In the 1970s Swedish pop and rock magazines flooded the market. They were quickly taken out of circulation. To be honest, the Swedish magazines were only pale copies of more renowned international magazines. The German music magazine POP, read more here (opens in a new window) was the role model that almost everyone tried to copy. I occasionally bought POP, which was associated with the routine of decipher the grammar and looking up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. The new Swedish epigones were bleak at best and terrible at worst. Layout was definitely not their strong suit. Some of the magazines clearly focused more on idolship than on music, for example Tiffany and ZIP. Donny Osmond was asked what he thought about sex before marriage. Not unexpectedly, Donny didn't approve. Other artists were more outspoken. Suzi Quatro, in her one-piece black leather suit, revealed that she chose to play bass guitar because it felt so good between her legs. Moreover, the image-oriented magazine "Poster" was founded by Hans Hatwig, a German publisher who began his career in pornographic publishing. Sex was never explicit, but always implied. One of the magazines achieved some kind of publishing record. Idolposten managed to launch and to crash and burn in the same year, 1974. The best magazines were GO and ZONK. ZONK leaned towards hard rock and is by many regarded as the first proper Swedish pop and rock magazine. GO and ZONK had journalistic ambitions. In other cases, the meager editorial material seems to have been imported and, thereafter, poorly translated. The content was based on servility, banality and stupidity with an obvious lack of tonality. It gets awkward when adults try to communicate with teenagers in a personal note. Another attribute was the total lack of order, structure and discernment. Boyband-jerks like Bay City Rollers had the same status as giants like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. Unbelievable. The photos are etched in my memory. Some of the photos were fabulous and taken by the famous Swedish photographer Torbjörn Calvero, read more here (opens in a new window). However, most photos were mundane to say the least. The artists were depicted "as they were", which meant doughy, flabby, tired, and pale-cold-sweaty-hang-over faces. At the time, nothing escaped the harsh truth of the camera eye. This was long before any image process software existed.  

The history of Swedish pop and rock magazines in the 1970s remains to be written. Some very basic but nevertheless important work has been carried out by a Swedish website, read more here (opens in a new window). It contains a brief introduction, publisher, year class and all covers of the magazines published from the early 1970s and onwards. Sometimes the hip magazines come up for sale at Tradera (Swedish Ebay). I never place a bid. But, I admire the dedication to document for posterity. After all, this is also what I do.     

Uncle Sinner's third proper album "Trouble of this World" was released on March 16, 2020 and coincided with the covid-19 virus outbreak (the title is well-timed and fitting). My original plan was to publish the review on the release date, but other things came between. A preface for those of you who are unfamiliar to "dark canadiana". Uncle Sinner started out as a two-piece band with Uncle Sinner on vocals, banjo and guitar and Matt "Fuller Vengeance" McLeod on vocals, bass, mandolin, guitar, percussion and banjo. They parted ways a couple a years ago and Uncle Sinner continued on his own. The new album is dedicated to the memory of "Fuller Vengeance". Uncle Sinner wrote this on his Facebook page on October 8, 2018. "Sad to report that Matt McLeod, who produced my first album and played with me under the name Fuller Vengeance, died recently. Matt was a great guy and a talented, versatile musician. I can honestly say that without Matt agreeing to record me, and then encouraging me to share those recordings, there would be no Uncle Sinner." The album cover pictures an absorbed Uncle Sinner. The album art and design is created by Agnieszka Ledochowska (who also created the album art for the debut album "Ballads and Mental Breakdowns" and a couple of other Devil's Ruin Records releases). Uncle Sinner seems to thrive and seek inspiration outside and inside derelict buildings in the Interlake region between Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba (a.k.a. ”Sinterlake” in the world of Uncle Sinner). Uncle Sinner is also known for holding and smoking cigarettes to such an extent it makes the Marlboro Man look like a health freak. The new album is recorded, mixed and mastered by Uncle Sinner in his basement. Let's go over to the album and walk it trough.
  

