CONCERT REVIEW: The Flaming Lips & The Fatty Acids (BMO Harris Pavilion/Summerfest, Milwaukee)

Despite being hampered by technical problems, the Flaming Lips still pull off a fun Summerfest show, with a little help from like-minded local freaks the Fatty Acids.

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: Public Enemy (Miller Lite Oasis/Summerfest, Milwaukee)

Refusing to slow down with age, legendary rap agitators Public Enemy take over Summerfest's Miller Lite Oasis stage for a bracing, classic-packed performance. 

Read my full review here.

FEATURE: The Rashita Joneses Keep the Bangers Coming

Previously one of Milwaukee's best kept secrets, garage rockers the Rashita Joneses have quickly made a name for themselves thanks to an impressive string of releases.

Read the full piece here.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (06/24/15)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Fresh Hot Breeze of Summer", featuring songs for the season and more. If you enjoy it remember to also follow the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
The Samurai - Fresh Hot Breeze Of Summer - Shu-Shu (Single)
Klaus Wunderlich - Summertime - German Funk Fieber, Vol. 1
Lee Hazlewood - Summer Nights - These Boots Are Made For Walkin': The Complete MGM Recordings
Lee Hazlewood With Suzi Jane Hokum - Summer Wine - These Boots Are Made For Walkin': The Complete MGM Recordings
Chad & Jeremy - A Summer Song - Rushmore (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Sly & The Family Stone - Hot Fun In The Summertime - Greatest Hits
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Long Hot Summer Night - Electric Ladyland
Love - Bummer In The Summer - Forever Changes
Zobe - Summer Spirit - The Wilde Flowers
Blues Creation - One Summer Day - Demon & Eleven Children
Brewer & Shipley - Indian Summer - Weeds
The Doors - Summer's Almost Gone - Waiting For The Sun
Paul McCartney - Summer's Day Song - McCartney II
Stevie Wonder - Summer Soft - Songs In The Key Of Life
The Last - Every Summer Day - L.A. Explosion!
The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City - Greatest Hits
Lenny White - The Venusian Summer Suite, Part 2: Venusian Summer - Venusian Summer
Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues - Maximum R'N'B!: The Roots Of The Who
The Outsiders - Summertime Blues - Back From The Grave, Vol. 2
The Who - Summertime Blues (Live) - Live At Leeds
Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues - Vincebus Eruptum
The Flaming Lips - Summertime Blues - Hear It Is
The Flying Lizards - Summertime Blues - The Flying Lizards
Bugs And Rats - Summertime - Adidas
Carnivores - Summer Shades - If I'm Ancient
Jasmine Love Bomb - From Last Summer - An Announcement
Pavement - Summer Babe (Winter Version) - Slanted And Enchanted
Belle & Sebastian - A Summer Wasting - The Boy With The Arab Strap
Wilco - Summer Teeth - Summerteeth
Pulp - David's Last Summer - His 'N' Hers
Denim - Summer Smash - Summer Smash (Single)
ABBA - Summer Night City - The Definitive Collection
Donna Summer - Summer Fever - Four Seasons Of Love
Musique - Summer Love - Keep On Jumpin'
The B-52's - Summer Of Love - Nude On The Moon: The B-52's Anthology
Bananarama - Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Of Montreal - Oslo In The Summertime - The Sunlandic Twins
The Flaming Lips - It's Summertime - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
Noonday Underground - The Good Old Summer Time - Self-Assembly
Glass Boy - The Dregs Of Summer - Splayed And Nonplussed
Bobby Bunny - Last Day Of Summer - Bobby Bunny's Adventures In Magnetic Recording, Vol. 1

CONCERT REVIEW: Belle and Sebastian & Courtney Barnett (The Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee)

It's unfortunate that for some Belle and Sebastian will always be filed under the dubious category of "sad bastard music", in part because the long-standing Scottish outfit never really deserved their oppressive reputation for twee navel-gazing, but mostly because their recent output, admittedly sparse since 2006's The Life Pursuit, has been better suited for the dance floor than lonely bedroom contemplation. Yet while a mid-career change of pace should be expected from any group that sticks around as long as they have, the remarkable thing about this particular case is how organic it's felt from beginning to end. Instead of enduring a period of painful trend-hopping, Stuart Murdoch and company have had little trouble keeping pace with the indie-pop crowd they helped create, as evidenced by this upbeat Friday-night performance at the Pabst.

Warming up the crowd, an appropriately large one considering they haven't played Milwaukee in quite some time, was Australian artist Courtney Barnett, still fresh off the release of her debut studio album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. Her brand of likable, sun-drenched indie rock, propelled by some quirky, stream-of-consciousness lyrics, seemed to sit well with the audience, but at the same time didn't appear to have left anyone all that excited. Belle and Sebastian, on the other hand, had to do little more than walk onstage, silhouetted in miniature by an enormously projected video introduction, before they had everyone's undivided attention. The set that followed rewarded it, seamlessly blending both recent and classic material in a way that demonstrated the similarities between the two rather than their differences.

