Oct
12
The FCC Regulates Bloggers, Panic Ensues
"My name is Evan, and I approve this CD review."
Evan Rytlewski On MusicThe blogosphere, and in particular the music blogosphere, was all a titter last week with news that the FCC will require bloggers to disclose whether they received compensation (namely payment or free review samples) in exchange for any reviews they are r
Posted at 11:19 AM
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Oct
09
Cory Chisel's Big Weekend
Evan Rytlewski On MusicIt's a landmark weekend for Appleton songwriter Cory Chisel, who tonight appears on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"—probably without The Roots as his backing band, sadly—before a Carnegie Hall concert tomorrow night. Meanwhile, the cu
Posted at 03:59 PM
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Oct
08
The Coded Country of '90s Slowcore
Revisiting Rex's C
Evan Rytlewski On MusicThese days indie-rockers fly their country flag high, flaunting their
appreciation for traditional roots music. Back in the '90s, though,
country wasn't nearly as fashionable, at least outside of alt-country
circles (and even now it's easy to forget how r
Posted at 12:47 PM
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Oct
07
Is Ghostface's Wizard of Poetry the Least Romantic R&B Album Ever?
Ghostface Killah gets next to you
Evan Rytlewski On Music
If modern R&B strives to be baby-making music, then what is Ghostdini Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City, Ghostface Killah's new R&B album? Prophylactic music? Because, outside of Marvin Gaye's divorce album, Here My Dear, it's hard to imagine a le
Posted at 11:49 AM
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Oct
06
You Know That I Could Use Somebody (To Cover "Use Somebody")
Bat For Lashes, Friendly Fires and others do Kings of Leon
Evan Rytlewski On MusicIt turns out that once you get past the unmistakable stink of Right Guard and Wild Turkey that Kings of Leon leave behind on everything they touch, the group's mega-hit "Use Somebody" is actually a pretty great song; the track is quickly emergin
Posted at 03:11 PM
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Oct
06
Built to Spill's Lost Album: Ancient Melodies of the Future
Give it another chance
Evan Rytlewski On MusicBuilt to Spill's new record, There is No Enemy, comes out today, and there isn't much to say about it: It's an uneven record with some absolutely essential songs ("Planting Seeds," "Good Ol' Boredom," "Hindsight") padded with
Posted at 02:49 PM
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Oct
05
How Drake Became the Biggest Upstart Rapper Since Snoop Dogg
Evan Rytlewski On MusicThe roster of guests is about as subtle as the air horns that blare throughout the song: Kanye West, Lil Wayne and—wait for it—Eminem, making a rare appearance outside his usual Aftermath circle. The star, though, is the top-billed performer,
Posted at 11:27 AM
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Oct
02
The-Dream's Trail of Demos
Songwriter leaks his own Mariah Carey treatments
Evan Rytlewski On MusicThe best part about Mariah Carey's pretty-great Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel isn't the album itself; it's the Mariah Carey-less demos from the album's principal songwriter, The-Dream, which have systematically leaked online.
Though she
Posted at 05:11 PM
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Oct
02
Pitchfork's Top Albums of the 2000s
Evan Rytlewski On MusicBy this point, Pitchfork has stated, listed and ranked its preferences so many times that there weren't too many surprises left for the site's Top 200 Albums of the 2000s—apparently they're fans of Radiohead, M.I.A. and Animal Collective—but t
Posted at 11:21 AM
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Sep
30
Chris Brown May Still Have Anger Issues
Also: The Roots offer a much-needed chaser
Evan Rytlewski On MusicNot even a generous helping of Lil Wayne can save the racket-laden new Chris Brown single, "I Can Transform Ya." Coming off the whole "furiously beating one of the world's biggest pop starlets" thing, you would think that Brown would o
Posted at 06:03 PM
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Sep
29
The Avett Brothers and the Redemption of Rick Rubin
Evan Rytlewski On MusicAnd with one lovely, understated gesture, The Avett Brothers' I and Love and You, Rick Rubin has nearly atoned for destroying Weezer.
