Wilco

When Wilco announced the upcoming release of their album Cruel Country in late April 2022, it immediately generated a lot of excitement from a part of their fan base that hadn't been heard from much in a while. In the initial press releases on the LP, Jeff Tweedy described it as a country album, exciting news for the folks who had been following the band since their earliest days as Tweedy's post-Uncle Tupelo project, and had felt disappointed since their audible twang essentially disappeared with 1999's Summerteeth. But anyone hoping Cruel Country was going to take Wilco back to the rollicking alt-country sound of 1995's A.M. or 1996's Being There needs to adjust their expectations. Though Cruel Country is indeed the most "country" album Wilco have delivered in over 20 years, it's not "country" in the way they sounded in the mid-'90s.

Wilco are a band who have shown that in the 21st century, a band can succeed creatively and commercially on their own terms, even without what would be considered a hit single, especially impressive since Wilco often seemed to be doing well despite their presence on a major-label rather than because of it. Which is why What's Your 20? Essential Tracks 1994-2014 is at once a welcome and curious release: it's essentially a greatest-hits album from a band that's never had a hit single, collecting 38 songs that have made some impression on non-commercial radio and become fan favorites during the band's first two decades. At the same time, What's Your 20? is also a fine "Beginner's Guide to Wilco," as the track listing gracefully charts their progress from a scrappy but heartfelt alt-country band that rose from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo to a thoughtful and imaginative pop/rock band with some outstanding players and an eagerness to experiment.

New 4 CD boxset of Wilco's seminal Summerteeth, originally released in 1999. Contains the original album - beautifully remastered, a disc chock full of demos, outtakes and alternative versions, and, for me, best of all, 2 CDs containing a 2 hour show from 1999…

A four-CD set that includes Bob Ludwig’s 2020 remastered version of the original album (making its CD debut), along with an entire disc of unreleased studio outtakes, alternate versions and demos that chart the making of the album from songwriting demos to alternate studio arrangements to finished masters.

A new collection of historic live Wilco concerts, this six disc standard CD boxset features three full length performances recorded over consecutive nights in October 2014, in front of sold out audiences at the Capitol Theatre in New York. Highlights of the 90-song track list are live favorites plus many rarities, dating back to the band's earliest albums. A unique feature of this tour was an acoustic encore, with a singalong cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Ripple,” and many more unique performances from Wilco's expansive discography. Box set artwork created from the original concert posters by Nate Duval.

WILCO: 2022 was meant to be the year Wilco celebrated the 20th anniversary of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the album that almost split the band but ended up securing their legend. However, this is a group that likes to keep moving – hence the surprise appearance in May of the organic and emotionally direct Cruel Country. OUR FREE CD! CROSSEYED STRANGERS: An alternative Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, compiled by Wilco.

Wilco are a band who thrive on self-sufficiency – they have their own recording studio, they run their own record label, and they're unusually hands-on in terms of ticketing, merch, and outreach to their fans. They've figured out how to do most of the big stuff themselves, and they like it that way. Not surprisingly, from 2007's Sky Blue Sky onward, they've also produced their own albums. 2023's Cousin represents a genuine shift for the band as they've ceded some control over their recording process for a change. Wilco invited expressive pop experimentalist Cate Le Bon to produce the sessions and sit in on keyboards, and it's a collaboration that flatters all parties involved.

This 8 CD Super Deluxe Edition of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco's 2002 Nonesuch debut, comprises the original album, remastered for it's 20th anniversary in 2022, plus 84 previously unreleased tracks. Includes demos, drafts, and instrumentals, charting the making of the album; a live 2002 concert recording; and a September 2001 radio performance and interview.