“There were stacks of vinyl in my youth, mostly well-known, critically acclaimed classics, but I don’t need to go there because, number one, I did not purchase these hand me downs, and number two, they were acquired well before I knew I wanted to make music of my own. I hope you’re willing to read about an artist you may have never heard of. He unofficially refers to himself as an “author unknown,” but his name is Jason Falkner and the inspiring album I purchased was Can You Still Feel?.“
“My brother showed me Jason’s first album, appropriately titled Author Unknown, and told me that he was one of the original members of the band Jellyfish, which we were pretty obsessed with for their likeness of The Beatles, Queen, Beach Boys, and Supertramp. Why anyone would exit a band as special as Jellyfish is a question that made checking out Jason a necessity. A few songs in, it was clear that his solo thing was way too awesome to not devote all of his time and energy. Whatever the case was, focusing on his own music was the right move.
His debut was a masterpiece in my opinion, so by the time this second record Can You Still Feel was released, I needed to have it right away, and I needed the vinyl. The artwork was cool as hell—Jason dressed in leather, sitting in an outdated airplane with orange interior, being served a drink by a sexy/ghostly flight attendant. I loved this album before I even played it.
The opening line “Take a chance with me…” had me on the edge of my seat, and this new mixture of raw ‘in the room’ sounds along with a signature scapey vibe, courtesy of producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis) made this album different yet still very much Jason doing what he does best—which is everything. He plays ALL the instruments on his records extremely well. His witty lyrics, catchy song melodies, and guitar hooks made this another fully satisfying journey.
When this album dropped (1999) I was on a journey of my own. I had joined the Navy straight out of high school and was working as an air traffic controller in Virginia. I was strumming tunes from Beatles songbooks, and had hardly written anything on my own, but knowing Jason had played all the instruments inspired me to give writing and recording a try. My girlfriend gave me a Tascam 4-track cassette machine and I began writing furiously about my new experiences as well as my loneliness in the military. I had no idea what I was doing, but I loved the gratification of pressing play on a finished recording and hearing all those rough tracks come together. In my own little world, I was imagining things and making them happen with what little tools and skill I had.
Jason Falkner’s sound was labeled under the niche genre of “power pop,” which is simply bands, like Jellyfish, who were influenced by the artists (Beatles, Beach Boys, etc) who took melody, harmony, guitar riffs, and song movements more seriously than say, a grunge band would, not that I wasn’t a huge grunge fan in the ’90s, I was just ready to try something new. Songs like “Author Unknown” (yes he wrote a song named after his previous record) “Holiday,” “Revelation,” and “My Lucky Day,” all indicated Jason was raised on good pop, Beach Boys, The Kinks, Bowie, but carving out his own place in sing-along, clap-along, fist-pump-along rock and roll.
While thirsty for more Falkner, I discovered another “power pop” artist named Bleu and became an instant fan. I saw him in concert, met him afterward, and learned he had started producing. By then my brother and I had built our own recording studio and were cranking out much better demos. Bleu took a listen, heard the potential, and soon after changed the course of my little project as he became producer of Air Traffic Controller.
Like Jason, I try to take lyrics and melody seriously but he is on another planet—truly another level of artistry. Working with Bleu was an opportunity for me to collaborate with someone from that same planet and has allowed my music to reach “power pop” fans, musicians, as well as the average music listener. I am blessed to have made these connections all stemming from being a fan myself and connecting the dots between albums, artists, and influences.
So to say Jason Falkner’s record left an impression on me, would be an understatement. Can You Still Feel? changed my life. Listening to it today, it holds steadily as one of the best albums ever. He went on to release more great music on what seemed like an underground level while he stayed very busy on the road and in studio with artists like Beck, McCartney, and many more.
I occasionally stop by his website hoping for new announcements. I wonder how many Falk-nerds out there are doing the same. I may have just made up that term.”
—Dave Munro
Air Traffic Controller’s full length release, Black Box is in stores now.
