FMD: Seasonal Music (Wolf Eyes)

I was going to add Wolf Eyes' "Stabbed in the Face II" to my list as a bonus track to my R10, but as there's no FMD post, I'll talk about them as a post.

Now that it's about 15 years since I saw Wolf Eyes in concert (opening up for Sonic Youth on their "Sonic Nurse" tour, at the Quest), I'm finally calmed down enough to listen to their music without reliving the trauma. In the interim, I have listened to a lot of former Wolf Eye Aaron Dilloway's solo material, so that presented me with a road back to the full band's work. Some of their stuff is danged fantastic, though only recommended if you think Atari Teenage Riot was "too pretty" or "too pop". For example, "Let the Smoke Rise" is like "Stabbed in the Face" forced more towards the format of a traditional "song". The track on my list here, "Stabbed in the Face II", is an instrumental version of "SitF" (original below). The instrumental shows how important Nate Young's screams are to the original (imagine some rock band without the lead guitar), but at the same time highlights other parts of the song. It's not as assaultive.

Warning: Wolf Eyes SelectShow

Drop your lists or whatevs.

7 thoughts on “FMD: Seasonal Music (Wolf Eyes)”

  1. 1. Stereo MC's “Sweetest Truth (Show No Fear)” Help
    2. Lauryn Hill “Lost Ones (AMR edit*)” The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
    3. Gang Gang Dance “Chinese High (Nguzunguzu Remix)” Eye Contact
    4. Matthew Dear “Monkey” Black City
    5. Björk “Hunter” Homogenic

    6. Will Oldham “Only Someone Running” Songs of Love and Horror
    7. Locust Fudge “Cake” Royal Flush
    8. Bottle Rockets “Indianapolis” Live in Heilbronn/Germany — July 17, 2005
    9. Sonic Youth “Starfield Road”* Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
    T. DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid “You Are About to Witness” Synthetic Fury EP

    *Notes:
    2. I cut off the "skit" at the end, that annoying framing of the album that young Lauryn missed the day at school where they learned about love.

    9. Could have been titled "Bull in the Heather, Pt. 2". Not only are they back-to-back on the album, every time I've seen them play "Bull" live, they've continued without gap to play "Starfield Road".

  2. 01. "The Gambling Priest" – Danger Mouse & Daniele LuppiRome
    02. "Here Is No Why" – The Smashing PumpkinsMellon Collie And The Inifinite Sadness
    03. "The Story Of Bo Diddley" – The AnimalsThe Animals
    04. "Peaceful Morning" – Hamilton Leithauser + RostamI Had A Dream That You Were Mine
    05. "You Came To Me" – Beach HouseDevotion
    06. "Winter Trees" – The StavesDead & Born & Grown
    07. "Fade" – Holly HerndonMovement
    08 "The Hunt" – Youth LagoonThe Year Of Hibernation
    09. "Hark The Umpire" – DeerhoofReveille
    10. "Holy Will (feat. Ian Isiah)" – Blood OrangeNegro Swan

  3. I was at that Sonic Youth/Wolf Eyes show, right in front of the dude who split his head open with his mace. I went with my friend/radio show co-host (who shares your given name) a couple of days after I got back from meeting J in person for the first time. It was fittin since we played "Stabbed in the Face" on our show quite often.

    1. I don't recall anyone having their head split open. How did anyone get a mace into the show?
      I watched a bunch of this from the balcony. I think I was in a weird place for this show; coworkers/friends I'd seen other shows with couldn't make it... Modest Mouse was playing at First Ave. I went alone, but hadn't really had a chance to get into the new album. I kindof went out of a sense of obligation and the hope that I'd get into it more when I got there. I knew nothing of Wolf Eyes before I entered and really wished I'd had someone else to look at and say "WTF?" to.
      SY setlist here.

      1. It was John Olson from the band; apparently he was "playing" the mace on that tour? Cliff's notes version of the story is in this article. He raised his head at one point and his face was covered with blood, which I'm pretty sure I could only see since I was directly in front of him. I am still shocked he was able to play the entire set after reading how bad it was later.

        I was just getting into Sonic Youth around this time, and my friend wanted to go with me. Wolf Eyes and Hair Police both blew me away, and were he biggest learning from the show for me was just how much I discovered I loved live noise. Watching Das Yellow Swans clear out an entire room of kids opening for Xiu Xiu is one of my favorite show memories.

        As an aside, the same friend who I went to SY with was a part of a noise trio.

        1. Mentioning Hair Police reminds me of another part of the "weird mood"... I missed the first opener. I think I had some obligation (maybe having to do with being the father of a one-year-old?) and was coming in later than I wanted to and flustered.

  4. 1. Tiny Dancer--Elton John
    2. Summer's Here--James Taylor
    3. You Are So Beautiful--Joe Cocker
    4. Daniel--Elton John
    5. Copperline--James Taylor
    6. A World Without Love--Peter and Gordon
    7. Snowbird--Anne Murray
    8. Long Long Time--Linda Ronstadt
    9. I Like Dreamin'--Kenny Nolan
    10. Carolina In My Mind--James Taylor

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