Jason Isbell: Classic Or Dud?

My second favorite band of all time, though, so all is forgiven, always.

Saw dude play twice recently - first at an instore, solo save for a girl on fiddle. Really amazing performance. Didn't overstay his welcome, totally commanding and great throughout.

The show later that evening though, with his new band, was another story altogether.

While Isbell again was in top form, his band just isn't anywhere near as good as DBT (an inevitable comparison - sorry Jason) and isn't doing his songs any particular favors.

Worst of all was the Conor Oberst-doppleganger on lead guitar - proficient enough on lead but completely devoid of any personality or balls on his instrument whatsoever.

Maybe Jason was playing to the admittedly large contingent of visor-sporting, plastic cup hoisting frat troglodytes in the audience, but before I left halfway through, the band had already done two covers - "Do It Again" and "Psycho Killer," the latter of which featured said guitarist with the Wynona Ryder haircut on lead vocals. If I want to see a preening indie rocker bellow Talking Heads covers while winking at girls in the audience between verses, I'll go to karaoke night in Williamsburg. I was almost waiting for the inevitable "Blister In The Sun" riff, the appearance of which would have no doubt inspired a Roman orgy among the high-fiving frat brothers-in-arms squeezed in up front.

When Jason played any of his DBT songs, the lack of muscle behind him made it almost hard to watch.

For what it's worth, though, the audience were captivated throughout. Curse Bonnaroo and all it represents!

Sorry this reads like a shitty newspaper review, I'm hungover.

Well, if I saw that last set I'd feel hungover too. What a shame, but makes me even more thankful for the studio performances, mostly backed by other Truckers (including John Neff on steel guitar, now taking Jason's place in DBT, apparently)and Spooner Oldham, and I think David Hood's on there too. There's also a really good track on his myspace, "When The Well Runs Dry," credited to the Truckers, damn sure should have been on somebody's album, maybe that lack is a symptom of something (like the title). He's mentioned Eudora Welty's short stories in interviews, and his songs make me think of Welty times Zevon (Z collab'd with Paul Muldoon etc, so maybe could've happened, if she were a guy and younger) Not Z's "Carmelita" tearjerking but sardonic lyricism, some kind of compassion on Jason's part, at least implied by careful consideration of his characters, however crispy they be. It's really better than what he did with the Truckers. anyway, here's my review:
http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0728,allred,77190,22.html

Southeastern his best solo album?

Easily, but it's also his most start to finish consistent. Then again, to me the lyrics are the selling point. The music is largely Son Volt snoozy on the first couple listens, with an over-reliance on 3/4.

Yes. I can't listen to the whole thing straight through – yet.

I keep meaning to listen to this. That NY Times profile has me interested, plus folks who saw him talk and play at EMP in New Orleans (I was in the other room checking out a zydeco and Cajun talk with archival photos)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/magazine/jason-isbell-unloaded.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I want to like the album a lot more than I actually do ; (

I really like it. It's definitely a, idk, heavy(?) listen, it's not really quite light enough to put on repeat and breeze through a few times...but all the songs really sit with you. Which is a really nice change.

He seems a bit young for the "all of these songs are about alcoholism" album, doesn't he?

not too young for a (reportedly) violent alcoholic

He's a major talent, and this is probably his best record. It's also pretty down and not all that fun. Best news is there are no more Stax-style ballads like Cigarettes and Wine.

i liked that >:(

"Live Oak" and "Elephant" needed to be Truckerized.

agreed

omg SO happy he's over that 'soul singer' bullshit

Haven't heard this yet, wanna make time to really listen. Color me cautiously optimistic. I recall saying to my then-wife when we saw DBT on the DD tour, "If that kid ever goes solo, he's gonna blow the fuck up." I'd like to be vindicated, at last, because up until now, his was a case of seriously wasted talent IMO (stray songs on various solo albums notwithstanding).

This is good if staid in that singer-songwriterly way.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/jason-isbell-as-undislikable-as-it-gets/2014/01/29/606904b6-8908-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html

But as earnest as he sounded Tuesday, Isbell’s performance still registered somewhere between excellent and just fine. He was undislikable.

The undislikables occupy a unique space in pop music. Their songs are filled with personality and emotion, but never too much. They experiment, but not without safety goggles. They put a premium on craftsmanship and confidence, often stamping out any whiffs of danger or weirdness. And their music seems unimpeachable, leaving you with an in-the-middle feeling that makes you wonder whether these people have achieved a state of enlightenment or have been trapped in purgatory.

