I Will Start To Begin At The End

Now this is how you go viral...



Yep, Wilco's new music video is the first hand-drawn Popeye cartoon in more than 30 years! And guess who gets the girl?

More fun here

Art of Almost

Wilco's newest album The Whole Love comes out next Tuesday, but thanks to the magic of public broadcasting you can preview the whole darn thing here. Special thanks to those socialist hippies at NPR who have willfully divided Wilco fans into two camps sandwiching their brilliant career peak Yankee Hotel Foxtrot! Choose your allegiance or you are no longer allowed to be a fan.

Low Low Slo-Mo

It's Wilco's world. We're just here to blog about it.

New album The Whole Love comes out 9/27. Preview the new 7" single I Might here and pre-order it here. Love the organ, kids.

Singing Sad Sad Songs

Wilco is touring...

May
2 – Montgomery, Ala. @ Montgomery Performing Arts Centre
3 – Mobile, Ala. @ Saenger Theatre
5 – New Orleans, La. @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
6 – Houston, Texas @ Verizon Wireless Theatre
7 – Denton, Texas @ University of North Texas Main Auditorium
8 – Tulsa, Okla. @ Cain’s Ballroom

...and so is Jeff Tweedy...

March
22 – Toronto, Canada @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
25 – Montreal, Canada @ L’Olympia de Montreal
26 – Portland, Maine @ State Theatre
28 – Madison, Wis. @ Capitol Theatre
29 – Rochester, Minn. @ Mayo Civic Ctr. Presentation Hall
30 – Iowa City, Iowa @ The Englert Theatre

As of this writing, tix still available for every show except Denton. The two Wilco shows I've seen have been two of my favorites, particularly the one in support of Blue Sky Blue. And don't forget to catch up on their other recent news, including the formation of their own record label and info on Solid Sound Festival.

Dreaming of Oceans and Pink Lemonade

Liam Finn's new EP collaboration with Eliza-Jane called Champagne in Seashells is officially released tomorrow. You can download the single Plane Crash right now - it's invigorating! Check out the BBC review here. This is the follow-up to his acclaimed but seemingly forgotten debut I'll Be Lightning. Ok, forgotten by me - I haven't given it much of a listen since first acquiring it.

Good genes though.

Fellow Iowans, note that Liam is opening for Wilco at the Oct 1 show in Iowa City. That just might get me there!

You Should Be Glad

Yes indeed! Wilco is coming to Iowa City October 1! Tix not on sale until August 28 so just chill.

Have To Try To Keep My Mind Out Of This

Our friends at NPR have an exclusive first listen to Wilco's upcoming album - Wilco (The Album) - on Tuesday June 30, 2009. I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but looking forward to it.

Songs That Weren't

RIP

Jay Bennett

1963-2009

Do You Dabble in Depression?

Listen to Wilco (the album) in its entirety right now - it's currently streaming at wilcoworld.net! Out June 30.

Previously...

Thanks, JBro!

I Must Be High

via 'fork.

Previously...

Wilco Will Love You, Baby

More delicious details are emerging about Wilco (The Album) due out June 30. For example:

The gripping "One Wing" builds from a quiet introductory section to a strident, arena-worthy stomper, while strings and horns color the majestic final portion of album closer "Everlasting."

...and...

Rounding out the album, "You Never Know" is a flashback to the ebullient pop/rock of 1999's "Summerteeth."

Something for everyone on this "eclectic" new album! Can't wait.

Just Bring Me Back Two For The One I Lend You

Go here to download Wilco's cover of Woody Guthrie's The Jolly Banker. They ask for a $2 contribution, but it's all on the honor system.

Wilco (the album) officially hits stores June 30.

Just Sing What You Feel

New album news from Wilco...

...here's a list of song titles spied on the reels -- note this is not necessarily complete and not in sequence.

Deeper Down
Conscript (aka I'll Fight)
One Wing
Solitaire
Wilco (the song)
Country Disappeared
Everlasting
Bull Black Nova
Sonny Feeling
You and I

Rumors and blogs regarding a guest appearance on that last track are, amazingly, quite true. Feist does indeed lend a great vocal to You and I. Other details will emerge in the coming weeks. The release is currently scheduled for late June on Nonesuch.

Can't wait!

Speaking of Tomorrow, How Will It Ever Come?

Many updates for Wilco fans today!

First, as we reported back in January, Wilco's next official release will be a DVD documentary called Ashes of American Flags. It is currently hitting the film festival circuit:

First, "Ashes of American Flags", the wilco concert film, had it's world premiere at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival last weekend and won the award for Best Cinematography.

It's out on April 18, Record Store Day. Watch a preview trailer here.

Second, they are doing a few US shows this spring. Get tickets while you can! More details here.

Finally and most importantly, new album news:

The band are making major progress on the upcoming soon-to-be-titled LP. They've been hunkered down in the loft with Jim Scott and are just about ready to start mixing. We've got it on the calendar for release in June -- watch the site for further and more specific news in the next few weeks.

June! What a grand summer it shall be!

