What are you doing this Saturday? Are you looking for some gravel throated alt.folk? Bill Callaghan, Thom Waits’ Quaalude loving little brother (note to lawyers – this is a metaphor), takes his patented brand of moaning and strumming to the Triple Door on Saturday night. You might well know him better from his former alter-ego, Smog; a couple of years back, he decided to make a change and start writing under his own name.

It hasn’t really changed his style all that much, however. Probably his greatest triumph is taking dark themes – wife beating, rape, depression, and making them sound catchy and light, as if The Modern Lovers were performing a Leadbelly set. With extra handclaps.

He’s touring to help promote the release of his new record, I Wish we were an Eagle, which is perhaps not the most accessible of his records (you might want to check out some of his older Smog stuff, such as Knock Knock), released in April of this year.

Tickets are $16 and are available through the Triple Door website; it doesn’t look as if it has sold out yet, but I wouldn’t wait around until it does.

As a little taster, here’s a video of one of his early songs, Cold Blooded Old Times. I hope you like it; if you enjoy the show, tell us about it when you’re back!