OK, tell me all about Wussy

How can I get North Sea Girls?

I got it through a well-known secret file sharer. (So well known that I feel silly doing the thing with the asterisks--but if I don't do it, I worry that I'll bring the whole operation to a ruinous end.) It's only seven short songs--if you're not particular about vinyl, I'm sure I could get it to you in a couple of e-mails. Or you could go through the well-known secret file sharer.

I would definitely add Maglite and the Funeral Dress II version of Conversation Lags. That chorus drives me insane:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brgBSZReyH8

The new album is excellent so far.

I voted for "North Sea Girls" last year, so I already know that's good. Found a site where I was able to hear "Teenage Wasteland"--also very good, and I like how the beginning paraphrases what you'd expect. (I guess they were inspired by One Direction's "Best Song Ever.") The album cover's kind of ugly; with such a great title, I think they could have done better there. Still looking forward to it, of course.

http://wussy.bandcamp.com/album/attica-limited-edition-pre-release-cd-downloads
new wussy

Their best album.

Still don't have the album...I'm going to look around tomorrow and try to figure out a way to order it fairly cheaply. (I want something physical.)

Started skimming the Charles Taylor piece that's getting some notice and stopped on this:

It's the underlying edge of condescension used to address anyone who hasn't bought a house or had kids, as if we couldn’t possibly know what being an adult really meant.

I won't read the rest of it--hits too close. I've been going through that in a major way the past few years, and it's something I wanted to try writing about myself eventually. (I've got the house, not the kids.) Facebook makes this much, much worse.

I've been playing Attica in the car for the last few days. Through three songs the first time, I felt apprehensive--I already knew "Teenage Wasteland" was really good, but the next two were heavier and tuneless. The rest is fine, so I've just been skipping those two songs. I don't know if it's their best album or not. My favorite songs are scattered all over their LPs; the third one would probably still be my pick. Anyway, my favorites on Attica after "Teenage Wasteland" are "North Sea Girls," "To the Lightning," "Halloween," "Home," and "Beautiful." The last has a line that puzzles me: "I'm not the monster that I once was/Twenty years ago I was more beautiful than I am today." That seems contradictory...or not; I like mulling it over.

Really wish they had used a photo from the Attica riot for the cover. As is, it's quite an eyesore.

I agree that "Bug" is the worst thing.

Their album art is often atrocious. "Halloween" is great, though. I like the title track, too. Chuck's songs on this one, less so...

Chuck's such a great looking character, but I've definitely developed a preference for the songs Lisa sings. I'm sure "Teenage Wasteland" will be high on my year-end list.

Acetylene is a great song.

The new one is definitely dominated by Lisa songs, but Strawberry was all Chuck.

Square this up, and there's your CD cover:

http://bcdownload.gannett.edgesuite.net/rochester/36517057001/36517057001_1135879362001_retaking1.jpg

Really like that they mention Townshend and Moon by name on "Teenage Wasteland," even more the "Sugar Mountain" reference on "Halloween." Putting their music aside, I love that they're oldish people preoccupied with stuff that nobody (present company excepted) much cares about any more, which they often allude to--"so far away," "surrounded by the things accumulated here," "something you'd remember from a dream."

How do you rate the Wussy Duo stuff? Is it acoustic? There's been a copy collecting dust at the record store here and I always wonder about it.

You mean Duo and Funeral Dress II? I've saved stuff from both--"North Sea Girls" from the former (now redundant), "Airborne" and "Crooked" from the other. As long as they're not charging too much (I think Duo was a Record Store Day thing), I'm sure you'd like both.

Has anyone who's never read Robert Christgau ever been into Wussy?

The last has a line that puzzles me: "I'm not the monster that I once was/Twenty years ago I was more beautiful than I am today." That seems contradictory...or not; I like mulling it over.

That's my favorite line on the record, and one of my favorites they have written. Agreed that the album is a bit filler-prone ('Rainbows and Butterflies'?!), but 'Beautiful', 'Halloween', 'To The Lightning',
and the best fan-tribute since 'Alex Chilton' are so ridiculously good I don't even care.

