Tapes on the Floor's Favorite Albums of 2011

In compiling my favorite albums this year, I tried to think back and include records that deserved to be heard in their entirety. It's been interesting to observe how the music business has slowly slipped back towards a single-driven mentality, precipitated by on-demand listening and fragmented purchasing options. Increasingly, there aren't a whole lot of reasons to put much thought into crafting a cohesive, long-playing listening experience. Which is why it's all the more impressive when a group is able to make their entire record mesh in the kind of way that almost forces you to take it all in at once. Assembled here are the albums of 2011 that pulled me in and didn't relinquish my attention until the conclusion of their running time.

Tapes on the Floor's Favorite Tracks of 2011 (Part II)

I hope you caught the first part of my favorite 40 tracks of 2011, because we're on to the second half of the list. If you'd like to listen along, check out my Spotify playlists which contain all but a few of the tracks from both the first and second parts of the list. Let's finish this off— here are the rest of the songs from the past year that caught my ear and didn't let go.

Live Review: Solid Sound Festival 2011

It's been wonderful watching Wilco break away from the music industry over the past few years, taking with them their seemingly ever-growing entourage of devoted followers. The group has come to a point in their career where the confines of record label are no longer a necessity, where the band no longer takes their music to people but rather brings their fans to them. Nowhere was this more evident than at the second iteration of the Solid Sound Festival--nestled in the somewhat remote town of North Adams, MA on the campus of the world class Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA). The facilities were transformed in a Wilco-mecca of sorts, finding concert posters and homemade instruments nestled next to work from luminaries such as Sol LeWitt and Katharina Grosse. And then there was the music——handpicked by the folks in Wilco and encompassing everything from garage rock to brass bands. But why stop there? With a comedy cabaret curated by John Hodgman, a falconry demonstration, a pop up record store and a menagerie of local vendors, there was no excuse not to fill every moment of the weekend. Not to mention two headlining sets from everyone's favorite convention-defying rock band. The perfect weekend for this diehard Wilco fanatic? Yup.

Wilco's "I Might" Cover Art is Doodle-icious

While I'm still not sure what to expect from Wilco's latest studio recording, at least we now know what its packaging will look like. Tri State Indie snagged the cover art for dBpm Records' inaugural release of Wilco's new single "I Might," backed by a cover of Nick Lowe's "I Love My Label." The 7" will be first be made available to fans attending the Solid Sound Festival in North Adams, MA later this month. If you can't make it out to Massachusetts, you can expect the single to hit the shelves of your local record store on July 19. The folks over at CD Universe already have the record available for pre-order.

I'll definitely be snagging a copy of the 7" at Solid Sound and as soon as I can find my way to a turntable, I'll be posting my impressions of the new tracks.

Oh, and I usually don't make a big fuss over cover art, but this is Wilco—they're the exception. 

UPDATE: The single is now available for pre-order from the Wilco Store, in regular (black) and blue varieties. Rough Trade has a silver version of the 7" available for pre-order. It's safe to say Solid Sound attendees will have access to some sort of exclusive color variant as well.

Solid Sound Plans Solidify

One of my biggest regrets of last summer was having neither the time nor the resources to make it out to Wilco's inaugural Solid Sound Festival. From what I heard and read, it was an incredible experience, gathering a slew of Wilco fans in the beautiful confines of MASS MoCA for three days of music and art. This year, the independently organized festival is happening almost two months earlier than it did last summer (June 24-26), which means I'll be in attendance for the first time.

Of course, the undeniable highlight of the weekend's festivities are the two sets that Wilco will play over the course of the weekend's first two evenings. I expect they'll be debuting material from their upcoming record in addition to their usual live offerings. Today the band confirmed via Facebook that they'll be releasing an exclusive 7" single at the festival via their newly formed dBpm Records, featuring a brand new Wilco tune entitled "I Might."

Once again, various Wilco side-projects will also be performing, including The Autumn Defense, Pronto, Pillow Wand and Glenn Kotche on solo drum kit. Other notable artists on the bill include the Levon Helm Band, Thurston Moore, Sic Alps, Here We Go Magic and the Handsome Family. There will also be a comedy stage curated by Daily Show correspondent John Hodgman featuring comedians Wyatt Cenac, Eugene Mirman and Morgan Murphy. Additionally, there will be workshops with members of the group and their cohorts as well as the return of the charity dunking booth, which gives you the chance to drench your favorite member of Wilco.

I'm beyond excited—it's going to the well-deserved end to an almost year-and-a-half drought of live Wilco. Fellow fans, I'll see you in Massachusetts!

Wilco Launch dBpm Records

In an interview with Express Night Out last summer, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline alluded to the band starting a label of their own once their contract with Nonesuch came to an end. Months later, it appears as if Cline's predictions have come to pass as the group today announced the formation of its own dBpm Records. Longtime Wilco manager Tony Margherita will run the label from its headquarters in Easthampton, MA, and distribution will be handled through ANTI- Records. The label will release future Wilco records and could conceivably act as a home for side-project releases from band members as well as friends and contemporaries.

