Daniel Johnston… the low-fi fans wet dream. If you like your music low-fi, and Kurt Cobain clearly did, then Daniel Johnston is the dream ticket. The early records are as low-fi as it goes. As legend goes, Johnston was known for handing out tapes which were record one by one, no multiple recording mass produce nonsense here just pure unfiltered DIY to the extreme. Such was the craziness of the music industry once Nirvana has broken big that DJ manage to bag himself a major record deal. Kurt Cobain was pictured at various awards ceremonies during the time with his Daniel Johnston t-shirt and maybe this was a key factored in him landing a deal. Whatever the reason it didn’t last long but he was unceremoniously dropped after selling only 5000 album of the ‘Fun’ album. Despite the fact the Daniel Johnston writes some of the most simple, honest, childlike and heart breaking songs ever his peculiar voice was never going to appeal to the masses. Kurt Cobain named ‘Yip/Jump Music’ in his top 50 album. Start there. If you struggle to ‘get it’ then I suggest you go for the ‘The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered’ compilation. It includes various alternate rock royalty Beck, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev plus the legend that is Tom Waits..cmon Tom Waits!! If that guy is covering your song the surely you have something going on…
Here's Beck:
Tom Waits: