A green desert is a monoculture, a verdant expanse of sameness. This contravenes the ethos of Winged Wheel, as the primary commonality of its six members is that they’re making music together. Each of them brings a unique background and oeuvre to the band; they sprout from vastly different territories, and their sound epitomizes this. The term synergy is overused, but it applies here. Winged Wheel is the product of a set cerebellums glued together in a game of give-and-take, constantly evolving and maturing in their six-fold synaptic unity.
The group understands the irony behind the name Desert So Green, as this album — its third — is clearly sonically lush and demonstrative of a persistent progression. It parallels the journey of this indie supergroup’s amalgamation as a band: On No Island they worked from afar; Big Hotel was the product of in person collaboration and a swelling of the ranks; here they’ve got a bunch of live shows under their belt and are operating in full band mode. There is variation at play, along with sonic experimentation. The swirling juggernaut is now balanced by steamy jet streams and vaporous vortices. The textures are still thick, but not overly dense; you can discern shapes in the mist. The daydream nation is still thriving, but it’s embraced ambient drift and a variety of sonic signifiers.
Gentleness prevails in lead-off track “Canvas 11.” Insistent but restrained guitars create an interlocking pattern over a soft synth chord, building just enough tension to arouse the listener’s interest and set the stage for the adventure yet to come. A subtle shift in tone near the piece’s end is the first of many juxtapositions the band leverages to introduce new moods mid-song. Cut to “Canvas 2” and sheaves of Whitney Johnson’s viola swirl about, dancing alongside chiming guitars and a suspense-inducing pulse from the rhythm section. The anticipatory vibe evaporates when “Speed Table” breaks through the misty haze with a churning guitar energy redolent of drummer Steve Shelley’s former band. Johnson’s liquid vocals are tangible but elude our grasp as they pour over the music, tempering the Sonic Youth-ism and showing how unique this band can be. This is the closest Winged Wheel come to their past work, and they get downright kaleidoscopic with the mood from hereon in.
Winged Wheel travels across various territories and climates throughout Desert So Green. Moody dirges take them through deep caverns (“More Frog Poems” and “Beautiful Holy Jewel Home,” both of which feature vocals from guitarist Cory Plump), while the upbeat and ethereal vibes of tracks like “Bird Spells” and “I See Poseurs Every Day” reveal mountain vistas. What’s key here is that Winged Wheel is travelling together, as a unit. The eclecticism in mood proves that they’re enjoying the voyage.
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It's going to take years to unpack the last few months of 2023. Whatever mental trauma is inflicted upon those removed from the situation in no way approximates the devastation and inhumanity occurring daily to millions. That the US is funding it all, and institutions and businesses domestically are punishing those who speak out about it, is sickening and terrifying. The latest Lulu's email newsletter wrote more eloquently about it all than I could, and plainly calls for empathy at the end: "Be good in a bad world."
And we do that, pretending things are normal for the sake of others, our kids, our partners. But things are not normal, and that pressure forces other changes, because while we can to some degree control what happens within our lives, there's no fix for seeing (let alone experiencing) dead, maimed children regularly on Instagram, victims of bombings without caution or consequence. A sense of powerlessness pervades. What we can do is keep talking, sharing and banding together. Being good in a bad world.
Some notes:
Lots more instrumental, or nearly instrumental, music than usual this year on my list, which tracks with the current climate. Music without words, or without discernible words, leaves space for thoughts to become untangled, sure; but a lot of what’s highlighted below felt more transcendent than meditative.
I still listen to rap quite a bit, but very few new songs I heard stuck around past a few days. Call it malaise from living in an era where every other song on the radio has a trap beat. Starlito dropped a clunker, which shouldn't have shocked me but did, and it personally felt significant. Maybe it’s indicative of the old guard’s demise, but hopefully it removes a wall and allows me to engage with newer rap music better. That being said: Veeze's Ganger was head and shoulders above everything else; billy woods' short verse on "As the Crow Flies" made me gasp the first time I heard it (and I also loved ELUCID's verse on "Baby Steps"); and I listened to The Jacka's The Jack Artist most of all.
Of all the books I read this year, two books by Fernanda Melchor, Hurricane Season and Paradais, stood out. Melchor’s prose is incredibly powerful, bleakly funny and vicious in equal measure. The sharp, frank assessments by characters in often ludicrous situations feel like a product of the contemporary but imbued with some ancient wisdom. Shout out to Julia S. for the new and notable South American literature tips.
In the midst of holiday/short day doldrums, amidst endless bleak news reports, it was difficult battling back cynicism to listen to anything, especially back to all of these records and tapes listed below. It ended up being oddly therapeutic, highly enjoyable and maybe necessary, the same as when I force myself out to shows when it's easier to stay home. That feeling chips away at the notion of this list-making exercise as futile, for me certainly, but hopefully also for you. Thank you for reading, and I hope you find something you like, too.
And so:
LP
Lewsberg, Out and About (12XU)
Equipment Pointed Ankh, From Inside the House (Bruit Direct Disques)
The Native Cats, The Way On Is the Way Off (Chapter Music)
Water Damage, 2 Songs (12XU)
VoidCeremony, Threads of Unknowing (20 Buck Spin)
Emily Robb, If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection (Petty Bunco)
CIA Debutante, Down, Willow (Siltbreeze)
Olimpia Splendid, 2 (Fonal/Kraak)
Nusidm, The Last Temptation of Thrill (Bruit Direct Disques)
Incipientium, Undergång (Happiest Place)
Witness K, s/t (ever/never)
Leda, Neuter (Discreet Music)
12"/10"/7"/CS
Chrome Cell Torture, Laugh Then Lie 7" (Scarlet)
Joe Colley, Acting As If 10" (Substantia Innominata)
I saw that my friend Conrad had bought this summative 2 LP album by New York band Love Child. They were active in the early 90s and released two albums on Gerard Cosloy's Homestead Records (right before he created Matador). Now Cosloy brings us the "Never Meant To Be" on 12XU.
It's hard not to hear early Yo La Tengo, Versus and Pavement. I wish I could have seen "Greedy" live. I have a hunch that my knees would have buckled a few times once the pedals kicked in.
