Search Results for:

BONNIE %27PRINCE%27 BILLY

Cover of Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You by Bonnie Prince Billy.

Bonnie Prince Billy

Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You

Domino

    Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You – an album made as it was meant to be heard, in a room. The sound of people together – a sound we’d so recently feared that we’d lost – playing, communing, strings and wood and keys and voices singing. KSWDY presents simply, and is sung along easily and happily with in time BUT --is it family portrait or fairy tale? How does it think the world was made, and will end?

    Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You was recorded in Louisville by Nick Roeder, featuring Sara Louise Callaway on violin, Kendall Carter on keys, Elisabeth Fuchsia on viola and violin, Dave Howard on Mandolin, Drew Miller on saxophone and Dane Waters’ voice. The presence of so many local players and music educators in the band lends not only to a flow of moments so fluidly encompassing of a wide range of musics from classical to Japanese acid folk and elsewhere, but perhaps even more importantly, to the sense of community, heredity and the triumph of inheritance that is the marrow and life blood of this music. 

    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: Though 'Keeping secrets...' is undoubtedly one of BPB's quietest outings in terms of its instrumentation, drawing beauty from a reasonably unadorned mixture of guitar strings and vocals, the depth of feeling and scope of the result is astounding. Heartwarming folky balladry abound, all pulled together with Oldham's unmatched sensitivity.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Like It Or Not
    2. Behold! Be Held!
    3. Bananas
    4. Blood Of The Wine
    5. Sing Them Down Together
    6. Kentucky Is Water
    7. Willow, Pine And Oak
    8. Trees Of Hell
    9. Rise And Rule (She Was Born In Honolulu)
    10. Queens Of Sorrow
    11. Crazy Blue Bells
    12. Good Morning, Popocatépetl

    [ + ]
    [ - ]
    Cover of Blind Date Party by Bill Callahan And Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

    Bill Callahan And Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

    Blind Date Party

    Drag City

      The Blind Date Party hosted by Bill Callahan and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and featuring AZITA, Matt Sweeney, Alasdair Roberts, Matt Kinsey, Sean O’Hagan, Bill MacKay, George Xylouris, Dead Rider, David Pajo, Mick Turner, Meg Baird, Ty Segall, Emmett Kelly, Cory Hanson, Six Organs of Admittance, David Grubbs, Cassie Berman, Cooper Crain and Sir Richard Bishop happened online in the fall and winter of ’20–’21 — but the party planning dated back to the spring of 2020. Stuck at home, with no gigs in the foreseeable future, Bill, Bonnie and Drag City needed an outreach program to keep themselves busy, not to mention sane. In the absence of any company or anything on the calendar, playing songs they loved was an idea; playing with people they loved, the desire. And making it fun — so pairing someone with someone else having no say in the matter, the essence of the blind date, was the plan. Favorite songs were chose; players from around the Drag City galaxy were messaged. Pretty soon, songs were flying back and forth — music in the air!

      And thus, they were entertained throughout the summer of 2020, when so much else in the world seemed so completely wrong. By the fall, the songs started to appear online: Bill and Bonnie singing a song by someone they loved and admired; each song cut by another another artist they loved and admired, then sent to Bill and Bonny to provide the finishing touches. The spotlight pointed in every direction each week: toward the singers and writers who’d originally played the songs (Yusuf Islam, Hank Williams Jr., Dave Rich, The Other

      Years, Billie Eilish, Steely Dan, Lou Reed, Bill Callahan, Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Wyatt, Lowell George, Johnnie Frierson, Air Supply, Will Oldham, Leonard Cohen, David Berman, Iggy Pop and John Prine), toward their featured collaborators, the artists whose artwork adorned each digital single and videos made by still more collaborators. And you, the listener.

      Like the best parties, it turned out to be everything and more than they’d even hoped for. So many more people were involved in the process that we can get on the page here. Suffice to say, making records over the years has required a broad sense of community and an always-surprising mix of independence and unity, inspiration and utility. Some of our best memories are those where as many of our folks as as possible were together in one place at one time. In those moments, it was just a great thing just to be there. And with others looking in . . . this was a joy one could only be infinitely lucky to feel and to take for granted, as well.

      The Blind Date Party was one of these, maybe the most improbable one yet. It’s for everyone who’s here and it’s in the name of everyone who’s gone but will never go and will always live with us here. This album will too.

      And thus, we are entertained.

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Darryl says: Combining the best elements of each others talents 'Blind Date Party' finds Bill and Will in fabulous form. Mellow, dark, country-folk laments to snuggle up to during the cold winter months.

      TRACK LISTING

      A
      The Blackness Of The Night (feat. Azita)
      OD'd In Denver (feat. Matt Sweeney)
      I've Made Up My Mind (feat. Alasdair Roberts)
      Red-Tailed Hawk (feat. Matt Kinsey)
      Wish You Were Gay (feat. Sean O'Hagan)
      Our Anniversary (feat. Dead Rider)
      B
      Rooftop Garden (feat. George Xylouris)
      Deacon Blues (feat. Bill MacKay)
      I Love You (feat. David Pajo)
      C
      Sea Song (feat. Mick Turner)
      I've Been The One (feat. Meg Baird)
      Miracles (feat. Ty Segall)
      I Want To Go To The Beach (feat. Cooper Crain)
      D
      Night Rider's Lament (feat. Cory Hanson)
      Arise, Therefore (feat. Six Organs Of Admittance)
      The Night Of Santiago (feat. David Grubbs)
      The Wild Kindness (feat. Cassie Berman)
      Lost In Love (feat. Emmett Kelly)
      She Is My Everything (feat. Sir Richard Bishop)

