Wilco

In today’s episode of Favorite Songs By, we are featuring not just an artist, but an entire group; a first for this podcast. Hailing from their loft in Chicago, Illinois, Rolling Stone has described them as “one of America’s most consistently interesting bands”, and I couldn't agree more. Ladies and gentleman, today we give you Wilco. Rising from the ashes of roots rock band Uncle Tupelo in 1994, Wilco was formed by frontman Jeff Tweedy along with other Uncle Tupelo members, Max Johnston, John Stirrat and Ken Coomer. Their lineup has been a bit of a revolving door over the years, but the music has remained distinct and highly crafted. Categorized as alternative rock and alternative country, they matured into an eclectic indie rock ensemble with a number of critically acclaimed albums to boot. Wilco saw their first major success after a highly publicized dispute with their label, Reprise, from which they were dropped after their 2001 album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was deemed by the label head as “unmarketable”. Wilco proved that there was, in fact, an audience for their sound when they subsequently released the album for free on their website and sold out a string of US shows as a result. They were later picked up by Nonesuch records, sold over 55,000 copies in the first official week and debuted at number 13 on the Billboard pop-album chart. And, in 2004, they won their first Grammy for Best Alternative Album for another one of their more ambitious releases, A Ghost Is Born. Today they have their own label, dBpm Records, and the current Wilco lineup includes Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt (bass), Pat Sansone (multi-instrumentalist), Glenn Kotche (drum), Mikael Jorgensen (piano and keyboard), and Nels Cline (guitar). Tweedy is a songwriting force and is thought of as one of the best of his generation. Wilco as a whole have redefined the role of record labels today and have truly tested the boundaries of “alternative” music.