...somewhere, something’s burning. And the water is rising, we know. Like many of the parasites of planet Earth, our efforts are transforming natural resources into products designed to succor the fickle tastes of our race. And though a world hangs in the balance, swinging ever closer to the flame, we can still claim that we’re among the lucky. So far, so good...

Men call us Drag City. What we might be known as elsewhere, we don’t know. And we’re not worried about it, either. The mission here at the ivory bunker doesn’t allow for such extraneous concerns — that would only impinge up on our ability to entertain as many of “the masses” as possible, using only our eccentric impulses and misshapen desires to guide us in this quest. It’s a long shot without worrying about what names we’re being called around the world. But look at what we bring to the table!

Signs of our existence appear in shops around the world, like this one from Normal Illinois's Waiting Room, who are always happy to hang a poster, take a picture and send an email. Wish we had a million like you, kids!

The month of March 2007 will always be remembered (by us) for the release of new CDs from RTX and King Kong; a debut CD single from the Bill “formerly Smog” Callahan; a 12” EP and enhanced CDEP from Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and the timely reissue of The Red Crayola’s Soldier-Talk album. Like a farmer spreading his seed, we’ve sent these titles out into every odd corner we could find in the world today in the hopes of growing something new. If we missed your little corner, let us know — there’s always room for one more, baby!

Post-millennial true believers — as the planet hurtles towards a fiery demise... can we talk? Perhaps the most important release of this date (not to mention this year) is the long-awaited CD reissue of The Red Crayola’s Soldier-Talk, first released back in the year 1979. Forgive the mini-history lesson, but when this record was released, this world was a perceptibly different place. That cliché of modern politics, the cold-war, was still very much a reality. The great lie of the “evil empire” was impending but beyond that, no-one could see the end in sight — not even the cold warriors themselves.

In the parallel world of popular entertainment, the words ‘punk’ and ‘new wave’ began their great significance, though in those relatively early days, they were almost mindlessly interchanged (not like today — ho, ho ho!). As seismic shifts occurred along both political and popular fault lines, Mayo Thompson prepared The Red Crayola for their return to the music world. Mostly retired from the arena since 1969 (the slight return of Corrected Slogans with Art & Language in 1976 notwithstanding), The Red Crayola were now signed to Radar Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. From this comparatively privileged vantage point, The Red Crayola (comprised of Jesse Chamberlin, Laura Logic and Mayo, plus the entire lineup of Pere Ubu in support) produced a powerful collection of politically inspired songs almost too perfectly suited to the times. A sequence of punkish pop tunes very much in the style of the new wave, Soldier-Talk walked a bit too fine a line for critics of that age, whose inability to determine what exactly it was set the table for consumer confusion. Furthermore, Soldier-Talk focused on the decaying machinery of Eastern Europe; with its ultimate failure still a decade hence, such concern was a bit...premature, to say the least. Despite the visionary and relevant aspects of the viewpoint and fine serrated edge of the music, the album fell between the cracks.That said, the Crayola’s concern with a world living in fear of ultimate destruction was right-on, then as now. If we wax somewhat more blase about the bomb today, we certainly value the import of terrorism a bit more. Will the end never come? If you’re wondering now, Soldier-Talk talks to you.

Stomping fearlessly alongside The Red Crayola, Bill Callahan, King Kong and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy are RTX, carrying a briny whomp of rock that may be the most important load you receive this decade. See, the new RTX album Western Xterminator is an album with a vision, dedicated to drawing out the rats and leading them along to...well, do we have to spell it out for you? The trouble is, from the flute that wafts out of the front of the CD, the rest of us might be drawn out too! And who knows, wherever it is RTX are taking us might just be the best thing we’ve ever experienced. The total impact of their heavy rock and roll is so complete that it might not even matter what it means — and yet, under the din, Jennifer’s caterwauling is so soulful, we’re inspired on to listen. If you like your hard rock rock hard and heavy to boot, Western Xterminator is out there (way out there) for you.

