01 Power Up
02 Make Him Rich
03 Lift-Off Kid
04 Fistful of Noise
05 Defective State
06 Instrumental
07 Big Wig Counterfeit
08 Jody
09 Ballad as Fuck
10 I Believed You
Produced by Erik Schmall
Jeremy Schmall contributed lyrics on 03 and 04
Layout by Mark Toerner
All of the various press from the last eight years has finally been moved over.
Update on the new album, it is completely done, printed, and shipped out to cdbaby who I am patiently waiting on to put online. If you’re tired of waiting and want to get one direct from me (especially those who will be reviewing it) you can contact me and we’ll work something out. Otherwise, I should be posting a link really soon.
Former Gem City resident Erik Schmall has been cranking out a vast array of records as Woody Whatever for half a decade, but in recent years the project has become more of a band, with a fleshed-out lineup that contributes stylistically to the live shows and to the next Woody album due later this spring. But for the new Big One Shout Out EP, available as a cassette or as a free download online (www.beattheindiedrum.com/releases), Schmall went back to doing it all himself.
The result is darker than expected, a collection of songs featuring metallic-sounding guitars and coldly precise drum machines. It sounds like an infusion of industrial clanking and clacking into the quirked-out indie pop Woody Whatever is known for.
Of course, the old traits are still there Guided by Voices remains an obvious inspiration aesthetically and musically, especially on the triumphant hook of opener Rave Time and Schmall has used drum machines before on his The Great Pop LP.
Perhaps most interesting, the EP offers some alternate takes on songs Woody fans might be familiar with from the guitar-heavy live show. The highlights, Listen Up and Name One Time, both show off Schmalls knack for branding melodies on the brain. All in all, its a satisfying holdover until the proper album release later this spring. -Chris DeVille
Artist Spotlight-Woody Whatever
By James Duran
http://radio.dominican.edu is proud to debut the new Artist Spotlight column. Our first spotlight is Erik Schmall, the mastermind behind Woody Whatever. Out of Ohio, Woody Whatever has been a mainstay here on http://radio.dominican.edu. We recently caught up with Erik as Woody Whatever prepares to tour in support of their new album Smiles & Knives..
R.D.E – What influenced you into becoming a musician and what made you decide
to start recording and putting out music?
Erik Schmall – I guess when my older brother Jeremy started learning guitar I wanted in
on the action too. He was 13 and I was 11. It wasn’t long before we were
writing our own songs, mostly Beatles and Weird Al rip offs. I remember
we figured out some cool overdubbing techniques with the boom box but
sadly, those tapes are long gone. The first song I ever wrote was
actually on a snare.
R.D.E – According to the official site, the album that is in recording stage at this
moment for Ionik Records, is the first album done with a full band-why
was that decision made for this record and not for earlier albums?
ES – I’m pretty much a loner, especially when it comes to music. I’m not a
great communicator either so for me it’s just easier to record all of
the parts myself since I hear in my head how it should sound anyways.
There have been some albums that have other people playing with me, mostly
on drums, but for the most part, it’s just me overdubbing by myself. I
really like the Woody Whatever line-up now though. I have tried to play
the role of songwriter and let them create their own instrumentation.
We all brought our influences to this new record and the
result is the most diverse a Woody album has been. Very guitar heavy.
R.D.E – Recording fifteen albums in a five year span is impressive…has the
process ever seem tedious over the course of recording that many
albums?
ES – Oddly enough no. I wouldn’t say that I am slaving away in front of a
recorder anyways. My friends always wonder how I get so much done since
they see me do so little. When inspiration strikes, I ride it out. On a
good day I can write and fully record about six songs. The latest Woody
EP (which is free online) was recorded in two sessions, separated by at
least a month of lying around watching PBS.
R.D.E – What is the name of the upcoming record for Ionik. If that has, been decided?
ES – Smiles & Knives. It should be wrapped up by next week and available
sometime in late April. This stuff has been in the works since over the
summer, the longest ever for me, so I am looking forward to writing some
new songs this spring.
R.D.E – Does any one show stick out in your mind, good or bad and why?
ES – The last show on our mini Midwest tour last December in Toledo sticks
out for me. The bands we played with were all great and for some reason
we were just on. Pretty much only the other bands plus some guy who
thought it was movie night were watching us. I was not expecting much
from Toledo but the vibe at that bar that night was great. Plus we were
drunk.
