Andrew has just released his third album, Close Calls With Brick Walls, in America and Europe. There's only been a few reviews thus far but they are very positive. It's available on his website too.

The bonus tracks on the album, not available on his site, are really quite excellent and have grown on me. They are absolutely bizarre as well and seem to present Andrew as some sort of stalker ("Even though you don't know me, I know that you live alone because I listen to you cry"; "I want your face, I want your face, because everyone says I look like you"; "I have a view in to your bedroom, where I can watch you with desire, and all the passion you inspire, I am your secret admirer").

I really, really, really would encourage anyone with doubts about Andrew, whether they've heard of him or not, to listen to this album. It's so far removed from his earlier work you would have very little idea it's him.

So anyone else heard it? Thoughts?

I've had this since it's Japan release almost a year ago. I think it's fucking brilliant. Solid from end to end. I really dig the transition pieces too.

Anyone who isn't hip to AWK outside his party-monger character would be in for a surprise, as he really lets his freak flag fly in a way that reflects his projects outside of the AWK realm. I mean, it still has some of those "Party Hard" elements, and it's not quite Ancient Art of Boar/To Live and Shave In LA. It's matured, without losing any energy.

Plus, Moving Room and Pushing Drugs fucking rock.

My only complaint, and the reason I haven't bought the vinyl release, is that the album sounds like it was mastered as a sub-128k mp3. I've read an interview AWK did prior to CCWBWs release saying that he finds some appeal in the sound of a substandard mp3. I've yet to hear the actual American release, but I'm interested in whether or not this has been fixed/changed.

I'm a huge AWK mark so I'm naturally biased but this CD is awesome! The Moving Room is on a level all alone. Easily one of my top 5 AWK songs ever. One Brother, You Will Remember Tonight, Into The Clear and When I'm High are also great tracks.

The bonus tracks are alright but nothing too special. I liked Come Dance With Me the best.

Not a fan of the slower stuff at all like Dr. Dumont, Golden Eyed Dog, Close Calls With Bal Harbour and I Came For You.

Hopefully the rumors are true and his next release 'Young Lord' comes out before the year is done.

Rob

This reminds me, I should post the We Want Fun demos in the Random Music thread.


On another note... Is anyone like me, and kinda hope he phases out the white jeans and the wig for somthing more human like this:



I used to be against this idea, until I saw this clip on YouTube of a show he did in Albany (I think) sans getup. It made for a completly different vibe.

There was an AWK/Fakey McFakeson thread here a while back; secret identities et al.

I like him, but would have probably been happier if he'd vanished after I Get Wet. The Wolf kinda diluted the effect a tad (have to admit 'Long Live the Party' is about as good as music gets in places. Like when it goes all epic/ABBA-metal halfway though. It should be the anthem of the world). Downloaded the new one last year, and it was OK. I like the mythos more than the music by this point, and that's not conducive to buying stuff. Still, double vinyl on Load records... I dunno. More interested to see what he does with To Live And Shave In LA.

I was quite late getting in to AWK, or at least to the point of my current obsession. The whole wig thing, was it a case of him recently cutting off his hair and getting the wig, or has it ALWAYS been a wig? I'd lean to the former, but I don't know.

Whoa, I haven't listened to the whole thing yet but the songs I listened to here and there are pretty cool, however I totally wouldn't have guessed it was AWK if I just heard it somewhere. So far, I took "Moving Room" under advisement and dug it, also liked "Don't Call Me Andy" for it's weird 50's kinda vibe. And there was another song where it sounded like he was channeling Phil Anselmo...Definitely interesting stuff.

I don't think it was always a wig... I mean, he had long hair at some point....



But it is definately shorter than it appears now. His hair was pretty short about 6 months ago when he appeared on piano for Bonnie Prince Billy on Conan, only to appear on Japanese tv a few days later with much longer hair.

I just kind of assume that his hair was long until he(?) leaked out the pictures of his shorter haircut.

I met him a few months back (fascinating guy to talk to and super-nice, by the way) and his hair was long - and totally, definitely, 100% real. It was shoulder-length for the Boredoms' 77 drum thing in early-July, short for a solo keyboard gig in the basement of a pizza place in Michigan in late-July, and long at a gig with the guitarist from Sightings a week later (which was obviously a wig, at that point). There's also a rumour that there are multiple people playing the "character." At this point he's so obviously just fucking with people and trying to generate rumours and urban legends surrounding his identity.

As for Close Calls with Brick Walls:

I pre-ordered the vinyl and got it a few weeks back (and listened to it on his site beforehand), yet haven't been able to fully get into it - partially because vinyl requires sitting down and making an effort to listen (whereas throwing some shit on an iPod reduces the limitations on when/how you listen) and I just haven't had time to live deep inside the album as much as I'd like.

I love a lot of the songs individually - "You Will Remember Tonight" is pretty much the most amazing Meat Loaf-on-steroids song ever - but I can't really get into the album for the simple fact that I don't find it really all that cohesive. As stand-alone songs, there's a ton of great stuff, but packaged together... my jury's still out.

I Get Wet and The Wolf are both pretty phenomenal and even though I'm not into CCwBW as much as I am those albums, it's intriguing because there's a lot of really out-there stuff on it and it opens the eyes/ears to the potential for him to go in about a bazillion different directions with his next three or four albums (all planned to be out by the end of '08!).

