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February 2010
The Championship and Blueheels
02/06/2010 10:00 PM
Two Green Room Pub favorites, and two of the best live bands in the state of Wisconsin come together for one night of rockin' music. The Championship (Milwaukee) and Blueheels (Madison) are long time frinds and have not shared a bill in quite some time.
"For me, unexpectedly discovering a new band is akin to getting a single onion ring in your fries or finding a forgotten sawbuck in a coat you haven't worn since the previous winter. It's windfall to be sure, but it makes you want to believe there's more where that one came from. Sadly, there are a lot more renegade onion rings out there, than stray money or new bands worth your attention. Given this, I was practically giddy (for me, at least) to stumble upon Milwaukee's The Championship sandwiched on a local bill this past weekend.
"Even in its current state, I remain a staunch supporter of the Twin Cities' music scene, so I've been more than a little alarmed at the recent outpouring of top shelf artists from The Dairy State. We've been getting by on reputation alone for far too long, and suddenly guys like Justin Vernon and Eric Rykal have our local combos looking over their shoulders at all times.
"It's bad enough they have The Sausage Race (how long before some Milwaukee punks form The Randall Simon Incident?) and we can't get Paul Bunyan's Axe back, and now Wisconsin rubbing my nose in The Championship. My visceral reaction was that they were working the same side of the street as The National (another band with a puzzling handle given their genre of choice) and ambling toward the My Morning Jacket corner. Their performance was tight, but never felt perfunctory, thanks to arrangements that accommodated ragged edges and improvisatory jags with open arms. Singer/guitarist Joe Crockett remains firmly rooted at the center of the maelstrom with a voice that absolutely demands your attention. It hardly seems possible that his petite body is capable of putting forth such emanations. Remember the first time you actually saw Rick Astley after hearing his songs? It's like that, but in a good way.
"After seeing The Championship's dynamic live show, which drew heavily from their forthcoming Moving At The Speed Of Darkness EP, their 2008 full-length, Midnight Golden (get both from Bear Rifle Records, is a decidedly more subdued, but no less impressive, affair. The band's country leanings are more evident, with mandolins and steel guitars embellishing taunt, melancholy vignettes of working class existence. Struggle, with bible, bottle and broads abounds in songs that clearly echo the best work of gentlemen like Mssrs. Alvin, Yoakam and Springsteen. Opener Ferris Wheel plainly attests that Crockett, even at his young age, has a talent for tapping into (with apologies to Thoreau) the "quiet desperation" of contemporary Midwestern living. From the neo-AM leanings of Gladstone (which suggests that Crockett may be secret lovechild of Waylon Jennings and Brett Sparks) to the roadhouse swagger of Diamond Rings, there's more than a little to like here. Sure, there's nothing earth shattering on Midnight Golden, but as was the case with The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound, it's all done so well that it's easy to forgive the occasional hackneyed misstep. Furthermore, clocking in at a taut 38 minutes, it's almost impossible not to say, 'Let's hear that again.'"
-My Old Kentucky Blog, June 24, 2009
BLUEHEELS 100% independent, mid-west raised rock n' roll. Creative, fun, LOUD, and stylistically diverse rock music for all walks of life. A train wreck in the people's key.
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02/13/2010 10:00 PM
The 13 songs on World Travels Fast, the newest recording from Milwaukee indie-folk outfit Decibully, are indeed well traveled. Following a twisting path that spanned years, continents, and record labels, the band emerged with a record that is uncompromising and remarkably focused. Recorded in basements from Milwaukee to Armenia, and in the haunting expanse of an abandoned malted milk factory the album is the band's first release since 2005’s critically lauded Sing Out America! Featuring contributions from the band's Milwaukee musical bretheren including members of The Championship, Wooden Robot, Juniper Tar, and Celebrated Working Man; World Travels Fast documents the band fully embracing musical collaboration. The result is 53 minutes of rich sonic landscapes, brash experimentation, and hook-laden pop.
This six piece has honed an energetic and ultimately more rocking approach to their music in the album's four year gestation period, yet maintained the earnest and dynamic approach to Americana they've spread here and abroad on tours with Lucero, Owen, Califone, and Shearwater. This dedication to touring and a desire to connect with its audience has led to many of the lyrical themes. Though hardly a concept record, several of the songs explore the many ways that we communicate on a rapidly shrinking planet.
Featuring members of Headlights and The Promise Ring, Decibully treads a territory that is dusty and timeless while managing to transcend mere homage to those that have gone before them. The time between records has also allowed the band to take a new approach to how they share their music with the world. World Travels Fast, their first record since parting ways with Polyvinyl Records, will be released on double vinyl with CD by Listening Party Records. This is the first release for the Milwaukee based label, which will also have "World Travels Fast" available for high quality download at a pay what you want price on the label's website. www.listeningpartyrecords.com
You can either name your own price for a high quality (320kbps) mp3 version or order the deluxe double LP + CD, complete with hand-silkscreened packaging featuring illustrations by Samantha Sanborn, pressed on 150 gram vinyl. As with all our physical orders, upon completion you’ll be directed to a download link so you’ll be able to enjoy a digital copy of the album right away while you wait for your order to ship. Enjoy!
