Jon Brion
Encyclopedia
Jon Brion is an American
rock
and pop
multi-instrumentalist
, singer, songwriter
, composer
and record producer
.
, New Jersey
. He came from a musical family; his mother, LaRue, was an administrative assistant and singer, and his father, Keith Brion, was a band director at Yale
. His brother and sister became a composer/arranger and a violinist, respectively. Brion had difficulties at Hamden High School and at the age of 17 left education, opting instead to play music professionally. From 1980-85 Jon was part of the band The Excerpts, along with Stephen Harris, Dean Falcone, Jim Balga & Spike Priggen.
. They eventually enlisted bassist Don "Riff" Fertman and together formed The Bats, (not to be confused with the New Zealand group
of the same name). The Bats released a single, "Popgun" and one album How Pop Can You Get?
, on Gustav records in 1982. The recordings had much critical acclaim, but little commercial success, and the trio eventually disbanded.
, where he played solo gigs, formed the short-lived band World's Fair and became a member of the last touring version of Aimee Mann's
new wave
band 'Til Tuesday
. He contributed guitar work to Jellyfish
's 1993 album Spilt Milk, and in 1994, joined Dan McCarroll, Buddy Judge and Jellyfish guitarist Jason Falkner
in the short-lived pop band The Grays
. He also provided the signature pedal steel guitar
part on The Wallflowers
breakthrough album Bringing Down the Horse
. Brion played numerous instruments on Sam Phillips
' 1996 release Omnipop (It's Only A Fleshwound Lambchop). Brion is featured as keyboardist and drummer on Marianne Faithfull
's 2003 album, Kissin' Time
, and co-wrote a song, "City of Quartz", for her next work, 2005's Before the Poison
.
. He has also produced albums by Fiona Apple
, Rufus Wainwright
, Eleni Mandell
, Rhett Miller
, Robyn Hitchcock
, Brad Mehldau
and Evan Dando
.
He also co-produced Kanye West
's Late Registration
album in 2005.
In the fall of 2002, Brion began producing the album Extraordinary Machine
with Fiona Apple, but she later brought in producers Mike Elizondo
and Brian Kehew
(a friend of Brion's) to complete the album. Brion's versions leaked onto the Internet, where the album gained a cult following long before its official release.
Brion worked and performed on some of the tracks for Sean Lennon
's 2006 album Friendly Fire. Lennon said that working with him was "how I would imagine it’s like to work with Prince
. It’s like having a weird alien prodigy in your room."
More recently, Brion has produced recordings by British pop performer Dido
, Spoon
, and Keane, as well as 2009's Jon Brion Remix EP by Of Montreal
.
/Atlantic
label in 1997, but was released from his contract after turning in his solo debut album Meaningless; the album was released independently in 2001.
He is rumored to be working on his second solo full-length album at Abbey Road Studios
.
, with whom he has a preferential working relationship. In addition to scoring many of his films, Brion contributed music to Boogie Nights
and had a cameo in the film as a moustached guitar player.
Particularly in his film soundtracks, Brion is noted for his use of early analog sampling instruments, particularly the Chamberlin
and Optigan
, to create near-realistic emulations of certain instruments.
He has earned a Best Score Soundtrack Album Grammy
nominations for his work on 1999's Magnolia and 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
.
Brion was hired at the last minute to write the incidental music for The Break-Up
. He has also scored the films and provided original music for I Heart Huckabees, Punch Drunk Love, Step Brothers
(with help of fellow musician Chris Thile) and Synecdoche, NY. He also did live composition for a musical commentary on the Step Brothers DVD.
for five years until they broke up in the fall of 2002.
club Largo
, which feature covers and original songs, a variety of instruments and occasional guest musicians and comedians. He works without a set list, instead using audience suggestions as a jumping-off point. His extraordinary use of layered loops and frequent adoption of a "jigsaw puzzle" approach to performing songs (starting often with drums, then adding piano, bass, guitar, and vocals in turn) have captivated the capacity crowds at Largo and earned Brion a strong following. Recent shows have featured spontaneous appearances with vocalist Rickie Lee Jones
, singing old jazz standards like "My Funny Valentine", with upright bassist Stephen Patt (ex-Chambers Brothers), percussionist Matt Chamberlain
(ex-Wallflowers), bassist Sebastian Steinberg
(ex-Soul Coughing
), and fiddler Sara Watkins
(ex-Nickel Creek
).
