Rural Ledge-ucation #19: Tommy Stinson

With the long-awaited solo album by Tommy Stinson, One Man Mutiny, finally set to be released on August 30, it was a no-brainer to bookend today's show with tracks from that album. FMQB's Debbi Calton says it is the culmination of Tommy's entire career."Everything up till now has shaped this record. Paul Westerberg's voice sometimes comes out of Tommy's mouth. The spirit of Bob Stinson is always hovering nearby. There was a lot of craziness during this time. There was also a lot of love."
Calton was present during the recording of the album (she's related to his fiance, Emily Roberts), and has this to say about the recording process:

Fans of Perfect and Bash and Pop and Tommy's 2004 solo outing Village Gorilla Head will find many favorite songs on the 10 song One Man Mutiny. There's a great pop sensibility running throughout the recrod. The playfulness of "Match Made In Hell" with its happy go lucky rickety tickety gait is an ironic look at relationships for better or worse. The title song "One Man Mutiny" was written while on tour with GnR in Burssels and recorded at 3 am in the dining room of The Conrad Hotel with Guns mates Dizzy Reed and Richard Fortus. The album was originally going to be called All This Way For Nothing but when this song came about it spoke volumes about where Tommy was in the moment. Frank Ferrer, also from Guns, lends a hand on drums on this record as does George Manney, a Philadelphia musician and film producer.
Most notable on the record is the presence of Tommy's fiancee Emily Roberts. Her voice is a perfect complement to Tommy's. Sometimes it's hard to tell where one stops and the other begins. And Uncle Chin brings his slide guitar and personality to many of the songs on the album. (Basement breaks usually consisted of a trip to the street for a "snack" or upstairs for a cooking lesson. Tommy's quite a whiz in the kitchen too, it turns out.) Producer Phillip Broussard, Jr. worked with Tommy previously on Village Gorilla Head and spent many a late night session in Tommy's Bipolarbear studio in LA after Tommy finished up  Guns daily rehearsals.

Besides the solo Stinson tunes, this week's episode also included a few acoustic Replacements covers, and assorted other singer/songwriter-is material. Nab it at all the usual spots, or download it here!  

1. Paul Westerberg, Born For Me 
2. Tommy Stinson, One Man Mutiny 
3. Justin Townes Earle, Can't Hardly Wait 
4. Cary Brothers, Skyway (Solo Acoustic) [Bonus Track]  
5. Bill Janovitz, Little Mascara 
6. Mark Kozelek, Celebrated Summer 
7. Juliana Hatfield, It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll 
8. Scud Mountain Boys, Freight of Fire 
9. Grant-Lee Phillips, Mona Lisa  
10. Golden Smog, Red Headed Stepchild  
11. Kevin Salem, Lighthouse Keeper 
12. Chuck Prophet, Age Of Miracles  
13. Paul Kelly and the Messengers, Before The Old Man Died 
14. John Wesley Harding, The People's Drug  
15. Tommy Stinson, Meant to Be