Commenters on that review are outraged by Chris Richard's stance. I understand what he means.

p sure the word is 'nice'

Is he really lopping together all singer songwriters? Honestly, guys with guitars who bare their souls are so unhip they might as well be weirdo outliers. If Steve Earle and John prine are his play it safe peeps, isbell should be pretty cool with this.

He calls the Roots undislikeable as well. I think he means NPR-friendly

"Elephant" was probably my favorite song of last year, and "Relatively Easy" wasn't far behind. If he ever writes a whole album that good...

He is an obvious talent. The problem is, anybody's songs are going to sound better when they're played by DBT.

Which is doubly frustrating because the actual DBT songwriters have been churning out less and less interesting material over the last few albums (imo).

Southeastern goes way beyond nice. And it's not just about the lyrics. From my Nashville Scene ballot, "In The Shadows of the Warm Red Comments" http://thefreelancementalists.blogspot.com/2014/01/14th-annual-etc-in-shadows-of-warm-red.html
Jason Isbell's Here We Rest often relied on the words, and some live versions were even shakier, but on Southeastern he's got his tuneful tightness back (playing a lot of the mostly acoustic instruments himself; the 400 Unit plug in on cue and on point, but don't get co-billing). Time to put the spotlight and the pressure back on himself--the voice was never a problem, which was a problem. No matter how wasted and/or woolgathering he got, could always release a few more of those high lonesome sweet bluesy Lowell George notes, and tell himself everything was still okay and not okay, in that alone-together way.
The words are better too, deep and horizontally active enough, back and forth in time and space--the richest lode is the opener, "Cover Me Up", with some kind of imaginative but not imaginary although certainly motorvatingly metaphorical invalid, with strong lungs, calling for "medical assistance, or a magnolia breeze", while he and significant other are riding a flood in a cold house "I ain't chopping no wood...hang up your wet dress" and get that cover workin'. This is also very tender-sounding, since the lonesome monster is now ready to face whatever reality may and will surely bring--whole album's known knowns wed to known unknowns: very family values, very commuting-community-minded, very country in its way (so this only looks like a Paste list, see?)

Which is doubly frustrating because the actual DBT songwriters have been churning out less and less interesting material over the last few albums (imo).

Ironically, it's been more and more "interesting," imo - in terms of ideas and surprising detours - just less and less strong. They were such a great outlet for Isbell, because he can always be counted on a for a couple of absolutely outstanding tracks per effort, just not quite an entire outstanding album yet. He's young, though. 15 years younger than Hood, I think.

I read xchuckx E. being harsh on Jason's vocals

Which is doubly frustrating because the actual DBT songwriters have been churning out less and less interesting material over the last few albums (imo).

― Simon H., Thursday, January 30, 2014 11:57 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

So wrong

DBT's new album is a bore though.

"Super 8" is the song that needed the Truckers the worst - songwriting as strong as "Elephant" but such painfully boring country-rock.

i saw the Truckers live last month

- new bass player is distractingly goofy. he's fine as a player but he's like this grinning jackolantern all the time, it's SO weird

- setllist was suuuper uneven, going from blistering rock into pensive cooley so much it was giving me whiplash

- i've seen them four times before this show, and this is the first time i was almost completely bored. they were fine, but fine aint a dbt show

idk

they seem to be focusing on sounding cleaner, singing better etc but their rawness was the appeal for me. i love them but idk who this band is now?

http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/11/the_voice_reportedly_asks_jaso.html

'The Voice' producer reportedly asks Jason Isbell to audition for the NBC show

He was great last week at this Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute show i went to last week at the Fox Theater (great venue by the way)

http://music.blog.ajc.com/2014/11/13/concert-review-lynyrd-skynyrd-tribute-concert-brings-peter-frampton-gregg-allman-and-more-to-the-fox-theatre/

xpost loooooooool that is hilarious and sad

Sad for the producer's cred, happy otherwise: he scanned the invite into his twitter feed (so that's the basis of "reportedly," from the hoss's mouth) and considered what his audition material might consist of (I suggested he hold out for Dancing With The Stars). Would love to see Blake Shelton's big ol' half-bright face if he did come out there on The Voice (that's the one Shelton's on, right?)

("lemon-difficult": excellent, especially if related to #DonLemonReporting, but either way.)

http://youtu.be/7mAFiPVs3tM

The new record is streaming on NPR right now. It's very good, similar in sound to Southeastern. He'll never rock like he did with DBT but he'll probably end up the more popular act.

