The signs are all around us. It’s no longer pitch dark outside when I leave work in the evening. The unmistakable good vibration that always eerily coincides with Brewers pitchers and catchers reporting for duty in Arizona is in the air. The mountains of snow that once ringed my driveway are now little more than slightly smaller mountains of snow that ring the puddle that used to be my driveway. Yes the recent string of nice weather has this blizzard-beleaguered blogger thinking spring.
Spring is the time for renewal and promise, and these ideals are not lost on the local music scene. The coming months are chock full of intriguing and highly anticipated releases from some of the finest musicians and bands the city has to offer. Here is a listing of four local albums dropping this spring that will make you forget (if just for a moment) that you live in Wisconsin, and it will be winter again in like six months.
Enjoy!
Elusive Parallelograms Modern Splendor
Release Date: March 1
The band is attempting to build upon its intensely well-crafted full-length debut, And Everything Changes, and in all honesty it will be a tough act to follow. And Everything Changes showcased a remarkably confident band, seamlessly weaving ’90s indie angst with ’60s pop sensibilities, and everything in between. If the first single, “Each Key,” is any indication, the band seems poised to take its music in even more exciting directions on Modern Splendor.
Northless Clandestine Abuse
Release Date: March 8
The raging torrents of delicious sludge metal that pour forth from arguably Milwaukee’s loudest band are sweet enough when you’re crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with a bunch of pissed off kids at The Borg Ward. But when it comes in the form of a double album recorded at Howl Street Recordings with Call Me Lightning drummer and producer extraordinaire Shane Hochstetler … well, let’s just say my interest is piqued.
All Tiny Creatures Harbors
Release Date: March 29
I feel like I have been writing about these guys quite a bit as of late, but don’t blame me. Blame this endlessly original outfit that started as a side project for Volcano Choir and ex-Collections of Colonies of Bees member Thomas Wincek. They’re the ones who manage to mix lush sonic soundscapes, danceable rhythms and straight up rock mojo into one of the most unique sounds coming from the Dairy State today. As if that wasn’t enough, All Tiny Creatures will add yet another instrument to the mix on Harbors: the human voice. Wincek will handle some of the singing duties, but will also share the mic with a collection of guest vocalists, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.
Maritime Human Hearts
Release Date: April 5
And finally the godfathers of Milwaukee’s indie rock circuit, Maritime, get back into the swing of things with their long-awaited follow-up to 2007’s Heresy and the Hotel Choir. The band has always had a free pass of sorts (and rightfully so with Davey von Bohlen and Dan Didier’s days in cult icon The Promise Ring, not to mention the fact that they come on every once in a while on my Pandora mix), but it hasn’t deterred them from turning out quality, enjoyable albums throughout the years. And though the productivity has slowed as the band members embraced their grown-up selves, there seems to be a different air around this album. This is the band’s debut release on Dangerbird Records, home to big names such as Silversun Pickups, Hot Hot Heat, Sea Wolf and Minus The Bear, and from what I’ve heard so far, I get the sense that Maritime is planning on raising the bar accordingly.
