[narlus]

so i missed all the live shows since Nels Cline has joined, and i finally got around listening to the recently released _Kicking Television_ live set (SS, did you provide inspiration for that title?).

damn. a transformed band. it rips like a mofo.

 

[bluebug32]

so i missed all the live shows since Nels Cline has joined, and i finally got around listening to the recently released _Kicking Television_ live set (SS, did you provide inspiration for that title?).

damn. a transformed band. it rips like a mofo.

I saw them live and wasn't that impressed. They're heading in a weird direction

 

[sam_little]

Fvck yes. Guitar rock glory at its greatest. I am a HUGE fan of Ghost is Born, and Kicking Television shows a real transformation of some of those songs. The guitar just sends a shiver straight down my spine, especially the breakdown on "hell is chrome."

I have missed the boat on every Oregon Wilco show to date, which sucks, but I'm hoping to at least see Tweedy solo in Portland.

 

[narlus]

change of direction is ok. i think neil young put it best:

'Heart of Gold' put me in the middle of the road. Traveling there soon became a bore so I headed for the ditch.

 

[Westy]

I know the radio station I listen to plays Wilco but I have no idea which of the songs they play is Wilco.

 

[sam_little]

I saw them live and wasn't that impressed. They're heading in a weird direction

Yep... beating Jay Farrar's influence off one broken string and needle drug at a time. The old stuff is still great, but these guys are blending so many genres effectively. I love it.

 

[narlus]

son volt's 1st lp _Trace_ was really good, but the next few things haven't been that good. however, i did see a recent live show on some cable show last saturday where the band was rocking. sounded pretty good.

 

[dan-o]

I need to get the new CD but Wilco is one of my favorite bands. I can't count the times I saw UT/Wilco/Tweedy play while living in Chicago. They lose me from time to time but for the most part they tear it up.

 

[sam_little]

Have you heard Son Volt's Okemah yet? It is a pretty solid album for most the way through. Definitely "Farrar's band", but good. There is some sappy piano stuff at the end that I'm not a huge fan of; Jay's voice isn't flattered by the lack of distorted guitar.

But, the songs that do rip do so pretty well. I think the new manifestation of Son Volt has already gone through two guitarists, if that says anything about the likely longevity of the band this time around

That old time Tupelo feel is well covered by lots of bands these days. No reason for Wilco to stick to that AT ALL; Jay Farrar should take note as well.

 

[dan-o]

son volt's 1st lp _Trace_ was really good, but the next few things haven't been that good. however, i did see a recent live show on some cable show last saturday where the band was rocking. sounded pretty good.

I tried so hard to like Son Volt beyond Trace but have come to the conclusion that Jay can't progress. I saw the cable concert a while back too but that band has disappointed me too many times for me to care anymore.

 

[narlus]

I need to get the new CD but Wilco is one of my favorite bands. I can't count the times I saw UT/Wilco/Tweedy play while living in Chicago. They lose me from time to time but for the most part they tear it up.

damn...i would have loved to have seen UT....i caught that bandwagon after they broke up, sadly (i bought that single that had "i wanna destroy you" because i was a soft boys fan, and never bothered to get any of their full-length releases)...

chicago should have also afforded you the opportunity to see these guys quite a bit:

always a great show.

 

[dan-o]

Narlus- seeing how my best friend in Chicago shared your passion for music all I did was go to shows. Tweedy's wife owned a place called Lounge Ax (RIP thanks to gentrification) that had killer shows. Jeff did solo shows there every Wed.

Do you have a copy of UT_Not forever, just for now_, their final show? It was a 600 disc release. Let me know if you want a copy, the quality is good but the show was amazing.

 

[narlus]

Narlus- seeing how my best friend in Chicago shared your passion for music all I did was go to shows. Tweedy's wife owned a place called Lounge Ax (RIP thanks to gentrification) that had killer shows. Jeff did solo shows there every Wed.

Do you have a copy of UT_Not forever, just for now_, their final show? It was a 600 disc release. Let me know if you want a copy, the quality is good but the show was amazing.

hey Dan, i've got a fairly crappy mp3 set of that show, but would love a copy in higher fidelity. i'll shoot you a PM.

live shows rock.

too bad i live 40 minutes outside the city and have two young kids now.

