Father-Son Treatment with Jeff Tweedy in Baltimore

Getting to see Wilco's Jeff Tweedy is always a treat. Add his 18-year-old son, Spencer, on drums and it sweetens the deal even more.

The set the family played at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore recently was a mellow affair. It's always strange to hear songs you've never heard before. And the band (with mostly guys who seemed about the same teen age as Spencer, and probably just said, "sure, our band can go on tour with your rock star dad") played the Sukierae album, slated for September release, presumably straight through. I've since listened to the bootleg-live versions of the songs online several times and love their vibe.

Dad Jeff took the stage for a while to play solo acoustic versions of Wilco songs and, probably my highlight, Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid," before the band came back out to join in for the encore.

I think the Baltimore City Paper's reviewer summed up the father/son dynamic well:

Spencer Tweedy’s lanky adolescent arms may have given doubt to his drum playing abilities, but the kid was pretty impressive with his sticks. Maybe not Glenn Kotche of Wilco impressive, but then he’s got years to practice. Certainly the audience didn’t seem to mind the slight quality sacrifice from the generational pairing, as evidenced by their enthusiastic reaction when Tweedy introduced Spencer. His voice full of paternal pride, he announced halfway through the show,“That’s my boy on the drums,” and the audience erupted into applause and cheers. Still, Jeff and Spencer Tweedy proved last night that they are more than just a family-oriented, Hallmark-y, gimmick: they’re also two talented artists who make great music together.

**** out of ***** stars (saw the show with Rachel, Mandy, and Jason)

• 1. Down From Above 
  2. Diamond Light 
  3. Desert Bell 
  4. Flowering 
  5. Honey Combed 
  6. Summer Noon 
  7. World Away 
  8. New Moon 
  9. High As Hello 
  10. Where My Love 
  11. Slow Love 
  12. Nobody Dies Anymore 
  13. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart 
      (Wilco song)
  14. New Madrid 
      (Uncle Tupelo song)
  15. At Least That's What You Said 
      (Wilco song)
  16. I'm Always in Love 
      (Wilco song)
  17. You and I 
      (Wilco song)
  18. Born Alone 
      (Wilco song)
  19. Kamera 
      (Wilco song)
  20. Dawned on Me 
      (Wilco song)
  21. You Are Not Alone 
      (Mavis Staples cover)
  22. Encore:
  22. Low Key 
  23. California Stars 
  24. Jesus, Etc. 
      (Wilco song)
  25. I'm the Man Who Loves You 
      (Wilco song)

Wilco continues to play rock concerts that just can't be beat for me

I've seen quite a few Wilco concerts, and it's good to know the band still has it. Last night's show at Wolftrap in Virginia was among the best ones I've seen. I wasn't sure if they would call it in on the way to the curated gathering the band puts together every summer called Solid Sound, but instead it appeared the players were in complete synchronicity with each other, and Wolftraps's sound on the lawn was very crisp.

One way to describe what I heard is the way Glen Kotche described his instrument back in 2004's The Wilco Book (which is a fun picture book about the making of the album A Ghost Is Born):

"I think drums - percussion - can be used not only as a rhythym instrument, but also for color and texture (as in an orchestra). I think that the drum kit hasn't been explored enough outside the parameters of groove-based jazz or rock and that has an exciting future."

Kotche's drums bashed in pastiches when leader Jeff Tweedy wasn't singing, and sometimes when he was. Meanwhile, Tweedy is a masterful Jerry Garcia-type figurehead, with beautiful singing to guide the path with his own ripping guitar and the iconic lead playing of Nels Cline and Pat Sansone's Nels Cline-approaching talents as well. Bassist John Stiratt quietly plays up a strorm while holding everything together tightly.

The setlist:

1. Misunderstood
2. Forget the Flowers
3. Handshake Drugs
4. At Least That's What You Said
5. I Am My Mother
6. Cruel Country
7. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
8. Meant to Be
9. If I Ever Was a Child
10. Theologians
11. Cousin
12. Bird Without a Tail / Base of My Skull
13. Hummingbird
14. Evicted
15. Box Full of Letters
16. I'm Always in Love
17. Jesus, Etc.
18. Impossible Germany
19. Heavy Metal Drummer
20. A Shot in the Arm

Encore:

1. California Stars (Billy Bragg & Wilco cover)
2. Falling Apart (Right Now)
3. Via Chicago
4. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

"Meant to Be" and "Evicted" are great new entries into the Wilco cannon from Cousin (my 9th-favorite album of 2023). Look at all those other classic entries into the set: "Misunderstood," "Handshake Drugs," "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," "Theologians," "Hummingbird," "Box Full of Letters," "Jesus, Etc.," "Heavy Metal Drummer," "California Stars," Via Chicago," and "Spiders (Kidsmoke)." Then there's my favorite "Impossible Germany." I fear the thought of someday making a list of my favorite Wilco songs. It will not be easy.

As if I needed more evidence on a fun night under the moon with friends before a major heat wave arrives in Washington, D.C., this show cemented Wilco/Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt as my fourth-favorite band of all time. And openers Cut Worms were also very good in a Buddy Holly-meets-Grateful-Dead-way.

5 out of 5 stars

Wilco (The Blog Post)

Wilco's next album, called, um, Wilco (The Album), is streaming online at the band's site. It won't be out until June 30, just a few days before I'll see them at Wolf Trap, a cozy outdoor amphitheater in Virginia.

It sounds great. I recall hearing leadoff track "Wilco (The Song)" on the Colbert Report a while back. A sweet ballad with some female backing vocals that appears to be called "You and I" also sounds like a highlight. It looks like this release has plenty of Beatles-inspired pop, which is a good sign.

Wilco is hands-down my favorite band that's still together (meaning I still like The Beatles, Guided by Voices and Pavement more, but not by much).