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02/20/2010 10:00 PM
Official Blues Highway Band Website
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An evening onstage together: The Steepwater Band & Marc Ford (Tickets Only, SOLD OUT)
02/21/2010 7:00 PM
In late winter 2010, the Chicago-based trio hops over the pond for six-week European Tour - a first in the history of the band. It kicks off with a bang as Marc Ford joins The Steepwater Band on the Spanish leg of the tour. Marc’s work with the Black Crowes, Ben Harper, and Booker T has made him one of the most celebrated guitarists of his generation.
Recently, The Steepwater Band commissioned Ford to produce their latest release, Grace and Melody – which met with critical acclaim. The flow of mutual admiration and respect during that studio session created a bond between the musicians and talk of a collaborative tour was on the horizon. The ten-city tour begins in Bilbao and stretches across Spain’s beautiful landscape to Madrid, Gijon and Barcelona (just to name a few). Each show will feature a TSB set to get the evening rolling. After the opening sets, Ford will join the band. Together they will perform songs from his solo releases as well as songs from the Steepwater catalog. These evenings of music are bound to astonish and inspire fans.
For the folks in the United States who cannot make the Spain shows, you are in luck. The Steepwater Band & Marc Ford will be playing two Midwest shows to kick-off the tour before flying over to España. The House of Blues’ funky Back Porch Stage will be the site in TSB’s home town of Chicago on Saturday, February 20. On Sunday, February 21, TSB & Marc will travel north to Wisconsin for an intimate show at the fabulous Green Room in Sheboygan.
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02/25/2010 10:00 PM
Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank,
brothers Teague and Ian Thomas Alexy, are embarking on a 28 date tour of the Midwest and Southeast in support of their new full-length record Traveling Show.
Recorded in NYC, the brothers hone their blend of folk, blues, and rock and roll into a completely original vision on Traveling Show.
The music on the record finds new life in the live setting as Hobo Nephews put on emotionally charged high energy performances.
Blending lonesome vocal harmonies, freight train rhythms and primal blasts of electric guitar and harmonica Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank create a style of roots music that is all their own.
For Music, More Info etc. www.hobonephews.com
“all manner of backwoods melody driven by chain-gang-workin'-on-the-
- Will McClain, Minneapolis City Pages
“bounces around in rootsy folk and blues territory, with a heavy dose of Dylan and ‘American Beauty’-fied Dead. Teague is more the bluesman of the group while Ian delivers most of the folkier, twangier stuff. Somehow, they strike a perfect balance.”
- Chris Riemenschneider, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“with heavy folk and Bob Dylan influences in the bands work, fans of tremendously played roots music are in for quite a treat.”
- Jeff Schwachter, Atlantic City Weekly
“Four Stars…of the same breed of songwriters that put folk on the map and I’ll be damned if they haven’t written some of the most beautiful and captivating songs I’ve heard in a long time.”
- Charlie Owen, Vail Daily
“the results are pure gold…a genre buster of epic proportions...an undeniable fact emerges: The Hobo Nephews are the new kings of Highway 61.”
- Matthew R. Perrine, Duluth Budgeteer News
“A joyous, open-hearted folk album”
- Rich Iwen, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“The band is simply talented beyond its years…Judging by the talent on display here, there's no need for desperation - the future looks bright for Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank.”
- John Hansen, Brainerd Dispatch
"The instrumentation is top-notch and the vocals are a perfect vehicle for these great songs. Traveling Show is ripe and succulent but always rooted in the earthiness of the region." - Refrain Magazine Fargo, ND
Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank Official Site
Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank on Myspace
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02/27/2010 10:00 PM
"Milwaukee’s John The Savage is a strange, carnivalesque six-piece that has emerged as one of the city’s most talked-about live acts. It’s not hard to understand why: John The Savage conforms to the recent local trend of “exotic” instrumentation—meaning trumpets, cellos, and anything else more associated with high-school music programs than rock bands—while sounding unlike any other group in town, mainly because of Michael Skorcz’s eccentric, love-’em-or-hate-’em vocals. Skorcz’s circus-barker growl fits the cinematic sweep of the music, which veers impressively from New Orleans funeral marches to James Brown funk grooves"
-Steve Hyden, Milwuakee AV club
Meteorade isn't trying to be the most cutting-edge or important band in rock history. Meteorade's talent lies in its ability to create smart indie pop/rock songs that (according to The Onion's AV Club) are full of "resourcefulness and variety" as well as "refreshing eagerness."
Meteorade is made up of four music geeks from Madison, Wisconsin. All are classically-trained multi-instrumentalists, and all met and started playing together in 2007 after meeting each other through the University of Wisconsin. Meteorade's sound has been compared to bands like Pavement, Built to Spill, (old) Weezer, and Cake, and the band's favorite artists also include Pedro the Lion, John Frusciante, Elliott Smith, Failure, garage rock like the Kinks, and Dr. Dre.
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