The first pressing of the new King Kong album is sold out! Buncha Beans has surpassed all sales expectations as fans of Louisville’s own mega-monster line up for the first King Kong record in five years. Buncha Beans is a righteous new album of stridently rockin’ Kong, a step away from the funk-filled adventures that some may remember from years by. It’s still Ethan Buckler, the mastermind behind the monkey since 1989, churning out the songs and deciding which unpredictable direction King Kong goes in — and this time, it’s in the direction of songs about everything under the sun. Even people, should the song call for it — and several times on Buncha Beans, the song does. The world in turmoil is faced up to by Ethan and his bananas bunch throughout the album, and time and again, they turn the situation on its ear, finding a note of humor amidst tales of floods, inner-city violence, global warming and government-sanctioned destruction. Sure, it sounds impossible, but King Kong are a seasoned circus act who balance it all on their nose for the ultimate in entertainment. After all the ups and downs of Buncha Beans, they close with a klassic Kong animal number called “Ride the Funky Mule,” (an Uptights instrumental with lyrics written by Ethan) that is positively ass-kicking! Get it?!? Good, now go down to the store and get it.

Shit, with all the p’litical jib-jab going on in this newsletter, you might almost think this next section here was gonna advise you on how to clean the air itself! We’re not fools, we know that’s impossible. The air's ruint for good. And anyway, Drag City’s the label known for its acclaimed series of albums by Smog! So no more Smog, how can that be? Did someone meet their end in a bloody accident? No, people — someone met their beginning in a bloody revelation.

Bill “formerly Smog” Callahan has been carrying the flag for his inspiration since 1988 — but over the past few years, the identity crisis that comes to all rock n rollers flooded over him. If John Lennon eventually didn’t believe in Beatles, well, the same could eventually come over Mr. Smog. So, he called his agent and his publicist and told them to call us and give us the news. Shit, you’d think he’d get in his caddy and drive over here to tell us in person — but hey, this isn’t Smog anymore, it’s Bill Callahan, fer chrissakes! So anyway...

If you listeners who clamored for late-era Smog classics like Supper and A River Ain’t Too Much to Love ever harbored the thought that he was holding back his best songs for a solo album, the April release of Woke On a Whaleheart might just confirm some of your suspicions — that is, if those former two records weren’t so packed with great tunes all on their own! What Woke On a Whaleheart will prove however is that Bill Callahan continues to churn out great fucking songs and dress ‘em up in all-new clothes for every new venture of his. As he embarks on his solo career, the gauzy material that swathed the late Smog period is stiffened notably, with an edgy production (just right for breakout solo statements) arranged and co-produced by Neil Michael Hagerty. It’s really fucking hot. But what’s this got to do with March? A preview CD single, “Diamond Dancer” is out now, containing a disco excursion into lust-at-first-sight also included on the album and an equally rhythmic non-LP side for good measure. It’s the introduction to this new artist you’ve been waiting for!

We’ve been in this business a long time. And here’s something we’ve discovered that you might think a bit odd if you want to promote a record, one of best things you can do is...put out another record! With that in mind, we’ve teamed up with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy to promote the FUCKING SHIT out of his magnificent release from late last year, The Letting Go. As a record of depth, density and heaviness (as well as an extremely bearable lightness of being), The Letting Go deserves many looks from as many different angles as possible. And we’ve provided ‘em with a string of singles highlighting cuts from the album like “Cursed Sleep,” “Lay and Love” and “Cold & Wet,” while contrasting them with songs from other phases of Bonny’s recent history and adding videos, where possible, to the discs. It’s been such a blast, who knows if we’ll ever stop but until we do know, we’re upping the ante this month with an EP-length release fronted by yet another classic from The Letting Go, “Strange Form of Life.” The bonus material hails from a Daytrotter session Bonny did while roaming the Midwest last summer, hunting for free shows to play (oh, he found ‘em). As he rambled through Iowa, he stopped by Davenport to play a few songs for the Daytrotter guys to include in their performance library. And three of those songs are now found on “Strange Form of Life.” There’s a relaxed yet searching vibe to Bonny’s solo performances of “New Partner” and “The Sun Highlights the Lack in Each” and an eerie quality to the version of “The Seedling” (one of The Letting Go tracks that hasn’t yet gotten it’s own single or EP release). And naturally, the CD version is enhanced to show the video for “Strange Form of Life.” It’s all out there right now! The parade of sounds from The Letting Go keeps stretching out — and we dig it.

As we mentioned above, the road to April is paved with March especially when you’re the freshly-named Bill Callahan, whose debut LP Woke on a Whaleheart comes out in April but whose advance single comes out this very month in which you’re reading these words as I write them...now! And as alluded to, the Woke on a Whaleheart album is an awesome new friend-making experience especially if you’re into making a weird new friend named Bill Callahan. Still, April would be April with the A — and putting the A into April this time are The Fucking Champs — as in, Fuckin’ A — a new Fucking Champs album!

