Joel Schneider of My Goodness in action at Bumbershoot 2011. (Photo: Tony Kay)
Two-man rock machine My Goodness is back. Thank God and the hammer He’s bringing down on your eardrums.
Guitarist/singer Joel Schneider and drummer Andy Lum haven’t so much fixed something that ain’t broke on Shiver + Shake, their new long-player dropping Tuesday, as they have added some extra colors and shading to their electric-blues monster car. The record marks a terrific move forward, and the new twists signal—loud and clear—that they’re in it for the long haul.
Longtime fans can rest assured that Schneider’s cement-mixer riffage and Lum’s chest-rattling backbeat haven’t gone away. Those sonic fireworks pummel you in the kisser right out of the gate with the muscular title track, a lurching blues stomp that opens the record, and the stop-start groove of “Pay No Mind” reinforces everything that’s great about their tough side. But the band’s sonic palette has broadened thanks to some compelling new twists in songwriting and producer Rick Parashar’s presence at the console.
Parashar’s produced acts like Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam in the past, and he puts a handsome, radio-ready sheen on the band’s trademark crunch without neutering it. The panoramic scope suits this batch of new material. Guitars chime as much as they grind on “Cold Feet Killer,” and the song’s shifts from Zeppelin-style riffs to nearly post-punk pinging stringwork sound like U2 growing a set of brass ones while still staring into the sky.
Schneider’s always possessed a good working rock voice, and his singing’s arguably grown in versatility and strength in the last few years. He’s never growled more ferociously than he does on “Letter to the Sun,” but he doesn’t fall back on bluster, and the distinctive vibrato in his voice is emerging as a key secret weapon in My Goodness’s arsenal. Schneider’s vocal shiver and shake adds folky vulnerability to the quiet and lovely “Bottle,” and a psychobilly swagger to the bad-assed chug of “C’mon Doll”.
As polished and full of detours as Shiver + Shake is, though, it never sells this band’s power short. It’s just genetically engineered to sound best pumping at full volume out of the biggest and fattest car stereo speakers you can find. Listen, and ride on.
[My Goodness play the Crocodile tonight, with Black Whales and Acapulco Lips opening. Show starts at 8pm. A few tickets, $15 at the door, are still available.]
Wussy at SXSW 2012 for KEXP, photo by Jim Bennett.
Wussy is one of those bands that music nerds like me just love talking about as much as we like listening to (and we listen plenty). As Robert Christgau wrote in 2012, “Wussy have been the best band in America since they released the first of their five superb albums in 2005, only nobody knows it except me and my friends. I’m oversimplifying, of course. Wussy are a moderately big deal in their unhip Cincinnati hometown, and in part because so many of my friends are rock critics, their 2011 Strawberry finished 109th in the 2011 Pazz & Jop Critics’ Poll — not bad for a band never once mentioned in Pitchfork. (Ever.) Nevertheless, they remain dishearteningly obscure.”
Having put out seven albums over its career, including the excellent new album Attica!, (now raved about in Pitchfork) the now-five piece band from Cincinnati is embarking on a tour that will take them across much of the west coast, including playing tonight at El Corazon. You should go. The band melds power pop hooks with offbeat rock and/or roll, including some droning guitar parts. And I just love the way that Lisa Walker and Chuck Cleaver sing and write lyrics.
I spoke with Chuck Cleaver while the band was making a stop on their drive between shows in St. Paul, MN and Wenatchee, WA. He called from Butte, MT and we talked about all things Wussy.
I want to first ask about your new album, Attica!, and what had gone into making it?
I remember writing some of the songs on our last west coast tour a couple of years ago. I think our aim was to make it as immediate and as close to how we play live as possible. We did do some overdubbing but we wanted to make the initial tracks as close to first takes as we possibly could to get more of a live feel to it, or whatever. I think we were pretty successful. Some friends of ours who have been listening to our albums since the beginning said that it’s most like how we sound live of any record we’ve made. So we were pretty happy with it.
We worked with John Curley, the bass player for the Afghan Whigs, in his studio and we really enjoy working with him. We’ve made all of our records but one with him.
Is there anything you did with Attica! that is new to your process?
