Wilco’s Star Wars – an alternative view

We recently reviewed the new LP from Wilco. You can read our positive reaction here. However, it turns out not all of our team are quite as keen. Here’s Matt Lengren’s tongue-in-cheek (and entirely imaginary) interview with the band about their free-to-download new album:  

“Not many bands are in the financial position to release a free album,” explains Jeff Tweedy when I sit down with him to discuss his band Wilco’s latest release, Star Wars. “That’s why we’ve decided to rub it in everyone’s fuckin’ faces and release one!”

I’ve always found it incredibly hard to be a fan of Wilco’s in-your-face, balls-to-the-wall, 100mph alt-country/folk rock ethos, and that ill-will-bordering-stone-cold-hatred only intensified when I learned their latest offering wasn’t actually an LP made up entirely of Star Wars original score covers.

I recently read somewhere that Tweedy said of up-and-coming bands, specifically Amen Dunes, “just get a fucking worldwide major label to sign you, man! It’s not that fuckin’ hard. Eminem did it as a white rapper – it couldn’t possibly get any harder than that!”

Alright, I can dig why people like Wilco. Hell, Jesus, Etc. isn’t actually a bad song… when you are three cones deep on your mate’s lounge room floor and unable to press skip.

In hindsight, it was probably not a great idea to read this lead-in to Jeff before asking him questions, but here goes:

Matt: Jeff, what was the thought process behind releasing a free album?
Jeff:

Matt: Uh…
Jeff:

Matt: Um, so what is the best thing about being a frontman for a really boring band of sell-outs?
Jeff:

Matt: Thanks for your time, Jeff. Can’t wait for your next album!

Wilco will be hitting the road in 2015/16, and you’ll be able to pick up Star Wars at any of the following locations:
– Your nearest Sanity bargain bin;
– Your drug dealer’s cassette player; and
– Pandora’s ‘shit alt-folk’ station.

[Editor’s note: You can also download the album here for free for a limited time to see for yourself if you agree/disagree with Matt]

Words by Matt Lengren.