Willie Wisely

The talent and sound of Willie Wisely is perhaps best described by a quote from outside the world of music; it is at once "strange and familiar," to borrow the words of legendary architect Philip Johnson, and it is perhaps that timeless combination of innovation and influence that makes Wisely's work so appealing. Wisely began his musical journey smitten with Neil Young, Simon & Garfunkel and The Beatles, all of whom are so distinctive in their sound that Wisely began a career long quest to sound like no one else. Eventually self-releasing numerous cassettes (now savored by collectors) to an eager fan base in Minneapolis, Wisely took to the road touring the Midwest in the tradition of his fellow hometown heroes The Replacements, Husker Du, and The Jayhawks. With his band, the Willie Wisely Trio, he played 150 dates a year and released his first nationally distributed CD on Chicago's Pravda Records. The sound could only be defined as swing-alt-pop, and it heralded the emerging cocktail-nation trend of the mid-90's. With an upright bass, Gretch drums, trombone, and arch-top guitars, the band toured coast-to-coast and performed for ever-expanding hordes of delighted fans. When their Dodge van finally gave up the ghost after 350,000 miles, the members of The Trio decided to split up and Wisely sought a new path of expression. Troma Films (makers of the underground classic Toxic Avengers) approached Wisely about composing and recording the original score for a new film, Tromeo and Juliet. He embraced the challenge of creating an accompaniment for this twisted adaptation of Shakespeare's great romantic tragedy, concocting an inspired soundtrack that musically keeps pace with the bizarre goings-on depicted in the movie. Tromeo and Juliet debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and remains a hot cult rental nationwide. In 1996 Wisely signed with October Records and released two widely acclaimed records, She and Turbosherbet, both of which were produced by John Fields (Switchfoot, Mandy Moore). Wisely and his band then embarked on a two-year cross-country tour, nightly knocking over audiences across the land with a singular sound rich with diverse influences ranging from 60's garage rock to vintage easy listening, including touches of Bowie, Elvis Costello and XTC-style melodic pop. In addition, Turbosherbet charted nationwide on dozens of AAA and CMJ stations. 1998 found Wisely's group besting every other contender on the bill for the Grammy Showcase, NARAS's national unsigned band contest. They took on the competition in Minneapolis and Chicago, culminating in a trip to the finals in Los Angeles and a featured spot on MTV News for Wisely. Over the next two years, Wisely's prolific musical output enabled him to unleash six more self-released recordings under his name and that of his Minneapolis band, The Conquerors. He also returned to the theater, a creative outlet he had not explored since college, to serve as star of a stage and also Music Director for a treatment of Cradle Will Rock. To play the demanding role of Mark Blitzstein, the famed communist, Broadway composer, and Orson Welles' protege, Wisely studied and performed ragtime piano, going on to earn rave notices throughout an extended run of the production in Minneapolis's West Bank theater district. Wisely marked the dawn of the new millennium by relocating to Los Angeles. He no sooner touched down in LA, however, before he won IAM.com's International Music Casting Call and was flown to New York City as a finalist to work with director Spike Lee on a television commercial. Wisely's work received national exposure when the spot aired during the 2000 Superbowl, and he capped the event with an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America. The it was back to Los Angeles to work on new projects such as writing and producing with Rebecca Lord (of MTV's Road Rules) and touring with Anna Waronker (formerly of that dog.) in her new band. Wisely also composed and recorded cues for the feature films Scooby Doo 1 & 2 with the screenwriter James Gunn. Next Wisely debuted his self-titled band Wisely with a five-week residency at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, ending the run with all sold-out shows. He pressed on composing and recording tracks for both Sccoby Doo I & 2 features with screenwriter James Gunn and polishing up his Broadway chops co-starring with "Family Ties" star Tina Yothers in the stage premier of Lovelace: The Musical, at the sold-out Key Club in Los Angeles. Wisely's acting career continued to thrive, including principal roles on Alan Ball's Emmy-award-winning HBO series Six Feet Under, the feature film Auto Focus, and even cut a rug with Mike Meyers in Ausin Powers: Goldmember. He has also been involved in several feature films including Playground Girls, which won Best Picture and Best Soundtrack (produced by Wisely) at Showdance 2001, an alternative festival that runs coincidentally with the Sundance Film Festival. Playground Girls, would go on to screen at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art in conjunction with the national tour of the Basquiat Exhibit. Wisely, in January 2006 with producer Linus of Hollywood released Parador (Ella/Not Lame), Wisely's founding work for the musical movement EVOC-POP (evocative pop). Joan Anderman, Pulitzer Prize winning music writer for the Boston Globe immediately wrote, "Parador is filled with sharp words and sweet hooks... straddling the divide between classic songcraft and idiosyncratic visions." Music people everywhere were immediately a-buzz: "This consistently perfect record puts the artist's talents on full display - and that's a helluva display." Said Wende Crowley, Music supervisor for CBS' "Cold Case". Wisely will toured throughout 2006 in support of Parador. His soundtrack and production work will also be heard this year in the forthcoming film "Danny Roane: First Time Director", produced, directed by, and starring the comedian Andy Dick. Besides performing in Andy's live show The Bitches of the Century, he is has also composed and performed the soundtrack for the short film The Man Who Invented The Moon starring Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls). Willie's production work may also be heard on National Lampoon's website for the artist Shmuskin. Videos for five songs off the Parador CD will be released, culminating in a February 2007 launch of the video for 'Through Any Window', featuring a breathe-takingly sad story, with a surprise ending, starring Jenna Fischer, star of NBC's 'The Office'.