Radio versions somebody posted on Facebook:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qdu587me9w1sfuo/Wussy%20-%20Best%20Radio%20Sessions%202009-2014%20MP3.zip

The four Attica songs I play in the car all the time: "Teenage Wasteland," "Halloween," "Home," and "Beautiful."

Has anyone who's never read Robert Christgau ever been into Wussy?

I heard about this one guy who lives in North Dakota who fits this description. But that's it.

i'm into wussy because of chuck cleaver, and i'm into chuck cleaver because of the afghan whigs (covering the ass ponys)

not that the rest of them, particularly lisa walker, aren't awesome. anyway, christgau is not involved

I heard about them from a friend from Cleveland who put them on a mix CD.

Some of those radio versions I linked to are really good (and sufficiently different from the originals).

Chuck Cleaver had a record store back in the late 80s, maybe early 90s, and used to write some of the funniest Goldmine Magazine ad copy ever--I ordered a bunch of stuff from him (it helped that I was way into Ohio punk and indie). Later I heard that he and some of his employees had a band; checkout Ass Ponys' Electric Rock Music, really liked his boondocks tales(before Drive-By Truckers of The Hold Steady, or at least before I knew about 'em). Lo & Behold, "Little Bastard" was a hit of sorts< with a trailer park video on MTV.
Much later, got to cover some Wussy shows, which is pretty much when I started listening to them. Really like most of their album tracks, hoping for a live set. This just posted on Fecebook:
Hello...ANNOUNCEMENT TIME!!!

Okay...bad news first: due to some medical problems we won't be able to do any long distance traveling for the next four to six weeks so Wussy has cancelled the November 22nd CHICAGO show at Red Line Tap. We're very sorry but we have no choice in the matter.

Good news #1: since it's the long distance traveling that's the temporary problem the New Years Eve show at the The Woodward Theater is still on so that's cool.

Good news #2: the ATTICA! limited edition vinyl will be officially released on Tuesday, November 25th but can be pre-ordered from Shake It Records starting Tuesday, November 18th. There were supposed to be 1000 pressed but the number is actually closer to 900. They're on red vinyl with black swirls and there will be a download card included. Also, as of November 25th, it will also be available at selected indie record stores nationwide. And: it sounds AMAZING on vinyl.

So, there you have it. If you wouldn't mind sharing this, we'd really appreciate it, mostly to let our Chicago friends know that we aren't gonna be there on the 22nd.

There's another announcement on the way so hang tight. It's a good'un.

Thanks and take care...Wussy

Yeesh, sorry for typos.

also they're supposed to be on cbs this morning saturday the 29th

Here's the ltd. ed. vinyl:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0mnj0XIcAAjeRP.jpg:large

http://cincymusic.s3.amazonaws.com/files/Wussy1.jpg

Yep, it's all happening at the zoo---here's the inside story and some of what 2 expect, 11/29/14 AM:

http://cincymusic.com/news/2014/11/behind-the-scenes-with-wussy

http://cincymusic.s3.amazonaws.com/files/Wussy2.jpg

Wussy ‏@wussymusic 2h2 hours ago

Thank you to everyone who tuned into CBS This Morning If you missed it, or want to watch again, enjoy! Songs... http://fb.me/378L8xZgI

On Facebook, they've been regularly posting thank-yous to people who give them year-end recognition: Pop Matters, Greg Kot, etc. A few weeks ago, I mentioned in passing on their page--it really wasn't meant to be as ostentatious as it sounds; it was just part of whatever the conversation was--that I'd voted for them in Pazz & Jop the past four years. I didn't even get a little thumb. If I get a ballot, I'll vote for them again this year, but only because I'm a good person who never holds grudges*.

*(That's a joke.)

No surprise, I guess, that Christgau gives Attica an A+. Half of it is, I agree. Overall, I think the third album Wussy is still the best.

I don't think this band has a single bad song.