R.D.E – What feelings, if any, are there about performing?
ES – I love performing for people who want to see Woody Whatever or at least
are enjoying the music. It’s a great feeling. I hate performing for
people who stand there with this look as if I am force-feeding my music
down their throat. I mostly try to shut my eyes and imagine everyone’s
really into it.
R.D.E – Is there any one song that is a favorite and why?
ES – I have a soft spot for all of the songs on Roar, my first EP. I really
wasn’t sure how people would take it. The songs were very unpolished
and mostly just had me and an acoustic guitar overdubbed on a few
tracks but there is something fresh about it. Every night I sat
in front of my 4-track and forced myself to write at least five songs
before going to bed. I filled up about 10 tapes, and then cut it down to
9 songs. Some of the remaining songs ended up on “I Can’t Aim When You
Keep Moving” and “Rock Monsters”. The rest of it is unlistenable. In
my opinion, you have to write many terrible songs before you start
writing
songs you like and Roar kind of shows that process.
R.D.E – Any thoughts for the future of Woody Whatever?
ES – There is going to be a shake up in the line up this summer. It looks as
though we are all moving from Athens, Ohio to different places around the
country. So I will be looking for a band again. I would also like to get
on one of the big indie labels, of course. That’s always a goal. Mostly
I am just going to keep doing what I have been doing, releasing albums.
By TOMASZ LESICZKA
Athens Insider contributor |http://www.theathensinsider.com|
January 12th 2006
Bringing out some of the best qualities in pop music, Woody Whatever has made a name for itself on the local music scene and is looking to expand in new directions.
After shuffling line-ups, (this is the fifth version of the band), Woody is ready to move forward and expand outward.
The band has just gotten back to Southeast Ohio from a brief tour of the Midwest where they got a taste of new audiences, and the not-so-glamorous aspects of the rock and roll lifestyle.
Bass player Josh Goldberg said that besides the music, the tour involved “a lot of waiting and a lot of fast food.”
The drawbacks are not enough to stop the band from making plans for more extensive touring.
Singer and guitar player Erik Schmall wants to keep on branching out in hopes of widening the band’s audience.
“We’re going to try to play a lot of shows around Ohio in the future,” he said. “It would be nice to be able to do this for a living.”
The band does not shy away from its rock/pop tag. They openly embrace pop structure and simple melodies.
“We try to be catchy, and we try to write unique, crafty songs,” Goldberg said. “There’s nothing too long-winded. We’re not much of a mission statement band.”
The music borrows a lot from ‘70s power pop. The band happens to follow directly in the footsteps of indie demigods Guided by Voices. Woody Whatever’s formula has been to write short songs with strong hooks. The band, just like Guided by Voices, has stripped the standard pop song down to its barest minimum.
The short songs and lo-fi recording techniques lead to a very intimate listening experience. The music is friendly and engaging, and the raw recordings bring the music right into your living room. The warm hiss behind the tracks adds to the honesty behind the music. This is not a glossy, mass-produced product, it’s a heartfelt expression recorded in a bedroom. The band does not overwhelm listeners with pyrotechnics, instead it relies on simple repetition and tight chord structures to lure listeners in.
Even with plans to play shows in different cities, the band noted the luxury of being able to perform in Athens.
“It’s not as big as Columbus, but there are a lot of people out there making good music,” guitarist Pearce Dietrich said. “Everyone comes to each other’s shows because everyone has like eight other bands. It’s really cool that it’s so tight knit.”
With such a close knit atmosphere there is also a lot of competition and pressure to succeed.
“I think there is more pressure because you play in front of people you know, and you want them to think that you’re good,” drummer Jessie Lancaster said. “It’s a good kind of pressure; we push each to be better.”
“It’s good though because everyone tries their best to show support for each other’s bands,” Goldberg added. “The Union is like the community center for a lot of the bands around town. I get to see a lot of the bands here that I really love.”
Erik said that he hopes to release another record (the band’s 13th!) by spring. He wants it to be another “really lo-fi album.”
Woody Whatever will perform Feb. 9 at the Casa Cantina. More information is available at the band’s Web site www.woodywhatever.com.
Naoko, of the slightly confused depression academy on superior dynamics in cross-polinated evolution studies talks with Woody Whatever’s Erik Schmall – a young man who, in his lifetime, may put out more albums than meals you will enjoy.
