With summer almost closing in, it’s time to start making plans to hit up music festivals. Below are three of the best festivals the Midwest has to offer, from hip-hop in a Minnesota suburb to dubstep in the woods of Michigan. With factors such as cost and location, choosing the… Read more »

Vampire Weekend may be stuck in a perpetually losing battle to live up to those infamous first impressions left by their self–titled debut. Modern Vampires of the City is more of a confusing journey than an album. Right from the start, the first track, “Obvious Bicycle,” seems intent on lulling… Read more »

Redefined, the University of Wisconsin’s premier co-ed a cappella group, retunes music on campus with its dynamic sound and wide range of vocal styles. The group plans to give all profits from its end-of-semester concert at the Overture Center for the Arts this Friday to the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music, a… Read more »

Delta Spirit By Kevin Kousha Many of the artists at Revelry haven’t been around very long. Some, like Hoodie Allen, have found fame despite their youth and have at least a little experience under their belt. But few of the artists have little fame or records to show. Regardless, each one is… Read more »

Phoenix rises again with the release of their latest album, Bankrupt! And, luckily for fans of indie genres alike, the band offers a mature and well-refined follow up to the critically acclaimed Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.For those who may be out of the loop, Phoenix is a multidimensional, alternative indie rock band from… Read more »

The four-piece rock group Icarus The Owl is stopping through Madison on its 2013 spring tour to play at The Frequency Tuesday. Hailing from Portland, Ore., Icarus The Owl is emerging in the rock scene as they take on the challenges that come with being an independent band. Led by… Read more »

“I Want It That Way” - Backstreet Boys By Rachel Rogerson As a mere child, I was a Backstreet Boys superfan. I didn’t have time for ‘N Sync, 98 Degrees or New Kids on the Block. No, my heart belonged to the Backstreet Boys and more specifically, Nick Carter. As… Read more »

Merge reggae, funk, afrobeat and a dash of jazz catchiness and you’ve got yourself Euforquestra, a band ready to ignite the dance floor at The Frequency this Thursday. Hailing from Fort Collins, Colo., this tour-heavy band comes prepared for anything. Originally from Iowa City, Iowa, these guys have seen change… Read more »

Time to cuddle up, Badgers. It’s snowing again, meaning we must use body heat to stay warm since most of the heating is turned off for the spring. Whether it’s a man and a woman, two women or two men, these artists have come together to light a musical fire… Read more »

Since his launch in the hip hop scene, Kid Cudi has proven to be as unique as they come. Dubbed the “Lonely Stoner” early on, Kid Cudi made a name for himself and built a loyal fan base centered on his psychologically complex content and diverse track production. Coming out… Read more »

Just in case the world hasn’t had enough craziness already, K-pop star Psy — famous for his hit “Gangnam Style” that set the world ablaze with the horse dance last year — has returned with his newest single, “Gentleman.” Much like its predecessor, “Gentleman” is a lively dance track,… Read more »

You may not have heard of them, but Five Knives is ready to pack a punch opening for Twenty One Pilots this Friday at the Majestic Theatre. Don’t let Five Knives’ Nashville roots fool you. Their music is a solid blend of electronic, hip-hop and punk. The band consists of lead… Read more »

It’s been raining for a while now, and it’s time to acknowledge those poor Badger couples that just didn’t make it past spring. Yet, alas, music is an excellent outlet a broken, stabbed or viciously ripped-out heart. So, let it out; have a nice cry or scream to these songs… Read more »

Ah, springtime! That most glorious time of the year! Yes, it is finally here, bringing with it that most beautiful unpredictability of weather patterns. One day, it is sunny and the birds chirp loudly. The next, raindrops fall angrily from the sky and soak the shoes of those who wade… Read more »

Hayley Williams’ fire-bright hair is back with Paramore’s self-titled fourth album. After a nearly four-year break from releasing albums and without two original band members (lead guitarist and backing vocalist Josh Farro as well as his drummer brother Zac), Paramore changes their sound and takes music lovers by storm, experimenting… Read more »

Tyler the Creator is the Antichrist to pop music. Known for pushing and completely ignoring boundaries with regard to subject matter, his recently released album Wolf does not fail to shock fans and critics alike. Since bursting on to the scene with his hip-hop collective Odd Future, Tyler has launched… Read more »

Since Reverly Music and Arts Festival doesn’t have huge names in its lineup, students unfamiliar with the performing artists are just gonna have to get familiar with something new.We’ve compiled the top songs of each player that has music on Spotify, so just turn it on and educate yourself.… Read more »

With midterms wrapping up, it’s time to chill out and enjoy life for a few weeks before finals. What better way to let the stress melt off than to bathe in the songs society tells us aren’t “sophisticated” enough or are “generally shitty?” No. This week is our week. In the… Read more »

Love him or hate him, Lil Wayne is back with his 10th studio album, I Am Not a Human Being II. His angsty rap styling clashes with the various genres of background music creating a conflicting experience for listeners throughout the album’s entirety. Lil Wayne returns in I Am Not… Read more »

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Sallie Ford led her band onstage last night at the Majestic Theatre. She was dressed like Forrest Gump’s mother: cat eye glasses and a somewhat unflattering sweater-dress with leggings underneath. Her hair, just above her slumped shoulders, curled tight right… Read more »

From the frozen landscape of the Midwest comes a magical voice that, at its angriest, sounds like a pack of hyenas gnawing at the carcass of injustice and, at its gentlest, sounds like an arthritic butterfly perched atop a flower just as heavy raindrops begin to fall from the sky.… Read more »

Justin Timberlake is back. Seven years after FutureSex/LoveSound’s release, Timberlake delivers with an album demonstrating the maturity and sophistication he’s gained throughout all this time. The 20/20 Experience is sexy, not in the brazen, eager, carnal way FutureSex/LoveSounds is, but in the confident manner of an artist artfully demonstrating his prowess. Timberlake may… Read more »

“I’m Shipping Up To Boston” — Dropkick Murphys Kelsey Sorenson No list of St. Patty’s-inspired music is complete without a track from Dropkick Murphys, a Celtic punk rock band from Massachusetts. Their best-known song, “I’m Shipping Up To Boston,” has been featured in the soundtrack for “The Departed” and the… Read more »

Superior Webbs has established themselves as one of Wisconsin’s top rap duos with the release of The Last Dollar. Listening to the mixtape is like drinking coconut milk on a cloud of parrot feathers: It’s icy smooth and makes everything in the past seem unworthy of praise. Both members of… Read more »

After a late 2012 tour to promote their then-unreleased album Waking Season, post-rock group Caspian is back on the road again.Caspian’s last tour marked their first in three years. The group has shows booked back-to-back on many of their tour dates, and have been driving around the country hoping to… Read more »

This Friday and Saturday, bluegrass bands from all over the Midwest will perform at one venue, the Majestic Theatre. Though the time has passed to snag a two-day pass, individual tickets for each night are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. As bluegrass is growing in popularity, the… Read more »

This week’s theme is songs that use the word “sun,” as it finally peaks through to usher in Spring’s warmth.“Island in the Sun” by Weezer Taylor Lee-Clarahan Speaks for itself. “Closer to the Sun” by Slightly Stoopid Tyler Schultz Slightly Stoopid has an entire album titled Closer to the Sun… Read more »

The Minnesota band Cloud Cult released its new album Love earlier this week, capturing both new listeners and loyal fans with its inspiring and uplifting take on today’s indie rock sound. Today many songwriters and artists are focusing on more mellow beats, showcasing slow guitar intros and whispery harmonic solos.… Read more »

In David Fincher’s 2010 film “The Social Network,” Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies attend a Caribbean night party at a Harvard fraternity. A few people dance awkwardly. Small groups of people cluster together. A loop of Niagara Falls plays on a giant screen. A DJ and a man playing steel… Read more »

The Road to Paid Dues tour graced the Majestic Theatre with its presence Sunday night. The night was marked by hours of quality lyrical hip-hop while artists spared no expense in laughing and clowning with the crowd. For any night of the week, this was a wild show. The opening… Read more »

This week’s Friday Favorites theme is “Keep Calm and Jam On.” We hope these songs will get you through midterms and the cold weather as we wait for spring. Enjoy! Truckin’ - The Grateful Dead Phebe Myers While the Grateful Dead could definitely not be called pump-up music, listening to… Read more »

We’re back with the second installment of Live and Local. Hailing from North Dakota, Madison musician Thomas Skibsrud, better known as Lazydeadpoet, channels the players of Delta Blues to make his mark on the Madison music scene. The Badger Herald sat down with Skibsrud to discuss his beginnings, his style… Read more »

Over the years, Radiohead has always proven its ability to take whatever music its members are listening to and turn those influences into something entirely new. On OK Computer, the band blended the sounds of the krautrock genre, composer Krzysztof Penderecki and other musical elements. What resulted is an entirely… Read more »

Tegan and Sara performed Sunday at Madison’s Orpheum Theater, showcasing their signature harmonies and poppy alternative beats. The Canadian sisters put on an energizing show that kept the audience screaming. The Orpheum was the near-perfect setting for a Sunday night concert, with standing room for those wanting to get up close… Read more »

Chicago Afrobeat Project’s fourth studio album, Nyash Up!, will leave listeners with no other choice than to bob their heads and tap their toes to a combination of jazzy notes and unique rock beats. Ten years after Chicago Afrobeat Project debuted, the eight-member group has climbed its way to help… Read more »

Beneath all the cheery synths and seemingly upbeat melodies of Passion Pit, there lies something much deeper when one listens to the lyrics. Look at “Take a Walk,” a song from their latest album Gossamer. To a casual listener, the song would seem like nothing more than an electro-pop groove;… Read more »

Foreign Fields is a band teetering on the edge of success. The group, founded by state natives Brian Holl and Eric Hillman, started as two guys making music in West Bend and has evolved into an endeavor that touts a full-length album, tours with bands such as Counting Crows and… Read more »

We asked our writers to contribute songs they consider “epic.” That’s it. So, experience many definitions in audio form. “Changes” by 2pac, Talent Phebe Myers After a debate with my roommate about which 2pac song was more epic (“Changes” or “Keep Ya Head Up”) I went with “Changes,” my original choice. She said… Read more »

Sometimes it’s easy to predict who will win Oscar gold. Daniel Day-Lewis will most likely win Best Actor for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln this year, and Anne Hathaway’s performance in “Les Misérables” outshines everyone else in the category for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. But there are many… Read more »

To tide fans over until the release of his highly-anticipated new album, J. Cole put out “Truly Yours” last week, an honest, soul-baring mixtape. “Born Sinner,” J. Cole’s next full-length album, was originally slotted for release Jan. 28. But after pushing the deadline back in early January, there has been… Read more »

Returning from hiatus seems to be the hip thing for punk rock bands to do these days — just look at the recent revivals of Blink-182, Cute Is What We Aim For and Phantom Planet. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, pop-punk band Fall Out Boy is following suit and ready… Read more »

Welcome to another Friday Favorites! This week’s theme: Love (of course). Enjoy this surprise mix of classical romance and heartbreak, and have a Valentine’s weekend to remember. “American” by Lana Del Rey Rachel Rogerson Because I love America and I love Lana Del Rey. Everyone else should too. “Crash Into Me” by… Read more »

The Generation Wild Tour, consisting of EDM DJ’s Deniz Koyu, Danny Avila, dBerrie and Mikael Weermets, came to Madison’s Majestic Theatre Tuesday. They’ve been on tour in the U.S. for 12 days and have played eight shows so far, hitting up colleges such as Penn State and performing with Dayglow.… Read more »

