Few bands can call themselves contemporaries of both the heartbreakingly earnest self-destruction of Whiskeytown and the alienating experimentation of Radiohead's post-millennial releases, but on the painstaking Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco seem to have done just that. In early 2001, the Chicago-area band focused on recording their fourth album, which ultimately led to the departure of guitarist Jay Bennett and tensions with their record label. Unwilling to change the album to make it more commercially viable, the band bought the finished studio tapes from Warner/Reprise for 50,000 dollars and left the label altogether. The turmoil surrounding the recording and distribution of the album in no way diminishes the sheer quality of the genre-spanning pop songs written by frontman Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates. After throwing off the limiting shackles of the alt-country tag that they had been saddled with through their 1996 double album Being There, Wilco experimented heavily with the elaborate constructs surrounding their simple melodies on Summerteeth. The long-anticipated Yankee Hotel Foxtrot continues their genre-jumping and worthwhile experimentation. The sprawling, nonsensical "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" is as charmingly bleak as anything Tweedy has written to date, while the positively joyous "Heavy Metal Drummer" jangles through bright choruses and summery reminiscences. Similarly, "Kamera" dispels the opening track's gray with a warm acoustic guitar and mixer/multi-instrumentalist/"fifth Beatle" Jim O'Rourke's unusual production. The true high points of the album are when the songwriting is at its most introspective, as it is during the heartwrenching "Ashes of American Flags," which takes on an eerie poignancy in the wake of the attacks at the World Trade Center. "All my lies are always wishes," Tweedy sings, "I know I would die if I could come back new." As is the case with many great artists, the evolution of the band can push the music into places that many listeners (and record companies for that matter) may not be comfortable with, but, in the case of Wilco, their growth has steadily led them into more progressive territory. While their songs still maintain the loose intimacy that was apparent on their debut A.M., the music has matured to reveal a complexity that is rare in pop music, yet showcased perfectly on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
MUSIC NEWS - Former Chicago area rocker, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and former-Wilco member, Jay Bennett, 45, passed away today, May 24, 2009 in his sleep at home in Urbana, Il. As we saw in the documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Jay left the band during their recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot over creative disagreements with Jeff Tweedy. It was recently reported that...
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LOLLA DAY 2: August 2nd, 2008. The heat had simmered down, the hang-over had begun to set in, and everyone's feet were sore. Like grumpy children on the first day of school, the spectators began to dribble in mid-afternoon. Regardless, it took only a few hours, a few beers and an ecclectic mix of Greek/slavic rumblings from Devotchka, Spankrock's raucous rapping and modern Jazz from Jamie Lidel...
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Moggers Indiepixie, Charley Rogulewski, sonical and Pinkertonwasbetter are at Lollapalooza and they've been posing great stuff including photos and videos. Check it out!DAY ONEEXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF LOLLAPALOOZA DAY 1!!!!!!!!Gogol Bordello, Cat Power, Raconteurs, Cool Kids...PLUS private after-party with MGMT!!http://mog.com/indiepixie/blog_post/175852Photos: Lollapalooza Rocks Hard With Raconteur...
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I received an email earlier today from Wilco's website informing me that their new cd "Sky Blue Sky" will be available tonight on their website to listen to starting at 10:00 p.m. Central into the wee hours of the morning. Woo hoo! Can't wait to hear this!It's supposed to drop on May 15th.Meanwhile, here's one of my fav Wilco songs performed live from the doc "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart". ...
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I've been on a music documentary watching streak lately. I've re-watched ones I own but I've also branched out into rented ones I know little to nothing about hoping to find something I'll just totally love. I watched 'Be Here To Love Me' about Townes Van Zandt and while it was interesting, its so sad to just watch the slow deteriation. I was sorely disappointed by the Coachella one. It barely ...
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So I was hanging out with my fairly new friend Allen tonite. He has about twenty five tons of music on his Itunes and I was scrolling through it, playing random stuff. Once I got near the end I ran across what I had been looking for most of the time, though- Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot record.That's some good stuff. I think I'm gonna make him let me get it before I head home for the weekend...
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While Lollapalooza ticket holders were coming down from Wilco's Saturday night performance at the fest, Chicago Cub fans were experiencing one of the greatest Wilco performances ever Sunday midday at Wrigley Field. Nuff said. A Jeff Tweedy interview follows the seventh inning stretch. Shout out to my pal and Wilco diehard Dan Fetter for sending me the link!
