When I was fifteen years old, I wrote MC Taylor a fan letter. At the time, he played in a hardcore band I liked called Ex-Ignota. I was a big fan of their split 7” with Uranium 9 Volt and wrote inquiring about buying their previous single. The band sent back a letter typed on [...]

Our Longshots series returns with two of the more prolific voices working in music today — Wooden Wand’s James Jackson Toth and Giant Sand’s Howe Gelb; both of whom just saw album releases this year, Blood Oaths of the New Blues and Tucson, respectively. The artists, left to their own devices, below. __________________________________________________________________________________ James Jackson [...]

Wrapping one’s head around the music of Wooden Wand, the ongoing project of idiosyncratic singer/songwriter James Jackson Toth takes some effort. With over 100 releases to his name, from spiraling freak-out ragas and avant-garde experimentation to classic Asylum Records-style folk pop – Toth skips through styles like a zealous host swapping out LPs on the [...]

Lagniappe (la·gniappe) noun ˈlan-ˌyap,’ – 1. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. 2. Something given or obtained as a gratuity or bonus. Whether recording as Wooden Wand, under his own name or with others, I’ve long made a point to keep up with most everything James Jackson Toth has a hand in. Next week [...]