Obscuro! Mixtape #22 - 'Jim Shepard'

This one's been a long time in the works...unfortunately, Mr. Shepard's discography is so weird and scattered that it's taken me this long just to obtain half of it. It's also all so great that it's hard to pick favorites. Hopefully, this is a good representation of the man's work...the weirdo experimentation, would-be pop classics, and angry-ass punk. I'm not the biggest fan of his droning experimental releases (except 'Picking Through the Wreckage,' which is fantastic) but I still tried not to lean too heavy on the 'poppy' stuff.

If you're not familiar, Shepard was an underground musician from Columbus, OH who just did his own thing for years and years, starting in the 70's. The name changed from Vertical Slit to V-3 but the sound remained similar. Basically, he's like everything Kurt Cobain wasn't. Sure, Cobain always railed against the music industry and fame, but he didn't shun it. Shepard did stuff like release 10 copies of an album and distribute them at pawn shops knowing the 'right' people would find them. His career reads like a fictional story, and that's exactly what he wanted. Unfortunately, he hung himself in '98, leaving people like me to piece together his legacy from obscure mp3-rips and long-disappeared private-press albums. I even made a pilgrimage to his hometown a year back, and managed to find a copy of the 'Voices of Men' single.

So, this is pretty much my favorite rock dude here. Really, do some research for yourself and see if you aren't intrigued. For now, here's a too-brief collection of some of my favorite recordings he did. Don't worry, it'll all fit on one CD-R. It's a Mixcloud podcast so you CAN'T skip tracks.

Obscuro! Mixtape #22 - 'Jim Shepard' by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Tracklist:

Forever Low Man (v-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing')
Pleasure (Jim Shepard - 'Motorcyle Movie')
American Face (V-3 - 'Photograph Burns')
Starlight Investor (Vertical Slit - '...And Beyond')
The Voices of Men (Jim Shepard - 'Voices of Men' single)
Pull the Switch, Henry (Jim Shepard - 'Picking Through the Wreckage with a Stick')
Your Girlfriend (V-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing')
Bristol Girl (V-3 - 'Photograph Burns')
We Got it All (Ego Summit - 'The Room Isn't Big Enough')
Another Exterminator (Eaten By Bugs) (V-3 - 'Psychic Dancehall')
Shady Business Deal (Jim Shepard - 'The Evil Twin')
Birthplace of Aviation (Jim Shepard - 'Motorcycle Movie')
New Thrill/New Pill (Vertical Slit - '...And Beyond')
Fair Exchange (Vertical Slit - 'Slit and Pre-Slit')
A Rock Aesthetic (Jim Shepard - 'Evil Love Deeper')
One Percent of Nothing (Jim Shepard - 'Folk City Aztec Drama, Vol. 1')
Untitled #4 (Jim Shepard - 'V-3: Next Album')
A Streetcar Named Depression (Jim Shepard - 'Picking Through the Wreckage with a Stick')
Checkout Time, Mr. White (V-3 - 'Launchpad Explosion' EP)
Imagine This... (Jim Shepard - 'Motorcycle Movie')
Va-Va-Room (Jim Shepard - 'Amsterdam')
Harry (V-3 - 'Photograph Burns')
Carnage on the Midway (V-3 - 'Pimping in the 90's')
Your Uncle (V-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing')
Pain/Loss (Jim Shepard - 'The Evil Twin')
Son of Sam Donaldson (V-3 - 'Negotiate Nothing')