Smog

Bill Callahan (born June 3, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who has also recorded and performed under the band name Smog. Callahan began working in the lo-fi genre of underground rock, with home-made tape-albums recorded on four track tape recorders. Later he began releasing albums with the label Drag City, to which he remains signed today.
Callahan started out as a highly experimental artist, using substandard instruments and recording equipment. His early songs often nearly lacked melodic structure and were clumsily played on poorly tuned guitars, resulting in the dissonant sounds on his self-released cassettes and debut album Sewn to the Sky. Much of his early output was instrumental, a stark contrast to the lyrical focus of his later work. Apparently, he used lo-fi techniques not primarily because of an aesthetic preference but because he didn't have any other possibility to make music. Once he signed a contract with Drag City, he started to use recording studios and a greater variety of instruments for his records.
== Links to Peel ==
Smog was played regularly by Peel on his shows throughout most of the 90's and 00's. The artist also did three sessions for Peel's programmes and listeners voted two of Smog's songs in the 1999 and 2000 Festive Fifties. In 2003, Peel made Smog's Supper album as one of his albums of the month for April 2003 (Peel's Record Box).
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
* 1999 Festive Fifty: Cold Blooded Old Times #35
* 2000 Festive Fifty: Dress Sexy At My Funeral #40
== Sessions ==
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1. Recorded: 1994-11-20. Broadcast: 06 January 1995
*My Family / A Jar Of Sound / My Shell / Your New Friend
2. Recorded: 1997-10-14. Broadcast: 12 November 1997
*Chosen One / I Break Horses / Moonshiner / Wine Stained Lips
3. Recorded: 2001-12-10. Broadcast: 03 January 2002
*Cold Discovery / Dirty Pants / Beautiful Child / Jesus
== Other Shows Played ==
;1991
*thumb|330x330px24 August 1991: 'Mice (7"-Floating EP)' (Drag City)
*31 August 1991: 'Floating (7"-Floating EP)' (Drag City)
*21 September 1991: Floating (7” EP) Drag City
*09 November 1991: Mice (7" - Floating EP) Drag City
;1992
*08 August 1992: Bad Ideas For Country Sounds I (album - Forgotten Foundation) Drag City
*28 August 1992: Filament (album - Forgotton Foundation) Drag City
;1994
*thumb|330x330px22 July 1994: ‘When The Power Goes Out (LP - Julius Caesar)’ Matador
*30 July 1994: ‘Strawberry Rush (LP - Julius Caesar)’ Matador
*30 July 1994 (BFBS): Your Wedding (album - Julius Caesar) Matador
*16 September 1994: When You Walk (LP - Julius Caesar) Matador
*24 September 1994: 'Golden (LP-Julius Caesar)' (Matador)
*September 1994 (BBC World Service): Chosen One (LP - Julius Caesar) Matador
*15 October 1994: I Am Star Wars (LP - Julius Caesar) Matador
*29 October 1994 (BFBS): 'I Am Star Wars! (LP-Julius Caesar)' (Matador)
*18 November 1994: My Family (LP - Burning Kingdom) City Slang
*26 November 1994 (BFBS): 'My Family (12"-Burning Kingdom)' (City Slang)
*09 December 1994: Your Face (v/a album - Hey Drag City) Domino
;thumb|330x330px1995
*02 June 1995: ‘Bathroom Floor (LP - Wild Love)' City Slang
*09 June 1995: 'The Candle (LP-Wild Love)' (City Slang)
;1996
*06 April 1996: I Break Horses (EP - Kicking A Couple Around) Domino
*12 April 1996: ‘Your New Friend (CD - Kicking A Couple Around )’ Domino
*05 October 1996: Spread Your Bloody Wings (album - The Doctor Came At Dawn) Domino
*07 December 1996: Came Blue (7" - Came Blue / Spanish Moss) Hausmusik
;1997
*09 April 1997: ‘Blood Red Bird (CD - Red Apple Falls)’ Domino
*17 April 1997: I Was A Stranger (CD - Red Apple Falls) Drag City
*05 June 1997 (BFBS): 'I Was A Stranger (LP-Red Apple Falls)' (Domino)
*27 November 1997: To Be Of Use (LP - Red Apple Falls) Drag City
;1999
*thumb|330x330px28 January 1999 (Radio Eins): Let's Move To The Country (album - Knock Knock) Domino
*18 February 1999: Held (LP - Knock Knock) Domino
*25 February 1999 (Radio Eins): Held (album - Knock Knock) Domino
*11 May 1999: Held (EP) Domino
*20 May 1999 (Radio Eins): Held (EP) Domino
*26 May 1999 (BFBS): 'Look Now (7"-Held)' (Domino)
*23 December 1999: 'Cold Blooded Old Times (CD single)' (Domino) FF #35
;2000
*thumb|330x330px29 March 2000: 'Dress Sexy At My Funeral' (LP 'Dongs Of Sevotion') Drag City
*02 April 2000 (BFBS): 'Dress Sexy At My Funeral (2xLP-Dongs Of Sevotion)' (Domino)
*12 April 2000: 'Dress Sexy At My Funeral (CD-Dongs Of Sevotion)' (Domino)
*13 April 2000 (Radio Eins): Easily Led (CD-Dongs Of Sevotion)' (Domino)
*16 April 2000 (BFBS): 'The Hard Road (CD-Dongs Of Sevotion)' (Domino)
*30 November 2000: I Was A Stranger (EP - Neath The Puke Tree) Domino
*06 December 2000: I Was A Stranger (7" - 'Neath the Puke Tree) Drag City
*December 2000 (FSK): I Was A Stranger (CD - 'Neath The Puke Tree) Domino
*26 December 2000: 'Dress Sexy At My Funeral (CD-Dongs Of Sevotion)' (Domino Recording Company Ltd) FF #40
;2002
*thumb|330x330px02 January 2002: Short Drive (LP – Rain On Lens) Domino
*03 January 2002 (Radio Eins): Short Drive (album - Rain On Lens) Domino
*25 April 2002: Lean On Me (Live at All Tomorrow's Parties)
*20 November 2002: Floating (LP - Accumulation:None) (Domino)
;2003
*thumb|330x330px27 March 2003 (Radio Eins): Ambition (album - Supper) Domino
*01 April 2003: Ambition (LP - Supper) Domino
*03 April 2003: Feather By Feather (LP- Supper) Domino
*09 April 2003: Vessel In Vain (Album - Supper) Domino
*10 April 2003 (Radio Eins): Ambition (album - Supper) Domino
*April 2003 (FSK): Ambition (CD - Supper) Domino
*23 April 2003: A Guiding Light (LP - Supper) Domino
*01 May 2003 (Radio Eins): A Guiding Light (album - Supper)
== See Also ==
* December 2000 (Peel's Record Box)
*April 2003 (Peel's Record Box)
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Drag City
Category:Artists