8 top local songs, albums to check out in March

You might experience a sense of déjà vu reading this month’s Must-Hear Milwaukee Music column. A few of the artists featured here were spotlighted in the past few months — two of them already this year.

I suppose that’s one of the silver linings of this pandemic is that it may be affording some local artists more time to make and release music.

But it’s awful in every other aspect, especially because it has cut local artists from their primary source of revenue, with gigs all but nonexistent in Milwaukee for about a year now.

So instead of streaming my picks for the eight best new Milwaukee albums, EPs and songs to hear this March, consider buying the music when possible.

And Bandcamp again will waive its share of sales, on March 5, with every cent that day going directly to artists.

‘Almost Never Give Up,’ Black Belt Theatre

For anyone who’s been waiting for Brookfield to get its own ripping rock anthem, Black Belt Theatre has delivered. Sure, “Fast Times in Brookfield” is silly, but it also works really well as a heart-racing power-pop rocker, accompanied on this fun four-song EP by the thrilling title track and a couple of cool covers (of Ace Frehley’s “Rip It Out” and Cyndi Lauper’s “She Bop”).

‘Ego,’ LO/ST

Milwaukee’s most promising new band has barely had time to celebrate the release of its excellent debut EP “All Is Found” in January, and they’re already back with a new single, “Ego,” that exemplifies the band’s striking juxtaposition of piercing intimacy and cinematic catharsis.

‘Miles Down the Road,’ North Breese

As far as opening impressions go, “Exodus,” the opening track on North Breese’s full-length album, is quite a gamble, as Ryan Lane’s yearning voice and driving guitar gives way to soaring emo rock. It’s hard to fathom “Miles Down the Road” getting any better than that, but North Breese has plenty of bold moments in store, like the pulse-quickening pop-punk anthem “Neverenderbender,” which improves upon its sticky chorus with an accelerating, crowd-singalong finish.

‘My Place on the Moon,’ Reins Daily

Sean Raasch has been on a songwriting tear since the pandemic began, but with “My Place on the Moon,” his songwriting has reached new heights. It’s quickly apparent on the opening track “Losing All My Sleep” that encapsulates the ongoing anxiety of the crisis, manifested through Raasch’s direct lyrics and haunted voice, accompanied by a sparse and steady folk-rock arrangement (with a touch of trumpet), the ample space in the arrangement a fitting metaphor for our collective sense of isolation.

‘North by Northquist,’ Loey Norquist

While a few artists in this review roundup have been very prolific, Loey Norquist isn’t one of them. It’s been 30 years since Norquist released an album, as Loey Nelson, on Warner Bros., but she’s back now with the follow-up under the production guidance of John Sieger. From the low-fuss, low-key instrumentation to Norquist’s calmly assured vocals and lyrics, it’s clear there’s no pressure here, no Capital-A artistic statement. These are simply solid songs, warmly rendered, from an artist who infuses them with the kind of confidence that comes from a lifetime of experience.

‘Others,’ Immortal Girlfriend

Last month, I suggested that Immortal Girlfriend may have released their strongest single to date with “Seekers.” Now they may have done it again with “Others,” which adds some irresistible texture from a fuzzy low end and relentless, grimy electronic drum beat. But that’s before the sounds of helicopter blades and police sirens flow over an intoxicating and smooth synth melody. A subtle beat picks up, the music fades out — and then the beat roars back to life, and may make the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up.

‘The Red Pack,’ Wave Chapelle

The Milwaukee rapper, who first made waves on Yo Gotti’s label, just released an EP, “Waves Don’t Die,” last October. But he’s upping his game in 2021, with plans to release a new song once a week. The first batch from January make up “The Red Pack,” and while Chapelle is ramping up the quantity, the quality hasn’t dropped in the slightest.

‘Straight Abused,’ Armstrong Ransome

Rapping over an equally soulful and thumping beat by past collaborator 4AR, Ransome reflects on two of the key issues of the day, life in the pandemic (”Only leave my residential to get essentials”) and systemic racism (”I don’t trust presidential billionaires who act like we’re consequential”), and ultimately offers motivation to rise above it.

“Must-Hear Milwaukee Music” runs on or around the first of every month in the Journal Sentinel and at jsonline. com. If you have a new album, EP or song coming out, contact Piet Levy at plevy@journalsentinel.com for review consideration. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook. com/PietLevyMJS.

Immortal Girlfriend, shown performing at the Radio Milwaukee Music Awards in 2019, has delivered two strong singles this month: “Seekers” and “Others.”