Albums:
Woke on a WhaleheartThe first record released by Bill Callahan under his own name instead of his nom de plume Smog. It was released by Drag City on April 24, 2007 and released a week earlier in Callahan's home state of Texas. A single, "Diamond Dancer," preceded the release of the album on March 20, 2007.
The arrangements of labelmate and former Royal Trux vocalist and guitarist Neil Michael Hagerty are featured on the album, and Callahan's band consists of vocalist Deani Pugh-Flemmings, guitarist Pete Denton, violinist Elizabeth Warren, percussionist Thor Harris, bassist Steve Bernal, and keyboard/lap steel player Howard Draper. The album was recorded by Jeremy Lemos, who previously recorded the Smog albums Rain on Lens and Supper.
Woke on a Whaleheart's sound, according to Callahan, touches upon "gospel, tough pop and American Light Opera." Joe Grillo of the art collective Dearraindrop created the album artwork.
A River Ain't Too Much to Loveeleventh album, released on May 30, 2005 on Domino Records in Europe and a day later on Drag City in North America. The album features guest appearances by Joanna Newsom and Thor Harris of Shearwater. Music videos were produced for both "Rock Bottom Riser" and "I Feel Like the Mother of the World," the latter featuring actress Chloë Sevigny. Both videos can be found on the "Rock Bottom Riser" CD single release.
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Suppertenth album, released in March 2003 on Domino Records in Europe and on Drag City in North America under his then-alias (Smog). It was recorded by Jeremy Lemos from August to September 2002 and mastered by Nick Webb at Abbey Road Studios. In 2004, the track "Vessel in Vain" appeared on the soundtrack of Shane Meadows' acclaimed British thriller Dead Man's Shoes. In 2005, the track "A Guiding Light" appeared on the soundtrack of Winter Passing.Check it.
Rain on Lensninth album, released in Europe on September 17, 2001 on Domino Records, and a day later in North America on Drag City. It is the first release under the alias (Smog), and the first album artwork which featured a picture of Bill Callahan himself on the cover. It was recorded by Rob Bochnik and Jeremy Lemos and produced by Callahan. Jessica Billey played violin and provided backing vocals, Kyle Bruckmann played English horn and oboe and Geoff Greenberg played bass. Nate Lepine played alto sax and flute, Rick Rizzo guitar. Pat Samson played drums.Check it.
Dongs of Sevotioneighth album, released on CD and double 12" vinyl on April 3, 2000 in Europe by Domino Records and a day later in North America by Drag City. It was produced by Callahan himself and recorded by Phil Bonnet, Joe Dilillo, John Towner and John McEntire, who is also credited for additional mixing. "Strayed" was the only single, released on CD and 7" vinyl on July 17, 2000. Matt Lux played bass, John McEntire played drums, synthesizer and piano, Jeff Parker played guitar, and Rich Schuler played drums.Check it.
Knock Knockseventh album, released in January 1999 on Drag City and by Domino in Europe. The album is the fourth and final collaboration with producer and musician Jim O'Rourke. Knock Knock elaborates Callahan's sound and provides twists and edges to the folky style of its predecessor. "Held" was the first single, followed by "Cold Blooded Old Times," which was also featured on the High Fidelity soundtrack, thereby gaining some attention to Callahan's work. Other soundtrack appearances include "Teenage Spaceship" in Crazy (2000, directed by Hans-Christian Schmid), and "Hit the Ground Running" in Swimming (2000, directed by Robert J. Siegel). The album was accompanied by the release of the single "Look Now," featuring the two Japanese bonus tracks. Loren Mazzacane Connors plays guitar on "Sweet Treat," and Tim Mulvenna played drums. Jim O'Rourke played piano, and "Wurley" played guitar. Bill Callahan has referred to the cover as being a reference to "two zen tenets - that of life being like a flash of lightning or a wildcat's roar" (Smog interview in Ink Blot Magazine), though others have speculated that it is a reference to Cat Power, who had been in a relationship with Callahan immediately prior to the writing of the album.Check it.
