Town's Reply To A Banjo
4. Niagara, Niagara   10. Don't Make Me Out As The Asshole
5. The Baker's Tale   11. The 36th Parallel
6. The Ghost Of Andy Pratt   12. An Old Foundry Fable