Post by Bink on Apr 10, 2023 13:43:18 GMT
Jason Molina (30 December 1973 - 16 March 2013)
Associated Acts: Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co.
Voice Type: Magnolia Electric Tenor
Vocal Range: G♯2 - C5
{Vocal Summary}The story of Jason Molina is one that always perplexed me. The man always seemed to seem like an outcast in terms of the world in country music. Yet some of you may find that this man is actually quite well known in Nashville country music culture. He also just happens to be one of my favourite songwriters who grew to prominence in the 21st century. I mean there is no denying he made some really fucking good songs yaknow, the dude made an album so good that he named his entire band after it. (Seriously if you haven't heard it already, listen to "Farewell Transmission" and by extension, that whole album "Magnolia Electric Co.")
However, one of the most integral parts of Molina's music is his voice. While definitely having some untapped potential, in both his lower and higher registers, the man expressed his songs through his rather unconventional voice in terms of the world of country music. While undoubtedly a tenor, having a rather Jerry Lee Lewis-like tone, he actually had quite a developed lower register, even covering Townes Van Zandt of all people on a few occasions. However, because of his bright tone, he never sounded like any other country artists around him (seriously it is so weird to me that Magnolia Electric Co. at one point, existed at the same time as Florida Georgia Line). Also, because he is indeed a country singer, this also meant he was not legally permitted to go above A4, restricting his quite developed high range demonstrated on songs such as "Hot Black Silk", "Back On Top" and "Captain Badass".
Overall, Molina was a pretty good singer who gave us some absolutely amazing music and was gone too soon, but while he left us too soon, what he left us with was absolutely transcendent in the world of American country music.
Written by Bink
However, one of the most integral parts of Molina's music is his voice. While definitely having some untapped potential, in both his lower and higher registers, the man expressed his songs through his rather unconventional voice in terms of the world of country music. While undoubtedly a tenor, having a rather Jerry Lee Lewis-like tone, he actually had quite a developed lower register, even covering Townes Van Zandt of all people on a few occasions. However, because of his bright tone, he never sounded like any other country artists around him (seriously it is so weird to me that Magnolia Electric Co. at one point, existed at the same time as Florida Georgia Line). Also, because he is indeed a country singer, this also meant he was not legally permitted to go above A4, restricting his quite developed high range demonstrated on songs such as "Hot Black Silk", "Back On Top" and "Captain Badass".
Overall, Molina was a pretty good singer who gave us some absolutely amazing music and was gone too soon, but while he left us too soon, what he left us with was absolutely transcendent in the world of American country music.
Written by Bink
Significant High Notes:
C5 ("There Will Be Distance")
B4 ("Captain Badass", "Hot Black Silk", "Spectral Alphabet")
B♭4 ("Baby Take a Look", "Back On Top", "The Black Crow", "The Body Burned Away", "Goodnight Lover", "How To Be Perfect Men" Journey On version, "It's Your Win Again", "Napoleon: How We Have Ranged", "One of Those Uncertain Hands", "This Time Anything Finite At All", "Trans Am", "Vanquisher")
A4 ("All Pass", "Almost Let You In", "Black Link to Fire Link", "Cabwaylingo", "Come Back To Your Man", "Cotton Hill", "Crab Orchard", "Cross The Road, Molina", "Darling…", "Debts", "Dogwood Gap", "East Last Heart", "Gauley Bridge", "Hot Black Silk", "How To Be Perfect Men", "Love and Work", "Love Leaves Its Abusers", "Our Republic", "Pilot & Friend", "Redhead", "Reply & Claim", "Tenskwatawa")
G♯4 ("The Black Crow", "Boys", "Captain Badass", "Coxcomb Red", "The Dark Wrong Turn", "Don't Fade On Me", "Hearts Newly Arrived", "Lioness", "Napoleon: How We Have Ranged", "Nay Tis Not Death", "Program: The Mask", "Roll The Wheel", "The Rules of Absence", "Texas 71", "Tigress", "Trans Am", "Vanquisher", "Waltham: Simply Unite The Name", "When Your Love Has Gone")