The High Noon Saloon played host to Get Your Buzz Up Monday night. Get Your Buzz Up is a competition-based organization dedicated to giving striving hip-hop artists the opportunity to perform on stage. After paying an entrance fee, each emcee is allowed to showcase his or her talent in front of… Read more »

Welcome to the first installment of Friday Favorites Playlist! Every Friday the ArtsEtc. writers and editors compile the songs that were stuck in our head this week into a playlist for your weekend delight. Enjoy! Cole Meyer’s pick “High Regard” by The Story So Far I just got into this… Read more »

On its fourth visit to Madison, Big Gigantic is ready to bring back its unique mix of live instrumentals and electronic beats to re-energize a campus in the depths of winter. Big Gigantic is a duo consisting of Dominic Lalli, who plays saxophone and produces the beats, and drummer Jeremy… Read more »

LL Cool J is back for the second year as the host of the 55th Grammy Awards, airing on CBS Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Viewers can expect to be enticed with scheduled performances from Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Sting, Rihanna, The Black… Read more »

On Saturday, every rock music aficionado with Internet access let out a yelp followed by a few uncontrollable drops of urine. My Bloody Valentine had just released an album. Titled m b v, the album is a nine-song collection 22 years in the making. It is the follow-up to the… Read more »

Seven albums. 2,845,300,514 YouTube video views. 50,885,948 Facebook fans. 33,940,784 Twitter followers. 4.7 million total album sales. 22 minutes to sell out Madison Square Garden.  18-year-old Justin Bieber has already accomplished more in his young life than most musicians who have been in the industry for half a decade. Bieber… Read more »

It was an immensely frigid night Thursday as Madison’s Barrymore Theatre’s marquee shined over its dingy surroundings. A sign of shelter, warmth and entertainment, a large group of people chatted while waiting casually outside the theatre’s main entrance. The sight was reminiscent of a line for an amusement park roller… Read more »

At first listen, Yonder Mountain String Band seems like the typical bluegrass band. Despite the use of traditional strings like the banjo and mandolin, one can clearly recognize YMSB’s genre-bending elements. They infuse punk and alternative rock into bluegrass to create a sound guitarist Adam Aijala describes as “high-energy, fast… Read more »

Madison hip-hop takes another step forward with the release of Tef Man’s Feel Good Music. Tef’s powerful and contemplated vocals are accompanied by excellent production and an array of local talent in this 16-track project. This multi-faceted rapper has been heading up his own independent record label, Top of the… Read more »

When University of Wisconsin sophomore Hayden Muhs began his journey at UW, he worried he would have to choose between being an artist and being a student. As a kid, Muhs was not involved in sports or any other activities. Instead, he wrote poetry. “Poetry became my Little League,” Muhs… Read more »

Following the recent announcement of their reunion, Destiny’s Child dropped Love Songs, their first album in years, last week. Though all but one of the tracks was selected from previous works, chances are only the diehard fans will recognize many of them. Love Songs is comprised of slower, more romantic tracks… Read more »

Local Natives’ sophomore album, Hummingbird, introduces their slightly despairing content with “You & I.” Powerful vocals accompanied by marching drums guide the audience into the album with a chauvinistic entrance. The content delivered from this band’s lyrics pull at the emotional heartstrings yet still contain that shining hope, yearning for resolve. The marching… Read more »

In an effort to exhaust all band name-related puns, Thursday evening turned into “Some Night” of Fun. as students and members of the campus community came together to “Carry On” the start of the semester in celebration and remember how “We Are Young.” Wisconsin Union Directorate’s “Some Night at the… Read more »

Many garage indie bands dream of simply getting out of their parents’ basement. For Madison-based indie band Wook, they’re already well past that stage, having just released their ambitious first album: Glowstick Sidewalks, a culmination of years of work and practice.”Glowstick Sidewalks has been in the studio for nearly three months,”… Read more »

Channel Orange, Frank Ocean Ryan Rainey, Editor-in-Chief Forget for a second all of the chatter surrounding the release of Channel Orange. Forget about Odd Future. Forget about Tumblr. But remember how real the love on the album sounded. Frank Ocean gave us some of the most earnest love songs put… Read more »

It’s easy to criticize ASAP Rocky. His oftentimes superficial lyrics, pretty boy image and rapid rise to fame — from unknown Harlem rapper to YouTube sensation to rap royalty with a $3 million deal with RCA Records — leads one to question his current stature: Is Rocky truly a great… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin’s student-run a cappella group, Redefined, showcased its talent at its CD release show this past weekend. Performing a phenomenal 16 songs, Redefined captivated the audience with its large repertoire. The co-ed group, made up of all non-music majors, premiered four new songs as well as performed… Read more »

The lights on the ceiling of the Barrymore twinkled like stars over the flannel-decked crowd Saturday night. Spirits were warm as anxious showgoers waited to immerse themselves in authentic rock and roll, something Band of Horses would not fail to provide in this sold-out show. The relaxed vibe was cut… Read more »

Macklemore’s second visit to the Madison area in this up and coming rapper’s relatively short career proved a true reflection of how far he has come. Though he has been recording and performing for some time, Macklemore’s popularity has been on the rise since the viral popularity of his music… Read more »

“I didn’t actually know him before the tour, but I was played a few of his tracks and I was just like, wow, I can’t believe this kid is 19, he’s really, really talented and he’s got his own thing happening. After we started hanging out and just seeing him… Read more »

In an electronic scene where music has been reduced to the letter M and DJ booths have become DJing optional, Canadian-born, San Francisco-bred ill.Gates cuts an unusual figure. Over his nearly 20 year career, .Gates has preferred the term respect to rage, IDM to EDM and music production to theatrical… Read more »

Today’s chart-topping singles and albums are often a collision of genres. “Britain’s Got Talent” contestant band Scala blew audiences away with electric string instruments before topping charts. Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” gained popularity for its mashing of country themes with a sick dubstep drop. But it’s not… Read more »

Forming an eclectic trio of sounds, Dakotas and Little Legend opened for Turbo Fruits Sunday night. When Dakotas started its set, there were fewer than a few dozen people at the High Noon Saloon, many of them members of Little Legend and Turbo Fruits. Dakotas is a four piece group… Read more »

Sunday’s show at the High Noon Saloon provided clear evidence of a loyal following for the previously on-hiatus band Pinback. With eyes intently locked on guitarist and lead vocalist Rob Crow, many fans were singing along with just as much emotion. The band’s tour is promoting the release of its… Read more »

Field Report, named by an anagram of its front man Chris Porterfield, brought a folksy, Midwest-inspired sound to the High Noon Saloon Saturday. Photos by Phillip Balistriere.… Read more »

Robert Ellis (in red) opened for a rollicking performance by alt-country band Old Crow Medicine Show Thursday night at the Overture Center. Photos by Phillip Balistriere.… Read more »

Milwaukee’s own Field Report is a band with a lot to prove. Rarely, though, can a group make its stand as effortlessly as this one did on at Madison’s High Noon Saloon Saturday night.  The group has been out on the road in support of its self-titled album, a record… Read more »

For Derek Vincent Smith, sharing is caring. Better known as Pretty Lights, the Colorado-based artist freely distributes his unique blend of electro hip-hop soul music over the Internet for fans to download as they please. Although his Thursday night performance at the Alliant Energy Center’s Exhibition Hall was not exactly… Read more »

With the force of an F5 tornado from the deep south, the boys from Old Crow Medicine Show swept into Madison Thursday night. In a nearly two-hour set, they managed to turn the Overture Center’s Capitol Theater into a northern Grand Ole Opry. The band, armed with banjos, fiddles, guitars and… Read more »

After stopping at venues up and down the East Coast, touring in lower-central Canada and the Midwest, Richie Hawtin’s CNTRL: Beyond EDM tour finally made its much-anticipated stop in Madison Saturday to what was a particularly welcoming audience. Interestingly, Hawtin held a panel at the Madison Media Institute prior to… Read more »

Bassist Zach Smith of the band Pinback says his life as a musician is all about doing what you love.  “It’s about staying true to yourself and doing what comes naturally,” he said in an interview with The Badger Herald.  Pinback is Rob Crow on guitar and vocals, Zach Smith… Read more »

Since the opening of the Barrymore Theatre in December 1929, the music venue has served different arts-related functions in the Madison community. Its significance for the Madison entertainment scene cannot be underestimated after renowned performances at the theater, including Phish, Green Day and Dave Matthews. Steve Sperling, the theater’s general… Read more »

Recently, life has been a blur for Milwaukee-based folk band Field Report.”Everything seems to be happening pretty quickly,” said Field Report’s front man Christopher Porterfield. Porterfield formerly played with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver until branching out with Field Report, the name of which is an anagram of his last… Read more »

Coming off of a year that has seen a tour by railway, a concert DVD, an appearance on Prairie Home Companion and a new album Carry Me Back, Old Crow Medicine Show has been a very productive bunch. However busy the band might be though, founding member Christopher “Critter” Fuqua… Read more »

Maybe you’ve seen the t-shirts that say: “Flynt Flossy is my favorite rapper.” Maybe you’ve watched “Lemme Smang It” on YouTube. Maybe you’ve heard Childish Gambino’s song “F**k Your Blog.” If any of the above sounds familiar, you’ve experienced Turquoise Jeep, and tonight, you’ll be able to experience them in… Read more »

It is rare to find a musician who truly cannot be compared to anyone else. Matisyahu is one of those artists. Creating a mix of music that is part reggae, part alternative rock and part religious, he produces a blend that is certainly one of a kind. Matisyahu, known for… Read more »

State Radio, a Boston-based alt-rock trio led by Chad Stokes Urmston of Dispatch, brought head-banging political jams and activism to the Majestic Theatre this weekend. Following the light acoustic tunes of opener Sarah Jaffe, State Radio took the stage and fired up the crowd with heavier rock jams. Opening with… Read more »

“There is a lot of tension in our music,” says Orifice Vulgatron, one of the founding members of the UK rap group Foreign Beggars. “It’s just energy,” Vulgatron said in an interview with The Badger Herald, and tonight, he and fellow members Metropolis and DJ Nonames will be bringing that… Read more »

“It’s a way to say to the scene, ‘Here we are; get ready for us.’” This is how Matt Zigan, vocalist and keyboardist for the Milwaukee-based metalcore band To Paint With Fire, described the release of the band’s highly anticipated debut EP “Visions.” “We want to show everyone what we can do… Read more »

As a teenager filled with wanderlust, Chad Stokes started jumping trains. Stokes continued to ride the rails through college and once jumped freight trains across the country with his brother. Between the mountains and prairies of our great American landscape, he found inspiration. “Its just this amazing way to see… Read more »

One minute you’re a finance major, the next you’re DJing at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. While this may sound like a power lecture daydream to many, such is life for 21-year-old Justin Blau. Blau, or 3LAU as he is billed, was attending school at St. Louis’ Washington University when… Read more »

Promoting their debut album, Milo Greene came to Madison for their second time at the High Noon Saloon Saturday night. The five-piece pair played with opener Bahamas. Bahamas is more of a one-man show. The four piece set of guitar, drums and two backup singers provides a spotlight for Afie… Read more »

It took Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris more than 18 months to complete his latest album, 18 Months. Although the album’s title likely represents the duration of time Harris took to release all the album’s tracks — from the date of the televised premier of its first single, “Bounce”… Read more »

When Eduardo Urbaez was 14 years old, his mother remarried. The Venezuelan-born teenager had been living in Miami for most of his life, but his mother’s new marriage forced him to move to Spain. In this foreign country, he wished desperately to fit in and assimilate into the local culture.… Read more »

The Wallflowers are set to reboot roots-rock melodies tonight alongside material from a fresh album, leaving them energized to rock the Majestic. Featuring songs from their first studio album in seven years, along with old fan favorites, this show is likely to have something for everyone.Glad All Over is the… Read more »

