OK, tell me all about Wussy

I've just caught up with this year's record and love a lot of it. If they were to ever come through Toronto (maybe they already have, and I missed it), I would actually make the effort to see them.

New Wussy album!!!

http://wussy.bandcamp.com/album/strawberry

nothing's special on first listen

I like everything this band does, including this. There's nothing as immediate as Rigor Mortis, but even so, it's still vintage Wussy. Chuck Cleaver continues to rock.

Hey Wussy fans, read what Robert Christgau has to say about them.

Their song Motorcycle is one of my favorites of last 5 years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdJuHzw5PFw

live version is great too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdR5NagZYSw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYMkVn9u8vU

And what a great song this was (with simple but indelible guitar riff!) (charming video too)

just one more link - Yellow Cotton Dress (live)

That Grisly Adams guy plays some great guitar in this clip!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X31p51zN19A

Normally my taste diverge that greatly from the ILX norm; but in this once case I can't recall a single other person expressing any kind of appreciation for what I consider one of best songs of the last decade: Mayflies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYMkVn9u8vU

I even got more of a favorably response when praising Northside a few years back..

I realize the grammar in that last post makes it sound like it was Google-translated from Russian

OK, my favorite album of 2013 has just come out, and it's free. Get your Wussy outtakes and live versions record at wussy.org. It's called Popular Favorites. Holy moley, so so so good.

I downloaded that the other day, but haven't had a chance to listen yet. "Pizza King" was high on my year-end list.

I don't pay any attention to Record Day, so I didn't realize there was a short one (seven songs) called Duo out there. No luck so far figuring out how to get hold of it.

I went through everything they've done and listened closely. (I've put songs of theirs on year-end lists, but I hadn't really taken time with each album.) If I made an introductory mix-CD, here's what I'd put on it.

1. "Airborne" (2005)
2. "Crooked" (2005)
3. "Bought It Again" (2005)
4. "Mayflies" (2007)
5. "Millie Christine" (2007)
6. "Tiny Spiders" (2007)
7. "Sun Giant Says Hey" (2007)
8. "Melody Ranch" (2007)
9. "Vivian Girls" (2007)
10. "Gone Missing" (2009)
11. "Happiness Bleeds" (2009)
12. "Muscle Cars" (2009)
13. "All the Bugs Are Growing" (2009)
14. "Airborne" (2011 acoustic version)
15. "Crooked" (2011 acoustic version)
16. "Magnolia" (2011)
17. "Pizza King" (2011)
18. "Little Miami" (2011)
19. "Runaway" (2013)
20. "North Sea Girls" (2013)

A title..."The Last Phase of Yours and Yours and Mine." They've been my favourite band for the past couple of years.

thank you this thread for reminding me of "earth to grandma."

But....but....how could you have a Wussy best-of without Rigor Mortis or Grand Champion Steer. or Maglite fer crying out loud!

Just not crazy about any of them. I don't know, past "Airborne," they seem like a blank slate where favorites could fall anywhere. (I love the Ass Ponys' "Astronaut," too.)

Fighter Pilot is another great Ass Ponys song. And Kung Fu Reference and Dried Up from the follow up.

You could make a strong argument for Chuck Cleaver being the best songwriter of the millennium with Ass Ponys and Wussy together.

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.

My favourite Ass Ponys song (couldn't really name an album) is "Astronaut" from--greatest album title ever--Some Stupid with a Flare Gun. Looks like he'd moved on by that point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UU0b_MO_HM

There was a great homemade video for that 10 years ago that appears to have been removed. Gotta remember to record these things before they disappear.

Still there! Forgot that someone took the trouble to hide it.

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

Damnably has put together an online benefit w/concert footage from our May 2016 show at the Brixton Windmill. They're hosting a watch party today at 1pm PDT / 4pm EDT / 9pm BST. It’s a free online event, but donations to the funds listed in the YouTube link are welcome. ❤️ https://t.co/RzP6ejw3Ib

— Wussy (@wussymusic) May 11, 2020

Ghosts is quite good. My two favourites are "Days and Hours" and "She's Out There." There's a nice of cover Dusty Springfield's "Breakfast in Bed." And it's free!

http://wussy.bandcamp.com/album/ghosts

What's the deal with Friday livestreams?