In addition to showing off several numbers from their new Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, including lead-off single "The Party Line" and the catchy "Perfect Couples", the band, backed by a string section and additional singers, also delved deep into their back catalog. Most anything uptempo proved fair game, such as "I'm a Cuckoo" from 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress or The Life Pursuit's "Sukie in the Graveyard", but 1998's The Boy with the Arab Strap received some special, and much-appreciated, attention. Overall the show offered little to complain about, either in terms of substance or showmanship, but was especially impressive in its elegant balance of old and new. By now most listeners have probably decided where they stand with Belle and Sebastian, but a lively performance like this could hardly be considered depressing.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (06/17/15)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Solid Foundation", featuring roots reggae and dub. If you enjoy it, remember to also find the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Lizzy & Cornell Campbell - Aquarius - Joe Gibbs Scorchers From The Early Years 1967-73
Nicky Thomas & Dennis Alcapone - Have A Little Faith/Have Faith - Joe Gibbs Scorchers From The Early Years 1967-73
Bob Marley And The Wailers - My Cup - Soul Rebels
Bob Marley And The Wailers - Soul Rebel - Soul Rebels
Horace Andy - Night Owl - Skylarking
Horace Andy - Every Tongue Shall Tell - Skylarking
Keith Hudson - Tribal War - Furnace
Keith Hudson - Furnace - Furnace
Toots & The Maytals - Sit Right Down - Funky Kingston
Toots & The Maytals - Funky Kingston - Funky Kingston
Liberators - West Bound Train - Enemies Are Coming
Liberators - Enemies Dub - Enemies Are Coming
Slap - Empty - Songs From The Cross
Peter Tosh - Burial - Legalize It
Peter Tosh - Brand New Second Hand - Legalize It
U-Roy - Runaway Girl - Dread In A Babylon
U-Roy - Chalice In The Palace - Dread In A Babylon
Wayne Wade - I Kiss The Rose - Evil Woman
Wayne Wade - Doctor Bird - Evil Woman
Lee Perry Presents The Mighty Upsetters - Hold Them Kung Fu - Heart Of The Dragon
Lee Perry Presents The Mighty Upsetters - Skango - Heart Of The Dragon
The Congos - Solid Foundation - Heart Of The Congos
The Congos - Ark Of Covenant - Heart Of The Congos
The Ethnic Fight Band - Portobello Road Dub - Out Of One Man Comes Many Dubs
The Ethnic Fight Band - Out Of One Man Comes Many Dubs - Out Of One Man Comes Many Dubs
Herman Chin-Loy - Heavy Duty - Aquarius Dub
Herman Chin-Loy - Oily - Aquarius Dub
Augustus Pablo - Jah Dread - Original Rockers
Augustus Pablo - Up Warrika Hill - Original Rockers
King Tubby & Friends - Tubby Get Smart - Dub Like Dirt 1975-1977
King Tubby & Friends - Guidance Dub - Dub Like Dirt 1975-1977
Inner Circle Meets Maximillian At Channel One - Down Rhodesia - The Rough Guide To Dub
Revolutionaries - Nuclear Bomb - The Rough Guide To Dub
Prince Far I - You I Love And Not Another - Under Heavy Manners
Prince Far I - Shadow - Under Heavy Manners
African Head Charge - Far Away Chant - My Life In A Hole In The Ground
African Head Charge - Family Doctoring - My Life In A Hole In The Ground

ALBUM REVIEW: Sick Sad World - Fear and Lies

Genres like garage rock and power pop are so reliant on certain conventions that it's surprising songwriters still manage to make them feel fresh, but even within the confines of an insanely familiar format there's still plenty of room for artists to inject their own personalities and interests into the mix. That's especially true of solo acts, like Sick Sad World mastermind Jake Jones, who largely colors inside the lines on Fear and Lies, the project's first full-length, but still manages to impress thanks to the record's quirky concoction of acid-damaged skate culture, self-deprecating humor and some incredibly hooky songs.

Using little more than a guitar and a drum machine, Jones starts Fear and Lies out strong with the lovelorn instant earworm "Skateboarding Girl" and rarely if ever loses steam across the album's eleven tracks. The rest cover a similar kind of teenage territory as the first, from being an outcast, like on the surf-inflected "Alone All the Time", to searching for your own identity, as with the individualist, vaguely sci-fi "Being Weird", but whatever the subject matter Jones never descends into self-pity or takes himself too seriously. Despite some bummer themes, Fear and Lies is a consistently fun album.

