When The Scarring Party released "A Concise Introduction" in 2006, Milwaukee audiences, music lovers and media members paid attention. Perhaps it was the band's neo approach to Depression-era ditties that cast a new light on what folk music might be. It also could have been the carefully-selected period costumes each member dons on stage, pieces of which peek out behind agile accordion, lumbering tuba, bantering banjo, vibraphone, trumpet or mandolin.

Two years on, a freshly reorganized Scarring Party is offering another return to ragtime with a record so evolved from "Introduction," vocalist / accordion / guitar player Daniel Bullock compares the former to the embarrassment incurred from a massive exploitation of one's baby photos.

"That's not the most flattering picture ... and doesn't really represent the band now," he says.

The new album, "Come Away From The Light," still finds the quartet integrating vaudeville-inspired vignettes with themed theatrical performances, yet it possesses a newfound polish that accompanies the stylized storytelling.

We caught up with Bullock -- who recently collaborated on an OnMilwaukee.com / WMSE local music podcast -- as he and the band prepare to unveil the fruits of their labor at Turner Hall Ballroom this Saturday, March 15.

Bullock talks about the promising new lineup, his awkward interaction with Daniel Johnston and reveals why his microphone is one of his most valued instruments and the vital role it plays in achieving the band's signature "end-timey" sound. And yes, he also explains what that means, exactly.

OnMilwaukee.com: You're having a pretty exciting year so far. Last month you opened a huge Daniel Johnson show and this weekend you're back at Turner Hall for the highly-anticipated release of "Come Away From the Light." Did you get a chance to chat with Johnston at all?

Daniel Bullock: We've had a very strong start. Last year was relatively reclusive -- we spent the time writing and paying for the record. Daniel (Johnston) isn't really the type to chat. When I introduced myself, he just said, "Nice to meet ya" and took a bite of an enormous sandwich while waiting for another sandwich to arrive. It was a remarkable opportunity to play with a songwriter whose work we really admired, even if he wasn't much for small talk.

OMC: You've made a couple of lineup changes in the past year. How has welcoming William and Chris into the family affected the dynamic?

DB: It's incredibly positive. They're both remarkably natural musicians. Both have really made our performances much more consistent. I've been really pleased with the new material we've rehearsed with them. It's refreshing to have players you can lean on really hard in arrangements.

OMC: Tell me about the evolution from writing "A Concise Introduction" to "Come Away From the Light." The new songs sound so much fuller, complex; is that what you were hoping to achieve?

DB: Definitely. It felt like after learning the strength of the players, it was easier to write to everyone's strengths. It didn't hurt that many of us were pushing to challenge ourselves. I'm more inclined to write myself parts that I can't play, and trudge through it over and over until I can. The arrangements were much more intricate. For the first time, I was writing everything on paper and balancing the woodwinds and tuba instead of merely syncopating them off of one another.

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Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by DCAR on March 13, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. (report)

Heard 'em on MSE today...sounded like silent movie music...not bad.

Posted by littletinyfish on March 13, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. (report)

I love these guys. They always know how to put on a fantastic show. Since it's their CD Release, I'd anticipate them being in top form which is genuinely exciting.