PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (07/29/15)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Party Gone Out of Bounds" , featuring punk-funk and mutant disco. If you enjoy it, remember to also find the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album

James White & The Blacks - Contort Yourself - Off White

James White & The Blacks - Off Black - Off White

ESG - UFO - Dance To The Best Of ESG

ESG - Moody - Dance To The Best Of ESG

Bush Tetras - You Can't Be Funky - Boom In The Night: Original Studio Recordings 1980-1983

Bush Tetras - Too Many Creeps - Boom In The Night: Original Studio Recordings 1980-1983

The B-52's - Party Out Of Bounds - Nude On The Moon: The B-52's Anthology

The B-52's - Dance This Mess Around - Nude On The Moon: The B-52's Anthology

Pylon - K - Chomp More

Pylon - Yo-Yo - Chomp More

Afrikan Dreamland - Africa (We're In Love With You) - Jah Message

Ama-Dots - Hit Girls - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982

Ama-Dots - Samizdot - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982

Material - Conform To The Rhythm - Memory Serves

Material - Disappearing - Memory Serves

Talking Heads - I Zimbra - Fear Of Music

Talking Heads - Life During Wartime - Fear Of Music

Suicide - Shadazz - The Second Album + The First Rehearsal Tapes

Suicide - Dream Baby Dream - The Second Album + The First Rehearsal Tapes

Blondie - Heart Of Glass - Atomic: The Very Best Of Blondie

Blondie - Rapture - Atomic: The Very Best Of Blondie

Liquid Liquid - Cavern - Disco Not Disco

Was (Not Was) - Wheel Me Out - Disco Not Disco

The Clash - Radio Clash - Hits Back

The Clash - The Magnificent Seven - Hits Back

Slits - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Grlz: Women Ahead Of Their Time

Maximum Joy - Stretch - Grlz: Women Ahead Of Their Time

Public Image Ltd. - No Birds - Second Edition

Public Image Ltd. - Swan Lake - Second Edition

CONCERT REVIEW: Ramma Lamma & Color TV (Circle-A Café, Milwaukee)

Milwaukee glam punks Ramma Lamma join forces with Minneapolis outfit Color TV to pack an enormous amount of rock 'n' roll into the minuscule confines of Circle-A Café.

Read my full review here.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (07/22/15)

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

Artist - Song - Album
Cybotron - Cosmic Cars - Enter
Cybotron - Industrial Lies - Enter
Longer Than Long Ago - A Relic - Relics: A Transmat Compilation
Rhythim Is Rhythim - Strings Of Life - Relics: A Transmat Compilation
Reese & Santonio - Truth Of Self Evidence - Faces & Phases
Kevin Saunderson - The Groove That Won't Stop - Faces & Phases
Jacques Wilson - Where Was Your Moon? - Signs Of The Zodiac: Leo
Jeff Mills - Changes Of Life - Waveform Transmission, Vol. 1
Jeff Mills - Jerical - Waveform Transmission, Vol. 1
Mad Mike - The Force - Death Star (Single)
Mad Mike - Death Star - Death Star (Single)
Underground Resistance - Quadrasonic - Revolution For Change
Underground Resistance - Predator - Revolution For Change
Carl Craig - Dreamland - More Songs About Food And Revolutionary Art
Carl Craig - Butterfly - More Songs About Food And Revolutionary Art
FUSE - Theychx - Dimension Intrusion
FUSE - Uva - Dimension Intrusion
Aux 88 - X-Ile - Is It Man Or Machine
Aux 88 - The Countdown - Is It Man Or Machine

FEATURE: Breadfest Aims for Inclusivity in Its Third Year

I sit down with promoter Myles Coyne to find out more about the third installment of Breadfest, happening July 29th through August 2nd at various venues across Riverwest.

Read the full piece here.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (07/15/15)

