anorak

i dunno... i think it forms a pretty good trilogy along with his last two records...

however the best trilogy is still wild love /red apple falls / knock knock

I like how, on the new album, when he sings "all thoughts are prey to some beasts" it sounds a bit like "all thoughts are prey to zombies".

I notice that the latest Green Man poster has a 'Special Guest' listed, and Bill C has a couple of free dates on the Saturday and Sunday of it. Fingers crossed...though if he doesn't play it I think I'll go to the Manchester show when I come back from it, provided I can get a shower at my mate's who lives there!

Not noticed that yet! Still absorbing the album, along with other birthday treats, although it's very lovely, and i'm liking Faith/Void an awful lot. More hardcore punk-derived joke song titles, please.



Do shout up if yr going. i really fancy Green Man but have thus far failed to persuade others that it'd be worth it. And i'm not having much better luck with the Manchester show!

I really need to make friends with some people who actually like stuff that i like.

You can crash at mine if you're stuck mate. I fancy this, have I already mentioned this?

what are the tour dates? whens manchester?

TOURDATES:

Tuesday, August 18
Brighton, UK
Duke of York

Wednesday, August 19
London, UK
Union Chapel

Thursday, August 20
London, UK
Union Chapel

Sunday, August 23
Glasgow, UK
Stereo

Monday, August 24
Manchester, UK
Deaf Institute

Tuesday, August 25
Norwich, UK
Arts Centre

Wednesday, August 26
Bristol, UK
Thekla

awesome.. might try and make the manchester one!

did i gather theres anoraks going?

Well, i think i'm most probably going... plus a couple of maybes.

Does he still play much Smog stuff now that he's changed his stage name to his real name? If he doesn't, that's fine... if he does, i've got a LOT of swotting up to do. EEK.

Yeah, he tends to. It's the most enjoyable type of swotting up though, surely - getting into a band/artist who have already got an extensive back catalogue. I'm currently going through that with Wilco. It's brilliant.

I was listening to his new(ish) album when my French plane was about to crash earlier today/yesterday.

It reminded me of how ace the last smog album was, then how terrible his first solo album was because he'd had sex with Joanna Newsom or something. Then his new(ish) album is pretty good - not quite as good as before some of his spiritwolf had been sucked away by his relations with Joanna Newsom or something, but still pretty good. What I have learned is if you write and record an album before you have relations (sexual) with Joanna Newsom, it will inevitably be better than if you write and record an album AFTER you have relations (or otherwise) with her, even if she didn't touch you there.

I really like "My Friend".

You're right, but I'd take writing a bad album if it meant I'd "known" Joanna Newsom. That said, his first album (as himself, as it were) did grow on me. It's not as good as the new one though.

Yeah, 'My Friend' is great. It reminds me of a more upbeat version of 'Bloodflow' from Dongs of Sevotion. The aforementioned 'All Thoughts Are Prey to Some Beast' is probably my current favourite though. And 'Eid Ma Clack Shaw' is up there too.

incidentally, bill callahan wanted to release 'a river aint too much...' under his own name but drag city apparently had to beg him to remain under the smog moniker for marketing purposes...

...this seems to make sense as that was when his lyric writing changed somewhat... which is why i refer to them as a trilogy up above... woke on a whaleheart was a good album... has better songs in my opinion than the new one (which i love for its overall arrangements and feel)... a river aint too much to love is an all time classic though...

as for joanna newsom, my songwriting only improved the more time we spent in bed together...

There's some great people doing these little acoustic concerts for NPR, but his is just stellar. I presume all the songs are from the new lp; but the first two are unbelievable, some of his very best writing, I'd say. Is this what the record sounds like? The arrangements remind me a little of the Rachel's in places, almost (or maybe the dirty three? yeah, maybe it's that.)

Did anyone get to see him in the end? It was sold out by the time i had someone to go with. Boo.

According to Bill Callahan's facebook page some kind of lucky charm he keeps on stage was stolen at his recent brighton, UK, gig.

Found this review of the gig, but nothing about the lucky charm, I think it was a toy horse.

http://www.neonfiller.com/page3.htm#callahanlive