featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
January 3, 2021
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
Back in September, Bill Callahan released his Gold Record. It was the culmination of a process that apparently began with his 2019 double-LP, Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest. In early Summer of 2020, Callahan began releasing a song every week leading up to the formal street date for his new project.
Bonnie Prince Billy is no stranger himself to non-traditional release strategies. I don't know that a couple months haven't passed recently without a single or an EP of new music. Will Oldham is also a serial collaborator. Matter of fact, a trip to The Royal Stable will be enough to convince anyone that there are few more productive artists.
Musical restlessness and rampant productivity are held in high esteem at R&B HQ. Since Fall, our ROUTES-casts have been regularly populated with a series of collaborative covers from Bill Callahan and Bonnie Prince Billy, featuring special guests. The songs are as wide-ranging as the artists themselves, idiosyncratic and traditional, alternately challenging and beautiful. No formal announcement has been made by the Drag City label to package the singles as one cohesive LP, though collecting them on a playlist reveals how well the diverse pieces play alongside one another.
Of course, cover songs have not been hard to come by during the plague years. But the songs tagged by Callahan and Oldham aren't your average Radiohead or Nirvana covers. Please raise a hand, for instance, if you've been anticipating their take on Billie Eilish's "I Wish You Were Gay". What begins as a sweet acoustic recitation by Callahan is soon hijacked by a rubberband bass and Oldham's fractured delivery. With High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan along for the ride, it's a fully unexpected romp that is so left-of-center that it is charming if not just a bit funky. On another tip there is Hank Jr's "OD'd in Denver", featuring frequent BPB co-conspirator Matt Sweeney. The participants conjure a dark bass-heavy pall over the cautionary tale, all but disappearing the original's good natured country.
Perhaps the straightest take comes with Bill Callahan's faithful reading of Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues", featuring guitarist Bill MacKay. The singer's deep croon suits the song's languid and bittersweet groove, with MacKay's watery guitar departures casting a spell. See also the duo's presentation of Yusuf/Cat Steven's lesser known early gem "Blackness of the Night". The acoustic number showcases the perfection in the pairing of two untraditional voices, generating genuinely pretty harmonies.
Positing Will Oldham's comfortably creaky keen alongside Bill Callahan's lowing croon, those moments when the voices twine serve as highlights of the series of singles. As Bonnie Prince Billy, Oldham has brought us plenty of earnest gospel music. The beauty of those harmonies shines brightest on the late Dave Rich's "I've Made Up My Mind", joined by Scottish folk musician Alasdair Roberts. You'll want to track down the duo's Bandcamp write-ups on these cuts, which testify to their perennially skewed perspective: Brother
Callahan steps forward to testify at several key moments, and hands reach
across the water all over the place, with the redolence of Gram and Emmylou,
Richard and Linda, Shirley and Dolly, Bob and The Band, The Albion Country Band
and all of their forebears, kith and kin stretching from here back to the
horizon.
More than anything, the most effective cover can be surprising and even fun, pointing out new qualities in both the artist and the song in question. With guitarist David Pajo, Callahan and Oldham's run through Jerry Jeff Walker's "I Love You" is as warm and lovely as the original, with added horns for good measure. And Meg Baird adds to a perfectly toned-down run through Little Feat's "I've Been the One". With other offerings that have been noisier and more avant-ly challenging, the spirit of the sessions is one of a loose musical camaraderie, a sandbox pairing of restless artists hoping for an outlet during times of separation and remove. Time will tell how long this release cycle continues, but we'll be following Bill Callahan, Bonnie Prince Billy and friends wherever their muse might lead them.
- Steve Earle, "Saint of Lost Causes" JT (New West, 21)
- Hailey Whitters, "Fillin' My Cup (feat. Little Big Town)" single (Pigasus, 21) D
- Sturgill Simpson, "Jesus Boogie" Cuttin' Grass Vol 2: Cowboy Arms Sessions (High Top Mt, 20)
- Stuffy Schmitt, "It's OK" Stuff Happens (Schmitt, 20) D
- Cody Jinks, "Lifers (live)" Red Rocks Live (Late August, 20)
- Michaela Anne, "If I Wanted Your Opinion" single (Yep Roc, 20) D
- Jeffrey Foucault, "There's a Destruction On This Land" Deadstock: Uncollected Recordings 2005-2020 (Foucault, 20) D
- Kacy & Clayton and Marlon Williams, "I'm Gonna Break It" Plastic Bouquet (New West, 20)
- Father John Misty, "I'm Writing a Novel" Fear Fun (Sub Pop, 12)
- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Feminine Walk" Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! (New West, Feb 5)
- Nathaniel Rateliff, "Redemption" single (Stax, 20) D
- Duff Thompson, "You're Pretty Good" Haywire (Mashed Potato, 20) D
- Have Gun Will Travel, "Paperback (demo)" Raw Materials: Home Demos (Burke, 20) D
- Langhorne Slim, "No Right Way" Strawberry Mansion (Dualtone, Jan 29)
- Amanda Shires, "That's All" single (Silver Knife, 21) D
- Southern Culture on the Skids, "Midnight to Six" Kudzu Records Presents (Kudzu, 20)
- Amigo the Devil, "Another Man's Grave" Born Against (Liars Club, Apr 16) D
- Prison Book Club, "White Plain" Prison Book Club (Emperor, 18)
- Scott H Biram, "Can't Stay Long" Fever Dreams (Bloodshot, 20)
- Bowerbirds, "Thrift Store" Endless Chase: 2020 Singles (Psychic Hotline, 20) D
- Adam Selzer, "Better Than You Know" Slow Decay (Jealous Butcher, 20)
- Courtney Marie Andrews, "America (feat. Molly Sarle & Liz Cooper)" single (Fat Possum, 20) D
^ Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy, "Rooftop Garden (feat. George Xylouris)" single (Drag City, 21) D
- Ryan Adams, "I'm Sorry and I Love You" Wednesdays (PaxAm, 20)
- Ward Davis, "Book of Matches" Black Cats & Crows (Davis, 20)
- Charles Ellsworth, "Blessed" Honeysuckle Summer (Burro Borracho, Mar 5)
- Neal Casal, "Green Moon" single (Casal, 20)
- James Steinle, "Cold German Mornings" Cold German Mornings (Steinle, 20)
- Reed Turchi, "I've Chosen Love" I've Chosen Love (Nine Mile, Feb 19) D
- Andrew Bryant, "Dear Momma" single (Magnolia State, 20) D
We expect to return to our usual run-down of release announcements next Episode. Between you 'n me, there ain't been too many recently. To catch up, you'll want to explore A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster, which will get you set for what to expect in the weeks to come, as well as filling in any unfortunate holes in your 2020 collection.
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