      [ + ]
      [ - ]
      Reduced Cover of Superwolves by Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

      Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

      Superwolves

      Domino

        Where once was Superwolf, now roam Superwolves, the new album and demon spawn of Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

        The songs that make up Superwolves, the duo’s second album and first since 2005’s Superwolf, go boldly into undreamed-of places, and go deep, as Matt and Bonny take all the musics they know to make songs that penetrate. In classic Garcia-Hunter style, Sweeney and the ‘Prince’ first work separately, finding a path to each other in their solitary imaginings. Bonnie lyric sets delivered to Matt spark Sweeney’s guitar brain; chords and a melody are shaped, recorded fast and loose and sent back to the Prince, then the two parties meet up to sing, stitch, strengthen and finally perform them together in front of a small unsuspecting audience. Then new sets of lyrics are sent, animated and played in a high wire style until the shared songs and experiences are ready to commit to record. This is just the beginning of their fusion process, as words imply vocalizations to counter and support, and guitar lines suggest harmonic fields to subtly push into. In this process, a new creature grows out of the old one. In this name of this partnership, the guitar shares an open and fluid space with the vocals, the voices sing with the guitars—every moment in the life of Superwolves is an extravaganza, guided only by its need.

        “The chemistry comes from lives, lived separately, in which music is crucial sustenance. We listen with gratitude and awe, knowing that we belong in there. We construct our dream selves with the faith that these selves will have their chance at life. We know what we are capable of doing and just need each other’s support to bring the imagined languages to life.” — Will Oldham

        “I love the challenge to write melodies for Will to sing. Struggle with that challenge too. Knowing that Will’s voice will elevate the melody makes me reach higher and dig deeper for the tune. Makes me want to match it with a guitar part that holds his voice like a chalice holds wine (or blood, or whatever is needed to live the best life). I also love singing harmonies and responses to this voice of his.” — Matt Sweeney

        As far as this record, as in when and how it came together, the two man crew started working on it five years ago. The first actual session, however, went down about a year ago at Brooklyn’s Strange Weather and the next took place at the Butcher Shoppe in Nashville. Sweeney oversaw the mixing of the Brooklyn sessions with Oldham overseeing the Nashville mixes. On the album, Sweeney sings harmonies along, with, and around his favorite singer, and plays all electric, acoustic, and bass guitars, joined in places by David Ferguson on stand-up bass, Mike Coltun on electric bass, Mdou Moctar on electric lead, Ahmoudou Madassane on rhythm guitar, Souleyman Ibrahim, Ryan Sawyer and Peter Townsend on drums and Mike Rojas on keys. The Bonnie ‘Prince’ sings. Does he ever. And Superwolves rules over all.

        STAFF COMMENTS

        Barry says: This is a perfect collaborative effort from Sweeney & Oldham here, offsetting BPB's sometimes saccharine vocal style with Sweeney's brilliantly dynamic guitar playing. There are moments of stunning minimalistic bliss ('Resist The Urge') or more psychedelic grooving force ('Hall Of Death') but this is a constantly confounding and rewarding listen.

        TRACK LISTING

        1. Make Worry For Me
        2. Good To My Girls
        3. God Is Waiting
        4. Hall Of Death
        5. Shorty’s Ark
        6. I Am A Youth Inclined To Ramble
        7. My Popsicle
        8. Watch What Happens
        9. Resist The Urge
        10. There Must Be A Someone
        11. My Blue Suit
        12. My Body Is My Own
        13. You Can Regret What You Have Done
        14. Not Fooling

        [ + ]
        [ - ]
        Cover of Hello Sorrow, Hello Joy by Three Queens In Mourning / Bonnie Prince Billy.

        Three Queens In Mourning / Bonnie Prince Billy

        Hello Sorrow, Hello Joy

        Textile Records

          Three Queens in Mourning first gathered in summit to sing celebration of the publication of Will Oldham’s book of collected lyrics, Songs of Love and Horror. Alasdair Roberts (Appendix Out), Jill O' Sullivan (Jill Lorean), and Alex Neilson (Trembling Bells, Alex Rex) each arrived provisioned with a small armful of selections nearest and dearest from Bonnie Prince Oldham’s far-reaching catalogue.

          Three Queens in Mourning’s takes on these tunes follow naturally from the fit between Will’s words and their three distinctive voices. Alasdair Roberts’ sweet, guileless delivery of “Christmas Time in the Mountains” amplifiesthe lacerating quality of the lyric “we need an enemy / I’m saving all my rage for you”; even if at the outset of the song we’re told that “time is the enemy,” the abiding sentiment—the red-hot word that organizes my memory of the song—is rage. Ali’s and Jill’s trading of verses on “New Partner” puts a different spin on what had previously registered as an especially mercurial first-person narrative voice, one that swoops between tenderness (“lay back, rest your head on my thighs”) and ecstatic self-absorption (breaking it to the ex to whom the song is addressed that “I’ve got a new partner riding with me”). Add Alex’s voice, not only for his madcap “Lost Blues,” but as part of the choir on “Ohio River Boat Song” (a song with origins in the traditional “Loch Tay Boat Song”), and these three Scottish accents singing about the muddy Ohio, Smoketown, Oldham County, and Floyds Knobs, I mean, there’s not much else this Kentuckian—these are all deeply familiar landmarks—can say. Type through tears. On this back to back records, The Bonnie 'Prince' Billy LP is a collection of three cover versions from Ali, Jill and Alex directory and one original track.