In April 2006, recurring tendonitis in Brion's right hand forced him to cancel all of his upcoming Largo shows. As a temporary 'farewell', he played one show only using his left hand, even looping his songs as he normally does and playing the drums with one stick. He is now back to playing at Largo on a regular basis.
Recalling his approach to the Largo shows with Chicago Tribune
music editor Lou Carlozo, Brion said: "I taught my hands to follow whatever was coming into my head—and wherever my consciousness would go, I had to push my hands to follow. And at some level, you just had to abandon any concern about how you’d look. Performing without a set list: That was special."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Early life
Brion was born in Glen RidgeGlen Ridge, New Jersey
Glen Ridge is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,527. In 2010, Glen Ridge was ranked as the 38th Best Place to live by New Jersey Monthly magazine....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He came from a musical family; his mother, LaRue, was an administrative assistant and singer, and his father, Keith Brion, was a band director at Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. His brother and sister became a composer/arranger and a violinist, respectively. Brion had difficulties at Hamden High School and at the age of 17 left education, opting instead to play music professionally. From 1980-85 Jon was part of the band The Excerpts, along with Stephen Harris, Dean Falcone, Jim Balga & Spike Priggen.
The Bats
In the early 1980s, Brion and musician/producer Bill Murphy began a writing collaboration in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. They eventually enlisted bassist Don "Riff" Fertman and together formed The Bats, (not to be confused with the New Zealand group
The Bats
The Bats are an influential New Zealand rock band formed in 1982 in Christchurch by Paul Kean , Malcolm Grant , Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward...
of the same name). The Bats released a single, "Popgun" and one album How Pop Can You Get?
How Pop Can You Get?
How Pop Can You Get? was the only album by The Bats.*Members were Jon Brion, Bill Murphy and Don "Riff" Fertman.*It was recorded in New Haven and West Haven, Connecticut and released on the Gustav label in the fall of 1982....
, on Gustav records in 1982. The recordings had much critical acclaim, but little commercial success, and the trio eventually disbanded.
Session work
In 1987, Brion moved to BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where he played solo gigs, formed the short-lived band World's Fair and became a member of the last touring version of Aimee Mann's
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band 'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Til Tuesday was an American New Wave band formed in Boston in 1982. Its original lineup was bassist/vocalist Aimee Mann, guitarist/vocalist Robert Holmes, keyboardist Joey Pesce, and drummer Michael Hausman.-History:...
. He contributed guitar work to Jellyfish
Jellyfish (band)
Jellyfish were a power pop band from San Francisco. It formed after Beatnik Beatch broke up in 1989. The core members were drummer/singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Roger Joseph Manning, Jr...
's 1993 album Spilt Milk, and in 1994, joined Dan McCarroll, Buddy Judge and Jellyfish guitarist Jason Falkner
Jason Falkner
Jason Falkner is an American pop and rock musician. Active since the late 1980s, he has performed with several bands. In addition to releasing several albums as a solo artist, he is a prolific session musician and producer who has contributed to dozens of other recordings by other bands and...
in the short-lived pop band The Grays
The Grays (band)
The Grays were a short-lived rock band comprising singer/songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Jon Brion, Jason Falkner, Buddy Judge, and Dan McCarroll...
. He also provided the signature pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
part on The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
breakthrough album Bringing Down the Horse
Bringing Down the Horse
Bringing Down the Horse is the second album of The Wallflowers, which was released in 1996. It contains hits such as "One Headlight," "6th Avenue Heartache," "Three Marlenas," and "The Difference." "One Headlight" was the band's most popular single, reaching #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock,...
