Local Live | WMSE

Jeff Mitchell is a native of rural Minnesota transplanted to Milwaukee. His time spent living in small towns is essential to his songs and is obvious to listeners from out of the way places. He is a lifelong devotee of early music and singing old country songs passed down in his family. He also came of age in some gloriously ragged garage bands. Over the past 20 years or so, his interests in writing and experimentation have grown to combine his portraits of Midwestern life with a strange undercurrent of dark, electronic psychedelia.

Jeff is perhaps best known as collaborator with others. He was a founding member of Field Report and is also known for his live work with Duluth finger-picker Charlie Parr. Most recently, Jeff has been performing with the instrumental group, Dryhouse Ruins, with Damian Strigens (ex. Field Report, Testa Rosa), Jim Warchol (Death Blues) and Ben Derickson (Collections of Colonies of Bees, All Tiny Creatures).

While Jeff may remain obscure as a solo artist, he continues to build a body of work which resonates very deeply with certain people. His songs are stark in their honesty and vulnerability but filled with an eerie beauty revealed by careful listening.

Tune into WMSE’s Local/Live on Tuesday, October 9th to listen to new music from Jeff Mitchell’s soon-to-be-released Greyhound EP. WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives, or simply tune your radio to 91.7FM at the 6 o’clock hour.

Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi’s

WMSE is excited to be back once again at Club Garibaldi for our monthly Local/Live segments. On Tuesday, October 2, we welcome Milwaukee’s “retro”-electronic brother duo, Immortal Girlfriend for a live show and interview on-site and over the airwaves that YOU can join!

Milwaukee’s Immortal Girlfriend is a fresh “retro” brother duo of William and Kevin Bush, who use atmospheric layering of electronics to wash over their melodic vocals. While the heart and soul of their sounds might be immersed in nostalgia, their sound is thoroughly modern and akin to chill + synth wave outfits like Washed Out, SURVIVE and Bonobo.

In their spare creative time, Immortal Girlfriend also operate as producers out of a music studio in Lannon, laying down sounds for a growing list of Milwaukee artists, including WebsterX and Lex Allen.

Although Immortal Girlfriend have been active on the scene for a brief time, the two go far back with their initial collaborative creations in their parents’ basement. Those creative days have produced their debut ‘Daybreak’ EP (released in 2017) and the single “Summer Dream” (released in May of this year). Immortal Girlfriend has graced the stage of Summerfest, Turner Hall Ballroom, Cactus Club and more, supporting diverse bills of music ranging from pop, soul, hip hop and electronic.

Flat Teeth are a Milwaukee-based five-piece, comprised of current and former members of John the Savage, Paper Holland, Twelve Ounce Prophet, Hester Mofet and the Invaders.

Drawing on the more melodic side of 90s indie rock and emo, the band’s music recalls the sounds of everyone from The Get Up Kids and Mock Orange to darker and moodier acts like No Knife and Cursive. Interlocking guitars, layered vocal harmonies and driving rhythms are all present in the band’s output, and those seeking straightforward and energetic songwriting will find much to enjoy in Flat Teeth.

Tune into WMSE’s Local/Live on Tuesday, September 18th to listen to a live set from Flat Teeth before they send their debut EP “Winter House” out into the world. WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives, or simply tune your radio to 91.7 FM at the 6 o’clock hour.

Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi’s.

Vinz Clortho is a newly-formed supergroup of Milwaukee rock mainstays, featuring members of Calliope, Mortgage Freeman, Castle Thunder and Myles Coyne to name a few…

Drawing influences from artists such as Chris Isaak, the Velvet Underground, and Angelo Badalamenti, Vinz Clortho dabbles in the moody, blues-y and psych-surf-y sounds of a surreal roadhouse jukebox.

Tune into WMSE’s Local/Live on Tuesday, September 11th to check out Vinz Clortho before they get set to release some brand new music later this month. WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives, or simply tune your radio to 91.7 FM at the 6 o’clock hour.

Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi’s.

Stink Lines are a Milwaukee based power trio that spits out two-minute blasts of fast and gnarly punk reminiscent of cuts found on Thrasher and Killed by Death compilation discs. The band features Milwaukee punk and garage scene mainstays, Ryan King on bass, Sam Sharkey on guitar and vocals and Wendy Norton on drums and vocals. The band is getting geared up for their slot at the Bay View Bash at the WMSE / Rush-Mor Records stage on Saturday, September 15th. Tune in to hear all about it!

Listen to WMSE’s Local/Live on Tuesday, August 28th for a live set from Milwaukee’s Stink Lines. WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives, or simply tune your radio to 91.7 FM at the 6 o’clock hour.

Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi’s.

Amanda Huff is a multi-genre musician, currently living and working in Milwaukee. A composer for the local film scene, as well as one-seventh of the jazz group “Strangelander”, Amanda pulls from a multitude of styles to inform her solo project, a triad of the cinematic, jazz, and electronic.

Tune into WMSE’s Local/Live on Tuesday, August 21st as Amanda Huff shares music from her recent debut, Hempitara. WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives or simply tune our radio to 91.7 FM at the 6 o’clock hour.

Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi’s.

Driven by a deep love of music and a collaborative lifestyle, Liam O’Brien has spent the last two decades developing a unique symphonic-folk sound that brings together the improbable, pulling his compositions out of the conservatory and onto the front porch. Having toured internationally both solo and as an original member of weird-folk collective, Holy Sheboygan, his new group Liam O’Brien’s Faithless Followers emerges as a rotating cast of talent who come together to bring his visions to life through immersive, dynamic performances anchored by Liam’s heartfelt melodies and thoughtful lyrics.

Tune into WMSE’s Local/Live on Tuesday, August 14th to hear new music from Milwaukee’s Liam O’Brien and a few of his Faithless Followers before the band releases their full length with a show at Anodyne later that week; WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives, or simply tune your radio to 91.7 FM at the 6 o’clock hour.

Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi’s.

Ako is an indie-pop band from Milwaukee. The band formed in 2016 when multi-instrumentalists Mark Soriano and Gabrielle Powell met through their college radio station and began to play in Soriano’s childhood home. Drawing from influences from 70’s rock to R&B, Ako quickly grew their audience, their first album, And You, garnering attention from Milwaukee publication Breaking & Entering, who wrote, “sounds far beyond a debut project.” Their current EP, everything is ok, was met with similar acclaim with 88.9 praising its “catchy hooks and upbeat rhythms” and the band’s take on “complicated and introspective subjects with a dewy approach that’s both relevant and nostalgic.” The duo is heading back to the studio to record their second full-length in the fall.

Tune into WMSE’s Local/Live on Tuesday, July 31st to hear new music from Milwaukee’s Ako as the band gets ready for a couple Milwaukee shows in August. WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives or simply tune your radio to 91.7 FM at the 6 o’clock hour.

Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi’s.

THE RIVERWEST ACES’ NAME IS A TRIBUTE TO D.L. MENARD’S BAND THE LOUISIANA ACES. THEY BEGAN AS A SIDE PROJECT FROM MILWAUKEE’S AIMLESS BLADES. BLAINE SCHULTZ AND PAUL SETSER HAD BEEN PLAYING TOGETHER IN VARIOUS PROJECTS SINCE 1995 AND THEIR APPRECIATION FOR VARIOUS ACOUSTIC MUSIC: OLD COUNTRY AND WESTERN, CAJUN, FOLK, BLUES – ROOTS MUSIC THAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS AMERICANA – LED TO FORMING A LOOSE AGGREGATION OF LIKE-MINDED FRIENDS.

IT MAY HAVE BEEN 2004, IT MAY HAVE BEEN 2005, BUT THOSE EARLY GIGS WERE A SUNDAY NIGHT RESIDENCY AT THE CIRCLE A CAFÉ IN MILWAUKEE’S RIVERWEST NEIGHBORHOOD. WITH A ROTATING CAST OF MUSICIANS, THE RIVERWEST ACES HAVE PLAYED BENEFITS, A LAW SCHOOL CLASS REUNION, FARMER’S MARKETS, SUMMERFEST, A RETIRED JUDGE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY, WEDDING RECEPTIONS, CHURCH FESTIVALS, LOCAL VENUES, A BOAT LAUNCH AND MORE. A RECENT HIGH POINT WAS SERVING AS BACKING BAND FOR LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY’S PAUL K FOR A SHOW IN 2017.

TUNE INTO WMSE’S LOCAL/LIVE ON TUESDAY, JULY 24TH TO HEAR THE LATEST FROM MILWAUKEE’S OWN RIVERWEST ACES AS THEY GET GEARED UP TO PLAY THE RIVERWEST FARMER’S MARKET ON JULY 27TH. WMSE.ORG TO STREAM LIVE OR IN THE ARCHIVES, OR SIMPLY TUNE YOUR RADIO TO 91.7 FM AT THE 6 O’CLOCK HOUR.

LOCAL/LIVE ON WMSE IS SPONOSRED BY CLUB GARIBALDI’S.

For two decades, Collections of Colonies of Bees have existed in various forms and incarnations, beginning with Chris Rosenau and Jon Mueller (who split time with post-rock band Pele).

From there, the line-up grew and evolved. At one time, Nick Sanborn — currently in the spotlight as one-half of Sylvan Esso — counted himself as a member. At another, the group joined forces with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon to release two albums under the moniker Volcano Choir. (In fact, it was Vernon who proclaimed of his collaborators: “If the world was perfect, they would be as big as U2.”)

Never content to paint the soundscape twice, the previously instrumental Bees now come outfitted with vocalist Marielle Allschwang and a new full-length, HAWAII, that finds the Wisconsin-based ensemble harvesting the fertile intersection between experimental and pop to maximum effect.

Tune into WMSE for Local/Live on Tuesday, July 17th for a live, on-air set from Milwaukee’s x Madison’s Collections of Colonies of Bees and hear a set full of songs from their brand-new Polyvinyl Records release, HAWAII. WMSE.org to stream live or in the archives or simply tune your radio to 91.7 FM at the 6 o’clock hour.

Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi’s.