G4 ("31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues", "Advice to Aces", "All Gone, All Gone", "All Pass", "At Certain Hours It All Breaks Down", "Baby Take a Look", "Blue Stone", "Bowery", "Cabwaylingo", "Champion", "The Dark Don't Hide It", "The Dark Wrong Turn", "Declarer", "Don't This Look Like The Dark", "Freedom, Pt. 2", "Gauley Bridge", "Give Something Else Away Every Day", "Goodnight Lover", "The Gray Tower", "The Harvest Law", "Hold On Magnolia" Sojourner version, "How To Be Perfect Men", "In The Human World", "John Henry Split My Heart", "Josephine", "Journey On", "Leave The City", "Love Leaves Its Abusers", "Memphis Moon", "No Moon On The Water", "North Star", "Old Worry", "The One Red Star", "Pass", "Pyrate II" live WOBC 1994, "The Rock of Ages", "Shadow Answers The Wall", "Soul", "Talk To Me Devil, Again", "Tenskwatawa", "There Will Be Distance", "Till Morning Reputations", "Two Blue Lights", "Werewolves of London", "What Comes After The Blues", "Whenever I Have Done a Thing In Flames")
F♯4 ("7th Street Wonderland", "45 Degress" live WOBC 1994, "All Falls Together", "All Pass", "Almost Let You In", "Almost Was Good Enough", "An Ace Unable to Change", "An Arrow In The Gale", "Back On Top", "Being In Love", "Blackbird", "Blue Jay", "Blue Stone", "Boys", "Captain Badass", "Come Back To Your Man", "Coxcomb Red", "Darling…", "Defenders", "Debts", "Dogwood Gap", "Don't Fade On Me", "Down The Wrong Road Both Ways", "Farewell Transmission", "First Footing", "The Handing Down", "Hearts Newly Arrived", "Hold On Magnolia", "Howler", "How To Be Perfect Men", "I Can Not Have Seen The Light", "It's Your Win Again", "I've Been Riding With The Ghost", "Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go", "Little Beaver", "Little Sad Eyes", "The Lost Messenger", "The Moon Undoes It All", "Nashville Moon", "The Night Shift Lullaby", "No Moon On The Water", "North Star", "O! Grace", "One Harrowing Night", "One of Those Uncertain Hands", "Redhead", "Separations: Reminder", "Shenandoah", "Solitude", "Song of The Road", "Spanish Moon Fall and Rise", "Steve Albini's Blues", "Trouble Will Find You", "When Your Love Has Gone", "Whisper Away", "White Sulfur", "Why Are We Stopping In The Storm")
F4 ("7th Street Wonderland", "All Gone, All Gone", "At Certain Hours It All Breaks Down", "Being In Love", "Be Told The Truth", "The Black Crow", "Blue Chicago Moon", "Blue Factory Flame", "Bowery", "Boys", "Cotton Hill", "Coxcomb Red", "Crab Orchard", "The Crossroad + The Emptiness", "Darkness That Strong", "Debts", "Didn't It Rain", "Division St. Girl", "Don't Take Me Night From Me", "Fire On The Rail", "Fire On The Shore", "Freedom, Pt. 2", "Hammer Down", "It Costs You Nothing", "It's Your Win Again", "Kanawha", "The Lily and The Brakeman", "Lonesome Valley", "Love Leaves Its Abusers", "John Henry Split My Heart", "Josephine", "Journey On", "Just a Spark", "Just What Can Last", "Napoleon: How We Have Ranged", "Nervous Bride", "Night Country", "Northstar Blues", "O! Grace", "Old Worry", "One Harrowing Night", "Our Republic", "Pilot & Friend", "Program and Disjunction", "Pyramid Electric Co.", "Reply & Claim", "The Rules of Absence", "Shiloh Temple Bell", "Snowblind", "Some Things Never Try", "Structuring: Necessity", "Tenskwatawa", "There Will Be Distance", "This Time Anything Finite At All", "Till Morning Reputations", "Trans Am", "Travels In Constants", "Trouble In Mind", "Vanquisher", "Waltham: Simply Unite The Name", "What Comes After The Blues", "Whenever I Have Done a Thing In Flames", "The World at The End of The World", "You Are Not Alone On The Road")
