Music Notes counts down the best of July.
10. Summerfest attendance bounces back
Summerfest heads into its upcoming 50th anniversary on a high note. The festival reported a 4 percent rise in attendance this year, bringing in more than 30,000 people than 2015. However, the news isn’t all good, as the total attendance figure (804,116) is still lower than the previous few years (851,000 in 2014 and 840,356 in 2013).
9. The Blue Mooners eats its veggies on new single
The Blue Mooners bared all on their cheeky self-titled debut in 2014. Now, they’re back with two new songs: “Walk Right In” and “Cel Ray,” a raucous ode to a particular green vegetable.
8. Visionary filmmaker brings his groundbreaking soundtracks to the Pabst Theater stage
Director/musician John Carpenter came to Milwaukee in support of his two stand-alone albums Lost Themes I and II, but he also gave the Pabst Theater’s collection of film nerds a nostalgic look back at his memorable movie themes from The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, The Fog, They Live and of course, Halloween.
7. New Boyz Club releases protest song
New Boys Club is a surly orchestra that crafts music that feels like it may bust at the seams at any moment. That uncertainty fits well for “Glory Glory, The Police State Will Fall,” a track written in response to the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
6. The Rashita Joneses embrace sci-fi camp on new music video
The scuzzy garage rockers The Rashita Joneses released a wacky two-song music video this month for “Wide Eyes” and “Alien Ocean,” where the band battles inflatable aliens.
5. An introspective solo album from Twin Brother frontman
As his main project went on hiatus to replace departing members, Twin Brother frontman Sean Raasch found himself with a new batch of songs he had written in the interim. Instead of throwing that material away, the singer-songwriter released those songs on a 9-track solo album. Whereas Twin Brother’s 2014 record Swallow the Anchor tended to look toward the sky, (solo) is an insular album that that feels grounded and dark.
4. R&B newcomer Thane impresses on debut EP
R&B producer Thane made a great first impression on his debut EP, Gravity, last month, which featured contributions from Marxus, Jay Stones and Jamie Breiwick. A full-length is tentatively scheduled for August.
3. Relive Milwaukee’s musical past with Activities Archives website
Two musicians Zack Pieper and Didier Leplae unveiled an Internet database in July that features old releases from Milwaukee bands that might have otherwise been lost to time. Activities Archives currently includes albums from The Trusty Knife, Bamm Bamm, Competitorr and more, which can be downloaded for a pay-what-you-want price. (h/t Milwaukee Record)
2. Feel the burn of NO/NO’s pump-up video
Sound and Light, the debut full-length from NO/NO, is flooded with bright colors and huge ‘80s synthesizer-based sounds. It’s one of the best local albums of the year so far. In July, the band released the Ryan Reeve-directed music video for lead single “Television.” The production eschews the fuzzy static of a scrambled TV screen for a neon-hued work-out video.
1. Experimental music festival takes over Bay View
Even though the city offers a different street festival every week, the music line-ups tend to be homogenized, as similar bands seem to flood every bill. That’s why Synth Fest MKE felt so intriguing—because here was a festival that embraced more experimental musicians. Over two days at Acme Records and Cactus Club, underrated artists dabbled in ambient sound, electronica, noise and drone, displaying the rich eclecticism of the Milwaukee music scene.