Lionized though the guy may be, Rubin is an overzealous producer, one whose vision sometimes trumps that of the ar
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
29
Paramore's Better Brand of Modern Rock
Evan Rytlewski On MusicA guilty pleasure that grows less guilty and more pleasurable with each album, Paramore packs all the thrills of their male-fronted emo-rock peers, but leaves behind none of the slimy residue. The group’s latest, Brand New Eyes, out today, is their tighte
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
25
Arctic Monkeys Radio
Evan Rytlewski On MusicI'll be on FM 102.1's "Indie Soundcheck" program Sunday night at 11 p.m., as will the Arctic Monkeys—a potentially embarrassing confluence that could highlight my inability to pronounce the word "Arctic" (too word with far too many con
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
24
Sleep Tight Co. Call it a Night, Give Away Final Album
Evan Rytlewski On MusicMilwaukee says goodbye to one of its breeziest bands next month, when Sleep Tight Co. play one last show at the Cactus Club on Oct. 24, a fitting autumn farewell for a band that always played lovelorn summertime pop. In a city where pop bands tend to be k
Posted at 03:25 PM
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Sep
23
Rufus Wainwright Does Milwaukee
Evan Rytlewski On MusicRufus Wainwright released this week a live CD and DVD, Milwaukee at Last!!!, which he recorded at the Pabst Theater in Aug. 27. I haven't seen the DVD yet, but it was a fantastic concert, with Wainwright making great use of the theater's acoustics singing
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
22
Stream the New Pearl Jam. Also the New Amy Millan. And Sea Wolf. And Rain Machine...
Evan Rytlewski On MusicIt's a rough time to be in the music industry, but it's a great time to be a music consumer; there days nearly every album worth hearing streams online for free around its release. Just years ago this was a novelty of the highest order: When a major music
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
21
Mariah Carey's Nearly Perfect Imperfect Memoirs
Evan Rytlewski On MusicAfter a frequently exceptional run, Mariah Carey’s Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel closes with a flagrant vote of no-confidence in everything that came before it; a radio-baiting cover of the Foreigner power-balled “I Want to Know What Love Is” was apparent
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
21
Ask Bob Uecker About John Fogerty Sometime
Evan Rytlewski On MusicWhile I was away for a long weekend, The Riverside Theater announced a Nov. 19 concert from Creedence Clearwater Revivalist turned halftime-show standby John Fogerty, which is pretty much all the excuse I need to post this classic Norm MacDonald story:
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
16
Land of Talk Ready New EP, Share Song
Evan Rytlewski On MusicAll achy voice and crashing guitars, Montreal's Land of Talk play indie-rock the way it sounded early this century, before the mid-decade mutiny of synthesizers and cowboy hats.
Land of Talk's sophomore album, Some Are Lakes, was one of last y
Posted at 12:40 PM
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Sep
16
Free Mixtape Round-Up: Donnis, Fashawn, Trey Songz, etc
Evan Rytlewski On MusicFor those who prefer their rap untainted by Peter, Bjorn and John, here are four recent mixtapes more than worth the free download:
Donnis – Diary of An ATL Brave (via Astheworldspins)
The last time a mixtape by a guy nobody had ever h
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
15
2009, the Year Indie-Rock and Hip-Hop Tied the Knot
Evan Rytlewski On Music
Well, it's good see that somebody found a use for Peter, Bjorn and John's wildly uneven latest album, Living Thing. If that record arrived half-formed, then Mick Boogie's re-imagining of that record, the Re-Living Thing mixtape—available for free downlo
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Sep
15
Hear the New Volcano Choir Album
Evan Rytlewski On MusicNPR has posted the entirety of one of the most locally anticipated albums of the year, Volcano Choir's Unmap, the debut album from Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Milwaukee's Collections of Colonies of Bees. Actually, it should probably be credited first to
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
15
Time to Lay Off Kanye West
Evan Rytlewski On MusicIt's an indignity I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy: Sitting on prime time television, head hung, while Jay Leno, so drunk off his good fortune that he can barely contain his smirk, shames you by evoking your recently deceased mother and asking, “What d
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Sep
11
Hot Podcast Action
Evan Rytlewski On MusicMuzzle of Bees' Ryan Matteson and WMSE's Ryan Schleicher were kind enough to have me on the 22nd edition of their joint podcast this week. As always, the podcast is a treasure trove of great new music recommendations; this installment features lovely new
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Sep
10
Activision, Grohl and Novoselic to Love: You Lie
Evan Rytlewski On MusicCourtney Love wants everybody to know that she's as ticked off as anybody over the seemingly tasteless usage of Kurt Cobain in the latest Guitar Hero game, and she's taken to her Twitter account to insist she never granted permission for the appearance.
Posted at 06:00 PM
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Today in Milwaukee
Says You
Jeff Sperling:Evan, I enjoy your indie articles, but you seem to ...
ova collective:sad but often times true
