Bonnie Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang – The Wonder Show Of The World
Drag City 2010
[tags: acoustic, folk, dark, 2010]
Listen while reading:
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There are several upcoming folk releases in 2010 a serious folker mustn’t miss: The Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt, the new Fleet Foxes record, Matt Bauer – The Jessamine County Book Of The Living, Horse Feathers – Thistled Spring, the new Damien Jurado album Saint Bartlett and of course the new Will Oldham output – just to name a few outstanding highlights. One entry form that list was released just recently and I think most of you have witnessed its arrival. The man with the thousand strange names, Will Oldham, paired up with The Cairo Gang and recorded The Wonder Show Of The World. Judging from the name he chose, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, this is the direct follow up to 2009’s Beware album. (Side note: Funtown Comedown was recorded under the moniker Bonny Billy wherefore I think it wasn’t meant as the follow up to Beware, for a different name means a different sound as Oldham said once).
The sad news first: the label didn’t provide free tracks and so I’m not able to embed any of the fascinating songs The Wonder Show Of The World has to offer. Indeed, there was a previously released track (not included on the album), a Cornay Twitty cover version of Play, Guitar, Play, but it doesn’t really represent the whole record, maybe the mood and the atmosphere are similar, but the overall sound is quite different. Anyways, it’s better than nothing. The closest track from the album to Play, Guitar, Play seems to be the beginning of Where Wind Blows, a dark, very laid back acoustic folk track that gets richer and fuller to the end. But the lo-fi character of Play, Guitar, Play is completely gone, instead Paul Oldham did a very good job mastering the final results. Very clear sound, a skillful play with the depth (voice often in the foreground, decent drums in the back, guitars and bass well placed, not overemphasized but always very clear). I like this sound and it shows the songs at their best.
In comparison to Beware, The Wonder Show Of The World is much more intimate, more reduced and overall darker. There are no “hits” like the wonderful I Am Goodbye, but this is nothing you’ll miss, for it only would have disturbed the atmosphere of the album. But as in nearly every Will Oldham album, there is some hope shining through all the tracks, no resignation – and that seems to be fitting very well for I can’t imagine a resigned Will Oldham. I don’t want to decide if this follow up is better or worse than the previous output, but one thing is for sure, it’s different. Nevertheless it’s another classic in Will Oldham’s repertory, a must buy for 2010 and surely one record that will also fascinate the audiences in the years ahead. Don’t miss the new Oldham and visit this site to find the right distributor to order your copy immediately. Long live Will Oldham!
[tags: alt country, rock, folk, 2009]
I really can’t tell you if I like the calmer moments (like in Email From Lucie or STE-CATH Family) or the faster ones better (like Moving Out (To Florida)). Every track has its own charm and everything goes hand in hand and creates an overwhelming overall atmosphere. I read in some reviews that authors called the music cow punk and many other genres I have heard of but cannot really tell you much about, because I usually don’t use them to describe the music I listen to. And so I will call this country, rock, folk, maybe punk, and whatever mix simply highly addictive alt country. The last time a similar record did this to me was Chuck Ragan’s very good Gold Country (although I did not post on it).
[tags: dream pop, 7'', 2010]
But I want to make this very short. On the 7” you find two tracks whereby the first one is the title track. It’s a nice homage to Cocteau Twins’ song Lorelei (from their 1984 release Treasure). The sound is relaxed with some really slow electronic drum presets and nice acid like synth melodies.
Josephine did a very good job with her project because she tried not to overtrump the lovely words with music and so there are many a cappella tracks with just her beautiful and engaging voice along with very minimalistic acoustic guitar songs (some of them with additional harp and harmonica). The result is just stunning and overwhelming in its simplicity: 26 tracks and one is better than the other and every track is full of feeling featuring wonderful lyrics (how could it be different) and just the intimacy any acoustic folk lover desires with all his heart.
The music features mostly two acoustic guitars and vocals and can be considered very stripped down and minimalistic. The strumming style gives an indie feeling to the songs and overall the 5 tracks on the EP are great sing-alongs. Powerwhore is the outstanding track I think, because it combines all the strengths of the band: great vocal melodies, nice acoustic guitar play accompanied by ukulele(?) and a great hovering atmosphere. Sadly the EP gets a little bit weaker to the end because Is Not War is a bit uniform and cannot keep pace with such great songs like the bluesy Swallow, the catchy Isahia 60 with its nice folk pop appeal or the thoughtful Creation Song.
[tags: indie folk, iceland, fully streamable, 7'']
The first track (Lion Face Boy) is more the traditional songwriting from The Ghost That Carried Us Away with lots of melodies and an upbeat character, at least a bit. The drums and the trumpet creating a good drive and the fiddle(?) plays a nervous melodie. A classical and charming indie folk/pop tune.
Skin And Feathers is characterized by the strong and clear voice of Avital Raz and the nice acoustic guitar play you find on almost every track and that’s also the reason why the EP sounds more like folk than eveything else because these main elements are very present. And so I don’t feel bothered by the additional bongos and choir in Beautiful – (Kali’s Garland) or the flute melodies in Unknown Angry Female Rock Star. Infact songs like My Next Lover or Songs Of Waiting remind me of one of the favourites here on Common Folk Meadow: 
[tags: folk, acoustic, singer-songwriter, FREE]
You may have read about Jack James (hailing from Glasgow/Scotland) few days ago over at the 
[tags: folk, acoustic, country, americana, 2009, FREE!]
If you have not checked out the music of Mike Hale so far, you will find an out and out singer-songwriter with his roots deep in the folk country /americana tradition. His raw vocals are mostly accompanied by his acoustic guitar and I see a strong similarity to the fascinating Chad Price release Smile Sweet Face (recently released via Suburban Home Records, too). But Hale’s music features more instruments such as percussions or piano in Losing Ground – this is the reason why Lives Like Mine reminds of Smile Sweet Face but got its own loveable style.
[tags: folk, americana, 2009]
Their self titeld album is a wonderful combination of folk and americana. Both voices are charismatic as hell and all the instruments join to one overhelming musical mass that twines around you. And still the sound is reduced but not simple because you can feel that the two of them thought it out very well to create dark and endearing tunes. The cover artwork perfectly catches the mood of the music and it is easy to imagine oneself standing in the dark night, looking up into the murky sky thinking about all sorts of things while a cold but comfortable breath of wind blows down the head.
