Newest find: Jonathan Richman
Lately, I have been listening to Beat Surrender on BBC Newcastle. They play mostly British artistes, with the odd American thrown in.
The particular Odd American I am writing about today is Jonathan Richman, who first had a hit in 1975 with Road Runner.
He seems to be a contemporary of Tom Waites with a similar sense of humour (titles of his albums include things like I, Jonathan, Jonathan Sings!, and Having a Party with Jonathan Richman) but more of an ear for a tune.
Fun fact: Jonathan played the singing narrator in the cinematic tour-de-force Something About Mary.
Here are links to mp3s of a few examples of Jonathan's œuvre:
Road Runner
Parties in the USA
