The Shepherd Setlist is a collaboration between the Shepherd Express and Milwaukee music website, Breaking And Entering.
The LOL – “Running”
The always-delightful electropop act The LOL are back with a new single that released last week. “Running” is a song holding a grudge about someone who’s saying one thing but does another, and group leader Lauryl Sulfate is ready to react. Tinged with electroclash while carrying Sulfate’s signature no-nonsense demeanor, “Running” continues The LOL’s shift into darker synth melodies. (Ben Slowey)
Cardiac Da Pulse Featuring James Tatum – “Stars In The Ceiling”
Cardiac Da Pulse has a new single out, and he teams up with singer James Tatum for the ultra-smooth “Stars In The Ceiling.” Rapping over plunky organ chords, the song is about having everything going your way, and being all the more attractive to someone because of that. Cardiac raps like he’s the man on this one, talking about having the money, the jewelry, and of course, the car with the aforementioned stars in the ceiling. There’s a certain slickness about the way these verses are delivered that gives the song just a small extra ounce of charisma, and we can expect more of that from him on a project that is near completion, per social media teases. (Allen Halas)
Brief Candles – It Doesn’t Lead to Anything: Part 1
Noise pop band Brief Candles have returned with a new record this past week. It’s six tracks of the textural, shoegazed-tinged indie rock you know and love from the longtime band; listening through it feels like you’re floating underneath a cloudy autumn sky with peeks of sun fighting to pierce the haze. As Jen Boniger and Kevin Dixon trade off vocals, the shimmering guitars and resonant bass lines drive the songs with detailed distortion. Brief Candles deliver another wonderful edition of songs with It Doesn’t Lead to Anything: Part 1. (Ben Slowey)
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SGOD Burna – “Heartache”
Being able to branch out from your core sound can be crucial for some artists. In the case of SGOD Burna, who leaned into dancehall with his latest, “Heartache,” it turned out to be a beneficial move. The song feels like summer, or at the very least an island vacation, with Burna harmonizing about not knowing what to do when it comes to a situation with a person of interest. There’s no appropriation of the dancehall sound here, but rather a natural feeling track that plays like a heartfelt plea. SGOD Burna can move to all sorts of different sounds, and proves that on “Heartache.” (Allen Halas)
Kevin Arroyo – “Waiting For You”
So many songs are about meeting up with a significant other in a club and hitting it off. Very rarely does an artist capture the awkward feeling of longing for someone without knowing for sure what will happen, but Kevin Arroyo channels those nerves into his new song, “Waiting For You.” Arroyo just wants one dance, one moment of attention, but alas, he must wait. With almost dissonant sounding synths and a slowed down beat, Arroyo paints the scene with audio, and has just a bit of dejection in his vocal performance. It’s uneasy feeling, but more songs should be reality-based like this. Take a dip into the awkward parts of the night with “Waiting For You.” (Allen Halas)
Concert Announcements
November 8 – Size 5’s, Some Kind of Nightmare, Future Plans, Marc Alan at X-Ray Arcade
November 18 – Matt Pike at The Rave
November 19 – Country Westerns, Hurd and Galante at Cactus Club
December 30 – Sevendust, Nonpoint, Ill Nino, Another Day Dawns at The Rave
January 15 – Big Head Todd and the Monsters at Turner Hall Ballroom
February 4 – Buku, G-Rex at The Miramar Theatre
February 19 – Maggie Rogers, Del Water Gap at Riverside Theater
February 28 – Bayside, I Am The Avalanche, Koyo Lihc at The Rave
March 5 – Sam Morril at Turner Hall Ballroom
March 25 – Keshi, Deb Never, James Ivy at The Rave
June 3 – George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town at American Family Field
June 6 – Death Cab For Cutie, Lomelda at Riverside Theater