The Infamous Stringdusters made another stop in Madison at the Majestic this past Friday with guests Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. Their performance continued a circuit of bluegrass bands touring regularly through Madison, with the most recognizable being Yonder Mountain String Band. Just last year, The Infamous Stringdusters opened for Yonder… Read more »

Macadelic Mac Miller: Pittsburgh rapper to headline Capitol Stage Not all of us can relate to growing up in Pittsburgh, rapping with Pharrell or releasing a mixtape at age 15. But we can all relate to being 20, smashing bottles of Hennessy and secretly loving Bright Eyes. It is this… Read more »

Madison is no stranger to big-name electronic shows, but Big Gigantic separate themselves from the pack with a unique blend of live instruments, sampling and synthey beats that’ll be pulsating from the Gilman Street stage at Freakfest this weekend. Jeremy Salken, the drummer of the Big G duo, said in… Read more »

“You know, everywhere we go we like to turn places into little road houses,” Ryan Bingham said during the first of a two-night stand at the Majestic Theatre. He lived up to his promise. Bingham, of west Texas, is known for mixing classic country with folk, as evidenced by his Grammy-winning… Read more »

The crowd was packed, and there was a distinctly eclectic feeling in the Majestic Theater last Thursday as the crowd gathered to see Mayer Hawthorne. And perhaps eclectic is the best way to describe Hawthorne fans, for the divisive disconnect between Hawthorne’s white boy charm and his soulful crooning could… Read more »

Here at the arts department, we occasionally get sent a package suspiciously shaped like a square Frisbee. Inside these packages are those lovely relics of music’s past: real CDs. Some are from local artists, some come in fancy packaging and some of them never get listened to. Cue Mix Bag… Read more »

Timeflies when you’re having fun — at least that’s what hundreds of short skirt wearin’ fans thought during the group’s appearance on campus this week. This Timeflies Tuesday night, girls dressed their best to hear Cal and Rez rev up the crowd with their eclectic beats. There was no shortage… Read more »

Lights! Purple! Lasers! Pink! Paint explosion! Bass drop! Alcohol! Uninhibited libido! Dancing robot! More alcohol! Trampolines! Neon acrobats! Bigger paint explosion! D-d-d-d-d-drop the bass! The subjects of those short, fragmented sentences are what keep EDM devotees going. Mention to a dubstep-head the words “lasers” and “bass drop” in the same… Read more »

If you happened to be at the High Noon Saloon at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night, you may or may not have expected several things. Swinging guitars? Yes. Chest-thumping drums? Most definitely. Bass so sick it hums the floor? Why not? Electric tunes that you can feel in the very… Read more »

Genius or insane? There is a fine line to draw between the two, one that artists have towed since the dawn of self-expression. Yoni Wolf, front man and songwriter for Why?, isn’t helping make any distinctions. Wolf comes off as a literary savant in his writing and delivery with wordplay… Read more »

Crowds at hip-hop concerts are notoriously unenergetic. Oftentimes regardless of an artist’s onstage energy, the crowd will simply bob their heads, carefully avoiding any hip motions or movements that could be perceived as “dancing.” This lack of energy could inherently stem from the genre itself: Rappers often focus on exuding… Read more »

The indie rock/progressive band Wook, based out of Madison, is planning to host a benefit concert at the Majestic Theatre to spread awareness about lung cancer in the Madison community. Conceived among school friends in Madison, Wook began as a hobby between like-minded students. “The founding three members went to high… Read more »

It’s a little early to discuss candidates for album of the year as it is only October, but I am going to go ahead and throw progressive metal band Periphery’s sophomore effort, the hilariously named Periphery II: This Time It’s Personal, in for consideration. Seeing as the album came out… Read more »

On Saturday night, an army wearing flannel shirts, unkempt beards, designer glasses and skinny jeans invaded the Majestic Theater to welcome an event some hipsters may declare as more important than their weddings: The Dirty Projectors were playing. The general public probably couldn’t care less, but they most likely haven’t… Read more »

With the release of their fourth studio album, Battle Born, The Killers have moved into a new stage in the band’s lifetime — middle age. But they’ve averted crisis this time; it’s the same old Brandon Flowers and company delivering anthems, ballads and powerful guitar movements. Battle Born is somewhat… Read more »

ArtsEtc. Editor Allegra Dimperio live tweeted Tuesday night’s Dillon Francis concert! Dillon Frances in 140 characters or less on Storify.… Read more »

For the untrained or simply uninterested ear, all electronic music has a tendency to sound the same, with Avicii happily chilling in the same boat as Skrillex and Steve Aoki. For those who use “electronic music” not as an umbrella term but as the only term, words like electro house,… Read more »

On a chilly, quiet Sunday evening, Madisonians patiently awaited folk rock lord Conor Oberst to roll into town. Good-hearted, flannel wearing folksters of the Midwest gathered at Capitol Theater where the Overture Center for the Arts hosted the beloved, all-American singer-song writer for a night of nostalgic reflection spanning a… Read more »

Tomorrow night, New Orleans-based rock band Mutemath will make their return to Madison at the Majestic Theater with Civil Twilight and Quiet Entertainer. Having played the venue before, Mutemath is looking to present something new. “We’ve got some new songs, a new guitarist since the last time we were in… Read more »

It’s Tuesday, and any audiophile knows what that means: new album releases! In the modern digital age, the fare is rarely as climactic as it should be. After all, most everything has leaked somewhere before its release date. The only exception here occurs when the release date gets pushed back,… Read more »

I can’t claim to be an expert of world music, but if you’ve heard of Loreena McKennitt, Sigur Ros or Jonathan Overby, we are probably on similar terms. That being said, I have never been to the Madison World Music Festival before, and therefore, I attended each concert with no… Read more »

When most of us think of foreign music, our mind either goes blank or we think of tribal music we were forced to listen to in an anthropology class. While the music video for Chilean band Astro’s “Ciervos” is also reminiscent of anthro with its shirtless, pelt-wearing characters running amok… Read more »

Sometimes it’s best to describe an album by listing what it’s not. In the case of Animal Collective’s Centipede Hz, the experience is not tangible, it’s not aromatic, nor does it have a taste. But the last two senses, sight and sound, are wholly accounted for. The band has… Read more »

Electropop duo Teengirl Fantasy just released their sophomore album Tracer, but the sounds are intentionally anything but hot off the shelf. Snubbing the scripted hooks and builds of today’s popular electronic, the band’s commitment to spontaneous, live mixing led them to an album that sounds more like a nod to… Read more »

Careening through dense fog under a full moon in the rural, mountainous region of Southeastern Minnesota had all the makings of a horror movie. Rough gravel roads and cornfields broken up only by a cemetery and dilapidated barns made the trip all the more nerve-wracking. Finally, a hairpin turn leading… Read more »

Ask anyone who has seen a Flaming Lips show to describe it, and you’re bound to hear something along the lines of incredible, indescribable, or completely and utterly weird. Their performance Friday at Warner Park for the inaugural Pondamonium was no exception. Before their set, a peek behind the stage revealed… Read more »

Garbage’s show at the first-ever Pondamonium on Aug. 9 was necessarily different from all the others on their world tour. It was almost, to avoid a word that rhymes with “dome-slumming,” a civic endeavor, an enactment of an intense experience of locality. Duh. Because Garbage is the biggest, coolest band… Read more »

When Neon Indian regretfully informed fans that they would have to stop playing just one song into their set, their Lollapalooza crowd started murmuring. When a few minutes later an announcement was made that all attendees had to evacuate due to impending weather, the murmur turned into a dull roar.… Read more »

With 94.1 JJO Band Camp just days away, we caught up with headliner Korn’s drummer Ray Luzier during a sound check in Montana to chat about the band’s latest album, their current tour and what to expect from their set on Saturday. Badger Herald: Tell us about your new album,… Read more »

Midwest dubstep and electronic fans will get a little taste of “Minnesota nice” with the first annual Infrasound Music Festival — a weekend-long campout in Houston, Minn. Summer’s end and the grind of school are closer than we care to think about, and Infrasound offers a weekend romp to listen… Read more »

On a Monday morning, some 10,000 cars inched their way out of the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich. Among the line of cars leaving the ranch’s campsite were license plates from Maryland, New Jersey, Colorado, Mississippi, Texas and even California. The cars, VW vans and pickups were stocked with… Read more »

Local grunge rock quartet Garbage of ‘90s fame will make its way back to Madison as part of the Pondamonium music festival Aug. 9. We caught up with them during the European leg of their 2012 tour to discuss their past, their present tour and their upcoming Madison date where… Read more »

The Zac Brown Band has many reasons to be excited. The American country band has been up for dozens of nominations for numerous music awards and has won a few along the way, including Best New Artist at the Grammys in 2010, followed by another Grammy in 2011. Most recently, the band… Read more »

Named after a sport known for being preppy, traditional and not in any way rugged, Denver-based band Tennis is not aptly titled. And in Tennis (the band), love isn’t nothing; love is everything. Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, who together make up Tennis, decided to wed at a young age… Read more »

While right now you likely have either Fresh Prince’s “Summertime” or Europe’s “The Final Countdown” on repeat, chances are you’ll be wanting a little more variety after you’ve handed in that last final. That’s what we’re here for. ArtsEtc. has searched high and low to bring you the best that… Read more »

Many have seen the people ambling down streets with their hands in the air and glow sticks on their necks. Those witnesses have seen dubstep. During the past several months, Madison has seen big-hitting bass purveyors like Rusko and Bassnectar paint the town neon. Tonight, we have another contender for… Read more »

“She hates a lot of things that I do but she’s my woman, boy. My woman, and do you know why? Because she needs a man, a real man — not some gutless boy” — “Mudhoney” (1965). Recalling the conflict between an abusive husband and his wife in the film… Read more »

In a world full of auto-tune and reverb, it is harder than ever to come by music in its least adulterated form. Yet concertgoers will have a chance to hear contemporary music without all the squeaky-clean production at the University of Wisconsin’s coed a cappella group Redefined’s spring show this Friday.… Read more »

Fountains of Wayne has come a long way since its 2003 pop hit “Stacy’s Mom.” For many of us, the band may seem like a one-hit wonder that rocked our middle school dances, but after catching up with band member Chris Collingwood this past week, it is apparent these guys have… Read more »

Jack White’s first solo album is basically what longtime followers would expect. But don’t let that turn you away from said effort, titled Blunderbuss. On it, White continues to expand his sound from its stripped-down roots in garage rock to a more rounded style of music. Blunderbuss kicks off with… Read more »

The Wisconsin Union Theater is not the typical place for mosh pits, especially at a Sara Bareilles concert. So it was no surprise that although everyone seemed excited for a great show, there was a relatively low-key atmosphere at the venue Saturday while people patiently waited in line to be… Read more »

Bassnectar (a.k.a. Lorin Ashton) has been called the King of Bass, the Lazer Bass God and the Lord of Dubstep. While he is undeniably worthy of these titles for his music, Lorin as a human being may be more worthy of the title of Benevolent Shaman of Bassheads. “My ideal… Read more »

With the most fitting name in the music business, fun. hopes to bring a great time to the Majestic Theatre’s stage Wednesday night as it stops on its nationwide headlining tour.The band is the combined brainchild of The Format’s Nate Ruess, Steel Train’s Jack Antonoff and Anathallo’s Andrew Dost. The… Read more »

Two masked men stand hunched over, facing each other from opposite sides of back-to-back tables, looking as if they are intently conducting an experiment in a Technicolor-lit laboratory. One flicks a switch here, the other adjusts a knob there, with both scurrying from apparatus to apparatus, bobbing their heads as… Read more »

