Throwback Thursday VII
Today we take a trip back in the not so distant past to dig into a couple gems from one of Maryland's favorites sons, Bill Callahan. This year's Woke On A Whaleheart (Drag City) may be the debut under his given name, but the guy has already released a boatload of wonderful albums under the Smog and (Smog) monikers. He's not an easy musician to pigeonhole, so I'll just describe him as a very engaging singer-songwriter with a lo-fi sensibility and a wicked black sense of humor. You won't go wrong picking up nearly any of his albums, but I'd suggest starting with either Knock Knock or Red Apple Falls for a nice entry point. In the meantime, check out the tracks below for a good feel.
Smog - "I Was A Stranger" (taken from Red Apple Falls)
The nice and smooth piano into leads into a pleasant country shuffle complete with some excellent lap steel. Pretty, huh? Not quite. Bill tricks us into a semi-creepy ballad that vaguely alludes to some shady stuff he did before he came to this town a stranger. Which is one of the things I really love about Callahan, his lyrics oftentimes jolt you right out of the daze the music can lull you into.
Smog - "Dress Sexy At My Funeral" (taken from Dongs of Sevotion)
Speaking of jolting lyrics. Just listen to this one for yourself. Not much subtlety in the lyrics, but I love the fuzzy bass that keeps this track grounded.
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