Willie Wisely

Growing up in Minneapolis, Willie Wisely first encountered the magic of rock & roll through exploring others’ record collections. He developed a fondness for British Invasion power pop and glam rock excess while immersing himself in the lively mid-’80s northern music community that nurtured key groups such as the Replacements and the Violent Femmes. Toward the decade’s close he played in several bands and also worked as a promoter at the storied First Avenue and 7th Street Entry. In 1989 he assembled the Willie Wisely Trio with bassist James Voss; the unit toured relentlessly, issuing three cassette-only releases and two full-length albums before dissolving in 1995. Rather than brooding over lost prospects, Wisely directed his drive into William & the Conquerors, a Brit-pop band he launched with Keith Patterson. The group delivered Turn on Tune Out Drop Dead on Get Hip Records and followed with three more EPs. His tireless productivity simultaneously produced two well-regarded solo albums, She in 1996 and Turbosherbert in 1997, and the soundtrack for the 1996 cult favorite Tromeo and Juliet. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2000 he maintained his film work by scoring the Gunn Brothers’ upcoming The Man Who Invented the Moon. Both solo albums were reissued in 2004, joined by a new recording with Linus of Hollywood. Parador arrived in March 2006.