From Rolling Country, my initial impressions:

Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free: doesn't travel with the more sustained undertone of excitement found in Southeastern---recorded sober, apparently!---but "Are you takin' the grown-up dose?" is still the question, or one of 'em, and it's often remarkable what can sprout from dry, quiet starting over, especially when the past gets out of bed and comes cruising through one's present-day/night of carefully worked out details, brushing them just a hair or three from conventional alignment. Or not, in which case it's conspicuous by etc., but always the singer's cue.
"Children of Children" and "24 Frames" will be the relatively big (npr) radio cuts, if any are, but most tunes as well as words tend to take fetching turns.
http://www.npr.org/2015/07/08/420588068/first-listen-jason-isbell-something-more-than-free

― dow, Friday, July 10, 2015 4:38 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Not to say this 'un doesn't *also* sound like it was written and recorded sober---it does, and it also sounds like that's what it's about: dealing with the unfiltered, or differently filtered---but Southeastern seemed like more of an adventure.

― dow, Friday, July 10, 2015 4:42 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post PermalinkMaybe it's just subtle for me---diggin it tho!

"Children of Children" is fucking brutal -

I was riding on my mother's hip, she was shorter than the corn
All the years I took from her, just by being born.

Didn't mean to break the cycle
[...]

You were riding on your mother's hip she was shorter than the corn
All the years you took from her, just by being born.

Is any of his solo stuff better than "outfit?"

Oh, I didn't refer to their output: I referred to this unceasing social media emphasis on Isbell as if the impact of the divorce affected him more because of alcoholism, etc. It's a couple.

If we're talking about talent and compelling musical figures I considers Shires and her last album more compelling than many of Isbell's often good, rarely excellent efforts.

Oh, I didn't refer to their output: I referred to this unceasing social media emphasis on Isbell as if the impact of the divorce affected him more because of alcoholism, etc. It's a couple.

yep

Also more albums etc. and today something on Google Entertainment News playing "Wanted Dead Or Alive" with ten-gallon hat and double-neck geetar---always something else showing up like that.

Art about drugs (including alcohol) is just boring.

― calstars, Friday, February 9, 2024 7:57 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

second only to art about the aftermath of those things, namely rehab and divorce albums. I guess we can look forward to the latter now

Seeing him this weekend, but getting worried for the dude's health. The last several months: got new teeth, lost his longtime bassist, divorcing, apparently an old knee injury is getting drained before each show, and even the most hardcore of his fans are as delicately as possible noting his voice has been in rough shape lately, he's singing in lower keys, he's visibly frustrated at not being able to hit notes. I'm sure he'll get better, but it's a lot to deal with at once. It's got to be tough to be a real road warrior and then hit some roadblocks.

jeebus is this guy great tonight

.@JasonIsbell sings real Fox News Biden "scandal" headlines pic.twitter.com/FY5eHIBql2

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) March 1, 2024

Seeing him again last week reminded me that I've honestly never listened to too much of his recorded music, but he's had a heck of a recent run, and of course from the Truckers on he's proved himself capable of writing all-timers. I went back to read some Christgau reviews out of curiosity, and he really seems to get him, and also able to put his finger on what sets Isbell apart. He's political, but not necessarily angry. He's an intellectual, but not particularly pretentious. He's got a lot of country in him, but he's not really a country singer, and while he is a singer-songwriter for sure there are enough elements of other stuff that said him apart from that crew as well. Basically he is a musical omnivore and consummate craftsman with incredibly high standards. Don't know where he would have fit in in the '60s, '70s or '80s. John Prine? Steve Earle? Kris Kristofferson?

So his voice sounded ok health-wise at the show you saw ?

he's had a heck of a recent run

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Has he? I mean obv he gets bigger and bigger and I'm glad to see him thriving but Southeastern gets further and further in the rearview. he's delivered some indisputable bangers since but albumwise...

More Than Free is, in the Tom Petty tradition, half a great record.
The Nashville Sound has That One Song.

I guess people are nuts for 'em but I can't find a thing on Reunions or Weathervanes I'd put on a "why do people even care about this guy" playlist.

I actually like the last two a lot, though I admit I was thinking of Petty when I recently played ... Free.

oh, and yeah, his voice sounded good, though eagle eyes noted he may have lowered the keys of a couple of songs.

but to back up again, unlike Petty, there's very little on his records that sounds like filler, imo, and even the lesser songs sound really well realized, and perhaps only sound lesser because there are always two or three absolutely great songs that make most songs sound lesser. but those lesser songs, I still appreciate the craft, the lyrics, the playing, how they are recorded.

