1. The group named themselves after an acronym.

The group named itself "Wilco" after the military and commercial aviation radio voice acronym for "Will Comply." Jeff Tweedy found it to be an "ironic term for a rock band to name themselves." (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

2. They have been nominated at the Grammys.

Five of Wilco's albums, including their new release The Whole Love, have been nominated at the Grammys for "Best Contemporary Folk Album," Best Rock Album" and "Best Americana Album." Their album A Ghost Is Born won "Best Alternative Album" and "Best Recording Package" in 2005. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)

3. Members of Wilco were involved in a alternative country music group.

Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Ken Coomer, and Max Johnston were in a band named Uncle Tupelo in the early 90s. After a dispute with fellow bandmate Jay Farrar, Tweedy and Co. decided to form their own band, which ultimately became Wilco. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

4. Their album Being There was going to be a double album.

Wilco produced nineteen songs, which was too many for a single album release at the time. Tweedy was concerned about the high retail price that a double album would be sold for, so he asked Reprise Records to release the nineteen tracks at a single album price. Wilco lost almost $600,000 on the deal. (photo by Nate Azark)

5. Their album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was close to not being released.

Even though the album was completed in 2001, Reprise Records refused to release it. Wilco left the label in order to obtain the rights to the album and streamed the record for free on their website. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was released on April 23, 2002 and sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S., making it their best selling album. (photo by Nate Azark)

6. They are featured in two documentaries.

In 2000, Los Angeles photographer Sam Jones contacted Wilco about creating a documentary film about their album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The film provides a unique insight into record label politics and it gives an inside look at how the band created the landmark album. They were also the topic of BBC's Man in the Sand film, which documented their recording of Mermaid Avenue in 1997. (photo by Nate Azark)

7. They had a studio on Irving Park Road.

Shortly after they recorded Mermaid Avenue Vol. II, Wilco purchased the "Wilco Loft," a studio on Irving Park Road right here in Chicago. The band used the loft to record some b-sides and tracks for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Sky Blue Sky. (photo by Nate Azark)

8. Wilco streams their albums online.

After their success with streaming Yankee Hotel Foxtrot online (their website registered over fifty thousand hits the first day it streamed), Wilco has made it a habit to have every one of their albums available on their website. (photo by Nate Azark)

9. Wilco wants you to vote.

In anticipation of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, the Chicago natives released a downloadable version of "I Shall Be Released," a Bob Dylan cover. The MP3 was available as a free download from the band's website in exchange for a promise to vote in the election. (photo by Nate Azark)

10. Wilco has a pretty interesting writing style.

The band is known for their usage of cadavre exquis, an exercise where band members take turns writing lines on a typewriter, but are only allowed to see the previous line. The band is also influenced by HEnry Miller, Harold Bloom, and William H. Gass. (photo by Nate Azark)

11. Many members of Wilco are in different side projects.

Loose Fur, The Autumn Defense, Pronto, and The Nels Cline Singers are some of the side projects that members of Wilco have been involved with. Tweedy's side project Loose Fur was an influence on Wilco's album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. (photo by Nate Azark)

12. Wilco has been featured in several Apple and Volkswagen commercials.

In order to bring more publicity to their album Sky Blue Sky, Wilco decided to look to television advertising for help. In 2007, Jeff Tweedy appeared in a series of Apple commercials and Volkswagen began playing "You Are My Face" and "The Thanks I Get," in the background of their ads. (photo by Nate Azark)

13. They have two albums that cover Woody Guthrie's unreleased songs.

Wilco was approached by singer-songwriter Billy Bragg about putting some of Woody Guthrie's unreleased lyrics to music. Bragg mostly recorded the songs with political lyrics, while Tweedy preferred to recorded songs with lyrics that showcaed Guthrie as a "freak weirdo." The collaboration released two albums titled Mermaid Avenue and Mermaid Avenue Vol. II, named after the street in Coney Island on which Guthrie lived. (photo by Nate Azark)

14. Wilco Tree

A "wilco" is also a South American tree closely related to Yopo. It grows from 5m to 20m tall, has a very thorny trunk and its leaves fold up at night. (photo by Nate Azark)

15. They have collaborated with Feist.

Around the release of Wilco (The Album), Wilco announced that Feist would make a guest appearance on the track "You and I." Feist also appeared on one of Wilco's Woody Guthrie covers, performed with them live on Late Show with David Letterman in 2009, and joined Wilco in the studio for Beck's Record Club. (photo by Nate Azark)

16. They are heavily influenced by music created between 1966 and 1974.

While Wilco draws influence from bands from a wide variety of music genre's, the group cites John Lennon, Neil Young, and Brian Wilson as direct musical influences. (photo by Nate Azark)

17. Jeff Tweedy got a guitar lesson from Richard Lloyd.

For his thirty-fourth birthday, Tweedy received a private guitar lesson from Television's Richard Lloyd. Tweedy has mentioned that he is a huge fan of the group and that he wanted to incorporate the groups guitar work into his music. (photo by Nate Azark)

18. Many artists have been influenced by Wilco.

The National, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Derek Webb of Caedmon's Call have proclaimed that Wilco has been a great influence on their music. Norah Jones, Counting Crows and The Wallflowers have covered their songs and indie rock band Cherry Ghost took their name from Wilco's song "Theologians." (photo by Nate Azark)

19. The band has released a book.

Titled The Wilco Book, the bad featured artwork created by the band, photographs by Michael Schmelling, essays by Henry Miller and Rick Moody, poetry by Bern Porter, and comments from the band, their technicians, and their managers. The book also came with a CD of previously unreleased experimental music. (photo by Nate Azark)

20. They made their live debut in St. Louis.

After the release of their first album A.M., the band played their first live show as Wilco on November 17, 1994 in Cicero's Basement Bar in St. Louis, Missouri. The band was billed for the occasion as "Black Shampoo." (photo by Nate Azark)

21. Jeff Tweedy was a weatherman for a day.

While appearing on Chicago's WGN morning show to play a couple songs from their new album, Jeff Tweedy was recently invited to take over the 7-day weather forecast. (photo by Nate Azark)

22. They recorded their third album in Willie Nelson's studio.

In 1997, Wilco entered Nelson's studio in Spicewood, Texas to record their third album Summerteeth. The sessions in the Spicewood studio yielded a number of songs including "I'm Always in Love," "She's a Jar," and "Via Chicago." (photo by Nate Azark)

23. Wilco has participated in Record Store Day.

(photo by Nate Azark)

24. They documented their 2005 residency in Chicago.

Wilco recorded their string of four consecutive shows at The Vic Theatre in 2005 with intentions of creating a live DVD. The band recorded the four shows on a 24-track digital recorder, but Tweedy was not satisfied with the footage and made a live album instead. (photo by Nate Azark)

25. They recored tracks in New Zealand

While the band has their own studio here in Chicago, Wilco recorded the foundation of Wilco (The Album) during their stay in New Zealand. They also wrote and recorded several new tracks for a Oxfam benefit album while they were there. (photo by Nate Azark)

Wilco Riviera 35

Wilco played the Riviera Theatre on their second night of five shows in Chicago. December 13th, 2011 (photo by Nate Azark)

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