. Brion played numerous instruments on Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips (singer)
Leslie Ann Phillips, aka Sam Phillips is an American singer and a songwriter.-Biography:Phillips was born in Glendale, California. She began her musical career as a vocalist in the early 1980s, singing background parts for Christian artists Mark Heard, Randy Stonehill and others...
' 1996 release Omnipop (It's Only A Fleshwound Lambchop). Brion is featured as keyboardist and drummer on Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
's 2003 album, Kissin' Time
Kissin' Time
Kissin' Time is the 16th album by veteran British musician Marianne Faithfull.- Overview :After turns as a neo-cabaret/slow ballad crooner in previous works , Faithfull was eager to collaborate with contemporary musicians...
, and co-wrote a song, "City of Quartz", for her next work, 2005's Before the Poison
Before The Poison
Before the Poison is the 17th album by Marianne Faithfull, recorded in 2003 and released in 2005.- Overview :The album has a dark and fatalistic mood, which Faithfull attributes partially to the post-9/11 world....
.
Production
After being recognized as an accomplished session player, Brion branched out into production on then-girlfriend Mann's 1993 solo debut, Whatever, and its follow-up, I'm With StupidI'm With Stupid
I'm with Stupid is a jovial insult, best known as a popular slogan for novelty T-shirts. It may also refer to:* I'm with Stupid , aired on BBC Three* I'm with Stupid , by Aimee Mann* "I'm with Stupid"...
. He has also produced albums by Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
, Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, Eleni Mandell
Eleni Mandell
Eleni Mandell is an American singer-songwriter. She currently publishes albums through Zedtone in Toronto, Ontario...
, Rhett Miller
Rhett Miller
Stewart Ransom Miller II , better-known as Rhett Miller is the lead singer of the alternative country band Old 97's and a successful solo musician. He graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas, a private boys' school in Dallas in 1989 and briefly attended Sarah Lawrence College on a creative...
, Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
, Brad Mehldau
Brad Mehldau
Brad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist. Besides leading his own group, the Brad Mehldau Trio, he has performed with many renowned artists, including Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Larry Grenadier, Peter Bernstein, Jeff Ballard, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Kurt...
and Evan Dando
Evan Dando
Evan Griffith Dando is an American musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads. He is the only original member left in the current Lemonheads line-up, having served as lead singer since the band's original formation in 1986...
.
He also co-produced Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's Late Registration
Late Registration
Late Registration is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released August 30, 2005, on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place over the course of a year at various recording studios located in New York City and Hollywood...
album in 2005.
In the fall of 2002, Brion began producing the album Extraordinary Machine
Extraordinary Machine
Extraordinary Machine is the third album by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple, released by Epic Records in the United States on October 4, 2005. Produced by Jon Brion, it was expected to be released in 2003 but was delayed several times by the record label without explanation, leading to...
with Fiona Apple, but she later brought in producers Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo
Michael "Mike" Elizondo is a well-known songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, and hip hop music producer.-Musical career:Mike Elizondo is especially known for his collaborations with internationally successful producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eminem. He has played the bass for many of Dr...
and Brian Kehew
Brian Kehew
Brian Kehew is a Los Angeles-based musician and music producer. He is a member the The Moog Cookbook and co-author of the Recording The Beatles book, an in-depth look at the Beatles' studio approach...
(a friend of Brion's) to complete the album. Brion's versions leaked onto the Internet, where the album gained a cult following long before its official release.
Brion worked and performed on some of the tracks for Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon
is an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
's 2006 album Friendly Fire. Lennon said that working with him was "how I would imagine it’s like to work with Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
. It’s like having a weird alien prodigy in your room."
More recently, Brion has produced recordings by British pop performer Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
, Spoon
Spoon (band)
Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
, and Keane, as well as 2009's Jon Brion Remix EP by Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
.
Meaningless
Brion was signed to the LavaLava Records
Lava Records is an American based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated through Universal Republic Records.-Company history:...
/Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
label in 1997, but was released from his contract after turning in his solo debut album Meaningless; the album was released independently in 2001.
He is rumored to be working on his second solo full-length album at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
.
