Photo by Brad Bunyea.

 

PRE-ORDER NATHAN BOWLES‘ PLAINLY MISTAKEN:

$9.00 – $29.00

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In advance of “banjo king” Nathan Bowles‘ Plainly Mistaken officially hitting the streets tomorrow, The FADER is premiering the fourth single “Ruby/In Kind I” today. FADER’s Duncan Cooper proclaims, “Bowles’s “Ruby” is a much-appreciated freakfest… The man has lost it here.”

Nathan reflects on his choice to record the song:

“My first encounter with ‘Ruby,’ a chestnut in bluegrass and old-time circles, was coming across a video years ago of the Osborne Brothers and band playing this tune at an outdoor festival in the ‘70s.  The melody and lyrics weren’t what initially grabbed me — it was the glee apparent in the group’s performance and their dedication to the better qualities of that era of bluegrass: maniacal speed balanced by reckless abandon.  I don’t remember when exactly I became familiar with Silver Apples’ rendition of the same tune from their ‘69 record “Contact.”  I bought an LP copy last year and it was around this time that Rex’s partner Anne pointed out how well their approach to the tune would slot into the language of our trio stuff:  the cyclical melodic patterns, the banjo, the herky-jerky rhythmic approach that comes off like a robot with a malfunctioning steam engine.  I’m glad we got this to tape in a way that honors a sort of reconciliation of those two versions’ approaches:  a white-knuckle grin on one end, the smoldering innards of an oversized train-station clock on the other.”  

 

 

To celebrate the release of Plainly Mistaken, Nathan’s first two PoB albums—Nansemond and Whole & Cloven—are now both on sale for 20% off when you use coupon code MISTAKEN during checkout on our website through October 5 only.

 

Nathan Bowles Tour Dates:

Friday, October 5th – Cropped Out (Bill MacKay & Nathan Bowles duo), Louisville KY
Saturday, October 20th – Don’t Be Mean To People ACLU Benefit (Joe Westerlund & Nathan Bowles duo), Durham NC

TRIO DATES
Thursday, November 1st – The Cave (w/ David Nance Group), Chapel Hill NC
Tuesday, November 6th – Rhizome, Washington DC
Wednesday, November 7th – Jerry’s on Front, Philadelphia PA
Thursday, November 8th – Union Pool (w/ Steve Gunn & Little Black Egg), Brooklyn NY
Friday, November 9th – State House (w/ Weeping Bong Band), New Haven CT
Saturday, November 10th – Root Cellar (2-day Residency), Greenfield MA
Sunday, November 11th – Root Cellar (2-day Residency), Greenfield MA
Wednesday, November 14th – AMW, Pittsburgh PA
Thursday, November 15th – Dirty Dungarees, Columbus OH
Friday, November 16th – Elk City Records (w/ the Modock Rounders), Charleston WV
Saturday, November 17th – Rugfest, Blacksburg VA
Sunday, November 18th – NoDa House, Charlotte NC

 

Hear the initial three singles from the album here:

 

ACCLAIM FOR NATHAN BOWLES

“Like Coltrane, Bowles tears open a tiny piece of fabric in the folk music continuum to let in the cosmic debris.”  – NPR Music

“I don’t think Nathan has ever ridden a dolphin, but I think if faced with the task he would cotton quick. That’s how I see his approach to his music.” – Bill Callahan

“Bowles has been stealthily releasing solo records of incremental potency and invention. This, the fourth, is his best yet, a mix of reimagined trad pieces, diverse covers… and elegantly rowdy jams. Bowles and his rhythm section find a groove comparable to Deutsche motorik, or Tuareg desert rock, adding a new thrust to their Appalachian trance-folk.” – MOJO

“8/10 stars; Americana Album of the Month. Much like his late friend Jack Rose, Bowles has devoted his creative life to expanding the dialogue between modernist iron and old-time mountain music. Whatever the setting, Bowles’ music is rarely less than seductive, the product of both a gifted multi-instrumentalist and restless cultural forager.” – Uncut

“Like much of the finest traditional music, Plainly Mistaken borders on the ecstatic and spiritual, but also knows when it’s time to hit the jug.” – Record Collector

“Experimental banjoist Nathan Bowles is a stalwart of the new Americana resurgence orbiting the Paradise of Bachelors label. He finds ways to apply classically rustic techniques to new frontiers of sound.” – Stereogum