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Alright, so I’m not quite 40 years old (I’m less than half that), and I’m not quite a Wilco virgin (I listened to a song or two of Summerteeth a few years ago). But the fact remains that I’ve gotten through my entire life without anything more than a little Wilco foreplay, a thought […]
Alright, so I’m not quite 40 years old (I’m less than half that), and I’m not quite a Wilco virgin (I listened to a song or two of Summerteeth a few years ago). But the fact remains that I’ve gotten through my entire life without anything more than a little Wilco foreplay, a thought nearly as unthinkable in the indie world as keeping your physical v-card was in the movie.
The reasons for this are varied. Mostly it can be chalked up to chance. It just never happened, for whatever reason. I didn’t know anyone who was really into them, and never ended up getting the CDs. I had plenty of first and second base-type encounters with them, like covering “Jesus Etc.” with my band without having heard the original before. But they seemed too big and mainstream when I could be investigating obscure freak-folk instead. Listening to Wilco didn’t make me feel more indie, something that listening to Tower Recordings’ back catalog did. I told myself that I’d go download some songs, and in the meantime tried to cover up, leading to some embarrassing situations (calling Wilco country!), and uncomfortable moments when sharing music taste. I made up opinions about them and their albums. They were getting too experimental, or not experimental enough. I learned a couple song titles that I could drop in conversation. But all discussions about Wilco invariably ended up in awkwardness.
So after a certain point, I couldn’t cover it up anymore. And when my secret was out, and people naturally got surprised that I had never listened to Wilco, my avoidance became conscious. I was waiting for a special moment to lose my aural virginity to Jeff Tweedy. My big indie blind spot was becoming more and more obvious, and this one last frontier of good music seemed too important for casual listens.
But now that Tweedy is coming to my college in November for a solo show, it seems inevitable that I’ll have to dig into what by all accounts is one of the most impressive discographies in music. My ears are tingling in excitement. I’ve ripped Yankee Hotel Foxtrot onto my laptop. The time has come.
I really like Tweedy’s solo stuff. Sometimes I like it better than the full-band Wilco experience.
The biggest advice is don’t set your hopes too high. Like anything else that people have praised to the sky, it’s bound to be a dissapointment even if the music is great.
That being said, I love Wilco. They’re awesome.
Your in for a treat…especially with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot…have fun with that.
Believe me it will be rewarding.
Ho ho, I think we’ve all been there, as far as not being up to indie scratch with one’s knowledge of “required” bands. I know I have. Now I’m finally past the point of caring whether I’m indie enough for other people. I have come to love the bands that I love in my own time, which is often years after the first wave of scene kids with their thumbs on the proverbial pulse of indie culture. Oh well! Great post; I laughed, and laughed, and laughed, and called my mother, and laughed.
Summerteeth = The Best
Yeah, I talked to you a little while ago about this, great article.
You’ll be impressed by A Ghost is Born and you’ll love Aesop Rock.
Wilco= Andrew Bird + Nick Drake + Iron and Wine, in my opinion.
get credit report…
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