Shotgun Jimmie: Transistor Sister
As a member of the legendary Canadian indie rock band Shotgun and Jaybird, Shotgun Jimmie was able to go on several cross-Canada tours and be part of an album that reached number two on the Earshot! charts. Unfortunately, the group broke up in 2007 and Jimmie was forced into solo artistdom. Transistor Sister is Shotgum Jimmie’s third solo album.
Jimmie always seems to work with notable musicians as a back band on his solo releases. Transistor Sister is no different with LadyHawk‘s Ryan Peters and Do Make Say Think‘s Jay Baird lending their talents.
But while the cast around Shotgun Jimmie always changes, Jimmie’s style never does. His ability to tell stories that range from banal to humorous has always been commendable. The album’s title track, “Transistor Sister” sounds like Pavement both musically and lyrically with Jimmie singing seeming non sequiturs like “Sweet life/cut the ribbon with a sharp knife/break the soil with a golden shovel/move it on the double/let’s get out of here.”
Jimmie is always in the indie rock realm but he shifts stylistically from track to track. “Late Last Year” sounds like the musically cousin of Velvet Underground‘s “Lady Godiva’s Operation” while “Too Many Flowers” has a slow surf feel to it, almost like Dum Dum Girls.
Regardless of what style Jimmie is trying his hand at, he is successful. Transistor Sister seems like the perfect album for the ADD world. With Jimmie’s myriad of styles and only two songs over three minutes, the album is short, sweet, and always interesting.
Rating: 8.8/10
MP3: Shotgun Jimmie “Transistor Sister”
Buy: iTunes or Amazon
Shotgun Jimmie: Transistor Sister