{ the intro image is a borrowed frame from a peanutbreath animation. }
+ How often are you writing songs? I get the feeling you write like at least one a day or something.
Erik: Lately, I’ve slowed down a bit. A couple years ago I made it a habit to record at least three to five new songs a day. I figured the only way to learn to write songs was to write tons of shitty ones. I also had to teach myself to sing this way too.
Today I’ve been focusing on quality over quantity. Even though I’m trying to pace myself, I still have a lot of songs that need albums. I’m currently tracking an album called Time 
Money that was recorded variously over the first half of the year, I’m about to put out a split EP with Cabriolet called Pop Hearts, and by last count, my band had at least 20 unrecorded songs that need to get done.
I’m really excited about The Skirts of Blue Disease an album that I’m currently writing songs for now. It will hopefully be completely finished by the time we hit the road in December.
+ Do you have friends who run recording studios or something because I would think it would be a bit expensive always recording stuff?
Definitely not. I started with a 4-track cassette recorder and built my way up from there. My best purchase was the Roland Studio Pack on ebay for about $400. That along with the cheapest condensor mic I could find is the closest I’ve come to a recording studio.
+ Are the people listed in the band on your website going to be on the new album?
They show up variously on Time Money. Since I usually record as the song hits me, whoever is around gets on the recording. Usually though it’s nobody. Tom Huffman’s been on a couple albums. He was my roommate for two years so that helped. Lately I’ve been consciously trying to play the role of songwriter and leave the instrumentation to my band. The next two albums I plan on having full band.
+ What is the situation with band members? Seems like you kind of go through a lot. Do your bandmates hate you because you make them play so much or something?
Most people have this dream of a band where everybody writes the music together and everyone makes all of the decisions together. I believe bands are best when there is a songwriter (or songwriters) who brings something for the others to play. Jamming for hours on hours until something comes out is not really my style. Until recently, Woody Whatever has been pretty sporadic with live performances which has annoyed some people. My focus has always been on the studio albums, which I preferred to do alone. Now I finally understand how great a live band can be and I write songs specifically for playing with them.
+ Is it easy finding people you can relate to musically to want them in your band?
It’s been difficult finding band members that I really click with. I think this current line-up is the best yet. Dare I say perfect. I trust all of their instincts. The hardest part of putting together a good live band is finding people who are influenced by the same kind of music. If you like The Pixies but hate The Beatles, we’re going to have some musical differences down the road.
+ What is it like making music with your brothers? I am curious how that kind of works out. I can’t imagine doing anything with my brothers. There is no fighting, like the kind that only siblings have in a weird kind of way?
With Jeremy, we’ve never actually written together in the same room. I’d like to but we haven’t lived close to each other since we started collaberating. Since he’s a writer, he can just email me his lyrics and I pick and choose the lines I can use. With Jason, we only played together in 2001 for I Can’t Aim When You Keep Moving which we recorded over a couple of weekends he came to Dayton. It was pretty seamless. For the most part, we both had songs we brought for the album. We switched around on instruments playing each others songs until we ran out of songs. We made quite a few up on the spot too. My favorite is “Southern Saltwater” where I played some simple chord progression and Jason improvised an entire song while looking at this framed magazine cover called “Southern Saltwater” that for some random reason features my uncle on the cover holding some fish. Great stuff.
+ Does running Agriculture Records enable things to go more smoothly now with putting out your stuff? Is it really expensive putting out the amount of material that you do?
Agriculture Records is a dream come true for me. I finally have a system of putting records that is quick and cheap. Most of these records existed solely on my computer until a month ago so it’s nice to see those available finally. Since I’m always a couple albums ahead of myself, it’ll be great to finally be able to keep up with myself. The turnaround time on an agriculture record can be one day. Our latest release by Untamed Pony took three days. One night of recording, one day of mixing down, and one day of printing up the album. I hope to release lots of other bands too. I’d like Agriculture to be that excuse for people to keep writing songs in their bedrooms.
+ Is it incredibly inexpensive to put cd’s out this way? I wish more people would put out stuff as fast as you. Seems like everyone else takes too long.
