When singer/songwriter and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy initially began working on his first solo album, he began demoing and rehearsing the songs at home with his son Spencer on drums. Although he envisioned it primarily as a solo project, as Spencer became more and more involved it was decided that they would issue the album as a duo under the family name Tweedy. Released in August 2014 on Wilco’s dBpm label, their debut, Sukierae, captures all the weary warmth of Jeff Tweedy’s distinctive Americana/pop style with a stripped-down, decidedly homemade feel. On-stage the duo is joined by guitarist Jim Elkington, bassist Darin Gray, and keyboardist Liam Cunningham. ~Timothy Monger
Jeff Tweedy’s Family Affair | Rolling Stone
Jeff Tweedy and Son Start Band, Share Gritty ‘I’ll Sing It’ | Spin
This year Eaux Claires and Blue Ox both have headliners that share a significant tie: Blue Ox’s Son Volt and Eaux Claires’s Wilco are two bands that formed from the remnants of Uncle Tupelo, the seminal alt-country band that broke up in 1994. In the wake of the Tupelo split Tupelo co-founder Jay Farrar formed Son Volt, while the other co-founder, Jeff Tweedy, started Wilco.
Since going their separate ways both bands have put out numerous albums, and while Son Volt’s discography hasn’t seen the same commercial success or mainstream acclaim that Wilco enjoys, they’ve still remained a critically beloved band and have maintained a dedicated following. Son Volt’s most recent–their eighth full-length album entitled Notes of Blue–came out just this February.
Reviewing Notes of Blue NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson wrote: “…Son Volt has always deserved more attention than it’s gotten, and the occasion of its eighth album is as good a time as any to revisit a sound that’s worn well with time. At just 31 minutes, Notes Of Blue provides a lean and sturdy showcase for Farrar’s eternally weary but undiminished voice — which here gets employed in the service of shimmery ballads (‘Promise The World,’ ‘Cairo And Southern’) and rowdy, chugging rockers (‘Static,’ ‘Lost Souls’) alike.”
Notes of Blue is certainly a great listen–a bit more blues-infused then some of Son Volt’s previous albums–and we at Blugold Radio are very excited to hear some of our favorite cuts off of it live this summer at Blue Ox.
…hope to see you there!
How the Blues Shaped Son Volt’s Electrified ‘Notes of Blue’ – Rolling Stone
Jay Farrar Talks the Blues, Guitar Tunings and New Son Volt Album – The Boot
