February
20th, 2008 Preview
a song from "Live At Workplay" here!
February
18th, 2008 New
CD "Airstream" and new double DVD "Live At Workplay"
Available Now!! How's
this for a double feature - first up, the new, stripped down album "Airstream."
"Airstream" makes its distinctive musical and lyrical points
with a range of contemporary styles, from folk balladry to acoustic soul
and reggae. All could easily have inspired full-scale arrangements, but
Wilcox chose to make a recording as intimate as his one-man shows - just
his versatile baritone and agile guitar work.
“We decided to make this a voice-and-guitar record; even beautiful
harmonies didn't make it to the mix,” David said. “The simple
arrangements just worked best for this batch of songs.”
Then,
the long-awaited "Live At Workplay" DVD. This is a 2 DVD set,
with a full, unedited concert on Disc 1. Disc 2 is all bonus features,
David talking about the stories behind the songs, some guitar how-to,
a bit about how he gets his sound for all the gear heads out there and
a very unique discussion of how he approaches songwriting - sort of a
'how-to' for aspiring songwriters, but its as much a 'why-to' as well.
So..
what are you waiting for - check them out here
or just go straight to
our store..
May
15th, 2007 Demand
David Wilcox to play in your town! We
have recently discovered eventful.com, a cool website that lets performers
gauge where they are most wanted. Click on the image to demand David Wilcox
in your town!
February
14th, 2007 Downloadable
"Vista" tour poster
Here's
a poster you can download, print, and use to promote David Wilcox shows
in your hometown.. click on the image or right
here..
January
23rd, 2007 "Give
to Receive" contest winners announced:
Here's
the lucky winners -
Dave Sloop
- Troutville VA 1st Prize - House Concert
Judi Sawyer - Austin TX 2nd Prize - Autographed Rainsong Guitar
Darren Garland - Cherry Hill NJ 3rd Prize - signed Memorabilia package.
April
24th, 2006: New
album "Vista" now available for immediate delivery on our new
store..
Lookee,
Lookee, we got a grown-up new store - state field drop-down menus and
everything.. and our first big new CD on sale is "Vista," you
can click right
here and buy it..
April
21st, 2006: New
album "Vista" coming soon, extensive nationwide tour begins
this Sunday in San Francisco..
hear two songs here:
For
his new album, David Wilcox recruited a small band of friends and musical
favorites and in so doing, created an album that moves along a solid groove
and into a more animated place than his previous recordings. The album
is set for release on this Spring on What Are Records? This is perhaps
his most joyous, musically diverse and wide ranging in a career that includes
12 acclaimed albums and a rabidly faithful following. Wilcox wrote or
co-wrote 14 of the 15 songs, with the exception being a cover taken from
the album of his friend J.D. Martin Wayne Kirkpatrick.
The rhythm section features Craig Young (bass) and Ted Ray(drums). Wilcox,
who is generally regarded a "guitarists' guitarist", also enlisted
the help of guitarists Jared Tyler Duke Levine, cellist Stephanie Winters
and for vocal support, his wife Nance Pettit, Jan Garrett, and Ginny Owens.
The album was co-produced with Ben Wisch.
Meanwhile,
Wilcox and Pettit along with their 13-year-old son, Nathan, are traveling
the country in an Airstream Trailer pulled by their bio-diesel truck.
We love the whole concept of not knowing what each day will bring,"
says Wilcox, "and not being sure where the path is leading, things
being wide open. It's been real enlightening."
Click
here to see the tracklist, and hear two songs from this album.
ALWAYS
WORTH READING: Bob
Lefsetz of The Lefsetz Letter writes about David Wilcox's place in the
Music Industry:
It's long,
but it's worth it:
"They tell us online file-trading will kill not only the music business,but
music ITSELF!! If people can't get paid for their material, there will
be no INCENTIVE! Well, maybe if major label revenues continue to decline,
EXECUTIVES will no longer wish to WORK in the business, for decreased
salaries, but make no mistake...the musicians are going to continue to
create. Because they HAVE to.
And they're going to get paid for their work TO BOOT!
Tonight I
went to Pepperdine University to see David Wilcox. Now I'm not a big David
Wilcox fan, but I AM friends with his manager, Tom Simonson. It's all
about the friends, NEVER FORGET THAT! Ascending the highway into Pepperdine
gave notice that I was leaving the war-infested world behind.
I had to relinquish my computer screen, with its constant updates. The
vibe...it was DIFFERENT! OTHERWORLDLY! The parking attendants didn't sneer,
and pray on the inside that I WASN'T on the list. It was so CIVILIZED!
But what I truly wasn't prepared for was the number of attendees. It was
SOLD OUT!! Five hundred people at $32.50 a pop (oh, some of the tickets
were sold to students for six bucks). And when the lights went down, and
David strode out onstage, the APPLAUSE! These weren't CASUAL attendees,
these were FANS!
I didn't get the memo...how did THEY! And David plays solo. Just him and
his guitar. Telling intro stories. INTELLIGENT intro stories. It's not
the glitz and glamour we associate with the music business today. That
music business railing about its death.
THAT music business only wants something that can sell MILLIONS of copies.
Which INHERENTLY means that it's lowest common denominator stuff, or OVERSOLD,
or BOTH!!!
It's not like the labels USED to be this way. Look at Elektra. Jac Holzman
started it to put out FOLK records. Because he loved the music, wanted
to be part of the scene, wanted to get CLOSER!
Today's executives just want to get RICH! You can tell they're not interested
in music, OTHERWISE, they'd all GO ONLINE TO KAZAA and see what it's all
about. That's what made ME a believer in online music, USING IT!
