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Remembering Jason Molina, A Musician Who Refused To Look Back

Jason Molina performs in Barcelona with Magnolia Electric Co. in 2009.
Jordi Vidal
/
Redferns
Jason Molina performs in Barcelona with Magnolia Electric Co. in 2009.

A little over a year ago, singer-songwriter Jason Molina died at 39 due to complications from alcohol addiction. He released hundreds of songs and dozens of albums under the moniker Songs: Ohia and with his band Magnolia Electric Co., and collaborated with many other musicians. He was also the driving force that helped make Bloomington, Ind. record label Secretly Canadian an indie music mainstay today.

This past weekend on Record Store Day (April 19), the label released an ornate box filled with all of Molina's out of print 7" records as a kind of formal send-off. This week, some of the many artists he influenced are following suit with Farewell Transmission, a double-disc tribute compilation to benefit the MusiCares Foundation. Iowa Public Radio's Clay Masters spoke about Molina with a few of the musicians who knew him best; hear his appreciation at the audio link.

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Clay Masters
Clay Masters is Iowa Public Radio’s Morning Edition host and lead political reporter. He was part of a team of member station political reporters who covered the 2016 presidential race for NPR. He also covers environmental issues.