E4 ("31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues", "34 Blues", "45 Degress" live WOBC 1994, "Advice to Aces", "All Falls Together", "All Pass", "Almost Let You In", "Almost Was Good Enough", "Big Sewell Mt", "Blackbird", "Black Link to Fire Link", "Blue Chicago Moon", "Blue Factory Flame", "Blue Jay", "Blue Stone", "Bowery", "Cabwaylingo", "Champion", "Come Back To Your Man", "The Dark Don't Hide It", "Darling…", "Declarer", "Defenders", "Didn't It Rain", "Dogwood Gap", "Doing Something Wrong", "Don't Fade On Me", "Don't This Look Like The Dark", "Down The Wrong Road Both Ways", "Each Star Marks a Day", "East Last Heart", "Enough of a Stranger", "Fucking Sick of Boys" live WOBC 1994, "Gauley Bridge", "Get Out Get Out Get Out", "Give Something Else Away Every Day", "Goodnight Lover", "The Green Mossy Banks of The Lea", "The Handing Down", "Hard to Love a Man", "Heartbreak at Ten Paces", "Heart My Heart", "Hold On Magnolia", "Hope Dies Last", "Hot Black Silk", "How To Be Perfect Men", "I Can Not Have Seen The Light", "Incantation", "In The Human World", "It Must Be Raining There Forever", "I've Been Riding With The Ghost", "John Henry Split My Heart", "Josephine", "Just Be Simple", "Keep Only One of Us Free", "KnoXVille Girl", "Leave The City", "Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go", "The Lily and The Brakeman", "Lioness", "A Little at a Time", "Lonesome Valley", "Long Desert Train", "Love and Work", "Love Leaves Its Abusers", "Map of The Falling Sky", "Montgomery", "The Moon Undoes It All", "Nashville Moon", "No Hand Was at The Wheel", "No Moon On The Water", "North Star", "Ohio" live WOBC 1994, "The One Red Star", "Our Republic", "Pass", "Pilot & Friend", "Program: The Mask", "Pyrate II" live WOBC 1994, "Red Cornet Dust", "Ring The Bell", "The Rock of Ages", "Roll The Wheel", "A Sad Hard Change", "Sept. 17" live WOBC 1994, "Shadow Answers The Wall", "Shenandoah", "She Says", "Shiloh", "Some Things Never Try", "Soul", "Spanish Moon Fall and Rise", "The Spell", "Steady Now", "Steve Albini's Blues", "Texas 71", "Thistle Blue", "Tigress", "Trouble Will Find You", "Two Blue Lights", "Werewolves of London", "What Comes After The Blues", "What's Broken Becomes Better", "What You Reckon, What You Breathe", "Whip-Poor-Will", "Whisper Away", "Why Are We Stopping In The Storm", "White Sulfur", "A Widow Sang The Stars Down", "Will-O-The-Wisp", "Wooden Heart", "You Are Not Alone On The Road")
Significant Low Notes:
E3 ("31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues", "34 Blues", "Advice to Aces", "All Pass", "Almost Let You In", "Almost Was Good Enough", "Alone With The Owl", "And The Moon Hits The Water", "Bath" live WOBC 1994, "Blackbird", "Black Link to Fire Link", "The Black Ram", "Blue Chicago Moon", "Blue Jay", "Blue Stone", "Bowery", "Cotton Hill", "Cross The Road, Molina", "Declarer", "Division St. Girl", "Dogwood Gap", "Doing Something Wrong", "Don't Fade On Me", "Enough of a Stranger", "Fucking Sick of Boys" live WOBC 1994, "Gauley Bridge", "Get Out Get Out Get Out", "The Handing Down", "Hard to Love a Man", "Heartbreak at Ten Paces", "Heart My Heart", "Hope Dies Last", "How To Be Perfect Men", "A Humble Cause Again", "I Can Not Have Seen The Light", "In The Human World", "Josephine", "Keep It Steady", "Keep Only One of Us Free", "Leave The City", "Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go", "A Little at a Time", "Little Beaver", "Love and Work", "Map of The Falling Sky", "Montgomery", "Nashville Moon", "No Hand Was at The Wheel", "Our Republic", "Pass", "Pilot & Friend", "Program: The Mask", "Ring The Bell", "Roll The Wheel", "A Sad Hard Change", "Shadow Answers The Wall", "Shenandoah", "She Says", "Soul", "Spanish Moon Fall and Rise", "The Spell", "Steady Now", "Steve Albini's Blues", "Tess" live WOBC 1994, "Texas 71", "Two Blue Lights", "United or Lost Alone", "Whip-Poor-Will", "White Sulfur", "Why Are We Stopping In The Storm", "Will-O-The-Wisp", "Wooden Heart", "You Are Not Alone On The Road")
E♭3 ("An Ace Unable to Change", "Baby Take a Look", "Back On Top", "Being In Love", "The Black Crow", "The Body Burned Away", "Boys", "The Dark Wrong Turn", "Easts Hearts Divided", "The Far End of The Bridge", "Farewell Transmission", "For as Long as It Will Matter", "Hammer Down", "Howler", "A Humble Cause Again", "I'll Be Here In The Morning", "It Costs You Nothing", "It's Your Win Again", "I've Been Riding With The Ghost", "Just a Spark", "Kanawha", "The Lamb's Song", "Lightning Risked It All", "Lioness", "Little Sad Eyes", "Memphis Moon", "Mighty Like Love, Mighty Like Sorrow", "Napoleon: How We Have Ranged", "Nay Tis Not Death", "Nervous Bride", "Night Country", "Northstar Blues", "The Ocean's Nerves", "Ohio" live WOBC 1994, "The Old Horizon", "One Harrowing Night", "Program and Disjunction", "Pyramid Electric Co.", "Red Cornet Dust", "Ruby Eyes In The Fog", "The Rules of Absence", "Separations: Reminder", "Shiloh Temple Bell", "Solitude", "Song For Willie", "Song of The Road", "Spectral Alphabet", "Structuring: Necessity", "Talk To Me Devil, Again", "There Are No Claims On You", "Tigress", "Trouble In Mind", "When Your Love Has Gone", "A Widow Sang The Stars Down")