When a fan can get unreleased songs from his favorite artist, he's in
HEAVEN! But this is what the major labels want to KILL!
And the business wasn't different only in the late fifties and sixties.
No, in the seventies TOO! AFTER the Beatles. AFTER the big time! I went
to see James Taylor solo at Harvard in the spring of '70. Three nights
after seeing "Woodstock". Positively MESMERIZING! Amazing the
sound, the INTIMACY one man and his guitar can create. Hell, maybe that's
the explanation of the success of Jack Johnson and John Mayer.
Unfortunately, the hype attendant to these two artists is not commensurate
with their TALENT! Oh, they've got something. But it doesn't bring Carolina
into my mind. Doesn't TOUCH me the way that James, or Jackson Browne or
Joni Mitchell did. The MACHINE is just as important as the TALENT today.
But I'm not a believer in the machine.
And no one else is either.
But there's David Wilcox. And other neo-folkies. And bands too. Who've
taken things into their own hands. Rather than waiting for major labels
to pick them up and send them on a rocket ride, they're minding their
OWN business. WITHOUT tour support.
Sure, Wilcox was once on a major label, but the String Cheese Incident
never was. And never WILL be according to their manager.
What can a major label do but FUCK IT UP!!
Oh, they can pay the act MORE MONEY!
But how much money does one person NEED!
And, the label might give a big sum up front, but how about next year...You'll
never recoup. And they only want a new album every two or three years,
which feeds their BUSINESS cycle, but does it feed the act's ARTISTIC
cycle??
And after getting a standing ovation, that five hundred bought sixty CDs.
Oh, they would have bought more, but that's all that were available, a
shipping snafu having held up the rest. At fifteen bucks a POP! No one
blinked. They wanted the souvenir. As a badge of honor, as a badge of
IDENTITY! One of the secrets of life is not EVERYBODY wants the same stuff.
Kind of contrary to the majors' philosophy, don't you think? Selling just
a few titles in TONNAGE amounts. And while the merch table was emptying,
Mr. Wilcox hung amongst the attendees. Signing CDs, talking, posing for
photos. BONDING with the people, making them FANS for life. There were
no security guards, no WALL between the act and audience. Fans could REVEL
in David's ability to play the guitar and sing...but that was HIS gift,
just like they had THEIRS, however invisible to the public at large.
David Wilcox's concert numbers are holding steady. Despite the recession.
Absent major label hype. Maybe it's because, as he said, the concertgoers
could have attended a movie instead, but that movie will be the same tomorrow.
Each of his concerts is unique, a one time event. Can you say the same
about the choreographed, on tape productions touring arenas today? People
can watch them as SPECTACLE, they just can't BOND with them. They're DEAD,
like movies. Not ALIVE like music. And when did it become all about the
record ANYWAY! The record used to just be a component, not the sole item.
Just ONE of the products the artist sold. Tell this to J. Lo. Then again,
J. Lo isn't an artist. And doesn't have the hard core fan base a true
artist has.
And thinking about all the foregoing, and the mood it put me in, reflecting
on life, how I was rescued from the war for a few hours, how I was a member
of a secret society, I had to hear a song that reflected my mood...."
Copyright
2003 Robert Scott Lefsetz You can (and should) read more of The Lefsetz Letter at Celebrity
Access
01.03.02 David
Wilcox's new CD "Into The Mystery" available now exclusively
through WhatAreRecords.com, in stores February 25th, 2003.
Yes, it's
actually here, in our hands. Shipping starts today. The complete track
listing for this album is available on our David Wilcox discography
page.
There's also an exclusive preview of the song "Out Of The Question"
available on that page.
05.24.02 David Wilcox interview at musician.com David
talks about...well, everything. It's a good one, see for yourself. Enjoy!
05.14.02 David Wilcox concerts selling out across the country, live
songs & stories earning
fantastic reviews Just
a friendly reminder - if David's coming to your town, and you don't have
tickets yet, you might want to hurry, as nearly every show on his current
tour has been a complete sell out.
If you need further convincing, check out these recent raves from writers
across the country for the new album, live songs & stories:
"[David Wilcox] has a rare ability to mix metaphor and melody in
ways that are moving without being maudlin. [In live songs & stories]
fans will appreciate the new arrangements of old favorites and the spoken
intros, and newcomers will get a taste of a talent that deserves far wider
recognition." - The Associated Press
"...[T]he telling live songs & stories shows he's nothing if
not up-close and personal. While Wilcox stresses repeatedly that he is
only a messenger for the music, his wit and wisdom radiate throughout
this set, creating a warm glow that informs and embraces each offering." - Goldmine Magazine
"More than merely a souvenir of his live performances, live songs
& stories captures the essence of a live David Wilcox show." - Vintage Guitar Magazine
"Ultra-cool with a dash of laid-back soul, Wilcox delivers his songs
so methodically and crisply that you'll find yourself hanging on every
word, every note, and the infinite breath in between. " - Rochester City Newspaper
04.05.02 Allmusic.com gives "live songs & stories" 4 stars! In a glowing review, Allmusic.com states that David's new live
album "...leaves the listener not only with a glimmer of insight
into the performer's mindset, but also with an undeniable hope and kinder
worldview." To read the complete review, click
here.
02.26.02 What Are Records? is proud to announce the signing of David Wilcox
to our label. His debut W.A.R.? release, live songs & stories,
is due in record stores on April 9th. David will be supporting this release
with a full national tour this spring, you can get the tourdates here.
Also, be sure to sign up on our mailing list, and visit this site frequently
for your chance to hear and buy this album before the official street
date.
