Garage punks Not The Cops are stepping their game up as of late, releasing their self-titled debut project and now a new video for single “Mountain Troll” from the album. Filmed in the now-defunct DIY venue Dad Palace, the band takes you inside the feeling of a gritty, sweaty house show in the clip for the high-energy track. The seems like another big step in the right direction for Not The Cops, who show the potential to do some big things locally with every new piece of content that they put out. Check out the video for “Mountain Troll” below:
$hunmillion$ is getting back into the swing of things, in full album mode preparing a new project, “YellowConversations”. With that, we recently got a new single from the Milwaukee rapper, staying on theme with “YellowDRANK”. Taking to a trap beat with ease, $hun knows how to keep a swagger-filled delivery on his verse while still hitting some quotable bars. There’s plenty of bass, so if that’s an indicator of things to come, “YellowCoversations” will be one to play in the car and rattle the windows. We’ll wait to see when it comes out, but check out “YellowDRANK” below:
While he’s been sporadically dropping music as of late, Spidey Mayweather knows how to make an impact with the tracks he releases. The latest video from Mayweather is for “No Filter”, a track that originally dropped last year, but is getting some new life thanks to the Chris Peterson-directed visual. The track has plenty of bounce to it, and Spidey isn’t one to shy away from flexing all over the track. It doesn’t take much to make the performance clip live, and the Milwaukee rapper and his crew bring the energy throughout the video. There’s likely more from Spidey Mayweather on the way, and you can check out the video for “No Filter” below:
One of our contributors, Ben Slowey, is more than on top of the local music scene. In addition to his work for Breaking And Entering, he also hosts the Mr. Nice Guy podcast, an interview-based show that reaches out to Milwaukeeans for conversations about what motivates them. Many of these shows fittingly involve the local music scene, and we’ll be sharing some of them here as well.
For this episode, Ben sat down with Quinn Cory, who drums for indie band Duckling and neo-soul collective Ruth B8r Ginsburg. Both projects are working on new releases! They discussed the drum set Quinn got when she was thirteen, Riverwest, what the bands are working on, socialism, and young people leading the revolution. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
The enthusiasm that ADHD has as a whole for hip hop is contagious. That flows through all of their members, including JalenG, who has a new single out entitled “Chakras”. The track features some mellow production, but that doesn’t stop Jalen from trying to pack as much into a bar as he can. With an inspired delivery, the lyrics focus on centering yourself and getting your mental state in order, something that many rappers within the city aren’t necessarily rapping about. We know the team stays grinding, but we don’t have definitive details about a new project just yet. Check out “Chakras” below:
Milwaukee’s metal scene has been quietly strong for some time, and the debut EP from black metal band Black Canvas is no exception. “Death From The North” is nothing short of intense, with it’s share of pulse-pounding drums and heavy riffs from start to finish. There’s some elements of hardcore mixed in on tracks like opener “Cold”, but the majority of the time is spent getting as heavy as possible. The closer of the four-track release, “Socioparasite”, is an all-out assault on the eardrums, and the band wouldn’t want it any other way. Black Canvas have a couple of live dates coming up, including gigs at Walker’s Point Music Hall and X-Ray Arcade. Be on the lookout for more from them soon, and check out “Death From The North” below:
I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind, but Elton John is returning to the Fiserv Forum this upcoming April.
It was announced this morning that Sir Elton’s three-year farewell tour is being extended, including an April 28th date in Milwaukee. He just recently played the arena to a sold out crowd last weekend. Tickets for the new date on the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour will go on sale Friday, November 1st with a presale for American Express holders beginning tomorrow. One can only hope for a rhinestone-studded Giannis jersey.
For those of you who are missing the summer season already, check out this fun and the sunny video by the talented miss Kiddo Kat. The German pop singer is back with a new single and video, “In The Air”. Her uplifting lyrics and catchy tunes will be stuck in your head all day. Besides the original songs, you can also find covers of songs by artists such as Lorde and Gin Wigmore. Check it out!