          Three Queens in Mourning / Bonnie 'Prince' Billy is a collaboration between Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy), Alasdair Roberts (Appendix out / Drag City), Jill O Sullivan (Jill Lorean) and Alex Neilson (Trembling Bells, Alex Rex).

          TRACK LISTING

          Three Queen In Mourning / Bonnie Prince Billy (Will Oldham/Palace/BPB Covers)
          1/Stablemate
          2/Christmas Time In The Mountains
          3/Lost Blues
          4/Madeleine Mary
          5/No More Workhorse Blues
          6/No Such As What I Want
          7/I See A Darkness
          8/Trudy Dies
          9/Tonight’s Decision
          10/Darling
          11/New Partner
          12/Ohio Riverboat Song

          Bonnie Prince Billy
          13/Coral And Tar
          14/Coward Song
          15/Dead Man
          16/Wild Dandelion

          [ + ]
          [ - ]
          Cover of I Made A Place by Bonnie Prince Billy.

          Bonnie Prince Billy

          I Made A Place

          Domino Records

            Bonnie “Prince” Billy stays busy - in the past five years he has released albums of previously-recorded songs by Susanna Wallumrod, Mekons, Merle Haggard; even himself) and a collaborative record with Bitchin Bajas! The only thing he hasn't done is a new album of Bonny originals - in case you weren't counting, 2011's Wolfroy Goes To Town was the last one. That's from the first half of the Obama presidency, for chrissakes!

            Things happen for reasons that are often bigger than ourselves and outside of our control. They happen suddenly or they happen slowly - but they always happen one day at a time and day after day. Here's Will Oldham, on the confluence of marketplace, values, aesthetic and process that slowly built new album I Made A Place:

            "In recent years, the whole world of recorded music, in the way that such music is conceived, perceived, recorded, released and distributed, has been atomized. I tried holding my breath, waiting for the storm to pass, but this storm is here to stay and its devastation is our new landscape. What else is a person to do except what he knows and feels, which for me is making records built out of songs intended for the intimate listening experiences of wonderful strangers who share something spiritually and musically? I started working on these songs thinking that there was no way I was going to finish them and record and release them. This was a constructive frame-of-mind that protected the songs until this frightening moment when we let go of them and give them to you."

            The world has changed. Some things will never change. Some are gone forever. Thankfully, this isn't one of them: the wait for new Bonnie “Prince” Billy is now on a timer. What's more, the new single drops a bit of Apocalypse WOW. Picking up in a sense where last year's "Blueberry Jam" left off, "(At The) Back of the Pit" considers what to do with the things we love when it comes time for the death (and therefore, rebirth) of our painstakingly-built'n'kill't world. It's an affirming country jam: elegiac early moments give way to jaunty roots-rock strides, a horn section soulfully charting the long rays at the end of the day as well as the first rays of the new rising sun as they light on all our hopeful tomorrows.

            STAFF COMMENTS

            Barry says: I think it's probably hard for someone as resolutely productive as Mr. Billy to reach the moment in a songs creation where it feels like there is no more work to be done. Fortunately for us, these delicate, tender country ballads finally reached the light of day, and we're all the better for it. As brilliantly produced and perfectly balanced as any of his previous work, whilst being more focused and melodic. Gorgeous stuff.

            [ + ]
            [ - ]
            Cover of Wolf Of The Cosmos by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

            Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

            Wolf Of The Cosmos

            Domino

            Bonny sings Susanna, to simply try and save the world. Sonata Dwarf Mix Cosmos is an old companion of his and with the Chijimi house band +1 they bring it all back home again, this time to the space in Bonny’s place.

            “As other practitioners are leaving the room in favor of novel forms of recording and distro and consumption, we are left with a virtual PALACE, fantastical and real structures and practices. Like we are allowed into the museum at night. We can make a great essentially live record with great songs and great players because nobody else is? ‘Wolf Of The Cosmos’... is about, as much as anything, direct engagement with recorded music. So step right up to the replicant.” - Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy

            Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy is joined by musicians Emmet Kelly (bass guitar, voice, acoustic guitar), Cheyenne Mize (violin, slide ukulele, voice), Chris Rodahaffer (banjo, voice, acoustic guitar) and Elsa Madeline Oldham (juice harp).

            “‘Wolf Of The Cosmos’ is a wonderful obsessive trip into the mind of one of the most important living singers” - Country Music

            STAFF COMMENTS

            Barry says: Beautifully emotive country-tinged plucks, BPB's unmistakable voice and softly pulled strings make for an enchanting an absorbing journey. Yet more evidence of the unwavering excellence of one of today's most successful singer-songwriters. Brilliantly fresh, but comfortable and familiar.

            TRACK LISTING

            Intruder
            Born In The Desert
            Hangout
            People Living
            Stay
            For You
            Better Days
            Traveling
            Demon Dance
            Home Recording
            We Offer
            Lily

            [ + ]
            [ - ]
            Cover of Best Troubador by Bonnie Prince Billy.

            Bonnie Prince Billy

            Best Troubador

            Domino

            With ‘Best Troubador’, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy pays homage to a longtime and forever hero, the late Merle Haggard.

            A singer who, some 25 years previously, first performed in public by playing a Merle Haggard song, Bonny has often cited Merle’s work in performance, on records and in conversation with anyone who was around, even talking to Merle himself for Filter magazine in 2009.