Nicki Minaj is back and as unhinged as ever in her latest release, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. While Reloaded contains its fair share of missteps into R&B vocalism, the album’s diverse beats and provocative lyrics deliver a product well worth a listen. The album’s namesake, Roman Zolanski, appears frequently on… Read more »

Diplo and Chiddy Bang brought the crowd to their feet this Tuesday night at Majestic Theatre, energizing a full house of fans with solid beats, stage dives, and glow sticks. Madison was the first stop on the Axe One Night Only tour which plays surprise concerts at college campuses nationwide.… Read more »

Just after 11 p.m. on Sunday night, a steady stream of sweaty bodies poured out of Miami’s Bayfront Park, some dragging their dirty furry boot-clad feet, others still dancing shirtless to the beat that played on in their heads. Roughly 165,000 electronic music fans clogged Biscayne Boulevard for the last… Read more »

Next month marks the 10-year anniversary of the official release of Wilco’s classic and era-defining album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. For the last several years, critics have cited the record as one of the most important works of 21st century music. Pitchfork ranked it as the fourth-best album of the decade, probably… Read more »

“The ‘Queen’ is back, the ‘Queen’ is back!” Since the February release of Madonna (Madonna Louise Ciccone)’s first single “Give Me All Your Luvin,’” Madonna fans have been plastering the internet with this proclamation. But the biggest question is “Since when was Madonna ever ‘gone?’” Today marks the release of… Read more »

David Guetta. Armin van Buuren. Tiësto. Avicii. Skrillex. And those are just the household names. What sounds like a name drop from DJ Mag’s Top 100 list is in fact just a few of the headliners at this year’s Ultra Music Festival. Yes, Ultra is back and it’s bringing its… Read more »

One gets the feeling that The Shins were trying for a grand statement on their latest album, Port of Morrow. From the album’s arc — morose to uplifted and back again — to the coy title that seems right at home on a list of euphemisms with “the great beyond”… Read more »

With laid-back beats and a slow methodical sense of rhyming, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (a.k.a. Odd Future), has released an album titled The Odd Future Tape Vol. 2. The rap group from L.A. has been recently placed on the mainstream map since the group’s leader, Tyler, The Creator,… Read more »

Andrew Bird is nearly 40 and has been a professional musician for almost 20 years. His career has not been riddled with hiatuses, endless side projects or significant drama of any kind. He has never gone more than three years without releasing an album. With every release he pushes his… Read more »

Everyone knows a pessimist — a lamenter of everyday life that can’t find the bright side of a desk lamp and then asks you to turn it off so it doesn’t hurt his eyes. Generally they are a guaranteed buzz-kill and the last person you want to listen to. Pessimist… Read more »

With the “Downton Abbey” season finale more than a week past, viewers of the Public Broadcasting Service will be searching for high-brow entertainment to fill the void left by the Crawley family and all its scandals. Singer songwriter Don McLean — most known for writing the complex and timeless “American… Read more »

They are young. They are obscure. And they have a lot more composing to do before they’re widely recognized. But at the rate they are moving, they are likely to exceed expectations. Just who are “they”? Three French musicians who call themselves Juveniles. In the year they’ve been working together,… Read more »

This weekend, Leeds dub-stepper Rusko (Christopher Mercer) wobbled his way through a two-hour set at the Orpheum Theater. Although his music lacked diversity, Rusko proved he knows how to keep a crowd invested for an entire show of rib-shaking bass. Plenty of people showed up in their rave gear, some… Read more »

STEVE AOKI: “I’m just in the business of music and everything that it involves.” Those were the words of California-based producer-turned-DJ Steve Aoki, who took some time out of his second day off in 32 days to chat with The Badger Herald about his upcoming show at the Orpheum. Even… Read more »

A year-and-a-half in the making, the much-anticipated Some Nights hit shelves and the iTunes store Tuesday. Fun. fans everywhere were more than ready. This new album from the boys of fun. — Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost — has been generating buzz since the band’s first single “We… Read more »

Carnaval came to Madison this weekend for a two-night party at the Majestic Theatre. The venue welcomed celebrants of the 2000-year-old festival that has achieved world recognition for its mind-blowing spectacle. Although the theater could not hope to contain the towering floats that parade through the streets of Rio every… Read more »

From the baritones to the sopranos, every a cappella group on campus came together Saturday night for the fifth annual Wisconsin A Cappella Showcase at the Memorial Union Theater. Fundamentally Sound, an all-male ensemble, kicked off the night clad in crimson button-downs and cream suspenders. The opening number was the… Read more »

Along with the chocolate and flowers, this past Valentine’s Day was the release date for Arrow, the newest offering by The Heartless Bastards. Their first album on Partisan records, and produced in the home recording studio of Spoon’s Jim Eno, Arrow was released accompanying the hype of both the fans… Read more »

In a triumphant return to Madison, the Heartless Bastards show at the High Noon Saloon rested on fusing opposing forces — garage rock with country, gritty blues with a pared-down Midwestern sensibility — unique characteristics which have made them a band to watch since their debut. The Bastards’ crowd at… Read more »

Sims Delaney-Potthoff may be Madison’s only gypsy jazz mandolin player. He might also be this city’s hippest 50-something musician. Clad in red Chuck Taylors and cargo pants, he has both the look and energy of a younger man. Interestingly, Delaney-Potthoff gets his youthful vitality from a relatively old genre of… Read more »

The Heartless Bastards have a considerable amount of soul. Their music has an infectious, warm, bluesy sound they’ll be bringing to the High Noon Saloon this Saturday night, along with Hacienda and Little Legend. While they’ve gone under the radar of some music lovers, the Heartless Bastards have stayed together… Read more »

In 1964, the Beatles made their American debut after the massive success of the song “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Forty-eight years to the week after the British Invasion, the two surviving members of one of the most famous bands in history, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, have released… Read more »

It takes just one minute to get into Feed Me’s newest EP, Escape from Electric Mountain. At approximately 1:08, the beat drops on the album’s first track “Trapdoor,” spiraling into the glitchy, in-your-face, knob-spinning breakdown Feed Me has built his sound around. Escape from Electric Mountain is the British DJ’s… Read more »

With an inspiring mix of acoustic piano and circuit-bending, jazz pianist Marco Benevento will take the stage in a solo concert at Redamte Coffee House Friday. Innovative and imaginative, Benevento takes jazz to a whole new level by mixing his piano skills with raw sound from amplified instruments such as Casio keyboards… Read more »

East Coaster Sharon Van Etten is no stranger to Madison, having played shows in town less than a year ago. Those who’ve seen her live may have fallen in love with her folksy, non-presumptuous vocals, but her latest album, Tramp, brings a diverse array of sounds. The songs range from… Read more »

While listening to the latest album by Skrillex, Bangarang, I find my foot tapping and my head nodding along with the beat. The longer I listen, the harder it is to resist the urge to dance around the room in what I imagine to be the only way suitable —… Read more »

Just a day before Lana del Rey performed her now-infamous two-song set on Saturday Night Live, I sat down with my roommates to watch “That Thing You Do,” the 1996 film about a 1960s one-hit-wonder called “The Oneders.” Their story seems oddly parallel to del Rey’s quick rise and her… Read more »

Earlier this month Gary Lightbody and the members of Snow Patrol released Fallen Empires, their sixth studio album. With so much prior international attention surrounding the Irish band, it’s accomplished nearly everything a band sets out to do. The group has won awards like Best British Band and Best Irish… Read more »

Any attempt to categorize Bombay Bicycle Club is now utterly futile with the release of its third album, A Different Kind of Fix. Although not as jarring of a shift as the band’s strictly acoustic second album, Flaws, BBC still managed to surprise fans by expanding beyond the guitar-centered… Read more »

He opened for Bassnectar on New Year’s Eve 2011. He’s pals with Pretty Lights. The label he founded just sent Two Fresh on 41 tour dates with Skrillex. While the name Paper Diamond may not yet be on your radar, the producer/performer/man about Boulder is undeniably making his mark on… Read more »

“Hardcore. Metal. Fast. Powerful. Energetic.” If a thousands words are worth a picture, what about just five? They evoke images of sheer aggression, passion, excitement and perhaps just a hint of danger. These are the words that guitarist Wayne Lozinak used to describe his band, Hatebreed. Since releasing its landmark… Read more »

Bon Iver plays to a sold out crowd at the Orpheum Theatre, supported by British singer/songwriter Lianne La Havas.… Read more »

The High Noon Saloon hosted Jansport’s Unzipped Battle of the Bands Wednesday. The five competing bands reminded audience members of an unsigned indie scene that refuses to make “Indie” music. As such, the hipster population of Madison was refreshingly underrepresented at the show. The event brought together four local bands… Read more »

Late last week, Philadelphia neo-soul band The Roots breathed a sigh of relief. The group feared it would be released from its ongoing two-year gig as house band for “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” after a live TV stunt involving 2012 presidential candidate-hopeful Michele Bachmann and the song “Lyin’ Ass… Read more »

Take one part metal guitar, one dash of lasers, one crowded dance floor and two Israeli DJs. Shake well, and serve hot. That about sums up the recipe for Wednesday’s Infected Mushroom show at the Majestic, an event that set glass rattling and heart rates racing. Infected Mushroom producer/keyboardist Erez… Read more »

It’s been three long years since anyone has heard from Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree as a whole. The group’s five MCs and two producers have been hard at work on solo projects, each with their own flavors. In No Kings, the seven flavors have finally reunited in synergy to create… Read more »

Listen up, Madison — Friday and Saturday nights (Dec. 2 and 3), the University of Wisconsin MadHatters are performing at the Orpheum Theater at 8 p.m. The premier men’s a cappella group at UW has put together roughly an hour and a half of all types of music, including Christmas,… Read more »

Infected Mushroom members Amit “Duvdev” Duvdevani and Erez Eisen are not your typical Top 25 DJs. They’re not European, they’re not pretty boys and you would never mistake their music for house. Yet the Israeli duo has been in the electronic scene longer than most of us have even known… Read more »

This week marks the release of recording artist Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty)’s sixth studio album, Talk That Talk. Originally from Barbados, the 23-year-old has won four Grammys and sold over 20 million albums in just seven years. Her successes have placed her in the arena of superstars like Madonna and… Read more »

Many musicians, especially those with more of an unconventional sound, are often lumped into a broad and ambiguous category of music. Sometimes critics want to get fancy, so they come up with categorical names like “alternative rock” and “British pop.” The category of singer-songwriter encompasses artists as far-ranging as Bob… Read more »

Girl in a Coma is part of a rare breed of music these days: the female punk band. With heavy bass lines and the deep vocal stylings of bassist/back-up vocalist Jenn Alva, the trio achieves a unique sound at once identifiable as punk, but distinctly original. The group is on… Read more »

There is always something to be said for controlling your own destiny. Rather than let others control their fate, members of Chicago punk band AM Taxi took a step in early February that would have brought most to their knees: They walked out on their major label contract with Virgin… Read more »

Made up of 26 singers/dancers, instrumentalists and tech staff members, the Wisconsin Singers perform roughly 40 shows a year — a challenging feat to balance considering the rigorous academic curriculum of UW-Madison. Their hard work has readied them for the performance of their show, STARSTRUCK!, on Friday. The show will… Read more »

Fans everywhere have been listening to Drake’s new album, Take Care, after it was leaked on the internet just over a week before its official Nov. 15 release date. Take Care is Drake’s second album; his first album, which debuted in 2010, was titled Thank Me Later. Though Drake is… Read more »

Earlier this month, Canadian recording artist and teen pop sensation Justin Bieber released his first Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe. This album combines original tracks by Bieber as well as famous covers that include collaborations with other singers, such as Usher. Since the release of his first albums, My World and… Read more »

