Smog debuted in 1988 with the spare, primitive Macrame Gunplay, a cassette-only release issued on Bill Callahan's own Disaster label. Cow followed in 1989, while three more tapes -- A Table Setting, Tired Tape Machine, and Sewn to the Sky -- were issued a year later. With 1991's Floating EP, Smog signed to the Chicago-based indie label Drag City, and with the move began an advancement toward more traditional songcraft. The subsequent full-length, Forgotten Foundation, was his most well-rounded effort yet, employing a stronger sense of melody while remaining true to the trademark bare-bones atmosphere.
The peripatetic Callahan relocated to Chicago prior to the release of 1999's Knock Knock, resurfacing in the spring of 2000 with Dongs of Sevotion and the Strayed EP. 'Neath the Puke Tree followed that fall, an EP that reinvented several tracks and included a few new ones. By the next year, Callahan changed his project's name to the more intimate (Smog), drawing attention away from the "idea" of Smog and putting more emphasis on the music. The next album, Rain on Lens, followed on this path by unveiling several more reflective and sensitive tracks. A year later, the Accumulation: None singles collection arrived with five new songs and the continued use of parentheses.
Discography (pry.com/smog)
Sewn to the Sky LP Drag City DC74
Forgotten Foundation LP Drag City DC13
Julius Caesar LP Drag City DC31
Burning Kingdom LP Drag City DC41
Wild Love LP Drag City DC60
Kicking a Couple Around EP Drag City DC81
The Doctor Came at Dawn LP Drag City DC95
Red Apple Falls LP Drag City DC116
Knock Knock LP Drag City DC166
Dongs of Sevotion LP Drag City DC169
Macrame Gunplay cassette 1988
Cow cassette 1989
A Table Setting cassette 1990
Tired Tape Machine cassette 1990
"My Shell" / "Astronaut" split w/ Suckdog 7" ..1hits
"Floating" 7" EP Drag City DC6
"A Hit" / "Wine Stained Lips" 7" Drag City DC38
"Came Blue" / "Spanish Moss" 7" Hausmuzik
"Ex-con" / "Just Like Napoleon" 7" Domino 058
(same as 7" plus:) "Little Girl Shoes" "Duckpond Blues" CD5
"Held" / "Cold Blooded Old Times" (acoustic) 7" Drag City 166
"Look Now" / "The Only Mother" 7" / CD5 Drag City 167
"Manta Rays of Time" EP Spunk Records (Australia)
tracks: "Real Live Dress" / "Pure sunshine" / "Bored Bayou"
The Hey Drag City compilation (DC95) includes the song "Your Face".
The Drag City Hour (SN2) features a live version of "This Insane Cop" and "Just Like Napoleon".
Half Cocked soundtrack Matador OLE-152. The LP issue includes "37 Push-ups."
Swing Set compilation 7" Shrimper SHR704 features "Your Dress."
Rocks Stars Kill complilation Kill Rock Stars KRS-221. An electric version of "37 Push-ups."
This Means War complilation (Japan) Toy's Factory TFCK-88784 contains "A Hit."
Other tracks featuring Bill Callahan:
The Sundowners - "Goat Songs" 7" - Sea Note SN4
Bill Callahan along with some of the Palace folk.
The Sundowners - "The Girl with the Thing in Her Hair" / "The Summer Song" 7" - Sea Note SN5
Basically Bill Callahan doing his thing.
Untitled - Untitled - Drag City DC73
Cynthia Dall project features Bill as well as Jim O'Rourke.
Our new album "Herbarium" is
out now on CdBaby (MP3 so far, physical CD is on its way).
Diverse palette of styles (post-rock,
ambient, electronica, trip-hop, with elements of noise, dub,
neoclassic and free improvisation), united by cinematic, slightly
pensive mood.
«Herbarium» is called so
because of heterogeneity of «songs», which can be
compared to miscellaneous leaves in the album, still being belonged
to the family of trees. Trying to avoid non-alive metaphors here,
only thought of diversity and warm and innermost feeling that
herbarium is capable to conjure up. «... This leaf I picked up
in the park where I met her, and this - I sat by the river,
contemplating...». So tracks were created – one was captured
in some magic jam, another – recorded layer by layer and
meticulously mixed then, next – cut from previous sessions and so
on.
All compositions are united by Poostosh
sense of music – mostly pensive, spatial, tender and experimental.
There's a lot of soul and charisma in every leaf... So please let
your soul look over our HERBARIUM.
Hear a few new songs, take a look at the latest project, watch a video or two. We're putting somethings together down here in the heat. Give us a second with your eyes and ears, if you are here.
I will be performing at The Moose Lodge, (2103 E.M Franklin Ave. - Austin, TX), this Sunday, Dec. 21st. This is going to be a very fun night of music and food... and it's FREE!
The doors open at 5:00pm. There is going to be a potluck, so bring a hot or cold dish to share if you wish. Also, there is going to be a cardigan competition, so wear your favorite/ugliest cardigan and you might win a fabulous prize!
ALSO, some very excellent bands are playing, including Attic Ted, (who I personally feel is one of the baddest-ass bands in Texas), The Pillow Queens, and Jacob Goldberg.
The Bassturd opens the show at 7:00 pm sharp. I will be joined by Hermes, Imy DJ friend). We have a great set planned, complete with some brand-new material.
"Tis the season to get drunk at the 'ol Moose Lodge. I sincerely hope to see you all there.
for over four years now, hardly a shows gone by without atleast one smog song... every WEDNESDAY tea-time from six o'clock until eight (gmt) re-run on SUNDAY afternoons from one o'clock
superfreak - since i'm back in bari our favourite freak sings and dance like a demented monkey in this asymmetrical folk lo-fi album... if you like out of synch drums, out of tune guitars and hysterical vocals, you sure will love this.
alexander de large - nazi elvis a new chapter of de large's search of cosmic pessimism, all recorded in mono, as if to underline a certain sense of loneliness... cowpunk, gothfolk, steamcore, call it as you wish, he never gets pissed...
bread pitt - non fate allarme an album albout nasty topics like snails, pricks and explosions, an album about which the Murge was already proud before it was born, a mass of styles that's useless to enumerate...
Online Now!
