October is officially the time for all things spooky, and Chattanooga, TN band Call Me Spinster tap into that with their new single and video, “Killer On The Loose”. There’s a Milwaukee connection to the band, which features Rachel Graber of Holy Sheboygan. As the title would suggest, the song is about hunting a killer and saving a friend, all set to the funky tune of a thick bass line and percussion that feels like a pop song from another decade. The exceptionally well-done video from directors DH Jacobs and Tyler Keff Beasley also has a retro feel, with the band performing at a high school dance before a lightning bolt hits the school, changing everything. We’ll be looking for more from Call Me Spinster in the future, but get your first glimpse at the project with “Killer On The Loose” 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 Tajh Virgil, whose recent singles “Wife You” and “Want It All” are out streaming everywhere. They discussed his beginnings as an artist, his first ever performance being televised, the new singles, his 2018 album “Paradigm”, and Milwaukee vs Atlanta. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
Bravo, WebsterX and Immortal Girlfriend with Backline Program Director Enrique “Mag” Rodriguez
Last night, Backline, the artist development collaboration between 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and Madison startup accelerator Gener8tor announced their fall 2019 group of artists at an event in the MillerCoors caves. Milwaukee singer Bravo, rapper WebsterX, and synth-pop duo Immortal Girlfriend were all named as the eighth, ninth, and tenth Milwaukee acts to take part in the program. Nearly 300 Milwaukeer artists applied for this year’s fall program. As is the case for the two previous groups, the selected artists take part in a 12-week music business crash course, and will also receive a $20,000 grant, courtesy of community partners and donors.
The Backline program is continuing to grow, with offshoot programs in Cleveland and Detroit now up and running as well. In addition to the grant program, Backline also hosts free artist workshops, and their next one will discuss women in music on Saturday, November 2nd at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s studios. Another spring program has already been announced for Milwaukee in 2020, with the submission window opening up in January. For more information on Backline, visit their website here.
With downtime in between touring with GGOOLLDD, keyboardist Nick Schubert has had some time to create something new and a little bit darker, resulting in the formation of goth side project BLOOD. The band features Schubert and Casey Soyk channeling a mix of early 80’s goth and new wave to create tracks like their debut single, “Nothing”. The track has the feeling of wandering into the abyss, with a slowed down dance beat and echo-drenched vocals that feel like a throwback to acts like Bauhaus and The Cure. Cutting guitars with plenty of flange really drive home the retro feel as well, and you get the feeling that Schubert and Soyk can pull off the new project for more than just the initial release. We’re looking forward to hearing more from BLOOD, but you can get your first listens to the band with “Nothing” 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 Lauryl Sulfate, who fronts her band Lauryl Sulfate & her Ladies of Leisure. Their most recent album “Dance Music Saves Lives” came out this past March. We discussed fighting the patriarchy, Disco Demolition Night, Riverwest FemFest, Lauryl’s concept behind the new album, and the feminity/queerness associated with pop music. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
Milwaukee’s Slowlife Tito has been light on releases as of late, but that is for good reason, as he just put out his new mixtape, “The 39th Martyr” this week. The release is lengthy, with 21 tracks in total, but it packs plenty of trap sounds and styles into one, and a healthy number of features as well. In addition to Tito, we get verses from A$AP Ant, Yg Addie, Flatline Franko, Lucki and Hylla, making for a variety of vocal styles. It’s a big step forward for Slowlife Tito, who seems to be moving full speed ahead. Check out “The 39th Martyr” below:
Get ready, Milwaukee, because the 2019 Milwaukee Film Festival is almost here! Beginning on Thursday, this year’s festival runs from October 17th-31st, with a whopping 350+ movies to choose from over six different venues. Fortunately, we’ve perused the schedule and have it narrowed down to the films (and other events) that you’ll want to check out if you’re a music fan.
Opening Night – “I Want My MTV”
Oh hey, that was quick. The opening film of the 2019 Milwaukee Film Festival is music doc, “I Want My MTV”. The movie takes a look at the history of the music channel that changed the world, from its humble beginnings in 1981 to it’s current incarnation, featuring some of the biggest stars of the history of the channel. If you can’t make the opening night showing at the Oriental Theatre (10/17 at 7:00 PM), it’s also available (on standby) at the Broadway Theatre Center on 10/19 at 3:45 PM.