Music Reviews in 3 Words or Less: Vol. 7

Wilco-Wilco (The Album) (2009)
Worst Wilco album
Touchstones: Less adventurous Wilco meets mellow Wilco
**** out of ***** stars

Meiko-S/T (2008)
Wimpy but touching
Touchstone: The Concretes meet Brett Dennen
***1/2 out of ***** stars

Yeah Yeah Yeahs-It's Blitz! (2009)
Acoustic half = mistake
Touchstones: The Pretenders meet synthesizers
*** out of ***** stars

Maximo Park-Quicken the Heart (2009)
Danceable, very '80s
Touchstones: Blur meets U2
*** out of ***** stars

Viva Voce-Rose City (2009)
Dramatic, never climaxing
Touchstones: Yo la Tengo meets The Raveonettes
*** out of ***** stars

Meat Puppets-Golden Lies (2000)
Buy 2009 album
Touchstones: Meat Puppets meets a lazy version of the Meat Puppets
*** out of ***** stars

Von Hayes-Evident Eyelid (2008)
Lo lo fi
Touchstones: Guided by Voices meets funny baseball reference
**1/2 out of ***** stars

Wilco, America's Melodic Rock Kings, Hit the Road

Fugazi's Brendan Canty directed this great-sounding documentary following Wilco on the road in 2008. (My six degrees on this is that my old roommate Nikos used to make rock videos with Canty, not to mention I grew up about 20 miles from where Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy grew up.)

As I've said here before, there is no band currently that is making such consistently melodic and rocking records, putting on better shows, or being more adventuresome musically. The intimate camera work reveals the moods of each band member both while playing full songs at five different venues and while interviewing them individually.

The set list was recorded at Washington D.C.'s 9:30 Club, Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, Mobile's Mobile Civic Center, New Orleans' Tipitina's, and Tulsa's Cain's Ballroom.

1. "Ashes of American Flags"
2. "Side with the Seeds"
3. "Handshake Drugs"
4. "The Late Greats"
5. "Kingpin"
6. "Wishful Thinking"
7. "Impossible Germany"
8. "Via Chicago"
9. "A Shot in the Arm"
10. "Monday"
11. "You Are My Face"
12. "Heavy Metal Drummer"
13. "War on War"

**** out of ***** stars

Wilco Live: A Gushing Fanboy Angle on the Show

I defy you to prove to me that there is a better band today than Wilco. I also think you can't find a better guitarist than Nels Cline, whose ripping and dorky moves supplied much of the drama in Wednesday night's unbeatable show at Wolf Trap in Virginia.

That should not short change the rest of the band. They are all great musicians with cool and emotional styles, especially drummer Glen Kotche. Leader Jeff Tweedy has gotten better and better since his early days as Jay Farrar's stomping map in Uncle Tupelo (from Belleville, Illinois, about 15 miles south of my hometown of Edwardsville). He is seriously and sneakily approaching the overall quantity of "number one" songs supplied to us courtesy of Lennon and McCartney. (At least in a Casey Kasem alternative universe.)

There were many highlights but I'd have to say my favorites were the long, proggy versions of "Impossible Germany" and "Kidsmoke," the late-era Beatles-ish "Hate It Here," and pop gems "Misunderstood " and "Heavy Metal Drummer" (about Tower Lake Apartments in Edwardsville and The Landing in St. Louis). "You and I" and "You Never Know" from the new album are also already-classics.

Full set list: Wilco (the song)/Shot in the Arm/At Least That's What You Said/Bull Black NovaYou Are My Face/I'm Trying to Break Your Heart/One Wing/How To Fight Loneliness/Impossible Germany/Deeper Down/Jesus Etc./Sonny Feeling/Handshake Drugs/Hate It Here/Walken/I'm the Man Who Loves You/Hummingbird/ E: You Never Know/Heavy Metal Drummer/Misunderstood/Spiders(Kidsmoke)/I'm a Wheel

The extra treat of seeing Conor Oberst play a "greatest hits" set just added to the beautiful July night. The only bad part was that the lawn was so full that we couldn't see the stage. So we ate and partied through that set before I scored a ticket into the Exxon box, front-and-center in the first row of the balcony. Don't ask how a greenie like myself scores a spot in the Belly of the Beast, but, put it this way, I won't say anything bad about Exxon ... for at least a week or so.

Pop Culture Roundup: Hunger Games, Girls, Wilco, Mr. Burns

I guess I've just been having too much fun this summer at my new job, but rankings on my blog of my pop-culture intake have suffered in the past month. Apologies, dear readers. We'll just have to take a quick roundup/catch-up.


The Hunger Games: I read this back in early June when I was vacationing on the Outer Banks. True beach reading. It's a formulaic story, written in a truly sophomoric style and voice. Needless to say, I couldn't put it down. Author Suzanne Collins takes unforgettable heroine Katniss Everdeen through a survivalist battle worthy of the best reality-TV plot lines.
***1/2 out of ***** stars

Girls: So far, I've made it through the first 8 of 10 season-one episodes. This is another can't-put-down pleasure. The HBO series takes us deep into the not-so-deep minds of the 20-something generation, barely surviving, arguably employed, and down-and-out in New York City. Lena Dunham brilliantly leads the cast of aimless youngsters through a version of 90210 with a seriously funny and edgy edge.

***** out of ***** stars


Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play: My season tickets at DC's Woolly Mammoth have been good to me over the years. And I was super-excited going into this season, with an apocalyptic (fun!) theme coursing through every production. But this has been a real let-down of a year. I think Woolly is losing its way by, if possible, trying just a little too hard to be creative and different. The second act, the actors, and the premise are all fairly strong in Mr. Burns. It's several decades into the future and the only culture left among the survivors of a global collapse is the memory of The Simpsons. But the story is often sooo slow and convoluted, and it fails to shed insight into the Simpsons' episode that the actors discuss. A real pop-culture miss.
*1/2 out of ***** stars

Wilco: The band's recent performance at Wolftrap in Vienna, Virginia was another in a long line of great shows I've witnessed (I saw the first of a two-night stand there). Nels Cline added new guitar solos that displayed his increasing prowess as the greatest rock player alive. And the shifting styles keep multiplying for Wilco, which started as an alt-country band, and now often sounds like something between Radiohead, Billy Bragg, The Beatles, and Sonic Youth. Speaking of Sonic Youth, that band's guitarist, Lee Ranaldo, opened and, like his new album, was spectacularly catchy.****1/2 out of ***** stars

My 40 favorite albums of an impressive 2016, plus odds and sods

Pity Sex

Updated May 3.

