5 Favourites with Superchunk’s Jim Wilbur
Ahead of Superchunk’s hotly anticipated Australian tour, we asked guitarist Jim Wilbur to name his five favourite Aussie bands.
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Superchunk emerged as one of the pioneering indie rock acts of the 90s and helped put the Chapel Hill music scene on the map. The North Carolina band, currently comprising singer and guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance and drummer Laura King, gained a reputation for their DIY punk rock attitude and energetic live shows.
Breaking into the mainstream in 1994 with the release of their critically acclaimed fourth long player, Foolish, Superchunk found themselves the talk of the alternative town.
A break-up album written and recorded after McCaughan and Ballance ended their relationship, Foolish is an astounding album of heartfelt lyrics and giddy guitar melodies that will have you rocking out while leaving you with a feeling of melancholy.
Produced by Brian Paulson and mixed at Steve Albini’s home studio, Foolish remains one of the classic alt-rock albums of the 90s. Even Pitchfork loved it, with author Jess Harvell awarding the record a score of 8.8 and writing, “Foolish perfectly sums up what made so much early-1990s indie rock so great.”
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Foolish, and to celebrate, Superchunk have been touring the globe performing tracks from the album. After more than a decade, the band are finally returning to Australia for a run of intimate shows that kick off this weekend.
Ahead of the band’s Adelaide gig this Sunday, December 8 at Lion Arts Factory (limited tickets available via Moshtix), we asked guitarist Jim Wilbur to name his five favourite Australian artists (along with a few bonus acts) as he prepared to take off from Dallas airport.
The Church
This band’s entire (and huge) catalogue is stellar, but I’m going with their LP Starfish as my personal favourite. I recognise that in many ways it’s their most ‘mainstream’ and, perhaps, ‘non-representative’ (if that is even possible) work, but I will always love it the most because it came out during and helped me through my college years.
The Triffids
Born Sandy Devotional is a sad, beautiful and evocative record that I never get tired of hearing. Even after more than three (or is it four?) decades of listening to it.
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens 16 Lovers Lane. As I write this it occurs to me that I’m picking these bands’ most ‘commercial’ records, which is odd because I’m sort of a punk rock kid at heart. There’s just something about bright and sunny music paired with wistful and sometimes despairing lyrics that really gets me.
Gersey
Gersey are a Melbourne band that is largely unknown in the States that I came across for some reason and truly adore. I find the band’s four record output essential listening.
Augie March
What amazing lyrics and melodies Glenn Richards comes up with. It seems he gets the lion’s share of the band’s kudos but the whole group play so well together. They all deserve a round of applause.
Bonus Bands
My mind is turning to the poppier side of things here, but bands like the Cosmic Psychos, The Saints, Depression, The Hard-Ons, The Meanies, and a bunch of others that are slipping my mind at the moment – and that I will kick myself later for forgetting to mention – are also dear to my heart.
And now, before I have to shut down, I just remembered The Died Pretty! Shit. They’re amazing, too.
Catch Superchunk at Lion Arts Factory on Sunday, December 8. Tickets are still available via Moshtix.