            ‘Best Troubador’ flips through his song book, landing on pages unmoored from their time and located anew. Moving from 1978 to 1969 to 2003 to 1981 allows the album to circle Haggard’s music in a simulation of thought and memory, slipping around from spot to spot as if they were discrete impressions, unknown but knowable yet.

            STAFF COMMENTS

            Barry says: Superbly uplifting plucked guitars, swooning woodwind and Mr. Billy's sweet but serious vocal delivery. It's a wonder that there could be any more gold flowing from this supremely talented songwriter, yet it continues. Touching, beautiful and sublime.

            TRACK LISTING

            The Fugitive
            I’m Always On A Mountain When I Fall
            The Day The Rains Came
            Haggard (Like I’ve Never Been Before)
            I Always Get Lucky With You
            Leonard
            My Old Pal
            Roses In The Winter
            Some Of Us Fly
            Wouldn’t That Be Something
            Pray
            That’s The Way Love Goes
            Nobody’s Darling
            What I Hate (Excerpt)
            I Am What I Am
            If I Could Only Fly

            [ + ]
            [ - ]
            Cover of Epic Jammers And Fortunate Little Ditties by Bitchin Bajas And Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

            Bitchin Bajas And Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

            Epic Jammers And Fortunate Little Ditties

            Drag City

            YES! An unlikelier of collabs on the face of it comes to pass, and makes SO much sense upon consideration that you wonder why you hadn’t rioted for your right to experience this sooner. Chill, man! Life gave you a surprise — a missing peace — now GO with it.

            Yessir, Bitchin Bajas and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy be in righteous and TRUE collaboration on this one, flowing ideas through the air between them, which seems a rare thing in this age where records course forth without wires, pieced together out of the zeros and ones that divide and don’t define us. The air’s meant to be shared, and that’s how Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties came to pass — a morning, afternoon and evening of frisson in blissed acceptance of the eternal recurrence. And it always came.

            These guys GET each other. They share a passion for arresting the moment in the process of now, and both of ’em get music from this action in their way. Bajas have a fan in Bonny; their ability to stretch time and get in between the grains scratches his itch to LIVE in those instances. And this makes him a worthy co-jammer, a fourth plane to the BB triangle that quantifies and dimensionalizes the sound. Inevitable, then, that they’d do something. Their first blend was for the Shirley Collins tribute comp, a rendition of “Pretty Saro” that built from the starkness and tonal monophony of the auld ballads and opened the hatch to timeless stasis. But if more was desired (which it was), more would be needed — the full trio of Bajas in the room together, in audience with the ‘Prince.’ Following one of their many mini-jaunts around the country, Bitchin Bajas stopped by Bonnie’s aerie one day after tour to make it so.

            It was an epic and fortunate day.

            Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties contains moments of tranquility and trance, with the players integrating their separate ways, vibing off each other, making songs together. Bonny is at his spiritmelting celestial best wandering through a lifetime of fortunes that amount, when incanted, to a prayer to the god of many names. The Bajas’ access to the universal aural paintbox is unparalleled; their reach is deep. And it all went down onto a 2-track reel-toreel in primitive left-right seps that helped to define their ability to finish it in mixing. These WERE jams, with whatever preparation, gear, thought and cords — vocal and electric — backgrounded, in support of intuition and what existed AT THE MOMENT.

            Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties is simple and stark and empyrean and inspirational...and pretty modal, too — probably never more than three chords! — as Bonny and the Bajas pursue the life of the spirit down ever-fading vapor trails, in a bottomless (and topless — let ’em loose!) space.

            TRACK LISTING

            1 May Life Throw You A Pleasant Curve
            2 Nature Makes Us For Ourselves
            3 Your Heart Is Pure, Your Mind Is Clear, Your Soul Devout
            4 Your Whole Family Are Well
            5 Despair Is Criminal
            6 You Are Not Superman
            7 Show Your Love And Your Love Will Be Returned
            8 You Will Soon Discover How Truly Fortunate You Really Are
            9 Your Hard Work Is About To Pay Off, Keep On Keeping On

            [ + ]
            [ - ]
            Cover of Pond Scum by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

            Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

            Pond Scum

            Domino

              There are no Peel sessions anymore - that tradition was buried in the pyramids with John Peel himself upon the great man's passing. Of the thousands left in the wake, six are ascribed to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - and of those six, three have been combined to form the deeply congruous experience of Pond Scum.

              A span of eight years is covered, in reverse, and many chestnuts are rolled out, freed of former contexts with sparse arrangements. "(I Was Drunk at the) Pulpit" feels, ten years from inception, more vividly worn; "Death to Everyone" is loosed from its frame, the bones decoupled and spread out, giving the song a re?ective air (as opposed the biting declamation of the original); "Arise, Therefore" adapts its metronomic base, the evangelic twist of its roots made palpable. With the centre of the performance in stark relief, the gnomic qualities of two "Get On Jolly" pieces are intensi?ed. Further accenting the devoted spirit of this collection is the inclusion of Bonnie's take on Prince's "The Cross", as well as the previously-unreleased original "Beezle."

              Bonnie's lone shadow casts over this lot, accompanied on the ?rst four tracks by David Heumann, but otherwise playing solo through a set of original songs (and two covers) representing a decade of progress in the almost unbearably intimate-yet-unknowable manner that was so often the vibe of those strange and wondrous days.

              Layers peel to reveal the subtle artistry and refinement contained within these sessions, so begin to dig deep into the vault on January 22nd, 2016! But wait, there's more! You can download a new arrangement of "Rich Wife Full of Happiness", (which is similar in tone, but not found on Pond Scum!)!