We tried to keep all of the initial tracks. It wasn’t all first takes but not having to overdub anything was the initial goal. The keyboards and a few other things here and there we had to retouch because no one in the band plays keyboards live but we wanted to make it more of an organic process, or something, without sounding too much like a hippie.
When we make our records, we kind of go in with our fingers crossed. There’s not a lot of talk or planning that goes into it.
Is there a process that you go through when you’re making new music?
I think we sync well enough with everybody that we don’t have to discuss things a lot. We just sort of go in and do it.
As far as songwriting, either Lisa or I come in with a skeleton of a song and we flesh it out. Sometimes we goof around on a couple of chords until we find something that we like. We try to include everyone in the entire process because if someone is included in it, they sort of care about it more. It’s sort of everybody’s thing, you know?
I know Lisa sings it, but can I ask a little bit about the “Teenage Wasteland” song that begins Attica? I think it’s one of my favorite Wussy songs right now, out of many.
I was playing that initial thing and goofing around with my vibrato and doing a finger-pick thing to get that opening thing. I was really messing around and not intending it to be anything. When I stopped, Lisa said to keep playing that. We came up with the instrumental part of it but we didn’t know what the words were going to be until she sang them in the studio.
She tends to keep fragments of things around and then at the last moment surprises us with them. When she went in and sang the vocal track of that song, we never really heard what she was singing before. She would mumble some words to get a feel for the song, or whatever, but when she sang it [in the studio] we were all looking at each other like, “Damn, where’d that come from?” It’s good to be surprised like that. We were all standing around the studio with our jaws agape.
That song had been called “Paul Westerberg” up until when she put lyrics into it because we didn’t have a title for it.
How’s this tour going for you, compared to your last tour?
It’s still too new to tell. We’ve only done three dates but the venues have been a little nicer and the crowds have been a little bigger. We’re selling a little bit more merchandise. It seems like it’s growing a little bit.
I know that the woman who booked this tour for us said it wasn’t as hard to book this time. A few more people seem to know who we are.
Do you think the support you’ve gotten from writers like Robert Christgau has helped get the word out about Wussy?
Oh yeah, definitely. With people who are inside music and the public at large, I don’t have any delusions or anything, we’re still a relatively unknown band. But it does feel like this has a little bit of a higher profile than anything else we’ve ever done.
Have you noticed a progression where Wussy gets a little bit bigger with each release, and you pick up a few more fans with each new album?
I think so. For better or worse, we’ve always been a word-of-mouth band. That’s alright. We’re used to it and anything seems better than nothing.
Does Wussy have any plans after you finish the tour and the sort of cycle for Attica!?
I think we’re going to see how things play out. I wish I could tell you something more exciting but we don’t really plan too much. I’m working on writing some things for a new record and I know Lisa is working on some new stuff. We were messing around with some stuff in our practice space. We like to keep working. We’ve put out seven records in about twelve years, so I don’t think that’s too bad of a track record. I mean some of the releases were Record Store Day-only releases.
I think it’s business as usual and we’re just going to see what happens. You’ll occasionally hear something like there’s a label interested in you or something, but I try not to hold my breath. What happens will happen and we’ll just figure it out as we go.
Wheedle’s Groove: Seattle Funk, Modern Soul & Boogie Volume II 1972-1987 is the best kind of historic artifact—an irresistible, hard-dancing release that constitutes another glorious feather in the cap (make that the flash pimp hat) of indie label Light in the Attic Records.
That’s no surprise given the mini-cottage industry that LITA’s constructed for the last ten years atop Wheedle’s Groove, the wonderful 2004 compilation that first exposed the world to vintage 1965-1975 Seattle soul sounds. Over the decade, the label’s put out reissues of unreleased/out-of-print jewels from Wheedle’s alums Overton Berry and Robbie Hill’s Family Affair, a limited-edition box set of 45s, and the terrific 2010 Wheedle’s Groove documentary. This wealth of material reconstructed a nearly-lost corner of Seattle music history. And most importantly, it grooved like hell.