The new album contains 13 songs plus two bonus tracks (they are not reviewed). The songs on the album are both original and traditional songs. Let's start with an obvious remark. Uncle Sinner sticks to his working methods. The songs are not traditional in the traditional sense. The songs has been brought to the smithy and forged into a new shape and form, but still possible to discern. The album starts off with "Creation Myth". It contains tons of exquisite banjo playing. It's a strong opening song. It ends with an arrangement of "Greasy Coat" (traditional). The vocals is raspy and Uncle Sinner's voice cracks here and there. The raw and unpolished style fits the purpose. The second song is "Gallows Pole". It was made popular by no less than Led Zeppelin on their third album. An unusual pick if I may say so. Uncle Sinner's take on the song is innovative and twangy. Compared with Zeppelin's version, the tempo is slower and the dark lyrics stands out more clearly. "I didn’t bring you no silver, I didn’t bring you no gold / I just came to watch you swinging high up from the gallows pole". The third song "Trouble of this World", is a gospel-like hymn. The message is clear. Death is the greatest liberator. We are done with this world. We want to leave this earthly world for the heavenly world. "Well soon I’m gonna burn down what, what needs to burn / I’m going home to live with God, my Lord". The fourth song is called "Glory in the Meeting House", sounds like an Irish or Scottish jig. The song is instrumental with banjo and fiddle. The fifth song is "Motherless Child". The song has been covered by many artists in very different ways; from Boney M (disco version) to Van Morrison (hymnal version). Uncle Sinner's contribution to the long list of covers is a slow, heartfelt blues version. "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child / And a long way from home". Blues isn't my cup of tea, but reluctantly I like this version. The sixth song is "Long Gone", which is more catchy and upbeat with harmonica. Brute force, but not unsensitive. The seventh song is "Rocky Island", true and unadulterated Irish romanticism. So far, so good.
         
The second obvious remark is that Uncle Sinner is true to his mission statement: "adapting traditional American music for his own purposes". The eight song is a Blind Willie Johnson song, "Cant Keep From Crying". Great interpretation. The ninth song "God is Not Dead (He’s Still Alive) has a distinct "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" vibe. The song is built more around the vocals than other songs on the album. Nice banjo picking at the end of the song. The tenth song "Our Little Things (for Vic Chesnutt)" is the best song on the album. It's a tribute to Vic Chesnutt who tragically died on Christmas Day 2009. Vic was criminally underrated during his lifetime. Seems like some artists have to die before they get their recognition. However, death did nothing for Vic. It's unfair since Vic flirted with death all his life. However, Uncle Sinner makes a splendid homage. The eleventh song is "That Suits Me". This is definitely a more upbeat song. I imagine myself in a church bench, swaying and frantically clapping my hands. The twelfth song is "Into Grace". By Uncle Sinner standards, this is a refined and polished song, well-arranged with fine-tuned vocals. The closing song is "Jubilee". The lo-fi singing is close to humming. Under all circumstances, a good closing song.          

And the overall impression: this album is both varied and coherent, definitely very focused. Arrangements and performance are solid, but raw. In fact, it gives the concept rough around the edges a new and deeper meaning. Still, maybe the standard Uncle Sinner rawness is somewhat toned-down on this album. Anyway, it's a really good album. You can buy it through Bandcamp (double-click on the icon below).   

If you click on the icons below they will open in a new window, from left to right: Uncle Sinner's Bandcamp page, main article on this website about Uncle Sinner, Uncle Sinner's Facebook page and Lyrics for "Trouble Of This World"

