The Permanent Collection: 026 & 027

Spooky indie?

The Permanent Collection is a weekly log of my favourite tracks in the entire world. This isn’t a ranking, but a space where I can share my deepest music loves with you in a more intimate setting. Paid subscribers get access to the full archive, bonus songs and a playlist.

Marvin Pontiac — Small Car (1999)

From the Greatest Hits of a fictional character, Small Car is as absurdist as it is miraculous.

Penned by artist, actor and musician John Lurie, this winding, marimba-laden opus is a lil Tom Waits, a lil Leonard Cohen, a lil Polyphonic Spree and a favourite of mine for the swirling, hypnotic, tale spun from a familiar but nowhere place.

Marvin Pontiac was a creation from the mind of Lurie, and the enigmatic album was praised by the likes of Bowie and Iggy Pop. This particular number - how would you describe it. Hypnotic indie jazz? Experimental desert dissertation?

When I first played this song on the radio, a listener thought the voice was me - if only my voice contained that much gravel. In fact, it was Pontiac, telling a story about small farmers in small cars headed on a big adventure.

I think what I enjoy about this song is how immediately comforting it is, all while feeling strangely foreign. A conjuring of an imaginary universe, where Pontiac is a chieftain from another planet, whispering his strange findings into my ear.

Thanks for reading this week’s edition! 027 is below for paid subscribers.