August 7th, tragic news broke that David Berman, poet and leader of Silver Jews and Purple Mountains, had passed away. A chronicler of despair and beauty, Bermans’ work casts a long shadow. Here, Wooden Wand’s James Jackson Toth reflects on his singular stature and remembers the man.
Category: Wooden Wand
The Lagniappe Sessions :: Wooden Wand / Second Session
Lagniappe (la ·gniappe) noun ‘lan-ˌyap,’ — 1. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. 2. Something given or obtained as a gratuity or bonus. Earlier this month we caught up with James Jackson Toth whose long-running Wooden Wand project had just released its first […]
Wooden Wand :: Clipper Ship
James Jackson Toth (AKA Wooden Wand ) gets plenty of praise for his eccentrically evocative lyrics. But on Clipper Ship, his latest album for the mighty Three Lobed Records , it’s the sound that draws you in. Toth has gathered […]
Every Sound Means Something: Wooden Wand Interviews Matt “MV” Valentine
I have already sung the praises of Matt “MV” Valentine elsewhere. For the Google-averse, I can sum it up by saying that MV’s music–both with and without his partner, co-conspirator and constant foil Erika “EE” […]
Wooden Wand :: Farmer’s Corner
Just minutes into the album — with a shambolic instrumental rumble and a dour delivery of urgency — James Jackson Toth, aka Wooden Wand, mutters “the thing I have been sick with, I am well, […]
Wooden Wand & The World War IV
The sheer sprawl of James Jackson Toth’s discography — usually released under some iteration of the Wooden Wand moniker — can be intimidating. Where to begin? I humbly submit that this latest release is a perfect introduction […]
Wooden Wand Interviews William Tyler Interviews Wooden Wand
It was somehow agreed upon during my conversation with William Tyler t hat he would do the transcribing — the difficult, tedious part — and I would write the intro. This is consistent with William’s character: he is […]
Wooden Wand Interviews Steve Gunn
Among certain critics and cultural trainspotters, there exists a colloquialism — ‘gamechanger’ — to denote a brazen, unexpected creative leap by an already respected and established artist. The risk of potentially alienating a listenership that […]
Wooden Wand Interviews Hiss Golden Messenger
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” […]
Are Your Songs Rabbits? :: Wooden Wand Interviews Howe Gelb
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 […]
Wooden Wand :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
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 […]
Wooden Wand :: Lagniappe Sessions
Lagniappe (la ·gniappe) noun ‘lan-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 […]