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you are moving too slow (wilco and c.o.c.o.)
by Sean
Please note: MP3s are only kept online for a short time, and if this entry is from more than a couple of weeks ago, the music probably won't be available to download any more.
So I didn't think I'd post this as I hadn't intended to be "leaked music central," but as the song keeps coming up on my iTunes playlist, I keep being bowled over by the sheer honesty of the electric guitar solo, the way that it's bashful and rock'n'roll at the same time. I haven't heard the whole album, but from what I have heard, A Ghost Is Born sounds like it's Wilco's Let It Be. Gone is the bounce and sparkle of Summerteeth, the silver gauze of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and instead - knit sweaters, cigarettes, drums, and men trying to express themselves the only way they know how. The internet feels like it's home to more Wilco haters than lovers, but I'm one of those kids who fell in love with YHF, and while my crush has waned, I'm happy to be excited about the band again, happy that this song sounds so good to my ears. If you're still too sick of them, however, please feel free to skip ahead. Wilco - "At Least That's What You Said". A voice and a piano, with flickers of guitar far, far in the background (memory). If it wasn't Tweedy, I might hate it - self-indulgent singer-songwriter crap. But (but!) there's an elegance to his simple, bittersweet vocals; there's the feeling he's sorry that this might sound trite, that he can't help it. I can hear the wounds, the vulnerability as he sings "mad," "serious." When the electric guitar stands up, begins to jam with piano and a simple drum-line, there's still an order to this, a self-conscious play-by-numbers. "Now we'll jam out." But things get out of control, things break down, things just break. I can hear the mess and the freedom and the regret. I can feel it. I turn up the volume and I wash myself in it. I scoar myself with it. And the shiny piano keeps on going (see Lambchop Aw C'mon/No You C'Mon), like the shiny kitchen and the shiny sun and the shiny grasses that still wave outside, regardless of you in your room, hands balled up, eyes squeezed shut. A clear cold glass of water that you pick up and drink. Other songs that are like this song: And then, for those of you who don't and won't like the Wilco, or for those of you who need a shimmy-shammy right now (and not a hot flame), I bring you, from K Records (of all people), the finest song that C.O.C.O. have ever released: C.O.C.O. - "Move On". Bass and drums pitch a devastatingly simple dance beat, a devastatingly simple lyrical hook, the sort of thing that should be played on vinyl, that should be danced to at a party in a loft on St-Denis, in black-lacquer shoes and stupid sunglasses. Oh - and a bowl of cherries nearby. Cherry cola, too, with those bendy straws. And a girlfriend. Posted by Sean at March 17, 2004 1:18 AMComments
Wow. That new Wilco is intense. I guess two guitars isn't obsolete after all. It will be very interesting to see how this next tour goes. Thanks, Sean! Posted by Scott at March 17, 2004 1:36 AMWow! Just wow! I didn't expect the guitar at all, and it just slaps you upside the head, especially b/c the start is so quiet that you crank the volume way up. And it's so CLEAR. I liked Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it didn't change my life of anything, but this just might... Maybe I should drop out of school and listen to this forever. Thank you so much for this. Posted by caley at March 17, 2004 2:37 AMI wasn't feeling the slow intro, but once they let loose in the instrumental section, it's fabulous. Posted by Matthew at March 17, 2004 10:04 AMI know what you mean, Matthew. Without the instrumental bit, this song would be a hollow, almost embarassing load of "melancholy" (note quotation marks). With it, however, the song ascends to high heights, and even the first part becomes better - suddenly the soft-spoken mumbles are all about _restraining_ the thing that comes out later. a tension appears in them, a falseness. (which is good.) Posted by Sean at March 17, 2004 10:36 AMPF says Nels Cline is in Wilco now. Any idea if he's on this track, or the album itself? I'm one of the hatas, but I'll pretty much listen to anything that has his guitar work on it... Posted by Eppy at March 17, 2004 10:53 AMFrom what I'm guessing, chronology-wise, Nels isn't on the record. But I'm not really sure... Neither the Wilco nor Nels Cline websites say anything definitive. Posted by Sean at March 17, 2004 11:44 AMI don't think he is on this track, but it will be interesting to hear him tear into this on stage. Posted by Scott at March 17, 2004 12:14 PMSean, you had said you were looking for mp3 blogs... elchan over at fruits of chaos turned me on to Speaking of which... I can't stand asian pop. And so, I remain happily blind to that whole world. It's just too damned saccharine for me. Posted by Keith at March 17, 2004 4:39 PMPlease, if you have any heart at all....tell us where we can hear the rest of this. Posted