I roll my eyes at their "The American Radiohead" designation (which hasn't really stuck since Sky Blue Sky anyway), but qualitatively speaking, they're undeniably great and have been properly rated as such.

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I deny their greatness and XRT certainly overrates them.


I dont know man. I never thought they were bad. They're just pretty good to me.

I can't claim every Wilco song is unadulterated brilliance, but Summerteeth through Sky Blue Sky comes close. "Jesus, Etc.," "Poor Places," "When You Wake Up Feeling Old," "Impossible Germany," "Reservations," all perfect. There's that part in "Jesus, Etc." where the pedal steel comes in and it's one of my favorite musical moments ever.

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The XRT thing made me skeptical too.

Kinda like Sunday morning music nearly ruined the Beatles for me

XRT sure can beat a few songs into the ground*, but it's still better than 99% of the commercial radio stations in America. We take it for granted.

*This Month's Tightly Clutched Good Luck Charms Of Aging Hipsterdom:
Of Monsters and Men - "Little Talks"
The Lumineers - "Ho Hey"
Matt and Kim - "Let's Go"
Alex Clare - "Too Close"
David Byrne & St. Vincent - "Who"
Florence + the Machine - "Shake It Out"
Passion Pit - "Take a Walk"

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Who are XRT's top ten bands?

Wilco
Tragically Hip
Smashing Pumpkins

Wilco
Smashing Pumpkins
The Beatles
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Wilco
The Cars
Wilco
Radiohead
The random thoughts of Lin Brehmer
Wilco

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Id replace on of the Wilcos with Depeche Mode

Funny list. Gotta get The Cure on that somewhere.

I've tried, and failed to identify what it is exactly about the Foo Fighters that makes people say they are brilliant. I don't actively dislike the band, I just don't pray at their alter.

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fock this club. I should manayer.

Usually some variation on how they "really get back to basics." Because yeah, fuck all those bands with ambitious concepts of what music and lyrics can be. I mean, Tom Petty never aspired to anything greater than simple American rock music, but the difference between a Tom Petty song and a Foo Fighters song is like the difference between diamonds and gravel.

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I don't really care for the Foos all that much, but this speech by Dave is fkn awesome.

keynote at SWXW 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efv0Y5Fs7m4

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@audioidkid

Give me the bulletpoints; I'm not devoting forty-nine minutes of my life to a speech by fucking Dave Grohl.

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If you listen starting to on or about the 16 minute mark there is a Chicago reference which is pretty cool. Yes, XRT did play it yesterday around 11:30 AM. 2 minute bit.

I haven't heard the speech and I don't know if this is the Chicago reference in there, but I do know Chicago had a huge influence on Dave Grohl. I've heard him tell the story of when he was a kid and came to visit his cousin in Evanston. She took him to a Rights of the Accused show at Cubby Bear and he was a punk rock guy from then on.

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Don't take it personally.

ding

And now Kid Rock....

Now Jorr is saying he invented The Foo Fighters

It's totally worth the listen. He explains everything...and as a dude who plays guitar and shit, it's pretty great.

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@audioidkid

the band he mentions is Naked Raygun

Maybe I had that part wrong. Or possibly ROTA opened the show. That would be quite likely at that time.

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Don't take it personally.

I've seen them three times in Chicago. He's told that story at every one of those shows.

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-- source

This is why no matter how hard I try, I can't hate you...

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Sans reservations, that song fucking sucks

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Haha- that reminds me of seeing McCartney at Wrigley, hearing the stories he spake in between songs and thinking they were pretty cool, going out and purchasing Good Evening New York City shortly afterwards (recorded on a different tour a year or two prior), and hearing the same thing nearly word for word. I know it's probably a common thing with many acts (especially with the amount of touring some do or have done), it just kind of took me off guard. Those going to Bonnaroo will no doubt be treated to these musings of his as well.

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fock this club. I should manayer.

I like Uncle Tupelo loads more than Wilco and I don't care how uncool that makes me. Especially the post-I Am Trying NPR darling incarnation of Wilco. Disappointed Nels Cline could be involved with such boring music, though I guess it's a steady paycheck.

It's tough to beat a lyric like, "When morning comes twice a day or not at all."

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Don't take it personally.

Still Feel Gone is kinda weak to me except for that song. I love Anodyne, and most of No Depression. "New Madrid" is as good as just about any Wilco song.

Son Volt is hit or miss. Ferrar's voice can be in one ear, out the other without the right arrangements.

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But I would say this: If Jay Farrar had never met Jeff Tweedy, he'd be exactly the same guy he is. Whereas meeting Jay Farrar was critical in the development of Jeff Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo was Farrar's band.

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Don't take it personally.

I can't disagree for a second, and we can't understate Jay Bennett's impact on Wilco, either. Still, Son Volt has always been missing something to me. The Search turned out to be a really good album, but for the most part, something's not there.

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