Red Apple Fallssixth album, released in May 1997 on Drag City and re-released in Europe in 2001 by Domino. It was recorded by Jim O'Rourke and Bill Callahan, with assistance from Phil Bonnet. It is the first of two Smog records produced by O'Rourke, and Callahan's third team-up with O'Rourke. He also played bass, piano, hammond, hurdy gurdy and drums. "Ex-Con" was released as a single. An early version of "Red Apples" was first featured on Callahan's first EP Floating in 1991, and was later covered by Chan Marshall for her album The Covers Record. "I Was a Stranger" was redone by Callahan for the 2000 EP 'Neath the Puke Tree. Additionally, as a collaboration project, the two German labels Schinderwies Productions and keplar released a split single subtitled A Tribute to Smog in 2003, with Tripophon & Mawe covering "I Was a Stranger" and Radio Magenta covering "Ex-Con." Check it.
The Doctor Came at Dawnfifth album, released in September 1996 on Drag City and re-released in Europe in 2001 by Domino. It was engineered by Jim O'Rourke, who would later become the producer of Smog's two following albums Red Apple Falls and Knock Knock. "Lize" features Callahan's sometime creative partner Cynthia Dall.
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Wild Lovefourth album, released on March 27, 1995 on Drag City and later re-released in Europe on Domino in 2001. Jim O'Rourke contributed as cellist on this album, which marks his first collaboration with Smog. Drag City's producer Rian Murphy helped develop a wider musical palette than on its predecessor Julius Caesar. Chan Marshall would later cover "Bathysphere" on her 1996 album What Would the Community Think.
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Julius Caesarthird album, released in 1993 on Drag City. It was re-released in Europe in 2001 on Domino Records. After his two first LPs, which were recorded at home with an experimental lo-fi-approach, Callahan decided to record this album in a professional studio. Nevertheless he kept control over the recording process, with only Kim Osterwalder helping out on cello. The song "One Less Star" appeared in Above the Below, a 2003-documentary about a stunt by David Blaine. "Chosen One" was covered live by The Flaming Lips in a record store in Minneapolis on December 12, 1993, a recording which later appeared on their EP Due to High Expectations... the Flaming Lips Are Providing Needles for Your Balloons. The song also appeared (as a Peel Session) on Callahan's rarities compilation Accumulation: None in 2002.
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Forgotten Foundationsecond album, released in 1992 on Drag City. It is the last Smog album Callahan recorded at home.
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Sewn to the Skydebut album, released in 1990 on Disaster Records. It was later re-released on Drag City and manifested Bill Callahan's importance for the Lo-fi music in the early 90s. This highly experimental album combined homerecording, substandard instruments and repetitive and noisy songwriting-structures for what would later be called the pioneering of the lo-fi genre. The liner notes stated it was recorded on a "dumpster Portastudio". The track "A Jar of Sand" would later be re-recorded for the 'Neath the Puke Tree EP in 2000. The track "I Want to Tell You About a Man", written about Jesus Christ, references Philip K. Dick in the line "He doesn't read Dick K. Philips," reversing Dick's name ostensibly for humor.
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EPs:
Rock Bottom Riser
"Rock Bottom Riser" is a single by Smog from his 2005 album A River Ain't Too Much to Love. Pitchfork Media rated it 7.4/10. Song was used in a 2008 movie "The Skyjacker".
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'Neath the Puke Tree
'Neath the Puke Tree is Smog's fifth EP, released on Drag City in 2000. It was recorded by Brent Puncheon and Leah Baker and features remakes of previous work ("I Was a Stranger" from Red Apple Falls and "A Jar of Sand" from Sewn to the Sky) as well as three new songs. Charlie Gansa played guitar on this record, "Sloth" and Jim White played drums. White would later return to play drums on A River Ain't Too Much to Love.Check it.
Strayed - EP
"Strayed" is a single by Smog from the 2000 album Dongs of Sevotion. Both a 7" single and a CD EP were released simultaneously. The 7" version features an acoustic rendition of "Bloodflow" as its b-side, while the CD version features a reissue of the rare self-released "Cow" cassette recording on tracks 2-9, recorded April/May 1989, which was one of Callahan's first releases.
