Blaine Schultz
Worried Man Blues, by Dominique Mills (Download only)
With his debut novel, Worried Man Blues, Dominique Mills pens a modern inner city noir that anyone familiar with the heart of urban Milwaukee will recognize. more
Mike Fredrickson: After It’s Over
Once again working with producer John Sieger, Milwaukee guitarist Mike Fredrickson’s After It’s Over delivers 14 songs that thrust and parry across genres, held together by the fabric of Fredrickson’s songwriting and the musicianship of dru... more
Marshall Allen presents Sun Ra and His Arkestra: In the Orbit of Ra (Strut Records)
When Sun Ra left this planet in 1993 the world lost a true original. As a bandleader, his Arkestra fearlessly dove into jazz, Disney tunes and intergalactic ballets with equal rigor. And to consider that he recorded, pressed and distributed... more
Brian Wurch Band: Say Yes (Sybil Records)
Say Yes is a 16-song collection from Milwaukee’s Brian Wurch that draws from the timeless version of rock ’n’ roll that emerged from the doo-wop streets of Dion and the Belmonts and moved to the scrapple of the New York Dolls, ending up at ... more
The Gun Club: Fire of Love (Superior Viaduct)
Shaking the late Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s hand was like holding a cold fish, which was 180 degrees from the intensity of his music. Over a generous handful of albums, Pierce’s more
Hank Williams: The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 (Omnivore Recordings)
Hank Williams was a country music star but he was also a comet, streaking across the horizon of American popular culture in the early 1950s. He recorded more
Jews Who Rock
The Jewish Museum of Milwaukee celebrates 60 years of Jews in popular music with an exhibit that features hometown hero, the late Howie Epstein, bassist with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, alongside legends like Bob Dylan and Bill Graham ... more
Our Man in Havana
By day Michael Martin is senior community planning and development representative with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but he moonlights as more
Alex Chilton’s Long, Strange Career
The shorthand for Alex Chilton is that he experienced his career in reverse.In 1967, as the 16-year-old singer for The Box Tops, Chilton had a number-one hit with “The Letter.” He followed that group with the critically more
Photo courtesy Clarion Call Media
Shilpa Ray Brings Her Unconventional Blues-Punk to the Bay View Bash
The unconventional Brooklyn musician and Nick Cave collaborator headlines the Bay View Bash’s Rush-Mor Records stage Saturday night. more
Walter Salas-Humara: Walterio (Rhyme & Reason Records)
The latest album in a career that reaches back to The Silos in 1985, finds the solo troubadour, band leader, painter, spoken-word collaborator Walter Salas-Humara’s arc at an all-time high. more
Gervis Myles: Element of Love/I'm Thirsty (S'plat Records)
Studio owner/producer Danny Zelonky heard singer Gervis Myles singing across a club and knew he had found the voice for the debut release of his Milwaukee record label, S’plat Records. more
Neil Young: Roxy – Tonight's the Night Live (Reprise)
As a companion piece to its studio namesake, Roxy - Tonight’s the Night Live, recorded in 1973, shows how deeply masterful Neil Young and his band dug into this material, which the audience is hearing for the first time. more
John Kruth & La Società dei Musici: Forever Ago (Ars Spoletium)
On John Kruth’s tenth album, the recording and performances with his collaborators, Italy’s La Società dei Musici, sound like a band that has been playing together for a long time. more
Milwaukee Psych Fest Returned for Another Weekend of Daring Music
The latest installment of Milwaukee Psych Fest featured some unforgettably daring performances—and some truly magnificent light displays. more
Photo credit: Melissa Miller
George Clinton Kept the Momentum Going at Parliament Funkadelic’s Cosmic Pabst Theater Concert
In the midst of a stage crowded with as many as 16 performers, George Clinton sang, directed traffic, clowned and took it all in like the Orson Welles of funk. more
Chris Bell: The Complete Chris Bell (Omnivore) & Big Star: Live At Lafayette’s Music Room – Memphis, TN (Omnivore)
Two outstanding releases highlight the immensely influential music of Chris Bell and Big Star. more
Musician Peder Hedman Dies
Milwaukee music veteran Peder Hedman, a fixture on the East Side alternative scene, died suddenly this week. His music spanned many genres. more
A Friend of the Devil: The Glorification of the Outlaw in Song, from Robin Hood to Rap (Backbeat Books), by John Kruth
For his latest book, musician/writer and onetime Milwaukeean John Kruth explores the histories and crossroads where music and the outlaw character meet. more
Horace Andy Backed by Welders: Straight to Hell (Fe True Records)
You might ask: How does a Milwaukee musician resurrect an iconic Clash song by recruiting a reggae titan to sing vocals? He simply does it. Eric Blowtorch longtime ringleader, troublemaker and activist has assembled a four song collection t... more
‘Brick Through the Window’ Chronicles Milwaukee Punk Rock
The unwritten history of Milwaukee’s unheard music has been updated in Steven Nodine’s Brick Through the Window: An Oral History of Punk Rock, New Wave and Noise in Milwaukee, 1964-1984, a launch event for which takes place at 7 p.m. on Fri... more
Derek Pritzl and the Gamble’s Wednesday Night Tradition
Each week, songwriter Derek Pritzl anchors an open mic at District 14 Brewery and Pub in Bay View. more
Fred “Sonic
Fred “Sonic” Smith made his mark as guitarist with the MC5. His next project was the Sonic Rendezvous Band. Sonic’s Rendezvous is a collection of tracks ranging from acoustic home demos to live recordings. It is all Sonic, all the time. more
Allen Coté Reimagines The Beatles’ ‘Revolver’
With his group Lyric Advisory Board, Allen Coté honored The Beatles to raise money for the families of the Pulse nightclub victims. more
Worried Man Blues, by Dominique Mills (Download only)
With his debut novel, Worried Man Blues, Dominique Mills pens a modern inner city noir that anyone familiar with the heart of urban Milwaukee will recognize. more
The Scientists: A Place Called Bad (Numero Group)
The evolution of Australia’s Scientists took the band from scruffy pop punk to something altogether dark and sinister. A new four-CD set, A Place Called Bad, collects the band’s complete studio recordings and an archival live set. Their men... more
Appliances-SFB Them/Green Door
Sounding like a Midwest Gang of Four or a more muscular Pere Ubu, Madison’s Appliances-SFB seamlessly blended witty, informed lyrics with visceral, angular, driving music. Sadly, this reissue of,Album Reviews more
Album Review: Ork Records: New York, New York (Numero Group)
Arguably, the godfather of punk was Terry Ork, a gay heroin-using, Jean Luc Godard-worshipping cinephile. Numero Group’s compilation Ork Records: New York, New York tells the story of ground zero for the Bowery scene in the cultural vacuum ... more
The Velvet Underground: Loaded: Re-Loaded 45th Anniversary Edition
Loaded: Re-Loaded 45th Anniversary Edition is the re-release of the fourth album and final chapter in the history of America’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band, The Velvet Underground. Loaded was a horse of a different color and, taken on its ow... more
