Wikipedia

SELF-iSH

SELF-iSH is the second studio album by American indie rock band Will Wood and the Tapeworms. It was independently released on August 23, 2016, and later received distribution through Say-10 Records. Supported by three singles and four music videos, the album was written by Will Wood and produced by Kevin Antreassian. SELF-iSH received a positive reception for its chaotic energy and wide range of musical influence.

SELF-iSH
Studio album by
Will Wood and the Tapeworms
ReleasedAugust 23, 2016 (2016-08-23)
Recorded2015–2016
Studio
Genre
Length33:28
LabelSay-10 Records
ProducerKevin Antreassian
Will Wood and the Tapeworms chronology
Everything Is a Lot
(2015) 		SELF-iSH
(2016) 		The Real
(2018)
Singles from SELF-iSH
  1. "Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity: Tulpamancer's Prosopagnosia / Pareidolia (As Direct Result of Trauma to Fusiform Gyrus)"
    Released: July 8, 2016
  2. "Dr. Sunshine Is Dead"
    Released: July 28, 2016
  3. "2012"
    Released: August 9, 2016

Background

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Prior to release, Will Wood described SELF-iSH to be "about identity, ego and lack thereof".[5] He aimed for boldness and a lack of subtlety to strengthen his own honesty on the album. It was produced, mixed, and mastered by Kevin Antreassian of Dillinger Escape Plan.[2] During the creative process, Wood was unmedicated and new to therapy, which resulted in frenetic writing sessions and intense emotional experiences.[6]

Release

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Will Wood in 2017 with a painted third eye, referencing the cover artwork of SELF-iSH.

On July 8, 2016, "Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity: Tulpamancer's Prosopagnosia / Pareidolia (As Direct Result of Trauma to Fusiform Gyrus)" was released as the lead single of SELF-iSH. Alongside it was a music video co-directed by Will Wood and Adam Nawrot, featuring the band performing nude in a monochromatic room.[7] "Dr. Sunshine Is Dead" released on July 28 as the second single,[8] followed by "2012" as the third and final single on August 9. The latter had a music video published the same day, directed by Wood with Jesse Lazarus and Maddie Schwartz. It presents the band performing in an evidence room and a party, intermittenly cutting to Wood with body paint and various pieces of oversaturated or desaturated footage.[9]

SELF-iSH was released as Will Wood and the Tapeworms' second album on August 23, 2016.[8][10] On May 26, 2017, a music video was released for "Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In!". Recorded in one shot and directed by Mark Jaworski, it features the band performing in a busy and cluttered room through a fisheye lens.[11] This was followed years later by a music video for "Dr. Sunshine Is Dead", released on September 30, 2019. It shows the Tapeworms performing on a psychedelic background while Wood shaves his head, eats waffles in a patient gown, wears body paint, and digs a hole in the ground in a thunderstorm.[12] On December 25, 2020, SELF-iSH was remastered and re-released by independent record label Say-10.

Songs and reception

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SELF-iSH contains the title tracks "Self-" and "-Ish", piano ballads that open and close the eight-song album, respectively. They discuss Wood's amnesia caused by his recreational drug use. The track "2012" additionally elaborates on this,[13] a funk-oriented track with lyrics about spirituality and psychedelics. Its composition revolves around saxophone, piano, and kazoo, while the song's lyrics are sung at a fast pace. Tony Shrum of New Noise Magazine labeled it as "sarcastically-cheery drug-addled babbling",[9] while Bob Makin of My Central Jersey referred to it as a "jazzy acid trip".[13] In an interview with the latter, Wood stated that the year marked Quetzalcoatl's return and a tabula rasa of existential nihilism.[2]

"Cotard's Solution (Anatta, Dukkha, Anicca)" was described by Makin as a "zany, cirque de l’enfer revelry", likening it to Danny Elfman.[13] "Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity: Tulpamancer's Prosopagnosia / Pareidolia (As Direct Result of Trauma to Fusiform Gyrus)" is fourth on SELF-iSH, which uses a swing-punk melodic pattern.[7] It was later included in "Weird Al" Yankovic's 2024 summer playlist.[14] "The Song with Five Names a.K.a. Soapbox Tao a.K.a. Checkmate Atheists! a.K.a. Neospace Government (A.K.a. You Can Never Know)" follows as a "'50s-spirited, gospel-inspired" song, featuring Alex Nauth of Foxy Shazam.[13]

Dianne Miranda of Gauntlet included "Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In!" in a playlist of songs intended to put the listener in a state of numbness,[15] while Makin called it an "insane funeral march", overall describing the album as "a circus from hell".[13] "Dr. Sunshine Is Dead" is a progressive rock song with latin inspiration. It focuses on dramatic instrumentation with saxophone, guitar, and piano, additionally including trumpet by Alex Nauth.[8] Shrum related it to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and detailed it as a mix of My Chemical Romance and the Mars Volta,[16] while Shawn Macomber of Fangoria described the track as a "gleefully deranged sonic ambience", comparing it to Gogol Bordello, Mr. Bungle, and Tom Waits.[17]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Will Wood.