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

Artist - Song - Album
Iggy And The Stooges - Search And Destroy - Raw Power
Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power - Raw Power
Crime - Murder By Guitar - San Francisco's Doomed
Crime - San Francisco's Doomed - San Francisco's Doomed
The Cramps - New Kind Of Kick - Bad Music For Bad People
The Cramps - Garbageman - Bad Music For Bad People
Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer - Young Loud And Snotty
Dead Boys - Ain't Nothin' To Do - Young Loud And Snotty
Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation - Spurts: The Richard Hell Story
The Heartbreakers - Chinese Rocks - Spurts: The Richard Hell Story
The Dictators - The Next Big Thing - Go Girl Crazy!
The Dictators - I Got You Babe - Go Girl Crazy!
Ramones - I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend - Ramones
Ramones - I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement - Ramones
American Bombs - Let's Go (To Guyana) - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982
The Orbits - Until The Word Gets Out - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982
Jim Post - First Teardrop On The Moon - The Crooner From Outer Space
Television Personalities - Oxford St, W1 - Yes Darling, But Is It Art?
Television Personalities - Part Time Punks - Yes Darling, But Is It Art?
Eater - Waiting For The Man - The Album
Eater - No Brains - The Album
The Clash - Clash City Rockers - The Clash
The Clash - Complete Control - The Clash
The Adverts - Great British Mistake - The Best Of The Adverts
The Adverts - Safety In Numbers - The Best Of The Adverts
The Damned - Fan Club - Damned Damned Damned
The Damned - I Feel Alright - Damned Damned Damned
Sex Pistols - Seventeen - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols - Holidays In The Sun - Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols
X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage Up Yours! - Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex - Plastic Bag - Germfree Adolescents
X - Your Phone's Off The Hook, But You're Not - Los Angeles
X - The Unheard Music - Los Angeles
The Scavengers - The End Of The World - Died For Your Sins
The Avengers - Teenage Rebel - Died For Your Sins
The Weirdos - We Got The Neutron Bomb - Weird World, Vol. 1: 1977-1981
The Weirdos - Helium Bar - Weird World, Vol. 1: 1977-1981
Dicks - Purple Haze - Kill From The Heart
Dicks - Rich Daddy - Kill From The Heart
Dead Kennedys - Kill The Poor - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys - Chemical Warfare - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
Circle Jerks - Paid Vacation - Let Them Eat Jellybeans!
Flipper - Ha Ha Ha - Let Them Eat Jellybeans!
Minor Threat - Steppin' Stone - Complete Discography
Minor Threat - Little Friend - Complete Discography
Bad Brains - Sailin' On - Bad Brains
Bad Brains - Big Take Over - Bad Brains
Die Kreuzen - No Time - Die Kreuzen
Die Kreuzen - All White - Die Kreuzen

ART REVIEW: Van Gogh to Pollock: Modern Rebels (The Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee)

There's no denying that the story of modern art is chock full of iconoclasts, creators who disregarded the conventions of their times, left the rest of the world to catch up and became legends for their efforts, but while those kind of heavy hitters deserve the utmost respect for their paradigm-shifting contributions, there's also a danger in distilling history down to a handful of rock star-esque personalities. It's not so much disingenuous, there are bona fide visionaries, but it is kind of dully reductive, skipping over the messy, interesting context and getting right to the most colorful characters. It's an approach seen throughout Van Gogh to Pollock: Modern Rebels, on view at the Milwaukee Art Museum until September 20th, which, while serving well as a sort of greatest hits compilation, feels similarly superficial.

Drawn from the extensive collection held by Buffalo's Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the exhibit's 68 diverse works represent a who's who of modern art: Degas, Picasso, O'Keeffe, Lichtenstein, the list goes on and on. As such, there's no shortage of masterpieces on display here, but if the discrete entries, such as Joan Miró's busily surreal Carnival of Harlequin or Giacomo Balla's kinetic Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash, are stunning, there's precious little uniting them as a cohesive show other than the ill-defined rebelliousness of their makers. Sure, each of the artists included made the risky decision to break with tradition and discover their own unique voice, but simply having them share wall space doesn't bring the viewer much closer to understanding the common factor that allowed, or compelled, them to do so.

Of course, defining that kind of genius would be a tall order, but that's precisely the point — the central concept is so broad as to be almost nonexistent, coming off less like an organic idea and more like an attempt to stuff as many famous names onto the poster as possible. Whatever its shortcomings though, Modern Rebels still brings together some spectacular work, mostly focused on painting but also making room for sculpture and a smattering of other media. Ultimately, getting to stand in front of something like Dali's The Transparent Simulacrum of the Feigned Image or Warhol's 100 Cans, even alongside those treating them as just another smart-phone photo op, is certainly worth the nominal price of admission, but the curators could've fashioned a far more compelling whole out of such iconic pieces.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (07/08/15)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Hot Dusty Roads", featuring country rock and Cosmic American Music. If you enjoy it, remember to also find the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
The Beau Brummels - Long Walking Down To Misery - Bradley's Barn
The Beau Brummels - Love Can Fall A Long Way Down - Bradley's Barn
Buffalo Springfield - Go And Say Goodbye - Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield - Hot Dusty Roads - Buffalo Springfield
Sandy Bull - No Deposit, No Return Blues - E Pluribus Unum
Brewer And Shipley - Too Soon Tomorrow - Weeds
Brewer And Shipley - All Along The Watchtower - Weeds
Bob Dylan Feat. Johnny Cash - Girl From The North Country - Nashville Skyline
Bob Dylan - Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You - Nashville Skyline
The Band - Tears Of Rage - Music From Big Pink
The Band - Caledonia Mission - Music From Big Pink
Vesta Williams - Don't Blow A Good Thing - Vesta
The Byrds - You Don't Miss Your Water - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds - Nothing Was Delivered - Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The International Submarine Band - Blue Eyes - Safe At Home
The International Submarine Band - Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome? - Safe At Home
The Flying Burrito Bros. - Hippie Boy - The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Bros. - Sin City - The Gilded Palace Of Sin
Gram Parsons - $1000 Wedding - Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons - Hearts On Fire - Grievous Angel
Emmylou Harris - Amarillo - Elite Hotel
Emmylou Harris - Till I Gain Control Again - Elite Hotel
Sir Robert Charles Griggs - A Sideman Talks To God - The Legend Of Sir Robert Charles Griggs
Sir Robert Charles Griggs - Keep It Country - The Legend Of Sir Robert Charles Griggs
Eggs Over Easy - Arkansas - Good 'N' Cheap
Eggs Over Easy - Henry Morgan - Good 'N' Cheap
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Long As I Can See The Light - Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Cosmo's Factory
Tim Buckley - Tijuana Moon - Look At The Fool
Bob Darin - Light Blue - Country Funk 1969-1975
Bobby Charles - Street People - Country Funk 1969-1975
Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen - Wine Do Yer Stuff - Lost In The Ozone
Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen - Seeds And Stems (Again) - Lost In The Ozone