"This is an idea we've discussed for years,” said Tweedy in a statement issued by the label. “We really like doing things ourselves, so having our own label feels pretty natural to me. And, to be working with ANTI- a label that has its roots in a label that was started by a punk rock guy to sell his own records seems like a perfect fit for us.”

Wilco is currently hard at work recording their next record at "The Loft" in Chicago and will be returning to MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA to curate and perform at the second edition of their Solid Sound Festival from June 24 - 26.

Chicago So Far

Just over a week into my summer stay here in Chicago and I've already seen some amazing live performances, eaten a boatload of good food, and done enough writing to (almost) make up for my neglect of this blog. I'm living in the Logan Square area, just steps away from the delicious Revolution Brewing and the intriguing Bucket O' Blood Books and Records. I really love the neighborhood, it's far enough removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown, but I can still see the skyline from my window.

My first weekend here, Akron/Family played a show directly down the street from my place as part of the Metronome Celebration street festival. It was a wet and rainy Chicago night, but it didn't seem to dampen the spirits of anyone in attendance. The band played a couple of older tunes, but mostly they used the one-off gig as an opportunity to road-test a number of new songs off their forthcoming record. It was a nice way of getting acclimated to my surroundings, and what's better than having to walk just a couple of blocks home after a show?

My first Monday in town started out with a pilgrimage to the legendary Chicago hot dog joint Hot Doug's, where I waited in line for just over half an hour for the privilege of ordering from Doug himself. And the hot dogs? Absolutely delicious; definitely the best Chicago-style hot dogs I've ever had. I got The Dog with all the fixin's as well as a gamey beef, pork, and garlic sausage called The Marty Allen and a heaping order of cheese fries. While in the area, I also walked by the metal-themed burger joint Kuma's Corner, which I also plan on visiting sometime in the near future.

Monday ended with a free show at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion, where I got to take in a sets from Toronto's Great Lake Swimmers as well as Afrobeat drumming legend Tony Allen. It was all part of the park's wonderful Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays series, which will be bringing acts like The Books and On Fillmore into the park in the coming weeks.

Tuesday was the start of my internship at Time Out Chicago, where I'm working in the web editorial department. My job involves writing stories and reviews for the Time Out Chicago blog, doing some light coding on the website, and attending events to photograph and review them. On my first day, I got to go out and conduct a short video interview with George Wendt, the actor who played Norm on Cheers. I also got to attend and review my first concert at the beautiful new Lincoln Hall. The headliner was Karen Elson, the wife of Jack White who recently released her debut record; you can read what I thought about her over on the TOC Blog.

My next assignment from Time Out was a dream come true; I got to photograph and review the Autumn Defense at their Lincoln Hall show. The first time I ever laid eyes on anyone from Wilco was during an Autumn Defense in-store at Used Kids Records prior to the 2005 Wilco show at Mershon Auditorium. These guys were my live introduction to all things Wilco, so it was oddly appropriate that they were the first show I got to provide full coverage on for Time Out. The show itself was excellent, they played some old favorites of mine as well as debuting some new material, but you can read more about it here. The biggest thrill so far has been seeing links to my review and photos pop up on the Autumn Defense's and Wilco's Facebook and Twitter feeds; it's an immensely gratifying gesture from a group of people I respect very much.

Friday night I went and photographed an awesome Milwaukee soul outfit call Kings Go Forth at Double Door in Wicker Park, the results of which can be viewed here. Yesterday I took a short jaunt over to the excellent new Saki Records for an in-store from Chicago's own Califone, then headed out to the south side of Chicago to see performances from Tinariwen and Mos Def as part of the Takin' it to the Streets festival in Marquette Park.

This evening I'm headed out to the Taste of Randolph Street festival to catch a reunited Superchunk. As you can likely guess, I'm really enjoying my time here in Chicago. I've already had some amazing opportunities, and I suspect that there are more on the horizon. I'm going to try to keep weekly updates to this blog coming, but if you want to follow my work a little more closely just click over to my author page on the TOC Blog.

Wilco Eschew Summer Festivals, Start Their Own

On last night's webcast from Boston, Jeff Tweedy dropped the news that Wilco will be curating a three day festival at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in North Adams, MA. Dubbed the Solid Sound Festival, the event will take place August 13-15 and will feature performances by Wilco as well as all currently existing Wilco side projects. This means attendees will have a chance to see Glenn Kotche's On Fillmore, Pat Sansone and John Stirratt's Autumn Defense, Mikael Jorgensen's Pronto and the Nels Cline Singers, all over the course of three days. Additional Wilco-related events will include a guitar pedal exhibit created by guitarist Nels Cline and a drum clinic with Glenn Kotche. Essentially, if you're a Wilco fan, this is where you'll want to be come August.

