Naked In the Afternoon - A Tribute to Jandek

These performances are practically conventional compared to the original tracks by Jandek, who over the years has amassed one of the most unusual catalogs in the history of recorded sound. The documentary film Jandek on Corwood goes a long way toward unraveling the mystery of this outsider artist, but before the film came out—and before Jandek made any public performances—there was only a constant trickle of albums with strange names, blurry photographs, alluring song titles, and haunting music. The idea of a tribute to someone so low-profile sounded interesting, if a questionable business move. Yet there have since been two tributes: this first volume and Down in a Mirror. Both feature a number of unknown artists alongside notable names such as Low and Gary Young performing their favorite Jandek songs. Bright Eyes contribute their original track "Have You Ever Heard of Jandek?," written in the style of the mysterious one. The highlights, however, include Peter Weiss & Brian Charles' bluesy "Quinn Boys II," Retsin's lonely "New Town," and Kid Icarus' folky "She Fell Down."