Seeing as how Will Oldham has been busy playing cowboy with his Palace catalog and polarizing fans in the process, and Bill Callahan from Smog has nothing better to do with his time than to change his alias from Smog to (Smog) (what's with that by the way?) this actually may be Jason Molina's year to become king of the one-man-bands. If you're not familiar with Molina, let me bring you up to speed. For six years, Songs: Ohia was Molina's vehicle for eccentric folky rock a la Palace, Smog, and even comparable to the likes of Damien Juardo, and Hayden. Then all of the sudden, like a kick to the teeth, Molina released Songs: Ohia's 2003 swansong Magnolia Electric Co. A masterpiece that seemed to come out of thin air and help bring country rock to a new generation of listeners. To say Neil Young or even Gram Parsons was an influence on that record would be a gross understatement. It makes sense that Molina would be heading in that Neil Young direction, he sounds like he could be his long lost son. Feeling that he had outgrown what Songs: Ohia stood for, Molina changed his alias to the name of his last studio record: Magnolia Electric Co.

Trials & Errors, the first album to be released under the Magnolia Electric Co. moniker, is a limited edition live recording (they're only pressing 10,000 copies). This one is a quickie turned out in order to keep Molina's more rabid fans pacified until the first studio record can be released later this Spring. Fellow electricians for this album if you will, consist of members from other great indie bands like Impossible Shapes, Okkervil River, and John Wilkes Booze, respectively. What Trials & Errors consists of are a few countrified Songs: Ohia tunes, and a plethora of originals which most will, no doubt, pop up on the new record to be released within the next few months. Songs: Ohia originals like Didn't It Rain's "Ring The Bell" and "Cross The Road" are almost completely unrecognizable from the original folky versions, but these reworkings are big, shaggy, country rock monsters. After repeated listens, I think I prefer these versions to the originals. The only other Songs: Ohia tune to make the cut is Magolia's "Almost Was Good Enough" which is excellent as well. The originals that he's trotted-out here for a looksee are emotional powerhouses. My fingers are crossed that "Such Pretty Eyes For A Snake" and "The Last 3 Human Words," will find their way onto the short list for the studio record. Molina also isn't without a sense of humor it seems. On the finale "The Big Beast," Molina throws in a snippet of Young's "Tonight's The Night" just for good measure.

Trials & Errors is that kind of release that just makes you salivate for what's to come in the near future. Kind of like what an EP does, but this is much better. One thing is for certain though: if you're a diehard Neil Young fan and you've never heard of these guys until now, then let me be the first to introduce you to your new favorite band. That's Magnolia Electric Co.