And as if the veritable cornucopia of Wilco-related events wasn't enough, more bands will be added to the lineup as the date draws nearer. I expect that groups chosen will be those with a connection to Wilco, maybe former tour-mates, collaborators, etc. There will also be a comedy stage (Ferecito?), a concert poster screen printing demo, and the entirety of MASS MoCA's facilities to keep you occupied. Pre-sale tickets go on sale Friday, April 9 via WilcoWorld, and for more information on the actual festival, check out MASS MoCA.

Wilco (the beer)

Earlier this week we were alerted to the existence of the Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company, a Wilco-themed eatery in Toronto. Well, now Wilco is also serving as the namesake and inspiration of a microbrew from the California-based Lagunitas Brewing Co. called Wilco Tango Foxtrot. The blog Ünnecessary Ümlat has tasted the new beverage and describes it as a "big ass, malty sweet... Brown Ale". Sounds delicious.

Reminds me of a song: "You're gonna make me spill my (Wilco) beer/ If you don't learn how to steer."

Tapes on the Floor's Favorite Albums of 2009

I finally got around to this, a few weeks later than I would have liked, but this year I really needed the extra time to pick my favorites. As I mentioned before, this is the first year I've ever had to set a limit for myself while writing my favorite albums list. I'm not sure if this speaks to the overall quality of 2009 releases or my inability to pick favorites, but I knew I had to narrow things down some. The albums on this list are records that I became attached to almost immediately, and that have stayed in heavy rotation far past their initial release. I narrowed it down to 10, and they're presented here alphabetically by artist:

Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free - Akron/Family
While I've certainly enjoyed some of their work with Angles of Light, I can't say that I've ever been a huge fan of Akron/Family. All that changed the moment I put on this record and heard the opening strains of "Everyone is Guilty". This record takes all the psych-folk leanings of their previous work, pumps up the volume and puts it in a pretty rock n' roll package. That's not to say that the group's more nuanced, finger-picked acoustic tunes are left by the wayside, quite the opposite in fact. There are enough sing-a-longs here to make you feel as if you're sitting around a campfire with the band, more participant than listener. It's a feeling best summed up in the lyrics of the song "River": 'You and I and a flame make three'.

Keep It Hid - Dan Auerbach
Who knows what possessed Auerbach to take these particular songs and strike out on his own, but the resulting album was well worth the trouble. It's not that these songs couldn't have been perfectly good Black Keys tracks, it's just that the end result is a bit different sounding than usual. And therein lies this album's charm, from the soft strains of the acoustic album opener "Trouble Weighs a Ton" to the the southern rock swing of "My Last Mistake". All of this is anchored by Auerbach's most important instrument: his voice, which still sounds like its pulled straight off of some old blues record. Something tells me this won't be his last solo outing, but we probably won't see another for a few years. Fine with me, I'm still enjoying this one for all it's worth.

Embryonic - Flaming Lips
After two back to back career-defining albums, the Lips' 2006 record At War With the Mystics was a bit of a letdown. Thankfully, I think Wayne and the rest of the guys felt the same way, which is how, in 2009, we ended up with one the group's weirdest albums in years. It sounds thrown together in the best sense, an album that isn't overly produced or planned out, like we're listening to the band in the studio making their own completely unfiltered brand of rock and roll. Sonically, there are some amazing moments on this album, from the pulsing krautrock of "Convinced of the Hex" to the swirling distorted groans of "Worm Mountain". It's a record that has a very definite sound to it, one that successfully combines just about everything this band is really great at doing. And, if the title is to be believed, this is only the beginning of the Flaming Lips' rebirth.

Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear
Nevermind that small Massachusetts island, to me the name Veckatimest will forever be synonymous with the sound of a band that sounds completely comfortable in their own skin. Grizzly Bear embraced every characteristic that makes them unique and crafted an album that is blatantly unapologetic. The pop sensibility demonstrated on this record is staggering; these are songs in which every note is carefully placed for maximum impact. First, there's the unrequited longing of "Two Weeks", set against a bouncing, jovial keyboard melody. Then, the outright confessions of "Ready Able" riding atop swirling guitars and minimalist rhythm. And finally, the sweeping crescendos of "While You Wait for the Others", the centerpiece of a record overflowing with noteworthy moments.

The Visitor - Jim O'Rourke
Eight years after his last Drag City release, O'Rourke finally saw fit to bless us with another record. The Visitor consists of a single, 38-minute instrumental track, meticulously arranged and performed exclusively by O'Rourke. It's admittedly a challenging record to listen to, as it's best experienced in one rather long sitting. But if you're an O'Rourke nerd like myself, it's one of the most rewarding listening experiences you can have. It's a veritable symphony, replete with shifting movements which build, repeat, and evolve throughout the course of the track. O'Rourke's inclusion of small nods to his prior work is the icing on an already sumptuous cake. The Visitor is O'Rourke at his best; an extremely enjoyable ride through the mind of a man who is nothing short of a musical genius.