In the multi-year hip hop calendar, 2011 is the Year of Self-Conscious, Ironic Regurgitation of Themes. The brooding musings of Tyler the Creator and Drake’s continuous omphaloskepsis are fun, but with the release of Childish Gambino’s first commercially produced album Camp, listeners should question if this new crop of artists… Read more »

The most recent album by indie band Los Campesinos!, called Hello Sadness, is defined by its gloominess. Los Campesinos! members belt out song after song filled with a depressing compilation of words. In “Life is a Long Time,” one of 10 tracks debuting on the band’s new album, Los Campesinos!… Read more »

Known for his twisted, unfathomable cinematic creations among film buffs, David Lynch came out with a musical project this week that can have no effect but to astound listeners. The album, aptly titled Crazy Clown Time, is not Lynch’s first project outside film, but for some might pose a surprising… Read more »

Florence + the Machine truly is a machine at creating great albums. Florence Welch’s voice shines especially in the band’s newest album, Ceremonials, which came out Tuesday. The lead single from the album, “Shake It Out,” is catchy and inspirational. It is a feel-good song that audiences of all types will… Read more »

The king has been resurrected quite successfully. The Portland-based Indie folk rock band The Decemberists have produced a mostly acoustic six-track EP titled Long Live the King, due out today on Capitol Records. As the title indicates, Long Live the King was recorded around the same time as the group’s… Read more »

At 12:20 on Sunday morning, a cheer swelled from the crowd of sweaty, costumed coeds at Segredo. The ghosts, teenage mutant ninja turtles, slutty fill-in-the-blanks, kandi kids and club-goers stopped churning for a moment and looked up: Wolfgang Gartner had finally arrived. The Top 100 DJ opened his set with… Read more »

When one hears the name Nick Carter in the music business, it’s difficult not to think of the fourth member of the Backstreet Boys. It’s no wonder the American rapper of the same name, to avoid needless, embarrassing confusion—goes by Murs. Murs has been a crucial member of the rap… Read more »

That’s right, folks: In an inspired programming move, WUD Music Committee booked both Neon Indian and Kreayshawn to perform tonight for free at The Sett in Union South. Despite a Freakfest lineup that merely demonstrates just how out of touch its organizers are with modern music, Madisonites can look forward… Read more »

The seasonal pumpkin-carving, candy corn eating and evening trips to haunted houses are cut down more and more with age and will be quickly coming to an end with Halloween approaching on Monday. For now, though, the number one question seems to be, “What is your Halloween costume?” For those… Read more »

There is a strong likelihood that, by the time The Ready Set performs at Freakfest, you will be inebriated. Drunk, high, hungover tired and a plethora of other options are available to Freakfest patrons. You need only pick your poison and indulge. The pulsating sounds of generic rap, 2002-era pop… Read more »

You’re probably going to Freakfest this weekend. And, as such, you’re probably wondering: Should I go to All Time Low and enjoy their music, act reasonably throughout the concert and just generally enjoy myself? Or, should I go to All Time Low and dance in a manner inconsistent with human… Read more »

Just four years ago, California-born Joey Youngman made a name change. The then-25-year-old producer ditched the moniker “Deep House” and chose the pseudonym “Wolfgang Gartner” for his new project as a DJ. The rest, as they say, is history. Wolfgang Gartner has played Ibiza, Ultra, Electric Daisy Carnival, the UK’s… Read more »

Since its 1998 rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas” went viral on YouTube in 2006, the a cappella group Straight No Chaser has been gaining popularity all over the Midwest. The group will appear for the first time in Madison tonight at the Overture Center. The 10-man a cappella group… Read more »

Jane’s Addiction has never really been comfortable with its place in music. Emerging in the late ’80s, its style never fit the “grunge” label. Embraced by hipsters and critics, the group released two albums before band infighting tore its members apart. Intermittent reunions over the next decade eventually led to… Read more »

Nostalgia is not something to be taken lightly. Sometimes, a rush to move on to the next big thing leaves something bigger and better behind. Nearly a decade after their smash hit “Ocean Avenue,” Jacksonville, Florida’s favorite sons Yellowcard have returned with their seventh studio album, When You’re Through Thinking,… Read more »

M83, the pseudonym of French electronic musician Anthony Gonzalez, takes the name of a spiral galaxy 15 million light-years from your nearest Spotify-playing device. That’s a pretty ambitious out-of-this-world name fitting for the artist’s equally ambitious album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. To promote the album, Gonzalez repeatedly has emphasized how Hurry… Read more »

Occasionally, an album seems to come of nowhere at just the right time. Real Estate’s Days certainly didn’t come out of nowhere; the meticulous song structures attest to that, along with the fact that it’s been a year or so since their last LP. But as for timing, a few… Read more »

You might know Das Racist as the guys who made “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell” a couple of years ago, but as they’ll demonstrate Wednesday at the High Noon Saloon, these indie rappers are more than just “those guys.” Music critics often talk about Das Racist’s lyrical critiques of… Read more »

When Kurt Cobain died of a drug overdose in 1994, the music world was almost immediately given a new savior in Noel Gallagher. He and his brother, Liam, brought music directly inspired by the nihilistic energy of grunge and the psychedelic elements of the Beatles into the world. They had… Read more »

While most people have never heard the name Chris Taylor before now, Grizzly Bear definitely rings some bells in indie kids’ ears all over the country. Taylor gained prominence as bassist, back-up vocalist and producer of the hipster flagship’s last two records. Last month he released his debut solo album,… Read more »

I have never heard anything remotely like William Shatner’s music. I’ve listened to opera, metal, dub, spoken word and everything in between. Until a few days ago, I considered myself very musically literate. But this was until I heard Shatner’s latest album, Seeking Major Tom. The album is enthralling, and… Read more »

4 out of 5 stars For an album named after a theory that claims humans have an instinctive bond to other organisms, Biophilia is surprisingly tied to modern technology. Rather than focusing on organic means of musical construction, Bjork’s eighth album was recorded partly with the use of an iPad… Read more »

It’s easy to forget Brett Dennen has been making music for more than a decade when listening to him speak. His soft-spoken rasp calls to mind a recently retired altar boy more than a 31-year-old folk musician who’s put out four studio albums. The Badger Herald caught up to him… Read more »

In 1985, Russell Carter initially rejected the Indigo Girls’ (Amy Ray and Emily Saliers) request for him to be their manager. He thought these female folk-rocking guitarists from the suburbs of Atlanta were unlikely to get a record deal. The reason? He thought that their lyrics were “immature.” Now,… Read more »

The Majestic is gearing up for a night of raw sound and dance music Thursday as Digital Tape Machine and Umphrey’s McGee team up for a live concert. A rather new band on the scene, Digital Tape Machine has been together for a less than a year. “We really just… Read more »

It has been more than 50 years since Paul McCartney, the mop-haired boy with the puppy-dog eyes, emerged as a part of The Beatles. Today he still reigns as an iconic piece of the pop music world. Since his solo debut in 1970, McCartney has grown to achieve even more… Read more »

Star rating: 3.5 out of 5 The old cliché is “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Many artists are weary of changing their sound because they are afraid of losing their audience. But like the daring few, singer/songwriter Leslie Feist believes just because something is crocheted into a pillow… Read more »

Irish singer/songwriter Imelda May started performing in pubs and bars in Dublin when she was just 16 years old. Tonight, 21 years later, Imelda May will perform in Madison at the Majestic Theater. Imelda May’s show is a unique blend of many different types of music. “I’d say it’s… Read more »

In 1984, pioneering punk band Black Flag released their third album, Family Man. Its A-side consisted of nothing but spoken word pieces, while its B-side covered the usual hard-and-fast punk that the band was known for. Twenty-five years later, Michigan based quintet La Dispute has combined the two styles of… Read more »

Hip-hop artist Wale brings his D.C.-grown music to the Orpheum stage Monday. The show, the second stop on his Ambition tour, will also feature artist Black Cobain. Best known for the singles “Chillin’” and “Pretty Girls” off his first album, Attention Deficit (2009), and more recently for “Bad Girls Club”… Read more »

Chris and Oliver Wood often enjoyed playing their music together at family gatherings. Now, that hobby has formed into a career for the two musicians, to form the band playing at Madison’s Majestic Theater Sunday night, The Wood Brothers. “We were able to connect socially and musically; it was… Read more »

For the first time in eight years, Blink-182 has come out with a new album. Titled Neighborhoods, the album features 10 tracks and is jam-packed with emotions. It was a rocky eight years for the band, but Neighborhoods does its best to capture all the feelings that the band has been… Read more »

According to drummer Kyle Burns, the members of Forever the Sickest Kids are a “diverse group of dudes” when it comes to music taste. This Thursday, the pop-punk band will come to Madison as part of its campus tour. The show, called the AT&T VIP Neon Party, will be free… Read more »

Wisconsin-bred, UW-educated Nika Roza Danilova, better known as Zola Jesus, is set to release her third full-length album, Conatus, next Tuesday. In it, she showcases opera-trained vocals and apocalyptic fascination more than ever. But for the love of Jesus — Zola Jesus — don’t call it a doomsday opera. It… Read more »

As separate artists, Grieves and Budo seem to have arrived from two entirely different ends of the spectrum: Grieves is a hip-hop artist originally from Colorado, while Budo is a Brooklyn-based composer and multi-instrumentalist. But as a collaborative team, they create a musical style that is seamless and distinct. The… Read more »

3 Stars out of 5 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s best music evokes its band name. It’s exuberant and hyper and attention-commanding and doesn’t pause for commas. After becoming darlings of the indie rock world with its self-released, self-titled debut, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah released the muddled, experimental Some Loud Thunder… Read more »

Get ready to learn, dance, eat and be a part of a culturally enriching experience — and you won’t even have to book a flight to a foreign country. On Friday, Sept. 23, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) and the Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee will put on their… Read more »

Grab ahold of something buoyant, Madison — Tiesto is coming to Madison Thursday night, and the trance waves are going to drown your face and turn you into a flounder all floppin’ around on the cement floor of the Alliant Energy Center. Dutch producer Tiesto chose Madison as the kickoff… Read more »

Singer-songwriter Mason Jennings will kick off the fall tour of his new album, Minnesota, this Thursday at the Majestic Theatre. Jennings, whose album was released Sept. 13, started writing it with no vision at all, yet he knew it was headed somewhere great. “At the outset I was just trying… Read more »

Die-hard fans who can mentally trace the route Heems and Kool A.D. follow to find their trusty hypeman Dap in the “Who’s That? Brooown!” music video surely couldn’t “Relax” waiting for the latest from Das Racist to drop. But for many, the jury’s still out. Some relegate the Brooklyn trio… Read more »

If you dug… Mickey Avalon, you’ll dig Hoodie Allen — Born in Old Bethpage, NY, Hoodie Allen brings the same funny hooks and lively rhythms to the table that we all loved to hear in Mickey Avalon’s tracks like “Mr. Right” in the early 2000’s. The Jewish rapper’s name reflects… Read more »

It has been some time since the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers has seen the spotlight. Its last album, Stadium Arcadium, was released in 2006, and after its world tour for the album concluded in 2007, the group decided to take a break. Anthony Kiedis, along with co-founding… Read more »

Rap fans need not wait any longer; Tha Carter IV is here. Lil Wayne’s newly released album has been a long time coming. After the success of his previous album Tha Carter III, which featured such hits as “A Milli” and “Lollipop,” Lil Wayne began work on Tha Carter IV.… Read more »

Sweden is so underrated in spite of all its creative outpourings and innovations. The Swedes have introduced the Nobel Prize, dynamite, loads of death metal, ’70s pop-group ABBA and, of course, indie-rock trio Peter Bjorn and John. This trio’s hit “Young Folks” exploded onto the American indie-rock scene in 2006.… Read more »

