Recognize these bands? They’ll all be playing the Terrace. Scroll down to put names to faces.

It’s finally here! The school year’s over, which means it’s time to hit the Terrace. We’re really excited to share the summer Terrace schedule with you, as we’ve been working hard to bring shows that everyone will enjoy.

Before we dive head-first into the schedule, take a second to bookmark TerraceAfterDark.org. It’s a nifty site completely devoted to what’s going on at one of the most unique venues in the country. On top of info for the shows you see here, the site has details on movies and special events going on at the Terrace. Additionally, keep following this blog over the summer as we’ll have plenty of info on the shows and bands, a few more summer concert announcements (along with fall schedule announcements), coverage of festivals, mp3′s, and other music-related content. You didn’t think we could go a whole summer without talking to you, did you?

On to the programming itself. Without fail, from the first week of June to the beginning of August we have free events for you on the Terrace five nights a week. In addition to our featured Terrace After Dark shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we have four weekly series for you to check out:

If your dream is to perform on the Terrace, you can fulfill that aspiration on Open Mic Tuesdays. Acts start at 8 p.m., but be sure to get there early to sign up and draw for order. The next night we have your favorite local bands on A.V. Club Local Wednesdays. Next, throw on your overalls for Bluegrass Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30. Finally, have no fear Behind the Beat fans, as the jazz and blues series continues into the summer at its usual spot of 5 p.m. on Fridays. All series on the Terrace start the first full week of June and end in early August. Check out the lineups for A.V. Club Local Wednesdays, Bluegrass Thursdays, and Behind The Beat below our main Terrace After Dark show schedule.

If you missed the interim schedule and Isthmus Jazz Fest announcement on Wednesday check that out here, and have a look at the full music calendar here. Alright, without anymore delay, WUD Music presents the Summer Terrace schedule. We look forward to seeing you out there!

Thursday, June 7th, 9:30 p.m.
Aer
with OCD: Moosh & Twist

Friday, June 8th, 9:30 p.m.
Royal Headache
with Heavy Times, The Lonesome Savages

Royal Headache

Saturday, June 9th, 9:30 p.m.
Phat Phunktion

Thursday, June 14th, 9:30 p.m.
Free Energy w/ Little Legend

Free Energy

Friday, June 15th, 9:30 p.m.
Peter Wolf Crier
with Chris Bathgate, The Frenettes

Saturday, June 16th, 9:30 p.m.
Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles
with Save the Clocktower

Thursday, June 21st, 9 p.m.
The People’s Temple
with Psychic Twin, Pale Girls

Friday, June 22nd, 9:30 p.m.
Gardens & Villa

Gardens & Villa

Saturday, June 23rd, 9:30 p.m.
Natty Nation

Thursday, June 28th, 9:30 p.m.
Elephant Revival

Friday, June 29th, 9:30 p.m.
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons
with Stolen Silver

Saturday, June 30th*
The Promise Ring
*The Promise Ring’s set will start shortly after the Rhythm & Booms fireworks end

The Promise Ring

Friday, July 6th, 9:30 p.m.
WOOK

Saturday, July 7th, 9:30 p.m.
R. Ring

Thursday, July 12th, Time TBA
MADFORK Festival
featuring
Liturgy, Lotus Plaza, Dent May, Milk Music

Liturgy

Saturday, July 14th, 9:30 p.m.
steez

Thursday, July 19th, 9:30 p.m.
Saint Motel

Friday, July 20th, 9:30 p.m.
These United States

Saturday, July 21th, 9:30 p.m.
Maps & Atlases
with Mutts

Maps & Atlases

Thursday, July 26th, 9:30 p.m.
Smoking Popes
with Trapper Schoepp & The Shades

Smoking Popes

Friday, July 27th, 9:30 p.m.
Now, Now

Saturday, July 28th, 9:30 p.m.
Charlie Brooks and The Way It Is

Friday, August 3rd, 9:30 p.m.
Shonen Knife
with White Mystery

Shonen Knife

Saturday, August 4th, 9:30 p.m.
Sidewalk Chalk
with K. Raydio

Friday, August 10th, 9:30 p.m.
Pat McCurdy

Pat McCurdy

Saturday, August 11th, Time TBA
Country Fest
featuring
Hoyle Brothers, Ghost Town Council