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LOLLA DAY 2: August 2nd, 2008. The heat had simmered down, the hang-over had begun to set in, and everyone's feet were sore. Like grumpy children on the first day of school, the spectators began to dribble in mid-afternoon. Regardless, it took only a few hours, a few beers and an ecclectic mix of Greek/slavic rumblings from Devotchka, Spankrock's raucous rapping and modern Jazz from Jamie Lidel...
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Good to see this festival still alive and kicking. 10,000 Lakes Music Festival, the festival based up in Northern Minnesota's lakes region has announced it's line-up ...quite early. The fest doesn't take place till July 22nd-25th weekend at Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, which leaves me scratching my head as to why Coachella, a fest that goes down every April, hasn't revealed its g...
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Moggers Indiepixie, Charley Rogulewski, sonical and Pinkertonwasbetter are at Lollapalooza and they've been posing great stuff including photos and videos. Check it out!DAY ONEEXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF LOLLAPALOOZA DAY 1!!!!!!!!Gogol Bordello, Cat Power, Raconteurs, Cool Kids...PLUS private after-party with MGMT!!http://mog.com/indiepixie/blog_post/175852Photos: Lollapalooza Rocks Hard With Raconteur...
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It had to be done. Life is too short...and with my lifestyle I will probably never live to have to pay the bills anyway, so I just bought Austin City Limits Festival tickets....Coachella, Lolla, and ACL in the same calendar year....whatever happens after this in my life is all gravy!Actually, I had ACL tickets for last year then my house burnt down and my priorities were instantly changed....Wo...
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As a music geek, how can you pass on this?The rule: Choose a band/or artist and answer only in song TITLES by that band.Band: I pick WilcoAre you female or male: I'm The Man Who Loves YouDescribe yourself: I'm Always In LoveHow do some people feel about you: Can't Stand ItHow do you feel about yourself: When I Wake Up Feeling OldDescribe your ex girlfriend/boyfriend: She's A JarDescribe your cu...
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The potency of certain lyrics always seem to hit me at the most unexpected times...like after 1AM on a Monday morning.But I guess i had never thought too deeply on this specific Jeff Tweedy song before. But it struck me tonight.'You have to learn how to die. You've gotta learn how to die, just to stay alive.'I get it. I do. I never would have had the guts to drop everything and move to Californ...
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has commencedhttp://mog.com/david_hyman/blog_post/98378http://mog.com/ROCKNROLLPIMP/blog_post/98144Round 1 - david 14 to 6Round 2 - ROCKNROLLPIMP 13 to 7Round 3 - david - 14 to 11
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I received an email earlier today from Wilco's website informing me that their new cd "Sky Blue Sky" will be available tonight on their website to listen to starting at 10:00 p.m. Central into the wee hours of the morning. Woo hoo! Can't wait to hear this!It's supposed to drop on May 15th.Meanwhile, here's one of my fav Wilco songs performed live from the doc "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart". ...
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After a week of binge drinking, I am detoxing and listening to some music tonight(my liver greatly appreciates it)...and felt the need to share with the mog universe a song from my favorite songwriter...enjoy
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After sleeping in until noon thanks to those nifty "do not disturb" signs, I decided to make my pilgrimage once again to the holy land of music festivals in Chicago's now trashed, Grant Park. The day started off a lot breezier than yesterday's with high clouds and high hopes. Temperatures barely peeked 80 degrees with the humidity keeping a pretty low profile.This morning was a little different...
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Great quality vid. Love the nudie suits!
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It’s been nearly a month since I’ve had a Coke. And I’m happy to announce that with all the money I’ve saved from abstaining from Cokes (and with a lot of help from my friends who have helped me pick up the change), I’ve saved more than enough to pay my friend for his Wilco ticket.So, thanks to several friends, and no thanks to Coke, I’m going to be enjoying my favorite band in less th
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Brian Wilson and Wilco lead the charge of the inaugural Jackson Hole Music Festival. The festival descends on Teton Village, Wyoming in the Jackson Hole valley on August 16 and 17, and the lineup also includes Son Volt, the Black Crowes, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, and Kaki King. Apparently, someone thinks Wyoming residents are allergic to music that ...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart |
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| 2 Kamera |
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| 3 Radio Cure |
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| 4 War on War |
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| 5 Jesus, Etc. |
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| 6 Ashes of American Flags |
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| 7 Heavy Metal Drummer |
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| 8 I'm the Man Who Loves You |
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| 9 Pot Kettle Black |
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| 10 Poor Places |
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| 11 Reservations |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot")