Generally, I don't care for their heavier side--the second song on Attica is like that, or maybe the second and third songs. But there are a few exceptions to that. There's a song on Wussy that mentions punctuation that I like, and that one's a little heavier.

One thing I don't get is why they've gotten so much more critical attention this year than in the past. Is it a publicity push, dumb luck, or something else?

I don't like the slow heavy ones like Bug as much either.

I can't explain the upsurge in attention. But it is a great underdog story, and they're so talented. Plus Teenage Wasteland was a particularly strong single.

"Bug" is a failure of arrangement rather than song.

Tried to say it on Twitter last week:
Wussy, Attica!: luvly noise x melody ---> strata of time & space as boondocks, astute students of Neil Y, hot peers of Truckers, Hold Steady. Thinking of narrators, "characters" or not, with personal history incl musical influences: where the DBT & THS comparisons come in. The Beautiful Losers bit on every track, but no prob listening over and over, which I rarely do with other albums. Anyway, Lisa Walker thanked me, retweeted, and now Wussy and I are Following each other. They better not start sucking.

"listening over and over" in one session, that is.

I finally got tired of not knowing what everyone was talking about re: this band, so listening to Attica right now. Quite good; I probably like the songs where the girl sings best ("Teenage Wasteland," "Halloween"), but I could definitely see myself getting into them. If so, this would actually be the first thing I've gotten into on the strength of Christgau's recommendation, which I guess offers something of an answer to jaymc's upthread question of "Has anyone who's never read Robert Christgau ever been into Wussy?"

In a major shock, they just won both album and single in a quasi-Pazz & Jop put on by the Expert Witness Facebook group.

Just heard "Buckeye", which I guess is a compilation of their first two albums? Love it, the alt country vibe and the boy / girl vocals remind me of The Bats at times. I will be buying me some Wussy.

Anyone who has never heard Eleventh Dream Day, a very close analog to Wussy, really should. I recommend "El Moodio." Check out these two (EDD fans, thanks for your patience):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpj35CdLWUc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K24piAMM2FE

Buckeye is a great compilation but there are no bad Wussy songs. You could make an equally great record from those first four albums, not even including Attica.

Yes! to Eleventh Dream Day. Lived To Tell is another great record of theirs.

EDD rules the school

Ursa Major is my fave EDD, but they have no outright duds...though, iirc, Xgau was decidedly not a fan.

(Also seek out Janet Beveridge Bean's collaboration with Green's Jeff Lescher, Jesus Built A Ship To Sing A Song To -- all Gram Parsons covers, with the hands-down definitive "Hot Burrito #1.")

Marcus was very big on Eleventh Dream Day. I bought Lived to Tell but don't remember much.

Tell me more: I've never really spent much time with EDD-appears all I have is their cover of Ocean on a VU comp. I saw some sort of reunion show a few years back and don't remember female vocals either.
are they in the Wussy/Fleetwood Mac camp lyrically?

Hmm. Not really, though there is a bit of tension (the guitarist and drummer used to be married). The lyrics are a bit more abstract and poetic, while the music is often a manic mix of Crazy Horse, the Feelies, whatever it is that Yo La Tengo does and high octane garage rock.

Famous origin story: they were signed to Atlantic by Bettina Richards, and their shitty treatment on said label is what prompted her to found Thrill Jockey. More recently, EDD (on Thrill Jockey) has sort of hovered between their guitar roots and a slightly post-rocky bent, though you would never confuse them for anything but rock.

Some good EDD performance and interview footage here from a 1990 Dutch TV special, with fellow Chicagoans Green -- both bands were much bigger in Holland than in the US.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b34CdwgOAvY

Music video! Janet's pretty dolled up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFsGYnGNjN0

I suppose Dream Syndicate is another touchstone for them.

What a great tracklist!

Nice cover art tribute there.

I looked for the skull and dagger but didn't see one.

Heh. Me neither.

no doubt i'm the only one hung up on 'donny's death scene'

― mookieproof, Sunday, November 14, 2021 11:50 PM (four years ago)

still the greatest

imagine neil *not* doing cod jamaican on cortez; this is better