Category Archives: Indie

Monday Feature: Revelry is Coming

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You know a weekend is going to be great when you’re already anticipating for the week to be over on Monday at one in the morning. Whether you’ll be attending the annual Mifflin Street Block Party, hitting up capitol square for the weekly fresh market, or kicking back and watching a Star Wars trilogy (preferably the original one), there is no shortage of funtivities available for Madison citizens this first weekend of May.

And while all of these funtivities are respectable means of entertainment in their own right, I want to highlight the weekend event I will be attending: Revelry Music and Arts Festival. DISCLAIMER: I am in no way being prompted to write this feature by any member of WUD Music. I chose to write this feature because it’s music related, it’s Madison news, I love music, live concerts are awesome, and I want to give those that are or may be going a small preview of what they can expect out of the musical talent at the festival. So let’s get to that. I am going to give my short, unarticulated opinion of the artists that were highlighted in the wonderfully crafted video below. Here goes nothing.

Toro y Moi - Contrary to what your initial reaction may be, Toro y Moi is actually one man. And he may be one of the chillest men I’ve ever heard on a track. For starters, he combined both the Spanish and French languages to create his stage name. It doesn’t matter as long as it translates to English easily (Bull and Me) and sounds cool, right? Beyond this, his calm vocals and looped electronic beats are combined to him consider him a part of the genre known as chillwave. It doesn’t get any more chill than that.

Hoodie Allen - One of my close friends has been a Hoodie fan well before the Revelry lineup was released, and since its release I have hopped on the bandwagon hard. His All American EP was only $5 on iTunes, and provides eight solid tracks that exemplify his catchy music and smart lyrics. In addition, his newest mixtape Crew Cuts is on his website for free! Outside of his music, the former Google employee and UPenn Sprint Football player has collaborated on comedy videos with CollegeHumor that are just too funny to only watch once.

Phox - This seven-piece band from Baraboo, Wisconsin utilizes instruments that run the gamut of sounds, resulting in songs that are most often whimsical, but can also be hectic and heavy. No songs particularly called out to me, but there’s no doubt that the band is unique.

The Mowgli’s - While the only music I could find of theirs was the five songs from their Love’s Not Dead EP, this pop-rock octet has an established pedigree with a recent performance at SXSW 2013 and a scheduled performance at Lollapalooza 2013. Their eight-person chorus is extremely catchy, and “San Francisco” is an irresistible summer jam. 

Chance the Rapper - Chance the Rapper is definitely a different sounding hip-hop artist, with a significantly higher voice than your typical MC. His second mixtape, Acid Rap drops tomorrow, so hopefully Madison will be receptive to his new material come Saturday.

Delta Spirit - This band has a strong alternative rock sound, and many of the songs I listened to have the feel of a live show even though they’re master tracks. I trust that their live performance will be nothing short of a great display of musical talent. In addition, they have a song on the official first volume of The Walking Dead soundtrack, so I am sold.

Julian Lynch - Chill, instrumental, and articulate all at once, Julian Lynch’s music gives off good vibes. With a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology (!?) from UW-Madison, I think concert attendees will give the former city resident a warm reception.

Oh Land - Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, Nanna Øland Fabricius serves as singer, songwriter, and producer, for her music. Pianos and an extensive palette of electronic sounds make for a plethora of experimental tunes for Oh Land to sing over. It will be interesting to see how her music translates to a live performance.

So there you have it: A preview of the biggest acts that Revelry has to offer. It would seem that there is a little something for everyone in the festival’s first installment, and I couldn’t be more excited. Here’s to the joys of live music, summer, and the continued success of this festival for years to come. Revel on.

Just Announced: Behind the Beat, Dessa, & The UV Race

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DESSA

Do you have the summer itch? Ready to see those sunburst chairs placed on The Terrace? We do too.

Before our shows move to the outdoors though, we have a few left in Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller. We are proud to bring back Dessa, from the Minneapolis group Doomtree, who will perform with First Wave Performers and is presented also by the Campus Women’s Center. Dessa will soon release her full length album Parts of Speech on June 25th, so try to catch this live preview on April 19th in Der Rathskeller.

And besides the two new Behind the Beat shows that include Twisted Metal and UW Jazz Orchestra, we have The UV Race with Daylight Robbery in Der Rathskeller on May 11th.

