William Tyler (Band!): Constellation 2016
@williamtylermusic released one of the best records of 2016 in Modern Country. Period, full stop. This is a definitive statement in the eternally subjective area of “good music” and “best records” and I know this because every single friend/acquaintance/e-pal/enemy/etc who has heard it agrees. From pals in the noisetrenches to those who prefer more grounded/easier-to-digest sounds (not that there’s anything wrong with that), I’ve yet to encounter anyone who didn’t love this record. There had only been a handful of full-band WT shows prior to this year, all of which had been in Nashville (I think?) with Nashvillian players (one of which can be streamed here and pulls heavily from his most-excellent 2014 EP Lost Colony on @mergerecords). Assuming it might be a while before I saw a full-band set, you could say I was pretty damn enthused to discover that the brief 2nd leg of the ‘Modern Country’ tour would begin in Chicago at one of my favorite rooms. Fresh off of a run opening for Wilco as a trio, Tyler debuted his expanded 5piece group to a packed/silent audience who hung on every note, twist and turn. The set is ‘Modern Country’, almost in order, plus album outtake “Area Code 601.” This shit cooks and I can’t wait to hear (and hopefully see) this lineup with a few more shows under its belt. William Tyler 9.14.2016 Constellation Chicago, IL 1. Highway Anxiety 2. I’m Gonna Live Forever (If It Kills Me) 3. Kingdom of Jones 4. Albion Moonlight 5. Sunken Garden 6. banter 7. Gone Clear 8. The Great Unwind 9. banter 10. Area Code 601 William Tyler - guitars Thomas Wincek - keyboards Joe Westerlund - drums/percussion Darin Gray - bass Chris Boerner - guitars download
Yes! Yes! And more yes!
