8 local songs, albums to check out this month
Another year has passed, but I’m not ready to say goodbye to 2021 just yet — in terms of Milwaukee music, that is.
There was so much good stuff toward the end of last year I couldn’t fit it all in my last monthly roundup of top Milwaukee music. So enjoy these terrific local albums and songs from last year as you kick off your 2022.
‘Donde Estan,’ Gego Y Nony
The brother duo released my favorite Milwaukee album of 2021, “Tiempo,” which also won for best album at the Radio Milwaukee Music Awards. But that wasn’t the extent of the excellent music they released in 2021, with this one-off single again illustrating the sleek, irresistible smoothness to their reggaeton sound. They also promised more music in 2022.
‘Drowning in Snow,’ Dave Schoepke
Drummer Schoepke previously illustrated his adventurous streak in avant-garde jazz trio Stomata. But on his own, he’s just as daring and unpredictable, but there’s a raw, rock edge to his drumming that’s easy to groove to despite Schoepke’s penchant for challenging conventions.
‘King of Nothing,’ Supertentacles
I’m going to be completely transparent: By the time I had gotten around to Sean Anderson’s sophomore fulllength release as Supertentacles, I had already filed my list of the best Milwaukee music of 2021. If I had been more on the ball and listened to it earlier, it would have been a really strong contender for the top albums list. I might even “cheat” for the first time to include it in my 2022 list. I’ll have to see what local musicians come up with this year, but Anderson’s dreamy folkpop album — sometimes almost otherworldly in its beauty — is going to stick with me a year from now, and beyond.
‘Sandman,’ TENLo
Rockers Joey Zak and TomE LaBrosse have gotten the most attention for their music via high-concept videos with familiar faces, like Stormy Daniels and the late Dustin Diamond.
There’s no visual treatment for “Sandman” — yet — but it may be the duo’s most polished track that has them fully embracing the electronica elements they’ve been inching toward on previous singles, with winning results.
‘Skeleton Wedding, Wedding Music,’ Camden
It’s been really hard to find any silver linings to this terrible pandemic, but here’s one: It resulted in the first Camden album in 21 years. In its brief existence, the Milwaukee rock band toured with Death Cab for Cutie and the Promise Ring behind what seemed to be the group’s lone album, “Reel Time Canvas.” But the bandmates (who’d go on to play in Ring, Decibully and other bands) began bonding during lockdown, which led to songwriting, which led to a beautiful album processing the isolation and gravity of our times. Here’s hoping Camden will continue making music after this pandemic (hopefully) officially ends.
‘The Devolver Album,’ Beatallica
When mash-ups became a thing in the early aughts, Milwaukee’s Beatallica was born, blending the Beatles with Metallica and earning endorsements from Metallica themselves. Now on their fourth album, the band’s shtick hasn’t lost any steam, offering fans of both bands a fun opportunity to pick apart specific songs and to hear them, through their blended incarnation, like never before.
‘We’re All Doomed,’ Avenues
Avenues waste no time getting amped up on “We’re All Doomed,” dropping listeners right into racing guitar melodies for album-opener “Blood on the Moon.” And the punk band doesn’t waste a note on their tight and thrilling 11-track, 23-minute album; it’s an adrenaline rush right down to the very last second of the last track.
‘Why Is My Arm Not a Lilac Tree?,’Credentials
Peter J. Woods might be the most out there of Milwaukee’s avant-garde musicians. One of his latest releases was ambient noise from workouts he had at a Planet Fitness. So to see Woods in full band mode with mathrock Credentials is a welcome, and surprising, proposition. True to form, “Lilac Tree” is not “accessible” by mainstream definitions, but it does rock, with gnarly, Shellac-inspired guitar jams and magnetic, sometimes haunting vocals from Sevan Arabajian-Lawson, formerly of NO/NO (which they fronted under the name Cat Ries).
“Must-Hear Milwaukee Music” runs on or around the first 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.