Idle hands are the devil's playthings. When one is unoccupied or has nothing to do, one is more likely to cause or get into trouble. T.K. Bollinger has really stayed busy. Three solo albums and the posthumously album "Doom Blues" with T.K. Bollinger & That Sinking Feeling in five years makes him a serial purveyor of dark roots music. Now he is back again with a double album with the longest title ever, "The Child Who Does Not Feel the Comfort of the Village will Burn it Down to Feel its Warmth", which is taken from an African proverb. Double album and long title. I like the maximalist approach. What about the new album? The press release says it much better than I can. "While recording my last three albums there were always a few left over tracks that didn’t seem to fit into the flow.... While contemplating my next release after finally putting Doom Blues to bed, I revisited these songs and came to see them as my ignored or neglected children." The songs on the album were either overlooked, passed over or ignored for inclusion on the three solo albums. The seventeen songs on the album are arranged in the chronological order of when he wrote them. The ambition was to release more than just an album of rarities and unreleased tracks. I must admit that the above-mentioned approach made me terrified. To be honest, picking scattered songs over a long period is rarely a good idea. These kind of experiments often result in a roller coaster ride with highs and lows leaving the listener with nausea and in a very confused state. But, as you might already know, T.K. Bollinger isn't afraid to go out on a limb. Let's go over and walk through to the album. The proof is in the pudding. 

One of T.K. Bollinger's unmistakable trademarks is an unusual strong opening song. The first song is called "Pretending". What captures your attention controls your life. Mr Bollinger gets my attention already after the first line. "I don’t know who’s right, but I know who is faking." Well, this is certainly a way to begin an album. The second song "Painted Devils" is a singable cheerful song, if it weren't for the lyrics. They tend to dampen the mood and create a nice contrast to the upbeat music. The third song "Crowding Out The Living" is haunting. I especially like the chorus: "Since I gave myself over to them / Their shadows are drowning out the living." The fourth song "Why The Long Face Mister" is both quirky and catchy. The bottom line. If you're still around, why the long face? Yes, why indeed. The song is a good example of the artist's extraordinary songwriting skills. The fifth song "What I Want And What Is Right" is epic in the true sense of the word. Executive summary: it's about what it means to be a human being. I put in an extra plus for the acoustic guitar when you think the song has come to its end. So far, very good. However, the last four songs on this disc/side are definitely weaker. The songs doesn't really match up to normal Bollinger standards. 

The second disc/side begins with "Somethings Lost”. This is probably the weakest song on the album. For a moment I think, is it all downhill from here? But then comes eight solid songs in a row. In fact, the second disc/side clearly outshines the first disc/side. The second song "Wake Up Noble Heart" unfolds slowly. The lyrics doesn't pass by unnoticed. "It would do me good and well / To prize apart this shell / This hatred of myself." The third song "The Ghost of What Was to Be" proceeds majestically in waltz-tempo. The fourth song "Hearts Lost Flame" is Bollinger quality of the highest carat. "Fare thee well, fare thee well / Fare thee well my heart’s lost flame." The fifth song "Circle" also passes with flying colours. The sixth song "Call the Foreman" is undoubtedly the best song on the double album. Zebulon Whatley from Sons of Perdition plays the organ. The song is magnificient from start to finish. To leave out this song from his solo albums could be a criminal act. But maybe this offense falls within statutes of limitations. Anyway, I'm breathless. In the seventh song T.K. Bollinger slides back to his early blues preferences. I'm not a big fan of blues, but I like this song with its poignant lyrics "Sometimes you need to swallow misdeeds / and sometimes misdeeds swallow you / I seem to wallow in this guilt and sorrow / Like they are children I must feed.". The eight and last song is "Upon Leaving". This is a perfect album closing song.

And finally, the overall assessment. My grave concerns weren't very well-founded. Apart from a few dips this is a solid double album. Obviously, there's a cornucopia of songs to draw from. Themes, arrangement and production are nearly perfect. No writer's block, but at the same time no doom and gloom. I believe that his music has evolved over the years from "doom blues" to "gothic hymnal" and over to - for lack of better terms - "esoteric gothic". "The Child Who Does Not Feel the Comfort of the Village will Burn it Down to Feel its Warmth" complements Shy Ghosts (2016), What’s Left Now You Are Dead to Me (2017) and The Tighter You Hold Onto Something the More Likely it will Fall Apart in Your Hands (2018) in a very meaningful way. You should get it. The album will be released April 10th 2020. You can buy it through Bandcamp (double-click on the icon below). 

If you click on the icons below they will open in a new window, from left to right: Lyrics for "The Child Who Does Not Feel the Comfort of the Village will Burn it Down to Feel its Warmth", T.K. Bollinger's Bandcamp page, T.K. Bollinger's Homepage and Press kit for "The Child Who Does Not Feel the Comfort of the Village will Burn it Down to Feel its Warmth".

