Right now I’m completely reworking this site
Jon Langford & the Bright Shiners Where It Really Starts
TINY GLOBAL PRODUCTIONS
US release date: 26 April 2024
CD: 7 98234 00599 0
LP: 7 98234 00598 3
Tracks:
For The Queen Of Hearts
Awake The Land Of The Shadows
Discarded
Old Lost Dog
Seahouses
On A Scale Of One To Nine
Tell Me Your Story
The Emperor’s Fiddle
Far Sighted Ghost
I Have A Wish
Jon Langford’s been in more bands than you have digits – and that’s true even if you were born with a few extras! From his early days in Mekons, Delta 5, Three Johns and even Sisters Of Mercy (booted for not wearing black) to a veritable explosion of one-off recordings and performances with more names than we could ever hope to list in full. A Wikipedia description for this group, The Bright Shiners (described therein as ‘circa 2022 through at least 2023, in Northern California’) provides some sense of the complex taxonomy needed just to keep track of Jon’s massive oeuvre.
Happily, that’s an understated description of a serious new outlet for his endless creativity, and The Bright Shiners’ recording activities have produced a full album, Where It Really Starts, the first recording in a collaboration with Tamineh Gueramy, Alice Spencer, and Jon’s frequent musical partner, John Szymanski.
Jon’s never sung or written better, and the sense that the band realised they were onto something great is palpable in an instant. Each song is a minimalistic jewel – there’s nothing here that doesn’t need to be – yet the album is unsparing of aptly astonishing adornment – wonderful harmonies, horns, mellotron, bowed guitar, piano. looped percussion and more), by our reckoning this is one of Jon’s finest works of art and his best outfit outside The Mekons themselves.
Jon Langford & the Bright Shiners will tour mercilessly throughout 2024.
tracks:
label: tinyglobalproductions@gmail.com
DISTRIBUTED BY CARGO RECORDS UK
Lucky Seven Series, Part 3
Tiny Global Productions – PICI-0043-7,PICI-0044-7,PICI-0046-7
A Jon Langford (2) W/ Bethany Thomas & John Szymanski– Not Enough Love To Go Round 3:45
B Jon Langford (2) W/ Bethany Thomas & John Szymanski– It’s A Secret 3:47
C Jon Langford (2) & Steve Forward– Little Monsters 3:22
D Jon Langford (2) & Steve Forward– Drunk On Electricity 3:11
E Jon Langford (2) & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Choir– The One That Got Away 3:08
F Jon Langford (2) & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Choir– Genius 2:26
TMP165 JON LANGFORD TELLS TALES OF FEAR AND WHISKEY
The Mekons and Waco Brothers founding singer, guitarist, and punk/alt-country pioneer takes a break from his latest Freakon collaboration to discuss his Welsh upbringing, his art school days with pals Gang of Four, his solo projects, and his successful career as a painter. Jon has a tremendous work ethic, releasing the first of 23 singles from the “Lucky Seven Series” and starting bands and records with any free moment. He’s also a real gentleman…qualities the Troubled Nation could use more of.
Topics include roadwork, the Hard Rock Hotel scandal, the Rolling Stones at Jazzfest, vaccine resistance, port cities, Joe Strummer and the Clash, a record deal, LeMieux Galleries, Tom Stern and Blue Velvet Studio, Alex Rawls, OffBeat, Chickie Wah Wah, Steve Watson, Buddy Watson, the Sadies, Midway Pizza, country music, Thatcher and Reagan, union busting, signing to Virgin Records, a mining strike, the Aberfan 1966 mining disaster, moving to Chicago, honky tonk music, “Deserted,” inspiration, Yard Dog Gallery, “Lofty Deeds,” the chicken and the egg, and much more.
Pine Valley Cosmonauts: Closing Time 2020
| 1 | Ol’ 55 | |
| 2 | I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You | |
| 3 | Virginia Avenue | |
| 4 | Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards) | |
| 5 | Midnight Lullaby | |
| 6 | Martha | |
| 7 | Rosie | |
| 8 | Lonely | |
| 9 | Ice Cream Man | |
| 10 | Little Trip To Heaven (On The Wings Of Your Love) | |
| 11 | Grapefruit Moon | |
| 12 | Closing Time |
Virtue Cider founder, Gregory Hall, in partnership with his dear friend and Chicago musician, Jon Langford, is releasing a record called The Closing Time. 100% of proceeds benefit CIVL SAVE Emergency Relief Fund which provides immediate micro-grants to Chicago’s music community members who are most in need of financial support due to COVID-19.