If this list doesn't prove what a typically exceptional year it was for music, then I don't know what could. That staple greats like Band of Horses, Wilco, and Parquet Courts got reduced several spots down in the top 10 by upstarts ought to be exhibit A.

Best Compilation: Whether you like The Grateful Dead or not, this expansive collection called Day of the Dead has something for everyone. Also, Say Yes! A Tribute to Elliot Smith, with likes of J Mascis and Juliana Hatfield, offers hard-to-compete great renditions.

Best Soundtrack: Sing Street is way deeper and funnier  that La La Land, and its songs blow them away. That's saying a lot too, because La La Land was pretty good.

Favorite Vinyl Purchase: Pure McCartney is great because I now have four albums worth of great post-Beatles tunes in one semi-quirky boxset.

Best Extras Release: R.E.M.'s 25th anniversary release of Out of Time has tons of great alternate versions of many of the band's most excellent songs.

Best Remaster: The Turtles are a criminally under-appreciated 1960s band, from their Monkees-like hits such as "Happy Together" to their weirdo tendencies fitting for a band that often backed Frank Zappa; "All the Singles" is a loving collection of great songs.

Most Unnecessary Release: The Rolling Stones are back with their first release, "Blue & Lonesome," in eons. And while it's not particularly bad, it is a huge bore and not nearly as good as the great blues records the Stones are trying to emulate.

Best EP: Snail Mail, which I know nothing about, released Habit, which is lo-fi but completely catchy and among the best overall releases of the year.

40. Iggy Pop: Post Pop Depression (not a huge Iggy fan, admittedly, but this weirdo collection is very compelling)
39. The Gotobeds: Blood // Sugar // Secs // Traffic (definitely the best album title of the year, and some pretty raucous Pittsburgh pop-punk to boot. Good recommendation from the Sound Opinions podcast)

Car Seat Headrest

38. Beach Slang: A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings (it's like the 80s college wave and 90s Archers of Loaf meet in this collage of soaring guitars)
37. The Strokes: Future Present Past (nothing as classic as the early Strokes, but it's still nice to have a little more in the collection from them, and they're still mighty NYC cool)
36. Drive-By Truckers: American Band (the new Lynyrd Skynyrd puts out another great collection, this one on the mellower side)
35. The Pooches: Heart Attack (the most pleasant chill-out pop EP of the year)
34. Lucius: Good Grief (a blend of songs you could have sworn you've already heard for years on the dance Top 40 radio stations, but this album is filled with earworms that are all brand new)
33. Lisa Prank: Adult Teen (Tacocat buddy Lisa Prank plays the kind of lo-fi tunes that fit right into a year when playing it low key sometimes is just that much more refreshing)
32. Santigold: 99 Cents (which features my favorite song of the year "Can't Get Enough of Myself")
31. Chance the Rapper: Coloring Book (this is such a spoil of riches of different beats and sounds that it took me halfway through 2017 to finally realize how brilliant it is)
30. Various: The Hamilton Mixtape (this is one musical whose songs I can't get enough of)
29. Lydia Loveless: Real (not as classic as her last release, but she's still making the best alt-country happening these days)
28. De La Soul: and the Anonymous Nobody ... (this is all over the place, kind of like the classic De La albums of old, and makes for fun repeated and deep listenings)
27. Sturgill Simpson: A Sailer's Guide to Earth (I wasn't really onboard the earlier craze, but this album is about a good as country pop gets right now)
26. Hudson Bell: Yerba Buena (indie rockers wait no more, go get this)
25. Ladyhawke: Wild Things (this is like the second disc if Tegan and Sara's album were a double album; can't get enough of this kind of not-dumb dance pop)
24. Drugdealer: The End of Comedy (this is a little like a lost George Harrison album if he had spent more time in Laurel Canyon in the 1970s)
23. The Jayhawks: Paging Mr. Proust (didn't think these Minneapolis 90s alt-country warriors could still have it in them, but this is great)
22. The Goon Sax: Up to Anything (falling somewhere between the mellow pleasures of Belle and Sebastian and the off-kilter Daniel Johnston, and what a name!)
21. A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here (not much needs to be said, other than this was too long in waiting)
20. The Sandwich Police: Love Yourself (not quite sure where this obscure Evan Dando-involved EP came from, but it sure makes me happy)
19. Frankie Lee: American Dreamer (don't know much about this guy, but his album is officially the best country release of the year)
18. Twin Peaks: Down in Heaven (garage-rock Stones-like band that has been floating around awhile, they pull it all together with this release)
17. Alejandro Escovedo: Burn Something Beautiful (the Austin troubadour has always been really good on album and supposedly great in concert. He's great on this album)
16. The Lemon Twigs: On Hollywood (a weird little grower by some awkward kids who I somehow discovered on a network morning show, proving the concept of "popular sensation" makes no sense)
15. Childish Gambino: "Awaken, My Love!" (this is the best Funkadelic-like album since the 1970s and a major improvement from actor Donald Glover's earlier musical efforts)
14. ESP Ohio: Starting Point of the Royal Cyclopean + various EP releases (not even hardcore Guided By Voices fans necessarily even know these were released, but there are some early-2000s-like gems scattered throughout)
13. Teenage Fanclub: Here (has this band ever put out a bad song? Timeless power pop)
12. Parquet Courts: Human Performance (quickly becoming consistently my favorite contemporary band)
11. The Avalanches: Wildflower (this psychedelic mash-up of tons of popular tunes is insane and extremely catchy throughout, and a real surprise for the year)
10. Band of Horses: Why Are You OK (much like Parquet Courts, this band is just so consistently great, in a very gorgeous way with this one)
09. Ages and Ages: Something to Ruin (this may be the most upbeat thing I loved this year; as if Pavement merged with the Polyphonic Spree to create ridiculously happy slacker rock)
08. Free Cakes for Every Creature: Talking Quietly of Anything With You (this is almost painfully twee, but if you love their tune, "All You Gotta Be When You're 23," then you'll want all this album)
07. Wilco: Schmilco (mellow and gorgeous, it's almost unfair to everyone else who has to compare in the years that Wilco releases an album)
06. Tegan and Sara: Love You to Death (my kids' everyday addiction to "Boyfriend" may have destroyed that song forever, but there's no denying how perfect this album is)
05. Dinosaur Jr.: Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not (J Mascis just keeps doing his thing, and if you love his thing, this release was hard for much anything else to beat this year)
04: Against Me!: Shape Shift With Me (heavy metal hasn't much been my thing since I had a major crush in high school, but this is so amazingly catchy that I'll still be listening to it in my 80s)
03. Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial (we've waited a long time for someone to do Guided By Voices as well as GBV, and this young dude may finally be the rocking, rollicking answer)
02. Pity Sex: White Hot Moon (this band made this ultra-hooky shoegazey and rocky ode to the 90s and then promptly broke up)
01. Scott & Charlene's Wedding: Mid Thirties Single Scene (these tales of Australian Outback-ness might have been the best thing of the year if it had been released in 1986)

