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theashtraysays

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Posts posted by theashtraysays

    "Ode To Joy" Reactions

    in Just A Fan

    Posted

    This album release has sure brought out the worst in Wilco fans. Love or hate OtJ, a few minutes in that FaceBook group is more unpleasant than any music Jeff has put out in his entire career. It's really sucking the fun out of this album cycle. 

     

     

    That said, yeah, the Facebook group is pretty nasty right now. By no means the mod team's fault (I can't imagine how frustrating a job like that would be at times like this ...for no pay!!). I think it's just a symptom of the Facebook group getting too large in the past few years. ViaChicago continues to contain the best Wilco dialog on the internet. 

     

     

    This 100%. I was lamenting to somebody earlier that I missed the tight knit days of VC in comparison to the huge, and sometimes kinda volatile facebook group,

     

    If you had told me 10 years ago that VC would be the safe haven for civil discourse regarding a new Wilco record, I would have called you a liar.  Or at least a lousy prognosticator.   :fish 

    "Ode To Joy" Reactions

    in Just A Fan

    Posted

    Show me the Wilco waltzes.

     

    My most frustrating thing about this whole process has been people conflating Jeff's solo work and Wilco. I get it to a certain degree, but also, nobody looks at Thom Yorke like he's Radiohead and listeners surely don't conflate The Eraser, AMOK, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, and Anima with Radiohead. The trajectory for Wilco is Sky Blue Sky, Wilco (The Album), The Whole Love, Star Wars, Schmilco, and Ode to Joy. So again: Show me the waltzes. Not that there are none, but I bet the ones you're thinking of are on Sukierae, Warm, and Warmer.  

     

    Schmilco definitely had its share - Normal American Kids... Shrug and Destroy... somewhat Quarters, and even Common Sense (if you're waltzing on acid), which is why I put that in the arc to get from "noise to "dirge".  And yes, that ignores the powerpop/rock contributors like ST or SW, but that's been somewhere in the mix for almost every record.  I maybe should have added "introspective" in the arc (SBS/TWL), but that was too long of a word.  But yeah, Sukierae was the most prolific example of the waltz genre for sure.

     

    One thing that I mentioned to a couple friends yesterday was that I'm trying hard to listen to this record "on its own".  It's hard not to conflate (good word btw) the recent solo records with this one just due to the short time span and the similarities overall (Jeff's "dead guitar" style for example).  But even if I try to just let this record be its own thing, it still leans toward that dark, brooding, dirge-like end of the spectrum.  Which isn't a bad thing at all.  It's just a thing. 

     

    Personally, I'm still not sure what to do with this one.  I like it.  I'm very glad that Wilco is making the kind of records that they (or at least Jeff) want to make.  I'm very much looking forward to hearing the new material live, interlaced with the classics they have on the set lists lately.  But it needs a few more spins for me to settle in and find its place for me. 

    Wilco — 22 September 2019, Paris, France (Le Trianon)

    in After The Show

    Posted

    I'd like to see Apparel Avenue added to Banter Corner, where you also tell us what you have decided to kit yourself out in each night depending on weather, local custom, and dramatic impact - contrasting or complementing with what the band are up to. Perhaps that's better done on Instagram now that you're the Chauffeur to the Stars with a profile to maintain, but it would fit in nicely here methinks, with a thousand of your words being better than a picture. 

    Best. Suggestion. Ever. 

    Live! Tonight!!

    in Someone Else's Song

    Posted

    Kevin Morby w/ William Tyler.

     

    Jealous! Please give us a bit of a review!

    William opened up (solo), and was magnificent as always.  He really filled out the songs that he recorded with a band, using some loops on Highway Anxiety and just playing with what seems like 18 fingers on others.  Love that guy.

    Kevin was in "duo" mode, with just him and another guy who played mostly sax and some flute.  Kevin was mostly on guitar and a couple songs on keyboard.  The new tunes were really cool stripped back and sparse, some with guitar instead of the piano on the record.  Mostly new stuff off OMG, and even only a wee snippet of City Music tucked inside another song.   William came out and played 3 songs together with Kevin in the encore including a Silver Jews song.  Good crowd, good vibe, great venue... really a fun night. 

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