10.06.2009 Mojo Nixon makes catalog available for free I'm listening to Mojo Nixon for the first time in probably 20 years, and I have come to one conclusion: A little Mojo can be an amusing, exhilirating listen, and a little Mojo goes a long, long way. The reason for this blast from the past? Nixon is making eight of his albums available for free download on Amazon.com. On offer are six studio albums, one rarities collection, one live show, one best-of and a new disc. All free. The new disc is Whiskey Rebellion, "a variety of songs left off of previous albums, songs from movie soundtracks and television shows, sports themes, alternative versions of previously released songs and demos." That's a strange way to relaunch a career, but then again, who even knew Nixon has been in retirement (can you still call it that when its a factor of people no longer requiring your services?). I never owned any Mojo Nixon albums, but it was hard to avoid him for a while. He was near-ubiquitous on MTV, and songs like "Elvis is Everywhere" are simply a part of our popular culture. The one song I did have was "Burn Down the Malls," on an Enigma Records compilation. That seemed sufficient for me, but I must admit that the notion of free music was too tempting. I downloaded Unlimited Everything, a sort of best-of of the Skid Roper era. Hearing it now is conjuring false memories, because this is the first time I've heard most of these tracks. They just seem so familiar, perhaps because Nixon is such a singular performer. “Can’t wait for Washington to fix the economy,” Nixon stated in a press release announcing the deal. “We must take bold action now. If I make the new album free and my entire catalog free it will stimulate the economy. It might even over-stimulate the economy. History has shown than when people listen to my music, money tends to flow to bartenders, race tracks, late night greasy spoons, bail bondsman, go kart tracks, tractor pulls, football games, peep shows and several black market vices. My music causes itches that it usually takes some money to scratch.” Nixon's music may cause an itch, but it's the kind that usually requires antibiotics to contain. I'm glad there's a Mojo in the world. To be more specific, I'm glad there is one Mojo in the world. That I could get a couple of his tunes for free? That's a bonus.
