Willie Wisely

by James Christopher MongerLike many artists in their youth, Minneapolis native Willie Wisely discovered the wonders of rock & roll by immersing himself in the record collections of others. After developing a taste for British Invasion power pop, and glam rock excess, Wisely submerged himself in the thriving mid-'80s northern music scene that spawned such pivotal acts as the Replacements and the Violent Femmes. He dabbled in various bands throughout the end of the decade while working at famed scenester hangout First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry as a promoter, before forming the Willie Wisely Trio with bassist James Voss in 1989. The group toured religiously, releasing three cassette-only records, and two full-lengths before calling it quits in 1995. Instead of wallowing in what could have been, he focused his energies on William & the Conquerors, a Brit-pop band he co-founded with Keith Patterson. The group put out Turn on Tune Out Drop Dead on Get Hip Records and went on to release three more EP's. Meanwhile, his tireless work ethic birthed two acclaimed solo records, She in 1996, and 1997's Turbosherbert, while simultaneously scoring the 1996 cult classic Tromeo and Juliet. Wisely relocated to Los Angeles in 2000 where he continued to dabble in film, scoring the Gunn Brothers upcoming The Man Who Invented the Moon. 2004 saw the re-release of both solo records as well as a new recording with Linus of Hollywood. Parador arrived in March 2006.