4/19/13  Behind the Beat: Twisted Metal- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller

4/19/13  Dessa w/ First Wave Performers- Union South: The Sett

5/10/13  Behind the Beat: UW Jazz Orchestra- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller

5/11/13 The UV Race w/ Daylight Robbery- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller

Check out our full WUD Music Calendar here.

Just Announced: Life happens before and after spring break

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Hopefully everyone was able to breath a sigh of relief after their end-of February midterms, and for those of you with midterms in the near future, may you study long and prosper.

It is getting towards that time though where everyone just pushes through these last few weeks of March before their much-anticipated spring break. But did you know that you can find insane entertainment before AND after spring break?

WUD Music knew. We’ve always known and just for the enjoyment of students all around campus, we announce these sick shows below:

3/15  RAGELIFE w/ CRASHprez + Lord of the Fly- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller

4/12 Behind the Beat: John Christensen Jazz Quartet- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller 

4/13  Deastro w/ Lord Scrummage: Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller 

4/19  Purling Hiss w/ Claps + Spires That in the Sunset Rise- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller 

4/26  Heavy Times w/ Pleasure Leftists + Dharma dogs- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller 

4/26 Behind the Beat: Green Means Go- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller 

5/3 Behind the Beat: Unnecessary Bells- Memorial Union: Der Rathskeller 

Saturday in Great Hall: Ra Ra Riot with Pacific Air

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I had the great fortune of coming across Ra Ra Riot through a Spotify advertisement about a year and a half ago. After listening to their 2010 album The Orchard, I was immediately drawn in. Their arrangements of a standard band’s instruments along with a violin and cello create a sound that should not be missed.

Formed in 2006 at Syracuse University, Ra Ra Riot’s high-energy campus performances quickly drew the attention of the indie music scene. The band was signed to Barsuk Records in 2008, whom they have produced all three of their albums under.

Even though Ra Ra Riot is relatively young in terms of their work, their newest album Beta Love indicates a change in the band’s sound from previous years. This change was most likely influenced by the departure of cellist Alexandra Lawn, but the music doesn’t skip a beat because of it. The album (which can be streamed here, complete with unique music visualizer) is filled with significantly more electronic and synth sounds, but still meshes well with Wes Miles’s soothing falsetto’s and the now more occasional but welcomed violin stylings of member Rebecca Zeller. It will be interesting to see if the band is able (or willing) to perform any of their songs from The Orchard, given the new dynamic they have immersed themselves in.

Accompanying Ra Ra Riot on stage will be Pacific Air, (formerly KO KO) an indie pop duo consisting of brothers Taylor and Ryan Lawhon. Signed to Republic Records in 2012, they have since released a four song EP titled Long Live KO KO. In addition, the music video for their song “Float” dropped on February 26th, and definitely shows promise for the duo’s future. 

The show starts at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 2nd in the Great Hall in Memorial Union. The doors open at 8:00 p.m., but I hope to see you there earlier to be front and center for this great indie show.

Friday in The Sett: WHY? w/ Astronautalis and Dream Tiger

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For all of you who were counting down the days until WHY?, Astronautalis and Dream Tiger would be in The Sett, put down your school work and call up every single person you know because the day is finally here. Tomorrow night, The Sett breaks down heavy beats to welcome these three one-of-a-kind artists.

What began as a solo project in 2003, Yoni Wolf decided to retire his stage name Why? only to continue performing with other band members under the same name in the year 2004. Since then, this truly unique combination of indie rock and rap band released four albums, including Elephant Eyelash, Alopecia, Eskimo Snow, and their latest, Mumps, Etc.

Their song, “Sod in the Seed” from Mumps, Etc., happily sucks you in with their care-free indie sound, but anchors you down with Yoni Wolf’s steady string of philosophical lyrics. His voice is even comparable with a rap-version of Cake. Their live performances do not disappoint and for a band as unique as they are, WHY? is a must-see.

Also a must-see performance is Astronautalis, one of the supporting acts for the night. Astronautalis is known as Andy Bothwell, an indie rapper that holds back no emotion when on stage performing. Bothwell has performed in The Sett before, around this time last year, and enticed the crowd with his incredibly fast pulse of hip hop and free-styling ability. It’s true, Bothwell picked topics out of the crowd and had everyone dancing, jumping and laughing.

