Best of Bonnie “Prince” Billy

From the many incarnations of Palace Music, Will Oldham settled on the Bonnie “Prince” Billy moniker about a decade ago, and has quietly continued tinkering with permutations of American music—country, folk, roots, and the like—but approached with a modern sensibility.

He’s frighteningly prolific and in the enviable position of being able to basically put out whatever the hell he wants to an adoring, yet surprising modest fan base, given the quality of his output. He has a live album called Is It the Sea scheduled for release sometime in October, so I thought it an opportune time to share some of my favorite tracks.

Big Friday

A Minor Place

I'll Be Glad

I Called You Back

My Home is the Sea

For Every Field There's a Mole

Just To See My Holly Home

TV on the Radio – Dear Science

TV on the Radio open the new album with a nod to 2006's Return to Cookie Mountain, and never look back. Their cauldron of sound just keeps pleasantly surprising you with subtle influences and innovative production. A great effort.

Halfway Home

DLZ

Shout Me Out

I’m finally on board with Of Montreal and The Walkmen

I intentionally avoided Of Montreal after their splash at the SXSW a ways back. Something about their screechy 80’s-influenced art rock just kind of annoyed me. But early this year, I finally gave 2007’s Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? a fair listen, and it all kind of clicked into place for me (their cool album art doesn’t hurt either). Their latest, Skeletal Lamping is a funkier endevour indeed, and as a new convert…I dig.

Of Montreal - Mingusings

Of Montreal - Gallery Piece

Ignoring the The Walkmen was far easier because I didn’t have to do it consciously. I was a big Jonathan Fire*Eater fan in the day, so you think I might have followed along with the remnants, but I just didn’t hear anything that really interested me. That was until I was in the throes of a Dylan discovery phase, and I heard “Louisiana.” The connection was made. I really quite like the new one, You & Me, it’s good enough to shake any Dylan knock-off hostility.

The Walkmen - The Blue Route

The Walkmen - Four Provinces