Ellington

The legendary outsider Daniel Johnston has been an inspiration to the indie underground since his first crudely boom box recorded cassettes got passed around in the 80's to Kurt Cobain, Bright Eyes, Sparklehorse and many more. Before his life was overrun by mental illness, this pop master truly was "a heartbreaking work of staggering genius." Start off by listening to the disc of original recordings by Daniel. The innocent loner with his heart on his sleeve is the Nick Drake for lo-fi indie generation. These unrequited catchy gems are covered on Disc 2 by Bright Eyes, Death Cab, Flaming Lips, Beck, Tom Waits and more, whose proceeds go to fund Daniel's treatment. See why Kurt Cobain often called him his favorite singer/songwriter. -- Herman Snell & Alex Slawson