Let's Build a Roof - LAKE
For a group that started off as a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, LAKE sure have come into their own. Let's Build a Roof is collection of succinct pop rock songs, all constructed around the theme of forging ahead and creating something beautiful. It's a fitting message for an album that truly seems to embody the ethos it imparts. Towards the beginning of the record a track called "Madagascar" acts as the manifestation of reluctance, with it's echoing refrain of 'I wanna give up'. By the album's conclusion, an extremely catchy rhodes and saxophone driven number called "Don't Give Up" provides the juxtaposition to that prior sentiment. A rotating cast of male and female singers lend further contrast, all atop spotlessly clean production work care of K-Records mainstay Karl Blau. LAKE takes songs that could easily come off as coy or disingenuous and adds the feeling needed to make them truly inspirational.

The Eternal - Sonic Youth
In my mind, Rather Ripped was Sonic Youth's version of the straight ahead rock record, whereas The Eternal finds the band sounding more like themselves than they have in quite some time. Guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo continue to mature, finding new ways to make noise part of their songs, not the foundation upon which they are built. Kim Gordon is in particularly fine form here, providing the lead vocals on two of the album's more upbeat tracks, "Sacred Trickster" and "Malibu Gas Station". Another highlight is "Poison Arrow", which is a good summation of what the band is currently capable of. Much like John Fahey's swirling cover art, this record is a blend of the band's sounds and textures from throughout the years. It doesn't exist to draw comparisons, but to show that Sonic Youth is just as formidable now as they always have been.

Beacons of Ancestorship - Tortoise
The forefathers of the Chicago post-rock scene return once again with a record that sounds quite different from anything they've previously done, yet still absolutely recognizable as a Tortoise album. The synth-heavy opening track "High Class Slim Came Floatin' In" provides a pretty good indication of the electronic tone this record takes. Keyboard blend into guitars which in turn blend into drum machines creating a dense sound-scape that quickly becomes something much different than the sum of its parts. Tracks like "Penumbra" and "Monument Six One Thousand" sometimes sound like sketches or pure experimentation, but fit within the context of this record. Tortoise is a group unafraid of trying something different, and on this record you can hear that joy of sonic discovery.

Tight Knit - Vetiver
Frontman Andy Cabic has a knack for writing songs that are quiet and understated, yet brimming with an emotional warmth and depth that's lacking in much of modern folk music. Tight Knit collects ten such songs, beautifully recorded and produced to bring out even more of that aforementioned warmth and depth. Whether it's the dual acoustic guitars of "Rolling Sea" or the clinking triangle of "Sister", every detail of these recordings is beautifully realized. On one of the album's more upbeat tracks entitled "Another Reason to Go", Cabic flirts with a sort of funk-folk hybrid complete with a horn section, and the amazing thing is that it works flawlessly. On Tight Knit, you can hear Vetiver springing to life in the studio, turning in one of the best records of the year from a band whose best work is likely yet to come.

Wilco (the album) - Wilco
The more I hear this record, the more I feel like it may be the quintessential Wilco album. Granted, it's not my favorite of their discography, but every time I listen to it, it creeps up that ladder a bit more. This is Wilco (the band) playing songs that are uniquely their own. I don't think anyone else could get away with writing a song about their band, but "Wilco (the song)" works as an ode to fans and a distillation of what this group is all about. There's a sense of adventure present here, manifesting itself in the unconventional arrangement of "Deeper Down" and the driving staccato stabs of "Bull Black Nova". There's also an encompassing familiarity, exemplified in the classic rock stomp of "You Never Know" and the alt-country twang of "I'll Fight". It's a record that sums up what Wilco is capable of while simultaneously exploring new sonic territory.

Live Review: Wilco @ Wexner Center

Going into my fifth Wilco show, I knew full well that it might not live up to some of the better experiences I've had seeing the group in the past. On the other hand, at this point seeing Wilco is like getting together with an old friend. I get to hear what's been going on as of late, and we do our fair share of reminiscing about the past. Seems like Wilco's been doing pretty well since we last crossed paths; they released a new album, took a trip to Europe, and did an awesome photo spread. In fact the thing that was most noticeable was what good spirits they were in, especially Jeff (just look at that smile). And what better venue for this reunion than Mershon Auditorium; the place I saw my first Wilco concert almost 5 years ago. It was a magical night to be sure, and one that left me anticipating my next impromptu meet-up with Wilco.

