Artists starting with W

New Gods

,

Withered Hand, “New Gods” (Slumberland, 2014)
Scottish singer-songwriter’s epic encounter with the mystery of California and America, somewhat reminiscent in those terms of Van Morrison’s great “Saint Dominic’s Preview” LP, but it’s 40 years later and so the pop-folk references are Aztec Camera, Belle and Sebastian, etc. But there’s a toughness and sense of open space to the post-twee lyricism here that’s unique to this guy’s work and makes a good case for the enduring creative-shock potential of coming to America for British-Isles artists.
Try 4, 5, 9
4/7/19

/0 Comments/by

The Black Session

,

Wire, “The Black Session” (Pink Flag, 2012)
In the first wave of UK punk, Wire simultaneously invented post-punk and hardcore on the album this label is named after. I was told their recent work returned to that sound, and this hard-hitting live album confirms it. This is Wire at their most primal – songs that twist to the left, then slam back on track, head toward you and explode.
Try 3, 10.
4/3/12

/0 Comments/by

The Threnody of Triumph.

,

Winterfylleth, “The Threnody of Triumph.” (Candlelight, 2012)
Metal in a rustic/eic vein; heavy and often frenetic, but with a fluid/lyrical feel not only on the acoustic-flavored stuff but even on the more hard-edged passages.
Try 1, 5, 10.
1/13/13

/0 Comments/by

A Leopard Never Changes Her Spots

,

Wild Youth, “A Leopard Never Changes Her Spots” (Fresh Music, original recordings 1978-80).
Supposedly South Africa’s first punk band, this is frenzied, snotty, fuzzed-out stuff in a Dolls/Stooges/Dead Boys vein. It sounds extra-exciting and unselfconscious in that first-punk-band-from-some-out-of-the-way-place way (cf. Saints, Enemy, Suicide Commandos, etc.).
Try 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 21
4/19/13

/0 Comments/by

Wild Flag

,

Wild Flag, “Wild Flag” (Merge, 2011)
Indie-vet supergroup featuring Carrie Brownstein (ex-Sleater-Kinney) and Mary Timony (ex-Helium), this leans more toward Brownstein’s end of the equation, precise, dynamic, hard-edged rock with new-wave overtunes. The killer hooks that were S-K’s trademark aren’t as out-front as I’d hoped, and I wish some of this evoked Helium’s woozy sweep, but the best of this brings some primo drama to the game of rock-show epic theatre.
Try 1, 2, 8
1/29/12

/0 Comments/by

Slide It In

,

Whitesnake, “Slide It In” (Geffen, 1984)
A lot of this is already heading toward the band’s eventual destiny as bloated, synth-driven power-easy-listening arena swill, but the best cuts are such a perfect distillation of thunderously dead-from-the-neck-up heavy cock-rock that they trump even Spinal Tap’s parody/tribute. And these guys are ex-Deep Purple/Rainbow, so you know it sounds huge. Picture the musical equivalent of the “Dilldozer” from “Idiocracy.”
Try 1/ 1, 1/ 2
7/29/13

/0 Comments/by

III

,

White Wires, “III” (Dirtnap, 2012)
Here’s one for fans of pure, formalist-classicist power-pop. These guys are able to boil all those “Teenline” comps into hyper-melodic rock’n’roll that rocks with fresh energy. Even the “boy-girl” thematics feel real-life here.
Try 1, 2, 4, 11
7/12/12

/0 Comments/by

Blood and Venom

,

White Mystery, “Blood and Venom” (White Mystery Records, 2011)
Alex White gets exponentially better with each release, and this is the absolute fucking knockout LP I’ve been waiting for. The first thing to be said about Ms. White is that she can sing, the way Dusty Springfield could sing, the way Anita Baker can sing – a massive, overwhelming, yet melodic wail of emotion. Second: the music is firecracker-tight, wall-rattling blockbuster punk rock, with lots of deliciously semi-legal “quotes” from mid-‘60s Brit Invasion and garage classics. Finally, the lyrics are brilliantly sick and funny. If you like rock and roll at all, listen to this.
Try A/1, A/3, A/4
5/1/11

/0 Comments/by

White Stripes

,

White Stripes, “White Stripes” (Sympathy for the Record Industry, 1999)
Their first, from when they thought they were just another clangy underground rock act, but with a really distinctive sound (chaotic minimalist punk filtered through electric Delta blues). They expanded songwriting-wise later, but nothing they did afterward can touch this stuff for sheer manic attack and auto-destruct cool.
Try 8, 9, 10, 12.
2/14/13

/0 Comments/by

Rides Again

,

White Reaper, “Rides Again” (Polyvinyl, 2016)
Hard-driving garage-punk with a chrome-polished sheen over discordant sub-structures, including eerie organ twinkling and some good, melodic tuneage.
Try 2, 8. 9
11/10/16

/0 Comments/by

Contact Info

tomhaze88@gmail.com

COPYRIGHT MICHAEL O’FLAHERTY 2020 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | WEBSITE DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED BY DIGITAL AMMO | ADMIN LOGIN