Even though he likes to pick and chose his projects carefully, Jason Falkner has had an amazing run of recording dates—both on solo albums and as a sideman with the likes of Beck, Air and Paul McCartney—that would turn most musicians pea green. And Falkner has also been a crucial part of critically lauded releases by ’90s indie-rock heroes Eric Matthews, the Grays and Jellyfish, as well as getting his feet wet with original Paisley Underground cult combo the Three O’Clock. Falkner has a stellar solo set due out this summer called All Quiet On The Noise Floor that threatens to pass his previous solo release, I’m OK, You’re OK (from February), like a slow runner being lapped on the bases by a real speedburner. Falkner is guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with him and our 2008 Jellyfish feature.
Falkner: Brett Smiley‘s “Space Ace” is from the album Breathlessly Brett. (Yes, that is the title.) I was driving around in L.A. listening to Steve Jones‘ long-gone radio show when this weird song came on. My antenna had been broken in half years earlier in a bizarre car-wash incident, so radio reception was never particularly good in this car, therefore the song kept fading in and out as I drove. Arrgh! So I pulled the car over and listened to the second half and waited with baited breath to see if the song’s author would be announced. Steve came on air and said, “That was Brett Smiley,” making some crack about how impossibly girlish looking the guy on the record cover was. True story, as I almost passed up a copy in a record shop later that day because I was looking for a record by Brett Smiley and, in fact, Brett is very comfortable with his feminine side. A good record, but for me it’s all about one song: “Space Ace.” Proper orchestral glam rock with just the right amount of fey space cadet. Brilliant!
Video after the jump.