Picture a world where Madison’s minority hipster population suddenly becomes the norm — where waif girls, mustached men and barefoot hippies of all ages coexist peacefully amid a bounty of cigarettes and marijuana. Chicago’s Union Park provides one such “yuppie utopia” during Pitchfork Music Festival each summer; a safe haven… Read more »

I first met Thurston Moore through Questlove. Ok, so we didn’t really meet, and I don’t really know Questlove either. But it was because of a tweet by The Roots band member, saying “thurston moore is wearing the riskiest tshirt ive ever seen on broadcast tv…gangsta move son,” that I… Read more »

When music blogs and critics alike start comparing you to song poet Patti Smith or Chan Marshall’s Cat Power, you know you’re doing something right. EMA, a.k.a Erika M. Anderson, may not be on everyone’s indie hit list just yet, but like the songstresses before her who have developed a… Read more »

When the name “Jesus” is part of a musician’s stage moniker, they better have the chops to live up to their almighty presence. With a voice that haunts, sounding like it’s seemingly struck from the heavens, Zola Jesus — née Nika Roza Danilova, a former UW Madison student and Merrill,… Read more »

When a band loses a central member, it’s like the body losing a major organ — the show goes on, but it doesn’t feel the same. In April, Brooklyn-based alt-rockers TV On The Radio said goodbye to their bassist, Gerard Smith, who died suddenly at age 36 of lung cancer.… Read more »

Baths…Blake…Battles-tar Galactica. Something tells me Dwight Schrute would be pleased with Pitchfork Music Festival’s 2011 lineup. The band to zero in on for the time being is the former: Baths. He’s only 21 and has already accomplished much more than the right to legally drink: The L.A. native has two… Read more »

Pitchfork 2011, a three day affair, will feature an astounding 45 artists and groups ― some of which you’ve heard of, and some that can only be recognized by the most delicately trained of hipster ears. It’s likely that no one performance will define the experience for festival-goers. However, watching… Read more »

Summerfest — Milwaukee – June 29 - July 3 and July 5 - 10 Whether you’re in it for the bounty of “free” stages, stunning array of headliners or 11 days’ worth of corn on the cob, Summerfest is a Sconnie must-see this summer. Milwaukee has another music festival earlier… Read more »

It’s slightly tempting to want to reference cake when talking to Xan McCurdy, a member of the alternative rock band that shares the same name. But within moments of McCurdy’s interview with The Badger Herald, Cake’s lead guitarist mentioned a different type of dessert, ice cream. And in this case,… Read more »

You’ve heard of Thirsty Thursday, but just in time for finals week — and giving enough of a recovery time from Mifflin — The Project Lodge will be serving up a new excuse to drink on a weekday, with its second run of “Whiskey Wednesdays” on May 11. The event… Read more »

For nearly three years, fans of Fleet Foxes have waited in anxious anticipation for another full-length album. The band’s self-described “baroque harmonic pop jams” instilled a sensational new hunger in many — a desire for more of this refreshingly original and beautifully-crafted music. At last, the wait is over. Helplessness… Read more »

Sometimes, when you stop to think about it, the content of a Beastie Boys album is a little perplexing. On the one hand, it’s totally understandable that the three emcees from New York City would use the unique nature of their group as a selling point. You would expect some… Read more »

The world’s largest paint party has swept across the nation and it’s returning to Madison bigger and better than before. Dayglow took off at full speed touring big cities like Miami, New York, Chicago and Atlanta. Madison seems small in comparison, but Producer Eric Fuller believes after their earlier stop… Read more »

Instrumental music is rare in today’s lyrically driven music world, but Explosions in the Sky has figured out how to tell stories without words. With Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, the four-piece instrumental rock band from Texas delivers its signature sound with a few new elements. It’s easy to… Read more »

“Music is like food. … You gotta let it marinate.” For G. Love & Special Sauce, condiments are the key to making good music. Taking a solid foundation and tossing in some flavorful additions produces a delicious and harmonious result for this hip-hop blues band. Frontman of the group,… Read more »

Old Madison clubs such as Headliners and Mad Ave used to bring big-time celebrities to Madison. These days, Segredo, a boutique chic bar and restaurant that opened over a year ago on University Avenue, hopes to turn this region of the Madison bar scene into a classier entertainment district. “This place used to… Read more »

Ezra Furman & the Harpoons charge the national music scene with a mysterious power as they tour with their latest album. The group released their third album Mysterious Power April 5. The album juxtaposes the past and present. Through his songs, lead vocalist and lyricist Ezra Furman blends the experiences… Read more »

Local musicians and roller derby players will be teaming up to support the tragedy in Japan. Mad Rollin’ Dolls, Madison’s premier roller derby league, is presenting the fundraiser Thursday night at the Majestic, dubbed “Rollin’’ for the Rising Sun.” “It’s part of our league and our culture to give back… Read more »

Three years ago, the world was drawn to Australian-Czech singer Lenka and her self-titled album. Lenka’s initial appeal was a distinct retro, European style of music, and her global recognition was exponentially aided by the hyper-frequent use of her songs in advertisements. Her big hit “The Show” — seen in… Read more »

What do you get when you combine road trip malaise, one fancy touch-screen gadget and a slew of musical talent and instruments? You get the latest Gorillaz album, The Fall. It’s a risky move to bank on novelty as the driving force of an album, and it goes about as… Read more »

Everyone remembers their first album, record or in some cases, cassette tape that took their sonic virginity. For Chicago-based singer Daphne Willis, it was Ace of Base. “I still listen to ‘I Saw the Sign,’” Willis said. But despite this pop/rock start, Willis just finished her sophomore album, Because I… Read more »

Unengaged and distracted is one way to put it. Tired, stopped at a gas station to answer questions understandably isn’t the best scenario for an engaging interview and you get what you can with what you have to work with for the pithy sentences, composed pretty much of “yes” and… Read more »

Expect to do more than just coast on a dream through the Zion I and the Grouch show. Known for their bumping beats and smooth lyrics, the Bay area based duo, Zion I, sound reminiscent of classic, old school hip-hop that you’d listen to while driving through the sunny suburbs… Read more »

Time and again, TV on the Radio manages to pack an actual audio experience within the confines of its albums, but the usual dark, gritty flavor of the band’s tracks has shifted in Nine Types of Light to a polished sound that, for better or worse, lingers brightly. It is… Read more »

The Foo Fighters are like a good wine. Their taste perfects with age. Seventeen years in the making and Foo Fighters’ newest album, Wasting Light, confirms they certainly have not lost their inspiration. The name “Foo Fighters” actually comes from a World War II term used for unexplainable flying flames… Read more »

Open up your hearts, minds and ears, Madison, because Over the Rhine is coming to the Majestic to help you finally feel alive. Celebrating its 20th year of making music, this humble, home-town band peels away the excess to create a pure and natural feel. Consisting of two singer-songwriters, this… Read more »

Stimulating audiences from all over, Bassnectar has been pleasuring the senses of those seeking something different for years. This musical offspring of Lorin Ashton’s defies classification as it embraces influences from all branches of music while adding sonic flair and a background of pounding bass and epilepsy-inducing lights.Ashton’s live shows… Read more »

The Raveonettes of the past were overwhelmingly cheerful, regardless of their song content. On their last album alone, there were songs called “Last Dance,” “Suicide,” “Gone Forever” and “Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed).” From the titles and lyrics, these songs sound awfully depressing, but they are transformed by… Read more »

So Brits and Americans really can get along. And thank God for that, because when they come together in the name of music, wonderful things happen. The Kills, comprised of American singer Alison Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie Hince, is an up-and-coming rock group whose earlier albums have already earned… Read more »

Godly guitar skills clash with dated, yet reflective lyrics in Robbie Robertson’s fifth solo album and first record in 13 years, How To Become Clairvoyant, due out April 5.At the age of 67 Robertson is a musical legend, but perhaps not well known amongst the younger generation. Robertson has rocked… Read more »

It’s a baking hot July afternoon, slowly fading into night. You’re sitting on the Terrace, drinking that second (or third) Spotted Cow, and you literally don’t have a care in the world.  If this little scenario sounds at all your style, then boy, have Peter Bjorn and John done you… Read more »

Fans who flocked to the Orpheum last October to see popular rapper Wiz Khalifa on his “Waken Baken” tour were confronted with the usual inevitability of a relatively unknown opening act. Opening acts can be a boon to concertgoers who are looking to learn more about new bands, but more frequently… Read more »

Oops!… She did it again. Femme Fatale, Britney Spears’ seventh studio album, is pure sonic dessert, and as with any gluttonous indulgence, it can be paralyzing in copious amounts, so read the label warning closely: Brit Brit’s latest is fatal, at least to the music industry. Devoid of any heart-wrenching… Read more »

Flashing by us without a conscious realization is the undoubtedly inevitable evolution of music as talented neophytes continue paving the road of hip hop their forefathers constructed. We’re in a new era of the industry where the hip hop genre between now and two decades ago has decided to forgo… Read more »

Nowadays in a world where the well of lyrical finesse has run dry with repetitive pop anthems and mindless verses (Rebecca Black’s “Friday,” anyone?) it’s pleasant to hear a band compose songs with words and phrases that an English professor, or anyone who respects the process of mindful songwriting would… Read more »

Let’s play the guessing game. Which of these songs doesn’t sound like the others? The Strokes’ single “Under the Cover of Darkness” off its first album in five years races through listeners’ synapses like the winning car on its final lap of the Indie 500. Warning: It may cause bursts… Read more »

R.E.M. has been producing mom-friendly alternative rock since 1983 with the release of the band’s first album, Murmur. Not much has changed in its style or approach to music since, and with good reason. Lead singer Michael Stipe has one of the most timeless voices in the world of alternative… Read more »

An image of blood-spattered sand in a middle-eastern war zone haunts the listener. Deep Politics, released March 8 by Portland, Ore., based Grails, is tragic, paranoid, courageous and empowering — yet arduous. If a band was locked in a studio with “The Hurt Locker” or “Jarhead” repeating on a large… Read more »

After nine (questionable) tattoos, five number one hit singles, one divorce and a bizarre relationship with Laguna Beach’s infamous playboy, Brody Jenner, Canada’s infamous Sk8er Gurl is back with a highly anticipated fourth album, Goodbye Lullaby, hitting charts tomorrow.Yet, after a three-year hiatus and what we all hoped might be… Read more »

Once upon a time, three or four years ago, New York stole away Michael Vincent Patrick and Theodore Paul Nelson from, where else? Philly. Good move. The duo remixed their way to claim dominance in the “concrete jungles where dreams are made of.” YouTube them. You’ve listened to their remixes… Read more »

Lykke Li’s music is about as eccentric as her name, and her newest album, Wounded Rhymes, proves that she never ceases to impress. With a more melancholy sound than her previous debut album, Youth Novels, Li has the ability to mix the angry backbeat of bongos with a taste of… Read more »

With a history of being featured in songs by popular hip-hop artists like The Game, Nas and Busta Rhymes, the hip-hop and R&B crowd probably has high hopes for Marsha Ambrosius’s much-anticipated emergence as a solo artist. After proving her R&B skills as one part of the British hip-hop duo,… Read more »

It is the dull thud of a kick drum and a sharp rap across the snare (instead of the typical thunder clap and flash of lightning) that brings to life the monster Lucinda Williams calls her 10th album Blessed. Williams’ latest starts off with the thoroughly unimaginative single “Buttercup,” and… Read more »

The signature power chords, soaring choruses and anthems of the traditional Radiohead  sound have been replaced with a set of overpowering electronics that seem to overwhelm every other aspect of their music. Put simply: There are no rock songs on Radiohead’s newest release. The King of Limbs is an album… Read more »