I think I was the sole vote for Weathervanes on the EOY poll.

I thought it was the best one for years - loved King of Oklahoma and White Beretta.

my top three last year were basically a tie between Weathervanes and the Wednesday and 10,000 gecs records. to me it was his best since Southeastern or More Than Free. not a single dud and I even liked the jams at the end.

I got my dad way into him really early and my mom fairly recently so it's a family affair now, the three of us have seen him together twice (just my dad and I have seen him probably 4-5 additional times). though I think my parents are pretty busted up about his divorce, and my mom was even tsk-tsking him for wearing a $2,400 Louis shirt on The Daily Show the other night lol

lol Isbell has always admitted a taste for the finer things.

funny, I know a couple of families who are all fans, too

Southeastern A
More Than Free C+
Nashville Sound A-
Reunions C
Weathervanes B

I don't love 'em all but I think it's hard to deny he's had a heck of a run.

Southeastern would be A+ if he'd left "Super 8" off!

Ha, I like that song, very Truckers.

If Petty is the standard, that's sort of the general spread pattern I'd give to his albums as well. A couple of clear winners, mostly at least average, some undeniable all-timers raising most of them, to degrees.

I dug the Georgia Bluecovers album.

xpost i like the song just fine, but it doesn't fit on the album. totally messes with the flow/vibe.

pretty wide discrepancies even within such a fairly uniform catalogue. i'd say:

Southeastern B+
More Than Free A-
Nashville Sound C+
Reunions B
Weathervanes A-

Hate giving SCM air (and the guy's editorializing in this piece is fucking awful), but there's something interesting in here about Justin Townes Earle's widow and daughter's objections to "When We Were Close".

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/jason-isbell-criticized-by-justin-townes-earles-widow-for-song/

Here's Jenn Marie Earle's statement, if you don't want to give SCM or Insta clicks:

He could have chosen any other song.

Also, on top of this, he is profiting off of it which I don’t think I need to go into why I have such strong negative feelings about that.

Since that time, I, as well as others have reached out to him personally, in an emotional plea to try to make him understand the trauma it has forced on our daughter (she has asked to hear it and it has lead to moments that I can’t bear to share), something she will deal with for the rest of her life. He has not responded, and then made the aforementioned statement, making it clear that he understands there are living, breathing victims. One of which is our innocent daughter.

Also, I want to take this opportunity to thank the many people all around the world that have shared their tribute songs to Justin with us. There have been such beautiful, heart-felt songs created in his honor, so we know the difference between what Jason wrote and what a real tribute looks like, because none of the others have kept us up at night or sent our daughter into tears. He did not have to write this song, it did not have to exist, but if he really felt that it was necessary, a heads up beforehand would have been greatly appreciated. Also, even though he has finally acknowledged that there are “victims,” he has still not so much as texted me an apology and I just can’t wrap my head around why someone wouldn’t extend that simple and small act of kindness. We deserve that at the very least. We’ve been through the unimaginable and certainly didn’t need this on top of it, but an apology would have been some sort of consolation at least.

– Jenn Marie Earle

Wait, bad c'np. Here's the whole thing:

Thoughts on a “tribute song” and suggestions as to what should be considered.

We understand that Jason Isbell’s song “When We Were Close” may have not been intended to be a tribute song, per se, but I (Jenn Marie Earle, Justin’s widow) want to offer my thoughts on what I feel, personally – since both myself, and mine and Justin’s daughter, Etta, were both mentioned/referenced in the song – it is our right to share our insight and feelings about it. I also feel that, as the keeper and protector of Justin’s legacy, that it is my responsibility.

During an interview this week, Jason shared why he wrote the song (this is, to our knowledge the first time he has addressed it publicly). Here is what he said: “When We Were Close, that song was one of those where I had to say, how many victims [will there be] if I tell the truth, how many victims if I don’t. And then you make that choice. You know, because the song has to exist, you know I don’t know why but I decided on that a long time ago because that’s what I do, that’s who I am. So you know, usually if you tell the truth, you make less victims than if you don’t.”

Being the said “victims” he is speaking of, I felt that in response, it is time to share my feelings on this song, the impact it has had on us, and why we had such a strong, visceral, and extremely painful reaction to it that has continued now, almost a year later since it’s release last June.

