TheMaker

Now there's a beauty! Yowza. I loved that song, too, a lot. What can you tell me about this band, since AMG and the P2Ps don't seem to have heard of them?

With all due respect, this is Psycho-Fan talk.

I was just about to ask if West had leaked yet. I'm assuming not? At any rate, Lu's arguably the best songwriter working today. She's got a heartbreaking voice, a great ear for melody, and some of her lyrics are just devastating. Essence has some real doozies in the form of "I Envy the Wind" and "Bus to Baton Rouge." Not exactly uplifting music, but always worth the wait. That said, none of the four tracks from West over on Lost Highway are impressing me all that much, but I'm willing to bet they'll sound better in the context of the album.

Well, damn. Am I the only one who thinks this is one of the best blue-eyed soul songs ever? Hopefully it'll see the light of day as a B-side, but if Sky Blue Sky is a return to rock for Wilco, then colour me disappointed by its exclusion (Ooh, I could be a shitty music critic for a local rag with a cool dry wit like that. I even said "return to rock" and everything.)

Their noisy grunge-era debut is quite a bit different from the rest of their overtly power-pop canon, but I think it's a really solid record. As Dreamin' said, it's aged poorly compared to their other stuff, mostly due to the production, but some of my favourite Sloan songs in the world appear on it. "Take It In," "Sugartune," "I Am the Cancer," "Median Strip" and especially "500 Up" surely rank among the best tunes this band has ever recorded. I think the consensus view is that the recent string of albums (barring the brand new record) is Sloan's worst. Pretty Together was the first truly u

Really enjoying this one. Does anybody else find it a slightly amusing coup that AD managed to show off Nels in the studio before Wilco?

Quantum leap! It's a little more uneven than CYHSY, but the highs are so much higher that it isn't even a fair contest. Anybody else can't stop walking around singing "Underwater (You and Me)?"

For the lapsed fan, I have only three statements to make: Gob Iron, Gob Iron, Gob Iron. It's on a par with March, I swear. Sometimes I wonder if it's the best thing Farrar's ever done, the whole of the UT canon included. I really wish that record had gotten the promotion it deserved.

Here's my post-"Straightaways" Jay impression: "Neeehr eeeeehn feeeehn! Heerrrrrn NEERRRRRN. Garrr." (It loses something in the transcription, I'm sure.) P.S., I don't recall saying anything about anything being a fact. Unless you're mentally retarded, or perhaps a small child, you should probably be aware that everything I say is a matter of opinion.

Oh, geez. The "Farrar Whine" is on overdrive on that goddamned song. After the respite provided by Gob Iron, I was hoping maybe we'd seen the last of it... There's a track from Ry Cooder's forthcoming record on that site, too, if anybody's interested. Way better than SV's offering.

One Chord, Twice Removed and Between the Bridges are the best of the bunch. The new one was a bona fide comeback.

Those snaps from Rwanda are drop dead gorgeous. As I paged through the set, I was struck dumb by the dignity and beauty that radiates from your subjects. They're really amazing, personal shots. Those are some of the best Tweedy pics I've ever seen, too. This one: http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3272/untitled1ex7.jpg could be my all time favourite shot of the guy! (And I assure you I captured the image only for the sake of this comment; all apologies if that represents a transgression in your book.) Exceptional stuff. You've been bookmarked!

No prob. The "new" lineup closed the first show I saw them play with this lovely little song. Here it is, from Toronto, 08-03-04. http://download.yousendit.com/455DF28844E5A2D3

I'm not digging this one nearly as much as the first two tracks that trickled out, but I suspect it's a grower. I went from scratching my head and yawning the first time I heard it to sort of digging it four or five listens later. Nowhere near the level of Intervention, Black Wave/Bad Vibrations, or anything on Funeral, but not quite a certifiable dud. No idea why this was chosen as the single, though. (MP3, since you can't stream on an iPod: http://download.yousendit.com/D85BDA683E31F4EC

Since it's a half-decade old, I doubt we have much to worry about there.

Fantastic review! Granted, I hate this band, but Jesus, that was satisfying to read.

Heyooo! http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/Concert...px?id=1085|5023

If you can point me in the direction of a stronger, more voluminous collection of unreleased music that's come out this year, I'm all ears. That's what I meant, anyway.

Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing those. Orphans is maybe the most important release of the year. It's certainly the most enjoyable.

Absolutely the best of the new songs we've heard. Great picking, soul-baring lyrics and just really listenable. Add this one to the "keepers" pile. You've finally got some company, Impossible Germany and Lullaby for Rafters and Beams.

Oh no you di'n't. You take that back right now. Wilco at their best sound like The Band. This... well, no. Sorry. I don't often drag out recordings of this dud, but I still can't listen to that line about "digging your bag" or whatever without grimacing as if in terrible pain. Which I'm in when I listen to this song, sort of.

Sunken Treasure kicks fucking ass. I don't quite like Wilco's current direction, but Jeff's solo performances have never, ever been finer.

Holy shit. I didn't realize there was a fifth side to Exile. Nice tunes, if mostly from a curatorial point of view.

Good news: There's a Y: The Last Man flick on the table, and Brian K. Vaughan is writing the first draft of the screenplay. I guess the question is whether a sixty-issue funnybook will work as a two-hour Hollywood movie. I have no idea, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

DING DING DING! It's not that it's bad, exactly... it's just there. The Who By Numbers. Ha.