Name: Transit Byzantium
Brand: Bill Fox

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

SCAT78CD

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2021-01-22

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Revol­ver

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

753417007826

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Total Cap

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Bill Fox

Genre US

Rock-Pop

Label US

Scat Records

Bill Fox is a Cleveland musician who fronted the garage pop band The Mice and released 2 solo albums before abruptly leaving the music industry in 1998. He semi-reluctantly returned to music in 2007 and released a third solo album in 2012.
With his unique blend of garage pop, folk rock, and lo-fi aesthetics, *Bill Fox* has carved out a distinctive place in the indie music scene. As the frontman of The Mice, he gained recognition for his catchy melodies and raw energy. After venturing into a solo career, Fox showcased his songwriting prowess through introspective lyrics and heartfelt performances.
Inspired by artists like Tobin Sprout, Franklin Bruno, and Robert Pollard, *Bill Fox* has influenced numerous musicians with his distinct sound. His music captures both vulnerability and resilience, resonating with listeners on an emotional level. Whether it's the infectious hooks or poignant storytelling, Fox's songs have an enduring quality that keeps fans coming back for more.

These newly remastered editions of Bill Fox’s second album are the first since its 1998 release, including the first-ever vinyl pressing. Listeners will hear a wider soundstage, more detail, and improved listenability. Recorded on 4-track cassette, the fidelity belies the sophistication and nuance of the songwriting. This adept remaster by John Golden Sr helps bring definition to the intimate, at-home feel of the album. It sparkles. 

Very similar in feel and quality to Fox’s debut album, much of Transit Byzantium draws from the same group of recordings. It has the same feel of musical inevitability, that the songs exist beyond time itself, their eventual manifestation guaranteed by Apollo. He could’ve given them to the Everly Brothers, or the Byrds, or the Who, but instead they were channeled through an everyman from Cleveland with an aversion to the limelight. And while a traditional folk influence colors several songs, even those possess the indelible stamp of Fox’s charismatic voice and personality. Although nearly entirely acoustic and with minimal percussion, these eighteen songs cycle through a remarkable variety of textures and moods. While much has quite rightly been written about the god-tier songwriting here (“Song of a Drunken Nightingale,” “My Baby Crying,” “I’ll Give It Away” for starters), it should also be noted that this is a guitar player’s record, though more in terms of conception than flash. Lines of harmony and counterpoint wander between parts, sublime in their invention though sometimes crudely documented.

Transit Byzantium

Music US

Buy Bill Fox - Transit Byzantium (Vinyl, CD) now from Rough Trade - independent purveyors of great music, since 1976.