If you are not familiar, here are the specific lyrics to the song that were the most painful (for obvious reasons):

“I saw a picture of you laughing with your child, and I hope she will remember how you smiled. But she probably wasn’t old enough, the night somebody sold you stuff that left you on the bathroom tiles. Got a picture of you dying in my mind with some ghosts you couldn’t bear to leave behind…It’s not up to me to forgive you for the nights that your love had to live through, now you’ll never need to look me in the eye.”

It is important to me for everyone to understand, that Justin and Jason were estranged (after a difficult falling out) for years before he died. Jason stating that the song “had to exist” seems very inappropriate and hard to comprehend from my viewpoint when you take that into account. Especially mentioning our daughter (a complete gut punch, something Justin would have no doubt been extremely upset about)…and then immediately following Etta’s mention with grotesque graphic details of his death that 1. were absolutely unnecessary 2. were not released to the public (and the details were incorrect) 3. that it is not “his truth” to share, being completely removed from the situation for years up to Justin’s death. It was really no one’s right except for mine, which I did share immediately following the dreadful news, at a time when I could barely think, much less handle the public, but I knew it had to be done. For his fans, and as a warning to others so that he did not pass in vain.

I did not receive a compassionate warning ahead of the song’s release (we found out about the song, when this page was tagged in posts about it the day it came out). While it’s not mandatory that he give me a heads up, considering it’s about my husband and mentions myself, and especially my daughter, it would have been a respectful thing to do, so that we weren’t completely blown apart when we heard it as it was celebrated as a new release.

Soon after, he was made aware that the song was extremely painful (an absolute trauma trigger) and we hoped the message was taken to heart (although he did not acknowledge it) and we hoped to move on and try to forget about it. However, we learned (due to being tagged in posts, etc) that he was opening most shows with it, and then to our complete shock he chose it as the song to play on Jimmy Kimmel on the first show back after the writer’s strike, undoubtedly to a massive audience – putting the song front and center. ‹That was one of the most painful moments following, because it was clear then that he did not care that this song was traumatizing to Justin’s loved ones and was actually pushing the song above all of the others on the album. He could have chosen any other song.

Also, on top of this, he is profiting off of it which I don’t think I need to go into why I have such strong negative feelings about that.

Since that time, I, as well as others have reached out to him personally, in an emotional plea to try to make him understand the trauma it has forced on our daughter (she has asked to hear it and it has lead to moments that I can’t bear to share), something she will deal with for the rest of her life. He has not responded, and then made the aforementioned statement, making it clear that he understands there are living, breathing victims. One of which is our innocent daughter.

Also, I want to take this opportunity to thank the many people all around the world that have shared their tribute songs to Justin with us. There have been such beautiful, heart-felt songs created in his honor, so we know the difference between what Jason wrote and what a real tribute looks like, because none of the others have kept us up at night or sent our daughter into tears. He did not have to write this song, it did not have to exist, but if he really felt that it was necessary, a heads up beforehand would have been greatly appreciated. Also, even though he has finally acknowledged that there are “victims,” he has still not so much as texted me an apology and I just can’t wrap my head around why someone wouldn’t extend that simple and small act of kindness. We deserve that at the very least. We’ve been through the unimaginable and certainly didn’t need this on top of it, but an apology would have been some sort of consolation at least.

– Jenn Marie Earle

Saw that. The Saving Country guy is constantly ripping on Isbell, especially for his politics, so I don't trust his motives. But if you look at the comments, the father of Earle's widow keeps chiming in like a right wing crank, too. It's weird, the song isn't that objectionable, imo, and she only seems to have a problem with ... him not giving her a head's up? Which is weird if true; he reportedly contacted the subject of "White Beretta" to make sure it was OK. I wonder why? For all we know there's a reason Isbell didn't run it by her, and I don't necessarily trust her motives, either. At the least it's pretty manipulative to bring up her daughter's feelings, since reading through that her daughter is *six*. There's no way that kid would have heard this song, or even known it existed, had mom not played it (and/or played it up) for her.

At the least it's pretty manipulative to bring up her daughter's feelings, since reading through that her daughter is *six*.

More manipulative than Isbell mentioning the daughter in the song?

Well, it's a song, and most songs are in a sense manipulative. But it doesn't mention anyone by name, and it's not mean or unsympathetic, imo. Setting aside the Streisand Effect of her statement, I'm a little unclear what her problem is. That the song was written at all? That he performs the song? That she wasn't warned that the song was coming? That he is "profiting" off of it? That it makes her daughter upset? That he hasn't apologized to her? (For what?) All of the above? Her story is heartbreaking, but I don't think the subject is at all off limits or in poor taste.

ok

I saw a picture of you laughing with your child
And I hope she will remember how you smiled
But she probably wasn't old enough, the night somebody sold your stuff
That left you on the bathroom tiles

idk seems a little tone-deaf, and presumptive of a kid's thoughts and memories. probably should have just written about the man himself and left the daughter out of it. her motives seem strictly parental.

