The Extraordinary Jon Brion

The first time I heard Jon Brion was the summer of 2002 at Club Largo in LA, where he plays every Friday night. Alt-bluegrass trio Nickel Creek opened the show with Brion joining them for a stellar cover of Randy Newman's "Sail Away." When Brion took the stage, he walked around playing several instruments, recording and looping them to create the sound of a full band. These shows at Largo have become legendary with the likes of Beck, Fiona Apple and Kanye West known to drop by for surprise guest appearances.

Brion is known best probably for his work with Fiona Apple and hip film scores. After scoring three of Paul Thomas Anderson's four films, Brion's crowning achievement would have to be his work in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. His dreamlike score perfectly captured the tragically sentimental story. Alongside songs by Beck, ELO, and the Polyphonic Spree, Eternal Sunshine... is one of my favorite soundtracks in recent memory.

It was his work on Apple's When the Pawn... that caught the attention of West, who asked Brion to co-produce his sophomore LP Late Registration in an attempt to be "the rap version of [her]." Together they produced an album like no other, as West's clever humor and self-conscious rhymes met with layers of strings.

With all the emphasis on his production and cinematic work, Brion's solo work tends to get left out of the discussion. This is likely because, in 1997, Lava/Atlantic were less than pleased with the album he turned in (Meaningless) and subsequently released him from his contract. It was not until 2001 that the album became available. According to Brion, he was told there were no legitimate "singles" on the album, which is funny because with his quirky lyrics, catchy hooks, and slight nasal in his voice, Brion can craft a modern day pop song about as good as anybody.

::Classic Brion::
•"Ruin My Day" (Meaningless, 1997)
•"Fast As You Can" (Fiona Apple, When the Pawn..., 1999)
•Live performance on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic (2001)
•Blossoms and Blood (Short directed by P.T. Anderson, with Adam Sandler and Emily Watson; featured on Punch Drunk Love DVD; 2003)
•"Strings That Tie to You," "Peer Pressure" (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2003)
•"Knock Yourself Out" (I Heart Huckabees, 2004)
•"We Major," "Late" (Kanye West, Late Registration, 2005)

::2 Related Links::
1•The Best Movie Music of 2005 (Artifacts)
2•Cinematic Treatment: The Music of Jon Brion (Pitchfork)