Film scores
Brion is an accomplished film composer, having started scoring by frequently working with director Paul Thomas AndersonPaul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has written and directed five feature films: Hard Eight , Boogie Nights , Magnolia , Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood...
, with whom he has a preferential working relationship. In addition to scoring many of his films, Brion contributed music to Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
and had a cameo in the film as a moustached guitar player.
Particularly in his film soundtracks, Brion is noted for his use of early analog sampling instruments, particularly the Chamberlin
Chamberlin
The Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by Iowa, Wisconsin inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced. Various models and versions of these Chamberlin music instruments...
and Optigan
Optigan
The Optigan was an electronic keyboard instrument designed for the consumer market. The name stems from the instrument's reliance on pre-recorded optical soundtracks to reproduce sound...
, to create near-realistic emulations of certain instruments.
He has earned a Best Score Soundtrack Album Grammy
Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media has been awarded since 1960. Until 2001 the award was presented to the composer of the music alone. From 2001 to 2006, the producer and engineers shared in this award...
nominations for his work on 1999's Magnolia and 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American romantic science fiction film about an estranged couple who have each other erased from their memories, scripted by Charlie Kaufman and directed by the French director, Michel Gondry. The film uses elements of science fiction, psychological...
.
Brion was hired at the last minute to write the incidental music for The Break-Up
The Break-Up
The Break-Up is a 2006 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Peyton Reed, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. It was written by Jay Lavender and Jeremy Garelick and produced by Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
. He has also scored the films and provided original music for I Heart Huckabees, Punch Drunk Love, Step Brothers
Step Brothers
Step Brothers may refer to:* A member of a stepfamily*The Four Step Brothers, a South African dance team in the U.S. active from the 1920s through the 1960s*Step Brothers , a 2008 comedy film starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly...
(with help of fellow musician Chris Thile) and Synecdoche, NY. He also did live composition for a musical commentary on the Step Brothers DVD.
Personal life
He dated comedic actress Mary Lynn RajskubMary Lynn Rajskub
Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Early life:...
for five years until they broke up in the fall of 2002.
Touring and live performances
Brion is renowned for his regular Friday-night gigs at the Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
club Largo
Largo (nightclub)
Largo is a nightclub and cabaret in Los Angeles, CA, known informally as Café Largo or Club Largo, known for its retinue of musical and comedic performers and for the Friday night "residency" of singer-songwriter Jon Brion, which has made the club a must-visit for fans and professional...
, which feature covers and original songs, a variety of instruments and occasional guest musicians and comedians. He works without a set list, instead using audience suggestions as a jumping-off point. His extraordinary use of layered loops and frequent adoption of a "jigsaw puzzle" approach to performing songs (starting often with drums, then adding piano, bass, guitar, and vocals in turn) have captivated the capacity crowds at Largo and earned Brion a strong following. Recent shows have featured spontaneous appearances with vocalist Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones
Rickie Lee Jones is an American vocalist, musician, songwriter, and producer. Over the course of a three-decade career, Jones has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, blues, pop, soul, and jazz standards.-Childhood:...
, singing old jazz standards like "My Funny Valentine", with upright bassist Stephen Patt (ex-Chambers Brothers), percussionist Matt Chamberlain
Matt Chamberlain
Matthew Chamberlain is an American drummer, producer and sound engineer. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
(ex-Wallflowers), bassist Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing.- Biography :Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992–2000. He also recorded and performed with guitarist Marc Ribot and appeared on William Shatner's 2004...
(ex-Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing was a popular New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 1990s. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unusual cult...
), and fiddler Sara Watkins
Sara Watkins
Sara Ullrika Watkins is an American singer-songwriter and fiddler. Watkins debuted in 1989 as the fiddler of the progressive bluegrass group Nickel Creek, which consisted of herself, her elder brother Sean, and mandolinist Chris Thile. As a band, they are notable for three wide-released albums:...
(ex-Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek
Nickel Creek was an American progressive acoustic music trio consisting of Chris Thile , Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins . The band was founded in 1989 and released 6 albums between 1993 and 2006...
