Last month turned out to be one the city’s coldest February’s on record, astonishingly worse than the seemingly endless frigid spell during the same period last year. The local music scene didn’t show any signs of frost bite, as February turned out to be another productive month of shows, releases and music videos. Check out the top picks from last month below:
10. Devil Met Contention conjures the spirit of the Southwest on American Times EP
The dark, musky aroma of the Four Corner states infiltrates the new five-song EP from Americana group Devil Met Contention. American Times EP finds lead singer Ehson Rad at his most brooding, following along the same dusty back roads as Tom Waits and Nick Cave.
9. Breadking collective release chilling winter compilation Coal
A new four-song winter compilation from Riverwest’s Breadking collective that features new tracks from Hello Death, J.E. Sunde, Boom Forest and Chris Porterfield came out this month. Listen to the chilling release below.
8. Klassik blossoms early on Spring EP
Is winter over yet? By the new looks of this snowy morning, it’s safe to say that it’s not even close. But local rapper Klassik got a jump on the upcoming season with the release of the three-song Spring EP a few days after Groundhog Day. It marks the second effort in a string of seasonal EPs. At this pace, he might be putting out a new EP every month.
7. Surgeons in Heat debuts single from upcoming album “You Never Know”
Johnathon Mayer’s time spent in Jaill has had some effect on his personal project, Surgeons in Heat. Once a neo-soul revivalist, Mayer updates his ‘60s pop leanings with a more contemporary sound on a new single from the forthcoming full-length, Disaster. “You Never Know” sounds like a song culled straight from the Telekinesis catalog.
6. Sleater Kinney slays sold-out Riverside crowd
Reunion shows often feel like a celebration of the past. Reconvened bands tend to rely on its older material to satisfy the nostalgic crowd. After almost a 10 year hiatus, Sleater Kinney returned on stage at the Riverside Theater not with the same old cuts, but with its new, jagged scorchers from No Cities to Love. Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss proved that the decade apart didn’t dull the creative flame, it only enlivened their spirit.
5. Can’t hardly wait for The Replacements to play The Rave
Speaking of reunions, the Minneapolis alt-rock legends The Replacements announced a 13-day nationwide tour that includes a May 2 stop at The Rave. They’ve already played shows in their hometown and Chicago, but this will be their first time in Milwaukee since reuniting in August, 2013. Tickets to this hootenanny sold-out almost instantly. Color me impressed.
4. Midwives hammer through brash full-length
The debut full-length from hardcore trio Midwives hits like a forearm smash against the face. But the punishing 10-song, no-more-than-17-minute self-titled debut never outstays its welcome. Make same space around you and listen to album below.
3. Burnhearts’ outdoor music festival Mittenfest grows substantially in third year
The official Facebook attendance for Bay View’s brazen winter outdoor music festival Mittenfest was a whopping 2,700 confirmed guests. While people throughout the country complained about the freezing weather, Milwaukeeans embraced the cold and did something fun instead. It’s a credit to Burnhearts for putting on such a great festival that they had the capacity to hold that many people without them absolutely destroying the neighborhood. Besides the long line of trash bags and a few stray orange slices, a cursory glance down Potter Avenue the following day showed very little damage for something as immense as Mittenfest
2. GGOOLLDD debuts glitzy music video for “Boyz”
The unstoppable electro-pop force of GGOOLLDD broke onto the local music scene in 2014 and their domination continues this month with the premiere of the music video for “Boyz.” It feels impossible to root against the band’s sparkling enthusiasm and infectious synth-driven tunes. Watch the video below.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=APUrFggYWnA
1. Arte Para Todos fills city with music, funds three schools’ diminishing arts programs
Very few festivals emerge with as wide a scope as the 70-band, 18-venue, three-day, three-neighborhood Arte Para Todos. Initially supposed to be a one-night middle finger to Scott Walker, the event morphed into a longer, more joyous occasion—a weekend celebration of the best bands and artists that the city has to offer. It also went on to do some good, as proceeds from ticket sales raised funds for the arts programs at three area public schools.
