Wilco Keep It Simple, Name New LP "Wilco (The Album)"

You have to give it up for Wilco for making things so simple. The group's seventh album — due out in late June — will be titled Wilco (The Album). Even cooler: there's a cut on the disc titled "Wilco, The Song," which Glenn Kotche describes to Rock Daily as "a great, upbeat song professing our love for our fans."

There's a little something for everyone on the group's new disc, which they recorded in their loft space in Chicago. "One Wing" and "Sunny Feeling" are breezy, pop-friendly tunes; "Deeper Down" is a mellow ballad spiked with atmospherics and chamber strings; the nearly-six-minute jam "Bull Black Nova" starts with rollicking drums, stacatto keys and guitars before exploding into a killer solo from guitarist Nels Cline. Think of the it as a sonic follow-up to the kraut-rockin' "Spiders (Kidsmoke)." "That one's a really intense, powerful song," says Kotche of "Nova." "It's got a static groove that’s really insistent. There's a lot of great guitar moments on that song."

This June, Wilco will hit the road for a summer tour of festivals (Bonnaroo, 10,000 Lakes), minor league ball parks (Keyspan Park in Brooklyn, NY) and intimate theaters and the crew will be unleashing most of the 11 tracks from the new record. But for the die-hard fans, Wilco will add deep cuts from discs like "Summerteeth" and "A.M." to their ever-changing set lists each night. "I prefer that we not repeat songs each night," says Kotche. "We know enough songs to not repeat them. Mixing it up keeps us on our toes and keeps it fresh."

Related Stories:

• Wilco Get Experimental on New Album
• First Listen: The Smoking Section Hears the New Wilco Album

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter