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Bill Callahan
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singer-songwriter, alt-country, indie rock, lo-fi, folk… see all
Austin, United States (2007 – present)
Bill Callahan (born 1966), also known as Smog and (Smog), is an American singer-songwriter born in Silver Spring, Maryland. Callahan began working in the lo-fi genre of underground rock, with home-made tape-albums recorded on four track tape recorders. Later he began releasing albums with the label Drag City, to which he remains signed today.
Callahan started out as a highly experimental artist, using substandard instruments and recording equipment. His early songs often nearly lacked melodic structure and were clumsily played on poorly tuned guitars (possibly influenced by Jandek, whom Callahan admired), resulting in the dissonant sounds on his self-released cassettes and debut album Sewn to the Sky. Much of his early output was instrumental, a stark contrast to the lyrical focus of his later work. Apparently, he used lo-fi techniques not primarily because of an aesthetic preference but because he didn’t have any other possibility to make music. Once he signed a contract with Drag City, he also started to use recording studios and a greater variety of instruments for his records.
From 1993 to 2000, Callahan’s recordings grew more and more “professional” sounding, with more instruments, and a higher sound quality. In this period he recorded two albums with the influential producer Jim O’Rourke and Tortoise’s John McEntire, and collaborated with Neil Hagerty. After 2000’s Dongs of Sevotion, Callahan began moving back to a slightly simpler instrumentation and recording style, while retaining the more consistent songwriting style he had developed over the years.
Callahan started out as a highly experimental artist, using substandard instruments and recording equipment. His early songs often nearly lacked melodic structure and were clumsily played on poorly tuned guitars (possibly influenced by Jandek, whom Callahan admired), resulting in the dissonant sounds on his self-released cassettes and debut album Sewn to the Sky. Much of his early output was instrumental, a stark contrast to the lyrical focus of his later work. Apparently, he used lo-fi techniques not primarily because of an aesthetic preference but because he didn’t have any other possibility to make music. Once he signed a contract with Drag City, he also started to use recording studios and a greater variety of instruments for his records.
From 1993 to 2000, Callahan’s recordings grew more and more “professional” sounding, with more instruments, and a higher sound quality. In this period he recorded two albums with the influential producer Jim O’Rourke and Tortoise’s John McEntire, and collaborated with Neil Hagerty. After 2000’s Dongs of Sevotion, Callahan began moving back to a slightly simpler instrumentation and recording style, while retaining the more consistent songwriting style he had developed over the years.
Including Smog, Loose Fur, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Lambchop, Silver Jews and more…
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dyermakeer wrote:
genial el show en Niceto. Geniaaaaal
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jgreynemo wrote:
Here's to many more trips to Sydney, we love you dude!
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palanwen wrote:
love him. what else can i say.
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rich13k wrote:
i added a few b/w shots i took recently. check them out and vote if you like : )
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exconstranger wrote:
lol, he looks like the river guard here!
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OneState wrote:
awesome show at primavera, really blew my mind.. must have been 1500 people in the auditori.. bill callahan is destined to be a great, like jonny cash, like frank sinatra, or whoever is great.. he exudes charisma, yet with a restrained sense of timing and musical taste.. to quote him 'how's the festival?' (crowd cheer) (pause) 'i've been in my hotel room.. with a shotgun'
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PedroDuarte wrote:
Amazing show at Santiago Alquimista, last Sunday. Reminded me what music is for
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JoelofArc wrote:
ha! the shiny happy callahan pic cannot be defeated!
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VeryWavWetWipes wrote:
New pic hoho
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raverill wrote:
I actually like his new album more than anything from Smog.. I only feel like listening to Smog on very particular occasions but the new one has a wider variety of moods.
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petitshamalow wrote:
<3
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Stuart87 wrote:
Haha, that picture is awesome. I liked the new album a lot more after seeing him live.
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sonicthreat wrote:
and i hate this pic....
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JoelofArc wrote:
I did go, and it was really great. However, I'm mainly posting because the new picture is adorable and should never be changed. He looks so genuinely happy!
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fresvik wrote:
why are you asking other people if you should go to a show Joe? You gotta know Joe.. :p If I were you I'd go. I love his new album to tiny bits and pieces!
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kgullholmen wrote:
dunno, I liked A River Ain't Too Much Love much better ...
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JoelofArc wrote:
The new album grew on me a lot, but is he worth the effort to see live? Also, do you think his Los Angeles show will sell out?
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zvodkaz wrote:
Man, so boring. They really were spot on when they said chix dig jerks and boring musicians
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sofenka wrote:
simply beautiful...
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jgkspsx wrote:
Sycamore is what I wish Lou Reed sounded like.
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Recent Activity
- Insuladulcamara, BajanInvisible, mswahili and 13 other people added Bill Callahan to their libraries. 2 hours ago
- mr_orange_ringo connected Bill Callahan to the group Austin TX. Tuesday morning
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- jakewbee tagged Bill Callahan with ‘great’. last week
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- gourtius tagged Bill Callahan with ‘mellow’. August 2008
- IcyGravy, jamesbourke, jwhead012210 and 8 other people added Bill Callahan to their libraries. August 2008
- Lord_Krichian tagged Bill Callahan with ‘alt-country’ and ‘singer-songwriter’. August 2008
- hayese and otis_b added Bill Callahan to their libraries. August 2008
- rich13k uploaded bill callahan to Bill Callahan’s images. August 2008
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Groups (12)
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(smog)
125 members
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Austin TX
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Greenman Festival
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SlowSound
95 members
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Born to be Strangers
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