I’ve recently come to a realization: the Milwaukee music scene is incredible, and we who live here are all horribly spoiled. Case in point, the Calamity Janes and the Fratney Street Band. Mixing heart-melting vocal harmonies and tight instrumentation into pure auditory joy.
Read More...Promoting last week’s East Side Music tour in Milwaukee, local hip-hop artist, Juiceboxxx, made an appearance on the local news. The interview was awkward, the quality of the performance was terrible, and the internet blew up. While the popularity of the video will actually probably help Juiceboxxx in the end, it’s a bit of a shame to see the knee-jerk reaction so many people had to a situation pretty well beyond his control. The incident demonstrated the ugliness that sometimes happens when artists get out of their niche and into the general public. After watching the video several times, looking at Juiceboxxx’s other performances and material, I compiled the top 5 lessons we can learn from the Juiceboxxx incident.
Read More...Welcome back to the Dead Horse’s Dig Sessions. This installment features our heroes performing an original tune I Will Walk. Now if you have watched their previous Dig Session you know that I was alluding to some VERY good flat-picking in a future session. Well, the future is now.
Read More...Friends of the Dig, The Delphines, recorded a Daytrotter Session a few months back. It went live yesterday! I’m going to be honest. I’ve never been a Daytrotter member, but if there was every a reason to break that drought this might be it.
Read More...Those who know music in Milwaukee know the Jazz Estate. The venue serves as the perfect archetype for a jazz lounge – small, cozy, dimly lit, with a row of seats only inches from the musicians – and hosts the very best of traveling and local jazz, swing, and other improvised acts. Sadly, it was announced back in September that the bar was for sale and faced an uncertain future, but recent rumors indicate otherwise.
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One of the best parts about playing shows is getting to hear the other bands splitting the bill. There’s far more excellent local music out there than most people know, and I’m often more excited to share the other bands’ music than my own. Here’s a quick round-up of the local bands I enjoyed playing with the most in the last year (in no particular order), so go take a listen!
Read More...Welcome back to The Dig Sessions. Today’s episode brings us the second of three songs recorded with Mississippi Sawyer. This track, entitled Me And My Gin first recorded on 25 August 1928 by Bessie Smith, contains banjo, washtub bass, washboard, harmonica, a suitcase bass drum, and a foot tambourine. This Dig Session was recorded in the Brewers Hill neighborhood of Milwaukee Wisconsin. We hope you enjoy it.
Read More...There is going to be a great (FREE!) show Friday January 31st at the Riverwest FIlling Station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Two bands, The Dead Horses, and Myles Coyne & The Rusty Nickel Band will take this intimate venue by storm. Here is my take on it.
Read More...Welcome to the first ever installment of The Dig Sessions. The Dig Sessions is just an excuse to get out into the world, make friends, and document music. We are trying to capture all music, of all genres and musicianship levels. In our modern world of iPods and mp3s it is easy to forget that not so many years ago if you wanted to hear music you had to either play it yourself, or watch someone else play. That is the soul of The Dig Sessions, watching people play music. Single takes, no gimmicks. Just a microphone and a camera capturing REAL music with all its beautiful imperfections.
Read More...Check out the official video from Milwaukee band The Delphines. This surf pop quartet has been making a splash in the Midwest music scene and has recently rode that wave on a eastern United States tour. This is the video for their catchy song 20 – 20 – 20. The video and some more free streaming music after the jump.
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