The day before, at Yo La Tengo's show at Maxwell's.

Bonnie Prince Billy & the Cairo Gang
Town Hall
Wednesday, December 9

Better than: Any other band wearing both pajamas and black suits in the course of one night.

"Are you deceiving me?" went the first line of the tonight's six-piece opening band, the Babblers. But wait a second, the frontman in that band--despite the hoodie and sunglasses--sounds an awful lot like Will Oldham! Turns out the Babblers are Oldham's hour-long ode to Babble, the 1979 collaborative album between UK iconoclast Kevin Coyne and German avant-garde songbird Dagmar Krause. A concept album based on the infamous couple of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley (Google 'em), Babble also doubles as an exploration of changing mindstates in any relationship--psychotic, murderous or otherwise. As to what the Babblers' stage garb--which includes not just sunglasses but also urban camouflage onesies--is all about, well, the mind reels. Which is similar to the effect of hearing newcomer Angel Olson.

photos by Emily Nemens

Bonnie "Prince" Billy
April 1
Monster Island

Todd Patrick's back from Mexico, and last night our fearless local promoter hosted two very intimate, very sold-out, back-to-back shows for Will Oldham--touring on behalf of his Bonnie "Prince" Billy alter-ego--in Williamsburg's sweaty Monster Island Basement. It's something of a coup to get Oldham/Billy in such a small space, for only $12 a person, considering that last time Kentucky-born singer-songwriter played New York was at the Apollo and tickets were more than 40 bucks.

"[Beware] was like getting cum out of a thirteen-year-old boy: easy as hell."

Having a conversation with Will Oldham in an isolated corner-room in the Algonquin Hotel is a more pleasant experience than one might believe, if judged by his muted, frequently melancholy songs. But in person, Oldham displays openness and a wry sense of humor--qualities also lately much in evidence in his ever-growing catalog. Back in January, Oldham was in town to promote his latest album, Beware, out March 17 on Drag City. We spoke with him then about the new record, his love for Madonna, and his famously unruly back pages.--Steve Lowenthal