Honorable Mentions: 

• Honeyblood: Babes Never Die
• Dr. Dog: The Psychedelic Swamp
• Dream Wife: EP01
• Supermoon: Playland
• The Growlers: City Club
• Plastic Ants: Imperial Phase
• Kings of Leon: Walls
• Charles Bradley: Changes
• Animal Collective: Painting With
• Empire of the Sun: Two Vines
• The Jazz Butcher: Last of the Gentleman Adventurers
• Oscar: Cut and Paste
• SWMRS: Drive North
• Beverly: The Blue Swell
• Close Lobsters: Design and Signs
• Rogue Wave: Delusions of Grand Fur
• Adam Olenius: Looking Forward to the New Me
• Winterpills: Love Songs
• Crying: Beyond the Fleeting Gales
• Honeyblood: Babes Never Die
• Field Mouse: Episodic
• Lunch Duchess: My Mom Says I Have Rich Inner Life
• Metallica: Hardwired ... To Self-Destruct
• M.I.A.: AIM
• Kanye West: The Life of Pablo
• The Monkees: Good Times!
• Pinegrove: Cardinal
• Beach Slang: A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings
• Frankie Cosmos: Next Thing
• The Monochrome Set: Cosmonaut
• Pete Yorn: Arranging Time
• JEFF the Brotherhood: Zone
• Weezer: White Album

Top 40 Rock Albums of 2009

I apologize ahead of time to the editors of Rolling Stone, who are quickly driving me away from their magazine by devoting 40 pages of every issue to a coverage of U2, Green Day, the Stones, Bob Dylan, and Bruce. Nothing against any of those artists, but you won't find any of their albums in this list (although Green Day and Springsteen had releases in 2009 that were very, very solid). My list proclaims: "Out with the old and in with the new." There are a ton of promising new artists included here that help go to show that rock is far from dead ...

40. Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
39. Little Joy (pictured) - Little Joy
38. Ben Kweller - Changing Horses
37. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle
36. Ben Lee - Rebirth of Venus
35. God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl
34. Absentee - Victory Shorts
33. Tiny Masters of Today - Skeletons
32. Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Pains of Being Pure at Heart
31. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

30. Phish - Joy
29. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
28. M. Ward - Hold Time
27. Doug Gillard - Call From Restricted
26. The Boy Least Likely To - The Law of the Playground
25. Japanese Motors - Japanese Motors
24. Kaiser Chiefs (pictured) - Off With Their Heads
23. Tahiti 80 - Activity Center
22. Tinted Windows - Tinted Windows
21. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

20. Tegan & Sara - Sainthood
19. Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
18. Meat Puppets - Sewn Together
17. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
16. Girls (pictured) - Album
15. Echo and the Bunnymen - The Fountain
14. Weezer - Raditude
13. Telekinesis! - Telekinesis!
12. Sonic Youth - The Eternal
11. I Was a King - I Was a King

10. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
09. Boston Spaceships - Planets Are Blasted
08. Apollo Ghosts - Hastings Sunrise
07. Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
06. The Thermals - Now We Can See
05. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
04. Brendan Benson - My Old, Familiar Friend
03. Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
02. Darlings - Yeah I Know
01. Avett Brothers (pictured) - I and Love and You

My reflections from Jeff Tweedy’s musical reflections

The first thing Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy ever learned on guitar was the big dumb riff from Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” which he’s a little embarrassed about but also a little in awe of a song that played a big part in building his love of music.

While I too have a love/hate feel for “Smoke,” I feel the inner wimp that heavily overrides my tough-guy side can identify a little more closely with the second song Tweedy discusses in his new book World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music. When the yacht-rock catchy cheese of Leo Sayer’s “Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)” was played, Tweedy’s father, on many, many - too many - weeknights would get up and dance at the moment the somewhat hokey song would announce “I can dance!” The song was simply imprinted on young Jeff’s mind, and the world will really never know how much Leo Sayer altered his entire musical psyche. He knew he would never want to do the kind of thing his father did when that song played, but when he occasionally hears it these days, it oddly makes his father so vivid in his mind that Jeff can almost smell him. Pretty impressive power of music on display.

Jeff writes about a time when he would buy everything on SST Records, which led him to essentially buy music blindly without every hearing it beforehand or knowing anything about the artist. One such purchase was a band called Slovenly’s album Riposte, which includes a song “As If It Always Happens” that is awesome in its artistry of bringing a bunch of friends together to create something that they refused to be embarrassed about sharing with each other. It’s a great tune that I had never heard before and it does illuminate what seems like average dudes making something great together. Wilco very much seems to have followed that formula.

He notes that “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is the best-written song ever and that it reminds him of the happiest times with his mother, watching Judy Garland movies at night.

Tweedy tells a funny little memory of going to bars to try to get gigs, being told to provide a demo tape, going back to the garage and recording the best four or five songs, and then taking the tape back to the bar to try to get a gig. It never occurred to him and his bandmates to make a bunch of copies of the same performance to give out to bars.

