Jandek is most likely Sterling R. Smith (or maybe Scott Corwood or
Maurice Jendak or you might dig the conspiracy theory that he is a
very famous person who does this as a big joke), and lives in Houston, Texas (maybe).
Since 1978 Jandek has recorded and issued 28 full-length
albums on his own
Corwood Industries record label.
The
music he makes has been described (by me) as
eerie. Imagine a guy who just bought his first
guitar pretending like he can
fingerpick, singing
dissonant falsetto stream of consciousness like a loud and mournful
sigh.
Art? Yes.
Poetry? Sure.
Music? Probably.
Cool? No Question.
His album covers reveal little about him, just pictures of
him (we assume) and his
house (I think) and some of the
objects in it (probably).
He has never performed in
public.
He
rejects all requests for
interviews. People who make
pilgrimages to his home receive no answer to their knocks, curtains and shades shut them out. There was a reporter from Texas who was invited out to a
bar for a
beer by a
nice,
average,
suburban guy named Sterling who answered the door and
briefly (he requested that no one ever contact him regarding Jandek again) discussed Jandek in the
third person. Was it Jandek? Even she isn't
100% sure.
To buy your very own Jendak music write to:
Corwood Industries
P.O. Box 15375
Houston,
Texas 77220
CDs cost $8 each or he will throw 20 in a box for $80 (be warned, you may get some doubles).
All
LPs are out of print but can still be bought on
ebay or
flea markets for $50-$60.
If you simply MUST order
online:
http://www.forcedexposure.com
Discography:
READY FOR THE HOUSE (LP, 1978; CD reissue, 1999) - issued as "The Units". When he discovered there was already a band with that name he adopted Jandek. The DC reissue says "Jandek
SIX AND SIX (LP, 1981; CD reissue, 2000)
LATER ON (LP, 1981; CD reissue, 2000)
CHAIR BESIDE A WINDOW (LP, 1982; CD reissue, 2000)
LIVING IN A MOON SO BLUE (LP, 1982; CD reissue, 2000)
STARING AT THE CELLOPHANE (LP, 1982; CD reissue, 2000)
YOUR TURN TO FALL (LP, 1983; CD reissue, 2001)
THE ROCKS CRUMBLE (LP, 1983)
INTERSTELLAR DISCUSSION (LP, 1984)
NINE-THIRTY (LP, 1985)
FOREIGN KEYS (LP, 1985)
TELEGRAPH MELTS (LP, 1986)
FOLLOW YOUR FOOTSTEPS (LP, 1986)
MODERN DANCES (LP, 1987)
BLUE CORPSE (LP, 1987)
YOU WALK ALONE (LP, 1988)
ON THE WAY (LP, 1988)
THE LIVING END (LP, 1989)
SOMEBODY IN THE SNOW (LP, 1990)
ONE FOOT IN THE NORTH (LP, 1991)
LOST CAUSE (LP, 1992)
TWELFTH APOSTLE (LP, 1993)
GRAVEN IMAGE (CD, 1994 Out Of Print)
GLAD TO GET AWAY (CD, 1994)
WHITE BOX REQUIEM (CD, 1996)
I WOKE UP (CD, 1997)
NEW TOWN (CD, 1998)
THE BEGINNING (CD, 1999)
PUT MY DREAM ON THIS PLANET (CD, 2000)
Tributes:
There is a band called Telegraph Melts
NAKED IN THE AFTERNOON - A Tribute to Jandek CD on Summersteps Records
Song "Jandek" by Wesley Willis
You are a strange musician.
You are a mystery to the world.
The people flock to wonder about you.
You are a good person.
Jaaannnndek
Jaaaannndek
Jaaaannndek
Jaaaaanndek
In 1988 you released an album called "Blue Corpse"
People don't know who you are.
You release an album a year.
You want to be left alone.
Jaaaaanndek
Jaaaaanndek
Jaaaaanndek
Jaaaaanndek
"He's not
pretentious, but only
pretentious people like his music." -
Kurt Cobain
Sources:
http://tisue.net/jandek/ - Seth Tisue's
excellent fan site and
mailing list.
http://www.corwood.com/ - (un)official Corwood Industries Website. It's funny.
An anonymous man at an anonymous record label who is not my
husband but knows
I love him to bits.