).
In April 2006, recurring tendonitis in Brion's right hand forced him to cancel all of his upcoming Largo shows. As a temporary 'farewell', he played one show only using his left hand, even looping his songs as he normally does and playing the drums with one stick. He is now back to playing at Largo on a regular basis.
Recalling his approach to the Largo shows with Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
music editor Lou Carlozo, Brion said: "I taught my hands to follow whatever was coming into my head—and wherever my consciousness would go, I had to push my hands to follow. And at some level, you just had to abandon any concern about how you’d look. Performing without a set list: That was special."
Collaborations
- The Bats - How Pop Can You Get?How Pop Can You Get?How Pop Can You Get? was the only album by The Bats.*Members were Jon Brion, Bill Murphy and Don "Riff" Fertman.*It was recorded in New Haven and West Haven, Connecticut and released on the Gustav label in the fall of 1982....
(1982) - EMark Oliver EverettMark Oliver Everett is the lead singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and sometime drummer of the independent rock band Eels...
- Vocals on "Shine It All On" from the album Broken Toy ShopBroken Toy ShopBroken Toy Shop is singer/songwriter E's second album, and his last as a solo artist before forming the band Eels. According to Everett's official website, this album's cover is his least favorite of any of his releases...
(1993) - The GraysThe Grays (band)The Grays were a short-lived rock band comprising singer/songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Jon Brion, Jason Falkner, Buddy Judge, and Dan McCarroll...
- Ro Sham BoRo Sham Bo (album)Ro Sham Bo is the debut album by The Grays, released on February 22, 1994.The album title Ro Sham Bo is taken from one of the many names for the game Rock-Paper-Scissors.-UK CD: 475839 2:#"Very Best Years" – 3:26...
(1994) - Elliott SmithElliott SmithSteven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
- Background vocals in the song "HappinessHappiness (Elliott Smith song)"Happiness" is a song written by Elliott Smith which was first released as a single in 1999.-Versions:A slightly different mix of the song was released on his album Figure 8 in 2000....
" (2000) - Fiona AppleFiona AppleFiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
- "EverydayEveryday (Buddy Holly song)"Everyday" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets on May 29, 1957 and released on September 20, 1957 as the B-side to "Peggy Sue". On the original single the Crickets are not mentioned, but it is known that Holly plays acoustic guitar; drummer...
" from the album Rave On Buddy HollyRave on Buddy HollyRave On Buddy Holly is a compilation album by various artists released on June 28, 2011 through Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group and Hear Music. The title of the tribute album to musician Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash in 1959 at age 22, refers to the song "Rave On", one of his biggest...
(2011)
Film scores
- Hard EightHard Eight (film)Hard Eight is a 1996 American crime thriller film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson...
(with Michael PennMichael PennMichael Penn is an American singer, songwriter and composer. He is the eldest son of actor/director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan, and the brother of actors Sean Penn and the late Chris Penn.-Career:...
) (1996) - MagnoliaMagnolia (score)Magnolia is the score soundtrack to the Paul Thomas Anderson film of the same name. The score is composed by Jon Brion. A soundtrack release for the film with original music by Aimee Mann was previously issued in 1999...
(1999) - Punch-Drunk LovePunch-Drunk Love (soundtrack)Punch-Drunk Love is the 2002 soundtrack album featuring music composed by Jon Brion for the film of the same name. The album includes the song "He Needs Me" from the 1980 Robert Altman movie Popeye...
(2002) - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (soundtrack)The soundtrack album for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was released by Hollywood Records on March 16, 2004. It features the score, composed by Los Angeles musician Jon Brion, as well as songs from artists E.L.O., The Polyphonic Spree, The Willowz, and Don Nelson. Beck, in a collaboration...
(2004) - I ♥ Huckabees (2004)
- The Break-UpThe Break-UpThe Break-Up is a 2006 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Peyton Reed, starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. It was written by Jay Lavender and Jeremy Garelick and produced by Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
(2006) - Synecdoche, New YorkSynecdoche, New YorkSynecdoche, New York is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was Kaufman's directorial debut.The film premiered in competition at the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2008...
