Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice

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The A/B means "awesome" or "bullshit"

I dragged my girlfriend to see WWVV last night and we ended up arguing for a solid hour over whether what we just saw was

A) Awesome brain-melting hypno-psych for dudes with beards and the girls who tolerate them.
B) A bunch of pretentious dicks banging on shit.

Sure they're nothing new (see JOMF, No-Neck, Sunburned, et al), but I think they bring it--doing some nifty Art Ensemble of Chicago chicanery with plenty of satanic hippie jammage and twisted tape manipulations.

She claims they're opportunistic (ha) artfucks whose hearts really aren't in it. I say they're an ok noise band and a pretty exceptional jam band.

Who's right?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 21 July 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

Also, the solo cd delivers. Like Iron And Wine on cough syrup. And the Troubleman one is pretty delish too.

Can anyone vouch for their various CD-Rs and cassettes?

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 21 July 2005 05:12 (twenty years ago)

a
c

― Dr. Glen Y. Abreu (dr g), Thursday, 21 July 2005 05:26 (twenty years ago)

C and A, live and on record. Can't deny the magic.

As people, bullshit and dud

I know them sort of

whatever

― Califlower Crayon, Thursday, 21 July 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

too bad cd-rs dont decompose faster

― jack cole, soon to be replaced by an optical scanner (jackcole), Thursday, 21 July 2005 06:35 (twenty years ago)

i doubt there's much of a difference between a and b.
and what i've heard so far doesn't inspire me to say c or d.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Thursday, 21 July 2005 07:08 (twenty years ago)

Hit and miss like most bands of their ilk, but better than say... Sunburned Hand of the Man.

According to Roger Adultery, the few song-based sets they did on this tour were boring because it was just him playing chords and singing while everyone else was improvising. I thought last night was about 2/3 C and 1/3 B.

Takin cues from Roky and singing songs about Satan: classic.

― Ian John50n (orion), Thursday, 21 July 2005 17:42 (twenty years ago)

i wanna start a band called "t. moore liner notes"

― face, Thursday, 21 July 2005 18:04 (twenty years ago)

i enjoyed 'em last nite but i was feeling tired and feeble due to mexican food, had to leave ian to his lsd-enduced show appreciation.

roger adultery and teh wifey are incredibly, wonderfully nice people.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 21 July 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

the 'angel hair' cd-r is fantastic. they were also missing heidi last night, which changes the energy a bit more to the masculine, but i thought they were still awesome and, when rolling (like james chain speech last night), they're more exciting than 90% of touring acts these days*~

― B Nasty (B Nasty), Thursday, 21 July 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

Heidi Diehl and The Spirit Battery
supernatural presence in electronic experience

Carl Diehl will be present with the mysterious rabbit phone.
Special performance by THE TEMPLE OF EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL LIGHT.

Operating in the realm of suspended disbelief The Spirit Battery relishes the possibility of supernatural presence in electronic experience. The glitches, noises, and other aberrant signals that emmanate from malfunctioning technology suggest, if only momentarily, ghosts in the machine. The Spirit Battery seeks to extend this period of spectral speculation by entangling the curious gestures of malfunction with calculated digital techniques, audio collage, and the mysterious 'rabbit mouse-o-phone'.

Featuring members of NYC's psychedelic noise-folk Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice plus a vidsonic sorcerer from The JiRCs (eugene,or), The Spirit Battery crafts otherworldly visitations with their mish-mash of audio-visual debris.

plus short videos by Jesse England and Ian Coronado harvested from the depths of an electronic oblivion.

― [use of street parade as pivotal setpiece] (nordicskilla), Thursday, 29 December 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

man, i hate this band so much.

(i have not seen them live.)

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 29 December 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

i would say in enjoy about half of every album i've heard of theirs. they have some really good stuff, and other (mainly the long jams) fall flat or seem like they just don't try (ie - one take and that's it)

― deadair (deadair), Friday, 30 December 2005 12:22 (twenty years ago)

man, i hate this band so much.

why?

― rizzx, Friday, 30 December 2005 12:28 (twenty years ago)

Because they're not nice people, at least not to 'lowly' opening acts, that's why. I like the Harum of the Sundrum CD in spite of myself, though.

― Clam Bake, Saturday, 31 December 2005 12:44 (twenty years ago)

I hated stuff I heard by them last year, especially the Wooden Wand one without any Vanishing Voice with the line drawing of some guy on the cover, that was a total bore, but I have been kind of enjoying their new Troubleman one, *Flood*. Am I totally nuts?

