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Pop: hot ticket
By GINA VIVINETTO, Times Pop Music Critic
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 31, 2002
One for the underdogs
Alt-country superstar band Wilco rose like a phoenix from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo's breakup. Led by the mighty Jeff Tweedy, Wilco at first wrote spry country-based rock, but later the music began to brim with new sounds: R&B horn blasts, psychedelic touches, even slick and stunning pop, as evidenced on the lush Summer Teeth.
This year's delicious Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is another masterpiece, and it, too, finds the band experimenting with genres. It is a perfect blend of smart, jangly pop, summery harmonies and heart-wrecking lyrics.
The greatest irony is that Warner/Reprise, Wilco's former label, dropped the band upon hearing the tapes for the album, saying the material was not commercially viable. Wilco then paid $50,000 for ownership of the tapes and handed them over to the Nonesuch label, which proudly released Yankee Hotel Foxtrot to critical acclaim. Yay for the underdogs!
Wilco performs 8 p.m. Saturday at Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin St., Tampa. $24. (727) 898-2100 or (813) 287-8844.
Triple bill: arty, brainy, spirited
Here's a triple bill that's huge for indie rockers hip to the current scene: Les Savy Fav, the Ex-Models and Pretty Girls Make Graves.
From New York, Les Savy Fav play smart, spiky punk that reeks of Fugazi. Fellow Big Applers the Ex-Models are enjoying a huge buzz in the 'zines these days for the band's arty, angular approach, odd meters and dissonant guitar. 2001's Other Mathematics is a brainy, bristling affair.
But it's -- ooh! ooh! -- Pretty Girls Make Graves that has Team Pop all excited. Named for a Smiths song, the Pretty Girls hail from the Seattle area but in no way sound grungy. It's all fun, spirited pop sung by a boy and a girl, featuring candy sweet melodies and wry lyrics such as those on If You Hate Your Friends, You're Not Alone. (Team Pop discovered Pretty Girls while on a venture to the Experience Music Project earlier this year and is thrilled to bits to catch the band live.)
The show begins at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Orpheum, 1902 Avenida Republica de Cuba, Ybor City. $7-$8. (813) 248-9500
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