(2008) - Step BrothersStep Brothers (film)Step Brothers is a 2008 American slapstick buddy-comedy film directed by Adam McKay, produced by Judd Apatow and Jimmy Miller, and stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who originally teamed up in Talladega Nights . The screenplay was written by Ferrell and McKay, from a story written by Ferrell,...
(2008) - Glago's GuestGlago's GuestGlago's Guest is a 2008 Walt Disney Animation Studios computer animated short film directed by Chris Williams. The film premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in June 2008.....
(2008) - The Other GuysThe Other GuysThe Other Guys is a 2010 American action comedy film directed and co-written by Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and featuring Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Ray Stevenson...
(2010) - The FutureThe Future (film)The Future is a 2011 German-American drama film written, directed by, and starring Miranda July. The Future made its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where it was screened in the Premieres section...
(2011) - ParaNormanParaNormanParaNorman is an upcoming 3D stop-motion animated comedy thriller film produced by Laika, distributed by Focus Features and set for international release on August 17, 2012...
(2012)
As producer
- Aimee MannAimee MannAimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
, Whatever, (1993) - Aimee MannAimee MannAimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
, I'm with Stupid, (1995) - The Crystal MethodThe Crystal MethodThe Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
- "Bad Stone" (1997) - Rufus WainwrightRufus WainwrightRufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, Rufus WainwrightRufus Wainwright (album)Rufus Wainwright is the eponymous debut studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in the United States on May 19, 1998 through DreamWorks Records. The album was produced by Jon Brion, except "In My Arms" was produced and mixed by Pierre Marchand, and "Millbrook"...
, (1998) - Eleni MandellEleni MandellEleni Mandell is an American singer-songwriter. She currently publishes albums through Zedtone in Toronto, Ontario...
, WishboneWishboneWishbone may refer to:* The wishbone, a Y-shaped bone found in birds* Wishbone suspension, an automobile suspension design.* Wishbone , an children's educational television show...
, (1998) - Robyn HitchcockRobyn HitchcockRobyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
, Jewels for Sophia, (1998) - Robyn HitchcockRobyn HitchcockRobyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
, A Star for Bram, (1999) - Fiona AppleFiona AppleFiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
, When the Pawn..., (1999) - Aimee MannAimee MannAimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
, "Bachelor No. 2Bachelor No. 2Bachelor No. 2 is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released in 2000. Its full title is Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo. The album is notable for the fact that Mann was initially without a record company and sold the album through her website, but the...
", (2000) - The Crystal MethodThe Crystal MethodThe Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
- "Over the Line" (2001) - Elliott SmithElliott SmithSteven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, From a Basement on a Hill, (unreleased version, recorded 2001) - Brad MehldauBrad MehldauBrad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist. Besides leading his own group, the Brad Mehldau Trio, he has performed with many renowned artists, including Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Larry Grenadier, Peter Bernstein, Jeff Ballard, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Kurt...
, LargoLargo-Music:* Largo, a very slow tempo, or a musical piece or movement in such a tempo* Handel's Largo or "Ombra mai fù", an aria from the opera Serse* Hugo Largo, American band from the 1980s* Strong and stately...
, (2002) - Rhett MillerRhett MillerStewart Ransom Miller II , better-known as Rhett Miller is the lead singer of the alternative country band Old 97's and a successful solo musician. He graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas, a private boys' school in Dallas in 1989 and briefly attended Sarah Lawrence College on a creative...
, The InstigatorThe InstigatorThe Instigator is the second studio album by American country/rock band performer, Rhett Miller, lead singer of the Old 97's. Miller's first album came more than a decade before, languishing in folk obscurity, but The Instigator received airplay and as much commercial success as any Old 97's...
, (2002) - Evan DandoEvan DandoEvan Griffith Dando is an American musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads. He is the only original member left in the current Lemonheads line-up, having served as lead singer since the band's original formation in 1986...