― xhuxk, Saturday, 31 December 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

Their XIAO lp was one of my favorites last year, and I loved that early cdr on Chocolate Monk. However, like AMT, I've not had time or money to keep up with them when they hit overdrive and started churning out 2 records a month.

In theory I still love 'em, although I'm a bit unnerved about the reports I hear roundabout of them being pretentious 'bullshit' people...

― Rombald, Saturday, 31 December 2005 14:21 (twenty years ago)

I want to publicly thank WWVV for releasing the Flood disc. It is truly awesome, desert-island worthy fare. than again, I've been a fan for some time & I think all of the releases have something to offer fans of tribal droneclatter aural transportation devices.

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Sunday, 1 January 2006 06:00 (twenty years ago)

ten months pass...

With so many records out, it might be necessary to point out that WWVV quietly did two of their best records this year in Gipsy Freedom and Second Attention (credited to WW and the Sky High Band, includes members of Jewelled Antler/Skygreen Leopards/Glenn Donaldson). Seems like there are fewer experiments on these two, definitely still got that shambolic casual spirit but the songs are a bit tighter. I find myself coming back to these two a lot.

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 9 November 2006 15:07 (nineteen years ago)

Also, I knew that cover looked familiar...

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000GH3PRM.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V63325574_.jpg

http://www.oatridge.co.uk/Stormbringer.jpg

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 9 November 2006 15:10 (nineteen years ago)

weird, that's not the promo cover that Kill Rock Stars sent my radio station...

― sleeve version 2.0 (sleeve testing), Friday, 10 November 2006 02:12 (nineteen years ago)

not classic, not dud, what is just inbetween F for forgettable?

― zippezappy (doomed), Friday, 10 November 2006 02:21 (nineteen years ago)

xpost that cover bullshit infuriates me

― gaseous (gaseous), Friday, 10 November 2006 07:03 (nineteen years ago)

Both WW records are total winners. The gloop on Gipsy Freedom jangles and sparkles in all the right places.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 10 November 2006 08:12 (nineteen years ago)

xpost that cover bullshit infuriates me

yeahh... no disrespect to rog or anything but that is pretty shite.

― GOD PUNCH TO HAWKWIND (yournullfame), Friday, 10 November 2006 10:07 (nineteen years ago)

first wooden wand solo album is very good.
group efforts... eh... there's a good album in there somewhere.

― a (rslvd), Friday, 10 November 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

three months pass...

I bought Gipsy Freedom on a whim the other day, having never heard a Wooden Wand song, because it was priced cheaply for a 2LP set.

It's too bad that about 1.5 of the sides are ruined by the lone voice that dispenses nuggets like

PEACE! PEACE! PEACE IS A PHOENIX!
Right ooooout of the skyyyyyy!
and you's think nobody'd leave shades on their eyes
and maybe you think weeeeeeeeeeeee beloooong way to go
but friend that just isn't true
friend that just isssssssssssssssnnnnnnnn't sooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

in a voice that brings high school choir auditions to mind.

It's really too bad, because the other songs on the album are pretty excellent, especially Dread Effigy, which opens the second LP. I started to think that maybe my purchase would be redeemed by the second LP, but then as soon as that song ended, it went back to another solo venture by whoever the stonered songstress lady is.

Does the live show feature much of the unaccompanied singing, or do they focus more on the jams?

― Z S, Saturday, 3 March 2007 21:49 (eighteen years ago)

WWVV focuses on jams. Wooden Wand or Wooden Wand with anyone else is strictly songform destroyer, and the fulltime concern these days. The new album, out May 15 on EXXXstatic Peace, like the last (Second Attention, on Kill Rock Stars), is all "songs." Maybe you'll dig it?

For the record, the lyrics are "we've A LONG way to go." That song was our thinly veiled 'tribute' to Ayler's oft-maligned "Island Harvest" and subsequent recordings of that period, which we love. Sorry you didn't enjoy it.

You might dig the 'other side' of Jessica - she fronts a doom rock band called Totem. I'll spare you the Myspace link as I fear I've pimped too much already, but the EP will be out on I Hate soon and the full length soon after that.

― Manalishi, Sunday, 4 March 2007 03:24 (eighteen years ago)

I haven't done any pimping, so: Totem

I liked Harem of the Sundrum and Second Attention a little too much, and played them over and over till I got sick of them, But the best of the VV stuff still keeps pulling me back, Gipsy Freedom and The Flood especially. While I enjoyed Mr. Wand at ATP, the really stripped back thing isn't my ideal, and the cancelled-as-soon-as-it-was-announced UK Sky High Band tour for... about now left me full to the brim with disappointment, so hopefully he wasn't dealing in pacifying lies when he told me he'd be heading up my way come summerish.