One of our contributors, Ben Slowey, is more than on top of the local music scene. In addition to his work for Breaking And Entering, he also hosts the Mr. Nice Guy podcast, an interview-based show that reaches out to Milwaukeeans for conversations about what motivates them. Many of these shows fittingly involve the local music scene, and we’ll be sharing some of them here as well.
For this episode, Ben sits down with Faux Fiction (vocalist/guitarist Gabby Papale, bassist Peter Hair, and drummer Paul Tyree), whose most recent album “Dark Matter” came out in 2018. They discussed their beginnings of playing together, Halloween costumes, Gabby’s career as a biochemistry professor, adulthood, and what the band is working on now. They play X-Ray Arcade on December 13th, where the proceeds will benefit Courage MKE. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
UK musician Fortune and Milwaukee’s Genesis Renji have collaborated in the past, but they recently rekindled that creative spark with a new video, “Sugar Coat”, which came out last week. The track has more of a pop sensibilities than most tracks that we hear Genesis on, but it works well, as he floats over the atmospheric production with ease. The video features the duo performing the track in both a studio setting and at under the red neon of Walker’s Point, and was filmed during Fortune’s most recent visit to the US. Check out the clip below:
Brew City Bombshells emcee/event host and drag performer Dora Diamond has created several original songs in the past, but that sound finally comes to a recording with her debut EP, “Flesh”, which was released on Saturday. The project is three tracks with a varied sound, blurring the lines between downtempo pop, trip hop and more. It’s music tailor made for burlesque, obviously, but each track could suffices as a single in their own right. The EP was released in conjunction with the Bombshells’ most recent performance at Company Brewing, so you’ll likely be able to hear at least one of these songs live at their next event. In the meantime, check out the EP below:
One of our contributors, Ben Slowey, is more than on top of the local music scene. In addition to his work for Breaking And Entering, he also hosts the Mr. Nice Guy podcast, an interview-based show that reaches out to Milwaukeeans for conversations about what motivates them. Many of these shows fittingly involve the local music scene, and we’ll be sharing some of them here as well.
For this episode, Ben sits down with Jake Marin, whose debut album “Wind Not Waves” came out on Bandcamp this past summer. It’s a fun, whimsical record with lush textures and imagery of trees. They discussed Jake’s record, Animal Collective, being outside as a kid, the sky, and music as a business. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
Every week on Twitter, we share the Milwaukee music that gets sent to us. This is usually a good way to check out some of Milwaukee’s newest upcoming artists. We call it #MKEMusicMonday. Here are your #MKEMusicMonday submissions for October 22nd, 2019:
New music out now 🍋🥤‼️‼️ YellowDRANK++ out on all platforms 💫
Fresh off of her appearance on Netflix’s “Rhythm + Flow”, Milwaukee’s Kaylee Crossfire recently released a new freestyle clip for “Young Legend”. Released just days after her exit from the competition on the reality show, Crossfire is wisely doing something that most reality competitors fail at; keeping their name relevant after their TV time runs out. Kaylee is definitely proving that she deserves to be more than a footnote in the history of the show, however, with a clip full of heavy bars and a healthy amount of attitude in her delivery. We’ll see where the momentum takes Kaylee Crossfire next, but for now, check out the new video below:
One of our contributors, Ben Slowey, is more than on top of the local music scene. In addition to his work for Breaking And Entering, he also hosts the Mr. Nice Guy podcast, an interview-based show that reaches out to Milwaukeeans for conversations about what motivates them. Many of these shows fittingly involve the local music scene, and we’ll be sharing some of them here as well.
For this episode, Ben sits down with Sean Sison, whose most recent singles “Without You”, “I Like You, I Wasn’t Lying”, “and “I Can’t Let You Go” are out streaming everywhere, hinting towards a full-length he is working on. His debut album “Bloom” came out in 2017. They discussed his beginnings as a musician, his single “Tonight” having over three million streams, vibing to music vs lyrics first, playing bass, and his goal to play more shows. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
A lone drummer greeted the audience at Turner Hall on Thursday evening. Sound — and excitement — built as the rest of the band joined him on stage.
Maeson’s set, much like his discography, was full of emotion and vulnerability. The songs were relatable, there were few songs the audience didn’t sing along to. Though, none pleased the crowd like “Cringe”.
