If you were to find yourself cruising down Interstate-75 in the Renfro Valley area of Kentucky you may feel inclined to take a detour at exit 62 and head on down to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. A caveat at the current time would be that you may find some time to kill upon your arrival, as the said attraction will not reopen until September. That aside, within its hallowed walls are inductees aplenty including the likes of The Everly Brothers, Loretta Lynne, Bill Monroe, Merle Travis and Ricky Skaggs. Continue reading “Ten Americana artists from Kentucky”
Pitchfork report today that our favourite royal americana star Will Oldam aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy will be publishing a book compiling his lyrics later this year. They report: “Songs of Love and Horror is out October 9 via W.W. Norton and Company. The collection will feature the lyrics to more than 200 songs spanning from the early 1980s to the present.” Here’s the cover of the book, along with the video for ‘I See a Darkness’ which if you’ve never seen it before will be the most entertaining 2 minutes and 41 seconds you spend doing something today. 
And it’s as oddly esoteric as you might imagine from his highness, amazing cover too. “The Pitch” reports: “Bonnie “Prince” Billy, aka Will Oldham, has announced a new album that covers Susanna’s 2007 LP Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos in its entirety. It’s called Wolf of the Cosmos, and it’s out November 17 via Drag City. He also shared a new music video for “People Living,” featuring footage from the Charlottesville riot. Check out the full tracklist and cover art below. 
This is lovely if you have four minutes to spare. Consequence of Sound report: “After political happenings Friday handed 45 the second major loss of his two-month-old presidency, it feels like a good time to be part of the #Resistance. Now is not the time to rest, however, as there will be plenty of chances to press the advantage in the near future. That’s why the Our First 100 Days series is continuing on today with a reminder that true freedom must be fought for constantly. 
You did read that headline correctly. Rolling Stone reports: “Merle Haggard’s influence knew no bounds, attracting fans from all genres of music. That powerful pull has inspired a new album from indie folk-rock artist Bonnie “Prince” Billy, a forthcoming collection of Haggard covers called Best Troubadour. Bonnie “Prince” Billy, also known as Will Oldham, is a longtime fan of the “Okie From Muskogee” Hall of Famer, having covered a Haggard song at his first public performance 25 years ago. He also interviewed the legendary songwriter for a magazine feature in 2009 and included a cover of “Because of Your Eyes” on a 7″ vinyl release in 2011.