If Wheedle’s Groove II is an indication, this particular well ain’t nowhere near dry. The 18 cuts on display cut a wider swath chronologically and stylistically than the first Wheedle’s Groove, showcasing local R&B’s radical metamorphoses through funk, disco, hip-hop, and electro-pop. DJ Supreme La Rock, the wax-spinning Indiana Jones whose crate-digging helped begin the Wheedle’s odyssey ten years ago, compiles and sequences this follow-up to favor flow over chronology, and it plays like a lovingly-curated set of house party jams. The historic end’s ably held up by City Arts scribe Jonathan Zwickel’s engaging liner notes, which include interviews with band members and some fascinating backstory to boot.
Several cuts, like Don Brown’s insidiously-catchy soul/yacht rock fusion “Lose Your Love,” possess hooks that woulda made ‘em hits if their creators hadn’t been so removed from the rest of the world. But that geographic isolation also infused these Seattle acts with a raggedness and character removed from the homogenizing influences of music epicenters like LA and Detroit. M’s third-baseman Lenny Randle’s “Kingdome” swings with a call-and-response funkiness way cooler than you’d ever expect from a sports novelty tune, and an easygoing summery looseness informs the stunning vocal interplay on Cold, Bold, and Together’s 1972 jewel, “Let’s Backtrack.”
Disco casts a long (and for some of the musicians interviewed, unwelcome) shadow over several Wheedle’s II tracks, but even the frothiest moments offer plenty of big and small pleasures. Priceless’s “Love in Your Life” and “Look at Me” capture the inspiring sound of scruffy indie musicians crafting dance music as lush and escapist as anything by Chic or Tavares, while local vocalista extraordinaire Bernadette Bascom augments her killer pipes with a healthy dose of humor at the front of Epicentre’s “Get Off the Phone.”
The best selections on Wheedle’s Groove II really seem to be beamed in from some parallel soul universe. Frederick Robinson III’s “Love One Another” probably sounded antiquated in 1983 with its shuffling real drums, chugging rhythm guitar, and Robinson’s rough velour-soul voice, but it’s an oddity (Christian protest funk?) that’s as magical and to-the-bone soulful as it is unconventional. The enigmatic Malik Din’s skittery synth-funk track “Trouble in Mind” sounds like Curtis Mayfield cutting a new-wave song for a John Hughes flick, while Prince’s cyborg twin shows up in robotic Euro-disco armor on Teleclere’s awesome, delirious 1983 dance jam “Steal Your Love.”
Teleclere: (Funk) Robots in disguise on ‘Wheedle’s Groove Volume II’.
Canny spinner that he is, DJ Supreme programs the most epic track at the end. Robbie Hill’s Family Affair provided one of the first Wheedle’s Groove’s finest moments with their potent Sly Stone-influenced “I Just Wanna Be (Like Myself),” but their 7-minute 1975 jam “Don’t Give Up,” which closes Wheedle’s Groove II, is nothing less than a stone masterpiece. Starting at a soulful simmer with a reflective spoken-word intro, languid wah-wah guitar, and some breathtaking falsetto crooning, Hill’s in-the-pocket drums kick into a driving funk groove halfway through, punctuated by an almost psychedelic jazz flute. You couldn’t ask for a more unconventional, gorgeous, and unerringly booty-shaking capper to this unconventional, gorgeous, and unerringly booty-shaking collection.
Here’s what I know about the great, new-ish Seattle band King Friday: they are named after a character from “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” and their press materials refer to themselves as “neo-hermits.” I’m not sure what that means.
King Friday was recently signed to the label Tender Loving Empire, who plans on putting out each of their nine LPs every few months. The next one (LP number two) is due on Tuesday, July 1 and it’s called This Is Supposed to Be Fun. The songs I have heard have a wistful, Kinks-meets-Vampire Weekend vibe that I’ve been digging. Their first was called The Aristocrats, so I appreciate the pop culture reference there. What is especially enjoyable is how short their songs are (“Something Worthwhile” is only 98 seconds), which has the opposite effect of a lot of music has on me. I want to replay what I just heard instead of waiting for it to finish.
We’re very excited to premiere the newest single from King Friday here. You can listen to it below over and over again until 7/1, when you’ll be able to purchase This Is Supposed to Be Fun (or pick up The Aristocrats now)here.
