The Rise Of The New Red Moons

With their determinedly stylistic, often decidedly moody, jazz-folk compositions, it comes as no surprise that the release of The New Red Moons debut album this past July would be received more as an album just discovered rather than one just released.

There's No Rust On Miles Nielsen

Supporting their second album release, titled only as Miles Nielsen Presents The Rusted Hearts, Miles Nielsen and his band put on a thoroughly entertaining show Friday evening - for a sizable crowd of enamored fans inside the Fire Pit Bar at Milwaukee's Potawatomi Casino. 

Tom Waits' Bad As Me, The Same Kind Of Good

Few artists can hold a 38 year career, and a 20-some album discography, but continue to instill the kind of maddening excitement that Tom Waits does whenever the crooked bone tree of his mind bears new fruit.  There isn't any diminishing value of return whatsoever in what he utters.  Sure, his broken glass and gravel voice, accompanied by his oft use of dusty and antiquated instruments - most commonly a deranged sounding Chamberlain, a musical saw, and occasionally a Stroh Violin (though none of them appear on this outing) - make it impossible to mistake a Tom Waits song when you hear one.  Yet, each and every release Waits offers over the course of his illustrious career is its own individual gem.  And his newest collection, Bad As Me is no exception.  In fact, it's the most encompassing of his overall appeal than any before.

Welcome To The World Of Daniel Knox... You've Been Here All Along

photo courtesy John Atwood

Daniel Knox is not of this place and time. He's a phantom, a shadowy figure occupying the most starkly contrasted recesses of the human psychology - or more appropriately - psychosis.

He traveled to Milwaukee to perform at The Riverwest Public House this past Thursday evening, to a room full of people who more likely than not had no idea what they were in for.

Blues-Punk And Women: The Delta Routine's Regime

Milwaukee rock outfit, The Delta Routine by and large have the art of vintage blues-punk down to a specific science.  Science being the key word, and the variable being the assortment of objects of attraction that are lead singer/songwriter Nick Amadeus' muses.  From "Donna", who earned herself a full album title in 2007, on out to the apparently too much for the senses "Felicia" - the singer caricatures himself as somewhat snaky and philandering, but who ultimately isn't doing anybody any harm, and whose barbed and upbeat "letter to her" compositions are voyeuristically engrossing.

The Unsung Heroics of Hero Jr.

Nearly every active new band in the modern day that tries to present themselves with any sort of integrity draws from the tried and true, solid musical tenure of the '90's.  In the '90's, though, new bands that sought the same sort of respect, took their inspiration from the '80's underground.  The Indianapolis threesome Hero Jr., however, decided to skip the '90's middle man entirely, and design themselves instead around that very distinct underground rock influence - drawn directly from the generation that spawned it.

Milwaukee's Own Crooked Keys Play It Straight

Everything about Milwaukee's Crooked Keys is cool, modest and unconcerned with trite little things like current trends and pop culture fads.  Everything right on down to their simply packaged, single sleeve EP, entitled The Birds.  Bearing only the band's name and the album title on the front - and nothing more than the song titles on the back - it's a shrugging statement of the necessity of only the most basic essentials.  No website is listed for more info (though it's at crookedkeys.com), no personnel credits, not even a copyright date.

Annie B & The Vagabond Co. - Just Left Of The Middle

Forging in her own direction, after a few year stint with L.A. indie rock group Shut Up Marie, singer/songwriter Annie B and her band, The Vagabond Company, attempt to carve a niche into Milwaukee's music scene with their debut album Fancies of a Random Heart. 

Obviously dedicated, and painstakingly committed to her craft, one trip to Annie's official website (anniebmusic.com) removes any doubt about just how very seriously she takes herself.  She's blogging until she wins a Grammy.  Every day.  

Primus' "Green Naugahyde" A Disappointing Return

Two decades past their 90's era heyday, their magnum opus Sailing The Seas of Cheese, and 11 solid years past a full length CD of new material (though they released an EP of new material in 2003 bundled with a DVD retrospective of music videos), Primus returns with the unfortunately disappointing Green Naugahyde.

Look Out - Uncle Larry's Back!

Like the best little nuggets culled from what must have been bake off day at the insane asylum, Uncle Larry offers us the abstract and energetic Housefly EP.  

Primarily in the same vein as 2009's spectacularly odd full length The Life & Times of Frederick Caesar, Housefly sees the band further experimenting (if that were at all possible) with an almost punk-meets-surf rock vibe.  Still, Housefly should not be regarded as leftover cuts from Frederick Caesar - Uncle Larry is up to new and exciting deviations here, and are honing their skill to boot!