Friday, August 17th, 5 p.m.
Blues Fest, Day 1
featuring
Cash Box Kings, Rockin’ Johnny and Mary Lane

Saturday, August 18th, 5 p.m.
Blues Fest, Day 2
featuring
The Right Now, Kane Place Record Club, Johnny Chimes and Gatur Bait

The Right Now

Friday, August 24th Time TBA
Funk Weekend, Day 1
featuring
Tweed Funk, The Mustache

Saturday, August 25th, Time TBA
Funk Weekend, Day 2
featuring
Afro-Zep

Friday, August 31st, Time TBA
Reggae Weekend, Day 1
featuring
Roots Collective

Saturday, September 1st, Time TBA
Reggae Weekend, Day 2
featuring
Taki Allstars

Wednesday, June 13th
Anna Vogelzang, Count This Penny

Wednesday, June 20th
Whiskey Farm, Blessed Feathers

Wednesday, June 27th
Problem Child, Golden Donna

Wednesday, July 11th
Pushmi-Pullyu, Icarus Himself, and El Valiente

Wednesday, July 18th
Giant People

Wednesday, July 25th
Double Ewes

Wednesday, August 1st
CONTROL, Lovely Socialite Mrs. Thomas W. Phipps

Thursday, June 7th
Northern Comfort

Thursday, June 14th
Cork ‘n Bottle

Thursday, June 21st
The Henhouse Prowlers

Thursday, June 28th
Daylight in the Swamp

Thursday, July 5th
The Oak Street Ramblers

Thursday, July 19th
Cork ‘n Bottle

Thursday, July 26th
SpareTime Bluegrass

Thursday, August 2nd
Daylight in the Swamp

Friday, June 8th
Boo Bradley

Friday, June 15th
Green Means Go

Friday, June 22nd
Composers’ Quartet

Friday, July 6th
Alison Margaret Quartet

Friday, July 20th
The Lost Cartographer String Band

Friday, July 27th
Deconumisms

Friday, August 3rd
Michael Vlatkovich Trio

Friday, August 10th
Cork ‘n Bottle

This Friday night you do not want to miss Dirty Beaches and Xiu Xiu when they occupy the Terrace stage. Nice weather, great beer, and avant garde music? Let’s do this.

Dirty Beaches consists solely of Alex Zhang Hungtai, originally from Taiwan but now throwing it down in British Columbia. If his reputable locations don’t wow your socks off, his low-fi and swooning sound will most definitely do the trick. “Drum loops, Hungtai’s croon, and the yearning melodies draped overtop belie as much a sense of haunting mystery as they do romanticism and wry humour,” says Last.fm’s Joshua Frank. Those yearning melodies helped Dirty Beaches gain critical acclaim with debut LP Badlands in 2011, which you can check out with all his various other shorter releases over at his bandcamp. Watch Hungtai destroy with “Sweet 17″ at SXSW 2011 in the video at the end of the article.

Hailing from San Jose, CA, Xiu Xiu is comprised of Jamie Stewart, Angela Seo, Bettina Escauriza, Marc Riordan, and Devin Hoff. The band got their name from the 1998 Chinese film, Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.  Polyvinyl Records describes Xiu Xiu’s newest album, Always, as “Always relevant, always provocative, always surprising, always evolving, always glittering.” Stewart’s songs are known for combining avant pop sound with cut-throat, honest lyrics. Download “Hi” from Always at the end of the article to hear what that sounds like.

Finally, Father Murphy describes themselves as at three-person “non-band,” made up of Freddie Murphy, Chiara Lee, and Vitorrio Demarin. Currently living in Italy, the group experiments with a plethora of instruments like kid drum sets, chinese toys, and violins. Father Murphy isn’t just a hit in Italy, however; they’ve played over 200 shows in the past few years and made their mark on the U.S. psych-pop scene as well, drawing the attention of some indie heavy-hitters. Their most recent album, Anyway, Your Children Will Deny It was mixed by Greg Saunier of Deerhoof. Known for their mysteriousness, Father Murphy’s last.fm page even claims that band member Freddie is actually a “reverend who sings a song from this world and the other one.” If that description doesn’t make you curious, I don’t know what will.

