Casiotone for the Painfully Alone was the lo-fi solo project of Owen Ashworth, a Portland-based songwriter who mixed sensitive Bright Eyes-styled balladry with Atom & His Package battery-operated antics. His weapons of choice were the Casio SK-1 and several hot rod Casiotones, while his lyrics were a coy-edged blend of Stephin Merritt's sarcasm and the Mountain Goats' earnestness. Ashworth released his first recording, 1999's Answering Machine Music: A Brief Album in Twelve Parts -- loosely a concept album of clever musical voice mails -- on his own label, Cassingle USA. Some ...