It’s actually incredibly cheap. I’ve developed a simply system for releasing albums that is highly efficient. The sky is really the limit for Agriculture. Since it doesn’t set me back too much to take on a new release, I can take a lot more risks on my favorite artists. It’s really all about the artists. They can do whatever they want without my interruption. If they think the album needs to have a thirty minute drum solo, so be it – it’s their album.
+ You thank Bob Pollard on “I can’t aim when you keep moving.” Have you met Bob or is he just someone that inspires you a lot?
I met him once at a private industry party my brother Jason was invited to in Columbus. It was a handshake and he went on his way. I was thrilled. Jason slipped him a copy of Roar before he left. He inspired both me and Jason equally. Being from Dayton how could we not? I love his lo-fi ethics. We both bought 4-tracks and started cranking out short pop songs in no time. The only difference was, Jason had a job and I was still in high school. I’d been recording and writing songs since I was eleven but Bob Pollard gave me direction and hope. I figure I can be the other guy from Dayton…
+ What was the reason for you moving to Athens, Ohio? School stuff or something?
Yeah, I moved out here to go to Ohio University. I graduated in June with a degree in Music Production and a minor Music. I would consider it a giant waste of time. I should’ve gone to a tech school so I can actually get a job.
+ What bands are you really into lately?
People always think that since I’m in this band and write these songs that I must be super trendy and know every new up-and-coming band. In reality, I’m pretty content to listen to the same music I’ve always listened to. The Beatles, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, of course old GBV. I also like early 90s hip-hop and R&B which confuses people. Old school Ice Cube was great!
+ Have you done any touring outside of the Athens/Dayton Ohio area? Any touring plans in the near future?
We played two shows in Columbus Ryan from catbirdseat.org set up for us. Everything else has been locally in Athens. I moved from Dayton before I attempted a live Woody Whatever show. The first show I ever played as Woody Whatever was actually in Portsmouth, Ohio, a tiny Ohio River city in Southeast Ohio. We played with an arty french-pop band called Les Parvenues from Huntington, West Virginia. They didn’t go over very well. Right now I’m working out a midwest tour in December.
+ Where are places you hope to go to during your Midwest tour? And your tour for summer 2006, will that be another region of the country that you want to go to?
The midwest tour will start in Dayton and head out towards St. Louis and work our way up to Chicago. Unfortunately nothing is locked down yet so it will be interesting to see how the tour actually ends up looking. This is the first time we’re hitting the road so it’s probably a disaster in the making. For Summer 2006 I’d like to head out to the east coast and play as many places that will have us.
+ What are things that inspire you to write music?
The first time I heard The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips, I wrote and recorded Sunday Definitley in three days. Ultimately though, it’s life that inspires me. If I’m in a great mood, the songs are upbeat. If the weather sucks, the songs slow down. If I have a shitty job the songs are depressing. My brother Jeremy’s been sending me lyrics to use for a couple years now too. When I sit down and read his stuff I get inspired. The songs we make together are my favorites.
+ What does “text on for lovers” exactly mean (from Liquor stores on blank stares )? I wonder if it has something to do with people talking on the internet but not sure.
Exactly. It’s about falling for someone on the internet.
+ Is Athens a nice place? Like Musically and culturally? (I’m considering moving to a nice college town – just looking around at this point.. . )
Well, musically it’s a very clicky town. If you have a lot of friends, you get big shows. At our last show we had about 10 people. It’s also a small town so if you make friends with the newspapers, you get in the papers. If you’re friends with the bar managers, you get the good shows. Otherwise, you’re better off heading to Columbus. It doesn’t make for a lot of variety but there’s some great new bands emerging that’s making this scene exciting. I’m hoping to document as much as I can on Agriculture. As far as culturally, you’re either a jackass close-minded typical college kid or not. Everyone I’ve met that isn’t a jackass, close-minded typical college kid has been great.
