Billy Carter | BOTW 15
This week we have the pleasure of featuring our good friends and one of the best blues-rock bands on the planet, Billy Carter! (See Wasted Johnnys for another). They began in 2011 as a two-piece acoustic project, which is a side of the band you can still see today at shows as well as on some of their recordings, most notably the Yellow EP. After adding a drummer in 2014, they opened up a new avenue for their sound with a dirgy heaviness that accents the blues-fueled, near-grunge vocals beautifully. They have a wealth of fantastic recordings and a one-of-a-kind live show, which you'll learn about shortly. To start, get to know the many faces of Hyunjoon, the electricity of Jina and the fire of Jiwon with our intro video of the one and only (band), Billy Carter!
This audio is from one of their latest EPs, "The Green," which is a classic taste of the range they cover, as shown by the contrasting track featured in our lyric video down below 😉
Album Story
Fans and critics alike have adored all of Billy Carter's releases, and we are no exception. Here is their discography with our mini-reviews as well as links to read and buy! We are still working on outlining how to properly stream music, as brought up in our first op-ed, What Broke. More will be coming soon on this topic as we show all the right ways to listen to music for free. For now, read on and support this brilliant trio!
The Red (2015) - EP
Funky, aggressive, dark yet comedic in a raucous, supercharged way, The Red takes your heart and shoes on a ride you won't want to get off of. Our first pick off this one, "Time Machine" - worth a double-think and a triple-listen! The Red is where blues meets punk and a truly impressive first entry from this electric trio.
The Yellow (2016) – EP
Truly beautiful, this intimate recording highlights the heart and soul of Billy Carter. It opens up with the haunting "I Love You," offering a different take on the bridge from "You Ate My Brain." The quick rhythms and passionate vocals dance wonderfully together throughout, with folk-inspired sounds like my personal favorite, "I Don't Care." This EP is stellar from start to finish, and well worth being put on repeat to accompany your morning coffee, or evening whiskey!
Here I Am (2016) – LP
Every time I put this record on, I can't help dancing around the house thinking about all I've done right and wrong, and all the people who've screwed me over. It's a fantastically, bluesy, funky, harmonica-filled, good time with some dark-yet-passionate lyrics all spun together into a classic album you'll download into your subconscious and hold onto forever! Seriously, so much frickin' fun, I have a hard time telling you to pick just one. But, if I have to, "Love and Hatred" entered my brain at my first Billy Carter show and has never left, and I'm so grateful! Check it out and let us know what you think of this phenomenal first full-length from the best of the Billy Carters 😝
The next two records came out concurrently as a contrasting pair of EPs, each with their own heart yet tied together...
The Orange (2017) – EP
Wonderfully eerie is the quickest way for me to describe this EP, half of the latest double-shot of records from Billy Carter. Representing flowers, The Orange showcases the band's heavy sound with a straightforward approach on fierce, everyday battles. Cue up track 4, Blossom in a Brothel, and let the emotion pour straight from the speakers, or your headphones, into your heart.
Read about it: Buy it, listen to it, write and review and send it to us for a chance at a RGY prize pack!
The Green (2017) – EP
The spiritual side of this dual-EP set, The Green represents grass and carries the listener through birth, death, and everything in between. The softness in these tracks awakens your emotions and the rhythms hold you while you cry. I have seldom fallen for a record as quickly as I did with this one, and can't recommend it enough. To get you started, turn up the volume and absorb track 2, The Song from Dawn, and thank yourself for the healing.
Read about it: Buy it, listen to it, write and review and send it to us for a chance at a RGY prize pack!
Live Story
I shouldn't really try to explain Billy live, as it is truly an experience, so I'll simply say, find your way towards the front, drink in hand, and rock in awe in front of this emotionally warping trio. The energy they bring, the joy they evoke, the pain they convey, it is all indicative of the pureness that is the band's show. Here's what you can expect from a live set:
-Jina will meld into her guitar and fret her way into your heart.
-Hyunjoon will wear his emotions on his... face.
-Jiwon will subtly encourage you to drink. And sing. While lying on the floor.
Get a taste of Billy Carter live here:
You're welcome.
Song Story
Your ears will truly appreciate every bit of Billy Carter you treat them to, but for those of you who need to know where to start, here are our big 5 appetizers with a bit on why:
Lost My Way – Why? Loss and loneliness I Was Born – Why? Harmonies and heaviness Purgatory – Why? Nostalgia and regret French Boy – Why? Love and laughter Love and Hatred – Why? Heat and harmonica
With the end of the 15th installment comes our favorite part of each entry, the lyric video! We couldn't resist working with "You Ate My Brain" this week, and now you too can scream along with this heavy yet heartfelt love story!
We've all been there 💔
Thanks for joining us for another amazing week of rocking indie music, this time again from the Land of the Morning Calm. Billy Carter has lots more excitement coming our way this year, with another full-length in the works and another UK tour!
Check out our other Bands of the Week here, and stay connected with us on your favorite service.
Send us your thoughts, questions, and favorites... we love to talk about the music!
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