B.A. Johnston – Thank You For Being a Friend (Just Friends Records)

There are certain expectations when approaching a B.A. Johnston album. Tails of deep fryers, hobos, and minivans set to Casio beats have become signature moves for Hamilton’s own hilarious, overweight song and dance man. While these archetypes of vagrancy, cholesterol, and his mother’s Previa are all in place on Thank You For Being a Friend, the LP is unlike anything he has done before.

Produced by Paul Linklater (The Pinecones, Colleen & Paul), Thank You For Being a Friend roots itself with a decidedly country and western sound. Drawing on musical influences such as Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger and Jerry Reed’s Nashville Underground, the album ranges from a tribute to the apple of Herb Tarlek’s eye in, “Lonnie Anderson,” to the oddly endearing auto-lust detailed in, “CILF.”

For the last six years, B.A. has spent all of his time either touring Canada in his mom’s prized minivan or living in her basement. He’s played laundromats, laundry rooms, stag and doe parties, church halls, legions, bars, bookstores, vegan cafes, and anywheres else that will have him. He has shared the stage with a formidable selection of bands (Rheostatics, Constantines, Bob Log the Third, Nomeansno, Teenage Head), performed at several festivals (Evolve, Sappyfest, The Halifax Pop Explosion), and has managed to expand his fanbase to the point where shows aren’t quite as depressing as they once were.

In the future, Johnston has plans to finally wear a suit, drive a car made in the 2000′s, and find a girl who doesn’t view him as some kind of kryptonite.

MP3: “Taste the Shame” from Thanks You For Being a Friend:
http://pigeonrow.com/BAJohnstonTastetheShame.mp3

Hi-res photo of B.A. Johnston:
http://pigeonrow.com/BApicture.jpg