Wand release rarities comp for charity; Cory Hanson tells us his Top 10 of 2017
L.A. band WAND released Plum back in August, which is their most accomplished record yet, swaying from towering Zeppelin riffage to Eno-esque glam. You can stream a few songs from that below. For an interesting compare-and-contrast, the band just released an album’s worth of demos and unreleased songs from their 2014 debut, Ganglion Reef. They call it the “baby sunrise of Wand” and all Bandcamp proceeds go to charity.
Having toured extensively for Plum this year, Wand will head to the UK and Europe in January for a monthlong trek. Those dates are listed below.
Meanwhile, WAND main man Cory Hanson has given us his Top 10 of 2017 which is mostly made up of records (Total Control, Gun Outfit, Milk Music and more) but also some non-musical things as well. Check that out, along with Cory’s commentary, below.
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Cory Hanson (Wand) – Top 10 of 2017
Beanie Boos
Our most coveted touring companion. Their cuteness and ubiquity make them irresistible to lonely musicians swept away in a relentless record cycle. You can buy them anywhere in the world, and they always have new different psychedelic colored ones to get. You have to find the right boo that speaks to You, and that Boo will be your partner in life – wherever you go.
Milk Music – Mystic 100s
My memory of listening to Milk Music on tour is like an endless overnight drive, where my contacts get really dry and I can’t see that well. Usually Evan will be driving, and I’ll be in the front seat on the “stay awake” mission. We found out Milk Music dropped a new record mid – over night drive from El Paso to Austin… I think? I don’t even remember anymore. We were definitely on our way to SXSW. Anyway, we all huddled around in the van and listened late into the night. It was a nice warm band memory. Near identical to the way I first heard Cruise Your Illusion…
Gun Outfit – Out of Range
Was recorded by a guy I know who’s a private eye on the side. Or maybe it’s his main job? I don’t know. I also bought a sitar once from the folk instrument shop where Henry Barnes works in Claremont, I think I was 15. It was for my brother’s birthday and I tried to play it the day I gave it to him and broke one of the delicate parts immediately He never forgave me. Then while he was living in Olympia I sold it at a garage sale with a broken bass amp, and some misc crap I had. We’re all good now, but I’ll always feel like such a dick for doing that.
Total Control – Laughing At the System
I remember in some 2000’s James Bond Movie, there’s a part where Bond is being tortured by a repeated wack to the genitals. [It’s ‘Casino Royale’ – Ed] He keeps laughing hysterically; the more he’s beaten the more he laughs. The torturer starts to look at him like “he’s sick!”. I like the sentiment, even if it is masculine and cheeky. I misread an interview with the Quietus where TC said this is their stupidest record yet. They’re totally right.
Darto – Human Giving
Meet the best 4 humans you’ll ever meet in your fucking life. You’re welcome.
Dreamdecay – YÚ
Gets the award for catchiest record of 2K17.
Behavior – I
Evan plays drums in Behavior. It’s easier to hear the drums on their records than in Wand because the instrumentation is very sparse. The guitarist almost doesn’t even play notes. He hits the strings a lot, but only some sound comes out. The bass is the only melodic instrument, so all the songs carry this intense rhythmic trance, like winding a broken clock. They’re an incredible live band. I hope they don’t read this…
P22 – The Beat Sessions
Sofia plays drums in P22. She’s a phenomenal drummer. She also spends a lot of time with Gibbons at the Gibbon sanctuary in Valencia, CA. There they rescue and breed rare species of Gibbons to protect them from extinction, and hopefully re-introduce them to the wild (if there’s any wilderness left).
Claw Machines
Robbie loves to play the claw machines, lemme tell ya. It’s always an event to see him at the gas station doing the claw games. A section of our van is usually dedicated to the spoils of his claw wins. A scooby doo, a llama, mr. Alexander, I can’t remember the others names. Most of them are the rattiest plush animals. They’ve probably been stuck in there for decades. By the time Robbie has freed them, it’s obvious their souls escaped long ago. Their spirits have gone. 🙁
Arches National Park
We got to spend some time in Moab, Utah at “Arches National Park” last tour. It’s massive; you can’t walk on the soil because there’s so many micro-organisms. You can really do a lot of damage. The landscape is endless, a true Western romance experience. I’d say go see it quick before our government hands it over to the state of Utah and they drill a hole right into the center. Hurry!
WAND – 2017 Tour Dates
1/23 Patterns, Brighton, UK
1/24 The Dome, London, UK
1/25 The Louisiana, Bristol, UK
1/26 Soup Kitchen, Manchester, UK
1/27 Garage 2, Glasgow, UK
1/28 Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK
1/29 Hare and Hounds(Room 2), Birmingham, UK
1/31/18 La Cartonnerie, Reims, France
2/1/18 Atabal, Biarritz, FR
2/2/18 Hard Club, Porto, Portugal
2/3/18 Music Box, Lisbon, Portugal
2/4/18 Dadaba, San Sebastian, Spain
2/5/18 Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, France
2/6/18 l?Ubu, Rennes, France
2/7/18 La Maroquinerie, Paris, France
2/8/18 Bogen F, Zurich, Switzerland
2/9/18 Antigel Festival, Geneva, Switzerland
2/10/18 Studio Foce, Lugano, Switzerland
2/11/18 Autre Canal, Nancy, France
2/13/18 Die naTo, Leipzig, Germany
2/14/18 Urban Spree, Berlin, Germany
2/15/18 Hafenklang, Hamburg, Germany
2/16/18 Stengade, Copenhagen, Denmark
2/17/18 Sala Apolo, Barcelona, Spain
2/18/18 Sala Riviera, Madrid, Spain
2/21/18 Vera, Groningen, Netherlands
2/22/18 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2/23/18 Doornroosje, Njimegen, Netherlands
2/24/18 Muziekodroom, Hasselt, Belgium