He details what a shame it is that disco bands like ABBA and The Bee Gees were discounted so heavily by rockers when those songs seem to have stood the test of time and are undeniably great, no matter how cool you want to appear to be. If you’re looking at how to get better at forgiveness, as a person, Tweedy recommends taking one single song you used to hate - maybe it’s a disco one - and listening to it to see if you might have unfairly maligned it.

Interestingly, Tweety notes that Suicide was the first band to ever reference itself as punk. This was in 1970. But then he turns right around to write about “I’m Not in Love” by 10cc. That’s one of things I love so much about Tweedy in both his writing and in his music: he shifts around in his musical genres and isn’t afraid to note that, while he might not have liked that yacht-rock song back in the days when he was into Suicide, at a later point in his life he recognized the brilliance within it.

I’m excited that Tweedy’s favorite Rolling Stones song is “Connection.” That might be my favorite as well, perhaps because I work in the transportation field and I feel like it might be the most perfect song ever about transportation. He loves it so much because it’s on a Rolling Stones album he happened to be able to afford from the cutout bin as a kid.

Tweety stumbled in to seeing The Replacements when he went to a St. Louis club to watch X. He didn’t have any expectations because that’s not what you ever had for opening acts. But the band came out and played “Goddamn Job” and he knew, with their effortless fashion, that he had found his place in the world.

Early in his music career, his band got a prized gig at the Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri opening for Warren Zevon. Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles was the bassist for Zevon and when Tweedy asked if he could use the eventual-legend’s amp, Schmit held up his finger to get Tweedy to stop talking and he told his gear guy to not let this other guy touch his amp. As Jeff notes, a simple “sorry, I can’t let you” would have been the decent thing.

The book is mostly a series of short musings, including one about how dumb anyone who yells out “Freebird” at a concert is, as Jeff laments how poor Lynyrd Skynyrd has had their classic and truly great song turned into one of the world’s worst and never-ending jokes, a meme.

I love that he suggests getting Stevie Wonder to write us a new national anthem that isn’t so war mongering as our long existing one.

He asks, how is every last one of the Ramones gone?

It was a major revelation when the Beatles released their anthology in the 1990s. It allowed a young Tweedy to realize that they weren’t perfect. He had space to be terrible before he could get really good, he thought at that point.

Probably about half the time he doesn’t really enjoy singing “Happy Birthday.” Tweedy also has a nephew who vehemently despises the song and doesn’t understand why people would want to ruin a perfectly good cake experience.

This book is not as good - it’s got elements of a little too much aimlessness in it - as Tweedy’s other two modern classic books on rock. But he is a truly talented writer and storyteller and, even when he’s not at his best, he has found himself a pretty good background career.

4 out of 5 stars

A Garden State Version of Wilco

It seems like the only band Rachel and I have been seeing lately is Wilco. Not a terribly bad thing since the Chicago-via-Belleville, Illinois band is our favorite current group.

This time we traveled to Montclair, New Jersey to catch them at the fairly new Wellmont Theater, a place similar to DC's 9:30 Club in that it's a converted old theater that holds about 2,500 people.

After meeting up with my brother's friends Rick and Debbie, we left Jackson with Debbie and their kids and headed with Rick to the theater. The sound was not perfect (a bit of an echo) but the 3+-hour set pulled out all the right stops, with two great Big Star covers highlighting the end of the night. It was very fitting for the band to play such loud, power pop versions of "In the Street (That 70's Show theme)" and "Thank You Friends." It was also touching since Big Star leader Alex Chilton suddenly passed away last month.

The other highlights were too many to mention, and the acoustic set in the middle was a nice touch. The (mostly) full review and set list are here.

We finished the night by walking from the concert with Rachel's friends Jon and Katie back to their apartment a few blocks away to catch up. Then we headed back to Rick and Debbie's house to grab Jackson, who of course had stayed up too late having fun with their 11-year-old daughter Rachel.

My favorite 100+ albums of 2020

Best Reissues: 

This collection from Hall and Oates (Fall in Philadelphia: The Definitive Demos 1968-71) is less "reissue" and more "all demos of mostly later-fleshed-out songs," but it's a mellow yacht-rock keeper. Lou Reed's New York is one of my favorites and it got the deluxe treatment this year, with the best new stuff being a ton of live burners. The Replacements' Pleased to Meet Me Deluxe is packed with tons of new extras and, of course, there could never be enough versions of "Can't Hardly Wait." Lemonheads' Lovey 30th Anniversary Edition doesn't add much other than a disc's worth of live tracks, but this is one of the great underrated pop-punk releases of the 90s. Various Really Obscure Artists finally get their time in the sun on the early-R.E.M.-like-tastic Strum & Thrum: The American Jangle Underground.

Biggest Disappointments:
Tame Impala: The Slow Rush (started out a few years back as one of my favorite new bands and have devolved over several releases into an adult-contemporary version of shoegazer rock. Boring)
Huey Lewis and the News: Weather (I was kind of actually excited about the return of these 80s pop-rockers, and Picture This is a far superior album to Sports, but this lays an egg)

Daniel Blumberg: On&On&On ... (there are three great songs on this one, but the rest is almost unlistenable, which is a shame since Blumberg is the former leader of one the last decade's greatest bands Yuck)

The Killers: Imploding the Mirage (it feels a little icky to say I've liked all this band's releases, and this one starts promisingly but devolves into some very bad disco without the hooks)

Prince: Sign O' the Times 2020 Remaster (why do so many people consider this his best release?; it has a few great songs, tons of filler, and is way out of the league of the likes of Purple Rain and 1999)

Smashing Pumpkins: CYR (a mere few days after I was reflecting on how great Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is, this also-long player came out and blew my mind with its overly dramatic awfulness)

Best EPs: 