Between the catchy tunes and the fact that it clocks in at a lean 35 minutes, the release, out now on Help Yourself Records, doesn't lose its somewhat dazed appeal on repeat listens, but its best moments, such as the glammy strut of "Keep It Real" or the surprisingly heavy closer "Stay Gold", stand just fine on their own, and should easily find favor with the Burger crowd. The Seattle-based Jones doesn't bring many new musical ideas to the table with Fear and Lies, but his particular spin on these well-worn rock 'n' roll sounds proves to be infectiously enjoyable.

FEATURE: Utech Records Festival Offers a Worldly Lineup of Experimental Music

Just in time for their tenth anniversary, Milwaukee's Utech Records label assembles experimental musicians from far and wide for an incredibly eclectic two-day festival.

Read the full piece here.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (06/10/15)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Stranger and Stranger", featuring the Canterbury Scene and more. If you dig it, remember to also follow the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
The Wilde Flowers - The Big Show - The Wilde Flowers
The Wilde Flowers - Memories - The Wilde Flowers
Caravan - Winter Wine - In The Land Of Grey And Pink
Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink - In The Land Of Grey And Pink
Egg - While Growing My Hair - Egg
Egg - Symphony No. 2: First Movement - Egg
Comus - Diana - First Utterance
Comus - The Herald - First Utterance
Llwybr Llaethog - Cyfundrefn Gyfalafol - Da!
Gong - You Can't Kill Me - Camembert Electrique
Gong - Tropical Fish: Selene - Camembert Electrique
Hatfield And The North - The Yes No Interlude - The Rotters' Club
Hatfield And The North - Fitter Stoke Has A Bath - The Rotters' Club
Henry Cow - Teenbeat - The Henry Cow Legend
Henry Cow - Amygdala - The Henry Cow Legend
Soft Machine - Slightly All The Time - Third
Van Der Graaf Generator - Pioneers Over C - H To He, Who Am The Only One
Van Der Graaf Generator - House With No Door - H To He, Who Am The Only One
Hawkwind - High Rise - Anthology, Vol. 1
Hawkwind - British Tribal Music - Anthology, Vol. 1

CONCERT REVIEW: Shabazz Palaces & Eaters (The Rave, Milwaukee)

Genre-bending psych rap duo Shabazz Palaces, still riding high after their latest Sub Pop release Lese Majesty, make a criminally under-attended appearance at the Rave.

Read my full review here.

FEATURE: Indonesian Junk Put the Pieces Together

After struggling to enlist decent musicians for the retro punk project Indonesian Junk, Milwaukee guitarist Daniel James finally finds the perfect personalities for his songs.

Read the full piece here.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (06/03/15)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Poptones", featuring classic post-punk and more. If you enjoy it, remember to also find the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Wire - Pink Flag - Pink Flag
Wire - Strange - Pink Flag
Gang Of Four - Anthrax - Entertainment!
Gang Of Four - Ether - Entertainment!
Magazine - Feed The Enemy - Secondhand Daylight
Magazine - Cut-Out Shapes - Secondhand Daylight
Public Image Ltd. - Socialist - Second Edition
Public Image Ltd. - Poptones - Second Edition
Joy Division - Twenty Four Hours - Closer
Joy Division - Heart And Soul - Closer
Arco Iris - Soaring Over The High Planes - Peace Pipes
Pere Ubu - Real World - The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu - Laughing - The Modern Dance
Ama-Dots - Samizdot - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982
Einstein's Riceboys - Soda Jerk - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982
Tense Experts - Cemetery Secrets - Tense Experts
Tense Experts - I Found That Essence Rare - Tense Experts
Mission Of Burma - Laugh The World Away - Vs.
Mission Of Burma - Learn How - Vs.
Killing Joke - The Fall Of Because - What's THIS For...!
Killing Joke - Unspeakable - What's THIS For...!
Alternative T.V. - Lost In Room - The Force Is Blind (Single)
Alternative T.V. - The Force Is Blind - The Force Is Blind (Single)
The Desperate Bicycles - Handlebars - Smokescreen (Single)
The Desperate Bicycles - Smokescreen - Smokescreen (Single)
Swell Maps - Don't Throw Ashtrays At Me! - A Trip To Marineville
Swell Maps - Midget Submarines - A Trip To Marineville
Slits - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Grlz: Women Ahead Of Their Time
Delta 5 - Mind Your Own Business - Grlz: Women Ahead Of Their Time
Rubella Ballet - Blues - Anarchy In The U.V.
Rubella Ballet - Exit - Anarchy In The U.V.
The B-52's - Dance This Mess Around - Nude On The Moon: The B-52's Anthology
The B-52's - 52 Girls - Nude On The Moon: The B-52's Anthology
Devo - Uncontrollable Urge - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Devo - Gut Feeling/(Slap Your Mammy) - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

CONCERT REVIEW: Ministry & Hemlock (The Rave, Milwaukee)

Always unpredictable Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen pays one last visit to his many Milwaukee fans before retiring the long-running, groundbreaking project permanently.

Read my full review here.