When last heard from, The Fucking Champs were Tim Soete, Josh Smith and Tim Green. But then, tired perhaps of the constant victory, Josh Smith retired from the field — only to reemerge, rocking hellaciously in Drunk Horse, The Makes Nice and who knows? Perhaps some other bands as well. To replace him, the Fucking Tims reached out to their close friend Phil Manley, who in addition to supplying the requisite guitar power also brings his whole bag of tricks from Trans Am, which helps to make VI a sleek and wind-resistant new vehicle for The Fucking Champs to cruise the kingdoms. With typically irreverent subject material such as “Spring Break” (available for your downloading pleasure on our website) and “Fozzy Goes to Africa,” VI is also the most colorful Champs album since the outrageous eclecticism of III. And yet, it rocks and rocks again.

Believe it or not, Joanna Newsom's also back in your face in April, world! By then, her planetary tour will be partially complete (we're still working on Antarctica and the Sandwich Islands), but you can't stop the Ys-er! There's another new song to be released to the ever-growing JNA, and what better way to release it than a sweet little EP? And what better way to title a sweet little record that with a smart-arsed title like "Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band"? Yeah, that's the title! So, you got a new song and two songs remade in the image of Joanna 2006-07 with her touring band (hence the fanciful title). And guess what? It's great, too.

We've noticed that as Joanna plays far and wide, she usually gets a bit of press on her fashion sense in addition to her breathtaking combination of harp and voice (and sometimes, symphony orchestra) — this makes sense, since Joanna likes to be favorably attired...but a word to the wise journalists out there: just because you remark on her spike heels, this doesn't increase the possibility of them erotically sinking into your privates anytime soon! Jeez, keep your fantasy lives to yourselves. Or buy a webcam and give me a call!

If you know anything about Drag City, you know that we love Ghost. What an awesome band. One of thing we love especially about Ghost is Michio Kurihara, their lead guitar player. In addition to doing the lead guitar thing, which involves picking it and kicking ass, Kuri (as his friends call him) also manages to distill a ton of history into his sounds, expertly deploying a number of pedals, amp settings and other discreet twists of the dial to evoke noises that are usually only heard on records of the ever-receding past — all of which he delivers in a fresh and powerful performance contoured to the immediate musical surrounding.

Outside of Ghost, Kuri’s played with others, such as seminal Japanese neo-psych band White Heaven (back in the 80s) and more recently, Damon & Naomi and The Stars. We did vinyl on the Damon & Naomi album, sold The Stars’ CDep to direct retail accounts and are proud to say that we scored Rainbow, the Boris with Kurihara album that’s been rocking them in Japan over the winter. People, just hang on, because we’ve got a nice all-American edition coming out in May with cover artwork by Naomi Yang, special to the US release. Also exclusive to the US release is a different mix on a couple songs as well as an extended version of the album’s closing opus.

A record with Kurihara and the almighty Boris! Sounds like a tasty dish. Look to the skies for Rainbow, coming in May.

Also in May is the solo debut from the delightful Meg Baird, entitled Dear Companion. It’s a record of solo performances in the true sense, with Meg, her voice and guitar (wait, is that a trio?) interpreting traditional numbers, covers of more recent songwriters (like Jimmy Webb) and her own intrepid originals. Meg’s work as one of the principal voices and songwriters of Espers is only the tip of the iceberg — wait til you hear Dear Companion!

And also in May too is another debut — this time not just of an artist, but three artists and not just artists but a whole label! The imprint’s called Yaala Yaala Records, and their desire is to release music from Mali and West Africa, as well as the rest of the world, that you might not hear otherwise in the so-called “World” marketplace. These three releases are representative of the kinds of music you might find for sale in Mali while perambulating about and if names like Pekos, Yoro Diallo, Bougouni Yaalali and Daouda Dembele aren’t familiar to you, then Yaala Yaala is already realizing their desire! In May, phase two begins, as the releases hit the streets of America and the rest of the world.

Drag City artists are carving up the world as we speak, paying dues and converting seekers all over the damn place! If they’re not up on you now, they will be soon AZITA, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Bill Callahan, Faun Fables, Edith Frost (in Australia!), The Fucking Champs, Ghost, David Grubbs, Neil Hamburger, The High Llamas, The Howling Hex, King Kong, Joanna Newsom, PAJO, P.G. Six, Alasdair Roberts, RTX, Six Organs of Admittance, Ian Svevnonius and White Magic. I’m not shitting! Check the Tour Page if you don’t believe me.

Wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you...until we meet again!

Look for us on April 24th,
Rian Murphy
Drag City Inc.