 Woody WhateverI Can’t Aim When You Keep Moving 2001It’s Autumn! And Autumn should mean putting on Woody Whatever music because this is the perfect music for this season. I Can’t Aim When You Keep Moving is Woody Whatever’s debut album, and it features T. Hero, Erik’s brother. Erik Schmall is Woody Whatever for the most part, it started out with just him and he eventually got others involved here and there and he runs a pretty good ship in a good captain kind of way. This album has 19 songs and all of them are very melodic and the lyrics are interesting, a bit abstract and very nice sentiments expressed throughout the songs. Song titles include “Guest For Breakfast,” “Busser’s Remorse” and “We know Han Solo”, which makes Han Solo sound like he’s the Star Wars equivalent to.. . Richard Grieco? The songs have a nice rough, thick sound to them with instruments and vocals. The drums – especially the drums on “Lemon Flavored Car” – are just too yummy. My favorite song on the album is “Southern Saltwater.” Just a numbingly-pleasant good song. The songs are really catchy and upbeat sometimes and more somber at other times. This is probably their roughest album in terms of recording – but it’s perfect this way. Naoko 10.05.05 |
 Woody WhateverSunday Definitely 2002It’s difficult to hear all the lyrics being sung, which I always have a problem with when I listen to music, but the best part of that is getting little snippets here and there of nice sentiments or moments which you will find with Woody Whatever songs. “April is to May… . .. . It’s the holiday, for kings to celebrate.. … .. . . .she is yours, she is mine.” This collection of songs from Woody Whatever has the song structures sounding more developed and the singing is going in lots of areas too. The songs are not as loud in some places like with their first album, not that it’s a flaw because it would ruin the mood of the album if it were that way. And going by the song title “13 Songs To the Regional Campus” this is around the time Erik moved to Athens to become a part of that yucky student population known as “Ohio University kids”. I wish I had a treehouse to sit in and listen to these songs while it starts to get darker earlier and colder each day now. Naoko 10.05.05 |
 Woody WhateverWhen I Lost I Left 2003 This band is totally beating Bob Pollard with output. Never thought that would ever be said. Funny too that it comes from another Dayton native. Lots of albums and EP’s in between albums as well. I get the feeling by the time it’s Winter, I’m going to need more fingers. Upbeat! Quasi-cheerful singing! More of a full band sound! The songs are fun. The drumming is solid, the guitar-strumming is perfect. Erik Schmall is definitely a good song-writer. In some places it reminds me of some of the happy moments in Beach Boys songs. The lyrics are good in a J Mascis kind of way. Not that the lyrics or how they are sung are similar in any way between the two but there isn’t one lyric that will make you cringe which I have always liked about J Mascis’ lyrics and have finally found with another band. It’s rare to find a band in which there isn’t at least more than a dozen lines somewhere that make you cringe a bit because the sentiments go a bit overboard in some territory in which you would rather not get your scuba gear wet for. There is always a bit of a balance beam that is a bit difficult to stay on when it comes to writing lyrics and expressing them in the right way and Woody Whatever does this really well and just has really good, comforting lyrics. Songs I’m really enjoying at the moment. “Go Away,” “Ginger Suicides,” “Get Inside My Life”. Naoko 10.05.05 |
 Woody WhateverLiquor Stores On Blank Stares 2004A big album, twenty-six songs in all. On this album Erik has his two brothers contributing like on previous albums here and there. There are also others coming into the fold for this album as well like Pearce Dietrich of the Spelling Bees. More songs on this album about falling in love, which are sweet. There is something nice about Woody Whatever songs that deal with relationships. Can’t really put my finger on it, but it’s nice how they are not over-idealizing it and there is a simple realism about them. A smidge of sadness, uncertainty, and just feeling lost about someone you like or something. Some of the songs are also more fun and experimenting with just fun instrumentations and singing like on the songs “Missing Misses Halloway” and “We’re Crying” with some horn sounds. On the song “Stop Smiling” there is a nice low sweeping sound loop that sets the mood really well. There is more of a use of a synthesizer or keyboard which I don’t think they’ve used before and they have incorporated more into their sound recently like on the album The Great Pop. Some songs have a really great energy about them like “Silver Boy,” “Best of Luck, and “Work Then Die” – which is especially good and would be nice to hear live. And then there are songs that sound like they were written alone on a boring rainy day. Funny that there is a song called “Rainy Day” I just noticed. There is a bit of melancholy throughout Woody Whatever songs even when they are a bit more upbeat. Naoko 10.05.05 |
 Woody WhateverI Trip the Reverend 2004Woody Whatever’s billionth album – and unlike some bands, they just get better and better. A band that definitely uses home-recording gear to the fullest and with their own record label Agriculture Records, they are able to put things out so quickly and efficiently. Surprised that very few others do things like this because it seems so simple and perfect. The vocals on this album are really good, like on previous albums, but just improving and developing more and more. Erik’s singing has an interesting way with how it’s carried with the use of the microphones or how it’s recorded and with how he’s just a really good singer. Woody Whatever consists of a more complete band now, but with this album you get the impression that the band is more than capable of just consisting of the main songwriter and even if it were just Erik singing and playing his guitar by himself it would still be really good. The instruments sound clearer on this album. Especially with the guitar. Almost like a twinkling bell sound on some parts in the song “Get On Get Up.” More abstract lyrics and song titles. Like “The Itchy Trigger Pawn” and “Like Pandas Through Parking Lots” which makes you wonder what they are about exactly… . much like the title of the album. Tripping a reverend does sound like fun, especially if you’re a mischievous little kid which I used to kind of be in church and can almost imagine doing that at least once. Naoko 10.05.05 |
by Kelly Schwaberow
Staff Writer
Jan. 5 2006
Among the acid-tripping jam bands and sinister punk groups of Athens emerges the sugary sweet band Woody Whatever, whose music should be found on the set of The OC rather than within the grungy walls of The Union where they will play Saturday.
