Andrew W.K.

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Andrew W.K.

Background information
Birth name Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier
Born May 9, 1979
Origin Los Angeles, California, USA Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Genre(s) Rock
Hard rock
Occupation(s) Musician
Singer
Producer
Instrument(s) Drums, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
Years active 1998-Present
Label(s) Hanson, Mercury, Island, Bulb
Associated
acts		 Wolf Eyes
Website Official Site


Andrew W.K. (born Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier on May 9, 1979 in Los Angeles, California) is a rock musician from the United States.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Andrew W.K. was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where, at age 4, he began classical piano training through The University of Michigan School of Music. He attended the private college preparatory Greenhills School for middle school before attending the alternative Community High School from 1993-97, where he studied jazz keyboards. His father is Professor James Krier, a well-known legal scholar at the University of Michigan Law School and co-author of the widely used Dukeminer & Krier Property casebook. Not much is know about Andrew's music endeavors up to 2000, but it is known that he had a somewhat solo project called Ancient Art of Boar. His first official release was on Hanson Records, a record label out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was released in 1998. It was titled Room To Breathe. That same year, he appeared on the Hanson Records compilation Labyriniths & Jokes. In 2000, he released his first EP, AWKGOJ on Bulb Records. He released one more EP on this label, Party Til You Puke, before moving on to Island Records and releasing his first major label album.


[edit] "I Get Wet"

Andrew released his first major label album, I Get Wet, in 2001 on Island Records. The album is known for its recognizable cover art: a photo of Andrew W.K. with a large stream of "blood" running from his nose, down his chin and onto his throat. Andrew has stated that he created the nose bleed with a self-inflicted blow from a door knob. The visual effect was enhanced with pigs' blood [1].

I Get Wet soon rose to the #1 position on Billboard's 'Heatseekers' list. Andrew W.K. joined Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest that summer. The opening track, "It's Time To Party", was featured in commercials for Hotwire.com, Coors Beer, Expedia.com, and several movie and T.V. soundtracks. His track "Don't Stop Living in the Red" is featured in a Target commercial. He also recorded an original song for KitKat chocolate wafers entitled 'Gimme a Break'. In 2002, he re-recorded his old song "We Want Fun" for the soundtrack of Jackass: The Movie which was also made into a music video, filmed and directed by Spike Jonze.

[edit] "The Wolf"

In late 2003, W.K. released The Wolf. The album featured Andrew playing all the instruments on the recording (he had employed some session musicians on I Get Wet). It spawned the singles, "Never Let Down" and "Tear It Up".

In 2004, he had a short-lived show, Your Friend, Andrew W.K., on MTV2. The show was an "advice show"-style format, where viewers could write in to ask for his help on a variety of subjects. If the problem could not be solved with a simple on-air answer, Andrew would sometimes meet the subject in a one-on-one format.

Outside of his solo work, Andrew W.K. also performs with and produces music for the avant-garde ensemble To Live and Shave in L.A.. W.K. co-produced their 2006 studio album Noon and Eternity, and appears on the group's other 2006 release, the "chronological remix" project Horoscopo: Sanatorio de Moliere. He will accompany TLASILA to Canada and throughout the United States on promotional tours for both albums.

[edit] "Who Knows?"

The Cover to Who Knows?
Enlarge
The Cover to Who Knows?

Andrew W.K. released a live-concert movie entitled, "Who Knows?" and presented five screenings of the movie in New York City and Hollywood, in February and April, 2006.

"Who Knows?" was released on DVD on February 7th, 2006. It features 16 live performances and some behind-the-scenes moments with W.K. and his band.

[edit] Close Calls With Brick Walls

Andrew WK's album Close Calls With Brick Walls was released in Japan and South Korea in July 2006. During an interview on Japanese radio, Andrew explained that the title related both to his life and music as he narrowly avoided hitting a dead end, and instead sought new horizons in his work.[citation needed] The album contains 18 tracks (the South Korean version includes an additional 4 bonus tracks)

[edit] Further music

Previews of two songs, "You Will Remember Tonight" and "Kicks and Bricks" were available on Andrew's official website during late 2005 as teasers for the upcoming album, but were later removed. A modified version of "You Will Remember Tonight" appeared on the new album.

In March 2006, during an episode of Sex Pistols' guitarist Steve Jones' radio show, "Jonsie's Jukebox", Andrew W.K. debuted the song "Vagabond", which did not appear on Close Calls.