In addition to the support of Astronautalis, we also have Dream Tiger. This young female artist focuses more on interpretation of electronic beats than actual hip hop, but will still have you begging for more waves of her pop creations. Listen to her EP here.

Check out the videos below if you still need more convincing of attending:

WHY?:

Astronautalis:

Ra Ra Riot ANNOUNCEMENT: Free Ticket Distribution

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Last semester, we announced the mind-blowing news that Ra Ra Riot will be performing at Memorial Union on March 2nd in Great Hall.

Now, we have some vital information about the show itself: Free tickets will be distributed at the Union Box Office in Vilas Hall for UW Madison students, Faculty, Staff and Union Members on Thursday, January 31. Ticket distribution for the remaining tickets to the general public will then begin on Monday, February 4.

These tickets are FREE, so make sure you get to the Box Office in time to pick yours up!

Monday Feature: Johnny Foreigner

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Let me tell you about the greatest band you’ve never heard of.  Johnny Foreigner is a Birmingham, England based indie rock band that, for once, isn’t just trying to soundtrack every nap I’ve ever taken.  They also happen to be COMING TO THE SETT NOVEMBER 16th, so pay attention.

I suppose you’d like a description, yeah?  Well the band’s music is a bit bipolar.  One side is filled with hyperactive guitar riffs and lyrics that are yelped out like there are only three minutes left until the world ends.  A perfect example of this is perhaps their most famous song, “Our Bipolar Friends“.  Frontman Alexei Berrow and bassist Kelly Southern trade lyric lines back and forth over virtuosic guitar lines, while drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley plays drums and keyboard at the same time.

The other pole of Johnny Foreigner’s musical spectrum is best shown on an EP called There When You Need It.  It’s filled with mostly acoustic songs that would fit more in a playlist full of Elliott Smith and Bright Eyes than it would with punk music.  Doesn’t matter though, because the EP is fantastic.  In between these two types of music you can find songs like PS, Not Soon Enough, which combine slower, sadder elements of their acoustic songs with overdriven guitars they otherwise use.

They write like they mean it, and they play like it might be their last night on earth.  How is that unappealing?  They even like vocal harmonies!  As a punk band!

It’s been a very busy year for my favorite band.  Nearly a year ago, November 7th, they released their third album Johnny Foreigner vs. Everything.  Since then, they’ve added a second guitarist, their friend/visual artist Lewes Herriot, announced and begun only their second America tour, and released a new EP titled NAMES, which you can find over at their bandcamp page.  One song directly lifts a line from “Airplanes” by B.o.B.  That has to be a little convincing, right?

Which reminds me of their lyrics.  They’re all about girls or family or Birmingham.  They’re basically all relatable on some level.  Just trust me.

Just listen to them.

Please?

“but i worked it out: the last however many months of fleeting friendships, goodnights and good nights, on that beach under those stars i would have spilled everything to the first pretty face i fell across. and, at least i picked the prettiest“

“Things We Should’ve Left On The Beach”

“With Who, Who and What I’ve Got”

And because it’s close enough to Christmas, “Santa Fucking Claus”

Friday Night at Der Rath: The Daredevil Christopher Wright w/ Cuddle Magic

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Every weekend, WUD Music tries our best to bring you bands that are both enjoyable to listen to and entertaining to see. It is time yet again for another weekend with just that, and we are starting it off this Friday night with The Daredevil Christopher Wright and Cuddle Magic in Der Rathskeller at Memorial Union.

The dim lighting in Der Rathskeller will create the perfect ambiance for the whole-hearted and soothing sound of The Daredevil Christopher Wright. You can almost hear the twinkle in Jesse Edgington, Jonathan Sunde and Jason Sunde’s eyes as they produce folk music that sets them apart from most indie bands originating from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Considering that most bands from that area usually fuse the nature of their surroundings in soft and soothing tones, The Daredevil Christopher Wright stand out by pushing their sound further and interacting with physical surroundings.

Ironically, in reference to nature, their latest album release is named The Nature of Things, which was described by Consequence of Sound to “offer a kind of cheery foreboding, a quality that seems uniquely Midwestern.” The song “Divorce” immediately draws you in with the comforting strum of the guitar combined with the intriguing high pitch vocals and percussion that sounds like subtle rain drops- if they had a note on the musical scale.