Though critics were quick to pen her as the less self-destructive version of Amy Winehouse with her sultry, soulful pipes, London songstress Adele Adkins has proven yet again that despite being only 22, she possesses a kind of old soul talent and lyrical integrity that is beyond her years. Adele… Read more »

DeVotchKa is under the influence of something, and it’s not alcohol. Using inspirations that draw from European folk music, Mariachi and even Bolero music, their sound has culturally diverse and flavorful songs that allow them to differentiate from the music commonly associated with the “alternative” genre. Each member of the… Read more »

They’re Big. They’re Strong. And they’re Men. With a name as imposing as the Big Strong Men, not many bands would dare to pick a fight with the Minneapolis-based foursome: Guitar and vocalist Ben Greenwald, keys and vocalist Philly Williams, UW-Madison alum and drummer Joe Silberschmidt, and bassist Jon Camp.… Read more »

The White Ghost Shivers are a tall-glass, ho-dunk Cajun fire to warm the chills from cold bones. The hokum jazz band is originally from Austin, Tex. and is taking a road trip up to Madison’s own High Noon Saloon tonight to bring a sound rarely heard these days. Founded in… Read more »

They came with metal helmets, plastic axes and cardboard armor. A serious battle of sonic proportions was set to commence, and Lords of the Trident were ready to release their rallying cry. Perhaps subdued after a barrage of local indie rock bands playing it safe, or too many pitcher refills,… Read more »

Late on a hot and sticky Saturday at Bonnaroo 2007, Galactic coolly strolled up on stage and woke us the hell up. For those who haven’t experienced Bonnaroo, it’s a music festival in Tennessee that 80,000 music lovers flock to from all over the world to enjoy. With all the… Read more »

For more than a decade, Drive-By Truckers has been the leading band in winning contemporary music snobs over to an appreciation of country music (in principle, at least). The group of Alabamans and Georgians, with its designated alt-country, Southern rock genre tag, has straddled the gap between indie and… Read more »

It’s been four years since Conor Oberst released a record as Bright Eyes, and, accordingly, there’s a huge amount of material to unpack on the new album, The People’s Key. The record is filled with big ideas about God, Life, Modern Times, Evil, Rastafarianism and a whole other host of… Read more »

It’s that time again, Valentines Day. On this seemingly joyous pseudo-holiday, lovebirds nest in their love-den to whisper sweet nothings into each other’s ears. As for the majority of us, we sit and we sulk. In Over the Rhine’s new album, The Long Surrender, they continue to hone in on… Read more »

3.5 out of 5 stars Bright Morning Stars is what good folk music should sound like. It’s got all the right instrumentation — acoustic guitars, ukuleles, banjos and, of course, a little whistling. It’s also jam-packed with entrancing, though occasionally overbearing, three-part harmonies. The album gets its title from… Read more »

Happy belated birthday, Bob Marley. It’s exactly 30 years, two days later and the groundbreaking reggae music that advocated change in the 1970s and ’80s still lives on through your band, The Wailers. And don’t worry: Your fans are not only the baby boomers, but the babies of the baby… Read more »

Don’t call seven beat boxers, R&B singers and rappers an a cappella group. The terminology doesn’t suit their style. “Vocal Play” is more like it. Twelve years ago, a group of brothers, friends and friends of a friend began the non-traditional route of pursuing a career in a cappella as the… Read more »

Keep it real, be here now and live in the moment. Mason Jennings titles his songs just as he lives his life. This folk rock musician effortlessly conveys to his fans they can love, lose and live, and that they might consider taking an interest in politics, pondering religion and… Read more »

Star Rating: 2 out of 5 Sugar, spice and everything scary is what Demdike Stare’s new album, Tryptych, is made of; a concoction of eerie, spine-chilling progressions mixed with scattered dub-infused Arabic rhythms. Tryptych is a compilation of three different albums Demdike Stare released in 2010. By sampling different sound snippets from… Read more »

Sometimes, you just get lucky. If you had a range of eccentric producers and an ounce of musical talent (or, at least, a boatload of collaborators), you could turn out an album hailed by at least one reviewer as “innovative” and “ahead of its time.” Of course, that reviewer would… Read more »

It’s not often that Madison gets to be the first stop on a band’s tour, being geographically overshadowed by big concert towns Milwaukee and Chicago to the near east. However, fortunately for fans of the Minnesota-based band Tapes ‘N Tapes, there is no competition in determining where to start out… Read more »

With DJs and electronic mix artists gaining so much popularity in today’s live music scene, it is a breath of fresh air to listen to real instruments — drums, trumpets, guitar — being performed onstage. For Kings Go Forth, a funk-inspired group based in Milwaukee, this distinction was made exceptionally… Read more »

Lia Ices’ Grown Unknown sounds like winter. Reverb makes her voice dreamy and distant. Her vocals melt into the other numerous instruments on the album. She contrasts cold synthesizer with lush string sections. There are solo piano interludes, acoustic guitar picking and drums played with brushes. She piles vocal… Read more »

There’s a song on the Cold War Kids new album Mine is Yours called “Louder than Ever.” Listeners might take that title as a pledge from a reinvigorated band trying to improve upon a formula that worked great on their first album but became a little tiresome on their second… Read more »

As if Iron & Wine could not be even more relaxing, Kiss Each Other Clean would sound most appropriate being softly hummed in the background of a 1960s-style Volkswagen Van. The smooth and charming tones of singer Samuel Beam’s voice make it nearly impossible not to drift off and daydream,… Read more »

Amos Lee has a penchant for tugging at heartstrings. His skillful songwriting and powerful acoustic guitar playing are suitable for any time of day and could appropriately narrate any moment in life. And just as his music yearns to be mix-taped into someone’s life soundtrack, Lee’s upcoming release Mission Bell… Read more »

Skrillex-adoring ragers packed away their glowsticks with disheartenment tonight, when the up-and-coming electro-dubstep artist came onstage at the Majestic Theatre to announce that due to a computer failure he would not be able to perform his sold-out show.Opening for Skrillex were DJs 2PercentMulq and Radish, who played for several hours… Read more »

A musician with a pervading presence and fan base rarely comes in a package comprised of voice, banjo and ukulele. Admittedly, it’s a peculiar choice of an instrument that exudes bluegrass and folk. But there is something compelling in this indie voice. It’s one of a singsong antithesis that rivals… Read more »

Bands attempting a comeback after a decade or two are almost always at a disadvantage. If you alter your sound to go into a more post-modern direction, you sound unrecognizable and lose your fanbase. If you try to replicate your old sound, people suddenly remember it’s not 1980 and… Read more »

It has been called the sophomore slump; that instance where something fails to live up to the first effort. This phenomenon is unfortunately seen all over in the music industry. Oftentimes, if an artist or band’s second album fails to exceed or even meet expectations, that artist or group seems… Read more »

“They took me into the bathroom and did the full dick touch.” Even the musicians you hear on the radio are not immune to the wrath of Transportation Security Administration. “It was a basic cavity search. They went over my underwear but on my penis. On my butt. Everywhere in the… Read more »

Returning to the studio for their second album, Cage the Elephant releases a new sound with Thank You, Happy Birthday. While the band stays loyal to their southern roots, offering up 12 tracks of pure, abrasive rock, the new direction in which they are heading may not be entirely pleasing… Read more »

With a blast of harmonica-fueled, prairie-style fury, The Decemberists ring in the new year with their album The King Is Dead. Though they abandon tunes that explore bizarre topics including Shakespeare-inspired gang violence (“O Valencia”) and cannibalistic feasts (“16 Military Wives”) in favor of more relatable material, the troupe of… Read more »

Ben Folds is an artist full of surprises. He’s the kind of dude that leaks fake versions of his own albums, advises his audience to floss at least every other week and covers Dr. Dre’s rap “Bitches Ain’t Shit” with a classical twist — yet is still serious enough to… Read more »

Cake is back, but they’re suspiciously catchier than ever and it sounds as though their lead lyricist, John McCrea, has taken vocal lessons to chop out the choppy, half spoken style associated with the face of Cake. For those of you who were belting out Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync and… Read more »

On this glorious last day of classes, studying on Friday night for upcoming finals sounds like an abysmal activity. Luckily, to aid in your quest for procrastination (or pure fun if you’re already done by then), guitarist Todd Clouser is playing a show at the Frequency Friday night that will… Read more »

R. Kelly’s last three albums have included such songs as “Bangin’ in the Headboard,” “Get Dirty,” “Havin’ a Baby,” “Sex in the Kitchen” and “Hit It ‘Til The Morning.” So it’s a bit of a relief that his new album, Love Letters is “dedicated to all the girls who have… Read more »

Light Chasers is the album born of genius, 15 years in the making and nurtured by an extended family that goes by the adoptive name Cloud Cult. The eight members personify the indie lifestyle that makes them the quintessential non-sellouts that likely have kept the fans they’ve won over since… Read more »

He’s a man with a true passion for compost. He lives in a log cabin. He prints his album inserts on a 1901 pedal-powered printing press. He spends his free time gardening, and you could say that he barely owns a computer. Putnam Smith, a young folk musician from Portland,… Read more »

With the release of her first album, Rockferry, Duffy’s name, face and music were immediately compared to a number of would-be Amy Winehouses for her pegged “neo-soul” sound. The blonde Welsh chanteuse has had to deal with a listening and critical public that won’t acknowledge her music without the framework… Read more »

It is quite possible to feel a nagging sense of déjà vu listening to Deadmau5’s new album, 4x4=12. “Where have I heard this before?” you might ask. Oh, I don’t know. Probably everywhere. At least four songs off the 11-track album were played at his concert in Madison Oct. 13… Read more »

Jazmine Sullivan is a name that has become synonymous with soul that flows like rich chocolate, but she has tried to capture a more raw essence of R&B with her new album Love Me Back. Her hard hitting beats and funky vocals add a new dimension to her music, but… Read more »

Fefe Dobson has risen from the grave. Fefe Dobson released her first hit album back in 2003 with much success; everyone was swept away with her punk rock charm that closely resembled Avril Lavigne. But by Dobson’s second attempt at an album, enthusiasm was lost. Her second album Sunday Love… Read more »

Ke$ha is that book-smart pretty girl who decides halfway through her sophomore year that, hey, schoolwork is fine and all, but it’s not really doing much in the way of actual, you know, happiness or personal relationships. So she sets her chemistry textbook on her alphabetized bookshelf, pulls her hair… Read more »

Many of our biggest pop stars seem to spring up out of nowhere. Stefani Germanotta was just another New York girl trying to break into the music industry before she was Lady Gaga. Katy Perry flashed into existence right after she kissed a girl (and liked it). Even Justin Timberlake,… Read more »

Like the characters in “Moby Dick,” the novel that inspired their name, life is an epic adventure for the band Ezra Furman and the Harpoons. Armed with their instruments, Ezra Furman, Job Mukkada, Adam Abrutyn and Andrew Langer weather the seas of popular taste to introduce fans to their emotionally… Read more »

Norah Jones is the queen of versatility, and she demonstrates that wondrously on her new album, …Featuring. Every track is a gem, featuring a plethora of different sounds from big band jazz with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band to mellow pop with Ryan Adams and some good ole’ country with… Read more »

It’s hard — and some would wager, impossible — to talk about Kid Rock as an artist without somehow stumbling upon the word “ridiculous.” To try to take him seriously as a musician is almost as challenging as trying to take Sarah Palin seriously as a politician. But both are… Read more »

There’s a bit of an accent to singer Josh Ritter’s voice that you can’t quite place. It’s a slight tinge that you might expect out of a country-singer, which only compliments his unique neo-folk ballads. On Saturday, the Idaho native’s upbeat folk sound and clever lyrics, accompanied by The Royal… Read more »

