Recently I compared my Favorite Web Personality #15: Pascal-Auban Scher to musician Daniel Johnston - which led me to discover Johnston’s website, hihowareyou.com, for the first time. Truthfully, while a fan of Johnston’s, I hadn’t listened to him in a long time and stumbling upon him again was like bumping into an old friend. If you like The Dead Milkmen, The Magnetic Fields, Bob Dylan, or Syd Barrett - I think you’ll like Daniel Johnston…
Tip: Play This Video While You Are Reading this Post for the Perfect Soundtrack!
Platform: website, myspace page
Who He Is:
According to his website:”Artist, singer, songwriter and pilgrim of indie music with 30+ albums, hundreds of songs, and dozens of fans.”
According to his myspace page:”Now in his mid 40s and living with family in Waller, Texas, Johnston continues to draw and write music.”
Best Quote Online:
I’ll draw cartoons for a while, then I’ll play music for a while, then I’ll watch a movie or two, then I’ll… eat a bunch of food. Then I’ll play some more music. Then I’ll draw a little bit. Then I’ll watch another movie. That’s my day…
(April 2008 Interview, Monsterfresh.com)
5 Reasons Why I Chose Him:
1. He is an inspiring person, a productive and influential artist and musician while at the same time suffering from manic depression (myspace).
2.Song titles such as: Blue Skies Will Haunt You From Now On, Syrup of Tears, I Save Cigarette Butts, and Since I Lost My Tooth
3. Catchy songs! I’m a sucker for a catchy tune and I just have to see the song title, Funeral Home and I’m already singing it in my head even though I haven’t heard the song in over 15 years…
4. Don’t trust my taste completely? (What’s wrong with you?!) Well maybe this will impress you - yes that’s Kurt Cobain in a Daniel Johnston shirt (so he must be cool). PS You can buy your own copy of this tshirt at Johnston’s website.
5. Some of my all-time favorite bands have covered his songs, including Yo La Tengo and Cub. There is also a 2 CD set of covers called Discovered Covered (that I just found out about on his website) featuring: Teenage Fanclub, Mercury Rev, Tom Waits, Vic Chestnutt, and the Eels (more of my favorites).
Check Daniel Johnston out at his website, hihowareyou.com or myspace page.
Trailer for The Devil and Daniel Johnston
(2005 Sundance Film Festival winner — Best Director, Jeff Feuerzig)
Cub
I couldn’t find a video for the Cub cover of Johnston’s (Tell me now) Do You Really Love Me - so here is another great song by them instead…
Chinchilla Video
Does anyone know is that Daniel Johnston in the video? Probably not, but kind of looks like him?
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I found this as a track back on my site (Monsterfresh.com). Thanks for posting the link/quote. I’ve noticed my photoshop image of the Daniel Capt. America comic floating around and nobody seems to know where it came from.
I think your web personality of the week idea is awesome. I’m going to have to go check back on the rest of the them. I also noticed that you mention the Dead Milkmen; we recently posted an interview with them from a reunion show in Austin on our site as well.
Nice work but, I didn’t notice Daniel in that video at all.
Thanks again
Dead C’s last blog post..What Gener was Talking About: Gene Ween Band hits Brooklyn
Oh another thing… I noticed that Mike Watt made your list as well. If you haven’t heard the Firehose cover of “Walking the Cow” you should check it out. The video is on Youtube.
Thanks Dead C I’m totally going to check out the Firehose cover and your Dead Milkmen interview. Dead Milkmen is one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen in my life - 1992 and I still have the t-shirt…
I just recently watched the Devil and Daniel Johnston. It’s totally absorbing and very moving. There’s even a scene where he’s having an argument with Thurston Moore!
Ooh, I’m tempted to buy one of those T-Shirts too
Tanya-
The Dead Milkmen interview was actually conducted by my friend in Austin but it’s pretty interested and hilarious at points. They talk about doing a show with Salt n’ Pepa. I wish that I could have seen them but I live in Seattle so.. no luck.
PA-
I have a “Hi! How are you?” shirt and I assure you, it is of the finest quality… or, at least, I like it.