I Wonder Why We Listen to Poets

In February or March prior to their new studio album, Wilco will be releasing a live DVD, Ashes of American Flags, which was recorded in Nashville and Tulsa last winter (from the same tour I saw here in Des Moines). If those performances were a close approximation of what they achieved in Des Moines, this is a must-buy.

According to a newsletter sent to fans, Wilco will play "a handful of gigs" in the southern U.S. in April, to be followed by an extensive tour of Spain in May and then "the usual summer hijinks with a new record and gigs everywhere imaginable."

Don't Dream It's Over

Neil Finn follows up his 2001 live album 7 Worlds Collide in similar form in the studio by convening with part of Radiohead, all of Wilco, Johnny Marr, son Liam, and others. They'll gather in New Zealand over the holidays to record.

The amount of talent in that one studio will be jaw-dropping. As a bonus, all proceeds go to charity. Stunning.

I See My Light Come Shining

I'm prepping for the requisite family Disney vacation coming up soon so when I see free, my heart skips a teeny, tiny bit. Could be heartburn I guess.

The cool cats at the AV Club are offering an exclusive download of Wilco and Fleet Foxes collaborating live on Dylan's I Shall Be Released.

Read about it here. Download it free here.

MP3: Wilco & Fleet Foxes - I Shall Be Released-live (via AV Club)

Just Sing What You Feel

Wilco will start recording their follow-up to Sky Blue Sky next month.

After opting for a highly performance-oriented recording approach on "Sky Blue Sky," frontman Jeff Tweedy said in a recent radio interview that he expects Wilco will "allow ourselves a little bit more leeway in terms of sculpting the sound in the studio and doing overdubs and using the studio as another instrument. Last time around, it was more of a document."

I personally find Sky Blue Sky to be Wilco's most effective and rewarding album overall, although I do also love kitchen sink approach to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the pure poppiness of Summerteeth. A great band that keeps getting greater - unprecedented.

You Are Just a Dream

Neil Young is hitting the road with Death Cab for Cutie and Wilco this fall. Wow.

Oct. 14: St. Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 16: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Centre, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 18: Regina, Saskatchewan (Brandt Centre, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 19: Calgary, Alberta (Pengrowth Saddledome, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 21: Everett, Wash. (Comcast Arena, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 22: Vancouver (GM Place, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 29: San Diego (Cox Arena, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Oct. 30: Los Angeles (Forum, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 1: Reno, Nev. (Events Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 4: Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 5: Omaha, Neb. (Qwest Center, w/ Death Cab For Cutie)
Nov. 29: Halifax, Nova Scotia (Metro Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 1: Montreal (Bell Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 2: Ottawa, Ontario (Scotia Bank Place, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 4: Toronto (Air Canada Centre, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 7: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 9: Chicago (Allstate Center, no opener specified)
Dec. 12: Philadelphia (Wachovia Spectrum, w/ Wilco)
Dec. 15: New York (Madison Square Garden, w/ Wilco)

Alright, so it looks like my best shot will be seeing him in early November with DCFC. No complaints there, although seeing Wilco open for Young would be a legendary experience.

Speaking of Wilco, Billboard reported yesterday that a new album is expected in the spring. Interestingly, Jeff Tweedy said he "kinda hate[s]" all their previous albums.

"But as something that feels artistically in keeping with who I am today, I think that they are inevitably going to fall short of that as time goes on. I mean, they just don't continue to mean the same things to me, and a new record is kind of where it's at."

Ok, I can accept that. But from my perspective, there's not much to hate on those previous albums!

From a Great Height

Way2Poppy and I had a hell of a time at Lollapalooza this past Friday where we saw Mates of State and Radiohead, who were both exceptional. Raconteurs were just ok - I have to say I was a bit disappointed.

Radiohead epitomizes modern rock sophistication. They are entirely professional, utterly passionate crowd-pleasers. Check out their setlist:

15 Step
Airbag
There, There
All I Need
Nude
Weird Fishes
The Gloaming
The National Anthem
Faust Arp
No Surprises
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Reckoner
Lucky
The Bends
Everything In Its Right Place
Fake Plastic Trees
Bodysnatchers
Videotape
Paranoid Android
Dollars & Cents
House of Cards
Optimistic
2 + 2 = 5
Idioteque

I'm partial to their poppier Bends / OK Computer era so I was particularly thrilled to hear those two albums fairly well represented. With their performances of Fake Plastic Trees and Paranoid Android, Radiohead solidified their status with me as one of the best bands of my generation. I have a whole new respect for them. Oh, and their light show was easily the best I've ever seen.

This was my third time seeing Mates of State and with each show, they keep getting bigger and bigger yet their sound remains grounded as simple, catchy-as-hell tunes. The songs from the new album sounded especially great and I can't wait to see them a fourth time when presented with the opportunity.

I took some mobile shots of our time there but they were terrible. See Lollapalooza's official photos to get a good sense of what went down. Those were the only shows we ended up seeing. I would've loved to see Wilco, but we chose to see them sing during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley on Sunday instead!

Setlists
Photos