Sound Vision Program
A good place to start when you’re looking for the music programming is, well, the music program at the Milwaukee Film Festival, Sound Vision. Here’s this year’s titles from that category:
“Bluebird” If you’ve been to Nashville, or even seen the show “Nashville”, you probably have heard of The Bluebird Cafe. The movie features a look into the country music hotbed, with performances from major names in the genre including Taylor Swift, Jason Isbell and more.
“Carmine Street Guitars” New York City has always been an epicenter of rock and roll, and “Carmine Street Guitars” takes a look at a unique aspect of the city’s Greenwich Village shop of the same name. The documentary looks at five days of owner Rick Kelly’s life, and his shop, which makes custom guitars from reclaimed wood. The movie also features appearances from Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and more.
“You Gave Me A Song: The Life And Music of Alice Gerrard” In the folk music world, a proper celebration of Alice Gerrard is long overdue. This documentary looks at the singer/songwriter’s life, featuring recording footage, performances, and interviews with collaborators, you can get a glimpse into the fascinating life of this prolific artist.
“Mystify: Michael Hutchence” The late INXS frontman is profiled in this unique documentary, which chronicles his rise to fame and quick downfall with archival footage, home movies, and without interviews. Narrated by friends and collaborators, the world of pop stardom in the late 80’s comes to life from a new perspective.
“Who Let The Dogs Out” Yes, this film looks at The Baha Men’s inescapable one-hit wonder from 2000. However, there was much more than meets the eye to the annoyingly catchy single. Get the full story, with legal issues, inspirations, and the influence that the song had all within an hour-long doc.
“Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind” A profile of another icon, Gordon Lightfoot discusses his lengthy tenure at the top of folk music. This includes discussion of the the one song that he absolutely refuses to play, as well as a host of memories from throughout his career. You’ve likely heard his music in some form, and now you can get his story as well.
“Mr. Jimmy” Akio Sakurai isn’t your average novelty/tribute act. A lifelong Led Zeppelin fan, Sakurai became obsessed with Jimmy Page specifically, creating a tribute act over 35 years that is utterly his own. When his idol caught wind of what he was doing, it creates a whole new adventure. In addition, Akio will be in attendance for the October 29th screening!
Yes, there is a pair of local music offerings making their way to the Milwaukee Film Festival as well. One is a celebration of the city’s music scene, and another features a unique look at a local-based controversy.
The Milwaukee Music Video Show Local music gets a chance to shine in this program, which features back-to-back music videos from Milwaukee creatives, including clips from Twan Mack and Solana, Amanda Huff, Fuzzysurf, Violent Femmes and more.
Showtimes: 10/20 – 8:30 PM (Oriental Theatre)
“Plucked” The other local music-related offering chronicles a controversy surrounding the stolen Stradivarius violin from Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra violinist Frank Almond in 2014. The $5 million dollar violin was on loan when Almond was attacked and robbed, and the movie looks at the FBI attempt to get it back into the right hands.
Outside of the Sound Vision program, there’s still a host of music-related pieces to check out throughout the run of the Milwaukee Film Festival. Don’t miss some of these titles:
“Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool” What’s there to say about Miles Davis that hasn’t been said already? The jazz legend is profiled in this documentary full of stories, with a smooth, artistic feel to it. Combined with the music of Davis himself, this one will make you feel good coming out of it.
“The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion” Hip hop has transcended beyond a musical genre into a true lifestyle. With an emphasis on the style portion of things, the movie looks at the influence that hip hop has had on fashion over the past 40 years.
“Bakosó: Afrobeats De Cuba” If you’re a fan of Cuban music, or even the contemporary music that is now currently trending full of Afrobeat influence, this movie may be of interest. DJ Jigüe showcases the history of the genre, as well as where the music is headed
Showtimes: 10/26 – 7:00 PM (Avalon Theater)
“Stop Making Sense” While it is an annual showing, Milwaukee Film honors arguably the best concert film of all time, with Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense”. If you’ve never seen the concert film from Jonathan Demme, this is your chance to sing and dance along with the film on the big screen.
Showtimes: 10/26 – 8:30 PM (Oriental Theatre)
Live Music!
Last but certainly not least, there’s a plethora of parties and non-film events around the Milwuakee Film Festival. That includes plenty of live music, from both Milwaukee and international artists.
