Bloodshot Bill
On Outlaw Radio tonight (Tuesday), Jashie P will be featuring the greatness of the one man band. A lot of you might know about people like Hasil Adkins from Boone County, really the father of the country/rock/punk one man bands. Then there’s Scott H. Biram from Texas, and Hank III’s old bass player Joe Buck, and the list goes on from there.
But one of my favorite one man bands, and if not the best, then certainly the most unknown or underrated is The Canadian Cat, Bloodshot Bill. Apparently banned from the United States for undisclosed reasons, this guy combines the energy of Joe Buck, the machismo of Elvis, the rockabilly guitar prowess of The Reverend Horton Heat, the enthusiasm of The Avett Brothers, and a vocal style and arrangement all his own. Put it all together and you don’t have a one man band, you have a monster. Check it out:
His albums are hard to come by; a lot of his stuff he’s only released on 7″ vinyl. And unless you live in a country that proudly presents the maple leaf, you aren’t going to see him live anytime soon. (Actually there’s a countdown clock on www.bloodshotbill.com saying he can come back to the US in 897 days). But nonetheless, if you enjoy high energy music with that vintage kick, then you need to have Bloodshot Bill in your musical landscape.
Outlaw Radio can be heard at 9 PM central on www.punkandbeansradio.com, and all shows are archived later HERE.
July 21, 2009 @ 2:58 pm
I had the chance to see bloodshot bill a couple of years ago, and everything you say about the man is correct. It’s all second hand, but I think his being banned has something to do with no work visa for a tour.