Category: Johnny

I'm Having Fun Now

3/20/2015

I do things and I just act so surprised by their results. Jenny Lewis is one of the only reasons I live. Her album The Voyager is a musical description of me in 2014. It was one of the four albums that made my best of list at the end of the year. I am obsessed with Jenny Lewis.

She has three studio albums. Rabbit Fur Coat, Acid Tongue, and The Voyager. All of them with the seal of approval from Anne Hathaway, because yes Anne Hathaway is obsessed with Jenny Lewis. These albums are what I like to call instant classics and if Jenny had won for album of the year over Beyonce, I could have dealt with it. Beyonce still would have been robbed, but it's Jenny Lewis and she slays everything.

Needless to say I made a purchase recently. A hesitant purchase at that of the album she did with her boyfriend Johnny Rice. I don't know how I feel about him. I like their love I think. He's cute enough. Not as cute as Jenny, but I feel like he takes himself very seriously. That's not a bad thing, I suppose.

He's a musician just like Jenny, except he has none of the popularity that Jenny is blessed with. He's had his own studio albums, but no one has bought them. Jenny is certainly the popular part of the duo.

Because, what would a girlfriend do to make her fans look at her boy toy? Record an album together. Not only would they record the material together, but they would go on tour with one another. That is a win-win situation all the way around.

Still I avoided this album, because as much as one loves Jenny my interest in her boyfriend is non existent. The Voyager is one of my favorite albums ever. And, there is no such thing as too much Jenny Lewis. I decided I needed to get the Jenny & Johnny album, I'm Having Fun Now.

It was the greatest decision of my life. No real surprise. As of the day this was posted there is no news of a new Jenny & Johnny album. That is okay. The music is on fleek (crosses fingers that I used that correctly). They killed it, but no matter how hard Jenny tries to stand in the background it's so easy for her to upstage her boyfriend.

She gives him lead on two of the stronger tracks off the LP, “Committed” and “Animal”. It changes nothing that he has nice, simple vocals, she over empowers him just by harmonizing. I'm Having Fun Now is supposed to be a showcase for her boyfriend, but it only strives in proving the quality of Jenny Lewis as a performer.

Buy "Animal"

Buy "Committed"

Don't feel over whelmed to get this album on CD. The packaging is basic. There isn't even a booklet and the disc is this dated blue, sub par excuse for design. That said the album is great. It's the kind of album you take with you on a road trip and you just listen to. You sing. You roll the windows down. It's great. It's very Southern California.

The only song off the album to get the music video treatment is “Big Wave”. I suppose this is the song that Warner Brothers wanted to use to convince you to buy this album. I certainly enjoy the song. I do think it takes a few spins to really groove with it, though. It has a very Vince Joy “Riptide” feel about it. The song “Scissor Runner” was also released as a free download from the album.

Buy "Big Wave"

One thing this album doesn't make me question is if the pair is really having fun now.

Buy I'm Having Fun Now

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Mushrooms and Coke

10/18/2014

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I have owned this album for a good bit of time now. Actually, I bought the day of Boomer's going away party. That was what, the first Thursday of August? The second. Needless to say it's been a bit of a while.

And, I liked it when I bought it, but I'm obsessed now. I've been listening to it every day. It's everything. Jenny Lewis is everything.

And, I liked it when I bought it, but I'm obsessed now. I've been listening to it every day. It's everything. Jenny Lewis is everything.

You just cannot understand my love for Jenny Lewis. She is part of my childhood. She was sort of a child star. The really important part was that she was in my favorite movie as a child, well one of my favorites. It's a truly terrible film. It's called Troop Beverly Hills and it has Shelly Long from Cheers in it so that's exciting.

Actually it's not a bad movie. I have made so many people watch this movie. I still laugh. I still cry. I still love it. The basic premise is that Shelly Long is the recently separated mother of daughter Hannah Nefler (played by Jenny Lewis) and she takes over as the leader of her girl scout troop. But, instead of teaching them the ways of the wilds, she teaches them how to survive the wilds of Beverly Hills. And, of course there's Velda Plendor, who wants to get Phyllis Nefler out of the girl scouts. And toss her out on her butt.

It's funny. See it. Watch it. Enjoy it. Cringe, maybe. Just don't watch it with me, I can quote the whole movie. Needless to say I was watching my childhood favorite two years ago. And, I said to myself what has happened to everyone in this movie. Thanks to the power of wikipedia I soon found out about Jenny Lewis's singing career.

Before her solo career. She worked with this band, Rilo Kiley, now I have not investigated them. Jenny is no longer with them and I'm really just not that interested at this point. You see I would have bought Jenny Lewis's records two years ago, but I wasn't working. I subsisted on twenty dollars a month. So, you have to pick your priorities. That is Madonna, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, P!NK, Jennifer Lopez, Lana Del Rey, Gossip. And, the admittedly questionable purchase of Carly Rae Jepsen's debut album Kiss. Which, is not as bad as you think.

And, oh my god. 2012 was a good year in music.

So, I didn't end up buying a Jenny Lewis album. And, I religiously check the music charts every week. And, that's where I found out about it. I check them., so I know what's popular. I just don't mess with radio. I do not like it, I would rather put in a CD and have an experience. I mean occasionally I do, because sometimes you're just not in the mood for anything.

Recently, the struggle has been so real. I've been driving to school in my mother's car. I told you how my car has been broken down. Well, I can play CD's in the truck. But, not in the car. I only have the radio. However, there is air conditioning (Something the truck lacks) and it sort of evens out. I don't know.

One problem with the car, though, is that you can't see around anything. ANYTHING. I'm just used to be high off the ground able to see around cars. Mind you, I don't have one of those redneck, high rollers, southern boys are so found of. It's a mid size, comfortable little truck. It's also never clean.

I love how I forgot to tell you the name of the album. It's called The Voyager and I love the album cover. You can see it right there. I don't how to describe it musically. Light rock. No, that's not right. Everything is indie-rock now. Its very soothing. I like it.

This album is an experience, like ARTPOP or the 1975's debut set. It's amazing. What took me so long to just become obsessed is that it doesn't hit you in the face. This is not Katy Perry going for the jugular. This is an alt rock artist who knows she's not going to have a hit and that's okay with her. You have to connect with the words. And, I have finally done that.

There is quite a bit of drug references. It does tend to surprise you. I am still piecing together what these songs mean. “Just One of The Guys” has yet to hit me. There's one line where she says “I'm just another lady without a baby”, and I'm trying to figure out how that relates to it.

“Late Bloomer” I have worked out. It is about a young inexperienced girl who moves to the big city and proceeds to get involved with drugs. Beautiful, story there Jenny.

That's one thing I've noticed I feel comfortable calling her Jenny. Like, if I ran into the streets and saw Beyonce. I would not say Beyonce. I would say “Hey, Mrs. Carter”. I think Jenny and I are friends. We have to be. I feel connected.

Speaking of friends. Anne Hathway is even slick more obsessed with Jenny then I am. She appeared in the music video for “Just One of the Guys” alongside Kristen Stewart. It's basically everything. And to prove that Jenny Lewis is basically the most adorable human being on the planet and you most certainly should go out and buy The Voyager look at her response to being asked who the most attractive male is.

Buy "Just One Of The Guys"

If you don't want to buy The Voyager and you still need more convincing other then the fact that your favorite blogger has given you their full out recommendation. Here are my favorite tracks from the album you should check out: