Wussy is an American four-piece indie rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2001.[1] The band consists of Chuck Cleaver (vocals/guitar), Lisa Walker (vocals/guitar), Joe Klug (drums) and Mark Messerly (bass).[2][3] Former members include Dawn Burman (drums) and John Erhardt (pedal steel). Cleaver and Walker write most of the songs and either alternate lead vocals or sing them in harmony.[1] Live performances feature the two vocalists having a "combative rapport".[4] They have released seven albums, one live album, two EPs, one mini LP and a number of singles. The group has received critical acclaim from Rolling Stone,[5]Robert Christgau,[6]Chicago,[7] and SPIN.[8]
Wussy formed in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2001 while Chuck Cleaver had just released the last album with his previous group, Ass Ponys.[9] He met Lisa Walker and asked her to perform with him at a local awards show in Cincinnati in 2001. Following the performance the duo decided to form a band together.[2] Walker, originally from Muncie, Indiana, attended Cedarville University and has worked in marketing.[10] They were joined by Messerly on bass and Dawn Burman on drums in 2002.[11] Burman had not yet mastered the instrument but joined as she "loved their sound and wanted to be part of it".[12] Cleaver finalised his previous band with a compilation in 2005 leaving him to concentrate on Wussy.[10] They made their recording debut in 2005 with the album Funeral Dress on Shake it Records,[13] the label of a local record store of the same name.[14] The record was produced by John Curley at his Ultrasuede Studios,[15] where the band would continue to record future albums.[16] While making the album all four band members suffered some personal hardship that inspired much of the 2007 record Left for Dead.[17] Contrary to other releases it relied heavily on Walker's writing,[17] and was described by Spin as doing "relationship songs right".[18] It was followed by a self-titled album in 2009. The same year drummer Burman left and was replaced by Joe Klug.[11] In late 2010, the band recorded an acoustic version of their debut as Funeral Dress II live at Ultrasuede that was released for Record Store Day 2011.[19][20]
The album Strawberry was released in November 2011 and was described as "driven by an unpretentious, rust-flecked honesty and a warped worldview".[2] Former Ass Ponys member John Erhardt joined the band before recording started.[13] The band embarked on a three-week headlining tour in support of the album.[21] In 2012 they released the Europe-only seventeen track compilation Buckeye on Damnably Records,[22][23] their first international release.[24]
In 2014 they released the album Attica!, the title inspired by the film Dog Day Afternoon, while the single and The Who tribute "Teenage Wasteland",[13] received some airplay. The album was released in the UK through Damnably Records.[11]
In March 2016 the band released their seventh album, Forever Sounds, which reached number 20 on the Billboard Heatseeker album chart.[25]
At the beginning of the band Cleaver and Walker were a couple but they separated in 2007.[2] On the band's name, Wussy: Cleaver joked that "I think it looks good on a t-shirt."[14]
Pedal steel guitarist John Erhardt died on May 4, 2020.[27]
Critical acclaimedit
The band is a favorite with some rock critics.[28] In 2012 Robert Christgau wrote that "Wussy have been the best since they released the first of their five superb albums in 2005",[29] and he has called them his "favorite band".[30] Two albums later, Charles Taylor said the impact of Wussy's poetic lyrics and evocative sounds "brings you immediately back to the way we received rock and roll as solitary adolescents, as if the songs were radio transmissions from a resistance we hadn't dared to hope existed."[31]
2009: "Fly Fly Fly" / "No Apology" – Wussy / The Fervor (Karate Body)
2012: Dangerous Highway Volume 3: "Got Down Last Saturday Night" / "Breakfast in Bed" - Heartless Bastards / Wussy (Shake It)
2016: "Dropping Houses" b/w "Folk Night at Fucky's" (Shake It / Damnably)
2016: "Ceremony" b/w "Days and Hours" (Damnably)
Compilationsedit
2011: Funeral Dress II (Shake It, live acoustic)
2012: Buckeye (Damnably)
2013: Berneice Huff and Son, Bill Sings… Popular Favorites (digital only, self-released)
2020: Ghosts (digital only, self-released)
Referencesedit
^ abTucker, Ken (22 June 2009). "Wussy: Strong Work, And Not Without Pain". Fresh Air. NPR. from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^ abcdLannamann, Ned (14 June 2012). "If You Ever Gave a Damn: For Wussy, the West Coast's Waiting". Portland Mercury. from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^Deming, Mark. "Wussy - Biography". www.billboard.com. Rovi. from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Harvilla, Rob (2009-06-24). "On the Cheerfully Combative Midwestern Noise-Pop of Wussy". from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Hoard, Christian (20 May 2009). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original (Video interview) on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^Christgau, Robert. "Wussy". Robert Christgau. from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^Moser, Whet (22 August 2012). "Wussy, 'the Best Band in America,' Plays the Bucktown Arts Festival". Chicago. from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^Young, Jon (29 April 2009). "Wussy, 'Wussy' (Shake It)". SPIN. from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^Chuck Cleaver-Lisa Walker on Outsight Radio Hours (2001–2012). "Outsight Radio Hours" (Audio interviews). Archive.org. from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^ abCohen, Jason (December 1, 2009). "The Ballad of Chuck and Lisa -". Cincinnati Magazine. from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^ abc"Wussy bio". Damnably Records. 2010-01-17. from the original on 2016-08-08. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Bergantino, Matt (2008-01-01). Wussy Rising. Cincinnati Magazine. pp. 26–28.
^ abcMelnick, Jeff (July 23, 2014). "Fuse Music Interview: "I Can't Admit Defeat" — Wussy Carries On". artsfuse.org. from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^ abMason, Anthony; Nair, Vinita (29 November 2014). "Critically acclaimed band Wussy going strong" (Video interview/feature). CBS This Morning - Saturday. from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
^"Brian Niesz". from the original on 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Cohan, Brad (March 2, 2012). "Q&A: Wussy's Chuck Cleaver And Lisa Walker On The Cincinnati Scene, Playing Music With Your Ex, And Shaking The "Critic's Band" Tag". villagevoice.com. from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^ abLindblad, Peter (December 21, 2007). "Wussy is 'Left for Dead' as former Ass Ponys leader, bandmates leave turmoil behind". goldminemag.com. from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
^Kandell, Steve (November 2007). Wussy - Left for Dead. SPIN Media LLC. p. 126.
^"Funeral Dress II, by Wussy". Wussy. from the original on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^"Wussy - Funeral Dress II". Discogs. from the original on 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Bobbitt, Melissa (July 2, 2012). "Interview - Wussy". The Occurrence. from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Lo, Chris (July 5, 2012). "Wussy – Buckeye". thelinebestfit.com. from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Jonze, Tim (2012-07-12). "Wussy: Buckeye – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on 2016-08-27. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Kulpa, Dan (September 9, 2013). "Interview with Wussy". After The Show. from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^"Wussy - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^"Wussy Announce New LP With 'Fargo'-Inspired Single 'Gloria'". Stereogum. 26 February 2018. from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
^"R.I.P. John Erhardt of Wussy and Ass Ponys". www.kexp.org. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
^Burlingame, Chris (June 20, 2014). "TSB interview: Wussy's Chuck Cleaver talks to the SunBreak about his great, "word-of-mouth" band". The SunBreak. from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
^Christgau, Robert (16 March 2012). "The Many Reasons to Love Wussy". Barnes & Noble Review. from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^"Guitar Rock Grooves: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". NOISEY. from the original on 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
^Taylor, Charles (20 May 2012). "Support Your Local Wussy: The sad transcendence of Wussy's 'blue-collar bohemianism'". Los Angeles Review of Books. from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
wussy, american, four, piece, indie, rock, band, formed, cincinnati, ohio, 2001, band, consists, chuck, cleaver, vocals, guitar, lisa, walker, vocals, guitar, klug, drums, mark, messerly, bass, former, members, include, dawn, burman, drums, john, erhardt, peda. Wussy is an American four piece indie rock band formed in Cincinnati Ohio in 2001 1 The band consists of Chuck Cleaver vocals guitar Lisa Walker vocals guitar Joe Klug drums and Mark Messerly bass 2 3 Former members include Dawn Burman drums and John Erhardt pedal steel Cleaver and Walker write most of the songs and either alternate lead vocals or sing them in harmony 1 Live performances feature the two vocalists having a combative rapport 4 They have released seven albums one live album two EPs one mini LP and a number of singles The group has received critical acclaim from Rolling Stone 5 Robert Christgau 6 Chicago 7 and SPIN 8 WussyCleaver Walker Klug Messerly left to right Background informationOriginCincinnati Ohio United StatesGenresIndie rockFolk rockAlternative rockCountry rockYears active2001 presentLabelsShake It Records DamnablyMembersChuck Cleaver guitars amp vocalsLisa Walker guitars amp vocalsMark Messerly bassJoe Klug drumsPast membersDawn Burman drumsJohn Erhardt pedal steelWebsitewussyworld wbr com Contents 1 History 2 Critical acclaim 3 Members 3 1 Former members 4 Discography 4 1 Albums 4 2 EPs 4 3 Singles and splits 4 4 Compilations 5 References 6 External linksHistory editWussy formed in Cincinnati Ohio in 2001 while Chuck Cleaver had just released the last album with his previous group Ass Ponys 9 He met Lisa Walker and asked her to perform with him at a local awards show in Cincinnati in 2001 Following the performance the duo decided to form a band together 2 Walker originally from Muncie Indiana attended Cedarville University and has worked in marketing 10 They were joined by Messerly on bass and Dawn Burman on drums in 2002 11 Burman had not yet mastered the instrument but joined as she loved their sound and wanted to be part of it 12 Cleaver finalised his previous band with a compilation in 2005 leaving him to concentrate on Wussy 10 They made their recording debut in 2005 with the album Funeral Dress on Shake it Records 13 the label of a local record store of the same name 14 The record was produced by John Curley at his Ultrasuede Studios 15 where the band would continue to record future albums 16 While making the album all four band members suffered some personal hardship that inspired much of the 2007 record Left for Dead 17 Contrary to other releases it relied heavily on Walker s writing 17 and was described by Spin as doing relationship songs right 18 It was followed by a self titled album in 2009 The same year drummer Burman left and was replaced by Joe Klug 11 In late 2010 the band recorded an acoustic version of their debut as Funeral Dress II live at Ultrasuede that was released for Record Store Day 2011 19 20 The album Strawberry was released in November 2011 and was described as driven by an unpretentious rust flecked honesty and a warped worldview 2 Former Ass Ponys member John Erhardt joined the band before recording started 13 The band embarked on a three week headlining tour in support of the album 21 In 2012 they released the Europe only seventeen track compilation Buckeye on Damnably Records 22 23 their first international release 24 In 2014 they released the album Attica the title inspired by the film Dog Day Afternoon while the single and The Who tribute Teenage Wasteland 13 received some airplay The album was released in the UK through Damnably Records 11 In March 2016 the band released their seventh album Forever Sounds which reached number 20 on the Billboard Heatseeker album chart 25 The band s eighth album What Heaven is Like was released in May 2018 26 At the beginning of the band Cleaver and Walker were a couple but they separated in 2007 2 On the band s name Wussy Cleaver joked that I think it looks good on a t shirt 14 Pedal steel guitarist John Erhardt died on May 4 2020 27 Critical acclaim editThe band is a favorite with some rock critics 28 In 2012 Robert Christgau wrote that Wussy have been the best since they released the first of their five superb albums in 2005 29 and he has called them his favorite band 30 Two albums later Charles Taylor said the impact of Wussy s poetic lyrics and evocative sounds brings you immediately back to the way we received rock and roll as solitary adolescents as if the songs were radio transmissions from a resistance we hadn t dared to hope existed 31 Members editChuck Cleaver Vocals Guitar Lisa Walker Vocals Guitar Mark Messerly Bass Keys Joe Klug DrumsFormer members edit John Erhardt Pedal Steel Guitar died May 2020 Dawn Burman DrumsDiscography editAlbums edit 2005 Funeral Dress Shake It 2007 Left for Dead Shake It 2009 Wussy Shake It 2011 Strawberry Shake It 2014 Attica Shake It Damnably 2016 Forever Sounds Shake It Damnably 2018 What Heaven is Like Shake It Damnably EPs edit 2008 Rigor Mortis EP Shake It 2013 Duo mini LP Shake It 2015 Public Domain Volume I Shake It 2018 Getting Better Damnably Singles and splits edit 2009 Fly Fly Fly No Apology Wussy The Fervor Karate Body 2012 Dangerous Highway Volume 3 Got Down Last Saturday Night Breakfast in Bed Heartless Bastards Wussy Shake It 2016 Dropping Houses b w Folk Night at Fucky s Shake It Damnably 2016 Ceremony b w Days and Hours Damnably Compilations edit 2011 Funeral Dress II Shake It live acoustic 2012 Buckeye Damnably 2013 Berneice Huff and Son Bill Sings Popular Favorites digital only self released 2020 Ghosts digital only self released References edit a b Tucker Ken 22 June 2009 Wussy Strong Work And Not Without Pain Fresh Air NPR Archived from the original on 12 May 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2014 a b c d Lannamann Ned 14 June 2012 If You Ever Gave a Damn For Wussy the West Coast s Waiting Portland Mercury Archived from the original on 5 December 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2014 Deming Mark Wussy Biography www billboard com Rovi Archived from the original on 2016 09 24 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Harvilla Rob 2009 06 24 On the Cheerfully Combative Midwestern Noise Pop