Austin-based guitarist and singer Bill Kirchen has released a two-CD retrospective titled The Proper Years, a collection that synthesizes decades of musical output ranging from rockabilly to psychedelic folk rock. The release, which includes a vinyl best-of version titled Waxworks, highlights the versatile career of the artist known for his signature 'dieselbilly' sound.
A Career Spanning Five Decades
The Proper Years combines Kirchen's previous albums with additional material to provide a comprehensive look at his professional journey. The collection brings together his three Proper Records releases—including 2013's Seeds and Stems—along with three bonus tracks from his 2016 project, Transatlantica, which he recorded with pub-rock progenitor Austin de Lone. A vinyl version titled Waxworks serves as a best-of compilation of the full collection.
Kirchen, a veteran with a career spanning over 50 years, has been a central figure in several musical movements. He was a member of the original 'hippie country band' Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, a group whose 1974 album, Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas, was named one of Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of All Time. His work has helped define genres including Americana, outlaw country, and the Bakersfield Sound.
The Dieselbilly Sound
Kirchen's musical style, which he has dubbed 'dieselbilly,' reflects a fusion of country's truck-driving song subgenre with various other influences. His versatility allows him to move seamlessly between rockabilly, western swing, honky-tonk, jump blues, jazz, boogie-woogie, and psychedelic folk rock. This range was evident during his time with the band Seventh Seal, which he formed while attending the University of Michigan.
His technical skill has earned him significant industry recognition, including a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance. He has been described by Guitar Player Magazine as a "Titan of the Telecaster." His preferred instrument is a Telecaster-modeled guitar crafted by Rick Kelly of Carmine Street Guitars, constructed from 200-year-old pine floorboards recycled from the loft of film director Jim Jarmusch.
Collaborations with Music Legends
Throughout his career, Kirchen has collaborated with a wide array of musical luminaries. His connections include Nick Lowe, who produced an album for Kirchen's post-Airmen band, the Moonlighters, and Elvis Costello, who recruited Kirchen for high-profile performances such as the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Costello even named his festival band after Kirchen's album, Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods.
Other notable collaborators mentioned in his work include Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks, and Paul Carrack. Kirchen's collaborative approach is marked by a specific set of criteria; in his liner notes, he noted that his preferred collaborators were individuals he had already played with on stage or on record, and who were "not dead yet."
Deep Musical Connections
The history of Kirchen's professional connections is deeply intertwined with the work of Austin de Lone. De Lone, a Philadelphia-born keyboardist, moved to England in 1970 and helped germinate the pub rock movement. De Lone met Kirchen in California in 1972 and later joined the Moonlighters, eventually introducing Kirchen to Nick Lowe.
This network of musicians has provided a unique support system for Kirchen's career. He has noted the rare advantage of working with Proper Records, where the label owner, Malcolm Mills, supports his recorded output and his touring band. Kirchen remarked on the unique arrangement where the record company owner plays drums and the producer plays bass while touring with him.
Foundations of a Musician
Kirchen's musical evolution was significantly influenced by his experiences at the Newport Folk Festivals in 1964 and 1965. As a high school student searching for Mississippi John Hurt, he witnessed Bob Dylan going electric, an event he said changed his understanding of his future musical direction.
Despite the intensity of his performances, Kirchen's music is noted for a balance of high-octane energy and deft understatement. He credits this sensibility to his upbringing, influenced by the symphonies and Broadway musicals his parents loved, as well as his early training as a school-band trombonist.
Wit and Heart in Songwriting
The artist's songwriting often balances humor with emotional depth. While he is known for a "gleefully subversive" wit and double entendres, he also frequently sets poignant or heartbreaking lyrics to jaunty melodies. Some of these emotive tracks, such as "Tell Me the Reason" and "Get a Little Goner," were co-written by his wife, Louise.
While some collaborators have passed away, including Norton Buffalo and Dan Hicks, Kirchen continues to perform and record with a rotating cast of long-time peers, maintaining a career defined by both finesse and a commitment to the traditions of folk and country music.
