Autumn Souvenir

There have been two times in the past decade when I nearly broke down at a live performance, both times it was Nick Lowe performing this song.

It's been about two years since I've seen Wilco live. That may not seem long, but it's my longest spell without seeing the band since December of 1994. Now three records on with the same lineup and a new record just two days out, it was somewhat odd to find my single seat amongst 15K+ others. The first time I saw Wilco at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA there were maybe 50 others on hand. From 1994-2001, Wilco's popularity grew slowly, amassing a moderate national following and able to sell out mid-sized 1-2K venues the likes of The Fillmore and Irving Plaza. And then came the songs, mystique and "taking it to the man" story behind Yankee Hotel Foxtrot . In short order, they were playing summer tent shows, touring with Neil Young and headlining MSG. Now 17 years into a career that very few thought possible following the demise of Uncle Tupelo, despite having no hit songs or a sound that can be easily explained, they are seemingly one of the most popular roc...

Thanks to one of the greatest American bands ever assembled.

Had Wilco decided to drop the fairly awful "Heavy Metal Drummer" in favor of either of these two tracks, well, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would have been the very rare five-star record.

Unlike movies and books, when it comes to music, I find it nearly impossible to make a quick judgement after just a few listens. Most records take weeks and weeks before finally settling in to a cohesive (personal) understanding of its merits. I can think of many, many records that I loved at the outset before later concluding that they just didn't hold up, and vice versa. There's something about Wilco's The Whole Love that has me itching to say.....something. As with any post about Wilco, there's little question that I'm biased. When I first heard the notes of Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid" in early 1994 and subsequently saw Wilco in December 1994, I've stood by at every twist and turn. Form alt.country to summery pop songs to "experimentation" to "dad rock," I just haven't been able to quit this band. Outside of Bruce Springsteen, no artist has impacted me as much as Jeff Tweedy. And I can't even really say why. I doub...

Has there been a more important Labor Day in my lifetime? Doubtful.

"Blasting Fonda" from the 1996 soundtrack to Feeling Minnesota .

"My weakness is to shout from the rooftop whenever I believe I have discovered something of vital importance.......The man who spreads the good word augments not only the life of the book in question but the act of creation itself. He breathes spirit into other readers. He sustains the creative spirit everywhere. Whether he is aware of it or not, what he is doing is praising God's handiwork. For, the good reader, like the good author, knows that everything stems from the same source." -- The Books In My Life , pages 28-29

Continuing their brilliant direct-to-fan approach. Full stream plus great design and in-screen social networking. They've reinstituted that new release Tuesday feeling and made it even bigger.

From noon CST Saturday until noon CST Sunday, Wilco will be streaming their entire new record The Whole Love, which hits "stores" on September 27th. No matter your opinion of their music, their marketing and promotion acumen is downright remarkable. If there's ever a band that's learned this business and taken advantage of the "new music industry," it's Wilco. How many bands can be dropped from a major label and have their careers then take off? Well, Wilco did just that back in 2001. And despite never releasing a hit song, they have built a massive brand behind the Wilco name and mystique. Now playing regularly to 5-8K fans, simply from a business perspective, it's astonishing what they've been able to sustain and grow for nearly two decades. I have no idea who runs the business that is Wilco, but I imagine it's a combination of longtime manager Tony Margherita and Jeff Tweedy. And now 17 years in, I can't recall a Wilco record havin...