My friend Steven alerted me to this post from the New York Times yesterday asking what should be on their “reverse bucket list” for New York? They explain:
You’ve watched the sun set from the roof of the Empire State Building, made love atop 800-thread-count sheets at the Royal Plaza Suite, savored a steak at Peter Luger, sat ringside at Shakespeare in the Park, and ridden the Cyclone while sipping a Cel-Ray soda.
Every pleasure and privilege the city has to offer has been yours.
Now it’s time to get cracking on your New York City reverse bucket list.
What are some things you don’t want to do in New York before you die?
Items on that list include “Emerge from the subway and have to ask directions” and “Spend a night at Penn Station.” Accepting Steven’s challenge, I thought it would be fun to make a similar list for Seattle. Omitting some obvious things like Ride the Ducks or things that I wouldn’t do anyway (like cos-play at Emerald City Comic Con), and I just have better things to do with my time than play kickball at Cal Anderson Park. Here are some of the items on my (now ever-growing) Seattle Reverse Bucket List:
Get stuck downtown during the Torchlight Parade.
Not get over Super Bowl XL.
Sign a petition sponsored by Tim Eyman.
Say “Cap Hill.”
Use the #SaveUberX hashtag.
Get a cup of coffee (or anything else, I don’t drink coffee) at Storyville.
Get caught anywhere near Gasworks Park on the Fourth of July.
Stop to talk to a canvasser in front of Westlake Center (again).
Order an Oprah Chai Tea from Starbucks.
Take part in Santacon.
Make eye contact with a LaRouchie (also known as LaRouche Bags).
Drive five blocks to my walking path, like Nicole Brodeur.
Have out-of-town friends asking to visit the “Singles House.”
Drink on St. Patrick’s Day at Kells or Fado.
What’s on your “Seattle reverse bucket list”? Share your suggestions in the comment box or tweet to us at @thesunbreak.
The Strauss Emperor Waltzes were a light and lovely start to the concert. In this piece in particular, the quality of the playing and the crisp attention between conductor and performer was at its highest throughout the concert. Entrances were very precise and I felt that the string section achieved a warm richness. I had to ask myself – Is it just me, or has the Seattle Symphony significantly improved under Ludovic Mortlot’s baton?
As an atonal complement to the Emperor Waltzes, the Symphony invited pianist Jonathan Biss to debut the Schoenberg Piano Concerto, Op 42. Schoenberg can be unpleasantly angular to the uninitiated due to his modern and reactionary composition style, using mathematical matrices to create his works. It does take a little time to warm up to the peaks and valleys of his musical style, but once you get it, there is a certain kind of magic in listening to his unique voice. And even with a fair amount of listening, Schoenberg isn’t for everyone – and there was some negative chatter on the floor from those sitting behind me and on their way to the restroom about the piece simply given the fact that it was atonal. However, I think the Symphony does itself a good turn to keep these kinds of pieces in the repertoire, as they are an important part not only of the musical oeuvre at large but also a good way to expand listener’s preferences. We’ll always have Mozart, but atonal works of the 20th century are of equal historical and artistic importance, and it’s nice to see a mix of musical choices in one program. Additionally, while this piece certainly isn’t for everyone, Biss’ playing and finesse of this piece has to be commended on the basis of skill alone. Biss certainly understand Schoenberg’s unique voice and is able to not only deliver it coherently, but put his own polish on all of the angry, jangly bits.
On the other hand, I do feel the link between the Strauss and the Schoenberg could have been stated more plainly. While the program reflects a desire to link together two important works which reference Vienna, I felt that neither the program notes nor the introduction by Ludovic Morlot spoke to the deeper artistic choices for marrying these two pieces into one program.
The Brahms 2 was not quite up to the level of attentive detail shown in the previous two pieces, but still very enjoyable; I found the orchestra and conductor not quite together for a few moments in the first movement. Nonetheless, the woodwinds worked to create a charming third movement and the piece ended on a high note, so to speak. All in all, the concert was a mini musical tour through Vienna, which I found to be a very nice way to spend an afternoon.