of Wussy Archived from the original on 2016 08 15 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Hoard Christian 20 May 2009 New Music Report Wussy Plus Of Montreal Performance Rolling Stone Archived from the original Video interview on 25 May 2009 Retrieved 19 July 2014 Christgau Robert Wussy Robert Christgau Archived from the original on 30 May 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2014 Moser Whet 22 August 2012 Wussy the Best Band in America Plays the Bucktown Arts Festival Chicago Archived from the original on 12 May 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2014 Young Jon 29 April 2009 Wussy Wussy Shake It SPIN Archived from the original on 13 May 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2014 Chuck Cleaver Lisa Walker on Outsight Radio Hours 2001 2012 Outsight Radio Hours Audio interviews Archive org Archived from the original on 13 May 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2014 a b Cohen Jason December 1 2009 The Ballad of Chuck and Lisa Cincinnati Magazine Archived from the original on August 22 2016 Retrieved 2016 08 06 a b c Wussy bio Damnably Records 2010 01 17 Archived from the original on 2016 08 08 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Bergantino Matt 2008 01 01 Wussy Rising Cincinnati Magazine pp 26 28 a b c Melnick Jeff July 23 2014 Fuse Music Interview I Can t Admit Defeat Wussy Carries On artsfuse org Archived from the original on October 19 2016 Retrieved 2016 08 06 a b Mason Anthony Nair Vinita 29 November 2014 Critically acclaimed band Wussy going strong Video interview feature CBS This Morning Saturday Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 Retrieved 29 November 2014 Brian Niesz Archived from the original on 2016 08 09 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Cohan Brad March 2 2012 Q amp A Wussy s Chuck Cleaver And Lisa Walker On The Cincinnati Scene Playing Music With Your Ex And Shaking The Critic s Band Tag villagevoice com Archived from the original on August 15 2016 Retrieved 2016 08 06 a b Lindblad Peter December 21 2007 Wussy is Left for Dead as former Ass Ponys leader bandmates leave turmoil behind goldminemag com Archived from the original on November 27 2010 Retrieved 2010 04 21 Kandell Steve November 2007 Wussy Left for Dead SPIN Media LLC p 126 Funeral Dress II by Wussy Wussy Archived from the original on 2016 08 22 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Wussy Funeral Dress II Discogs Archived from the original on 2016 10 10 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Bobbitt Melissa July 2 2012 Interview Wussy The Occurrence Archived from the original on August 19 2016 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Lo Chris July 5 2012 Wussy Buckeye thelinebestfit com Archived from the original on August 22 2016 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Jonze Tim 2012 07 12 Wussy Buckeye review The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Archived from the original on 2016 08 27 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Kulpa Dan September 9 2013 Interview with Wussy After The Show Archived from the original on August 22 2016 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Wussy Chart history Billboard www billboard com Archived from the original on 2016 09 24 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Wussy Announce New LP With Fargo Inspired Single Gloria Stereogum 26 February 2018 Archived from the original on 10 March 2018 Retrieved 10 March 2018 R I P John Erhardt of Wussy and Ass Ponys www kexp org Retrieved 7 May 2020 Burlingame Chris June 20 2014 TSB interview Wussy s Chuck Cleaver talks to the SunBreak about his great word of mouth band The SunBreak Archived from the original on September 20 2016 Retrieved 2016 08 06 Christgau Robert 16 March 2012 The Many Reasons to Love Wussy Barnes amp Noble Review Archived from the original on 12 July 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2014 Guitar Rock Grooves Expert Witness with Robert Christgau NOISEY Archived from the original on 2016 03 14 Retrieved 2016 03 22 Taylor Charles 20 May 2012 Support Your Local Wussy The sad transcendence of Wussy s blue collar bohemianism Los Angeles Review of Books Archived from the original on 17 July 2014 Retrieved 19 July 2014 External links editWussy org official website Wussy discography at Discogs CincyMusic Profile Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wussy amp oldid 1172822244, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