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The Manta Rays of Time
The Manta Rays of Time is Smog's fourth EP, released in Australia only on Spunk Records in 2000. "Real Live Dress" later appeared on the 2002 rarities compilation Accumulation: None, while the remaining two tracks on the EP are exclusive to this release.
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Kicking a Couple Around
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Burning Kingdom
Floating
Floating is Smog's first EP, released on Drag City in 1991. "Red Apples" is an early version of the better known Red Apple Falls-Track of the same name from 1997. "Floating" and "Hole in the Heart" later appeared on Smog's rarities compilation Accumulation: None.
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Rock Bottom Riser"Rock Bottom Riser" is a single by Smog from his 2005 album A River Ain't Too Much to Love. Pitchfork Media rated it 7.4/10. Song was used in a 2008 movie "The Skyjacker".
Check it.
'Neath the Puke Tree'Neath the Puke Tree is Smog's fifth EP, released on Drag City in 2000. It was recorded by Brent Puncheon and Leah Baker and features remakes of previous work ("I Was a Stranger" from Red Apple Falls and "A Jar of Sand" from Sewn to the Sky) as well as three new songs. Charlie Gansa played guitar on this record, "Sloth" and Jim White played drums. White would later return to play drums on A River Ain't Too Much to Love.Check it.
Strayed - EP"Strayed" is a single by Smog from the 2000 album Dongs of Sevotion. Both a 7" single and a CD EP were released simultaneously. The 7" version features an acoustic rendition of "Bloodflow" as its b-side, while the CD version features a reissue of the rare self-released "Cow" cassette recording on tracks 2-9, recorded April/May 1989, which was one of Callahan's first releases.
Check it.
The Manta Rays of TimeThe Manta Rays of Time is Smog's fourth EP, released in Australia only on Spunk Records in 2000. "Real Live Dress" later appeared on the 2002 rarities compilation Accumulation: None, while the remaining two tracks on the EP are exclusive to this release.
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Kicking a Couple AroundKicking a Couple Around is Smog's third EP, released on Drag City in April 1996 and re-released in Europe on Domino in 2001. "Your New Friend" was originally recorded during a 1994 John Peel radio session. "Back in School," "I Break Horses," and "The Orange Glow of a Stranger's Living Room" were recorded by Steve Albini. In an interview, Bill Callahan stated that "I Break Horses" was written "to help a friend try to understand how a guy she had a one-night stand with could possibly not return her phone calls the next day or ever again."
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Burning KingdomBurning Kingdom is Smog's second EP, released on Drag City in 1994 and later re-released in Europe on Domino. "My Shell" is an electric version of the 1991 single of the same name. This EP is the first of two collaborations between Callahan and the drummer Ron Burns, as well as the beginning of his work with Cynthia Dall. She provided vocals to "Renée Died 1:45." Steven Fidybel played violin, and Kim Osterwalder played cello, as she did on Julius Caesar.Check it.
FloatingFloating is Smog's first EP, released on Drag City in 1991. "Red Apples" is an early version of the better known Red Apple Falls-Track of the same name from 1997. "Floating" and "Hole in the Heart" later appeared on Smog's rarities compilation Accumulation: None.
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Compilations:
Accumulation: None
Accumulation: None is a compilation of rarities by American singer-songwriter Smog, released on November 4, 2002 in Europe by Domino Records and a day later in North America on Drag City. The compilation was released under his then-alias (Smog), and features the new song "White Ribbon."
Accumulation: NoneAccumulation: None is a compilation of rarities by American singer-songwriter Smog, released on November 4, 2002 in Europe by Domino Records and a day later in North America on Drag City. The compilation was released under his then-alias (Smog), and features the new song "White Ribbon."
Check it.
last.fm tags: singer-songwriter, alt-country, folk, lo-fi, indie rock
*all the album info is from wikipedia