Splitting that 7″ with The Daredevil Christopher Wright is Cuddle Magic, a perfect addition to the soft, mesmerizing indie music taking place tonight. Although not from Eau Claire, New York instead, Cuddle Magic delights any stage with their harmonic presence. Their name is no lie, songs like “Expectations,” and “Ring of Gold” speak to your emotions and cuddling just seems to be the most enticing thing to do.

The only logical thing to do then is to come to Der Rathskeller and find a cuddle buddy, it is the beginning of the winter season after all. Check out free downloads below for both The Daredevil Christopher Wright and Cuddle Magic.

Download>>The Daredevil Christopher Wright- “Divorce”

Download>>Cuddle Magic- “Disgrace Note”

Saturday Night at Der Rathskeller: Laetita Sadier with Orca Team

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Saturday night at the Rath features one of the biggest shows of the Fall.  Laetita Sadier of Stereolab brings her unique sound and lyrical style to campus.  Sadier’s career began during the 80s, but continued in earnest when she teamed up with Tim Gane and formed Stereolab.  While in Stereolab, the band released ten albums, five of which charted on the Billboard 200, and their breakthrough album Dots and Loops reached the #2 spot on the Heatseekers chart.  Since leaving Stereolab, she has released two solo albums, The Trip, which received an 8.2 on Pitchfork, and most recently, Silencio.  Pitchfork called her most recent effort “as timelessly hip as a pair of Wayfarers or an Eames chair.”  Sadier’s highly political lyrics and washes of sound makes her performance a can’t miss.

Opening up the night is Orca Team, a self-described “Pop-Surf-Post Punk” band from Seattle, Washington, whose sound matches their home-base perfectly.  Blending walls of sound with minimalist lyrics, and driving bass lines, they have been described by Brooklyn Vegan as “early ’60′s pop and surf pop with Krautrock rhythms and basslines.”  The band currently finds themselves in the middle of a tour which has them playing for 69 straight nights.

Between the up-and-coming yet road-tested Orca Team, and the star power of Laetita Sadier, this is a can’t miss night for a fan of indie rock or fans of good music in general.  Check out a video from Laetita Sadier and Orca Team below and also a free download from Ocra Team:

Download>>Orca Team- “Michael”

Laetita Sadier:

Orca Team:

This Thursday Night: Laarks with The Heart Pills

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Attention music fans everywhere: Eau Claire is taking over the Terrace this Thursday night! Two great bands, Laarks and The Heart Pills, will surely not disappoint your ears.

If you haven’t heard of Laarks, you’ve more than likely heard of the bands these members have been or are still part of. Hailing from past bands like DeYarmond Edison (also featuring Justin Vernon and members of Megafaun), Peter Wolf Crier, Land of Talk, and Amateur Love, the four members clearly have solidified their position in the Eau Claire music scene. With the release of their debut album An Exaltation of Laarks in 2009, the band gained some admirable press from music fanatics all over the midwest. Reveille Magazine writes, “Those still hoping against hope that Ben Gibbard gets around to making another Postal Service album sometime this decade might be better served by checking out Laarks, who may lack PS’ beats per minute but provide nearly as compelling a fusion of organic and electronic rock textures.” Have a listen to An Exaltation of Laarks at the band’s bandcamp.

Another Eau Claire gem, The Heart Pills possesses a unique, fast-paced punk sound that can’t be duplicated. With vocals similar to that of Alkaline Trio, The Heart Pills has really made a stamp on Eau Claire’s music scene as well. With plenty of album releases, EP’s, and demos to go around, The Heart Pills is quickly becoming a band to watch out for. The Local Independence Podcast agree, saying, ”Imaginative tales and quips set to twangy guitar riffs and strange keyboard melodies easily make the Heart Pills one of the area’s most entertaining acts.” For evidence, check out their bandcamp to sample their various releases.

If you’re a fan of anything that comes out of Eau Claire, (WHO ISN’T?!) then you surely do not want to miss Laarks and The Heart Pills shred up the Terrace this Thursday night. Check out a video for Laarks’ “All the Words You Can’t Say” below. Just don’t look at it as an invitation to draw mean pictures of your professors or rip up your Earth Science textbooks.