The godfather of midwestern alt country Jeff Tweedy has been hard at work lately. His band Wilco started up their own label, named dBpm (decibels per minute, a measure Tweedy admits looks cool but doesn't make sense), and they're getting ready to release their latest album through it. After a big 2010 tour, Wilco returned to the studio to put together the songs for their first self-released record. A track from the record--as of now titled Get Well Soon Everybody--has just been made public to stream for free.

It's a pretty catchy little tune, filled with chirpy guitars and bouncy beats. It comes out of the third set of songs written with the classic Wilco lineup, although Tweedy's stated that he collaborated with his bandmates more than usual on the songwriting. The band worked on a new level of trust, often in silent communication as they grew the record's songs together. The newfound levels of autonomy and in-band collaboration have hopefully made for a fertile creative space for Wilco. From Tweedy's report, it sounds as though the new record will have a good diversity of sounds, with some country tunes, some moodier jams, and some straight up pop tracks. "I Might" sounds like it's in the last category, simple and fun and upbeat. We've seen Wilco bait-and-switch with mood successfully in the past, so here's hoping that tonal duality will lead the new record to similarly awesome places. 

The new album won't be out until September, when it will drop on vinyl potentially as a double album. On dBpm, Wilco has the freedom to make decisions on their own schedule, so the details of the release may not be revealed until later. If you're itching for some Tweedy goodness before then, you can buy the "I Might" single on vinyl and mp3 on July 19th. Pre-ordering information is available at Wilco's online store. You can buy the single as black or blue vinyl, or even as part of a whole merchandise kit that includes tote bags, t-shirts, and turntable adaptors. You know, if you're into the whole physical collectibles thing. Me, I'm just happy to put tunes on my hard drive with no physical proof of the transaction. As long as they're listenable, I'm happy. Wilco, on the other hand, seems awfully fond of putting their name on tangible, purchasable objects. There's Wilco coffee and a Wilco beer. If I really only care about Wilco songs, does that make me a bad fan?