With a book of poetry on their music stands, a catchy melody in their heads and a “just have fun” motto, Woody Whatever is cranking out “garage pop” tunes meant just for friends.
“If you don’t like a song it will be over in two minutes and there will be another one,” said bassist Josh Goldberg.
The group’s lyrics come from poetry written by Jeremy Schmall – lead singer and guitarist Erik Schmall’s older brother – who writes about his existence and interactions within his busy world. Erik uses the poetry and puts a lo-fi British beat to it, making an arsenal of to-the-point, open-for-interpretation songs, Erik said.
“It doesn’t necessarily have a linear meaning to it,” said guitarist Tom Huffman.
Although their main tone is pop, Erik said the band’s sound changes with what is in his CD player. Since last spring, Woody Whatever has gone from an airy guitar sound to a more edgy sound because of Erik’s change in musical preference from pop group Guided by Voices to the local rock band Rat Brains.
Another variable to the group’s sound is its ever-changing lineup. After forming in 2001 in Dayton, Erik is the only original member of Woody Whatever. The band has had a few different drummers (now content with Jessy Lancaster on drums), a bassist change and two other guitarists (Huffman and Pearce Dietrich).
This lineup has had the best live sound since it started, Huffman said.
“This is the all-star team,” Goldberg added.
In 2001, Erik moved to Athens and brought Woody Whatever with him; however, the group didn’t start playing regularly until last spring. They broadened their fan base in December when they toured in Chicago and at Purdue University.
When performing live, Goldberg said “We try not to bore anyone,” and they just like playing music, although Dietrich is known to jump off a few speakers.
Woody Whatever has produced four EP albums and eight full-length albums since 2001. Most of their songs are recorded in Erik’s basement and they plan to record more soon.
“We’re always going to (record) and it’s never going to make a dime, but hopefully we’ll meet someone that does make a dime and we’ll leech off them, which is really the ultimate goal of any rock band,” Goldberg said.
Woody Whatever is performing with General Stacks and The Snails at 10 p.m. Saturday at The Union, 18 W. Union St. Admission is $4.
Woody Whatever is actually a pair of brothers from Ohio, who’ve got a hell of a lot of cd-r releases out on their own Agriculture Records, but this is the band’s first release on another label. They sound like a bedroom version of the early Kleenex Girl Wonder records, but unlike 98% of the lo-fi bedroom pop bands out there, they actually have a pretty high ratio of quality songs in their repertoire. Sure, there are some throwaway tracks, but they’re not as common as they are with so many others. One major difference between this record and the previous ones (besides the noticeable improvement in sound quality) is that the songs on here seem to be a bit more worked out, but at the same time, they’re also longer on average. Some of their previous records would cram over twenty songs in 36½ minutes (if they even made it that long), but on this, we only get eleven. At times (”Just Enough Rope For You” and “I’ve Been Afraid”, for example), the songs suffer from the additional length, but for the most part they work well. This record is a bit better than their earlier ones in a few ways, but at the same time not as instantly gratifying. MTQ=8/11
Combining lo-fi indie sensibilities with quirky guitar pop infused with electronics, Ohio’s Woody Whatever showcase strong songwriting and interesting stylistic diversity on their latest full-length, The Great Pop. Sporting a Guided by Voices influence, among others, the band’s work on The Great Pop blends catchy guitar pop hooks with synths and drum machines for a unique 36-minute set with strong production and a sound that alternately, or sometimes concurrently, captures both upbeat eccentricity and emotional depth. The quirky pop of the opening “Drive an Uncle Through the Mountains”, both vocally and musically, certainly warrants comparisons to The Flaming Lips circa Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, while the following “Jesus Kill These Bombs” blends a beautiful guitar/bass line with reggae overtones. The lovely, hook-laden acoustic guitar pop of “Just Enough Rope for You”, complete with punchy new wave-infused electronic drums and handclaps, is one of the disc’s standouts, while “When You Get Home” is slightly more experimental, built around a structurally interesting programmed electronic riff. The later “Careers (Just Choose One)” notably falls into similar territory, a punchy pass riff at its heart.
