The Banks of the Ohio — Part One
“By her lily white hand (Banks of the Ohio),” by Julyan Davis, 2012 Take a little walk with me… “(Down by the) Banks of the Ohio” is a favorite murder ballad for many. It is not one of mine. I … Continue reading →
Ken Bigger
Ken Bigger is a writer based in the Midwest. He co-founded Murder Ballad Monday in 2012.
Louise
It was written on the walls and windowshades Mark Erelli and Jeffrey Foucault‘s album Seven Curses leads my list of favorite murder ballad albums. It’s not terribly traditional. Oddly enough, it’s not even especially grim. Erelli and Foucault’s selections are primarily … Continue reading →
Like a Glove: An Ellen Greene Playlist
Karen Elson (stay tuned to the end of this post for a great Karen Elson murder ballad) Ellen Greene At the end of my interview last week with Chicago-based visual artist, Ellen Greene, I asked her for some of her … Continue reading →
Interlude: Ellen Greene
Ellen Greene An “Interlude” post, in our use, is not necessarily a connection between one piece of music and another, but an exploration of artistic work with close thematic engagement with murder ballads. It’s a step outside our “song of … Continue reading →
Caleb Meyer’s Ghost
Jason Tyler Burton Interview with the artist below. This post follows two others on the song “Caleb Meyer,” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Read the first here and the second here. The artist interview below will refer back to … Continue reading →
Don’t You Call My Name — Caleb Meyer, pt. 2
Jaywalkers This is the second post on the Gillian Welch and David Rawlings song “Caleb Meyer.” Read the first post here. In the last post, we heard how Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings’s “Caleb Meyer” successfully embraces trappings of Southern … Continue reading →
Caleb Meyer
“Caleb Meyer,” by Julyan Davis (2014) (click link to see more of Davis’s work inspired by murder ballads) Cautionary Tales YouTube provides a plethora of amateur, semi-pro, and professional performances of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings‘s song “Caleb Meyer.” For … Continue reading →
Shot through the Heart – Poor Ellen Smith, pt. 3
Frank Fairfield This is the third of three posts on the North Carolina murder ballad “Poor Ellen Smith.” Read the first here and the second here. One of the implicit questions in the previous two posts is whether the real … Continue reading →
Mining a Mystery–Poor Ellen Smith, pt. 2
Aoife O’Donovan This is the second in a series of posts on “Poor Ellen Smith.” Read the first one here. Our posts here at Murder Ballad Monday are just a few small additions to the numerous reviews, ruminations on, and … Continue reading →
Poor Ellen Smith
Neko Case Ellen Smith was shot through the heart in July of 1892. Peter DeGraff had been romantically involved with Smith. He stood trial for her murder, was convicted, and was executed for it thirteen months after Smith’s death. At … Continue reading →