Semi-Twang's 1988 record Salty Tears was intended to be the first of a seven-album deal for Warner Bros., and it made the Milwaukee group early heroes of the burgeoning alt-country scene, but its modest sales limited the band's time on the label. For two decades, a new Semi-Twang record seemed unlikely, but after 23 years the band released a follow-up. This year's Wages of Sin takes on a harder, bluesier edge than the group's long-ago debut, yet it retains the same deep reverence for Americana. Here's hoping we don't have to wait another 23 years for a sequel.
Semi-Twang w/ The Mike Benign Compulsion
Tonight @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
