This came to my attention via Volcanic Tongue:
Abner Jay
Depression/I’m So Depressed
Mississippi Records No Cat
7”
£7.99
Totally cool single release from Mississippi that bundles real people/folk spirit legend Abner Jay’s classic “I’m So Depressed” in an alternate solo version along with a stunning full-band house-rocking take entitled “Depression” on the flip. Totally fantastic – has to be heard to be believed. Highly recommended.
This is just one of those amazing stories that is going to make tracking this down really worth it. Abner Jay himself is just one of those amazing american blues one man band forgotten artists, he plays with this great tremolo electric picking guitar and incredible voice. Supposedly he played out of an RV that would convert into a stage for random shows wherever he ended up playing hundreds of classic reinterpreted blues and originals on a banjo passed down in his family from the late 1700's!
Of course the two tracks here are about depression...the lyrics are so amazing...it's not typical blues...he's really belting it out kind of 50's echo style, great melodies, with harmonica...a weird flat metallic high hat and kick drum.
We had nothing / we had nothing / but grasshoppers
I am a boy so full of love / I have no one to hold my hand
I love how this is recorded...minimal and powerful...that sincerity of just sharing these songs with anyone who would listen.
Then Mississippi records founded by Byron Coley, Thurston Moore and Johan Kugelberg in 1983, (No they didn't actually, as a couple people pointed out....what!!! wikipedia is wrong!?) which has released only vinyl by the way in insane limited numbers of undiscovered gems like this, released this...I think recently...the only way to get any of this stuff is through distro's or visiting the physical store in Seattle (wrong again.... Portland, WA)... the mythology just grows and grows.
You can go hear 'I'm so depressed' on Chances with Wolves.
Academy in Brooklyn just posted that they got a few copies of this and his full length in....I'm going to go head over there and check it out.
