Funk-soul pop act Moonglow dropped two new singles to kick off March. “You” is a sensual piece of ear candy that beckons someone who makes you feel euphoria, while “Time Well Spent” keeps that same energy to communicate feelings of cherishing time you had with someone while it lasted. Moonglow slow things down a bit here but with not any
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Folk singer-songwriter Matthew DeChant released a record last month dedicated to Wisconsin maritime culture. Consisting of both original and traditional tunes, DeChant delivers a collection of sea shanties that dwell upon lore of the Great Lakes and beyond. By way of rootsy storytelling complete with old-timey instrumentation (Irish bouzouki, accordion, whistling), Matthew DeChant does everything from get stranded a thousand
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Grunge-stoner rockers Toadskin released a new single and video last Friday. The visual finds the riff-tastic trio performing the tune in black-and-white as scenes weave in of gold prospectors mining away in the heat of yesterday. Toadskin break into a sweat of desert psychedelia with “Dirt”, and there will be plenty more where that came from on the band’s upcoming
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Screamo/post-hardcore band Garden Home unleashed the first single off their highly anticipated upcoming debut full-length album. “The Worst of It” is a four minute-long headbanger that brutally confronts feelings of inadequacy and despair. The song’s multilayered composition showcases the band’s versatility between piercing vocals, atmospheric guitar phrases and hardcore-adjacent sprints. Stay tuned for Garden Home’s LP out April 12th!
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Singer-songwriter Reins Daily has a new record out – his first since 2021’s “Songs for the Phenomenon.” Daily returns with his dark, brooding brand of indie folk by way of seven songs here, touching on the unshakable gloom of loneliness, aging, demons and alienation. With reverberating piano melodies that guide him, Reins Daily channels the crises of modern times with
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Pabst Theater Group’s new venue Vivarium on Milwaukee’s East Side hosted a sold-out show featuring Ladybird, Motel Breakfast and Diet Lite on Friday evening. All the bands ripped and it was a blast! Motel Breakfast consists of vocalist-rhythm guitarist Jimmy Drenovsky, lead guitarist Mick O’Donnell, bassist Drue DeVente, keyboardist Conor Brennan and drummer-vocalist Jesse Nasadowski (with “Skeet” joining them on
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Hip hop artist David Lopez has a new album out. With 16 tracks, Lopez raps utilizing both old school and modern production styles, enlisting a cast of features including Heyzeus, KEAV, The Difference, Zues, oos.maan, Lady Sabo, EwordG and Avery NahWahquaw. Lopez flexes exceptional personability and adaptability with this project, dedicated to his quality while having the utmost fun with
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Samuel Huston released a new album and he’s got a lot to get off his chest. Over seven songs in a hybrid of hip hop, pop and alternative rock, Huston carries themes of overcoming betrayal, letting intense emotions out and navigating trust issues in relationships. Fellow hip hop artist Keyba appears on the track “NOTHING.” The record blossoms into a
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Alyssia Dominguez released a new single on Friday. The Latin country singer-songwriter is airing out heartbreak, but she puts them behind her for good and looks to her next adventure with optimism. Incorporating banjo and pedal steel, the tune swells into an empowering tale of reclaiming your power from someone who held it over you for so long. Alyssia Dominguez
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Singer-songwriter Andy Thiele has a new EP out. The five songs here bring a folk rock flavor, touching on poignant themes of distance within a relationship and navigating profoundly difficult feelings. Thiele sings just above a whisper, reflecting the intimate nature of such sadness and despair, although he’s guided by the compassionate melodies that help him see things through. Andy
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Psych-garage rock act Tom Wanderer has a new record out. Over ten tracks, the singer-songwriter embarks on a dazed amble through twangy melodies and fuzzy textures. You feel like you’re strolling along the Milwaukee waterfront in the middle of July, endlessly people-watching and hankering for the burger stand, basking in the fragmented idyllic sequences of Milwaukee summertime while paying no
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Psychedelic indie rockers Adorner released a new single and it’s about the light at the end of the tunnel. The piano-driven tune swells with immense conviction about growth cleansing pain away, building up slowly to reflect a firm sense of patience and resilience. “Nimwe” is visceral, vivid vulnerability. Stay tuned for more to come from Adorner soon!