Surfer Blood's Hardboiled is the top EP of the year, with excellent female guest vocalists on three of the five songs infusing a fresh sound to an always excellent little emo-rock band. Taking EP to a new level of art, Surfer Blood's Hourly Haunts is, again, a testament to one of the sneakily best bands around these days. As if one full-length wasn't enough from this cowboy this year, Orville Peck's Show Pony is an unstoppable force, including an anthemic duet with Shania Twain. CHIKA's Industry Games is a joyous hip-hop celebration. Ages and Ages' Nothing Serious showcases in a crib notes version why it is such a great Portland pop band. lazylazy's buddy is straightforward, pretty perfect indie rock. ROOKIE's On Audiotree Live is a throwback to 1980s loud production values, as if Tom Petty got in the studio with Motley Crue. Kailee Morgue's Here in Your Bedroom fits pleasurably somewhere between early Madonna and Courtney Barnett. 2nd Grade's Boys in Heat is a very brief blast of perfect power pop that's easy to miss but essential to not. Terrace Martin's They Call Me Disco is a blast of hip hop disco pop funk soul that may be the most danceable record on this list. A few songs of archival material from the brilliant Donnie & Joe Emerson were released this year; check them out. Bright Eyes’ Mariana Trench is a long-welcome return of extra-catchy Conor Oberst tunes. Pom Pom Squad's Ow is like a new, freakier version of the beloved Bettie Serveert. Tobin Sprout's output has seriously declined since he left Guided by Voices (a second time) so any little bit is great, and this is Simon-and-Garfunkel beautiful. Kurt Vile's Speed, Sound, Lonely KV is a pleasurably little finger-picked gem. Yo La Tengo's Sleepless Night is a slight release, but worth it if only for the cover of the Byrd's "Wasn't Born to Follow." Gold Connections' Ammunition is a sweet and funny ode to 90s indie like Pavement and 00s post-indie like Yuck.

Top 111:
111. Mayer Hawthorne: Man About Town (this is really groovy soul for an L.A. hipster who hasn't released much after a flurry of great output about 10 years ago)
110. Black Lips: Sing in a World That's Falling Apart (good yee-haw fun that is true to it's title and impossible to leave off a year-end list)

109. Phantom Planet: Devastator (this band came back seemingly out of nowhere, but you can't go wrong with any of their releases when you need a little quiet/loud power pop)

108. Calexico: Seasonal Shift (a sometimes goofy but often beautiful album to add to the Christmas cannon)

107. Snarls: Burst (at first I thought they were just an ingenuine knockoff of Bully, but then repeat listens changed my mind considerably)

106. Are We Static: Accepting the Universe (a band I know nothing about, but the big guitars and harmonies are infectious)

105. The Streets: None of Us Are Getting Out of This Alive (one of my favorite under-the-radar rappers, this is one of his less engaging releases but still pretty enjoyable) 

104. Deap Lips: Deap Lips (the Flaming Lips meet an equally experimental L.A. girl duo that, together, create an arguably entertaining mishmash of psych pop)
103. Bob Mould: Blue Hearts (this is a pretty incidental record, but it still represents what wouldn't be a bad offering into the Husker Du catalog)

102. Yukon Blonde: Vindicator (catchy new wave dance pop will never go out of style)

101. Blitzen Trapper: Holy Smokes Future Jokes (how these latter-day hippies stay so calm and mellow in 2020 is amazing, and a pretty beautiful thing to cherish)

100. Rose City Band: Summerlong (somewhere between the Dead and Beachwood Sparks, this was recommended by a friend, which thankfully bailed me out from listening to Bob Dylan's latest yawner)

99. The Bird and the Bee: Put Up the Lights (there's no need to be cynical about a Christmas album. If there were a time to tune in to such a joyous collection, it's 2020)

98. White Lies: FIVE (I'm pretty sure nobody needs another Interpol knock-off, but this is really groovy goth wave that just deserves to be listened to)

97. Bobby Conn: Recovery (this guy is always super weird when he comes back around with new music. Not for any time of the day, but super interesting stuff regardless)

96. Mandy Moore: Silver Landings (now that she's out from under the negative influence of ex Ryan Adams, Moore has found her voice and inspiration)

95. Public Enemy: What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? (it's always the right time for a new PE album, but this feels right-er than ever in this year of Black Lives Matter rising into the mainstream)
94. Rufus Wainwright: Unfollow the Rules (he's carrying the torch for indie pop songwriters whose every song could be the basis for a killer Broadway musical)

93. Sturgill Simpson: Cuttin' Grass - Vols. 1 and 2 (my young daughter came prancing into the room while I was listening and said jubilantly, "this is cowboy music." Can't disagree)

92. Cults: Host (another enjoyable wave pop release from this NYC duo)

91. The Lemon Twigs: Music for the General Public (I was expecting, frankly, much better things from this freaky band of brothers, and while the middle part of the album is great, there is way too much aimless excess elsewhere)

90. Eels: Earth to Dora (this is a typically understated Eels release, and excellent in the process)

89. Eminem: Music to Be Murdered By (there were lots of critics who could only commit to half-liking this album, but it's exceptional rap/hip hop all of its long way through)
88. of Montreal: UR FUN (this band excels at being weirdly avantgarde and accessibly poppy, and this is probably its best, most rejuvenated-feeling effort in at least a decade)
87. Adam Green: Engine of Paradise (Green has been teasing a modern-day Lou Reed-like masterpiece for years now; this one snuck up and finally delivered)
86. Mystery Jets: A Billion Heartbeats (these psych popsters have been churning out quietly exceptional noise for a decade and a half, starting back when their leader was 12)
85. Peter Bjorn and John: Endless Dream (nobody ever thought these early 2000s one-hit "Young Folks" wonders would still be making super-catchy pop, but this album is really fun)
84. Nana Grizol: South Somewhere Else (the return of some key players from the 1990s musical collective Elephant 6 offers a mature version of their psych pop rock n' roll)

83. Ryan Adams: Wednesdays (this is a surprise release after serious abuse allegations; while redemption may not be in his cards, these are haunting songs that testify to what must have been a miserable 2020 - deservedly - for Adams)

82. The Lees of Memory: Moon Shot (the former leader of Superdrag is back with this power-pop collection. The first half sounds like Teenage Fanclub and the second Foo Fighters)

81. Tyler, The Creator: IGOR (ethereal hip hop with great backing vocals throughout that often sound like little-kid Michael Jackson era)

80. Badly Drawn Boy: Banana Skin Shoes (much like PBJ above, this is another blast from the past that I thought I'd just listen to and forget, but I kept listening to it over and over and couldn't forget)

