According to Greg Kot’s Chicago Tribune blog, ex-Wilco member and multi-talented musician Jay Bennett died over the weekend at age 45. The cause of death is unknown. Earlier this month, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Wilco for past royalties.
Kot‘s blog entry for today discusses Bennett’s past including his Chicago roots and his early days in Wilco:
Bennett’s temperament on stage added to the band’s appeal: He was the mad professor trolling between keyboards to come up with just the right sound, or he’d slam out a rousing guitar solo.
Wilcoworld.net is now streaming Wilco’s new album Wilco (The Album). The Nonesuch release currently has a street date of June 30, but if you want to check the new songs early, just click here.
- According to Wilcoworld.net, this is the cover to Wilco’s new album Wilco (The Album), which is due June 30 from Nonesuch. Nice, Tweedy. Nice.
- Pearl Jam have added a second Chicago show to their mini-North American tour this August. The second show will occur on Monday August 24 at the United Center. The Ten Club ticket pre-sale is going on NOW and will end this evening at 7pm. The general public sale for tickets to both shows begins Saturday May 9 at 11am CST at ticketmaster.com.
- We accidently omitted a sweet show at the Empty Bottle tonight from Weekend Diversions. The show features 4 Chicago acts: Moxie Motive (indie rockers), Leafbird (folkish, with violin and sax), Tabitha Rae and DJ Jean Genet Ramsey. For more information and tickets, visit emptybottle.com.
According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, former Wilco songwriter and collaborator Jay Bennett is suing current Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. Bennett filed a claimed in a Cook County Court yesterday that Tweedy owes him royalties written during his seven years with the group as well as money from Wilco’s 2002 documentary “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” and is asking for at least $50,000 in damages. From the Tribune article:
“The suit argues that “as a recording musician in Wilco, Bennett is entitled to compensation for his services rendered in the form of continuing and perpetual artist royalty payments from” Tweedy.”
Of course everyone who has seen the documentary “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart,” which focuses on the band’s recording of their landmark album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, knows that Bennett was not portrayed in the best light. Still, if Jay Farrar can make it on his own without riding Tweedy’s coattails, then Bennett could as well. It’s not like Bennett isn’t talented.
Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy recently gave an interview on NPR to Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal about the group’s recording of the Woody Guthrie Depression-era song “Jolly Banker.” Given the current economic climate the song seems as relevant now as ever. Tweedy explained how it came about:
“It was Nora, his daughter, Nora Guthrie, who runs the archives. A couple of months ago when things really started to get hairy financially and economically for the country. That song had begun to get a little bit of attention. And she felt like somebody was going to cover it. And she called us because she wanted it to be us.”
You can download the track here for free – which according to the credits features Feist on “additional percussion (Garden Weasel) – or if you’re feeling generous the band has asked for a minimum donation of $2, with all proceeds going to the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives.
Still with me? Well anyway, according to a report from RollingStone.com, Wilco have titled their seventh album Wilco (The Album) and is set for a late June release. Included in the set is the quirky “Wilco The Song” which the band debuted on the Colbert Report last October. The record is mastered according to WilcoWorld.net, and the complete tracklist follows the jump.
According to Greg Kot’s Chicago Tribune blog, ex-Wilco member and multi-talented musician Jay Bennett died over the weekend at age 45. The cause of death is unknown. Earlier this month, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Wilco for past royalties.