I see that Wooden Wand is supporting Bright Eyes on Monday. I've heard of odder combinations, but still...

― Merdeyeux, Sunday, 4 March 2007 04:20 (eighteen years ago)

so, does totem have anything out? like, for sale? because their myspace page doesn't really make that clear. and you can't download songs, boo!

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Sunday, 4 March 2007 11:50 (eighteen years ago)

You might dig the 'other side' of Jessica - she fronts a doom rock band called Totem. I'll spare you the Myspace link as I fear I've pimped too much already, but the EP will be out on I Hate soon and the full length soon after that.

― Z S, Sunday, 4 March 2007 18:34 (eighteen years ago)

RIGHT BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE A CDR A DEMO A TAPE SOMETHING

BUT ALSO I MISSED THAT SENTENCE

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Monday, 5 March 2007 03:13 (eighteen years ago)

their records suck bad for the most part, imho, which is quite unlike their contemporaries (ie-- a lot of nnck records are fucking awesome).

their live show is really nice-- they played in a friend's house a while back, with no PA, in a living room. and it was totally sweet. the recordingi made is pretty good, too.

― the table is the table, Monday, 5 March 2007 03:18 (eighteen years ago)

WW rules. Bright eyes does not.

― Drooone, Monday, 5 March 2007 04:53 (eighteen years ago)

So is the Wooden Wand dude a bit of a plonker or summat?

― Drooone, Monday, 5 March 2007 06:32 (eighteen years ago)

harem of the sundrum is fucking amazing & second attention is pretty good but I could take or leave the WWVV stuff.

maybe i'll give it another listen.

― whatwhatwhat, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 06:05 (eighteen years ago)

i think the best of the wwvv proper LPs is Buck Dharma. "Wicked World" "I Am The One.." and more killer jammage. also love the harem LP. not as impressed with gipsy freedom, and i've only listened to second attention once or twice, honestly. but i liked it. mixed experiences live, but mostly positive (hilight being the set @ pasture fest while i was tripping my brains out.)

and i don't know what a "plonker" is, but i feel confident that jjt isn't one.

― ian, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 06:09 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, my favoritos would be Buck Dharma and Second Attention. Everything i've listened to i've enjoyed though.

..and i was just jokin' about the plonker call because that dude said:

Because they're not nice people, at least not to 'lowly' opening acts, that's why. I like the Harum of the Sundrum CD in spite of myself, though.

― Drooone, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 06:42 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

Can somebody help me ID this track? It's off one of those Wooden Wand live boots that I believe Clay Ruby put out: Wooden Wand and the Sky High Band - "Wasteland of the Free October, 2006 West Coast Tour"

Hopefully, you'll be able to listen to this:

http://www.box.net/shared/pmt4ngo69z

Thanks!

― QuantumNoise, Wednesday, 25 November 2009 01:20 (sixteen years ago)

two years pass...

http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2012/04/12/wooden-wand-lagniappe-sessions-jonathan-richmanborn-against/

That JR cover is hella nice, Rog

― money (admrl), Sunday, 15 April 2012 15:14 (thirteen years ago)

I kind of love WW

― Grime Scene Investigation Unit (admrl), Tuesday, 17 April 2012 06:31 (thirteen years ago)

i didn't dislike the 'my week beats your year' LP he did a year or two ago, seemed to get not much attention.

― real 69 for my sham friends (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 April 2012 06:34 (thirteen years ago)

When did he go from being a republican jam band to being a Kurt vile sort of thing? Maybe better than Kurt at times.

― Grime Scene Investigation Unit (admrl), Tuesday, 17 April 2012 07:17 (thirteen years ago)

five years pass...

“At a certain point, you want to blow it all off,” says James Jackson Toth, a 39-year-old writer and musician who performs as Wooden Wand. “You’re like, if I can’t keep up, I’m not going to try.”
Mr. Toth recently tried to listen to just one record a week—the music fan’s equivalent of a social-media break. He lasted four days. The overabundance of music “has made all of us—and I include myself—superficial listeners,” he says. “I don’t know records in the same way.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/didnt-like-that-new-album-another-one-is-coming-before-you-know-it-1522076320

― jaymc, Wednesday, 11 April 2018 04:29 (seven years ago)

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Wooden Wand And The Vanishing Voice - C/D... A/B?