John Barrett's Bass Drum of Death

By Julia Reidy

Photo by Joey Miller

The name is dramatic, but then, so is the sheer noise level produced by this lone college student. He does it all by himself - the singing, the guitar, the kick drum. It's staggering, really, what John Barrett has done in the growing music Mecca of Oxford, Miss., a scene he says is "definitely getting a hell of a lot better." But while John Barrett's Bass Drum of Death is a solo act, Barrett himself is far from alone.

The smallish Southern city plays host to the recently very successful Colour Revolt (signed to Oxford flagship label Fat Possum Records), as well as the rising star of one of Barrett's best friends, Dent May of the talented-albeit-eccentric act Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. Barrett plays guitar in May's band and drums in another Oxford group called The Sleepwalkers. Surrounded by such creative energy, Barrett can do nothing but benefit.

"The Colour Revolt dudes are all good friends of mine," he says. "I've been able to talk to them about a lot of stuff because they've been doing it for like five, six, seven years now. It's good to have people like that - it's good just being in Oxford right now."

Crowds at local shows have increased recently, he relates, an omen that things are moving in the right direction.

In recording sessions, Barrett chooses his own trajectory, harmonizing with himself because no one else is around. He digitally released his first EP, Turbo Lo, one track at a time in December and January. It's a thudding, low-fi, fuzzy mash up of The White Stripes, Johnny Cash, blues and surf music, with the sounds of snare, toms and even bass guitar conspicuously absent, replaced instead with liberal amounts of tambourine, handclaps and, of course, the ever-present Bass Drum of Death. Barrett justifies his aesthetic decisions, saying he couldn't realistically have made any other choice.

"Like it is now, I don't understand why anyone would be going toward this ultra-clean studio sound," he says, "when you could be trying to make your records sound like Sticky Fingers or something."

He and his friends seem to understand each other's aesthetics, lending their talents to reciprocal projects and developing a homegrown label through which they release their creative output. Barrett and Dent May started Cats Purring with another friend, Steven Bevilaqua, aiming to put out their own material and the music of all their sister projects. They're starting small as they raise funds and build contacts, putting out digital singles and EPs, as well as the occasional cassette tape, CD-R and, hopefully, vinyl pressing.

Despite all the surrounding support and collaborations, John Barrett is still known as a one-man show. The solo act wasn't premeditated.

"It was basically out of necessity," Barrett explains. With a week and a half left before his first unexpectedly scheduled solo show about a year ago, Barrett was still searching for what he could perform. When his already tapping foot encountered a bass drum, however, the rest, as they say, is history.

In March, Barrett and May embarked with their bands upon what he hopes will be the first of many regional tours this year, affectionately called "Cats Purring Spring Break 2k8." Live, Barrett accepts assistance with his sound, bringing a friend along to play tambourine and handing out shakers and other hand percussion to audience members. It's unrehearsed, but allows him to recreate the layered effect he produced on his EP.

After that, he hopes to take his worn out leg, right arm and vocal cords to the studio this fall to begin work on his first full-length.

"Right now I'm doing some writing and everything, just sort of saving up songs," Barrett says. "Our main focus is just to get people around town to come to shows; we've been doing it that way for a while. And when there's some interest, to put out another record."

But people are interested in the Bass Drum of Death. With everyone flocking toward his music, John Barrett won't be solitary for long.

www.myspace.com/johnbarrettmusic