New Zealander Liam Finn and his friend Eliza Jane were the openers for the show, and continued the fine tradition of great groups Wilco has chosen to share the stage with. I wasn't extremely familiar with Liam's solo work, but I have really been enjoying the recent Champagne in Seashells EP he and Eliza Jane put out. Over the course of their set we got to hear some choice tracks off that record including "Plane Crash" and "Long Way To Go". However, the most notable aspect of their set in my mind is what a ball of energy Liam is on stage. The guy is one of those people who looks like he's having a ton of fun playing music, furiously attacking whatever instrument he picks up, be it guitar or drums. The chemistry between him and Eliza Jane was also really fun, especially their banter about the sexiness of their songs (Liam thinks they're all sexy, Eliza Jane thinks that Liam feels that everything is sexy). One of the highlights of their set was a totally improvised piece that alluded to the fact that they were playing in Columbus on Columbus Day. I think they won themselves some fans with that performance, and I certainly look forward to hearing more from this young duo in the future.

Accompanied by the opening strains of the Price is Right theme, Wilco took the stage at approximately 9:17, launching right into "Wilco (the song)". The set that followed included pretty much all the tracks I wanted to hear off the new record; a beautiful rendition of "One Wing", a mesmerizing version of "Bull Black Nova", "Deeper Down", "I'll Fight", and even the soft and pensive "Country Disappeared". Fleshing out the main set were choice cuts from the band's previous three albums, something that still draws complaints for some of the more die-hard fans. At this point, I've come to terms with the fact that I won't ever get to hear a ton of tunes from Being There or AM, that's what bootlegs are for. Personally, I really enjoyed the night's version of "At Least That's What You Said", especially Jeff's lead guitar work on the song. Another great moment was "You Are My Face", which is one of the quintessential live Wilco songs in my book, with its shifting tempos and moods. Partway through the main set, Glenn introduced the band with his electronic drum pad, triggering samples of a computerized voice going through the group's roster, ending with "Master of ceremonies, Jeff Tweedy". Liam Finn came back onstage to play "You Never Know" with the band, and drew comments from Jeff about how America had corrupted him and how potentially dangerous his Michael Jackson-esque jacket could be to his health. The main set ended with on of my favorite Ghost is Born tracks, "Theologians", and "I'm the Man Who Loves You" which was opened with some help from one of Glenn's new toys; a gigantic gong.

The encore set was a nice coda to the evening, working in a good mix of older and newer material. It started off with "Misunderstood", played for a little boy near the front who had been holding up a handwritten sign for a good part of the night. Liam Finn and Eliza Jane took the stage together again to join in on the perennial Mermaid Avenue favorite "California Stars". It hit me that last time I heard this song, the guy who penned the melody was still alive. I'm a little surprised, but kind of grateful that the band is still playing it. "Hate it Here" bled into "Walken" transitioning into "Monday" and before I knew it, we were down to the last two songs of the night. The band closed with the combo of a Nels and Pat solo-filled "Hoodoo Voodoo", a song I hadn't heard live before, and the always reliable "I'm A Wheel". It was an extremely fun evening with my friends Wilco, a testament not only to how much I still enjoy the music they make, but the experiences that music creates.

A Milestone & Fall Concerts Galore!

The article your about to read marks my hundredth post here at Tapes on the Floor, a feat that took me just a little over three years to achieve. This entire blog has grown in fits and spurts, taking long hiatuses and then resurfacing without warning. To me, it's a tangible document of the part that music, film, etc. has played in my life over the past three years. I hope you, the reader, has been able to take away something from it as well. Now that we've marked the occasion, let's get to the good stuff...

The past few weeks have come with a deluge of concert announcements in the Central Ohio area that I'm very excited about. First and foremost was the not entirely unexpected revelation that Wilco would be making another stop at the Wexner Center in Columbus, playing the Mershon Auditorium on October 12 as part of their fall tour. The first time I ever saw Wilco was at the Mershon back in 2005 when the group stopped through in support of a ghost is born, so the venue itself holds a special significance to me. Needless to say, I'm very excited to hear some songs from the new album in a live setting. I'm also curious to see who they bring along as their opening act, Wilco has a knack for picking bands that make the ticket price seem like a bargain. As with all things Wilco, you'll certainly be hearing more about this one from me as the day of the show approaches!

Next up was the totally unexpected announcement that Yo La Tengo would be making a stop at Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, OH on September 24. For the uninformed, Nelsonville is just a 5 minute drive away from Athens where I currently attend school. Stuart's is, in fact, a beautiful old opera house that played host to the free Arcade Fire concerts I attended last year. Still, it's a little bit unbelievable that a band as legendary as Yo La Tengo will be coming within just a few miles of my adopted hometown to play a show. I really loved their performance at Pitchfork Fest last month, and I've really been digging what I've been hearing from their new record Popular Songs, so it stands to reason that I'm very psyched about this show. Should be an excellent night at the opera (house)...

