My only question: more mellow than the last album. I thought 'Being There' was pretty
darn mellow overall.
CD
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Date: 2/2/99 7:26 PM
From: greg randall
Wilco Looks To Cut Its 'Teeth' On A Larger Audience
BY CARLA HAY
NEW YORK -- Wilco's folk- and country-influenced rock sound has
garnered cult status for the band. But with the March 9 release of the group's "Summer
Teeth" album, Reprise Records hopes to take Wilco to a level of even wider acceptance.
Wilco lead singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy says, "I have no idea how people are going
to react to the new album. I certainly care, because making music is my livelihood.
But after I make a record,
that's the last thing I feel like thinking about: whether or not the new album will
sell more than the
last one."
The set's first single, "Can't Stand It," goes to triple-A on
Feb. 15.
The label will take the song to modern and album rock radio on
March 9.
Although "Can't Stand It" has an uptempo, rollicking feel,
"Summer Teeth," Wilco's third Reprise album, has a decidedly
more mellow sound than its predecessor, the critically acclaimed
1996 double album "Being There." The disc has sold 147,000
copies, according to SoundScan.
To increase awareness of the new album, Wilco will perform Feb.
17 at industry gathering Gavin Seminar in New Orleans. In March,
the band will be making promotional appearances in Canada and
New York, followed by Europe. In addition, Wilco is booked to
appear April 1 on "Late Show With David Letterman."
Wilco -- which includes bassist John Stirratt and drummer Ken
Coomer -- was formed in 1994 after the demise of Tweedy's previous group, Uncle
Tupelo. The band released its first album, "A.M.," in 1995 and is managed by Tom
Margaherita.
Plans for a new Wilco video will be "based on radio's response to the new single,"
says
Reprise/Warner Bros. VP of artist development/creative marketing (U.S.) Gary Briggs.
He adds that
word-of-mouth about Wilco has grown since "Being There" was released: "I think Wilco
going on
the Sheryl Crow tour really helped place this band in front of a pop audience that we
never had
before."
In the period between "Being There" and the release of "Summer Teeth," Tweedy has
toured as a
member of Golden Smog (a band that also features members of the Jayhawks and Soul
Asylum),
which has released two albums: "Down By The Old Mainstream" (1996) and "Weird Tales"
(1998).
Wilco also collaborated with Billy Bragg on last year's "Mermaid Avenue," which
put Woody
Guthrie lyrics to music.
Tweedy says of the collaboration with Bragg: "I think he affected me as a person. The
experience
made me open up a little bit and trust myself more. I've been growing as a
songwriter. Hopefully, I
can continue to grow." Wilco's songs are published by
Warner/Chappell (ASCAP).
As for another collaboration in the future with Golden Smog, Tweedy says, "I don't
see why not."
Wilco, booked by Frank Raleigh of Peninsula Artists, has developed a reputation as
a
crowd-pleasing live act. Tour plans for "Summer Teeth" are under way, and Tweedy
says, "We want to put together a more organized show than we did on the last [Wilco]
tour. On the last tour, we
went without a set list or had a vague set list. I don't ever want to lose the
ability to react and
respond to an audience."
He concludes, "I appreciate that we have an audience, but I've never really been
good about
doing hasn't been in vain."
