WebsterX, Coo Coo Cal keep up the quality — and the beat
Our monthly roundup of Must-Hear Milwaukee Music took a bit of a summer vacation during Summerfest.
But talent never rests in Milwaukee, and there have been plenty of terrific albums and songs to kick off the second half of the year.
Here are some personal favorites, released from mid-June through this month.
1. Ako, “everything is okay.,”: ‘90sinfluenced pop duo Ako is all about understatement on its new four-song EP, from the 11-minute run-time to the stylistic use of lowercase letters for the title. But it takes an incredible amount of work to make something as excellent as “okay.” Each 2-to-3-minute song is stuffed with at least three times as many memorable hooks, and Gabby Powell’s smart, honest and heartfelt lyrics say so much, even through she isn’t technically saying all that much at all.
Ako performs at the Bremen Cafe Aug. 17.
2. Collections of Colonies of Bees, “Hawaii”: The drastically overhauled avant-garde rock group has commanded its big stage gigs over the past year, including at Justin Vernon’s Eaux Claires festival last year and opening for Bon Iver at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in February. The grandeur was captured on “Hawaii,” from founding member Chris Rosenau’s dreamy, cinematic guitar work, to Ben Derickson’s powerful marching drums. But CoCoBees’ boldest strokes are its smallest — the addition of lyrics, a first in 20 years. And on the album especially, Daniel Spack’s soft, plain voice and Marielle Allschwang lovely, choppedup vocals really shine, particularly on the haunting “For Ghost.”
CoCoBees opens for S. Carey Sept. 8 at the Back Room at Colectivo Coffee.
3. Coo Coo Cal, “Home”: Even in his hometown, Coo Coo Cal might be considered a one-hit wonder, remembered for his lone Hot Rap Singles chart-topper “My Projects” in 2001, a success he wasn’t able to replicate. It’s not for lack of talent, though, as this sweet and soulful ode to his hometown shows. The single precedes a tell-all documentary; if it’s anywhere near as good as the new track, Coo Coo Cal may finally get more of the recognition he deserves.
4. Surgeons in Heat, “Bored Immortals”: Admittedly, “Immortals” comes to a disappointing end, the five brief final songs coming across like intriguing ideas that never reached their full potential. But the six songs that precede it are among the best songs the veteran alt-rock band has ever released. “Why’d You Start” is the embodiment of effortless cool, the way the layers of guitar riffs groove and hum over ‘80s synth waves and Johnathan Mayer’s mellow vocals, while other tracks on the album’s first half recall the craftsmanship and creativity of indie pop masters like Mac DeMarco and Grizzly Bear.
Surgeons in Heat performs at Circle-A
Cafe Aug. 25.
5. WebsterX, “Ain’t My Fault,” “Feels,” and “No End”: WebsterX tends to take his time perfecting his work; his debut full-length album arrived more than three years after his single “Doomsday” made national noise. So getting three new songs in six weeks from the eclectic rapper amounts to a treasure trove. “Ain’t My Fault” and “No End” live up to his pedigree, but it’s “Feels” that best illustrates WebsterX’s broadening worldview, where he calls out racism, complacency and “fake woke people,” and announces a greater purpose. “Don’t let my (expletive) die no more, no more, no more,” he raps. “The task is black youth, to make it past 20.”
WebsterX presents an interactive art installation titled “Choose Your Own Adventure” Aug. 8 at 727 N. Milwaukee St.
“Must-Hear Milwaukee Music” appears the first of every month in the Journal Sentinel and at jsonline.com/ music. If you’re a local musician with a new song, EP or album, email your music to Piet Levy at plevy@journalsentinel.com to be considered for the feature.