Are they doing some kind of Vulgar Boatmen split band thing?

Doing a Badfinger cover right now

I watched most of the first one months ago. I'm just not someone to stick with something like that--hope they're making some money out of it.

I hear you. I was watching some of those things regularly but ultimately ended up feeling weird about it somehow.

Just in general, my boundless love for mankind in the first couple of weeks of the pandemic has gradually returned to me telling loud people to shut the fuck up under my breath and getting impatient in slow-moving lines.

I hear you

Got all excited when I found the Wussy/Paranoid Style record for $13 on Amazon, with free shipping, so I ordered it immediately. I had it in my wind it was a double-EP. It's a 12-inch single...I just paid $13 for a 12-inch single, quite probably the least frugal thing I've done in 45 years of buying records.

"in my mind"...a little extra proof it may be going.

Well maybe it'll be good---let us know. Paranoid Style vocals put me off, but I didn't stay with it long, whenever that was.
Forgot to paste this, from What Are You Listening To?:
Wussy's Ghosts is/are odds and sods, appropriately for The Who influence that keeps coming back, even on campfire and laundromat songs here (guitars tend to push back against and through woolgathering words, some the vocal levels take getting used to, but yknow studio field recordings, with some odd little ambient sounds---Lisa Gardner's voice always comes right out, even on one of her damn Magic Numbers Radio Shack tracks, where she comes out just enough to pull me in, or close enough to see her slow spin, in the dryer, like.

She also rolls one of the most startling highlights among several: a cover of the Eddie Hinton-Donnie Fritts classy chestnut "Breakfast in Bed," a highlight of the all-highlights Dusty In Memphis,here with guitars from another part of theeeee 60s.
you can listen to the whole thing here:
https://wussy.bandcamp.com/album/ghosts
Although the tracks are in a different order in the promo file; play 'em as you please, of course. Quite few releases on their bandcamp.

in lieu of a poll i hereby request lists of top wussy songs from clemenza and others

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

Love to! Here's the 80-minute CD I play in the car (goes up to What Heaven Is Like...I don't think they've released anything since).

1. airborne (2005)
2. crooked (2005)
3. bought it again (2005)
4. millie christine (2007)
5. tiny spiders (2007)
6. sun giant says hey (2007)
7. melody ranch (2007)
8. vivian girls (2007)
9. gone missing (2009)
10. all the bugs are growing (2009)
11. pizza king (2011)
12. little miami (2011)
13. teenage wasteland (2014)
14. halloween (2014)
15. home (2014)
16. beautiful (2014)
17. dropping houses (2016)
18. aliens in our midst (2016)
19. skip (2018)
20. black hole (2018)

Kornrulez6969 suggested above that I should have included "Rigor Mortis," and I think that is indeed a fan favourite--I like it, not quite as much as what I have.

nice, ty!

Hello friends!
We wanted to let you know that the Wussy Duo (Chuck and Lisa) will be teaming up with Undertow Shows for a fall living room tour. There are still a few tickets left in Cleveland, Buffalo, Montpelier, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.
Tickets are available here: undertowshows.com/collections/wussy

Here's the full list of dates:
Oct 28 - Cincinnati (Sold Out)
Oct 29 - Cleveland
Oct 30 - Buffalo
Nov 1 - Montpelier
Nov 2 - Brooklyn (Sold Out)
Nov 3 - Philadelphia
Nov 4 - Baltimore (Sold Out)
Nov 5 - Pittsburgh
Nov 6 - Columbus (Sold Out)

It's been ages since we've been able to play live, and we're really excited to get back out on the road. We would love to see you there!
xo
Lisa & Chuck

Or that I was (guessing they don't mean Columbus GA or MS)

New album coming too.

oh sweet, thanks for the tip dow, hadnt heard about this, will definitely be scooping a ticket

I found Ghosts in the glove compartment the other day, the last thing they released (COVID year). Looking it up later led me to something I didn't know: Mark Messerly, their bassist, put out an album in 2019 under the name Inert. So I bought it from Bandcamp and, as I expected, if you're a Wussy fan it's quite good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTOCaqgjo5Y