Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

by Daphne GA Carr
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone is the lo-fi solo project of Portland, OR, indie boy Owen Ashworth. His songwriting is part Bright Eyes-sensitive singer/songwriter heartache balladry and Atom & His Package battery-operated antics. His weapons of choice are Casio SK-1 and his hot rod Casiotones. His lyrics are a coy-edged blend of Stephin Merritt's sarcasm and the Mountain Goats' earnestness.
Loosely a concept album of clever musical voice mails, his first recording, Answering Machine Music: A Brief Album in Twelve Parts, was released in 1999 on his own label, Cassingle USA. Some of the tracks, including "Theme from David Hanna," were first recorded into his machine. Pocket Symphonies for Lonesome Subway Cars followed in 2001 on Tomlab and featured several "real" instruments, including cello and drums. In 2003, Ashworth released Twinkle Echo, followed by Etiquette in 2006.