              [ + ]
              [ - ]
              Cover of Singer's Grave A Sea Of Tongues by Bonnie Prince Billy.

              Bonnie Prince Billy

              Singer's Grave A Sea Of Tongues

              Domino

                Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s new album ‘Singer’s Grave A Sea Of Tongues’ is released on Domino.

                At the locus of five corners, mythos is in the wind; a sea of tongues boils forth, mountains spurting forth from the magma. Bonnie sings for who he was and will be and for all of us, in time.

                Bonnie Billy has been quoted as saying that one of the songs on the album is a conceptual track that’s about “one day in 1973 when only two people died in the whole world.”

                TRACK LISTING

                Night Noises
                So Far And Here We Are
                There Will Be Spring
                Quail And Dumplings
                We Are Unhappy
                It’s Time To Be Clear
                Whipped
                Old Match
                Mindlessness
                Mew Black Rich (Tusks)
                Sailor’s Grave A Sea Of Sheep

                [ + ]
                [ - ]
                Cover of New Trip On The Old Wine by Trembling Bells & Bonnie Prince Billy.

                Trembling Bells & Bonnie Prince Billy

                New Trip On The Old Wine

                Tin Angel

                  THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                  RSD 2014 exclusive. 500 pressing, picture bag.

                  [ + ]
                  [ - ]
                  Cover of What The Brothers Sang by Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie Prince Billy.

                  Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie Prince Billy

                  What The Brothers Sang

                  Domino

                    A collection of songs performed by Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy as learnt from The Everly Brothers. As children, the music of The Everly Brothers touched Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy; it touches Dawn’s children and the little ‘prince’ within Bonnie today, and makes them dance and sing.

                    ‘What The Brothers Sang’ is no mere gesture of nostalgia. These new versions rethink The Everly Brothers for the audience of listeners today; people who naturally might have no previous knowledge or experience of these songs.

                    [ + ]
                    [ - ]
                    Cover of Wolfroy Goes To Town by Bonnie Prince Billy.

                    Bonnie Prince Billy

                    Wolfroy Goes To Town

                    Domino

                      There is a first time for everything. Prior to the recording, 'Wolfroy Goes To Town' was played by the whole band in performance at Chicago's Millennium Park in May, 2011. This is the first time any Bonnie album has been previewed in public before it was made in the studio!

                      In addition to Bonnie, the players on this record are: Ben Boye (keyboards & extra singing), Van Campbell (drums & percussion), Shahzad Ismaily (percussion, guitar, extra singing), Emmett Kelly (guitars, mandolin, harmony singing), Danny Kiely (basses) & Angel Olson (singing).

                      STAFF COMMENTS

                      Darryl says: Stark and hushed instrumentation and typically intimate vocals combine to make another Bonnie Prince Billy masterpiece. Perfect for a mellow night in with a fine whiskey. You need this!

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. No Match
                      2. New Whaling
                      3. Time To Be Clear
                      4. New Tibet
                      5. Black Captain
                      6. Cows
                      7. There Will Be Spring
                      8. Quail And Dumplings
                      9. We Are Unhappy
                      10. Night Noises

                      [ + ]
                      [ - ]
                      Cover of The Wonder Show Of The World by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & The Cairo Gang.

                      Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & The Cairo Gang

                      The Wonder Show Of The World

                      Domino

                      For this 2010 album of songs, Bonny Billy and The Cairo Gang together have built a bridge forward, assembled with riffs and bits from Emmett Kelly's guitar and the lyricism of Bonny's heart. But mostly, "The Wonder Show Of The World" was, in its making, about trust. It's a record made eye-to-eye in a room, close and careful, by and for a few men who wanted to be together, who wanted to make music that sounds as good to listen to as it did to make, and who in doing so forged something new in space, the wonder of you and of them.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Troublesome Houses
                      2. Teach Me To Bear You
                      3. With Cornstalks Or Among Them
                      4. Sounds Are Always Begging, The
                      5. Go Folks Go
                      6. That's What Our Love Is
                      7. Merciless And Great
                      8. Where Wind Blows
                      9. Someone Coming Through
                      10. Kids

                      [ + ]
                      [ - ]
                      Cover of Beware by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

                      Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

                      Beware

                      Domino Records

                        Will Oldham, AKA Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, here continues to carve his niche in the world of indie-Americana with "Beware", his seventh under his current alias. Where his preceding album, 2008's "Lie Down In The Light", was a reasonably cheerful and buoyant affair, one look at the song titles alone for this release indicate that Oldham is considerably less bright here. Titles such as "Beware Your Only Friend", "Death Final" and "I Don't Belong To Anyone" seem to suggest that the mood is significantly more sombre for this outing. The constants with Oldham, though, are his sparse arrangements and world-weary howling delivery, and "Beware" sees him continue to be a much-admired songwriter.