While were on the subject of bands I've recently seen, Built to Spill, another of my Pitchfork Fest favorites, will be playing a show at the Newport on October 1. This sounds like the perfect kickoff to a weekend in Columbus, which is playing host to Mid-Ohio-Con on October 3 and 4. The group will hopefully be playing some tracks from their forthcoming record There Is No Enemy, due in stores sometime this October via Warner Bros.

Finally, rounding out my planned concert itinerary for this fall is an appearance by Dan Auerbach on November 5th at the Newport. Auerbach will be kicking off the next leg of his tour in support of his superb solo record Keep It Hid which was released earlier this year. This is a record that has really grown on me over the past few months, so I'm very excited to hear most of these tracks live. Joining Auerbach will be a pretty solid bill of supporting acts, including Jessica Lee Mayfield, who's latest album Auerbach produced, and Justin Townes Earl.

Don't think there's been this many groups I want to see coming through Columbus/Athens in quite some time. Central Ohio must be building a good reputation for live music, and rightfully so. I'll see some of you at the shows!

Live Review: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks @ PBR Fest

Usually my Fourth of July festivities consist of sitting around in a field with some friends, eating and talking late into the evening until the fireworks start bursting overhead. This year, my celebration of America's birthday was a little bit different, but equally as gratifying. I've been living in Madison, Wisconsin this summer and when I heard that there was only an hour's drive separating me from from a free Stephen Malkmus show in Milwaukee, I jumped at the chance to change up my Fourth of July routine.

I was joined on this particular outing by my great friend and fellow Wilco-fanatic Marilu, who was kind enough to lend me the photos you're looking at. Since we were in the area, we made a point of stopping by Mader's, the famous German restarant in Milwaukee which most recently served as the background for Wilco (the album)'s cover. After taking a few pictures (sans camel and cake, sadly), we headed into suburban Milwaukee to find a tiny stage on a small, residential side-street, right outside of a neighborhood bar called Burnhearts. Not the kind of place I expected to see Stephen Malkmus play at, but the atmosphere of the entire event was so laid-back and fun that it ended up being the perfect venue.

Since this was PBR Fest, we got to see quite a few bands before Malkmus and the Jicks took the stage. First up we caught the tail-end of Canadian folk-rockers Rock Plaza Central's set, although I'll be running into the group again later this month at Wicker Park Fest in Chicago. Next was the synth-driven pop-rock of Maritime, who seemed to be having a great time playing to a hometown crowd. The real suprise of the night for me was a group from Chicago called Maps and Atlases who provided a worthy opening performance for the Jicks. Their Don Caballero-esque arrangements and rapidfire finger-tapped riffs really won me over, and left me looking forward to possibly seeing them again this fall when they come through Columbus with Ra Ra Riot.

Let me preface this review of Stephen Malkmus' set by saying I've never been a huge fan of his solo work until I listened through Real Emotional Trash a few years back and it changed my mind about him and the Jicks. I have and always will be a pretty big Pavement fan, and to me Real Emotional Trash encapsulates everything Malkmus couldn't do with that group. I love how jammy and full of energy that album is, and that feeling really seemed as if it translated into the group's live performance as well. The band played almost everything I could have asked to hear off that aforementioned record, including "Dragonfly Pie", "Hopscotch Willie", "Cold Son" and "Elmo Delmo". Malkmus and the Jicks also took some time to reach into their back catalog, playing a few tunes I was familiar with such as "(Do Not Feed The) Oyster" and "Dark Wave". However, the real unique part of the evening took place after the setlist was finished and the remainder of the night became 'Malky's choice'. First up was a cover of the Rolling Stone's "Real Emotional Rescue", complete with some spot-on falsetto work care of Stephen. Next was a raucous rendition of the Kink's "All Day & All of the Night" which bled into the night's slowburning closing number; a cover of the Velvet Underground's "What Goes On". It's not every night that a great band like the Jicks decides to pull out a few impromptu covers, but it made the evening all the more special for everyone there. And I didn't miss out on fireworks entirely; we saw fireworks in the sky the entire drive back to Madison.

Review: Wilco (the album)

Today marks the official release of Wilco's newest disc, but as with their past two releases, I've been listening to it for 4 or 5 weeks now. However, unlike their previous two albums, I didn't really require that much time to come to my final judgment of this record. Wilco (the album) isn't a grower, it's the band's most accessible album to date, a sonic portrait of a band that seems very comfortable with the kind music they choose to make.