Raised in Norfolk, Virginia, his parents were juvenile delinquents who later became “musicianaries” eventually playing in Christian metal bands. Ironically enough, he was banned from listening to secular rock music on the radio as a child.
Photo by Will Hughes
Maeson later spent time in jail, an experience he calls on frequently in his music.
Throughout their set, Maeson jumped from song to song, without leaving much time for comments, though he commanded the audience’s attention the entire time.
Even when concluding his set, the audience stayed captivating through the end of his encore.
When a band can have the crowd singing along, just as much, if not more, to their original songs as when they play a Killers cover, you know it’s the real deal.
If you hadn’t noticed, this week we are in full swing with the 2019 Milwaukee Film Festival, and this week’s B&E Weekly Jams Presented by Bublr Bikes showcases some of the local artists involved with the festival. The playlist incorporates some of the artists playing the Soundtrack Series at Hacienda Brewing Co. throughout the festival, as well as tracks featured in the Milwaukee Music Video Show, which took place last night at the Oriental Theatre. Don’t forget to check out some of these local acts at the Milwaukee Film Festival throughout the 31st, and we have a helpful movie guide to the festival for music lovers right here. Check out this week’s playlist below:
Island-pop band Paper Holland is currently touring with the Iowa-based Halfloves, and they played Linneman’s Friday night after being in Chicago Thursday. Rock and roll outfit Devil Met Contention, who haven’t played much in awhile, joined the bill in support.
Devil Met Contention consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Ehson Rad, guitarist David Schuyler, bassist Max Nemer, and drummer Nez (who was not present). The project began primarily as a solo thing of Rad’s, but has had its current lineup for about four years. Their most recent album “Fuel the Lights” came out in 2016, and their latest single is “Take A Chance” from last year.
Rad explains the band tried something new – playing their set without a drummer.
“We just wanted to change it up – it’s good to challenge yourself in new ways. It’s always interesting to me when you expect something like getting to a Field Report show and it’s just a solo show…and I really feel like when bands do that, they get people that have seen them a few times a chance to appreciate the songs in a new way. I know there were songs on the Field Report album I didn’t appreciate fully until I heard them solo, and then I was like “that’s my favorite one on the record.” Caley Conway does a good job with that too. I like to think that we’re versatile enough to play a full-band set, play solo, play two or three of us…it’s a fun challenge. We don’t have to recreate something the same way every time.”
The band recently dropped a cover of the popular jazz number “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home.”
“Milwaukee Record approached us about public domain, and we were just wrapping up at the studio – I told the band they wanted us to cover this jazz song, so we might as well have a studio recording of it. So that’s what we did…we took a day and wrote and recorded it…we did a demo in about two hours and then a few hours later the band threw some stuff on it.”
Rad goes on to describe their single from last year, as well as their plans for 2020.
“That was really the first time we went into the studio not planning on recording the song live. Everything we’ve done before that was very much as you would hear in concert. We got a lot of great time spent at Howl Street Recordings for those first couple records and after that I really wanted to spend some time in a studio doing some mixing and work the song, seeing what we can make. I talked to Daniel Holter at Wire & Vice – really talented producer and engineer – and he offered to record and engineer some songs for us, so we did “Take A Chance” with him and another one called “Everyone You Pass” which will be released later. Our big plans are coming up – we have three EP’s coming out in 2020 – each one has a music video and single released with it. That’s the big plan and our first one I’m really excited about…KP Kaszubowski directed it; we shot it in two nights at the Ambassador Hotel. She had a cool concept and we ran with it…I laid in the street when it was 40 degrees and I was in pajamas. The single will be out on 88Nine too. We’ve never done it like this, so I’m excited. We’ll have a light touring schedule with some local shows and we’re looking for a diverse lineup of support.”
Devil Met Contention plays the Milwaukee Film Festival Music Series on the 23rd with Social Caterpillar. Rad is self-producing and shooting the band’s new music videos; one of which is a space epic complete with costumes.
“We’re just in the back room till 2020, getting everything gift-wrapped for everyone to check out.”