                        TRACK LISTING

                        1. Beware Your Only Friend
                        2. You Can't Hurt Me Now
                        3. My Life's Work
                        4. Death Final
                        5. Heart's Arms
                        6. You Don't Love Me
                        7. You Are Lost
                        8. I Won't Ask Again
                        9. I Don't Belong To Anyone
                        10. There Is Something I Have To Say
                        11. I Am Goodbye
                        12. Without Work, You Have Nothing
                        13. Afraid Ain't Me

                        [ + ]
                        [ - ]

                        Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

                        I See A Darkness

                        Domino

                          After abandoning the Palace moniker for a straight-up solo career, Will Oldham seemed to lose his focus a bit, but rechristened as Bonnie Prince Billy, he's regained it in spades. Where his previous solo efforts sounded thrown-together and lacked real songcraft, "I See A Darkness" is probably Oldham's most consistent, rewarding batch of songs since the Palace Brothers 93 debut. For once, the ever-elusive Oldham sounds like he's making a genuine effort to communicate - the relatively straightforward (but still poetic) lyrics, nicely arranged (but still lo-fi) sonic backdrops, and song structures with hummable (!) choruses are all unprecedented and highly agreeable developments. The titular darkness pervades much of the album, but there's an underlying warmth that shines through, making this an emotionally well-balanced effort. A Bonnie Prince Billy classic!!!

                          [ + ]
                          [ - ]

                          Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

                          Lie Down In The Light

                          Domino

                            "Lie Down In The Light" is the ninth Bonnie 'Prince' Billy album, and his first proper album release since 2006's "The Letting Go". It is the brightest album to date from the Bonnie 'Prince'. Brisk tempos skip among his signature slower numbers and ballads. Bonnie's vocals are among his most expressive: carefully nuanced, singing all up and down his range, showing him at a judiciously dynamic and tuneful apex. The album features Bonnie repeat players Paul Oldham and Emmett Kelly and also benefits from the multi-instrumental presence of Shahzad Izmaily, who works percussion, piano, guitar, banjo and the mysterious, sensual 'row of wrenches'. New (duet) partner Ashley Webber forges her own presence next to Bonnie in a pair of fantastic turns. Additionally, some of Nashville's finest appear in between the band's strings and harrows, adding light (and yeah, we see a little darkness too) wherever they appear.

                            [ + ]
                            [ - ]

                            Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

                            Ask Forgiveness

                            Domino

                              After a devastating string of full-lengths in the early 2000s culminating in the one-two punch of 2005's collaboration with Matt Sweeney, "Superwolf", and 2006's wrenching "The Letting Go", Will Oldham seemed to be in a state of letting go himself. He re-energized his acting career with Old Joy and a goofy appearance in a Kanye West video; wrote "His Hands", the title track to soul singer Candi Staton's comeback record; and backed up Tortoise on an odd album that featured - among other throwaways - a cover of Springsteen's "Thunder Road". "Ask Forgiveness", a mini-album of his own covers, finds Oldham back in fine form even as it chips away at his hard-earned gravitas. Recorded on a lark in Philadelphia with members of the homegrown folkie outfit Espers, "Ask Forgiveness" finds Oldham lending his trademark warble to a diverse array of numbers. While Phil Ochs, Bjork, Thom Yorke, and Danzig are all given the Palace brother's spacious and shambolic indie-folk makeover here, the collection's stand-out is R. Kelly's "World's Greatest", within which Oldham discovers an earnest heart.

                              [ + ]
                              [ - ]

                              Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

                              The Letting Go

                              Domino

                                Like 2003's "Master And Everyone", "The Letting Go" is a quiet, introspective record that examines the human heart, but the songs here equal or better those on its excellent predecessor. Oldham's insight into the politics of self and relationships is unflinching, and his wordplay, which balances surreal poetry with heartbreaking confessionals, is at its peak. Sonically, "The Letting Go" is expansive, adding strings, subtle percussion, and ambient effects that enhance but never crowd the songs. Harmony vocalist Dawn McCarthy contributes gorgeous textures to the mix of blues, country, folk, and minstrel-like elements, and all of it makes a persuasive case that Oldham has grown into an artist of striking vision and emotional power.

                                [ + ]
                                [ - ]
                                Cover of Superwolf by Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

                                Matt Sweeney & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

                                Superwolf

                                Domino

                                  The first full-length collaboration between two of indie rock's most ubiquitous figures, "Superwolf" finds wandering troubadour Bonnie Prince Billy and guitarist Matt Sweeney (formerly of Chavez and Zwan) hitting yet another musical plateau. While the terrain explored on "Superwolf" is in keeping with past Bonnie Prince Billy releases (most directly 1998's somber, haunting "I See A Darkness" and 2003's hushed, tender "Master And Everyone"), it's surprising to learn that Sweeney is credited as the sole writer of the album's music (with Oldham handling the lyrics). From soft acoustic ballads ("Only Someone Running") to plaintive sing-alongs ("Lift Us Up") to epic tales of heartbreak ("Blood Embrace"), "Superwolf" is technically a stripped-down affair, yet its impact is far-reaching and expansive. Album opener "My Home Is the Sea" perfectly captures the spirit of the project, beginning softly, but building to an electrifying climax of sloppy guitar virtuosity. With "Superwolf", Oldham and Sweeney have made an album that plays to both artists' strengths.

                                  [ + ]
                                  [ - ]
                                  Cover of Greatest Palace Music by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.

                                  Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

                                  Greatest Palace Music

                                  Domino

                                    Following on from his masterpiece, "Master & Everyone", Bonnie Prince Billy (aka Palace aka Palace Brothers aka Will Oldham) returns with "Greatest Palace Music", which is a Nashville recorded, technicolor re-rendering of the fans' favourite Palace songs. Moving away from the sparseness of previous releases, the playful attention to melody here will entice a whole new audience, without (fans will be pleased to know) compromising the emotion and honesty at the core of Will Oldham's work.