Have you ever believed hard in something and then it turns out it wasn't true? It can be quite painful. Until recently, I believed that founders and managers of small dark roots record labels were driven by three things: the love of music, DIY attitude and altruistic motives. In short: they are good people. The profiteers were employed by big multinational record companies like Universal, Sony, EMI and Warner. In short: they are bad people. However, the facts tells another story. Some of the bad people seems to have been self-employed. It's hard to take in. Take Devil's Ruin Records and Farmageddon Records as two examples. As always, there are two sides. It's fascinating to read the initial positive (but limited) media impression with the final verdict from artists. The very reputable but, sadly, now discontinued site Sepiachord published this article (opens in a new window) about DRR. Music journalist James G. Carlson made this interview (opens in a new window) for the site No Depression on May 31, 2011. The love of music is a common denominater. Joshua Warfel (Devil's Ruin Records) had grandiose plans for the artists: tours and albums. It all came to a sudden stop when he vanished from the face of the earth and left customers, creditors and - last but not least - artists very angry. Darren Dorlarqueue (Farmageddon Records) got extremely angry when Slackeye Slim contacted him to ask why he claimed that his album "El Santo Grial: La Pistola Piadosa" was out-of print (it was for sale on Ebay for a high price). The question was not uncalled for since you can buy a copy of the cd according to the "name your price"-principle directly from Slackeye Slim's Bandcamp page. Slackeye Slim posted the aggravated conversation on Facebook with a preface, which triggered a "metoo-response" from artists on the defunct Farmageddon label who hadn't got paid or reimbursed. It seems like Darren Dorlarqueue left many very angry people behind. And the psychological explanation? Dorlarqueue and Warfel seems, first and foremost, to be entrepreneurs. Not exactly like Jeff Bezos of Amazon, but in their own sector and with their own moral principles. Some entrepreneurs are like sharks with an instrumental and brutal disposition. But if sharks stop swimming they will sink and die. Being a narcissistic entrepreneur with a low risk aversion means that you are not too concerned if you crash and burn or if you make people upset, angry or sad. You will just swim on to the next project.                 

Lo and behold. The masterpiece "Built with Bones" has been remastered and re-released. The album comes with a new subheading "13th Anniversary Deluxe Edition". Digital only. The album a.k.a. the Holy Grail of all Gothic Country albums is listed number one on my most prestigious list (opens in a new window). This event was highly unexpected, to say the least. I contacted Christian Williams and asked about the background. In an e-mail he kindly replied: "To be honest, I had planned on releasing a 10-year anniversary edition in 2017, but I just never found the time that year to focus on it so I set the idea aside. Still, I recognized that of the several albums I’ve released, Built with Bones was by far the most popular among listeners on the streaming music sites like Spotify and iTunes. I thought there might be interest among those listeners for a “new-and-improved” version of the album that addressed some of the sound quality issues that bugged me as well an unfortunate typo that was introduced to one of the song titles during the upload process to the streaming sites 10 years ago (“When Its Roar Woke Me Up” was incorrectly titled “When It’s Roar Woke Me Up”). As a writer, that mistake (the apostrophe) has always bothered me, but I tried to forget about it because there was nothing I could do to fix it except delete the album from the streaming services. Finally, just a couple months ago, I received an email from someone (also a fellow writer) who said they love that song, but the incorrect apostrophe was driving them crazy every time they saw it and they were wondering if I could fix it. I wrote back and told them I couldn’t, but that email gave me the idea again to re-release Built with Bones so that I could fix not only the typo but some other things that distract me when I listen to the album. When I realized it would be the 13th anniversary if I made it happen in 2020, I knew I had to do it this year. The number 13 has always held a special significance for me for a couple reasons. First is the fact that so many people find the number scary or evil without really thinking about why they feel that way. Considering the darker tone of my music, I thought it would be appropriate to have 13 songs on the album just to make it a little more unsettling for those who don’t like the number. Second, my music has always been centered on the idea that our universe is a constant balancing act between good and evil, and that they both need each other for either to exist. From a symbolic perspective, the number 7 has traditionally been associated with God and the number 6 has been associated with Satan. Add those two numbers together (good + evil) and you get 13, hence my appreciation for the number." 

