Must-hear music
Piet Levy lists releases from local artists to check out in October.
Fall is one of the busiest times for album releases. It’s no exception in Milwaukee, with a flurry of releases from local artists — from the latest from breakout punk band Direct Hit!, to the newest Nineteen Thirteen release, featuring Violent Femmes cofounder Victor De Lorenzo.
Here’s a roundup of new albums, EPs and songs from local artists to check out in October.
1. “Crown of Nothing,” Direct Hit!: Nihilism’s rarely as fun as it is on Direct Hit!’s latest, which embraces synthesizers and sax, and doubles down on grand pop hooks, without sacrificing the punk band’s bleak worldview or abandoning Nick Woods’ abrasive screamed vocals on vein-popping speed demons “Pain & Boredom” and “Bliss Addiction.” “Crown of Nothing” comes out Oct. 23. Direct Hit! performs at the Back Room at Colectivo Coffee, 2211 N. Prospect Ave., Oct. 20. Tickets are $15.
2. “Light All Around,” Kyle Feerick: Feerick is in breezy, feel-good mode with the smooth grooves of “Moving On” and the Paul McCartneyesque “Like a King,” but his EP takes a surprising turn with the almost psychedelic title track, revealing an accomplished artist up for new challenges. The “Around” release show is Nov. 23 at Ivy House, 906 S. Barclay St.
3. “Winter House,” Flat Teeth: Flat Teeth has cut some sharp songs on its debut EP — the organ-riding “Marksman” and Ennio Morricone-indebted emo rocker “Play Different” are particular standouts — although given the players’ past work in bands like John the Savage and Paper Holland, the strong results aren’t surprising. Flat Teeth performs Saturday at Cactus Club, 2496 S. Wentworth Ave. $10.
4. “Make This Last,” Mic Kellogg: “I want to see what you see when you’re looking at me,” Kellogg sings on “Keep Lovin’,” the closing song on “Last,” his soulful search for self-love. What you’ll see in Kellogg is a talented, uplifting singer and hip-hop artist reminiscent in spirit and sound to Chance The Rapper.
5. “SummertimeDom,” Dom’ McNeal: The rapper’s feel-good rhymes set to spacey production have that warm, summer feel, but McNeal’s optimism will be especially welcome as our days get colder and darker.
6. “Life Upside Down,” Brett Newski: Newski isn’t averse to attention-seeking gimmicks, from clever rock songs that have skewered Spotify and Black Friday, to recent stunt videos where he’s performed pop-up sets (clearly without advance permission) at Walmart, McDonald’s and other businesses. But no gimmicks are needed on his third album, which sees Newski channeling his anxieties into snappy garage rock. Oct. 26 at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company, 224 W. Bruce St. $13.
7. “Sci-Fi Romance,” Nineteen Thirteen: As the title of its five-song EP suggests, Nineteen Thirteen (cellist Janet Schiff and drummer Victor De Lorenzo) is interested in smashing genres together on its EP, like on oddball pop song “Hot Garbage,” with ’80s synths and De Lorenzo typically odd lyrics (a sample line: “It rained twice for truth”) transitioning to lush strings. Nineteen Thirteen’s next area show is Oct. 6 at Public Table in West Allis.
“Must-Hear Milwaukee Music” appears around the first of every month in the Journal Sentinel; for more on this month’s list, go to jsonline.com/ music. If you’re a local musician with a new song, EP or album, email your music to Piet Levy at plevy@journal sentinel.com.