                                    [ + ]
                                    [ - ]

                                    Just In

                                    43 NEW ITEMS
                                    Back in stockFrank Booker / Eddie C / Black Truffle / LTJ Experience - Let's Dance Vol 2

                                    Frank Booker / Eddie C / Black Truffle / LTJ ExperienceLet's Dance Vol 2

                                    Back in stockLay Far / Admin / Rahaan / Delfonic - Let's Dance Vol 1

                                    Lay Far / Admin / Rahaan / DelfonicLet's Dance Vol 1

                                    Kaito Ian - Lo-Fi Hip Hop Instrumentals

                                    Kaito IanLo-Fi Hip Hop Instrumentals

                                    The Egyptian Lover - Emotions

                                    The Egyptian LoverEmotions

                                    Marine Eyes - To Belong (Album Sampler)

                                    Marine EyesTo Belong (Album Sampler)

                                    Marine Eyes - To Belong

                                    Marine EyesTo Belong

                                    Random Factor - On The Air EP

                                    Random FactorOn The Air EP

                                    Scruscru / Dwaal - Destination? Funk! / Camelot Chill

                                    Scruscru / DwaalDestination? Funk! / Camelot Chill

                                    Back in stockBaz Bradley - Magic Wand Special Editions Vol. 9

                                    Baz BradleyMagic Wand Special Editions Vol. 9

                                    Back in stockNorth End - Can't Put No Price On Love EP

                                    North EndCan't Put No Price On Love EP

                                    Back in stockNT - NT

                                    NTNT

                                    Noah Kahan - Stick Season: We’ll All Be Here Forever

                                    Noah KahanStick Season: We’ll All Be Here Forever

                                    ReducedCarlton Melton - Where This Leads

                                    Carlton MeltonWhere This Leads

                                    Maria Somerville - All My People

                                    Maria SomervilleAll My People

                                    Shabason / Gunning - Ample Habitat

                                    Shabason / GunningAmple Habitat

                                    Various Artists - Many Shades Of House (Selected By Lea Lisa)

                                    Various ArtistsMany Shades Of House (Selected By Lea Lisa)

                                    DJ Agitated - Magic Overlooked

                                    DJ AgitatedMagic Overlooked

                                    Various Artists - Togo Soul 2

                                    Various ArtistsTogo Soul 2

                                    ADSR - Poised Over Pause Buttons

                                    ADSRPoised Over Pause Buttons

                                    Baba Stiltz - Shame On Dry Land (OST)

                                    Baba StiltzShame On Dry Land (OST)

                                    Back in stockVana - Vimne Ratsu / Kuu Maa

                                    VanaVimne Ratsu / Kuu Maa

                                    Various Artists - Ghost Riders

                                    Various ArtistsGhost Riders

                                    Kapote - Electric Slide EP

                                    KapoteElectric Slide EP

                                    Back in stockDJ Absolutely Shit - Been Diggin' Me Fuckin' 'Ed Off Ant I? Vol. 1

                                    DJ Absolutely ShitBeen Diggin' Me Fuckin' 'Ed Off Ant I? Vol. 1

                                    Disco Pogo - Issue #5

                                    Disco PogoIssue #5

                                    Back in stockStella - Détends-Toi

                                    StellaDétends-Toi

                                    Noir & Haze / Chicken Lips - Classics Volume 2 - Inc. Moodymann / Solomun Remixes

                                    Noir & Haze / Chicken LipsClassics Volume 2 - Inc. Moodymann / Solomun Remixes

                                    Back in stockNina Simone & Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Eunice Waymon

                                    Nina Simone & Lauryn HillThe Miseducation Of Eunice Waymon

                                    Back in stockMembers Only - The Worst Edits Vol.6

                                    Members OnlyThe Worst Edits Vol.6

                                    Back in stockKnoe1 - Believe In You

                                    Knoe1Believe In You

                                    Ital Horns / J. Robinson - Jericho's Ancient Horns / Walls Tumbling Down Dub

                                    Ital Horns / J. RobinsonJericho's Ancient Horns / Walls Tumbling Down Dub

                                    Leonidas & Hobbes - Pockets Of Light

                                    Leonidas & HobbesPockets Of Light

                                    Lair - Ngelar

                                    LairNgelar

                                    Ian Skelly - Lotus And The Butterfly

                                    Ian SkellyLotus And The Butterfly

                                    Parris - Passion Fruit EP

                                    ParrisPassion Fruit EP

                                    Kinzua - Purest State Confusion

                                    KinzuaPurest State Confusion

                                    Leonardo Heiblum - Encyclopedia Sonica

                                    Leonardo HeiblumEncyclopedia Sonica

                                    A Vision Of Panorama - Fusion To Illusion

                                    A Vision Of PanoramaFusion To Illusion

                                    Beatconductor - Dub Spectrum

                                    BeatconductorDub Spectrum

                                    Archetype - The Ick

                                    ArchetypeThe Ick

                                    Blundetto X Pupajim - Tancarville

                                    Blundetto X PupajimTancarville

                                    Various Artists - Xoxo

                                    Various ArtistsXoxo

                                    Sarah / Shaun - It’s True What They Say?

                                    Sarah / ShaunIt’s True What They Say?