So grab a pitcher or some Babcock ice cream from the Daily Scoop, have yourself a seat on one of the new and blue Terrace chairs, and let yourself be overcome by the sounds of Dirty Beaches, Xiu Xiu, and Father Murphy.

Download Xiu Xiu’s “Hi”

We hope you’re surviving finals. Stay strong, you’ve only a few days left. Congrats to those graduating this weekend. We’ve enjoyed putting on shows for all you Badgers this year, and the good news is that the fun doesn’t end when your classes do. In fact, for Terrace-lovers it’s just getting started!

This Friday, the Union is scheduled to announce practically the ENTIRE summer schedule. How exciting is that?! It’s exciting for us, too, as we have some HUGE shows we’re really excited to share with you. It’s hard for me to hold back my fingers from writing in all caps what they are and the million reasons why they’re exciting, but I like my job and don’t want to be fired for blabbing. Call me a chicken if you must.

Now, I know that seems like Friday is a lifetime away, so in the meantime check out what we have in store for you over what we call the “interim period.” Interim is the few weekends between the end of the spring semester and start of summer classes. For all of you sticking around to get knowledge fer yer brains over the summer, interim gives you a second to relax and have some carefree fun – so it’s a perfect time to come out to the Terrace. Some of these dates you may have known, but others are new. On top of the interim schedule, check out the lineup of the Performing Art’s Committee’s Isthmus Jazz Fest, which kicks of the summer schedule.

Here’s what we’ve got for you:

Friday, 5/18, 9 p.m.
Dirty Beaches and Xiu Xiu w/ Father Murphy

We’re kicking off your vacation with a bang  with two indie rock forerunners. Dirty Beaches, the project of Alex Zhang Hungtai, has gained a lot of buzz and acclaim in its short existence. 2011 debut Badlands drew an 8.2 on the ever-critical Pitchfork and was nominated for the prestigious Polaris Prize, attracting numerous fans along the way with its haunting lo-fi sound.

Xiu Xiu know something about creating “haunting” tunes. Featuring Jamie Stewart’s weepy vibrato and prominent synthesizers, the California group has been the epitome of avant garde for over ten years and at least as many full-length releases, including February’s Always. It’s no surprise that openers Father Murphy, then, show considerable influence from Xiu Xiu in their own music. Any true fan of unique, artistic music will want to be at the show this Friday.

Dirty Beaches and Xiu Xiu sound like this:

Saturday, 5/19, 9:30 p.m.
70′s vs. 90′s Graduation Dance Party featuring the VO5 and The Beat Chefs

Here’s a dance party that has something for everybody, and just in time for graduation. Bring your visiting parents and relatives out to the Terrace Saturday night to hear VO5 play covers of 70′s songs that will take them back to their own youth or college years. But first, listen to The Beat Chefs play the songs you grew up with in the 90′s (Feel free to wear Zubaz, slap bracelets, and light-up shoes). It will be a great chance to think about where you’ve been and party in honor of where you’re going. Watch VO5 tear up “We Are Family” on the Terrace last year below.

Friday, 5/25, 9:30 p.m.
The Handphibians w/ Grupo Balanca

If you’ve never seen Madison’s own The Handphibians before, do yourself a favor and come to the Terrace next Friday – but make sure to tie your shoes really tightly or wear sandals because they tend to blow peoples socks off. It is a spectacle to say the least when the samba-flavored giant ensemble (seriously, they often have up to at least twenty people) takes the stage. The beats from the onslaught of drums make not moving an impossibility, so be sure to hydrate regularly and carb-load accordingly. Just watch this insanity:

Madison’s Grupo Balanca will get the Brazilian beats going featuring a smaller (but not small by any means) lineup. Put on something colorful and get ready to dance, Madison.

The Trinidad Tripoli Steel Drum Band
Saturday, 5/26, 9:30 p.m.