The plodding, upbeat “Cherry Fountains” contains something of an odd island motif, while the more straightforward 2-chord guitar pop and reverb drenched vocals of “In Perfect Order”, clocking in at under 2 minutes, balances things out. “I’ve Been Afraid”, on the other hand, is an airy, lovely slice of atmospheric pop, its intertwining guitar and synth melodies juxtaposed by the minimal moodiness of the stripped down rhythm guitar/vocal track “Nevermind, Nevermind”. “I Boarded a Flight” is another mellow acoustic rock number, while “Stephani” is, perhaps, the perfect closer for this particular album, a blend of whimsy and romantic melancholia encased in a catchy indie pop shell with layered vocals again bathed in reverb.
While the album’s production is quite sharp and well done, the band’s indie sound is somewhat sparse and lo-fi, and it’s that very lo-fi aesthetic, in addition to their stylistic quirkiness, that adds a quaint, intimate, endearing quality to their work. That, blended with infectious pop hooks and sensibilities, creates a package that’s not only stylistically and sonically interesting, but one that will also have you humming its catchy melodies for days on end. Indie pop fans, particularly those that like their music to fall a bit left of center, should give this disc a listen.
Like Jewel and Paul McCartney before him, Jeremy Schmall — one-half of the brotherly duo that makes up the core of Woody Whatever — likes to write himself some poetry. (You can find samples on the band’s website.) Yet whereas Jewel and Macca’s forays into the poetic arena were more a result of ego-tripping than any real skill, Schmall is actually kinda good. Maybe not DC Berman good, but he’s entertaining nonetheless. Anyway, one of Schmall’s more dour pieces caught my eye, as it contains the following passage: “Sitting on the front stoop / with friends drunk wasted lives / at three in the morning … but what can you do?”
The answer, I think, is to listen to Woody Whatever’s new album, The Great Pop, and to drown your post-modern sorrows in the array of pop nuggets that it has to offer. The record itself is very lo-fi — imagine “Into My Arms”-era Lemonheads with scratchier production and shakier voices, or perhaps the Shins when they were still called Flake Music — but its melodic hooks are well thought-out. The opening track, “Drive an Uncle Through Mountains,” is single-worthy not only for its insanely catchy chorus, but for the jangly, REM-style guitars and Ric Ocasek handclaps that help it create a laid-back, we’re-on-a-road-trip vibe (hence the title). It’s probably the strongest cut on the album, but The Great Pop is also interesting for its flirtations with electronica. When Woody’s folky guitar-pop starts to get old, its sound is inevitably revived by the addition of synths (”When You Get Home”), a winding keyboard effect (”Careers [Just Choose Anyone]“), or flow-y, digital collages borrowed right outta the Flaming Lips’ musical workshop (”I’ve Been Afraid”). Nice.
Things head southward, however, when the Schmall brothers recede from the proverbial spotlight and drench their harmonized vocals in so much echo that songs become distant and aimless. “Nevermind Nevermind” hinges on the lyric, “I’m not goin’ in circles,” but after a few reverb-laden passes, it feels like the opposite is true! In a similar way, studio effects force the sunny chorus of “I Booked a Flight” to the back of the mix when it really deserves to have a spot in the forefront. Frustrating indeed, but these moments are the exception, not the rule, and thanks to Jeremy Schmall, the lyrics are always solid. In fact, I’d like to leave you with another excerpt from his poetry, one more indicative of The Great Pop’s shimmery goodness: “When I pat his leg to wake him … he raises his arm and says / ‘Rock ‘n roll!’” Now, that’s the spirit.
