Besides being a nicely stacked bill of four Americana-flavored Twin Cities bands who haven't had a lot of chances to play the main room yet, Saturday's First Avenue lineup with Farewell Milwaukee, And the Professors, Fathom Lane and the Ericksons is also doubling as an unofficial local release party for "Farewell Transmission: The Music of Jason Molina."
The two-disc tribute album -- brought to you from St. Paul-based nonprofit org/label Rock the Cause -- officially lands Tuesday following a nice international boost this week from NPR, which picked the benefit collection for its weekly "First Listen" feature (where you can stream the album for free). We wrote about the origins of "Farewell Transmission" last month before Rock the Cause headed to Austin's South by Southwest Music Conference for a promotional day party. The cult-loved Molina, who fronted Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co., died in 2011 after a long battle with alcoholism.
RTC volunteers will also be on hand at Saturday's show with copies of the album, which features My Morning Jacket, Murder by Death, Cory Branan, Sarah Jaffe, Centromatic's Will Johnson, Squares, the Black Swans and a Minnesota cast that includes Communist Daughter, Gabriel Douglas, Luke Redfield, Enemy Planes – and two of the acts performing Saturday at First Ave, Fathom Lane and Farewell Milwaukee singer Ben Lubeck. "Farewell Transmission" will also be in stock in indie shops for Saturday's Record Store Day and can be orderd online, with all sales going toward Musicares and Molina's estate
Although not exactly party-starter tracks to get you pumped for the show – Molina's stuff was dark, dark, dark – here are the two tracks in question from Saturday's lineup. Farewell Milwaukee's latest album, "Can't Please You, Can't Please Me," is also still streaming in full via Soundcloud. The album was recorded at Conor Oberst's and Mike Mogis' studio in Omaha with engineer Brad Bivens providing a similar touch as he did to Dawes' records.