The record includes 16 Chicago musicians such as Jon Langford, Jeff Tweedy, Andrew Bird, Rosie Flores, Janet Bean and Sally Timms, that have recreated Closing Time – the 1973 debut album by multi-GRAMMY Award® winning, ACADEMY AWARD® nominated, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted songwriter Tom Waits.
Jon Langford’s Lucky Seven Series, part 2
The bold second series of Jon Langford and pals doing their thing creating art and music. This series is a three-way battle between Satan, Jesus and Mum, and features Jon solo, with Skull Orchard, singing and playing with pals Bethany Thomas & John Szymanski, plus an exclusive remix of Band Of Holy Joy’s “The Devil Has A Hold On The Line” by Youth (famed producer and Killing Joke’s genius bassist.)
Jon Langford’s Lucky Seven Series, Part 1
released September 19, 2020
Jon Langford & Skull Orchard: Losers (4:11)
GW Sok & Oma: Aberfan 1966 (4:41)
Jon Langford: & Skull Orchard Hey! Rockstar (4:35)
Jon Langford: & Skull Orchids* F.O. Warman (4:37)
Jon Langford: & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Choir Only The River (3:32)
Jon Langford: & The Skull Orchard Welsh Male Choir Big White Clou (3:51)
This series of singles was inspired by those fine musicians who regularly use their medium as a The bold second series of Jon Langford and pals doing their thing creating art and music. This series is a three-way battle between Satan, Jesus and Mum, and features Jon solo, with Skull Orchard, singing and playing with pals Bethany Thomas & John Szymanski, plus an exclusive remix of Band Of Holy Joy’s “The Devil Has A Hold On The Line” by Youth (famed producer and Killing Joke’s genius bassist.) of encouraging political change, expressing those truths which go untold in mainstream media, offering perspective to the inquisitive and camaraderie to fellow travellers.
We are at a strange moment. Economic and political tensions building in the decades since the Reagan / Thatcher era are exploding throughout much of the world. A worldwide pandemic has exposed further exposed the inequality and injustice which affects many more people than the number who benefit from it. In their small way, these songs hope to speak to all of this and more.
Men Of Gwent: President Of Wales
Songs
Released November 19, 2019 on Country Miles Records, CMR024
Grave Alexandra
Bulmore Lido
Blue To Black
X-Ray Style
Frankie Lodge
Hey! Rebecca
Home Of The Vote
Bassaleg Road Earthquake
President Of Wales
London To Llanelli Line
Four years on from their warmly received debut, the new album continues with themes around the bands home city of Newport and across Wales including opener “Grave Alexandra” which documents the 1909 Docks Disaster that killed 46 workers. “Bulmore Lido” covers the closure of an open air swimming pool in Caerleon where Jon Langford “nearly drowned” and “Home Of The Vote” outlines the recent new developments in the city centre while referring back to the legacy of the Chartists. The song “London to Llanelli Line” records a chance meeting with the late Deke Leonard of the band Man. The sadly departed local crooner Frankie Lodge has a song where he is mentioned alongside the legendary Alan Vega (singer of the American band Suicide). Elsewhere Joe Strummer is digging graves in “Bassaleg Road Earthquake” while the title track “President of Wales” gives Jon the opportunity to let the world know “he can never go home”…
Men Of Gwent – Lost On Land & Sea
| 1 | Commercial Street | |
| 2 | The Last Murenger | |
| 3 | How Bright Are The Stars | |
| 4 | Ruby | |
| 5 | Mrs Hammer’s Dream | |
| 6 | Tenby Boatman | |
| 7 | Honest Ken | |
| 8 | Encounter With A Selkie Off Llangranog | |
| 9 | River Daughter | |
| 10 | Ghost Light | |
| 11 | Lost In The Wentwood | |
| 12 | Black Gold at Six Bells |