Andrew was also involved in filming the Japanese promotional video for "Not Going To Bed" in a Pennsylvania hotel;[citation needed] this song has since appeared on Close Calls.


In mid 2006, soon after Close Calls was released, Andrew posted on his website the coming of new things. He stated that 2 new albums are in the works, a brand new http://andrewwk.com and http://awkarchive.com would be on the net, and a new T.V. show is in the works. The new albums are going to come out in 2007 and 2008.

In November 2006, the new http://andrewwk.com was finally unveiled. The new website had, among other things, a section to listen to all 3 of his major label albums. In the section for his newest album, Close Calls With Brick Walls, the version of his song "Not Going To Bed" is slightly different than the version on the actual album. Possibly, it could be the version of the North American release of the album. On the website, he also released an mp3 download of the song he played on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, "Party Party Party" for download. The song was not written by Andrew, but by the creators of the show, and is partly based off of his song "Long Live the Party", on his album The Wolf. In early December 2006, Andrew's website was modified to include every release by him from 2000 to now. The strange thing is that on the pages for his singles, the demo versions play for all instead of the versions on the singles.

[edit] T.V. and Movie Appearances

In 2004, Andrew had a television show on MTV2 titled Your Friend, Andrew W.K.. In the series, fans would write letters to Andrew, asking for his help, and Andrew would pick certain letters and go help out the fan who sent the letter asking for help. The series only lasted 1 season, and had 9 episodes. The actual episodes were actually only about 9 or 10 minutes in length, because MTV wanted to play music videos in between the segments of the show. Andrew himself could not pick the videos, and was not happy about it. During the filming of the show, Andrew was in a car crash. He was not seriously injured, but there is much speculation that Andrew was hurt worse than fans know. The show is no longer shown on television, but the episodes are available for download at http://awkshare.com/videoupload/index.php?path=YFAWK/

Andrew has said that he is going to have a new television show. He stated that is will be on New York Public Access television. It will also appear on the internet, and on DVD. He has not stated the format of the show, but he has said that it will be very different from YFAWK. Andrew has also appeared in the 1998 UK Miniseries Ultraviolet. He played the part of "Vampire Boy".


Andrew has performed on T.V. countless times, performing on shows such as Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Last Call with Carson Daly, Saturday Night Live, and the Spike T.V. Video Game Awards. His most recent performance was with Bonnie "Prince" Billy on Late Night with Conan O'Brian. He recently had cameo in the show Aqua Teen Hunger Force, playing himself. He had no speaking parts, just a part singing a song about partying, which has not been released on record but is available for download from his website.

Andrew is said to have movie roles, also. The only movie role that has been confirmed is his role in the movie "Punk Rock Holocaust", playing himself. He is also said to have played a role in the 1994 World War II film "Remembering D-Day". It is not known if he is actually in that movie.

Andrew's song She Is Beautiful has been used in the films Freaky Friday and American Pie Presents: Band Camp.

He also appears playing the song "Fun Night" with his band on the movie Old School, where they are rudely interrupted by a drunk.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Independent Releases

Major Studio Releases

Andrew was in various bands from 1994 to 1999, including The Pterodactyls, Lab Lobotomy, Kathode, Mr. Velocity Hopkins, and various other bands. It has actually been said that Andrew is in the band Wolf Eyes for a brief time.

[edit] Singles

[edit] DVDs

Bonus DVDs came with the Japanese version of Andrew's releases The Wolf and Close Calls With Brick Walls. Each had special footage not released anywhere else.

[edit] Film and Television Soundtracks

[edit] Compilation Appearances

  • "Labyriniths & Jokes (Hanson Records Release HN050) Song: Andrew Wilkes-Krier (Andrew also appeared on the Isis and Werewolves track and The Beast People track).
  • "Ozzfest 2002 Live Album" Song: She Is Beautiful (Live with Kelly Osbourne).
  • " Take Action! Vol 4 Song: Spoken PSA Intro
  • "Mosh Pit On Disney Song: Mickey Mouse Club March
  • "Maxim Rocks!" Magazine Compilation Song: She Is Beautiful
  • "The Sound" Compilation Song:
  • "Girls Gone Wild Music, Vol. 1" Song: Party Hard

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ The Reeler, February 01 2006, "Andrew W.K. and the Cryptic Movie Missive": [6]
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