“Afrobeatz: ¡Baila Con Buya!” In addition to the showing of “Bakosó: Afrobeats De Cuba”, Cuban music star DJ Jigüe and Chicago act Bomba con Buya will be taking the stage at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee on Saturday, October 26th at 9:00 PM for a special post-movie performance.
Film Festival Soundtrack Series at Hacienda Brewing Co.
In addition to all of the movies and events happening at the Milwaukee Film Festival’s locations, Hacienda Brewing Co. is offering up local music nightly with the Film Festival Soundtrack series at their North Avenue location. Check out the lineup here:
10/18 Rx Drugs / Lex Allen 10/19 Klassik / Immortal Girlfriend 10/20 Retoro / Indonesian Junk / Mortgage Freeman 10/21 Ms. Lotus Fankh / Nickel & Rose 10/22 MKE Film Fest: Hip Hop ft. Cine Sin Fronteras 10/23 Devil Met Contention / Social Caterpillar 10/24 MKE Film Fest: Black Lens ft. Doc B 10/25 No No Yeah Okay / L’Resorts 10/26 IshDARR / Paper Holland 10/27 MKE Film Fest: Miles Davis Tribute ft. Lesser Lakes 10/28 Midnight Purchase / Brat Sounds 10/29 LUXI / Amanda Huff 10/30 Coyote Brother / Hughes Family Band 10/31 Seasaw / Surgeons in Heat
For even more information about the 2019 Milwaukee Film Festival, please visit their official website. See you around the city!
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 American Bandit – vocalist Nicholas Heath, guitarist Alec Thomas, bassist Luke Steffens, and drummer Ryan Roberts (who also runs Lakefront Studios). Their most recent EP “Losers’ Club” came out last year. They discussed their formation as a band, the hardcore scene, touring, what they are working on now, and Nick’s love of climbing on things during shows. 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 15th, 2019:
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 $hunmillion$, whose debut EP “What I Made Today” dropped last year, along with singles “$URFFF”, “JU$T CALL”, “EARTH2MILLION$”, and “$HUNCARTER” since then. They discussed $hun’s beginnings of freestyling, taking every day as an opportunity, his EP, men talking about their feelings, and his new project “Yellow Conversations” coming out soon.
It’s 40℉ in Milwaukee and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than surrounded by strangers in Turner Hall. There couldn’t have been a more perfect addition to the evening than Mt. Joy. Their stage presence mirrored that of a smaller, far more intimate venue; it felt undeniably “right”.
It’s hard not to feel like you’re part of a greater collective when swaying to the surprisingly comforting, classic Americana folk-rock songs. Their warm, inviting sound is reminiscent of glimpsing through previous memories with a classic Viewmaster – instantly recognizable and relatable.
With roots from across the country, Mt. Joy brings a unique sound to the folk-rock genre. Matt Quinn and Sam Cooper met during high school in Philadelphia and brought their down-to-earth roots to Los Angel, creating an unparalleled vibe.
Since last visiting Milwaukee and performing at the Colectivo Back Room in August of 2017, they expressed their thanks for the support and energy that the Friday night crowd brought to the atmosphere. As a token of gratitude, they played the entirety of their unreleased track, “Rearrange Us”, to the crowd. The song stayed on-brand with their distinct mix of folk-rock with a smooth interlude. The single is due to be released on October 16.
Photo by Dan Garcia
“Kids get high, in that basement sometimes,” opening lyrics of their single, Sheep, was the best possible way to open the show. They moved through songs from all of their albums, including their popular single, Astrovan.
Before closing with Silver Lining, Quinn had the entire crowd singing with a Julia / Ain’t No Sunshine / Clint Eastwood mashup.
The heart of the show could be encompassed by the cozy, yellow hue of the cafe lights that dangled across the ceiling above the audience and onto the stage amongst their instruments, encouraging the free-flow of energy through the audience. Not only did this enhance the intimacy of the show, but created a dynamic that was perfectly reflective of their overall vibe.
While being a relatively young band, only existing since 2016, the show left me wanting more and looking forward to their future albums and seeing how they grow and expand.