The Trinidad Tripoli Steel Drum Band’s story begins before most of us (and many of our parents) were alive. Trinidad’s Hugh Borde spearheaded Trinidad’s steel drum band movement in Post-World War II Trinidad. Borde, his family, and his band made their way to the U.S. in the 70s and took it by storm; The Trinidad Tripoli Steel Drum Band appeared on various variety shows and recorded an album with Liberace in 1972 that would go on to win a Grammy. Forty years later Borde’s band is still going strong and playing sunny steel drum music that will keep a weekend of dancing going. Make sure to catch these legends when they make their stop on the isthmus.

Check Borde and the 1970 version of the band on the David Frost Show (yes, as in Frost v. Nixon) below.

Friday, 6/1, 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 6/2, 12 p.m.
Isthmus Jazz Fest

Gear up for a weekend of saxes, horns, scatting, and drum solos. The WUD Performing Arts Committee is bringing some of the best Midwest jazz talent to the Lake Mendota shore in this year’s Isthmus Jazz Fest. Check out the Performing Arts Committee’s fantastic blog, The Green Room, to get the scoop on each of the acts listed in the following lineup. Oh, and like WUD Music, the Performing Arts Committee always welcomes new student members, so consider joining over the summer or when you come back in the fall! The lineup:

BADBADNOTGOOD, along with KingHellBastard and Monster House, are invading the Terrace this Friday night. Canadian trio BADBADNOTGOOD formed in 2011 at Humber College in Toronto. Since then, they have released two albums (BBNG and BBNG2)  – which are both available for free on their website and bandcamp - and have done numerous collaborations, among them those with Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean of OFWGKTA. BADBADNOTGOOD puts an unlikely jazz twist on OFWGKTA’s otherwise rap and hip-hop tracks (be sure to check out “Seven,” where Tyler, The Creator has an awesome freak out near the end of the song you’ll surely appreciate).

Needless to say, BADBADNOTGOOD is bringing about both new and imaginative music; the crossing of jazz and hip-hop genres is definitely a musical path less traveled, and the trio seems to be making it work. They’re worth the listen, and if you come down to the Terrace around 9 on Friday, you’ll probably get to see Alex Sowinski, the band’s drummer, donning his super cute pig mask.

Also playing at the Terrace on Friday is KingHellBastard (KHB). Hailing from Milwaukee, KHB consists of DNA, Dana Coppafeel, Clark Beezy, DJ1L, Animas, Reakt Twenty, A-Biz and “all the other freaks in The Freak Kingdom” as the band wrote on their MySpace page. KHB has opened for artists such as Common, Q-Tip, and Souls of Mischief. Emanating a kind of unique hip-hop that’s energetic, raw, and sometimes unruly, this group will undoubtedly get the crowd going. Check out their video “Danger” for evidence.

As if that’s not enough hip-hop for you, Milwaukee collective Monster House will also be playing at the Terrace on Friday. Consisting of SPEAKEasy, Panic and Audiopilot, the group creates trippy and dynamic rap and hip-hop. They recently released an 11-track LP entitled Raiders of the Lost Art via Uni-Fi Records, whose bandcamp allows you to download the album for free. Monster House has even collab’d with KHB’s Dana Coppafeel.

It’s going to be a hip-hop kind of night at the Terrace on Friday. We look forward to seeing you there! In the meantime, download BADBADNOTGOOD’s “UWM (feat. Leland Whitty)”  below.

Download BADBADNOTGOOD’s “UWM (Feat. Leland Whitty)”

Just in case you haven’t noticed them yet, I’d like to point out that the Memorial Union Terrace has BLUE chairs out. Random side note, I know, but to accompany those fabulous lake-colored (if the lake was not a murky green) chairs this Saturday on The Terrace are rappers Spliff Hemingway, Charlie Kim, and Big Dylan, starting at 10 p.m. 

Even though Big Dylan is at the young age of 19, his voice does not portray this in the least. His rapping style began in the party scene and has developed into a performance that still incorporates characteristics of a chill party. The song “Dodge N’ the Law” has a very relaxed beat in the background, which suits Big Dylan’s rapping style that resembles Snoop Dog. He also out his own Midwest-flavored lyrics over the Jay-Z and Kanye West song “Otis.” Check it out. 