79. Morrissey: I Am Not a Dog On a Chain (much as I don't want to like the Moz and his wack-job viewpoints anymore, this is a darn good collection of pop tunes)
78. Mac DeMarco: Other Here Comes the Cowboy Demos (a super-mellow and relaxing and relaxed effort that is another edition to DeMarco's increasingly strong discography)

77. Eyelids: The Accidental Falls (a bit of an indie-rock supergroup, consisting of members who have played with Guided By Voices, Stephen Malkmus, and many others; very enjoyable)

76. Nada Surf: Never Not Together (this feels like one of NS's slighter releases, but there is still Greatest Hits-type material like "So Much Love " and "Come Get Me")
75. Soccer Mommy: color theory (not much more of a hyped release came out of the indie-rock world in 2020, and while there are a handful of classic pop tunes, there are an equal number of complete snoozefests; shoulda been an EP)
74. Greg Dulli: Random Desire (the Afghan Whigs frontman puts together a weird but soulful and heart-wrenching solo release)

73. Thurston Moore: By the Fire (a highly-listenable mix of the former Sonic Youth leader's typical postpunk experimentation and blindingly beautiful and catchy pop-guitar moments)
72. Mura Masa: R.Y.C. (the year's best "electronic" release, mixing in major elements of hip hop and rock)
71. Grouplove: Healer (this album hits after not-a-word from the band since 2017, and they remain as rowdy and catchy as ever)
70. Yacht Rock Review: Hot Dads in Tight Jeans (yes, everything about this entry is admittedly ridiculous, but who can argue with new classics being added to the 70s light-rock cannon?)
69. Hazel English: Wake UP! (I know nothing about this singer with a glorious voice and catchy hooks and upbeat shoegazer sunny-afternoon laziness in abundance)

68. Peach Pit: You and Your Friends (I know nothing about this band, but it is pop bounce that always will put you in a good mood, even when under quarantine)

67. The Avett Brothers: The Third Gleam (this qualifies as a disappointment for these excellent folkies, but only because it's a bit of a minor release albeit still quietly beautiful)

66. My Morning Jacket: The Waterfall II (this is a typically excellent MMJ release that is even more impressive for essentially being the fully-formed leftovers from The Waterfall I)

65. Neil Young: Homegrown (although this legend has had some debatable releases lately, this one is my favorite kind of NY: laid-back country, Harvest-style)

64. Built to Spill: Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston (these songs aren't much different from either artist, which makes them the perfect songwriter for the band to cover ... enjoyably)

63. Jake Xerxes Fussell: Out of Sight (I saw this folk storyteller last year open for Bill Callahan and he was tremendous, and he's maybe even more tremendous and melancholy on this album)

62. Cornershop: England is a Garden (the "Brimful of Asha" 90s wonders are back with their best album)
61. Sunshine Boys: Work and Love (this is in the vein of the power pop-folk of Buffalo Tom, which makes sense since Freda Love of Blake Babies is on drums)

60. Coriky: Coriky (Fugazi's Ian MacKaye is back with a little punk-pop release that goes down rocking and easy)

59. Hinds: The Prettiest Curse (a bit of a letdown for a band of Spanish women who set the bar high on their first releases, but still wonderfully weird and melodic)

58. Dent May: Late Checkout (this L.A. new wave pop songsmith is back with a killer EP and pretty decent LP)

57. Destroyer: Have We Met (another killer solo effort from this member of The New Pornographers; the best art-prog-pop artist of the past decade)
56. The Strokes: The New Abnormal (critics like to criticize them for never reaching the heights of their debut; but that's plain unfair, and the first half of this release is almost as good as Is This It)
55. Childish Gambino: 3.15.20 (despite universal appraisal, he has been hit-or-miss; but this one, after a slow start turns into a joyous party in which Prince is helping spirit lead)
54. Brendan Benson: Dear Life (the return of one of the top power-pop kings is every bit as innovative and catchy as expected)

53. Drive-By Truckers: The New OK (one of two Truckers' releases this year, it's not one of their many classics but it's got a lot of great southern rock-pop winners throughout)

52. Diet Cig: Do You Wonder About Me? (this is the 2020s version of the Blake Babies, with great pop hooks and soaring indie-rock vocals)

51. Lily Hiatt: Walking Proof (another great country chanteuse added to this list, this one is super catchy)

50. The Dears: Lovers Rock (somewhere between The Smiths and The Style Council is this always-amazingly cinematographic new-wave band of storytellers)

49. Carly Rae Jepsen: Dedicated Side B (if this is truly the leftovers from 2019's Dedicated, then this top 40 regular is jaw-droppingly talented and prolific)

48. Paul Weller: On Sunset (not as brilliant as his release last year, but the former leader of The Jam just keeps knocking out complex pop albums at a pace nobody could have expected)

47. Surfer Blood: Carefree Theater (this band has carved itself out a nice spot as a bit of a Vampire Weekend light, and this is part of a tear of recent output and creativity)

46. The Weeknd: After Hours (the superstar has somehow issued a very understated dance-pop release, while also being epic in length and great throughout)
45. Drive-By Truckers: The Unraveling (how does this Southern rock band in the vein of a modern-day, woke Lynyrd Skynyrd just somehow keep getting better?)

