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Freedy Johnston

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Freedy Johnston (born 1961) is a New York City-based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas. Johnston’s first album, “The Trouble Tree” was released in 1990, and features the guitar playing of the roots musician and author, David Hamburger. Johnston sold some of his family’s farmland to finance the recording of his second album, Can You Fly (an event he wrote about in a song on that album, “Trying to Tell You I Don’t Know”). Johnston followed up with his 1994 major label debut This Perfect World, which received rave reviews and led to Rolling Stone Magazine naming him “songwriter of the year”. That album also spawned a minor alternative hit with the song “

Bad Reputation”.

Johnston’s songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation and disappointment. Known for the craftsmanship of his songs, he has sometimes been called a “songwriter’s songwriter”.

He has contributed songs to the soundtracks for movies including Kingpin and Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead. Johnston and fellow musicians Jay Moran, James “Pie” Cowan, Duke Erikson, and Butch Vig perform occasional shows as a covers band called “The Know-It-All Boyfriends.”

Johnston latest release is a covers album titled “Rain on the City”, It includes selections from Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, Matthew Sweet and The Hollies.

Tagged as:

singer-songwriter, folk, alt-country, indie, americana
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This Perfect World
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Can You Fly
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Never Home
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Blue Days Black Nights
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Top Tracks

1	Bad Reputation full track	152
2	This Perfect World full track	47
3	Don't Fall In Love With A Lonely Girl	37
4	Evie's Tears full track	29
4	The Kind of Love We're In	29
6	Rain on the City	26
7	The Other Side of Love	24
8	Lonely Penny	22
9	The Devil Raises His Own	21
9	Venus is Her Name	21
11	Gone Like the Water full track	20
12	Two Lovers Stop full track	19
13	Central Station	18
13	Western Sky full track	18
15	What You Cannot See, You Cannot Fight	17

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marybeth-damico wrote:
Thursday afternoon

Nice quote from Pitchfork about Freedy; "...Johnston remains first and foremost an observant and tuneful chronicler of odd characters (one must presume including himself), small lives and lost souls with big feelings, struggling to get by in flyover country and cities alike. "

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dtito2 wrote:
last month

I'm liking the new album! New video @ Freedy Johnston • The Kind Of Love We're In

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marybeth-damico wrote:
last month

The new album sounds pretty good on first listen!

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marybeth-damico wrote:
December 2009

A review of Freedy's new album-http://bit.ly/5rn6uq

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dtito2 wrote:
December 2009

Don't Fall In Love With A Lonely Girl the new single is available as a free download @ Freedy Johnston.com

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brzegal wrote:
November 2009

I just love the Evie songs, keen variations of the same theme...great songwriting!

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luv_damusic4201 wrote:
November 2009

no need to label...just good honest music and thats all that matters. "bad reputation"..too bad i heard it late...better late than never.

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marybeth-damico wrote:
November 2009

http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/new-freedy-johnston-due-jan-12

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marybeth-damico wrote:
October 2009

I like the sound of the new songs on myspace.

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dtito2 wrote:
July 2009

Hey here is a link to some Freedy Johnston videos from Maxwell's/Hoboken and Union Hall/Brooklyn. Thanks to GroveGirl for bringing these to my attention. http://www.youtube.com/user/PattiVill#play/uploads ... thanks to PattiVill for the video.

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dtito2 wrote:
July 2009

I caught his Hoboken show. He performed solo acoustic, treated the audience to few new songs, some early material and a few covers.... thus it was wonderful evening of music! : ) Freedy Johnston @ Maxwell's Hoboken, NJ / July 10, 2009

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marybeth-damico wrote:
May 2009

This guy can't write a bad song. I'm just about 15 years late in discovering him!

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dtito2 wrote:
April 2009

Freedy fans come join the Freedy Johnston group

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dtito2 wrote:
April 2009

Three new songs on his My Space Page ! : ) http://www.myspace.com/freedyjohnstonmusic

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serenamatthews wrote:
April 2009

I can Hear the Laughs just might be the perfect song.

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serenamatthews wrote:
April 2009

Love. love love love love

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Lyrradsemaj wrote:
April 2009

I FEEL LIKE I JUST HIT THE FUCKING JACKPOT DISCOVERING THIS MAN.

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dwiesnoski wrote:
March 2009

The "Can You Fly" album is terrific... The Lucky Once, Can You Fly, The Morticians Daughter, but Responsible stands out for me.

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lhwad wrote:
October 2008

Ol' Freedy really knows what he's talking about

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roomx wrote:
October 2008

great stuff indeed

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