, Baby I'm BoredBaby I'm BoredBaby I'm Bored is an album by Evan Dando, released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Repeat" – 3:13#"My Idea" – 2:34#"Rancho Santa Fe" – 4:23#"Waking Up" – 2:35#"Hard Drive" – 3:14#"Shots Is Fired" – 2:47#"It Looks Like You" – 3:15#"The Same Thing" – 3:42...
, (2003) - Fiona AppleFiona AppleFiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
, Extraordinary MachineExtraordinary MachineExtraordinary Machine is the third album by American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple, released by Epic Records in the United States on October 4, 2005. Produced by Jon Brion, it was expected to be released in 2003 but was delayed several times by the record label without explanation, leading to...
, (unreleased version, recorded 2002–2003) - The Crystal MethodThe Crystal MethodThe Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
- "Realizer" (2004) - Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Late RegistrationLate RegistrationLate Registration is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released August 30, 2005, on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place over the course of a year at various recording studios located in New York City and Hollywood...
(as co-executive producer and co-producer on several tracks), (2005) - Marjorie FairMarjorie FairMarjorie Fair is an indie rock/shoegaze American band formed in New Jersey by musician Evan Slamka, and based in Los Angeles, California. Their sound is somewhat reminiscent of The Doves or The Beatles, however, with a more psychedelic rock sound...
, Self Help SerenadeSelf Help SerenadeSelf Help Serenade is the debut album by indie rock band Marjorie Fair, first released in the United Kingdom and Europe on May 31, 2004, and in the United States on July 19, 2005. The album was produced and mixed by Rob Schnapf, "Empty Room" was mixed by Tom Lord-Alge, and the album features guest...
(as co-executive producer), (2005) - Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, "Drunk and Hot Girls," GraduationGraduation (album)Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant...
(as co-producer), (2007) - SpoonSpoon (band)Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
, "The Underdog," Ga Ga Ga Ga GaGa Ga Ga Ga GaGa Ga Ga Ga Ga is the sixth studio album by Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon. It was released on Merge Records on July 10, 2007 to considerable critical acclaim. Its cover art comes from a portrait of artist/sculptor Lee Bontecou, taken by Italian photographer Ugo Mulas in 1963...
, (2007) - Keane, "You Haven't Told Me Anything", Perfect SymmetryPerfect Symmetry (Keane album)Perfect Symmetry is the third studio album by English rock band Keane, released on 13 October 2008 in the United Kingdom. The album's title was released on 31 July 2008. The band had completely transformed their look and their new album was said to be also very unexpected...
, (2008) - DidoDido (singer)Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
, Safe Trip HomeSafe Trip HomeThe album received very positive reviews. Metacritic, which is a website that gives an average rating over a number of reviews, rates the album at 74 out of a 100...
, (2008) - Of MontrealOf MontrealOf Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
, Jon Brion Remix EP, (2009) - Of MontrealOf MontrealOf Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
, False PriestFalse PriestFalse Priest is the tenth full-length studio album by indie-pop group of Montreal, released on September 14, 2010 on Polyvinyl Records. The band is also touring with Janelle Monáe to promote their new album where she appears several times. Polyvinyl Record Co released the album on CD, Digital,...
, (2010) - Brad MehldauBrad MehldauBrad Mehldau is an American jazz pianist. Besides leading his own group, the Brad Mehldau Trio, he has performed with many renowned artists, including Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Larry Grenadier, Peter Bernstein, Jeff Ballard, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Kurt...
, Highway RiderHighway RiderHighway Rider is a contemporary jazz album by American pianist Brad Mehldau. It was Mehldau's second collaboration with producer Jon Brion , and it features saxophonist Joshua Redman, drummer Matt Chamberlain, and Chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman, as well as Mehldau's regular trio partners,...
, (2010) - Punch BrothersPunch BrothersPunch Brothers are a progressive bluegrass band. The band consists of Chris Thile , Gabe Witcher , Noam Pikelny , Chris Eldridge , and Paul Kowert...
, Antifogmatic, (2010)
External links
- Jon Brion Discography
- Embrionic Press: Jon Brion articles (via the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
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