Bass Drum beats a new southern sound

Oxford, Miss. — a state school town where the legacies of William Faulkner and frats entwine like kudzu — has long been recognized as an artistic outpost in the Deep South. It features a local music scene currently championed by the likes of indie blues label Fat Possum and Cats Purring, an eclectic pop collective headed up by artist Dent May.

A beneficiary of both groups is John Barrett, who records perilously raw, stripped-back garage rock under the name Bass Drum of Death. Barrett released his debut on Fat Possum, and lived for a time at the Cats Purring Dude Ranch, the rambling Oxford residence maintained by May.

amNY spoke with Barrett, who is touring behind his band’s striking, self-titled sophomore release.