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Los Angeles-by-way-of-Milwaukee artist Joe Wong released a new album a couple weeks ago. Blending elements of psychedelic and orchestral rock, the ten songs here teem with kaleidoscopic grandeur. Wong’s vocals reverberate across existential lyrical themes, building up hopeful crescendos into explosive displays that can’t shake a sense of doom and conflict, which is an entirely socially relevant approach to composition.
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Guitarist-composer Chris Rosenau released a new record this month, dedicated to his mother. The six tracks, named after different dates, were recorded live at a performance in December. Acoustic guitar gently floats along each melody with tenderness and reverence, evoking fond imagery of home and family. Chris Rosenau delivers a lovely selection of warm compositions with “A Light That Cracks
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R&B songstress Wynter Bates recently dropped a new single and video. “Sounds of Rain” about navigating tough times but knowing that they won’t last forever, mustering the courage to push through. The song is driven by atmospheric synths and Bates’ amiable vocals with fellow artist Dom Francois enlisted for a verse as well. The visual finds Bates passionately singing out
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Singer-songwriter Max Niemann has the visual out for his recent debut single “Nowhere You Am.” Shot by Anya Belomoina and Alex Niemann, the scene finds the artist playing guitar in front of various scenic backdrops as footage of Niemann exploring a quirky sculpture park, skipping rocks, serenading cows and driving across a beautiful mountainous countryside weave in as well. Looks
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Electronic emo (“dreamcore”) artist Cloak recently released a new single and video. The visual is filmed by the artist at the face of a washing machine with his reflection in view – fitting the song’s theme. “Spirit of the Laundromat” touches on running around in circles trying to find your purpose. Check it out!
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Indie folk rockers Crawlspace decided to wrap their project up last year, but it felt right for them to release a final single earlier this month. “Wasted” is given space to breathe for five and a half minutes, touching on poignant lyrical themes with a melody that feels like a fragmented sunset. The song gradually crescendos into a massive display
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YMN dropped a new album on Valentines Day. With six tunes, the genre-fluid artist gets a lot off his chest regarding heartbreak and recuperation. Blending fast-quipped bars with acoustic guitar melodies, sung choruses and minimalist hip hop production, YMN expresses the shame and blame that comes with the disintegration of a relationship, channeling a mixed bag of anger and sadness
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Producer Haywyre dropped a new single at the end of January. “Chromatically” is a colorful midtempo house cut with plenty of charisma and enchantment, utilizing stylish keyboard arrangements and electric zaps to complement the stomping rhythm. All the pieces together summon a wash of good feelings, putting you in a groovy bliss. Give it a spin!
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Andrew Jambura, known for his indie rock project Sat. Nite Duets and being co-owner of Silver City Studios, released a new solo single – his first since 2015. “Can U Spell God?” ruminates on the balance between life’s amusements and the times when everything feels lackluster. With a bright and bouncy melody embellished by sunny synths and jaunty saxophone, the
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Percussionist-composer Mike Neumeyer released a new album earlier this month. Utilizing a midi controller, Neumeyer unlocks a new realm of sounds previously unexplored by his acoustic instruments by electronically manipulating marimba, vibraphone, piano and guitar. The result is, as the title suggests, an adventurous batch of whimsical rhythms that wander wide-open sonic planes and cosmic atmospheres. Mike Neumeyer goes interstellar
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X-Ray Arcade celebrated their 5-year anniversary on Friday evening with performances from Milwaukee acts Breakup Tour, Chi-Chi’s Restaurant and Bad Crime as well as Chicago acts Coronary and The End of Music. The house got packed with community and cacophony. Happy birthday X-Ray Arcade! Breakup Tour consists of vocalist-bassist Amy Upthagrove, vocalist-guitarist-omnichordist D.H. Thomas, vocalist-guitarist Sam Schrader and drummer-vocalist Nat
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Nashville-by-way-of-Milwaukee singer-songwriter Mary Rodgers recently dropped a new single and video. Shot by Eric Penticoff, the scene finds Rodgers and her bandmates performing the song in the studio with exuberance. “Plant Your Own Seeds” touches on learning to let yourself grow without constantly comparing to others. Check it out!
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Jangle rockers Lunde released a music video today accompanying their recent single “Deja Vu”. Directed by the band’s own Jeremiah Lunde, the scene depicts the guys performing the tune in a studio with a sky blue backdrop with shots of just frontman Nate Ulrich in the same space – but in blood red. The song touches on holding onto something
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