Casiotone for the Painfully Alone is the lo-fi solo project of Portland, Oregon indie artist Owen Ashworth. Utilizing a small army of various Casio keyboards, and lyrics that are a coy-edged blend of Stephin Merritt's sarcasm and the Mountain Goats' earnestness, Ashworth's first recording, Answering Machine Music: A Brief Album in Twelve Parts, was released in 1999 on his own label, Cassingle USA. 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. ~ Daphne GA Carr