Following Big Dylan is an acoustic rapper that likes to create music for the ladies. Charlie Kim’s recent album is named Songs for Women, and all tracks incorporate some aspect of a relationship. His chill voice that reminds me a tad bit of Mike Posner is perfect for his love songs, “Beautiful Girl” or “We Ain’t Gotta Do Much.” He is currently based in Madison and has been featured on the radio station 93.1 Jamz. Similar to Big Dylan, Charlie Kim also references the party atmosphere in the song “RedBull&Vodka,” which I’m sure is a combination of drink that you crazy Madisonites are familiar with. 

Spliff Hemingway will then finish the night off continuing with that chill-party feel, but in a more simplistic manner. Songs such as “Buddha Heads” have a simple beat in the background, however lyrics are strung together throughout the song with his deep voice, which gives the song a rhythmic feel. Stephanie Jones from the LA Examiner is quoted saying that Spliff Hemingway is the “best of newfound, upcoming underground west coast hip hop.”

And there are your Saturday night plans made. I mean, first off, who doesn’t love a night on The Terrace? And second, who doesn’t like to listen to live music that’s fresh and awesome?

Download Spliff Hemingway’s “Buddha Heads” below via his Bandcamp.

Everybody has their favorite YouTube sensation, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Kina Grannis was yours. Before Grannis became a YouTube maverick, she self-released three EP’s at her alma mater, USC. In 2007, her video “Message From Your Heart” aired during the Super Bowl as part of the “Dorito’s Crash the Super Bowl Contest,” which propelled Kina into the national spotlight. In 2011, Kina re-released a newer version of her album Stairwells, which included four new tracks. Her light, bubbly voice has brought nearly 97 million views to Kina’s YouTube channel, and she even has done a few collaborations with another YouTube favorite, Boyce Avenue. Kina has covered a handful of popular songs, including U2′s “With or Without You” and Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” She is currently touring for her “In Your Arms World Tour 2012.” It’s pretty evident that Kina’s popularity will keep escalating not only on YouTube, but in the pop industry as well.

Imaginary Friend, effortlessly compatible with Kina’s voice, will be opening for her tonight. With his acoustic guitar and sleepy voice, Imaginary Friend has the perfect sound to woo plenty of fans. Imaginary friend and Kina even do ocassional YouTube collaborations, covering Coldplay’s “Fix You” and Foster the Peoples’ “Pumped Up Kicks.”

Add a few more views to Kina Grannis’ channel by checking out the adorable “In Your Arms” video (made with stop motion and 288,000 jelly beans) and the aforementioned “Pumped Up Kicks” below. The show gets started at 9 p.m. at the Sett. Stick around after Kina’s set for DTF when DJ Gabe Herrera will be throwing it down.

As the story goes, in 2006 two friends walked past the Apostolic Faith Mission in Brooklyn and jokingly reconsidered swapping Apostolic with Alcoholic; thus conceiving the indie lo-fi band Alcoholic Faith Mission. After all, an alcoholic has faith in his booze, just as a devout has in his religion (lol at that analogy). Copenhagen natives Thorben and Sune, the band’s founders, released their debut album Misery Loves Company just six months after their formation under a few conditions: by candlelight at night- with alcohol- and whatever they recorded (using just a laptop) was not to be changed. After the release of the band’s sophomore album 421 Wythe Avenue (named after where their first album was recorded), the duo took on four more members. A year later they released Let This Be The Last Night We Care- tracks like “Got Love? Got Shellfish!” and “Should’ve Left Before She Woke” evoke seriously sad emotions while keeping lasting and refined melodies. The Danish band’s most recent album Ask Me This was released on Tuesday, May 1 under Old Flame Records and was given 4/5 stars (ok, they’re technically circles) on tinymixtapes.com. Wistful vocals and alluring instrumentals make Ask Me This my personal favorite album so far. They’ll definitely be rockin’ Der Rath on Friday night with both new and old hits so come check them out!

Also playing at Der Rath on Friday is You Won’t; consisting of two Massachusetts natives John Arnoudse and Raky Sastri. The band is indeed developing a growing fan base with the release of their debut full-length album Skeptic Goodbye in February, also under Old Flame Records. Tracks off the album display both affectionate control and precision while still delivering the loving and fun but sometimes-melancholic melodies that listeners crave. Arnoudse’s vocals are both captivating and powerful; also, mad respect for their multi-instrumental skills. This duo is sure to put on an entertaining and gratifying show, so don’t miss them.