by Anonymous at March 17, 2004 5:33 PMi second that, if someone can point us to a source for the whole album, please do! Posted by Ambrose Chapel at March 17, 2004 6:30 PMI was led here by a network of obsessive Wilco fans... and what I have to say to you today is... THANK YOU! If you can help me out with the rest of the disc, please drop me a line. Posted by Paul at March 17, 2004 7:38 PMP.S., Nels doesn't appear on this track. Posted by Paul at March 17, 2004 7:38 PMBegging....you.....Sean. :) Posted by Anonymous at March 17, 2004 8:33 PMa hint at the location of the other tunes would be fantastic Posted by Anonymous at March 17, 2004 9:57 PMJudging by this "haven't heard the whole album", I would say there's a good chance Sean may not have the whole album. Posted by caley at March 17, 2004 11:08 PMi still haven't received quite all of "ghost" (the missing 10% comes tomorrow), but, yeah, unfortunately I can't point anyone to where I got it - that's rule #1. rumour has it about a torrent floating around, but i haven't managed to spot it. it's not actually as good as i initially thought (unfortunately), so i don't want to turn STG into a big wilco-posting crap-shoot. besides, like i say above, i am positive that within the week, this will be everywhere. i'm glad people are finding "at least that's what you said" as exciting as I did, though. even if the pitchfork-board kids (hello!) don't approve of my "other songs that are like this song." i stick to my guns, however: i am proud of that list. anyone else have ones to add? Posted by Sean at March 18, 2004 12:09 AMThanks for addressing our comments, Sean. I apologize for perhaps expecting an unreasonable amount of information from you earlier, but "At Least That's What You Said" has been running through my head (and playlist!) all night long. The wait for the rest of the new Wilco record has been made that much sweeter by your sharing this this track. You've made at least one new fan today; I read through the rest of your reviews and found them perceptive and informative. You've got one helluva blog here, man. Posted by Paul at March 18, 2004 12:49 AMIt was a short wait. Heh. Posted by Paul at March 18, 2004 5:56 AMyour list is fine but you missed a big one---this song is dripping with neil young's influence. it sounds a lot like "cortez the killer" or any other song where neil solos for 3 minutes too long. that being said, it's still a good song Posted by dan at March 22, 2004 5:53 PM"Hey Ya!"????? What in TARNATION! Anyways. Thanks for posting the song. Now if I could only find the rest.................. Posted by Ryan at March 22, 2004 10:40 PMCan someone please help me please.... I can't seem to play this track....Can anyone give the exact URL where I can play the MP3... Thanks okay, the song is gone. If anybody could possibly email me where I might find this wonderful (and all those other wonderful) tracks I would be more than appreciative. A torrent has got to be out there somewhere... Posted by Jeremy at April 2, 2004 6:20 PMhey, everybody i want to know who the f*** is playing lead guitar on this record. btw, all you ppl looking to hear the new record, wilco are streaming it from their website for free. (www.wilcoworld.net) its awesome Posted by kyle at April 9, 2004 12:26 PMPost a comment |
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this is a daily sampler of really good songs. all tracks are posted out of love. please go out and buy the records!
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all songs are removed within a week or two of posting. said the gramophone launched in march 2003, and added songs in november of that year. it was one of the world's very first mp3blogs. if you would like to say hello, find out our mailing addresses or invite us to shows, please get in touch: montreal, canada: sean toronto, canada: jordan montreal, canada: dan please don't send us emails with tons of huge attachments; if emailing a bunch of mp3s etc, use a service like MailBigFile. if you are the copyright holder of any song posted here, please contact us if you would like the song taken down early. please do not direct link to any of these tracks. please love and wonder. "and i shall watch the ferry-boats / and they'll get high on a bluer ocean / against tomorrow's sky / and i will never grow so old again." we are a member of MBV.
about the authors
Sean Michaels lives in Montreal, where he is writing a novel. His work also occasionally appears at McSweeney's. Follow him on Twitter or reach him here.
Dan Beirne is an actor and writer living in Montreal. He writes fiction fiction fiction on here. It may feel true, but it is never True. He is most proud of his most recent project The Bitter End. Email him here Jordan Himelfarb lives in Toronto, where he is editor in chief of The Mark. Jordan's posts appear at Said the Gramophone only on the last Wednesday of every month. Email him here. Site design and header typography by Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet. The header graphic is randomized: this one is by . 
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