Music

Lose yourself in the awesomely trippy video for Calliope’s “Casino”

August 20, 2014

One of the biggest surprises in Milwaukee music this year has been Calliope’s ORBIS, a big, brash, unapologetic slab of psyched-out goodness that’s miles removed from the band’s previous efforts. With swirling ...

4.0

Sugar Stems: Only Come Out At Night

Matt Wild

August 20, 2014

It’s fitting that Sugar Stems’ 2010 debut was titled Sweet Sounds Of The Sugar Stems. Over the course of three full-length albums—including the new Only Come Out At Night—the Milwaukee power-pop purveyors have ...

Strand Of Oaks radiates emotion, gratitude at Turner Hall

Cal Roach

August 19, 2014

Many fans were taken aback by Strand Of Oaks’ new album, HEAL, and its aggressive rock bluster. Timothy Showalter’s music has been getting progressively more ambitious since the low-key folk-rock of his 2009 de...

Field Report album release show set for October 22 at Pabst Theater

Matt Wild

August 19, 2014

The last few weeks have seen the premieres of two new songs from Field Report’s ridiculously anticipated second album, Marigolden. There’s likely more to the come before the record’s October 7 release on Partis...

3.5

Kinth: Psychological Manipulation

Dan Oberbruner

August 19, 2014

On his latest effort as Kinth, the sometimes-acoustic-guitar-wielding songwriter Jay Flash tackles industrial and electronic music over the course of 10 tracks that are mostly ominous, occasionally buoyant, and...

Heavy Hand visits the motherfucking zoo in “Motherfucking Bobcat” video

Matt Wild

August 18, 2014

Last month, pop-minded post-punk trio Heavy Hand released a trippy video for “David Bowie Wants To Steal Your Baby,” the first single from its excellent new LP, Northwoods Knives. The video featured various bod...

Exclusive: Stream Arctic Sleep’s heavy, gorgeous new album, Passage Of Gaia

Matt Wild

August 18, 2014

Like rock, hip-hop, and nearly every other genre of music known to man, metal comes in a variety of subtle but recognizable flavors: classic, speed, doom, sludge, Norwegian death, etc. The metal embraced by Mil...

Harley-Davidson celebrations throttle down in 111th year

Tyler Maas

August 15, 2014

Maybe the absence of a round numeral has something to do with it, but if there’s a dedicated celebration for Harley-Davidson’s 111th anniversary, we haven’t heard about it. Known for throwing both amazing parti...

Galactic Cannibal goes out screaming

Tyler Maas

August 14, 2014

There’s something special about two ingredients that have no business even being in the same neighborhood of one another combining to result in something great. Remember that month in 2008 when self-respecting ...

TIME streams Field Report’s “Home”

Tyler Maas

August 13, 2014

If there's one record Milwaukee is holding its collective breath and stomping its feet in eager anticipation of hearing, it's Marigolden, the 10-track follow-up to Field Report's stunning self-titled 2012 debut...

A-side/B-side: Should there be more local openers on high-profile shows?

Milwaukee Record Staff

August 13, 2014

In A-side/B-side, two Milwaukee Record writers tackle various city issues in an informal, crosstalk style. Insults are hurled, feelings are hurt, and everyone learns something in the end. Maybe.Matt Wild: U...

Exclusive: Stream Twin Brother’s new album, Swallow The Anchor

Tyler Maas

August 13, 2014

They say 50 is the new 40. Similarly, 40 is apparently the new 30. But 30 will always be 30. Say what you will, but even the encroaching specter of one’s fourth decade elicits feelings of nostalgia for years th...

Get nocturnal emotions from Sugar Stems’ new animated video

Tyler Maas

August 12, 2014

In an age of elaborate green screen superimposition and weighty music video subplots, sometimes it’s refreshing to see a band take a less common route when expressing a song in a visual format. Fittingly, Sugar...

My all-Milwaukee Mile Of Music

Tyler Maas

August 11, 2014

As I’m prone to sliding into posts from time-to-time, I grew up in the Fox Cities. For almost 20 years of my life, I had an Appleton mailing address. It’s a great place, but there always seemed to be a lack of ...

Exclusive: Hear Castle Thunder’s new single, “Singing Birds”

Tyler Maas

August 11, 2014

Ahead of Castle Thunder’s Friday night show at Linneman’s, the oft-overlooked outfit—one of the brightest spots of this year’s great Locust Street Festival—has decided to toss a musical morsel into the moat to ...

Space Raft reflects on superb summer before taking a (local) break

Tyler Maas

August 8, 2014

As far as Milwaukee music goes, it's hard to argue that up to this point, 2014 has belonged to Space Raft. The slightly-psychadelic rock outfit's, yes, spacey self-titled debut is widely considered to be among ...

Cream City Soundcheck gussies up The Vitrolum Republic

Tyler Maas

August 8, 2014

Milwaukee made music videos have come a long way in recent years. Whether they depict a backwards-headed dude in briefs exploring a farm, a three-eye rapper nestled in the clouds, or a mannequin providing saxop...

The Disclaimer: Talking Girls Rock Milwaukee with Valerie Lucks and Ashley Smith

Milwaukee Record Staff

August 7, 2014

Every Wednesday at noon, WMSE’s Ryan Schleicher, Shepherd Express’ Evan Rytlewski, and Milwaukee Record’s Matt Wild take to the WMSE airwaves to discuss all things Milwaukee. This half-hour fun-fest is called T...

Mile Of Music: A Milwaukee Visitor’s Guide

Tyler Maas

August 7, 2014

By most accounts, last year's inaugural Mile Of Music was an encouraging, if not successful, festival that brought 100 acts to downtown Appleton. The sleepy northeast Wisconsin hub that was largely devoid of es...

WebsterX takes to the clouds in the “Renaissance” music video

Tyler Maas

August 6, 2014

During his Mad Planet performance as part of Breadfest 2014, Sam Ahmed (aka "WebsterX") pledged to have new material in the can and ready to release this winter. Fewer than 72 hours later, the talented Milwauke...