A bump. Not specifically to do with the album, but the man himself. If anyone checks out his website, there's some very interesting stuff going on, for the first time in a while now. It features a comic of Andrew seemingly dying on stage, simply with the words "he's gone", which are repeated a further two times, first with a close up of his death, then just the words in a bubble. That all ends with "ANDREW W.K. 2008"

"Happy New Year, everyone! Thank you for all you did to make 2007 an unforgettable year - so many new experiences. Ever since 2005, things have been heading in this direction, and now we're getting closer than ever. Enjoy yourself and do what you really want to do.
Love,
Andrew W.K."

2005 was, of course, around the time AWK started heading off in all sorts of weird directions, the hair cutting and wigs and weaves and pieces, the clean cut look, playing shows in suits and cardigans and glasses and hats and whatever, the massive weight loss, the voice change, etc. I'm very excited, and also slightly nervous, about this, and what it could mean. I'm certainly most looking forward to this of all music related things in 2008.

Thanks for the heads up.

All I wanted for Christmas was some more Steev Mike-esq trickery.

I find it great that the most intriguing man in music is considered a one hit wonder by the masses.

Now, if we get slicked up, lounge lizard mode AWK, I'll be all set.

Almost 6 months on and lots of small things have happened, but nothing major. Repentance is out in August but that's not specifically Andrew. Anyone been keeping up to date with this stuff?

there was this

They keep announcing a new album coming out and then delay it and delay and delay it. Really sucks for a big AWK fan like myself. I'm hoping he gets one out before the end of the year but it doesn't seem likely.

Rob

He was just added as a special guest opening for the Butthole Surfers at the Electric Factory in Philly next Friday.

So earlier today my buddy randomly found a new AWK CD that I guess is only available in Japan. Has anyone heard it? Really upbeat stuff like his earlier songs. I guess there is supposed to be a series of new CD's by him being released exclusively in Japan.

Rob

Isn't his new album all J-pop covers?

Yep and they're awesome!

Rob

Holy crap, I'd almost forgotten about B-GOR!!1!

I need this. What is it called?

I wish I could tell you. I don't even know the names of most of the songs.:) Shoot me a PM and I can link you to the Japanese site with the CD listed.

Rob

It's OK - I've found it. But thanks.

I doubt I'm enough of a fanboy to get the greatest hits, though. Or am I?!

I know I am! What I wouldn't give for an AWK CD featuring 80's cover songs.

Rob

No, there's a greatest hits as well as the covers album. Ichimo Dajin!

Anyone still keeping up on this scene? A ton of releases in the last year. The Japan Covers, 55 Cadillac, Gundam Rock, Damn! The Mixtape, The Greatest Hits, a split EP with Nardwuar. The deluxe two disc version of Close Calls is coming out before the end of the year, too, and Andrew just announced on his website that a new album called Mother Of Mankind is coming out this winter. Apparently his lack of releases and live band shows over the last 3 years has been due to legal difficulties, all of which seem to be close to being sorted now. Last week, Andrew and Gonzales had a piano battle. It was, of course, epic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-nWg6aUsVw

I listened to the J-pop stuff from last year, but not the Gundam or Cadillac. I just read about his calling off of his church-based concerts because he had a profound personal experience the other day...

Yeah I've just seen that too. Kind of strange.

Cadillac is really, really good. It's all piano but it's still exactly what you would expect an Andrew WK piano album to sound like. Gundam is great too, better than The Japan Covers. You can listen to all of them on his site.

He's been talking about finally doing a full tour next year, at last.

On Nick Grimshaw's Radio1 show (a month or two ago), he was talking about Andrew WK going into the studio and recording an album in two hours, with no rehearsal or planning whatsoever. Then he played Party Hard two days later, utterly mystifying Enter Shikari.

I know there is also a SteevMike thread, but figure it best to keep WK news in here. WHo heard about his recent 'admission'?

http://walrusmusicblog.com/blog/the-andrew...-a-hired-actor/

Then...

http://twitter.com/AndrewWK/status/7182726595

Best character in music.

I don't know what words mean about this Steev Mike garbage, I just want AWK to finally really some new stuff. His last release was pretty good but Japan only. I want more!!! (That Gudnam Rock deal was awful...)

Rob

You mean you have this and this??

Also: you're really missing out by ignoring the Steev Mike drama.

HOLY CRAP. You just made my day! I didn't think any news could top the new Alkaline Trio album coming out in a month but now THIS - and only 9 days after AK3!

I heard 55 Cadillac but wasn't a huge fan. The Gundam Rock CD was too niche for me except for the one song that can be found on his previous release of weird Japanese covers. But holy crap... an entire CD of rare songs! Now that's something to get excited about! New AK3, new AWK and Lost returning in the span of a few weeks! My birthday month rules!

Rob

The current Steev Mike bullshit is great. Has anyone seen the Donald Tardy interview about it? AWK did an interview with metalsucks and it's such a long piece for something that says absolutely nothing at all. The guy is just on fire with this stuff at the moment. Milking it for all it's worth. The very good news is the new album is out in 3 weeks! And he's releasing a proper brand new album later in the year, with a full headlining tour following his stint on warped tour. Being in the UK, the best news is that he's currently booking dates for here. Hurrah!! AWK full band at last!

Thats what I like to read!

The Deluxe version of Close Calls With Brick Walls leaked. For the most part the second CD with unreleased tracks is total garbage. Kicks & Bricks, I Will Find God and We're Not Gunna Get Old are the only three redeeming tracks in my opinion. Although I've had Let's Go On A Date, Can You Dance With Me, This Is My World & I Want Your Face for a while now so I don't consider those new tracks. Every song that isn't any of the ones I've listed already can barely be considered music.:/ Or maybe it's just not for me.

Hopefully AWK gets at least one more full release b/c it'd be a shame to go out on a whimper like this.

Rob