This past week was a light one in terms of new Milwaukee music releases, but there’s still plenty to listen to in this week’s edition of the B&E Weekly Jams presented by Bublr Bikes. Check out new music from Klassik, King Myles, Ian Ewing and more, as well as some recent favorites from Liza Jane, Kaylee Crossfire and Taiyamo Denku. Don’t forget that you can always go through the archive of previous playlists by following Breaking And Entering on Spotify, and check out this week’s playlist below:
A night of experimental soundscapes took place at Company Brewing Saturday night presented by FTAM, which is the experimental DIY organization founded by Peter Woods (of Credentials). Performers included noise rock band Credentials, experimental folk outfit Hello Death, and experimental percussionist Jon Mueller.
Hello Death consists of vocalist/bassist Nathaniel Heuer, vocalist/guitarist/violinist Marielle Allschwang, keyboardist/vocalist Erin Wolf, and guitarist/lap steel Shawn Stephany. They have been around for almost ten years and are known for their symphonic folk harmonies and frequent shifts in primary vocal duties.
Their third full-length album “For Those With Many Hearts” came out about a year ago. Heuer describes their recording process.
“A friend of ours has a barn that we use as a studio sometimes called Speckled Chemistry up in Cedarburg, and we had recorded our first two albums at April Base with Jamie Hansen; he’s a really great recording engineer…he basically came up and we just drank a lot and played the songs. Our process ends up kind of being the same every time where we record live and then we do overdubs, so for the most part we get the feel of everybody in the room together. It was really fun because we bought a piano and had to carry it down to the barn and have it tuned, and this old-timer came out and wrote this long description of the piano in cursive…he noticed it hadn’t been tuned in like forty years or something…but it sounded great.”
While there are three vocalists in the band, Heuer is the primary lyricist.
“Our first album I wrote a couple songs, but since then it’s been Nathaniel cranking out the hits,” Allschwang said. “But we’ll help build the skeleton into flesh-and-bone.”
“Marielle and I have ideas about harmonies and vocal parts,” Wolf added. “It’s kind of what our hand is in it, but Nathaniel is the main lyricist and he writes the skeleton.”
The band is working on new material they hope to record in the coming months.
“We ended (our set) with three songs that are as yet unrecorded that we’re fleshing out right now,” Heuer explained. “We’ll hopefully record probably over the winter, maybe early spring, depending on peoples’ schedules. The problem is the longer the process takes the more songs I write. Now we have eleven (songs).”
Heuer shares how he feels Milwaukee’s music scene has evolved in the past ten years.
“I think there’s a lot of cool things that have happened, but a lot of things have also just gone the way of what makes sense for bands. It’s cool to see younger musicians being like “I’m gonna actually be a musician.” I think it’s pretty great that they’re doing it, but I also think that there’s some compromise that has to happen…like it’s much easier to tour as a duo than with a full band and actually make a little bit of money. I feel like we’re artists coming together and we want this to be exactly what it is and not worry about any sort of commercialism.”
Hello Death is continuing to write until they have a recording date set. They have no more shows booked as of now, although they plan to tour with this next album.
A stacked five-act bill took place at Bremen Cafe Friday night, each with an entirely unique sound. Singer-songwriter Deep Femme kicked things off with a solo set (she had originally planned to play with her band but one of them sustained an injury) followed by psych-pop band Ravi/Lola, Chicago disco-pop band Our Fathers, Chicago orchestral dance-pop collective Glad Rags, and finally alternative pop band Loud Library.
Ravi/Lola is made up of vocalist/guitarist Casey Seymour, bassist Anton Sieger, drummer Nick Wieczorkowski, and keyboardist Robert Thomas. Originally started as a home recording project in 2014, the band evolved into a full outfit with a 60’s psychedelia-inspired flavor. Their latest album “Neighborhood Daydream” came out this past August.
“It’s a loose concept but has a local neighborhood theme,” Seymour said about the new record. “It’s a lot of character sketches and talks about places and people. We recorded it with our friend Dante Fumo on the South Side of Milwaukee; we rented a studio space there for a little while and that’s where we practiced and recorded the whole thing. Dante mixed, recorded, and engineered it but it was mastered by Justin Perkins.”
The band recently played The Empty Bottle in Chicago.
“It was a Midwest Action showcase,” Seymour explained. “Glad Rags (playing tonight) played there as well, and this band BRBRA BUSH was really great – there’s like fifteen people in it and they’re super funky.”
Seymour says the band is working on their next record already.