Blackbird Blackbird. All photos in this post by T.J. Matzen.

We had another great weekend, and luckily there were cameras to document most of it. There was lots of dancing at Blackbird Blackbird, Canopies, and Kiazma. The energy of the acts from the Surgeons in Heat record release come through in the pictures below. The Dear Hunter brought the prog to the Sett (These pics were sent along to us. They weren’t able to be included in the post, but check them out.) Ezra Furman brought the cool to Der Rath. No pics from that show, but if you have some to share, please send them along to wudmusiccom@gmail.com.

Surgeons in Heat

Blackbird Blackbird w/ Canopies and Kiazma
The Sett – April 27th, 2012

Blackbird Blackbird

Canopies

Kiazma

Surgeons in Heat Album Release Party w/ The Midwest Beat, Fatty Acids, and Pioneer
Der Rathskeller – April 28th, 2012

Surgeons in Heat

The Midwest Beat

The Fatty Acids

Pioneer

“Listen – I think you’ll be impressed.” If those words came from your slacker cousin, you may be able to dismiss them. But when they come from David Dye of NPR’s legendary music show World Cafe, those words carry a great amount of weight. You can hear him use them in reference to Milwaukee/Madison AM Gold quartet Surgeons in Heat if you listen to a December 2011 episode, and the bold statement has only gotten truer. This month, the band dropped their sophomore EP, Midnight At Bellevue, which calls on soulful hooks that infiltrate your brain through your eardrums and bury themselves there. It’s a peaceful takeover, and one you’ll surely welcome if you download it the EP for free at their bandcamp.

Bandcamp’s great, but fans of physical releases will rejoice, too, because this show celebrates the release of their Surgeons in Heat LP. On one side the vinyl contains their debut, the Surgeons in Heat EP, and you can find the new Midnight at Bellevue EP on the other. As a recent PopMatters review asserted, their emergence on the national scene has begun and it will only continue to intensify, so this will likely be something you’ll want to pick up to say you “knew them when.”

Joining them will be three other local acts Wisconsin is lucky to call their own. The Midwest Beat have been wowing Madison crowds for years now with their guitar-driven pop. They’re no stranger to the Terrace or to acclaim from local press, hopping their way onto Best of Madison lists practically every year. A.V. Club Madison raved about their most recent release, Gone Not Lost, saying the “tunes come neatly gift-wrapped with big hooks, back vocals that actually serve a purpose, and all the little details like bridges and pre-choruses that have somehow slipped through the cracks of modern pop.”

The Fatty Acids are no stranger to accolades themselves, having found themselves up against some act called Bon Iver (no, not Bonnie Bear) for Wisconsin’s band of the year at this year’s WAMI Awards.They’ve released two full-lengths, Stop Berries, Berries and Berries, Berries, and Leftover Monsterface (both available for free at their bandcamp). With names like that, you know they’re not dull. Their quirk pop sound is as big as their humor, with horns, howls, and drums beaten so mercilessly by Cole Quamme that you wonder how they’d survive a show. Their live show is known for its raucousness, as a dismembered R2D2 can attest to.

Pioneer will get us started at eight. Pioneer is made up of the three Madison-dwelling members of Surgeons in Heat along with Jacqueline Kursel. You would probably never know there was any relation between the two bands if you weren’t told; Kursel and Kenny Monroe trade off vocals in some stripped-down folk complemented with cello. It’s beautiful stuff, and Madison’s taken notice – it’s why when acts like Cate Le Bon and Breathe Owl Breathe come through town you can find Pioneer on the bill. Check out their bandcamp to listen to a few of their tunes.

If you don’t want to come down to Memorial Union at 8 p.m. after those descriptions, I don’t know what else I can do for you. Well, except tell you to download Surgeons in Heat’s “No One Left” below, watch their “The Price” video, and check out the links within the article, as they show just how talented these bands are. See you tonight.

Download Surgeons in Heat’s “No One Left”