grandaddy | strawberryluna

Let’s get this truth out of the way first: I love Jason Lytle. Unabashedly and completely. What’s not to adore? His songwriting is orignal and fantastic, he’s a funny assed dude, and a sweetpea. He is just super dupes.

We got to see Jason Lytle play a live set as the opening act for Neko Case while touring in support of his first and incredibly good solo record (Yours Truly, The Commuter) this summer at possibly the weirdest venue that Pittsburgh has yet managed to pull out of thin air: a swampy downslope on the Monongahela River next to a water slide park. It was a warm and muggy night full of folding chairs, teenaged ushers with no real idea where one’s seat were, and the slow roll of Jason Lytle‘s music weaving magic. I can’t say it was ideal, but it was perfect, if you get me. Thanks for being so nice too after the show sir, I love my poster and doodley postcards.

With all of the work and travel that I’ve done in September this year, I’m a little behind on some things, and this NPR’s excellent All Songs Considered recorded show of Mr. Lytle’s at The Bowery Ballroom in NYC this past July, but posted by All Songs Considered on 7/11/09 is one of them. Just listen and fall in love.

You can listen and stream or download his set here or click on the photo below.

Jason Lytle, live in concert at The Bowery Ballroom in NYC on 7/11/09. (Photo courtesy of All Songs Considered.)

And now, for part two of a probably just 3-part series of posts. Unless of course, you have a recommendation, then feel free to let me know of anything else released in May.

Part two, and certainly not in any order at all, is Jason Lytle and his first solo record, Yours Truly, The Commuter, released by the fiercly rad ANTI. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, really, as it feels like he’s released a solo record before. But he hasn’t. And this one is worth the wait. Ooooh yes.

Following the apparent theme of reincarnation for music in May this year, once again, you may feel this record sounds familiar, and I honestly hope that you do. That would mean that you are already familiar with Grandaddy, one of Lytle’s previous and superb band projects. Furthermore, if that’s the case, then you really ought to listen to, and will likely also love this first solo record Yours Truly, The Commuter as well.

Written, recorded, and sung by Lytle from every angle, as he played each instrument and sang all of the vocal tracks, it’s about as complete a record as one can get without being self-indulgent in any way. Again, we’re into editing, choices and commitment to a vision around here, and again, we love it when music is made with those sorts of internal parameters too.

Do you like thoughts of floating, flying, dreaming and falling in love all over again with the beloved pets that have moved onto the fields near The Rainbow Bridge? Then this record and Jason Lytle in general, are you for you. Bub.

Yours Truly, The Commuter is available at yoru local independent record stores, and also on iTunes with a bonus track “Weather Girl”. You can also listen to a few tracks for free on Myspace. And better, Jason Lytle is embarking on a great big US tour this summer, dates here, hopefully some are near you. Mad stoked for the Pittsburgh show at motherfreaking SANDCASTLE water slide park, what?!

And now, for the greatest interview on good songwriting ever:

Strawberryluna

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Lovely new Jason Lytle live NPR set

Jason Lytle – Super new music releases of May, part two.