Andrew WK Still Parties, Sans Vocals and Riffs

In fall of 2001, I was a freshman at a liberal arts school in Boston, swapping Spin for CMJ and learning the fine art of “college music” from the good book of Thurston Moore. Then, like a bloody party Jesus from the heavens, along came Andrew WK to save me from my pity party:

Always cheesy, never subtle, and maybe akin to what you’d find on Jock Jams, at first glance AWK conjures little more than a WTF. But beneath the mangy surface lies much more: high energy hedonism, pop melodies, and genuine POSITIVITY… rare in pop and rock these days and non-existent in what we were listening to back then.

Anyway, AWK is back, sort of, with “55 Cadillac,” a new album of what he calls “spontaneous solo piano improvisations.” You can hear “Central Park Cruiser” on Billboard.com now. It’s piano. It’s not rock. It’s out Sept. 8th. And wouldn’t ya know… it’s being released by Thurston Moore’s label.

What’s the opposite of “selling out”?

Edited: September 5th, 2009