“We’re about three-quarters of the way done. It’s more of a concept, really. It’s kind of inspired by the last election…it’s not a political album but inspired by politics – one song is about journalism, one’s about a long-term prison sentence, one’s about being on public assistance…a lot of community and helping each other out. This album we just released is about neighborhood but now it’s getting grander into like a town. Toy-town pop is something I’m inspired by lyrically; it’s about a lot of character sketches and fictionalized people.”
Ravi/Lola is planning an acoustic show with Zack Pieper at Circle A in January, and hope to get into the studio by spring.
Loud Library consists of vocalist/bassist Ben Smith, guitarist Garret Holm, and drummer Judicael Bationo. Naming themselves after an oxymoron, the three-piece formed in February 2018 and play both pop songs and groovy instrumental jams. While the band has played Bremen a number of times, Smith claims this had been their best time there yet.
They just dropped a new single “Recycle Bin.”
“It’s about a person going through cycles,” Smith said. “It’s about where he belongs – in a recycle bin because he keeps starting over and over again. The idea was to make a fun, catchy song.”
The band also dropped a four-song EP “A Letter Home” about a year ago.
“It came out around Thanksgiving last year,” Smith said. “Judicael is from a different country so he felt homesick around the time, so we did a tribute… “a letter home” that was creative and spontaneous.”
Loud Library is focusing on promoting their new song while they have a number of shows lined up – Milwaukee Hangout on the 25th, Rosco’s in West Allis on November 1st, and Bremen once again November 29th.
Producer Ian Ewing has made a calling card of developing chilled out tracks that feel perfect for the spring and fall months. The latest, “Middle Of It” featuring Sara Diamond, is no exception. Diamond is strong vocally on this track, with a laid back demeanor that gives way to full-fledged emotion by the time the hook rolls around, but that’s accented by the downtempo, glitchy atmosphere Ewing creates. Tracks like these feel like they could fall on just about any study playlist rather than being a club banger, but still feels very high quality. Ewing continually puts out music, and seems to up his game with every new track. See for yourself with “Middle Of It” below:
Fresh off of the release of another new single, and his “The Book of CyphaDen” album, Taiyamo Denku is currently firing all cylinders with the release of a new video for “The Spark”. The track features Dallas emcee Ca$ablanca and New York’s Mikey D of Main Source. It also features production from Australian producer and frequent collaborator DCypha, making this a global affair. The video comes courtesy of CTM Films, who manages to weave together footage from three different locales to fit into a strong performance clip. With the amount of music that he has out and a tour on the way, there seems to be no stopping Taiyamo Denku, and you can see that with the video for “The Spark” below:
Breaking and Entering hosted another show at Pabst Brewery & Taproom – this time with folk-pop singer Valerie Lighthart, pop rockers Will Pfrang and the Good Lang Gang, and blues rockers Blind Fiction.
Blind Fiction consists of vocalist/guitarist Tim Wright, bassist/vocalist Eric Madunic, and drummer Nick Lang. They have been around for about six years, although Madunic has been bassist for about two. Taking elements of classic rock, blues, folk rock, and progressive rock, their sophomore album “Overlook” came out this past May.
“Eric joined on right when we recorded the record,” Wright said. “We were Timothy Charles & The Blind Fiction and then we dropped the Timothy Charles thing…to decrease my ego (laughs).”
“I’ve known these guys for quite a long time,” Madunic added. “Nick and I played in another band called Tweed Funk for a few years, and Tim had subbed in a couple times playing saxophone. When Nick had told me that he and Tim were starting this blues-rock-trio sort of thing, I was like “do you guys need a bass player?” and they already had a buddy of theirs playing and I said if things didn’t work out, let me know. The previous bass player, Tim Price, decided to relocate a couple years ago to Arizona and immediately I was like “hey, can I be a part of this?” and so I came on right in the middle of recording Overlook.”
Wright explains the concept behind their new album.
“Some of the songs we wrote back in 2013 and some we wrote as late as last April. It’s called Overlook because it’s based on The Shining – I was reading it at the time and all the songs tied into some thematic element. I think blind fiction is like thinking of fiction and forcing your own thoughts through it to understand it better. It was an experiment of that.”
“I think the process got more collaborative (than our first album),” Lang added. “We’ve been playing for more years so I think we understood each other a lot more. Tim is the leader of the group but it felt like there was a lot more space for us to throw our weight around in the cutting room, or when we rehearsing and putting things together. We weren’t playing old tunes just how we’ve always played them.”
