It's hard to categorize singer-songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan. He's Americana, he's rock, he's alt-country — and he's collaborated with artists from across the musical spectrum — Dave Schools of Widespread Panic, Sean Lennon, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Lilly Hiatt, and the late folk singer Todd Snider, with whom he developed a close friendship.
Despite releasing a series of successful albums, Tasjan found himself questioning whether he could keep creating. Looking for perspective, he turned to Snider, a lifelong champion of underdogs. Snider responded with a long letter whose central message was simple: let the songs speak for themselves—and get over yourself.
That advice became the inspiration for Get Over It, Underdog, Tasjan's latest album. We've been spinning it for a couple of weeks, and while we'd highlighted The Real as a track worth checking out, I only recently gave it a close listen. Co-written with Snider, it's a song that champions working people while urging listeners to value what's genuine in a manufactured world.
The message is great, but what grabbed me first was the sound. It's a rock song in the vein of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (as is a lot of his music) with a guitar forward groove. His voice sits somewhere between George Harrison and Rodney Crowell.
A jangly acoustic guitar, piano, and understated percussion introduce the song before a driving bass line and cool synth hook push it forward. By mid-song, it turns into a jam with Tasjan laying down some tasty guitar leads layered with a soloing synthesizer, creating a song that inspires you to stay for the ride.
Oh yeah, don't worry, that phrase is "mother trucker" so you don't need to send the kids away to enjoy it.
Hear The Real, and other tracks from Aaron Lee Tasjan's Get Over It, Underdog on Open Air - weekday 9am-3pm on JPR's Rhythm and News Service.
