Alright, if you’re like me, your current personality is roughly 60% Usinger’s brats, 30% Nathan’s hot dogs, and 10% whatever ice-cold Hamm’s is left in the cooler. Right now, I’m staring at my backyard grill with the same longing a Victorian widow stares at the sea, just waiting for the Brewers game on the radio and enough sunshine to justify a […]
Weight of The Truth by FOOTBALLHEAD
Looking for a perfect soundtrack to accompany a mid-day existential crisis and a $12 sandwich, look no further than FOOTBALLHEAD’s album ‘Weight of The Truth’. This album manages to capture that specific brand of “90s alt-rock nostalgia” so effectively that I halfway expected my internet to revert to dial-up while listening. It is fuzzy, melodic, […]
EP1 by Angelica
If you’re looking for a reason to neglect your responsibilities in Milwaukee this week, Angelica has provided the perfect 15-minute mini-soundtrack for taking that not-so-long walk to the bar. Their debut, EP1, is the kind of art-punk “supergroup” project that makes you wonder if the members of Lightninging, Wandering Nerve, and Swim Two Birds actually like each other or if they just […]
lost + found by snakeworld!
If the Twin Cities music scene is a localized fever dream, then snakeworld!—yes, the exclamation point is a non-negotiable part of the brand—is the high-octane alarm clock nobody asked for but everyone secretly needed. Their latest offering, lost + found, feels like the sonic equivalent of finding a crisp twenty-dollar bill in a pair of […]
News from Planet Zombie by The Notwist
The album ‘News from Planet Zombie’ by the Munich band The Notwist is a glitchy, electronic masterpiece that really meats all my expectations for moody indie-pop. While the title suggests something undead, the music is actually full of incredible energy. Tracks like “Object 11” and “Exit Strategy” have layers as complex as a well-stuffed casing, blending mechanical synths with […]
Hard Hearted Woman by Ora Cogan
Ora Cogan’s Hard Hearted Woman is the perfect soundtrack for anyone who wants to feel like a haunted orphan wandering through a neon-lit forest, which is, coincidentally exactly the vibe after a 20mg hike through the neighborhood. The album is a masterclass in “ethereal grit,” delivering vocals so smoky and reverb-drenched that you’ll start wondering […]
Everything Is Beginning to End by Known Moons
Founded in 2023 by multi-instrumentalist Andrew James, a veteran of the Milwaukee scene known for his work in Paper Holland and Flat Teeth, Known Moons has quickly established a signature sound that seamlessly blends bouncy alternative-indie rock with lush dream pop. The project’s aesthetic is further elevated by the striking cover art created by Harrison […]
The Cords by The Cords
Coming out of the small seaside town of Inverkip, Scotland, sisters Grace and Eva Tedeschi have delivered a shot of pure melodic adrenaline with their debut self-titled LP. Released via the taste-making heights of Skep Wax and Slumberland, The Cords is a masterclass in jangle-pop that feels like a sunbeam cutting through a cloudy West […]
Uni Boys by Uni Boys
If you’re looking for the sonic equivalent of a leather jacket that actually fits and doesn’t smell like a thrift store basement, look no further than the self-titled masterpiece from Los Angeles, California’s Uni Boys. These guys have managed to resurrect the ghost of 1979 power pop without making it feel like a tacky séance… […]
Clearly Cursed by PONY
Look, life is clearly a series of cosmic jokes, and PONY’s third album, Clearly Cursed, is the perfect soundtrack for when the universe decides to point and laugh at you. This record is easily one of my favorites of the year so far, mostly because it manages to wrap absolute existential dread in a layer […]