“Eh, what’s up, doc?” is a question that will forever force everyone to take a walk down memory lane to the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon series. Just last year, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra brought these old memories to life with a show called, “Bugs Bunny on Broadway.” These timeless cartoons… Read more »

For all the Gleeks out there who missed their “Glee Live! In Concert!” tour this summer, take heart because Wisconsin’s own version of “Glee,” is coming to the Union Theatre this weekend. In a recent interview with The Badger Herald, Wisconsin Singers Company Manager David Porto, Dance Captain Nicola Hultgren… Read more »

Break out the red wine and scatter some rose petals on the bed. Cee Lo Green is back in town and ready for sexy times with his new album The Lady Killer. From the album’s beginning to the end, fans will recognize the same quirky and edgy musical innovations found… Read more »

Pop princesses have dominated the music charts for years now. We have witnessed their rise and fall, but there are always new names and faces to replace the old ones — Madonna, Britney, Christina, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga — ladies we all know for their catchy anthems and style…or… Read more »

Since launching his career just a year ago with Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Kid Cudi has existed in a cosmos of fame and success — public recognition of his R&B/Hip Hop musical talent accelerating at warp speeds. His time in the public eye has seen him… Read more »

Even Bad Books tell good stories. On their self-titled debut album, Bad Books (Manchester Orchestra plus Kevin Devine) takes the pop genre head on. But it is by no means a pure pop album, as the band improves on the genre with uncharacteristic musical additions and the storytelling skills of… Read more »

It’s very likely you’ve heard their songs played at parties, the fast-paced music blasting through speakers with electro-pop beats and sing-talk vocals. With lyrics like “Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips” from the 2009 hit “Don’t Trust Me,” and “I’m gonna have a house party in my… Read more »

For a while, it seemed like Hellogoodbye fell off the radar. 2006’s release Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! gave us gems like “Here (in your arms)” and “Oh It Is Love,” and the band seemed poised for more, and soon. It’s been about three years since we’ve gotten anything new from… Read more »

Temperatures may be falling fast, but Madison will be warming back up Friday night with some hot Latin jazz. As part of the Isthmus Jazz Series, the Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band will perform Friday evening at the Wisconsin Union Theater. Palmieri, a world-renowned, nine-time Grammy award-winning pianist and… Read more »

When we think of Mariah Carey, it’s a shame that within the past decade, controversy has consistently overpowered that tremendous voice of hers. It’s difficult to forget about her highly publicized emotional breakdown in 2001, coinciding with the embarrassing debut of her film flop, “Glitter.” And with age controversy over… Read more »

“Did you know if you were caught and you were smokin’ crack, McDonald’s wouldn’t even wanna take you back,” is one example of the lyrics that caused everyone to fall in love with Good Charlotte. Its lyrics were not only funny, but had a subtle ring of truth. The Young… Read more »

Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino of the duo Matt and Kim made quite a splash with their second album Grand; sweet sentiments channeled into a danceable punk-pop sound combined to make music that is sweet, edgy, and loud. On their newest album, Sidewalks, they continue in much the same sonic… Read more »

Packers jerseys, flannel plaid pajama pants and Velcro shoes. It’s not necessarily the uniform of your typical rapper, but hey, gangstas need a day off too. What can best be described as a musical marriage of the Wu Tang Clan and the Beastie Boys, the guys of Lite Skinded, Madison’s… Read more »

As usual, a typical campus conversation this week involves the infamous Freakfest of a Madison Halloween. “What are you going to be?” and “What are you doing for Halloween?” should be conjuring up a case of déjà vu by now, so maybe it’s time to respond a little differently and… Read more »

Warpaint’s The Fool is the kind of album that justifies an investment in a nice pair of headphones. The sound that this all-female Los Angeles quartet has produced on their first full length album is complex and delicate, comprised of a host of subtle musical touches which add up to… Read more »

Taylor Swift’s superstar status has been accumulating immensely since her first single released at the tender age of 16. “Tim McGraw” was just the first of many hits off the debut album that eventually went triple platinum. Followed two years later by yet another multi-platinum album, Fearless created a growing… Read more »

Even a brief listen to Living Proof, Buddy Guy’s new release, shows that the 74-year-old guitarist and singer is still an unstoppable force in the blues world. Listeners unfamiliar with the artist might not have even thought about the artist’s age if he hadn’t opened the album with the track… Read more »

“You need to grow up!” is not an insulting remark to singer/song writer Dar Williams who writes about “growing up on a regular basis with a specific focus of how important it is no matter how old you are.” Her music is described as folk-pop, but Williams is not afraid… Read more »

Sometimes things get complicated. Like, for instance, when one of the country’s most popular dubstep and house artists comes to town and the show’s venue gets changed during the promotion. Or when less than half the audience is bound to stadium seating while everyone else has an ecstacy-riddled bonanza on… Read more »

Liz Phair’s new album Funstyle is extremely strange. Whether you enjoy or even approve of the album depends in large part on your awareness of Phair’s cluttered musical history, your tolerance for the art of an album-long joke and your appreciation for gestalt. Track by track, the album is a… Read more »

After nearly 50 years filled with smash-hit singles, albums and countless awards, it would be hard to argue that Sir Elton John is not a legend. And instead of his talent declining, the years have only brought a richness to his voice that makes each new performance even better than… Read more »

Deadmau5: Born in Toronto, the electronic musician writes his own software and gets as close to the art of sound mixing that a person physically can. He wears an oversized mouse head onstage, played at the VMA’s this year and was nominated for Grammy Best Remixed Recording, Non Classical. On… Read more »

Imagine there was a machine that could somehow convert words to melodies, and someone had transcribed the entire dictionary over to music. Now imagine you turned to the page with the word “drift” on it. Under the definition, you would find a recording of Kings of Leon’s newest album, Come… Read more »

Shakira’s latest bilingual album Sale el Sol (The Sun Comes Out) brings back the comfortable glow of previous works, but doesn’t manage to outshine them. Sale el Sol is a spicy melting pot of styles. The album dances back and forth between pop, rock, ballads and club music, seasoned with… Read more »

Strobe lights flicker white hot on your skin. Ample bass beats consume your chest. You move your limbs in time with the hundreds of bodies that crowd around you, overcome by the intoxicating rhythms and melodies emanating from the stage up front. No, you’re not at a basement rave in… Read more »

The Orb’s new release with David Gilmour will take you on a trip back to the Dark Side. On Metallic Spheres, the UK group that gained popularity among clubbers in the ‘90s for their creation of the ambient house genre offers a sound with a strong Pink Floyd feel but… Read more »

Write About Love is not an album to bump and grind to on the dance floor, but an album that will cause many heads to bob up and down to the lighthearted tune. This indie-pop album is Belle and Sebastian’s eighth, and stands out from the rest with a more… Read more »

Tapping into the haunting cacophony of life and death, Stevens leads us on a trying “crusade” toward repentance. Tomorrow marks the debut of Sufjan Stevens’ prodigious album, The Age of Adz (pronounced “odds”). Five years since the release of his last work, fans have long awaited this artist’s return to… Read more »

Never heard of Guster? This album will simply knock your socks off. Fancy yourself more of a Guster aficionado? At first listen, Easy Wonderful may seem poppy and forgettable. However, given a little more play time, the sixth studio album from this Boston band has the potential to be an… Read more »

Though iTunes categorizes the Scottish musician KT Tunstall’s latest album, Tiger Suit, within the “pop” genre, this may come as a surprise to fans who might describe her as mix of acoustic folk with a touch of rock-and-roll. Although she sometimes resembles Sheryl Crow or Tracy Bonham, Tunstall blazes her… Read more »

Neil Young fans are always on the defensive about the Canadian rocker’s unique voice, sound and endless musical transformations. His consistent, often endearing, emotional sincerity is one of the many factors that attracts the loyalty of his listeners. From Harvest to Tonight’s the Night to his more recent Fork in… Read more »

The novelist Nick Hornby has proven himself to be singularly talented at capturing the voice of a fanatic. In “Fever Pitch,” he writes from the perspective of a football obsessive. In “How to Be Good”, he impersonates a woman who is fascinated by her own morality. In the famous “High… Read more »

Ah, Jimmy Eat World. You’ve taken your listeners on quite a journey over the past few years, from head-banging defiantly with Bleed American in 2001, to raking us over the coals of emotional struggle with Futures in 2004, to sweeping us up in your dreams of grandeur with Chase This… Read more »

When Kenny Chesney’s new single, “The Boys of Fall,” was released this summer, football fans around the nation rejoiced. Finally, here was a song that evoked the fraternity and passion of one of America’s favorite pastimes, and America embraced it for the heartfelt anthem it was. As the first song… Read more »

A rush of energy passes through your body, electrifying every inch of your being. Screaming at the top of your lungs from the moment the curtain rises to the last note of your favorite song, you’ll look around at your friends and think, “I’ll never forget this show.” You can’t… Read more »

At Rothbury Music Festival in 2008, pseudo political reggae-rocker Michael Franti displayed a knack for impressions, showcasing an impressive Kermit the Frog and Cookie Monster in the middle of his set. On their new album, The Sound of Sunshine the 44-year-old and his band Spearhead display a similar ability, alternately… Read more »

Yesterday, the Los Angeles pop quintet Maroon 5 dropped their third studio album, Hands All Over. And let me tell you, you will be all over this one. It’s been a while since teenage hearts were graced with the soulful seduction of Songs About Jane, but these boys seem to… Read more »

There is no denying the Zac Brown Band has made significant headway in the country music world. In eight years, according to Billboard.com, the six-piece group has managed to put out four albums and four number one singles, not to mention landing performance spots with a wide-ranging collection of prominent… Read more »

“Wake up everybody, no more sleepin’ in bed, no more backward thinkin’, time for thinkin’ ahead,” John Legend sings in the first single “Wake Up Everybody” on his new album Wake Up!. The idea of Wake Up!, a collaboration album by Legend and The Roots, came to fruition after the… Read more »

The Brooklyn power pop duo Matt & Kim don’t put on concerts, they put on parties. Their high energy keyboards and dance style rhythms make one thing clear: standing around is not an option. For this coming Tuesday’s show, the Badger Herald talked with vocalist and keyboardist Matt Johnson. Kim… Read more »

They’re the latest beach-punk sensation; they’re musical ghost busters; they’re Fake Problems, and they’re coming to town. This Sunday the Exclusive Co. on State Street will feature Fake Problems for a free in-store performance and signing before they open for the Gaslight Anthem later that evening at the Majestic. Touring… Read more »

Imagine a forest in a faraway land. Brisk winds sweep through lush, emerald conifers as they flirt with the sky. Together, they display astonishing power and provoke an awed wonder undefined by humankind. Such an idyllic offering does not exist in the coastal city of Lisbon’s urban center. Instead, the… Read more »

Mix warm, smutty guitar beats, ’80s electronic soundscapes and a falsetto from a fearless songsmith, and what you’ll get is Of Montreal’s newest album, False Priest. Promising to do more than excite long-time fans and attract new time indie-pop masses, Of Montreal is bringing in new effects and refreshing melodies… Read more »

Album Of The Year, supposedly about a year in the life of Detroit producer/rapper Curtis Cross (known as Black Milk), would have been better as an instrumental record. Milk is such a talented producer that his innovative beats make his lyrics sound forced and uninspired in comparison. When you… Read more »

Two-time Grammy award-winning band Linkin Park’s new album A Thousand Suns dares to break barriers but traps itself beneath the wreckage. So what went wrong? Stylistically, A Thousand Suns is a new direction for Linkin Park. The album is a throwback to many elements of the band’s earliest works, but… Read more »