Jason Atkinson | friendly radio

Go To Artist Page

MORE ALBUMS BY THIS ARTIST


Recommended if You Like
Iron & Wine Leonard Cohen Syd Barrett

Album Links
Jason Atkinson Bitmunk GroupieTunes PassAlong Tradebit PayPlay Apple iTunes

More Artists From
United States - NY - New York City

Other Genres You Will Love
Folk: Anti-Folk Folk: Modern Folk Moods: Mood: Brooding

My Wishlist

There are no items in your wishlist.

friendly radio

by Jason Atkinson

© Copyright - Jason Atkinson / Jason Atkinson (634479072666)
CD $7.00
simple songs about relationships human. nylon string acoustic plays an important role in the fun.
Genre: Folk: Anti-Folk
Release Date: 

We'll ship when it's back in stock

Order now and we'll ship when it's back in stock, or enter your email below to be notified when it's back in stock.
Sign up for the CD Baby Newsletter
Your email address will not be sold for any reason.
Continue Shopping
just a few left.
order now!
Share to Google +1

Tracks

Available in: MP3, MP3-320, and FLAC file types.

To listen to tracks you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.

  song title
share
time
download
1. too close
Share this song!
X
Twitter Facebook
Google Stumble
Email
5:13 album only
2. earned
Share this song!
X
Twitter Facebook
Google Stumble
Email
2:11 album only
3. not paris (rangoon)
Share this song!
X
Twitter Facebook
Google Stumble
Email
6:05 album only
4. one way i have
Share this song!
X
Twitter Facebook
Google Stumble
Email
6:15 album only
5. hi, my love
Share this song!
X
Twitter Facebook
Google Stumble
Email
3:24 album only
6. fun ship
Share this song!
X
Twitter Facebook
Google Stumble
Email
3:31 album only
preview all songs

ABOUT THIS ALBUM


Album Notes
The time has come. The moment is here. Jason Atkinson's "Friendly Radio" CD has been exposed, in all its fragility, to a harsh cruel world. Yet "Friendly Radio," despite it all, is Ready and Willing to be consumed either at your home, in your car, or in your portable listening device.

If you enjoy listening to songs about ambivalent relationships, obsession with celebrity culture ("paris (not rangoon)"), and diatribes about the cruise line industry ("fun ship") then, clearly, these musics are for you!


Reviews


to write a review

Hugh
LIEPAPER.COM
Friendly Radio is the debut EP from New York song-writer Jason Atkinson. The tone of the six tracks varies, but the overall mood remains melancholy throughout the album's duration. Atkinson gained a degree in classical guitar, and his mature compositions confirm that he has been schooled well. Although Friendly Radio has several downfalls, it contains more promise than most solo debuts you are bound to come across.

"Too Close" starts off the disc, and it is the main highlight of the set. The guitar stylings on this song remind me of Iron & Wine, and the song itself is so wonderfully crafted. Atkinson's voice is convincing. It is kind of like if Phil Elvrum had a deeper voice and wasn't obsessed with nature. "Earned" slips in an electronic drum beat, and has a smooth lounge feel to it.

"Not Paris (Rangoon)" is bitter and haunting, but the Paris Hilton samples throw the track off, and are quite disturbing. "One Way I Have" and "Hi, My Love" are fragile and effective. The dark pop of "Fun Ship" closes off the album in a deranged manner. It sounds nothing like the other songs, but shows that Atkinson has a wide palate. This song would sound great in a film about passengers on a cruise ship being attacked by some sort of creature. Friendly Radio comes recommended to those who have been jilted by the opposite sex, or to anyone with a thing for Nick Drake.

J-Sin. smother.net
SMOTHER.NET
But really is any radio show nowadays friendly? If it’s not
playing obnoxious pop or R&B, you have bad and very venomous talk radio.
So maybe that was the inspiration behind the music, which would find a
welcome home on practically anyone’s radio dial. Jason’s voice could be
liked to admitted inspiration Nick Drake. What’s surprising is the hip
drums on “Earned” that could have easily found a home on any Japanese
chill-out compilation. It’s those types of surprises that’ll keep you
coming back, whether they reside in the lyrical, vocal, or production
department.

J.R. Oliver
EAR CANDY MAG
Off the wall sense of humor delivered in a lo-fi indie package. Atkinson has a way of taking a pretty piece of music and his almost spoken vocal delivery and hypnotizing the listener. It takes a couple of listens for his humor to sink in but it eventually does just that. Maybe radio will be friendly to Jason or maybe the title is just wishful thinking on his part. Either way, I’m with you brother.

David Cobb
SPLENDID
Think of it as an aspiring musician's daydream. He moves from hometown to college town. He receives a degree in classical guitar. He moves to New York City. He records his debut album in a sparse, overpriced apartment. He releases the album and hopes for critical acclaim. It's the stuff that dreams are made of, right? Friendly Radio is Jason Atkinson's version of this dream, and it's clear from its successes that he's done his homework. His songs are clearly the result of hundreds of hours spent listening to classic songwriters; they reveal influences as varied as Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen and Frank Zappa.
Atkinson's work runs the songwriterly gamut from unadorned acoustic efforts to layered electronic experimentation. "Too Close" reveals his true proficiency -- smart, witty lyrics ("I guess I'm so rehearsed / and there's plenty more fun where that came from") -- but it also points out his biggest liability: his frequently shaky vocal. Some of the music on Friendly Radio goes overboard on garage band minimalism (and incidentally, does anyone really need to hear a Paris Hilton sample?), but Atkinson's simple, effective approach to songwriting succeeds far more often than it fails.

Po'Hank
Where to begin?
Where to begin with this debut ep by Jason Atkinson? A cross between Nick Drake & Devendra Banehart? Perhaps a dash of Palace era Will Oldham? Oddly, the late 60's songwriter, David Ackles certainly comes to mind at times, as do names like Syd Barrett, Leonard Cohen & Skip Spence. Why not toss in a little Meredith Monk while I'm at it? Suffice to say, Mr. Atkinson is an original, with a healthy amount of low-fi Indy hipness. As a guitarist, he certainly has chops & fans of the aformentioned Nick Drake will no doubt be mesmerized by Atkinson's fingerpicking. Lyrically, he can be as mournfully obtuse as he is playful. While a line like, "I'm the captain of your funship" could have easily come from a Frank Zappa record, other lines such as "You're not Paris & you're not Rangoon" speak volumes about the relationship he is singing about. Atkinson certainly has an off the wall sense of humor but there's definitely something behind. Some might find it unsettling, others comforting. The beauty is all in the eye of the beholder on this one.