No.TitleLength
1."Self-"2:35
2."2012"4:04
3."Cotard's Solution (Anatta, Dukkha, Anicca)"5:05
4."Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity: Tulpamancer's Prosopagnosia / Pareidolia (As Direct Result of Trauma to Fusiform Gyrus)"3:43
5."The Song with Five Names a.K.a. Soapbox Tao a.K.a. Checkmate Atheists! a.K.a. Neospace Government (A.K.a. You Can Never Know)"4:27
6."Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In!"5:51
7."Dr. Sunshine Is Dead"5:24
8."-Ish"2:15
Total length:33:28

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[1]

Musicians
Technical
  • Kevin Antreassian – production, recording engineer, mixing, mastering
  • Jonathon Maisto – additional engineering
  • David Higdon – demo engineer
  • Gabriel Francis – demo engineer
  • Will Wood – album art graphic design
  • Jesse Lazarus – album art photography
  • Adam Nawrot – logo design
  • Polo Itona – inner sleeve photography
Additional vocalists
  • Reese Van Riper – backing vocals
  • Dylan Jacobus – backing vocals
  • Chris McRae – backing vocals
  • Cheska Columbo – backing vocals
  • Lizzie Rowe – gang vocals
  • Kellyanne Zeleny – gang vocals
  • Timothy Simpson – gang vocals
  • Mike Vablon – gang vocals
  • Robby Stern – gang vocals
  • Bobby Sanner – gang vocals
  • Rebecca Paddon – gang vocals
  • Bianca Teresi – gang vocals

References

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  1. ^ a b SELF-iSH (Media notes). Will Wood and the Tapeworms. Say-10. 2016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ a b c Makin, Bob (October 16, 2016). "Makin Waves with Will Wood & the Tapeworms". My Central Jersey. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  3. ^ Howells, Rich (March 12, 2018). "YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO: New Jersey avant-pop rock band Will Wood and the Tapeworms". Nepa Scene. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  4. ^ Olivier, Bobby (October 13, 2016). "25 N.J. bands that you need to hear right now". NJ.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Olivier, Bobby (July 1, 2016). "Inside the tortured soul and chaotic sound of Will Wood and the Tapeworms". NJ.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Hsu, Caitlin (April 29, 2022). "Will Wood wants to be authentic, whatever it takes". Washington Square News. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Shrum, Tony (July 8, 2016). "Will Wood & The Tapeworms Release "Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity" Video". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Juvinall, Michael (July 28, 2016). "Exclusive: Will Wood & The Tapeworms Premiere Bombastic Single "Dr. Sunshine is Dead!"". Horror Society. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Shrum, Tony (August 9, 2016). "Will Wood & The Tapeworms Release "2012" Music Video". New Noise Magazine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  10. ^ Olivier, Bobby (January 13, 2017). "35 N.J. bands you need to hear in 2017". NJ.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  11. ^ New Noise (May 26, 2017). "Video Premiere: Will Wood & the Tapeworms – "Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In!"". New Noise Magazine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  12. ^ Nelson, Joshua (July 19, 2022). "Will Wood's "White Noise" Resonates Harmonious – A Review". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e Makin, Bob (August 28, 2016). "Makin Waves with Chevonne and The Fuzz". My Central Jersey. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  14. ^ Sandstrom, Emily (July 18, 2024). ""Weird Al" Shares His Zany Summer Playlist. And His Social Security Number". Interview. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  15. ^ Miranda, Dianne (May 1, 2024). "Gauntlet Mixtape Vol. 24: Brain Rot". Gauntlet. Archived from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  16. ^ Shrum, Tony (July 29, 2016). "Will Wood & The Tapeworms Stream New Single "Dr. Sunshine is Dead!"". New Noise Magazine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  17. ^ Macomber, Shawn (July 8, 2016). "Exclusive Premiere: Will Wood & The Tapeworms' Wicked New Music Video!". Fangoria. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
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