It's easy to look at this collection of mostly sub-four minute tracks and see Wilco (the album) as a throwback to the days of Summerteeth, when Tweedy's somewhat dark lyrics were balanced out by poppy arrangements. Supporting this assessment are a good amount of interesting lyrical choices, from the homicidal tale of "Bull Black Nova" to the apocalyptic lament of "Country Disappeared". However, one can also find throwbacks to the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot era in the densely layered and oftentimes noisy "Deeper Down". Pieces of the more artsy sound of A ghost is born crop up in the krautrock swagger of "Bull Black Nova". I'm reminded of the classic rock sounds of Sky Blue Sky by the jaunty upbeat "Sonny Feeling" and the all-out rocker "You Never Know". You can even hear hints of the more straight-ahead alt-country sound of Being There hidden somewhere between the pedal steel and acoustic guitar of "I'll Fight". Wilco (the album) draws from the group's entire history, combining these diseparate threads into something that is at once unified and divided, strange yet familiar.

Take the album's opening track "Wilco (the song)", a tongue-in-cheek, self-referential tune that shows a fun side of the band that hasn't been prominent in quite some time. Just take a look of that picture of Tweedy winking to the camera in the liner notes and you'll see what I mean. And what better way to flesh out a goofy ode to oneself than with some great droning guitar work care of Nels Cline? Also of note is "One Wing", which is one of the best straight-ahead pop songs Tweedy has penned in years. With its soaring choruses and interesting rhythms, it's the kind of song I've been wanting to hear from the group for a while. To me, these to songs sum up where Wilco is now, and perhaps where they're going. This is one of the most reassuring records I've listened to in a while. After many years of turnover there is finally a cohesive group at the center of this band; you can hear it. Wilco (the album) is the culmination of 15 years of music from a group that hasn't been afraid to change its tune, and one that will hopfully grace us with a few more records as great as this.

Jay Bennett R.I.P.

Last night brought the sad news that former Wilco member Jay Bennett had passed away in his sleep early Sunday morning. I think many Wilco fans have a complicated relationship with Bennett as both a person and a musician, thanks in no small part to his portrayal in the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. However, I think the outpouring of grief over at Via Chicago shows that most Wilco fans sincerely appreciate the contributions he made to the group's music and remember him as being a genuinely nice guy.

There's currently an effort underway to get his last completed record released on vinyl through donations by fans. I can't think of a more fitting way to commemorate Bennett and his work, I encourage you to check it out here. Here's hoping that someone sees fit to release the album he was working on shortly before his untimely death.

I never had the chance to see Bennett with Wilco, but to me he'll always be remembered as a person who made significant contributions to some of my favorite albums. From this point forward listening to Being There, Summerteeth, Mermaid Avenue or even Yankee Hotel Foxtrot will carry additional meaning for myself and thousands of Wilco fans. My thoughts and condolences go out to Bennett's family and friends, truly a great loss.

Wilco (the album) Cover Revealed

There you have it folks. This is what will be gracing the cover of the newest Wilco record; hitting record stores via Nonesuch on June 30. I really like the cover, it reminds me of those off-beat 70s album covers of old. Nice to see a group like Wilco not taking themselves so seriously (as well as supporting a Milwaukee institution; Mader's Restaurant). I expect the band to start streaming the new record on their website any day now...

Live Review: Wilco in Athens

I think it's telling that the prospect of going to a Wilco concert is still something that excites me to no end. Sure, you hear the same songs, but every time I've seen them there's been something that has made that particular experience unique. Back in 2005, I met most of the band before the show at Used Kids records in Columbus, Ohio; back then I was a 16-year old kid meeting rockstars. The year after that I saw Wilco in a festival setting at Tall Stacks in Cincinnatti, a much more communal experience to say the least. The following year I found myself back in Cincinnatti seeing the band at the Aronoff; one of the best sounding venues I've ever been in, and meeting the group again one by one after the show. My experience in my adopted hometown of Athens was an entirely different animal, and possibly the best Wilco-related experience I'll ever have.I made a trip to Memorial Auditorium early Friday to pick up my tickets for the show and ran into Nels Cline on the sidewalk outside the venue. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to put together an interview for my radio show since all those requests have to be approved by management (and Wilco's manager insisted that the band was far to busy to humor a lowly college radio student with an interview). Anyways, Nels was extremely helpful and pointed me in the direction of their tour manager, who gave me essentially the same schpeel. Feeling slightly forlorn, I got a call from my dad (he and my sister came to town to see the show) telling me that he had just run into Wilco bassist John Stirratt, who Jana spotted, with whom he apparent hit it off with, so much so that John put us on the guest list for the show's afterparty. I was ecstatic to say the least, and very impressed with my dear old dad.
I made it to the show about halfway through A Hawk and A Handsaw's opening set. After getting to see Low open for Wilco, I think I'm a little spoiled as far as quality opening acts go. A Hawk and A Handsaw were interesting, but not the kind of group that I'd normally peg as a rock concert opener. It was enjoyable enough, but it was obvious that the crowd was fairly eager to get to the night's main attraction. Wilco took the stage and launched into "Hell is Chrome"; certainly one of my favorite songs thanks to it piano-centric nature and also just a great sounding live tune. They also got around to playing "You Are My Face" fairly quickly; one of my favorite songs on Sky Blue Sky and one that I hadn't seen them play live. It was fairly obvious (at least from where I was sitting) that the venue wasn't the best sounding place in the world, there were times where you could hear things bouncing around, but the group really took it in stride. Nels was particularly on top of things, with his solo during "Side with the Seeds" being a highlight of the show. Another great surprise was the A.M. track "Shouldn't Be Ashamed"; those old songs sound so great with this lineup of the band. Tweedy kept fairly quiet during the show, although he did pander to the crowd by replacing the word 'Peking' in "Kingpin" with 'Athens', and told us a story about almost getting hit by a golfball while walking around campus. The night was fairly by-the-book as far as Wilco shows go, but as it was my first time seeing the group in over year, I didn't really mind.
Directly following the show, we made our way out back and after Jana and my sister exchanged some words with security, managed to obtain our passes and go backstage. The only other time I'd been backstage after a show was after a Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche solo show at the Wexner Center a few years back, but this was certainly a different experience. Everyone from the band except Jeff was in attendance, and there were maybe 10 or 15 other attendees. John welcomed us in, offering us drinks and thanking us for showing up. We struck up a conversation with Nels, and he told us about some of his upcoming projects, such as a soundtrack to an artbook by Ed Ruscha and the next Scott Amendola Band album (which IS still on it's way, although probably not until next year). For being such a great guitarist, Nels is a very humble guy; he expressed how grateful he was to have a well-paying gig like Wilco that allowed him to work on much smaller, less lucrative projects. Next, we talked briefly with keyboardist Mikael Jorgenson, who was glad to hear that his group Pronto's debut record All is Golden was getting some spins on WOUB.

