SKU: 84685351535

Bonnie Prince Billy - When We Are Inhuman

Sale price$25.19 Regular price$27.99
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $7.00 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Aug 24 - Aug 29

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Bonnie Prince Billy - When We Are InhumanJulius Eastman and Will Oldham are kindred spirits. Self styled provocateurs, they have positioned themselves on the outskirts of distinct traditions, pulling all manners of musical influence towards their outr stance. Eastman, who passed away in 1990 and whose work is experiencing a necessary revival, harnessed the vocabulary of minimalism for joyfully insurgent ends; Oldham's songwriting regularly conjures a pantheon that Greil Marcus called "the

Julius Eastman and Will Oldham are kindred spirits. Self-styled provocateurs, they have positioned themselves on the outskirts of distinct traditions, pulling all manners of musical influence towards their outré stance. Eastman, who passed away in 1990 and whose work is experiencing a necessary revival, harnessed the vocabulary of minimalism for joyfully insurgent ends; Oldham's songwriting regularly conjures a pantheon that Greil Marcus called "the old, weird America." Last spring, these two visionaries collided at Cincinnati's MusicNOW Festival, and any distance between them was mediated by curator Bryce Dessner and ensemble Eighth Blackbird. On this album, woven between new arrangements of Oldham's cryptic songs and Eastman's iconic "Stay on It" are several of Dessner's "Murder Ballades," works that tease out the homicidal strain of old folk tunes. In "Down in the Willow Garden," a classic Appalachian tune, Oldham sings bleary-eyed atop harshly twanging timbres; "Underneath the Floorboards" takes inspiration from a recent murderous classic by Sufjan Stevens. These explorations of violence are natural fits for Oldham, who has always examined the interstices between intimacy and cruelty. Four of his songs appear here in new, sumptuous arrangements by pianist Lisa Kaplan. In Cincinnati, Oldham compared working with Eighth Blackbird to becoming acquainted with a "haunted house," continually returning to the same spot and observing how his fear was interlaced with a charged energy. The arrangements push Oldham's voice to new heights, as in the ecstatic refrain of "New Partner" or the lithe polyrhythms of "Beast for Thee." On "One with the Birds" and "When Thy Song," shimmering introductions deploy avant-garde effects as a window into Oldham's bleak, poignant sound world. Musicologist Matthew Mendez has identified the web of influences on Eastman's "Stay on It": a post-Stonewall queer subjectivity, which the composer-performer flaunted; disco hits by Diana Ross, to which Eastman regularly danced at a Buffalo gay bar; and 1970s minimalism, via Eastman's emphasis on what he called not "the pulse" but "the beat." "Stay on It" was worked out in performance in the '70s, and no complete score exists. This live rendition, based on archival recordings, sharpens the edges of Eastman's music while still capturing it's anarchic ideal. Oldham's repetitions of "Stay on it" are subversively subdued, and Dessner's guitar inserts a punch of the urbane. The riff mutates, changes, fades away, returns triumphantly. It overpowers and is overpowered. Boundaries between musicians and audience dissolve-in concert, percussionist Matthew Duvall ran off the stage to make a surround-sound ruckus-addressing the broader political hierarchies that Eastman sought to triumphantly topple. The party is political. - Will Robin

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 84685351535

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 23 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
T
The View
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 3
Transgender Story
Format: Kindle
A middle school age girl questions herself and her place on Earth. I had trouble believing the story based on the fact the character is middle school age and mentions all the things he can’t do yet but the point of view is first person and definitely looks at herself/himself like an adult would. The narrator clearly isn’t the protagonist but an adult. Big flaw.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2022
T
Verified Purchase
TXSwade
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful & Touching story
Format: Hardcover
From the haunted house to the loving relationships, this book is a must read. It is a great conversation opener for this topic, and is introduced very effectively. A must read for parents and kids alike.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2022
K
Verified Purchase
Kindle Customer
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
Classic shounen
Format: Kindle
It's a light and fun read, great art and comedy, action is fast paced and cool. Wholesome characters and an upbeat vibe.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2026
T
Verified Purchase
Thetruedrako
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Good junk food book
Format: Paperback, Format: Paperback
Was a good start to a series and I look forward to the future
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2026
O
o.nic
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Fun, Unique, Adorable
Format: Paperback
Fun, unique manga. The characters are fierce and adorable.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2026

recommand products