Wilco Welcome Kit

I’m fully caught up on the “Shoving Wilco” podcast after discovering it earlier this year. Good fun for Wilco superfans. Their latest podcast is a curious thought experiment: what Wilco song should you play for a Wilco-curious friend interested in learning more about the band?

Wilco on stage in Tallahassee in April 2025

I’ll join the conversation and add my own recommendations; here’s the list of Wilco starter song recommendations from the podcast, grouped by recommender:

Chad Brooks

1. “Heavy Metal Drummer” (studio version, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
2. “The Late Greats” (live version, Kicking Television)
3. “Ashes of American Flags” (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

Dara Weyna

1. “Monday” (Being There)
2. “Theologians” (A Ghost Is Born)
3. “I’m the Man Who Loves You” (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

Tim Arnold

1. “You Are My Face” (Sky Blue Sky)
2. “Muzzle of Bees” (A Ghost Is Born)
3. “Hoodoo Voodoo” (Mermaid Avenue)

Todd Rossnagel

1. “Via Chicago” (Summerteeth)
2. “Camera” (A Ghost Is Born)
3. “Misunderstood” (Being There)

---

With three songs to share I want to cover three different bases (styles) from their catalog: Wilco’s twist on classic folk (or alt-country, or Americana, whatever), something with sonic exploration, and a solid rocker or power pop song.

Here’s my list of three:

1. “Forget the Flowers” (Being There) (I wanted to list “One Sunday Morning” here, but this 12 minute “aural medicine” masterpiece is maybe not the best place to start)
2. “A Shot in the Arm” (Summerteeth) (runner-up: “Art of Almost” from The Whole Love)
3. “Impossible Germany” (Sky Blue Sky) (runner-up: “Monday” from Being There)