 

[DNA]

I have seen Wilco twice recently. The first was fairly soon after A Ghost is Born came out and the show was incredible. The second time was an outside/street show to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a local club. That one was only really, really good. The acoustics were as good as you can expect for being open air. It was packed too, I'd guess about 3500 people on the streets.

Uncle Tupelo played here (Columbia, Missouri) all the time back in the day. They usually thanked Richard King and the Blue Note in liner notes (The Blue Note's other claim to fame was that Husker Du had their final blowout/breakup backstage there). The lines in Whiskey Bottle about "a three-hour away town" and "Liquor and guns the sign says quite plain" are about Columbia. The bummer about it? I never saw UT back then. Their music never really registered with me back when I could see them for $5 at a club with 150 people. I'm still kicking myself over that.

Since then, Sonvolt and Farrar still have a following, although it has fallen off a lot since Trace. Tweedy and Wilco are still Gods 'round these parts (they made a special effort to fit in the outdoor show). One of the assisstants in my office was pretty close to the stage. I'll check to see if she got any decent picks.

Edit: A good, newish alt-country/rock band is Moonlight Towers out of Austin, TX. I saw them by accident at a tiny, little club here in town a couple of months ago. They were pretty impressive.

 

[MMcG]

Hey Narlus wanna send me some tasty bits by Wilco, Sonvolt, and Uncle Tupelo too??

 

[narlus]

yeah i could do that...sounds like i should just burn a cdr rather than zipping and uploading all that stuff, but i may change my mind.

 

[jimmydean]

I thought this was going to be about farm and feed supplies...


www.wilco.com (I go to the one by my house all the time)

 

[narlus]

nor is it about Get Fuzzy's male character:

 

[MMcG]

yeah i could do that...sounds like i should just burn a cdr rather than zipping and uploading all that stuff, but i may change my mind.

If you burn some CDs, we'll have you down for a ride again, and I'll spring for post ride brews - how's that sound??

 

[bluebug32]

Ghost reminded me a lot of the way Radiohead veered when they tried to break from the mainstream.

I love solo Tweedy stuff and UT too. Son Volt never struck me.

Anyone seen I Am Trying to Break Your Heart I loved hearing the solo Tweedy in that

 

[narlus]

if you like UT, at least give _Trace_ a chance. "Drown", "Windfall" and "Catching On" would stand up fine on _Anodyne_.

for Tweedy completists, i'd get _Down by the Old Mainstream_ from Golden Smog. features jeff w/ a couple of jayhawks, a guy from soul asylum and i think one from run westy run too. good stuff.

 

[DNA]

if you like UT, at least give _Trace_ a chance. "Drown", "Windfall" and "Catching On" would stand up fine on _Anodyne_.

True. I've always thought that you can make a virtual 5th Tupelo album by taking the strong tracks off of Trace and a.m..

Windfall
Live Free
Tear-Stained Eye
Drown
Catching On

I Must be High
Casino Queen
Passenger Side
That's Not the Issue
Box Full of Letters (ok, maybe not that one )

 

[BurlyShirley]

Wilco is pretty good..

































if you like music that sucks, that is.

 

[narlus]

BS, that reminds me...i still need to return that Broken Lightbulb Anal Fetish tape you lent me.

your singing on that is pretty decent.

 

[stevew]

I've seen Wilco twice, opening for REM before a Ghost Is Born came out at Red Rocks, which was probaly the coldest I have ever been, and at the Fillmore in Denver. Both times they were great, but I really suck at remembering the names to their songs.

So they have new live stuff out?

I can remember my friend in high school talking about Uncle Tupelo in the late 80's and I was always to lazy to ask to borrow any of it.

Edit: For those of you who like guitar, Explosions in the Sky might be a band worth checking out. I think they have two or three records out and did some of the soundtrack for the movie Friday Night Lights(?).

 

[narlus]

EitS are a decent band, definitely. another one in that vein is the japanese band Mono, who sound a bit too much like Mogwai for my liking but at least it's a good sound to copy.