Altered Americana

When I discovered the music of Will Oldham during my sophomore year at Brown, I felt that, for the first time, I had discovered a slice of music history on my own. Most of my musical influences prior had come in some form from family members, friends, or music teachers. When I stumbled upon this honest, bare, and sometimes bizarre artist, my understanding of music was blown wide open, and I began approaching my own songwriting from a different frame of mind. 

Will Oldham, AKA Bonnie “Prince” Billy, AKA Palace Brothers, AKA Palace Music, AKA maybe many other monikers of which I am unaware, represents to me an unlikely yet harmonious blend of influences ranging from the country standards of The Carter Family, to the hardcore punk of Black Flag and The Misfits. My discovery of his music has led me down countless rabbit holes, and introduced me to the work of many of my favorite artists. Eleven songs could never truly do justice to the drastically altered landscape of indie rock and alt-country in the 1990s, but I have chosen some of my favorites that represent a certain sound that I have grown to love.

— Patrick Murray