Former Wolf Colonel solos on life’s great tour
Jason Anderson is a musician’s musician. Committed to “life as a tour,” when he isn’t playing his own shows, he is drumming for Yume Bitsu or the Microphones, playing keyboards for David Dondero, or playing guitar for Son and Ambulance. And as if that wasn’t enough to keep a man busy, he appears on albums by Calvin Johnson, Mirah and The Blow.
Anderson’s career started after he attended an Elliot Smith show. Inspired by what he saw, Jason Anderson assumed the moniker Wolf Colonel, recruited a band, and started rocking. The result was a lo-fi collection of pop/rock tunes that would have fit on a Weezer album were Weezer any good.
Three albums into the Wolf Colonel gig, Anderson abandoned the name and the band and released his first solo effort, “New England.” A warm, acoustic affair, the album was mostly recorded in one take with help from Microphones front man Phil Elverum. It stands in stark contrast to the Wolf Colonel efforts, but is astounding nonetheless in its intimacy and its earnestness.
Jason Anderson’s songs are helped tremendously by his sincere vocal. His delivery is a strange blend that, while not deadpan, doesn’t fit the pseudo-impassioned emo style. There is never an air of anything with Anderson. He manages to be relevant without relying on didactic lyrics or heavy-handed emotional metaphor.
His last album, “The Wreath,” featured Idaho natives Jeremy and Rachel Jensen while building on and improving the sound of “New England.” He’s currently wrapping up a tour with plans to begin recording his third solo album in February. You can get the latest Jason Anderson news at http://www.indiepages.com/wolfcolonel/ and can find a few free mp3s at www.3hive.com.
Zach Pendleton’s column The Best You’ve Never Heard runs each week in Diversions. Comments, questions and recommendations can be sent to him at zachp@cc.usu.edu.