Finally we got to Glenn, a guy who I was really looking forward to asking some questions to, my first one being; What have you heard from Jim O'Rourke about his new album? To my surprise, Glenn said that it was finished, and that he actually had a copy of it, and that it was just as amazing as his previous work. He said that Jim played every instrument on it himself; but being the perfectionist that he is, is still tinkering with it. Glenn also revealed that he and his family had flown out to Japan to visit Jim recently, and that while there he laid down some drum tracks for an entirely different project that Jim is working on. Glenn made it no secret that, like me, he has a huge respect for O'Rourke, going as far as to say that he is the only person he has ever met who he truly considers to be a musical genius. I told Glenn to send my regards to Jim, and to urge him to release an album sometime soon. With that, we took a few more pictures and made our exit, making certain to thank John one more time for his gracious invitation. I don't know if I'll ever top this Wilco experience (maybe Jeff Tweedy taking me out for dinner at Chili's?), but damn, my 16-year old self would be so jealous of me right now.

Ashes of American Flags Screening

Today I'm very proud to announce that I've been able to line up an advance screening of Wilco's new live DVD Ashes of American Flags here in Athens. Arts/WEST has been gracious enough to offer up their facilities as the venue for the event, which they will present in conjunction with the folks at WOUB 1340 AM, Haffa's Records, and the Aquabear Legion. The screening will take place at 7:30 PM on April 16, the night before Wilco comes to play at Memorial Auditorium. Space is going to be fairly limited; I think the crowd will be capped at around 200 people, so show up early for prime seating. Did I mention that this is a FREE event? Start looking out for posters around town next week; in the meantime, check out the trailer for the movie:



UPDATE: EW has a clip of "Side With the Seeds", looks beautiful as expected.

Grizzly Bear Softly Roars, Wilco Resumes Podcast

Ever since seeing the group live at last year's MusicNow festival in Cincinnati, I've really taken an immense liking to Grizzly Bear, especially their sophomore album Yellow House. So far I've resisted downloading the leaked version of their newest release Veckatimest, since I'd much rather experience it in its full sonic glory. However, when EW.com posted a high quality streaming version of the track "Cheerleader" today, I couldn't resist taking a listen. The studio version trumps the live bootleg of the song I've heard; the band wisely sticks with a pretty simple arrangement with some really nice sounding embellishments. If this is an indication of the overall direction the record takes, I'm more than satisfied. I could totally see the release date for this album getting pushed up from its original May 26 street date, a la the recent Yeah Yeah Yeahs debacle. But hey, I'm willing to wait...

UPDATE: Stereogum has a 192kbps MP3 of "Cheerleader" for your listening pleasure.

Wilco recently released the latest edition of their long dormant podcast, featuring the band's keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen in the guest DJ position. It's worth a listen just to hear some of Jorgensen's as of yet unreleased instrumental pieces which really remind me of other keyboard-centric looping artists such as Dosh and Rebelski. Also included in the track listing are two songs from the forthcoming Pronto album, a band which features Jorgensen and a collective of other Chicago-based musicians. Hopefully this bodes well for a few more podcasts from the band in the near future, so far they've all been really great listens. You can download the latest edition here.