An explosive night of different rock flavors occurred at Bremen Cafe Thursday night, featuring rock and roll duo Saebra & Carlyle (who normally play with a full band), long-running punks Holy Shit!, and NYC jazz-punk band Patti.
Holy Shit! consist of vocalist Tab Conard, guitarist Andy Junk, bassist/backing vocalist Octavious Farnsworth, and drummer Eric Apnea. Formed in 2001, these guys are one of three bands originally from Green Bay (along with Aluminum Knot Eye and IfIHadAHiFi) that migrated to Milwaukee in the early 2000’s and are still active today.
“We formed right around this time of year, actually,” Conard said.
“Green Bay was quite a lot of fun and then started to suck and rolled out the red carpet,” Junk added. “We moved down to Milwaukee because there was more energy down here, for sure.”
Junk shares his thoughts on the scene as it has evolved throughout their run.
“The underground scene has always been amazing here,” Junk said. “Basements have kept it active. We’ve always had consistent basement shows ever since we moved down; we’ve lived in them before all our bandmates were old enough to bartend. I always feel it’s going in a good direction. We got it good here…shut the fuck up about it.”
“It’s only gonna get easier with the new laws for all-ages venues,” Conard added. “That’s a big step forward.”
Their new record “Not My Tempo” came out this past April – their seventh full-length album on their own and eleventh including splits they have done. The title comes from the movie “Whiplash.”
“We were all on a flight to Japan and were all watching the movie at the same time,” Conard explained. “It just kind of became a running joke with us throughout that tour, then it evolved into that. We recorded it at the Ground Zero basement with Eric Mayer; it couldn’t have gone better as far as ease and comfort go. It definitely exceeded my expectations. We had to rush to get it pressed for our Japanese tour, so we sacrificed a little bit of quality, I guess.”
The band was on this Japanese (and Vietnamese) tour in April around when they released the record.
“It went amazing,” Conard reflected. “It was our fourth time in Japan and first time in Vietnam. Our friend Matty booked the shows in Vietnam – he booked one in Ho Chi Minh City…that was really crazy and awesome and eclectic. He got food poisoning and couldn’t come with us to Hanoi the next day.”
“It’s funny that no matter where we go we somehow seem to attract people that think they can out-drink us,” Junk laughed. “Especially in Asia, whether it’s our old buddy Matty or some random dude out there.”
The band hopes to tour Europe eventually.
“We really want to,” Junk said. “We’re waiting for the opportunity. Eric just toured there in a band called Trampoline Team – he played drums for them out there a couple months ago, and he said there’s a lot of people that want us to play in Italy. I have my vacation days open next year, if something can be arranged.”
Holy Shit! says they will continue writing songs and hanging in the basement for the next few months. They play High Dive with Beach Burial and Peroxide on November 14th.
One of the remarkable things about Milwaukee indie rockers Fuzzysurf is their ability to deliver great content beyond their already catchy music. Their latest video, “Don’t Worry Baby” is out today from their debut, “Fuzzy & The Surfs”. The band gets in the mood for Halloween with the new video, a spooky performance clip that features the band haunting some dreams, but still captures the spirit of the band’s previous videos. If you haven’t listened to “Fuzzy & The Surfs” yet, songs like this prove that it is well worth your time, and you can check out the new video below:
After years of gigging around Milwaukee, lo-fi rockers Not The Cops have finally released their debut project. Labeled as a 10-track EP, the band brings their ferocious live energy to a recording, and manage to maintain the same edge that they bring to their shows. With a healthy dose of feedback, plenty of buzzing guitars and and some howling vocals, this feels like a garage-punk party in its purest form. Hopefully this is a sign of even bigger things to come for the band, and if you haven’t heard them yet, this is a good introduction to what they’re all about. Check out the record below:
One of our contributors, Ben Slowey, is more than on top of the local music scene. In addition to his work for Breaking And Entering, he also hosts the Mr. Nice Guy podcast, an interview-based show that reaches out to Milwaukeeans for conversations about what motivates them. Many of these shows fittingly involve the local music scene, and we’ll be sharing some of them here as well.