CONCERT REVIEW: Lupe Fiasco (Miller Lite Oasis/Summerfest, Milwaukee)

The reliably entertaining Lupe Fiasco takes the stage at the Miller Lite Oasis, but struggles to gain much traction with an especially distracted Summerfest crowd.

Read my full review here.

ALBUM REVIEW: Filter Free Rodeo - Little Lord (Single)

On March 8th, 1921, police were summoned to Waukesha's O'Laughlin Stone Company to investigate a disturbing discovery. Found floating face-down in a flooded quarry were the remains of a young boy, who had apparently been struck about the head before being dumped in the watery grave. Despite being dressed in high-class clothing, suggesting he came from a wealthy family, a wide-reaching and well-publicized search failed to uncover his identity, leaving him known only by the macabre nickname "Little Lord Fauntleroy."

So, what does this gruesome bit of local lore have to do with "Little Lord", the new single from Milwaukee's Filter Free Rodeo? Well, aside from some ominous aquatic images mixed in among the snarling lyrics, it's a tad hard to say. Not that it matters much anyway, since the song's subject, as morbidly fascinating as it is, takes a backseat to the music it inspires, a vicious mix of punk and psych that gradually descends into noisy, bluesy depths.

Much like occasional cohorts the Rashita Joneses, with whom they put out a split cassette earlier this year, Filter Free Rodeo have distinguished themselves through short yet potent releases, and "Little Lord" is no exception, managing to leave a big impression in just five short minutes. Basically it succeeds in doing what a good single should, drawing you in and leaving you wanting more, mainly by being almost as dark and intriguing as the mystery of Little Lord Fauntleroy itself.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (07/01/15)

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

Artist - Song - Album
Dan Hartman - Instant Replay - Instant Replay
Dan Hartman - Love Is A Natural - Instant Replay
Loleatta Holloway - Love Sensation - Love Sensation
Loleatta Holloway - Dance What 'Cha Wanna - Love Sensation
Sister Sledge - Lost In Music - We Are Family
Sister Sledge - He's The Greatest Dancer - We Are Family
Instant Funk - Don't You Wanna Party - Instant Funk
Instant Funk - I Got My Mind Made Up (12" Dance Mix) - Instant Funk
Sogblettir - Er Nema Von - Sogblettir
Amanda Lear - Fashion Pack - Never Trust A Pretty Face
Grace Jones - I Need A Man - Portfolio
Amanda Lear - Lili Marleen - Never Trust A Pretty Face
ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - The Definitive Collection
ABBA - Voulez-Vous (Extended Remix, 1979 US Promo) - The Definitive Collection
Donna Summer - Journey To The Centre Of Your Heart - Bad Girls
Donna Summer - Sunset People - Bad Girls
Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) - Step II
Sylvester - Dance (Disco Heat) - Step II
Loose Change - All Night Man - Straight From The Heart (Single)
Loose Change - Straight From The Heart - Straight From The Heart (Single)
Charanga 76 - Music Trance - Bob Blank: The Blank Generation Blank Tapes NYC 1975-1985
Musique - Keep On Jumpin' - Keep On Jumpin'
Gladys Knight - It's A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons Mix) - Bob Blank: The Blank Generation Blank Tapes NYC 1975-1985
Atmosfear - Dancing In Outer Space - Dancing In Outer Space (Single)
Atmosfear - Outer Space - Dancing In Outer Space (Single)