“Being the new guy coming in, I really appreciated how Tim being the primary songwriter was very opening and welcoming to ideas of songs he’d written and thinking what we could do different,” Madunic said. “A lot of the songs changed and morphed a bit…it became a really collaborative process. We’re looking forward to more of that with another album and getting more integrated with songwriting. I told Tim before, he’s a brilliant songwriter and a great lyricist…he writes hook-y songs.”
Wright discusses what is in store for the band.
“We got a bunch of rehearsals on the books. We’re gonna get together and watch some Packer games, watch some movies…and then get together playing our instruments and see what comes out of it.”
Blind Fiction plays Nice Ash in Waukesha on December 20th, where they will have vinyl available.
LUXI continues to create around her “Ode To The Lavender Moon” project, and today she released her eighth video from the 14-track album, “Pull You Down”. The track is a little more serene than most, based around a guitar line and some tranquil 808s. It’s not the happiest song in the world, but executed well, and LUXI is able to convey that with her performance. The DIY music video matches the gritty, homemade feel of previous videos, and these almost feel like we’re getting a glimpse into something personal, like a diary entry with every clip. It’s possible every track from “Ode To The Lavender Moon” may get a visual treatment, and you can check out the latest with “Pull You Down” 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 producer of Hear Here Presents, Ryan Holman. Hear Here is a music curating organization that puts on shows and does live shoots for both local and touring artists. They discussed the history of Hear Here Presents, Ryan’s knee injury, combining what you’re good at with something you love, doing stand-up, and the Hear Here website getting re-done. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
As R&B, pop, and melody in general seems to be coming back to Milwaukee’s music scene, Stevie Crymes is ready with a new single, “Your Love Is Just Everything”. Produced by Dashcam, the track draws inspiration from retro house and EDM, with in your face 808’s and synth lines. Crymes smooths it out with some soulful vocals over the top of it all, and it comes together for a very dance-friendly single. Over the last few years, we only have a few singles from Crymes to work off of, but there’s likely much more on the way. In the meantime, check out “Your Love Is Just Everything” below:
On Wednesday, Netflix released the first four episodes of their new hip hop talent search reality show “Rhythm + Flow”, featuring judges Chance The Rapper, T.I., and Cardi B and more. On episode 4, showcasing the Chicago auditions, Milwaukee’s own Kaylee Crossfire took the stage to perform in front of Chance, Chicago legend Twista, and Royce Da 5’9″. We got part of an unreleased verse, and Kaylee had the crowd chanting her name by the end of the performance. Crossfire is also making waves recently, as she was previously named as one of the most recent group of Backline artists, which led to the release of singles like “Baddie Alert” and “Truth”. We won’t spoil what happens on the show, but the next round of episodes drops on Wednesday, October 16th. Check out the episode at the link below (Netflix subscription required):
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 Troy Tyler, whose album “Violet” recently dropped. They discussed Troy’s musical origins, his new album, not getting picked for things, respecting the craft vs liking the music, and the illusion of being rich. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
Milwaukee R&B is definitely in the middle of a resurgence as of late, and one of the younger names that will likely push the next generation of artists forward is Ammorelle, who today released a new single, “Thrill Of It”. The track has a smooth, sultry feel to it, with the young singer accented by a live band. Ammorelle’s vocal melodies have a natural catchiness to them, and she does well when playing off of hazy bass line. and chilled out drums. We’ve only gotten a handful of singles from her so far, but every track seems to be a step forward for the young artist. Check out “Thrill Of It” here:
Amongst the host of new bands beginning to make a name for themselves is The Keystones, who recently put out their latest in a string of singles, “Everything I Hate To Lose”. The track is a no-frills rocker, with plenty of intensity about it. From a technical perspective, the band is on-point with this single, and it’s a welcoming sign from a young act. With only four singles out at the moment, The Keystones may be a name to watch in the near future, and you can get a first listen to them with “Everything I Hate To Lose” below:
One of the names that always seems to resonate within the Milwaukee underground hip hop scene is YBN Kenny, whose new video “Business Man” is some of his best work to date. The track features plenty of 808s and bounce to it, and Kenny shines when he talks some authentic street talk. There’s also some bars that feel like a warning shot or diss track, but it’s not as clear as to who. While the full backstory might not be clear to the listener, the video at face value is enough to keep YBN Kenny’s fans moving. Check out “Business Man” below:
