From Durham, North Carolina, Bombadil (Bryan, Daniel and James) create soundscapes mirroring their location, combining crisp production with organic sounds to make for some truly unique music.
On their latest effort, Tarpits and Canyonlands, which drops July 7, Bombadil diversifies their sound so that each track contains different elements of arrangements, instruments (strings, horns, keys, etc.), and what have you (even vocals!), while still managing to keep the sound their own. Bombadil create their own world of “folk” music – the lush harmonies and instrumentation, along with a rhythmic structure that changes in places you least expect, keep Bombadil on the cutting edge of today’s indie music. And while I haven’t been to one of their live shows myself, I’ve heard they’re outstanding (thanks Matthew), which only adds to their allure. From their MySpace:
“My favorite part of a song,” someone said, “is when everything changes.” Bombadil swears Elliott Smith made that statement in an interview in 2001. Though they have failed to produce any such interview, the band has nonetheless lived by these words for years; reveling in the unexpected, the improbable, and the serendipitous.
Here are three of my favorite tracks, all very different, from Tarpits and Canyonlands. Be sure to pre-order the album below if you like what you hear. We’ll keep you posted on upcoming tour dates. For those in NYC, they’ll be playing the City Winery, July 6. Update (5/31): Just got word from the Bombadil folks that due to an unfortunate bout of events, they will be canceling all shows for the foreseeable future. We are of course saddened by this news, but wish them the best in their future endeavors. Expect an official announcement from them tomorrow. Update (6/1): Official announcement.
Bombadil – “Honeymoon” [MP3] (new!)
Bombadil – “Oto the Bear” [MP3] (new!)
Bombadil – “Pyramid” [MP3] (new!)
Comments are closed | 