Before I read many other people's take on this - which have largely aligned with Josh's - my gut reaction was that this was shittily handled by Jason. Yes, he is entitled to his own grief and processing, but I guess I feel like he comes after JTE's wife and daughter on the priority list (which I admit is not a fair way of looking at it). At the very least, he should've reached out to her and let her know about the song.

His quote "the song has to exist" doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it has to exist, but it doesn't necessarily have to exist on a Jason Isbell album.

But I see the other sides of this, too.

Def don't see it as manipulative of the widow to bring up her kid's feelings, though, no matter the kid's age.

i try to imagine if i was in her position, him writing about how she probably won't remember her dad's smile...i mean, that would certainly hurt and not in the "what a moving song" way.

I absolutely understand where she is coming from, both as a person and as a parent. I can only imagine the pain they have gone and will continue to go through. But I'm not sure anyone should be in a position to tell anyone else what or who they can or can't write about, and none of it can change the tragic end of JTE's life.

All true!

I don't think the widow said that Isbell was not allowed to write about JTE. But keep having arguments with straw people.

I'm not arguing with anyone. It's a hard song to listen to, but I'm not sure it's worse than, say, the Drive-By Truckers song about the same subject. I guess their song doesn't mention his kid, which is for sure pretty low hanging fruit, as far a songwriting goes. It sounds like she wanted or wants him to reach out, I don't know why he didn't (assuming he didn't).

That's the tough part of this for me. The fact that he didn't reach out - perhaps because of his falling out with her husband? - doesn't square with a lot of the things he says publicly that sound really good.

Like, I read somewhere that he ran it by Steve Earle. If he ran it by Steve Earle, then *not* running it by the widow feels like a purposeful slight, doesn't it?

Purposeful slight is a bad choice of words. Could be "feels egregious" ... idk, I just don't know why you run it by the dad and not the widow, who is mentioned (along with her child) in the lyrics.

That's one of the more restrained posts I've read at SCM.

It may very well have been a purposeful slight. I don't think any of us know the nature of their relationship, Jason and Jenn, but there is definitely a lot of bad blood and dirty laundry out there. The alleged impetus for the dissolution of Jason and Justin's friendship for sure was pretty weird.

“the trauma it has forced on our daughter” seems like a questionably heavy onus to put on the song and Isbell.

"the song has to exist"

jesus christ what an insufferable blowhard this guy is

All the twitter comments on this are basically:

a) It's a good song. Why she mad?
b) She must be a shitty mom if she lets her kid know about this song
c) You can't tell an artist what they can or can't write about

Justin and Jason were estranged (after a difficult falling out) for years before he died.

Does anyone know anything about this? I didn't know they had a falling out and was sorry to see that.

But if you look at the comments, the father of Earle's widow keeps chiming in like a right wing crank, too.

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, April 15, 2024 11:00 AM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

That comment about how Jason "rode Justin's coat tails" was awfully weird and...wrong. I saw them play together in ~2010 and JT opened for JI and the 400 Unit. They seemed like buds back then, which again, disappointing to hear it's come to this.

According to Isbell they fell out after JTE broke up with a girlfriend, who was working as part of Isbell's road crew. JTE asked Isbell to fire her and he refused.

BTW, noticed that Amanda is playing a few shows with Jason in a couple of weeks. That seems amicable, unless they start kicking each other like Richard and Linda.

All the twitter comments on this are basically:

a) It's a good song. Why she mad?
b) She must be a shitty mom if she lets her kid know about this song
c) You can't tell an artist what they can or can't write about

Jason's fans are largely 35 to 65-year-old white dudes (and definitely some women) who (a) are 100% convinced they finally discovered someone who is making "real" music when they discovered him (or Sturgill, depending on who their portal was), (b) have zero problem talking down to anyone who disagrees with them and (c) will defend him to the death, regardless of what he's doing or saying.

This whole genre has injected a dose of music snobbery into an entire generation of people who would otherwise be listening to, idk, bro country or OneRepublic.

I get why Isbell might rub some people the wrong way, but the people I see get most mad at him are the "shut up and sing" types that bristle at his politics online (which incudes the Saving Country dude). I'm honestly not sure he's done much in the past several years that's otherwise warranted defending.