Labels

Wilco

Jeff Tweedy

Jeff Tweedy

Vocals, Guitar

John Stirratt

John Stirratt

Bass

Jay Bennett

Jay Bennett

Guitar ('94 - '01)

Glenn Kotche

Glenn Kotche

Drums (2001 - )

Pat Sansone

Pat Sansone

Various (2004 - )

Nels Cline

Nels Cline

Guitar (2004 - )

Mikael Jorgensen

Mikael Jorgensen

Keyboards (2003 - )


Formed: 1994
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Genre: Indie Rock, Indie Folk
Years Active: 1994 -
Meaning of the Name: "Will comply" in US military radio parlance.
Primary Songwriter: Jeff Tweedy.
Associated: Uncle Tupelo, Billy Bragg
Labels: Reprise, Nonesuch, dBpm

Essential Releases

Being There

Being There (1996)

An experimental double album that propelled the band past their alt-country heritage.

Summerteeth

Summerteeth (1999)

This is a work of conflicting styles that encapsulates the creative tension between Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Yankee Hotel
Foxtrot (2002)

Considered by many to be their greatest work. Explores disconnection and life in the early 21st century.


Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy's previous band, imploded due to his fractured working relationship with bandmate Jay Farrar. In Wilco, the group formed from the remains of the old outfit, there was a similar toxic personality clash with Tweedy and guitarist Jay Bennett. Tweedy had inadvertently recreated the same vicious cycle. Both of his 'adversaries' even shared a first name.

Initially, the recruitment of Bennett paid dividends. After an unremarkable debut, for their second album, Being There, Wilco transformed their sound from the alt-country Uncle Tupelo helped create. Seeking to distance themselves from the dusty Americana of the No Depression scene, Tweedy and Bennett laid waste to the roots-focused conventions such as lo-fi production and social realism.

Bennett didn't just play guitar; he brought with him Mellotrons, horns, and modern production techniques to build a laboratory on the tired foundations of alt-country. Together with Tweedy, they traded the safety of a genre tag for an experimental double-album that only used traditional instruments as a starting point.

The subsequent period, from 1999's Summerteeth to 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, marked the band's creative peak and produced country music infused with the rich arrangements of '60s pop, abstract lyrics, and experimental rhythms.

The remarkably prescient latter album, that deconstructs the mid-century optimism of the American dream, was recorded months before the era-defining September 11th terrorist attacks, but sounded like it was recorded the day after.

Lyrics like 'tall buildings shake, voices escape' became literal reflections of collective trauma. Yet, behind the prophetic tones was a partnership that had reached its breaking point. Tweedy fired Bennett soon after completing the album, because a seemingly innocuous disagreement about the end of 'Ashes of American Flags' resulted in him vomiting from stress. The morbidly fascinating moment was captured in the documentary: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco (2002).

Post-Bennett, the band became settled with Tweedy as the undisputed supremo. Although newly recruited musicians, such as Nels Cline and Pat Sansone, provided a new kind of instrumental brilliance, their input was always filtered through him. Though Wilco's output remains consistently high quality, it is my opinion that the sparks from Bennett and Tweedy's sparring produced the work of either mans career.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
85

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
80

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
95

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
65

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
90

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
90

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
80

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
90

Singing

i Technical attributes.
70

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
90

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
45

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
40

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
70

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
80

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
60

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
40

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards >>>

  • Grammy Award WINNER! x2:
  • Grammy Award Nominee x7:

Certifications >>>

  • Being There: Gold in the UK
  • Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: Gold in the US

Charts >>>

  • A Ghost Is Born: Number 8 in the US
  • Sky Blue Sky: Number 4 in the US
  • Wilco (The Album): Number 4 in the US
  • The Whole Love: Number 5 in the US

Critics >>>

  • Paste: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - The 50 Best Albums of the 2000s (2009): 2nd
  • Pitchfork: Being There - The Best Albums of the 1990s (2003): 88th
  • Pitchfork: Summerteeth - The Best Albums of the 1990s (2003): 31st
  • Pitchfork: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s (2009): 4th
  • Rolling Stone: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - The Best Albums of the 2000s (2009): 3rd
  • Rolling Stone: The Whole Love - The Best Albums of the 2011: 8th

Similar Acts



Labels:

Popular Posts