                                    Latest Pre-Sales

                                    155 NEW ITEMS
                                    Various Artists - Colleen Cosmo Murphy Presents Balearic Breakfast Volume 3

                                    Various ArtistsColleen Cosmo Murphy Presents Balearic Breakfast Volume 3

                                    Joe Goddard - Harmonics

                                    Joe GoddardHarmonics

                                    The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free - 20th Anniversary Edition

                                    The StreetsA Grand Don't Come For Free - 20th Anniversary Edition

                                    Pom Poko - Champion

                                    Pom PokoChampion

                                    Fontaines D.C. - Romance

                                    Fontaines D.C.Romance

                                    Vicious Pink - Unexpected

                                    Vicious PinkUnexpected

                                    Terence Fixmer - The Paradox In Me

                                    Terence FixmerThe Paradox In Me

                                    Amy Gadiaga - All Black Everything

                                    Amy GadiagaAll Black Everything

                                    Jnn Aprl - Gift N Curse Principle

                                    Jnn AprlGift N Curse Principle

                                    Roy Of The Ravers - You Don't

                                    Roy Of The RaversYou Don't

                                    Adam Stegemann / Universal Cave - Self Control

                                    Adam Stegemann / Universal CaveSelf Control

                                    Various Artists - Rusty Egan Presents… Blitzed!

                                    Various ArtistsRusty Egan Presents… Blitzed!

                                    Brainstory - Sounds Good

                                    BrainstorySounds Good

                                    Unknown - Couldn't Hate You / Open Ended

                                    UnknownCouldn't Hate You / Open Ended

                                    Da Lukas - Satisfy Your Soul EP

                                    Da LukasSatisfy Your Soul EP

                                    Locklead - Kemickal Affairs EP

                                    LockleadKemickal Affairs EP

                                    Franck Roger - Cosmic Tree EP

                                    Franck RogerCosmic Tree EP

                                    Soulsearcher / Urban Blues Project - Feelin' Love / Your Heaven (I Can Feel It)

                                    Soulsearcher / Urban Blues ProjectFeelin' Love / Your Heaven (I Can Feel It)

                                    Purple Disco Machine Featuring Roosevelt - Higher Ground

                                    Purple Disco Machine Featuring RooseveltHigher Ground

                                    Espen Horne - The Anatomy Of Serene Eloquence

                                    Espen HorneThe Anatomy Of Serene Eloquence

                                    The Jazz Defenders - Memory In Motion

                                    The Jazz DefendersMemory In Motion

                                    Potatohead People - Paradise (feat. Diamond Cafe)

                                    Potatohead PeopleParadise (feat. Diamond Cafe)

                                    Various Artists - Down To The Sea & Back: Volume Tres. The Continuing Journey Of The Balearic Beat - Compiled By Balearic Mike & Kelvin Andrews

                                    Various ArtistsDown To The Sea & Back: Volume Tres. The Continuing Journey Of The Balearic Beat - Compiled By Balearic Mike & Kelvin Andrews

                                    Yannis & The Yaw Feat. Tony Allen - Lagos Paris London EP

                                    Yannis & The Yaw Feat. Tony AllenLagos Paris London EP

                                    µ-Ziq - Grush

                                    µ-ZiqGrush

                                    Emiliana Torrini - Miss Flower

                                    Emiliana TorriniMiss Flower

                                    Flavia Coelho - GINGA

                                    Flavia CoelhoGINGA

                                    Various Artists - Timeless Jazz Classics - Compiled By Gilles Peterson

                                    Various ArtistsTimeless Jazz Classics - Compiled By Gilles Peterson

                                    Carlos Niño & Friends - Placenta

                                    Carlos Niño & FriendsPlacenta

                                    Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Destroyer

                                    Cassandra JenkinsMy Light, My Destroyer

                                    Baby Rose & BADBADNOTGOOD - Slow Burn

                                    Baby Rose & BADBADNOTGOODSlow Burn

                                    Loma - How Will I Live Without A Body?

                                    LomaHow Will I Live Without A Body?

                                    Empire Of The Sun - Two Vines

                                    Empire Of The SunTwo Vines

                                    Empire Of The Sun - Ice On The Dune - 2024 Reissue

                                    Empire Of The SunIce On The Dune - 2024 Reissue

                                    Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream - 2024 Reissue

                                    Empire Of The SunWalking On A Dream - 2024 Reissue

                                    The Trammps - This One Is For The Party - 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition

                                    The TrammpsThis One Is For The Party - 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition

                                    Body Meat - Starchris

                                    Body MeatStarchris

                                    Bettye Swann - Bettye Swann - 2024 Reissue

                                    Bettye SwannBettye Swann - 2024 Reissue

                                    WILLOW - Empathogen

                                    WILLOWEmpathogen

                                    Various Artists - In The Beginning There Was Rhythm - 2024 Reissue

                                    Various ArtistsIn The Beginning There Was Rhythm - 2024 Reissue

                                    Tinlicker - Cold Enough For Snow

                                    TinlickerCold Enough For Snow

                                    Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover - 2024 Reissue

                                    Sunset RubdownRandom Spirit Lover - 2024 Reissue

                                    Myriam Gendron - Mayday

                                    Myriam GendronMayday

                                    Mary Lattimore And Walt McClements - Rain On The Road

                                    Mary Lattimore And Walt McClementsRain On The Road

                                    Kenny Barron - Beyond This Place

                                    Kenny BarronBeyond This Place

                                    Joe Gideon - Altered Self

                                    Joe GideonAltered Self

                                    Jim White And Marisa Anderson - Swallowtail

                                    Jim White And Marisa AndersonSwallowtail

                                    Bratmobile - Pottymouth

                                    BratmobilePottymouth

                                    Paper Kites - Evergreen

                                    Paper KitesEvergreen

                                    Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue - The Mono & Stereo Versions

                                    Miles DavisKind Of Blue - The Mono & Stereo Versions

                                    E-newsletter —
                                    Sign up
                                    Back to top