Tu Eres Flojo

Comprised of two parts Vega Star, two parts The Maze,  Milwaukee's very own super group Flojo (pronounced "flow-ho") could potentially be the next best thing to appear in local venues since... well, since The Vega Star and The Maze!  The linear relationship between Flojo and the bands it formed from, however, pretty much begins and ends with the group's shared members.  Flojo's compositions are entirely unique, and bear no resemblance to the sound of the mothers of its invention.

10 GREAT ALBUMS YOU SHOULD OWN (But Probably Don't)

Most of these are artists you have ever heard of, and that's what makes this significant; because I believe you'll reward yourself if you do go out and track these albums down.  To help you swallow these down, I'll lay out for you the very particular criterion under which I decided makes these phenomenal albums:

(1) They accurately represent the band or artist's overall appeal.  They would not want to leave these albums off of their resumes.

(2) They are coherent as a whole.  They have the ebb and the flow and the continuity that makes listening to the work from the first song to the last a wholly satisfying experience.

If you do go through the trouble of getting your hands on these (which will be no small task, I assure you, as some of them have been out of print for a long time),  I recommend you select one track from each and make yourself a very eccentric mixed disc (or playlist, if you're more modern leaning).  You'll notice I even help you with your selections.

So without further ado...

His Name Is Alive Sweetens The Sweet

What we can only hope is a first in a series of album re-releases from their diverse back catalogue, former 4AD supplicates His Name Is Alive have re-mastered and re-issued their long out of print "fake bootleg", King of Sweet.  

Originally available in a limited pressing of 2,000 on the esoteric Perdition Plastics label back in 1993, just shortly after the career-defining Mouth By Mouth album, King of Sweet never pretended, or intended, to be anything other than for HNIA diehards only.

The Wonderfully Weird Uncle Larry

If Les Claypool played the electric guitar, his name would be Billy Judge Baldus, and his band would be Uncle Larry.

Miles Nielsen's Lethargic Start, Indefinite Legacy

It isn’t impossible to properly arrange the songs on a predominantly weak album into an order sufficient enough to carry the whole effort. It’s really not even remotely difficult.  One could make a veritable list of albums that have become classics, yet only had 4 or 5 solid tracks on them (I won’t start naming names, because that will only instigate a never ending debate wherein no one will agree and no one will win. So please, just accept the statement and move on).  Miles Nielsen’s debut album suffers just such a misfortune – and even with well over half of the tracks on it being quite good.  The result, however, of a poorly organized tracklist is an album that sputters and fails to immediately ignite, and thus fails to get a fair shake by anyone lacking the endurance to tolerate a slow start – which, these days, is everyone. The shame about such a tragedy befalling this album, is that it doesn't deserve the first impression it makes.

Those Humdingers, The Hemingers!

Few things rank lower on the tolerability index than cover bands; and even fewer still than cover bands whose catalogue consists of the musically annoying (as far as rock and roll was concerned, anyway) and soundalike decade of the mid 1950's to 1960's.  Michigan's The Hemingers are just such a band - in a way - but not.  See, they've nailed down a delivery that serves to shake the living shit out of those annoying rock 'n roll classics, and make them endlessly amusing.

The Blinding Light of Milwaukee's Underground At The Intercontinental

The concept of Underground at The Intercontinental is of the purist intentions: giving local talent the opportunity to play for an audience in an environment they might not (strike that - definitely not) get the opportunity to play for otherwise. The environment? How about the classy, posh veneer of the hotel bar? On paper, in theory or as a "what if" conversation, the Underground series could potentially foster an enlightening live music experience for everyone involved - absolutely.... well, ideally it would.

What Happens In Milwaukee... Tellings Of A Local Music Addict

Saturday night. Destination: Linneman's Riverwest Inn. Oh, we'd been there before, my local music scene aficionados and I - it's Milwaukee's worst kept secret - the premier performance venue for the best local talent in the area. Tonight was special, though. Tonight we were especially excited to see The Vega Star after a several month drought.

Sure, their 2008 masterwork album The Night, is still in heavy rotation at my house, but seeing The Vega Star live is an entirely different experience - and more so since we've heard rumors of new songs to be performed.

Heaton's Acid Erosion

It's been five long years since the disbandment of The Beautiful South, and frontman turned solo artist, Paul Heaton's newest offering, Acid Country, further demonstrates the slow acid erosion of his salad days.

The James Blake Make And Break

Aside from the fact that you'd be hard pressed to find another collection of songs that sound like they're being sung by a sad robot (literally), the success of UK artist James Blake's debut album is almost as fascinating as the recording itself.