44. Eric Hutchinson: Class of 98 (wacky songs with an absolute lovable happiness about them, perfect for a depressing year)

43. Car Seat Headrest: Making a Door Less Open (this release out-Strokes the new also-very-good Strokes album)

42. Kathleen Edwards: Total Freedom (a long break for this country-pop master thankfully ends with more of her easy-listening joy. She never makes a bad song)

41. Secret Machines: Awake in the Brain Chamber (a party pumper for new-wave fans)

40. Bright Eyes: Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was (a typically haunting and upbeat collection of new tunes from the excellent Conor Oberst)

39. Whitney Rose: We Still Go to Rodeos (this is a beautiful slice of Americana. She's still little known, I saw her at Hill Country with about 30 people attending, but if there were justice, that will change soon)

38. Illuminati Hotties: Free I.M.: This is Not the One You've Been Waiting For (somewhere between unlistenable and impossible to turn away from, like a mix of riot grrrl and 90s prime-era Sebadoh)

37. Green Day: Father of All ... (what really needs to be said: this band may be getting better with punk age rage)
36. Pist Idiots: Ticker (a rowdy group straight out of the early Replacements/Lemonheads guitar punk school. Short and delicious)

35. Lady Gaga: Chromatica (I was never a big fan until A Star is Born. This sounds like that amazing soundtrack mixed with what Madonna could have been if she didn't suck now)
34. Anna Birch: If You're Dancing (this one is a soft, slow-grower; like her brilliant debut release, this is beautiful, weird, and creative)
33. Young Jesus: Welcome to Conceptual Beach (a slow grower with a voice like Antony and the Johnsons and a jazzy meandering, this Rough Trade release is a classis in the tradition of Slint)

32. Versus: Ex Voto (New York City lifers bring a pop-punk pleaser with a jab of math-rock guitar, like a softer Sleater Kinney or Polvo)

31. Nick Piunti and the Complicated Men: Downtime (somewhere between early Bryan Adams and Tommy Stinson, this one gives the Old 97s a run for the power pop/dadrock release of the year)

30. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down: Temple (this is the highest of the weirdo albums on the list, but every time I think I'm going to stop liking this band, they come back with an even better release. Hypnotizing)

29. Beabadoobee: Fake It Flowers (this messy and mesmerizing debut LP is deep and a grower; it may someday prove to be worthy of a higher ranking on this list)

28. 2nd Grade: Hit to Hit (24 songs would normally be a bit much, but these short nuggets are a throwback to the 90s bubblegum of Teenage Fanclub and BMX Bandits and is one of the most welcome efforts in an otherwise awful year)

27. Bill Callahan: Gold Record (the Smog leader offers a book of wisdom as he wanders across the desert plains once explored by the likes of Johnny Cash)

26. Taylor Swift: evermore (at first, it seemed Swift's second release of the year was a bore, but as usual, with more listens, it grew into a brilliant celebration of pandemic isolation)

25. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Reunions (a perfect release for a pandemic, making you long for the good old days and tap your alt-country foot at the same time)

24. The Flaming Lips: American Head (in a return to Soft Bulletin-style after years away in the experimental wilderness, this freaky release is hard to stop listening to)

23. Soul Asylum: Hurry Up and Wait (this would be the album of the year if there weren't several stinkers; but several of the power-pop highlights are among the year's best tunes)

22. Taylor Swift: folklore (a bit long, but it was deemed by many the first real album of the pandemic; repeat listens transform it from a mellow jam to the work of a deeply talented songwriter)

21. CeeLo Green: Is Thomas Callaway (his sneakily best album is pure pop-soul-funk pleasure)

20. Mac Miller: Circles (I had never heard anything by Miller before he died, but this posthumous release is undeniably the catchiest hip-hop album of the year)

19. HAIM: Women in Music Pt. III (great backing music fuel a large batch of songs that remain catchy and creatively sung after many many summertime listens, by far the band's best release)

18. Guided by Voices: Mirrored Aztec (this one has some of the Dayton band's best work at the front and back ends, with lots more that may take a long time to sift through in between)

17. Jeff Tweedy: Love is the King (not monumental like a Wilco release, but there are a lot of examples showing why it makes sense that this guy just literally wrote a book on songwriting)

16. Low Cut Connie: Private Lives (this is the modern, and better, version of The Black Crowes, perfect for a post-pandemic generation)

15. The Jayhawks: XOXO (this band is quietly in my hall of fame; it touches on so many different levels of pop and alt-country perfection; out-Wilco-ing Wilco)

14. Bully: Superegg (the best screamopop band around; yet another great release to this band's catalog)

13. Mary Bue: The World is Your Lover (this renaissance Minneapolis rocker has put out perhaps the most pleasant surprise on this list based on the fact I'd never heard of her before this release)

12. Orville Peck: Pony (this is in the running for my favorite new artist; he's certainly the strangest, landing on the prairie like Morrissey stuck in Johnny Cash's body)
11. Stephen Malkmus: Traditional Techniques (a psychedelic mostly-acoustic slow-grower from the former leader of Pavement continues his string of always-unexpected and instant-classic releases)
10. Guided by Voices: Surrender Your Poppy Field (it's just unfair. Even a GBV release that isn't perfect still beats most of the rest of the field. That said, this is a serious grower over time)

09. Lydia Loveless: Daughter (she is in a dead tie with Waxahatchee for best country singer of the year; a powerfully emotional and catchy album all the way through with several song-of-the-year candidates)

08. Waxahatchee: Saint Cloud (a beautiful country turn by an artist who was already putting out some of the most excellent rock around) 

07. Best Coast: Always Tomorrow (a perfect bouncy, good-mood pop-punk album for our not-so-good-mood times)

06. Laura Jane Grace: Stay Alive (a quiet yet rowdy anthem of an album for our year, this old punker just keeps getting better with age)

05. Guided By Voices: Styles We Paid For (unlike the other inevitable GBV releases on this list, it's instantly lovable and right up there among the band's many classics)

04. The High Water Marks: Ecstasy Rhythms (this is by far the poppiest release from the legendary Elephant 6 collective, and all the better for it, shelving the experimentation and launching into bursts of perfect songs the whole way through)

03. Old 97s: Twelfth (Dallas Cowboys' fans will love the cover art, 90s alterna-rockers will love the songmanship and Evan Dando-like crooning, and dad-rockers may find this their soundtrack of the year)

02. The Beths: Jump Rope Gazers (this had the #1 album locked up until Paul came along at the end of the year, and I don't know what Jump Rope Gazers are, but they amount to perfect power pop. This band tops a female-heavy year of monumental rock n'roll, which is never dead, of course)
01. Paul McCartney: McCartney III (nobody, not even my other favorites like Pollard, Westerberg, and Tweedy can come close to Sir Paul when he is firing on all cylinders. This one takes a few listens before the pop weirdo brilliance all comes together to make the indisputable album of the year. It even went to #1 with the mass public in its first week of release)