December 29, 2015

I break down my 15 favorite local concerts of the year plus my top 35 local music projects of the year (full length albums, EPs, soundtracks).

November 6, 2015

The Milwaukee hip-hop scene is in the midst of its own renaissance, with local, regional and national media outlets all taking notice. One of the many factors fueling this recent boom is the Miltown Beat Down, an annual production battle that is ending its decade long run this Saturday at the Miramar Theatre, featuring a battle royale between past winners. Past judges have included hip-hop luminaries such as Questlove, DJ Shadow, Jake One and Masta Ace.

October 27, 2015

Last Halloween I discovered local dream pop darlings GGOOLLDD at Yield Bar, which I recounted in my first happy hour column. This year they will be playing the 10th Annual Freakfest in Madison, but there is no shortage of great gigs this Halloween in Milwaukee. Here are a few of my favorites.

October 3, 2015

Of all the people I’ve got to know in the Milwaukee music scene, Lewis is one of the most genuine. He puts the music above all else. A precocious kid, Lewis decided one day that he wanted to play drums, so he picked up an MPS Recreation Guide and found a class. From there he went on to play in the jazz band and drum line at Fritsche Middle School, at Rufus King High School, with a private teacher and at conservatories. TSE formed in 2012 and have since made a name for themselves in Milwaukee by collaborating with local hip-hop artists, including an incredible performance with Klassik and the Milwaukee Ballet at the Grain Exchange Building in April. I sat down with Lewis before the release of TSE’s excellent debut full-length The Message is Real.

October 2, 2015

Seshat Queen Tut crowned herself well before she began performing for the public, but it didn’t take long for the confident emcee to gain loyal subjects. Tut made a splash in her debut feature, inviting listeners to join her artistic journey on the opening verse of AR Wesley’s “Drug Flow RMX.” Since then she’s laced her royal rhymes on fellow Milwaukee musicians’ material and even graced the Summerfest stage with Lex Allen. Under a Super Blood Moon on Sunday night Tut held the release party for her first official project, the “Psychedelic Traphouse” EP. She’s an affiliate of the New Age Narcissism 

collective and SAFS crew, having accomplished all of this in less than a year.

July 30, 2015

To call James Julius Anderson (better known as “Jay”) a prolific saxophone player would be a definite understatement. In the month of June alone he performed at 35 gigs, including three sets at Summerfest. He’s played alongside jazz ensembles, Latin, Afrobeat, psychedelic rock, surf pop, folk punk, and hip-hop bands, to name a few. 

June 23, 2015

Since its inception 15 years ago Milwaukee’s Summer Soulstice Music Festival has yet to feature a hip-hop act as their headliner. That changed on Saturday night when the New Age Narcissism (NAN) collective took the stage. 

June 22, 2015

Maybe it’s the proximity to Lake Michigan, or the amount of commercial real estate around Summer Soulstice, but it’s not like other neighborhood street festivals. It felt more like a warm-up for Summerfest, which starts on Tuesday night. All the familiar smells and sounds were in the air: meat sizzling on grills, beer spilling in the streets, sweat dripping off bodies, instruments clanging, drums banging, crowds cheering.

June 3, 2015

Whether he’s singing about cancer, capitalism or voguing in your underwear, Lex Allen’s music will stir your emotions and shake your spirit. His soulful pop music is infused with the wisdom of his elders and spiked with the energy of his peers. Lex has his fair share of nourishing mothers, starting with a strong biological goddess, and his New Age Narcissism family, a collective of like-minded artists based in Milwaukee.

May 26, 2015

Soul Low guitarist and lead singer Jake Balistrieri was running a little late the first time I met him. Turns out he was finishing up a few college term papers. Up until that point in my conversation with bassist Sam Gehrke I had forgotten how young the band’s members are. Sam’s dapper mustache and professionalism might convince you otherwise, but they are babes on the Milwaukee music scene.

April 15, 2015

There’s something about seeing Bo Triplex (Eris Campbell) onstage, whether he’s fronting His Beautiful Band or supporting New Age Narcissism. His big smile, the way he plays the bass, his dance moves, and his overall energy are all captivating. “That’s one of the things I’m most recognized for, my energy,” Campbell told me over drinks and tacos the other day.

April 13, 2015

On April 14 our city will be going up, on a Tuesday! Yep, it’s that time of year, the day to celebrate Milwaukee’s “datesake” (4/14, aka our area code). What started as a joke between a group of friends has turned into an important annual observance of all things Brew City. Four years ago the group started to organize local concerts in earnest. This year all kinds of activities are happening around town, which kicked off Sunday with neighborhood cleanups.

March 27, 2015

I’ve yet to see Rio Turbo live, but that will change on Saturday night at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn. My girlfriend described their Hotel Foster set during the MKE Film Festival like this, “For the first three songs, my friends and I were just standing there with our mouths open, looking at each other like “What the hell is going on?””

March 3, 2015

I can’t remember a Monday in recent memory when it was as hard to get out of bed as it was yesterday. Not even my standard post-work 15-minute power nap could allay the fatigue from running around Milwaukee over the weekend for the inaugural Arte Para Todos benefit festival. 

February 27, 2015

Since moving back to Milwaukee in late 2013 and writing for Urban Milwaukee I’ve had the opportunity to see lots of prominent national/international artists at top venues in town. Lately I’ve been digging into the local music scene, frequenting more intimate spaces where hungry musicians are developing their sound and identity. From what I can tell the scene is the best it’s been in a long time.

February 23, 2015

Sean Raasch, lead singer/guitarist in the local band Twin Brother, is saddled up at Frank’s Power Plant bar sipping a bottle of High Life. The 31-year-old is days away from his first Turner Hall Ballroom show. Raasch is calm, composed and quick to crack a joke. 

November 14, 2014

I walked into the concert last night at Turner Hall Ballroom with a yoga mat under my arm, having just come from a downtown class. It’s been a while since I practiced and I forgot how much I love yoga. I deep stretch daily, but only yoga combines deep stretching, strengthening poses, focused breathing and music. Since I started writing for the Dial I’ve been to a lot of concerts, but “FUTURA EXTRA BOLD,” as it was dubbed, was the first to combine music and design.