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Smog

Smog

Smog has been played over 30 times on NTS, first on 6 July 2014. Smog's music has been featured on 33 episodes.

Bill Callahan, born in Silver Spring, Maryland. Callahan followed the lo-fi genre of underground rock, with homemade tape-albums recorded on four track tape recorders. Later he signed a record contract with the label Drag City.

Callahan started out as a highly experimental artist, utilizing sub-standard instruments and recording equipment. His reason for using the lo-fi approach was not so much an aesthetic choice, rather it came from his lack of knowledge of recording studios, and fear of giving up control to professional engineers.

His later work saw him overcoming his fear of studios and producers, and in this period he recorded two albums with the influential producer Jim O'Rourke and musicians from the circles around Drag City, as well as collaborating with the similar-minded Neil Hagerty.

His songs are based on simple, repetitive structures, strikingly characterized by his baritone vocal. His lyrics are often centered around themes of spiritual searching and the complexity of emotions, with the use of subtlety and dark irony in the classic sense. There is also a broad swathe of joy throughout Callahan's work (and a singular obsession with horses that he shares with Will Oldham and Mark Linkous). He is a keen storyteller using simple words to project large and deeply echoing tales.

Callahan's love life has been documented with vigor in numerous hipster publications, including his romantic relationship with Chan Marshall (Cat Power), who allegedly penned "To Be a Good Woman" in tribute to Callahan while referencing his song "To Be Of Use." It has recently been rumored that Callahan is now involved with Drag City labelmate Joanna Newsom.

Callahan is widely seen as one of the important figures of American rock in the '90s. He currently resides in Austin, TX.

On his 2007 album "Woke on a Whaleheart" he dropped the name Smog and used his real name, Bill Callahan.

There are other artists with the same name:

Smog was a psychedelic rock band from Perù, wich in 1971 released the single Time for the Blues.

Sludge/doom metal from Nuremberg, Germany.

Bandcamp

Black metal from Kraków, Poland.

Bandcamp

Italian house music project in mid 2000's. Members: Nicola Fasoli, Simone Farina
read more

Smog

Smog has been played over 30 times on NTS, first on 6 July 2014. Smog's music has been featured on 33 episodes.

Bill Callahan, born in Silver Spring, Maryland. Callahan followed the lo-fi genre of underground rock, with homemade tape-albums recorded on four track tape recorders. Later he signed a record contract with the label Drag City.

Callahan started out as a highly experimental artist, utilizing sub-standard instruments and recording equipment. His reason for using the lo-fi approach was not so much an aesthetic choice, rather it came from his lack of knowledge of recording studios, and fear of giving up control to professional engineers.

His later work saw him overcoming his fear of studios and producers, and in this period he recorded two albums with the influential producer Jim O'Rourke and musicians from the circles around Drag City, as well as collaborating with the similar-minded Neil Hagerty.

His songs are based on simple, repetitive structures, strikingly characterized by his baritone vocal. His lyrics are often centered around themes of spiritual searching and the complexity of emotions, with the use of subtlety and dark irony in the classic sense. There is also a broad swathe of joy throughout Callahan's work (and a singular obsession with horses that he shares with Will Oldham and Mark Linkous). He is a keen storyteller using simple words to project large and deeply echoing tales.

Callahan's love life has been documented with vigor in numerous hipster publications, including his romantic relationship with Chan Marshall (Cat Power), who allegedly penned "To Be a Good Woman" in tribute to Callahan while referencing his song "To Be Of Use." It has recently been rumored that Callahan is now involved with Drag City labelmate Joanna Newsom.

Callahan is widely seen as one of the important figures of American rock in the '90s. He currently resides in Austin, TX.

On his 2007 album "Woke on a Whaleheart" he dropped the name Smog and used his real name, Bill Callahan.

There are other artists with the same name:

Smog was a psychedelic rock band from Perù, wich in 1971 released the single Time for the Blues.

Sludge/doom metal from Nuremberg, Germany.

Bandcamp

Black metal from Kraków, Poland.

Bandcamp

Italian house music project in mid 2000's. Members: Nicola Fasoli, Simone Farina
Original source: Last.fm

Tracks featured on

Most played tracks

Cold Blooded Old Times
Smog
Domino1999
Feather By Feather
(Smog)
Drag City2003
To Be Of Use
Smog
Drag City, Inspirational Records1997
Dress Sexy At My Funeral
Smog
Domino2000
Dress Sexy For My Funeral
Smog
Drag City2000
I Could Drive Forever
Smog
Drag City1999
Hit The Ground Running
Smog
Domino1999
Wine Stained Lips
Smog
City Slang1994
The Goat
Smog
Disaster Records1990
Our Anniversary
(Smog)
Drag City2003

Tracks featured on