Uncovering the Sun

OK, maybe it's about time to get away from the endless flirting and AG-posting to.. O, I don't know, maybe just do a little old school Insufferable Music Posting.....

Now, let's not get bent out of shape, my Jewessa Coblogger.  I love the fact that while I have been hibernating and incommunicative, somebody keeps the fricking lights on and thanks a bunch.  Glasses of 2 buck Chuck all around!!

So.

Let's all just pile into the wayback Machine, go back to a time when Reagan was Prez.  

Here in Milwaukee, the Femmes were triumphant, having just released their second album on Slash records; you could see them playing in bars and on street corners.  Bands like the Oil Tasters, Plasticland, Boy Dirt Car, Snopek, Couch Flambeau, Those X-Cleavers, R&B Cadets.... the BoDeans were just starting out, with a nascent 'da' in front of their name.  Drivin n Cryin started out here.  

It was an unbelievable, frenetic, communal and promising time... This Zombee thrived.

Into this environment, a batch of Indiana natives moved their band, the Squares, to Milwaukee; jumping in both feet first and gigging like lunatics.  I saw them so many times, picking up their tapes and cds... eventually, the band never made the break as the music industry crested and rolled back.  The members moved on, but stayed in town; a couple started Don't Records and released several excellent CDs from local bands.

Two of the central figures of the Squares, Scott and Brian Wooldridge, continued working in the same vein as the Squares, now known as The Wooldridge Brothers;  power pop in the vein of the Kinks, Graham Parker and Elvis Costello.  Right in my frickin sweet spot, it's true.  They even managed to notch a couple of great songs on mediocre TV shows.

Eventually, however, real life took over and the brothers moved on to 'real life';  jobs, family, mortgages.  Scott moved to Minneapolis.  Most of their music showed up on iTunes, eventually, and was safely ensconced on my playlists...

After much hiatus, they have concocted a full disc of new music, and the life between then and now plays center stage.  The songs are still full of life and harmony and yes, still a little bit of spit (see that "Does She Love Me Loud" viddy up there).  My music budget is constrained these days, but I still popped for the 10 bucks and you should too.  I've said it before about the Figgs, and it is just as true in this case:  This is  a band that should be heard by WAY more people, and the P-Fork top 100 list sucks completely, entirely, and hopelessly  because the Wooldridges are not on it.

The album has a fair bit of introspection on it, but it's wrapped in hooks and harmonies.  The vid up above, is one of the more over the top tunes, but is not necessarily exemplary of the whole disc.  There are subtle songs, straightforward songs, sing along songs.  But constant on the release, indeed in the whole WB discography, is the honesty and directness of the music.  Yes, UC, you might even say it's earnest.  Alt-country with a sheen of Power-Pop, refined with age, distilled through experience and produced by Chris Stamey.

Fave songs:  The Last Word featuring sweet harmonies from Julie Straszewski Wooldridge ("I been up to my teeth in testosterone and heavy metal"  what a lyric), Caledonia Creek, Hey,  Mashup Dreams, the evocatively named This Rain...  How much do you need?

It's oriented around simple guitar lines and great harmony lines. The mix is never heavy and the singing takes precedence; but it's never pretentious.  Think Sufjan Stevens, M. Ward, or maybe Okkervil River, with less angst... I even have an obscure cover of 'Shock The Monkey' (of all things) they did in an alt-country version many years ago.... you know, they make it work.  Make of that what you will.

I think at the end of the day, these gents are tremendously talented guys who learn the right lessons from the giants who've gone before; but never had the tolerance to play the music industry games. It has always been about the music, the songs; if they had tried it even ten years later, the Internet would have allowed them to work outside the machine.  It was not to be; and that's the way it goes.  That bittersweet truth weaves it's way through these songs like seasoning, distilling the lyrics and instruments, giving them flavor and poignancy.

Look, most of you know the kinds of music that trips my trigger.  Pinko sent me the Titus Andronicus rec; I send on back the recco to pop for the 10 bucks at iTunes on this one.  It's not on eMusic, but you can also order it directly from the band's website.