D3 ("31 Seasons In The Minor Leagues", "45 Degress" live WOBC 1994, "1943" live WOBC 1994, "Almost Was Good Enough", "An Arrow In The Gale", "And The Moon Hits The Water", "Bath" live WOBC 1994, "Be Told The Truth", "Blackbird", "Black Link to Fire Link", "Blue Factory Flame", "Blue Jay", "The Body Burned Away", "Didn't It Rain", "Doing Something Wrong", "Don't This Look Like The Dark", "Down The Wrong Road Both Ways", "Each Star Marks a Day", "East Last Heart", "Fade Street", "Fucking Sick of Boys" live WOBC 1994, "Give Something Else Away Every Day", "Goodnight Lover", "The Gray Tower", "The Green Mossy Banks of The Lea", "Hope Dies Last", "Hot Black Silk", "It's Easier Now", "John Henry Split My Heart", "Journey On", "Just Be Simple", "KnoXVille Girl", "Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go", "Letter" live WOBC 1994, "The Lily and The Brakeman", "A Little at a Time" Sojourner version, "Lonesome Valley", "Long Desert Train", "Nashville Moon", "North Star", "Nosebleed" live WOBC 1994, "Not Just a Ghost's Heart", "Ohio" live WOBC 1994, "Owe" live WOBC 1994, "Parting Friends" live WOBC 1994, "Pond" live WOBC 1994, "Pyramid Electric Co.", "Sept. 17" live WOBC 1994, "Some Things Never Try", "Soul", "The Spell", "Ten Thousand Miles", "Tess" live WOBC 1994, "U.M.W. Pension", "Werewolves of London", "What's Broken Becomes Better", "The Wild Wind")
C♯3 ("34 Blues", "Alone With The Owl", "The Black Ram", "Boys", "Dogwood Gap", "Don't It Look Like Rain", "Everything Should Try Again", "The Far End of The Bridge", "Honey, Watch Your Ass", "How To Be Perfect Men" Journey On version, "I Can Not Have Seen The Light", "It Must Be Raining There Forever", "Keep It Steady", "Lightning Risked It All", "Lioness", "Now, Divide", "Ohio" live WOBC 1994, "The Old Horizon", "Program: The Mask", "Song of The Road", "Spectral Alphabet", "Steady Now", "Take One Thing Along", "Thistle Blue", "Waltham: Simply Unite The Name", "Will-O-The-Wisp")
C3 ("Advice to Aces", "Baby Take a Look", "Bowery", "Cross The Road, Molina", "Darling…", "Didn't It Rain", "Division St. Girl", "Don't This Look Like The Dark", "For as Long as It Will Matter", "Goodnight Lover", "The Green Mossy Banks of The Lea", "I'll Be Here In The Morning", "Journey On", "Kanawha", "The Lamb's Song", "Lonesome Valley", "Love Leaves Its Abusers", "Pond" live WOBC 1994, "Program and Disjunction", "Pyrate II" live WOBC 1994, "Shiloh Temple Bell", "Some Things Never Try", "Structuring: Necessity", "Tower Song", "Travels In Constants", "U.M.W. Pension")
B2 ("34 Blues", "45 Degress" live WOBC 1994, "1943" live WOBC 1994, "Advice to Aces", "An Ace Unable to Change", "Blue Jay", "Don't It Look Like Rain", "Each Star Marks a Day", "The Gray Tower", "The Green Mossy Banks of The Lea", "Hold On Magnolia", "Letter" live WOBC 1994, "Lioness", "Nosebleed" live WOBC 1994, "Owe" live WOBC 1994, "Parting Friends" live WOBC 1994, "Separations: Reminder", "Thistle Blue", "Twenty Cycles To The Ground", "What's Broken Becomes Better", "Whisper Away")
B♭2 ("Bath" live WOBC 1994, "Being In Love", "Division St. Girl", "Everything Should Try Again", "I'll Be Here In The Morning", "Lioness" Journey On version, "Northstar Blues", "Shiloh Temple Bell", "Solitude", "Song of The Road", "Take One Thing Along", "This Time Anything Finite At All", "Tower Song", "Travels In Constants")
A2 ("Dogwood Gap", "Hold On Magnolia", "Just Be Simple", "Owl & Raven", "Texas 71")
G♯2 ("Being In Love", "I Can Not Have Seen The Light", "I'll Be Here In The Morning", "Tower Song")
.......................................................