For this episode, Ben sits down with Mic Crawf, who is one half of Flo’-Tron. He has been rapping in Milwaukee since the 90’s. Flo’-Tron’s debut EP “WBLK (We Be Lyrical Kings)” came out in 2013. They discussed Colectivo Coffee, Crawf’s early days of rapping in parks, tapes he is working on, acting out of love, and how recently losing his mom impacted his outlook on life. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
It was a modest crowd on Wednesday night at Turner Hall, but that doesn’t mean it was anything shy of, “lit”. It was clear that the frat rapper, Skizzy Mars, was thrilled with the audience. Claiming that Milwaukee was one of his favorite cities, the 6-time headliner made sure that we would have a wild night.
The Band
The Harlem born rapper has been making music since 2013. He got his start on a few features one of them being with G-Eazy which put him on the map. Coming from humble upbringing Skizzy Mars’s lyrics reflect his past and do not glorify violence or gratuitous amounts of money.
The experience
Coming out to a drummer and guitarist, NYC born and raised rapper took to the stage in a wild fashion with the fervor that could match any big name rapper you’d see today. Jumping into one of his more popular songs, Skizzy sent his crowd into a frenzy with everyone dancing and singing along with him.
One of the things that stood out was how great the show sounded. If you ever listen to his studio recordings it’s clear that he uses auto-tune. Which I never understood, because his live vocals were absolutely on point. His flow matched the live drums and backup guitar that occasionally delved into some high-school level solos filled Turner Hall with a sound that could rival something in the Rave.
At first, his on stage presence seemed a bit dissident, but that was shortly remedied the moment he started talking to the crowd. Being a fan of Milwaukee, Skizzy felt right at home with his crowd of 150 people. All of whom must’ve been under the age of 21. But that didn’t stop anyone from having a blast. As I claim to be a mild fan, I felt pout of place as the crowd seemed to know every lyric, only fueling Skizzy’s energy to be even bigger.
As the show went on he played a myriad of his old and new hits. Unfortunately, his “older” music was from 2013 and not the mixtape I knew from my days in college. As the show went on people began to ramp up their own levels of energy. It probably had nothing to do with the plums of vape clouds that surrounded Turner. Probably.
As the show concluded it seemed that everyone in the audience was pleased with the still independent rapper. He played his heart out, had the crowd moving and singing along the entire time and above all else, sounded great in Turner Hall.
The Verdict
I had no expectations coming into this show. I figured it was going to be a rapper clearly on the last legs of his tour, looking to wrap up a final city. What I got was nothing short of an extremely impressive show, albeit modest. He avoids the mainstream mentality of money, cars, and clothes. Instead speaks from his experiences, loneliness, and trying to make it out in the world. It felt honest, and a different mentality that I’m not used to in modern day rap. Skizzy Mars puts on a great show, one that left me feeling fulfilled and surprised with the level of interest that he had in Milwaukee. Maybe I’ll even see him the 7th time he comes to town.
As we saw last week on Netflix’s new hip hop reality show “Rhythm + Flow”, Milwaukee’s Kaylee Crossfire made her way past the auditions to Hollywood to take part in the official competition. This week saw the second batch of episodes released, with Kaylee being prominently featured in episode 5, where the top 30 emcees from the show’s nationwide auditions came together for the cypher portion of the competition. Crossfire was part of a group that tried to impress judges T.I., Cardi B, and Chance The Rapper. Rather than spoiling things for you, the link to the episode is below. Check out at the link (Netflix subscription required).
Milwaukee trio Cozy Danger are back with a new single, “80 Proofed”, and the track is a care-free, straight up rock song that’s plenty of fun. There’s a certain adolescent bliss about songs like this, boasting lines like “we’re young, and we’re old, and we never do what we’re told” that remind you of simpler times. The video is simple enough as is, with the band bravely accepting the challenge of shotgunning Milwaukee’s Best, which for those of you from outside of the city, is not a beer that lives up to it’s name. The band will also be having different brands of beer while performing at Indeed Brewing Co.’s Low Down Fest this weekend. Check out the new video below:
