There must be something in the water of Endicott, NY. Not only is that small city of roughly 12,000 souls the origin of one of the largest, most innovative corporations of all-time, IBM, but it is also the birthplace of some of America’s most demented geniuses including the man who transformed TV in the 1960s with his series The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling, as well as the comic sibling pair of Amy & David Sedaris, and finally the most celebrated voice in metal and the artist who gave us the heavy metal horned salute, Ronnie James Dio! But there can be only one King of Endicott, one artist whose fearless and uncompromising vision allowed him to both transcended that little town of Endicott and yet embody all of its otherworldly qualities. And that man is Gary Wilson!This legendary figure of low-fi bedroom funk has become known the world over for his unique–yet highly palatable–brand of experimental music. Though he achieved enduring cult status in 1977 with his classic album, You Think You Really Know Me, he had been recording original music since his pre-teen years, and even studying composition privately with John Cage before moving to New York to become the toast of that city’s well-known underground music scene. But it’s those early years in Endicott that Gary harkens back to on his newest album The King of Endicott, the years when his passion for music, art and film was at its rawest and most imaginative. For evidence, just view the vintage clips assembled for the video to the eponymous single. There you’ll see Gary flanked by a host of local characters who film weird short films, post for pictures and of course put on musical performances the likes of which no one in Endicott (or really even the world) had ever seen!
The King of Endicott is available everywhere via Cleopatra Records.
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