Camp Revival

Today’s installation comes straight from the Czech Repubic. And believe it or not, these guys are still around. For those of you who have been following BLACK METAL FRIDAY from the beginning you will note a common theme of peering out from behind trees, lots of makeup, and walking in a seemingly aimless direction. We can only hope that their road leads to some dark abyss of eternal shadows or something equally as rewarding.

Ok. So there were some wild Nostradamus-like guesses ventured against Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s newest record, Beware. And that’s not a bad thing. Trying to keep up with the prolific steps of Mr. Prince is something of an exercise in folk-futility. Now that the ears have had time to digest (burp), I am more able to give a decent shake at the record.

First off, I was right about that Neil Young comparison. The album art is not the only similarity- the crooning swells on Beware’s sturdier tracks reminds me of some of the better moments of Young and Co. The scuzzy electric guitar sounds the much like a Crazy Horse inspired moment. BPB-0; C-1.

Round Two got a little bloody. Where I was expecting macabre-rock, Oldham fills with lighter 70’s country sounds. Gee, thanks for the misleading album art and morose song titles, Bonny. The song content shares more in common with Lie Down In the Light than it does with I See A Darkness. And I’m okay with that- it’s just a little unexpected. Suckerpunched. BPB-1; C-1.

My last prediction is a bit of a hard one to prove at the moment. Where I thought this may spell the end for this particular dimension of Oldham, it seem there is much more to give. Especially with all of the other mini-releases, including a promising EP with  Cheyenne Mize, a song on the Louisville is For Lovers compilation, a shared 7″ single with Young Widows, it looks like the moniker might be sticking around. However, with the host of other projects that Oldham has a hand in (Wendy and Lucy, Trapped In the Closet, various voices lent to Adult Swim, etc.), it’s hard to see where his time might go. It’s going to be a while until we know the results.

Having all of that said, I am plenty digging this record.

Welcome to the first of a ten part series- BLACK METAL FRIDAY. It’s similar to casual Friday, except there are less Hawaiian shirts and a bit more face paint involved. And did I mention the fire eaters? Oh yeah.

My mailbox is expecting a very special parcel from Drag City Records.

This is the first time in a couple years that I have held out to listen to a record until the moment I have it in my hands. It reminds me of a simpler age where men were men, dames were dames, and records were listened to on the album release date.

Remember that anticipation of trying to find a weak spot in the shrink wrap? The exhilarating anxiety as the needle met the vinyl, ready for that first wave of sound? It’s been a while since I’ve done that.

Anyway, the record is Beware, the newest offering of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. And I have not yet heard it. But I have deduced the following three things from the tracklist and album art speculation:

1. There may be Neil Young influences therein. Observe the album art of these records.

2. With song titles like ‘Death Final’, ‘You Are Lost’, and ‘I Am Goodbye’, I reminded of another one of Will Oldham’s records that carried songs like ‘Death to Everyone, ‘I See A Darkness’, and ‘Today I Was An Evil One’. If Beware is anything like I See A Darkness, we’re in for quite the treat, not to mention one of the best records of the year.

3. If my above theory is true, it possibly leads me to believe that this is the end of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s music- but not necessarily the cessation of Will Oldam’s music. Darkness was the first record under the Bonnie moniker, and Beware would seem to tie everything up in a neat chiastic package. Oldham seems to have an endless supply of music psuedonyms (Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, Amalgamated Sons of Rest, etc.), so I would not be suprised if this was the end of Bonnie, and the beginning of something new…

Enough with the speculation- let March 17 be the judge. Again, I could be very wrong, and we may have a calypso record on our hands. We’ll see.

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy on Drag City Records

With autumn approaching, there are two things that legitimize the season. First- boiling apple cider with melted carmel chews swirled around in it. I think that is what crunchy yellow leaves should taste like. But more importantly, are my Breathe Owl Breathe records.

2008 saw the release of Ghost Glacier EP, the fourth musical offering of the Michigan band. The thing I most enjoy about these particular songs is how they have a vibe of being crafted outside of a city and away from noise. Homegrown, fresh (and organic!) tunes from the rural upper Midwest.

Landmark by Breathe Owl Breathe (from Canadian Shield)

Water’s Edge by Breathe Owl Breathe (from Climb In)

The older songs show a bit of that string-infused Sufjan Stevens or Andrew Bird arrangement, but the new record’s material shows a band in transition- maturing and the confidence to leave familiar musical territory. Prepare yourself for glockenspiel/mallet experimentation.