Blue marks falsetto or whistle notes.
Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.
Best Vocal Performances:
1. Darling…
2. Love Leaves Its Abusers
3. Hot Black Silk
4. The Black Crow
5. Captain Badass
6. Lioness
7. Come Back to Your Man
8. John Henry Split My Heart
9. Goodnight Lover
10. Josephine
11. Back On Top
12. Trans Am
13. Each Star Marks a Day
14. Hold On Magnolia
15. Didn't It Rain
16. O! Grace
17. Soul
18. Josephine
19. I'll Be Here In The Morning
20. This Time Anything Finite At All
{Album Ranges}
Songs: Ohia
Songs: Ohia (1997): A2 - A4
Impala (1998): B♭2 - B♭4
The Ghost (1999): C♯3 - G♯4
Axxess & Ace (1999): C3 - B4
The Lioness (2000): G♯2 - B♭4
Protection Spells (2000): E♭3 - G4
Ghost Tropic (2000): C♯3 - E4 - B♭4
Didn't It Rain (2002): C3 - F4 - A4
The Magnolia Electric Co. (2003): A2 - G4
Magnolia Electric Co.
What Comes After Jesus (2005): G♯2 - G4
Fading Trails (2006): C3 - G♯4
Sojourner (2007): A2 - G♯4
Josephine (2009): D3 - G4
Solo:
Pyramid Electric Co. (2004): B♭2 - F4 - B4
Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go (2006): B♭2 - F♯4
Eight Gates (2020): B2 - G4
Molina & Johnson
Molina & Johnson (2009): B2 - G4 - A4
EPs
Hecla & Griper (1997): B2 - A4
Our Golden Ratio (1998): E♭3 - C5
Travels In Constants / Howler (2001): B♭2 - F♯4
Hard to Love a Man (2005): C3 - G4
Autumn Bird Songs (2012): A2 - G4
Songs: Ohia
Songs: Ohia (1997): A2 - A4
Impala (1998): B♭2 - B♭4
The Ghost (1999): C♯3 - G♯4
Axxess & Ace (1999): C3 - B4
The Lioness (2000): G♯2 - B♭4
Protection Spells (2000): E♭3 - G4
Ghost Tropic (2000): C♯3 - E4 - B♭4
Didn't It Rain (2002): C3 - F4 - A4
The Magnolia Electric Co. (2003): A2 - G4
Magnolia Electric Co.
What Comes After Jesus (2005): G♯2 - G4
Fading Trails (2006): C3 - G♯4
Sojourner (2007): A2 - G♯4
Josephine (2009): D3 - G4
Solo:
Pyramid Electric Co. (2004): B♭2 - F4 - B4
Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go (2006): B♭2 - F♯4
Eight Gates (2020): B2 - G4
Molina & Johnson
Molina & Johnson (2009): B2 - G4 - A4
EPs
Hecla & Griper (1997): B2 - A4
Our Golden Ratio (1998): E♭3 - C5
Travels In Constants / Howler (2001): B♭2 - F♯4
Hard to Love a Man (2005): C3 - G4
Autumn Bird Songs (2012): A2 - G4
{Questionable Notes}
Any note above C5 in "There Will Be Distance"
D5 ("Freedom, Pt. 2"[5] it sounds really bad)
C♯5 ("Boys"[5] it sounds like absolute shit)
C5 ("Black Hot Silk"[1], "Napoleon: How We Have Ranged"[1])
A2 ("Redhead"[1])
F♯2 ("She Says"[3])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
Any note above C5 in "There Will Be Distance"
D5 ("Freedom, Pt. 2"[5] it sounds really bad)
C♯5 ("Boys"[5] it sounds like absolute shit)
C5 ("Black Hot Silk"[1], "Napoleon: How We Have Ranged"[1])
A2 ("Redhead"[1])
F♯2 ("She Says"[3])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.