The 2007 release is a masterpiece in terms of musical quality, but has minor technical flaws. In my opinion, the output volume is too low. Actually, I had to normalize the recording level before I imported the album files to my Ipod. The Deluxe Edition features digitally remastered versions of the 13 original tracks plus seven previously unreleased tracks of alternate versions and live performances. There are several nuggets in the extra material. For example, the alternate version of "Shake the Dust" is stunning. But also a live performance of "Red" on KAOS Radio in Austin, Texas, and "Alone" a previously unreleased recording of Edgar Allan Poe's poem by the same name set to music by Christian Williams. I asked Christian Williams about the "digital remastering" process and his thoughts about the 2007 version. In the aforementioned e-mail he explained: "Built with Bones was just my second album and I was still very inexperienced when it came to DIY recording. My girlfriend and I lived in a very nice, but poorly designed apartment for recording music, so I was constantly battling extra noises and weird frequencies that would bleed into the recordings. Basically, I was recording in the middle of a large bedroom with walls that echoed and noisy neighbors that would stomp around on the floor or bump into the walls. I did my best to hide all of that in the original mastering, but there are a few tracks toward the beginning of the album (most notably “When Its Roar Woke Me Up”) where I can hear a high-pitched frequency that was likely caused by a grounding issue I had no idea was happening until I’d already recorded all of the tracks. Aside from that, I’ve also thought the overall volume on the album could have been louder. The problem was when I tried to boost the volume, it also made the high-pitch noises louder, too, which made everything worse. Long story short, my inexperience made the recording process a lot more difficult than it probably should have been. Knowing what I know now about recording, I’m amazed I actually had anything worth working with from that session. I’m also pleasantly surprised by how some of the ideas I had worked out. Fast-forward several years and I discovered the open-source recording software called Audacity. In that software, there’s a very handy EQ tool that I figured out how to use and it allowed me to zero in on those high-pitched tones and eliminate them from the recording without negatively affecting the rest of the song. I used that tool on all of the songs on Built with Bones and found that I was then able to boost the volume, the bass, and the treble where I wanted to. The end result is an album that sounds warmer to me, that sounds more ominous where it should (like the bass drum on “Red”), and overall, is a much more enjoyable listening experience for me.

The album cover made by Paul Rhyne is listed number one on my "most spectacular" album cover list (opens in a new window). The two versions differ. The colours are inverted. The original 2007 version is white, while the 2020 version is black. Congenial. In the e-mail I asked Christian Williams what "Built with Bones", 13 years after its original release, meant to him personally. In the e-mail he replied: "I realize now that the process of making this album was a burst of creative inspiration the likes of which I haven’t experienced since. From start to finish, I wrote and recorded every song on that album in about four months. I remember the moments of inspiration and the circumstances of writing and recording pretty much every song, so I have a lot of good memories about where I was at in the point in my life. As I said, we lived in a very nice high-rise apartment in downtown Milwaukee, WI, with a view of the city skyline. I remember sitting in the dark just staring out the window at the city, brainstorming lyrics. I remember late-night viewings of HBO’s gothic series Carnivale and being inspired to write “Shake the Dust.” I remember a friend lending me the bass drum from his 6-year-old daughter’s First Act drum kit so that I could add the ominous booms in “Red.” I remember the frustration of my decision to hand-make the album sleeves and burn the CDs myself. All of it, though, was an album made on my terms with no compromises or short cuts. That alone made it a very special creative experience for me, and it’s an added bonus that so many other people still seem to appreciate the end result.

"Built with Bones" is an indispensible part of the gothic country genre. You can buy your copy here (opens in a new window) and enjoy it exactly in the way the artist intended. Better late, than never. The price is set according to the "name your price"-principle. I trust you will do the right thing.