http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/ “I have an idea for a paradoxical theme album called Untitled, on which all the songs are called ‘Untitled,’” Stephin Merritt tells me. I have no idea whether he is kidding, but that’s nothing new. I never have any idea whether Merritt is kidding. In conversation and in song, Merritt has a droll, poker face of a voice, dry enough to suggest sarcasm but too stern to know for sure...]]> The average life span of a band in Milwaukee is remarkably short. It seems as if the most promising groups the city has produced during the last few years have broken up right as they appeared poised for bigger and better things...]]> Feb. 25, 2010 Branded as "diverse music for a diverse city," 88Nine Radio Milwaukee lived up to the billing during its third annual Milwaukee Music Awards showcase Thursday evening at Whiskey Bar, dishing out a healthy portion of jazz, blues, soul, crossover hip-hop, power pop and Southern rock. Although critics will forever deride...]]> Feb. 16, 2010 ]]> In the early ’70s Marvin Gaye released a pair of the R&B’s most revolutionary albums ever: 1971’s socially charged What’s Going On and 1973’s sexually liberated Let’s Get It On. There’s a reason they weren’t]]> Voting begins today on the name and logo for Summerfest's upcoming alternative music festival at yourmusicfest.com. The options are... interesting. I don't pretend to know much about marketing and design, but it seems to me that two of the three finalists]]> Feb. 17, 2010 ]]> Feb. 14, 2010 ]]> Apparently Milwaukee isn't the only Midwestern city with a schoolgirl crush on Wilco. From a blog post from The Cap Times in Madison, where the band performed this weekend: After receiving some admonishment from the rock band Wilco at their sold-out]]> Milwaukee has been an increasingly large presence at the annual South by Southwest music festival, with over a dozen local artists making the trek to Austin, Texas, to perform last year. At this March's festival, Milwaukee looks to be even more visible. F]]> The Wisconsin Area Music Industry announced today the nominees for its 30th awards show. The WAMI Awards have made great strides toward becoming less insular over the last several years, and by and large this year's list of nominees is pretty astute, incl]]> It’s fitting that Shearwater conceived their latest album, The Golden Archipelago, as an escape fantasy about life on an isolated island, considering how insular the group has become. Since their split from their sister band Okkervil River a half de]]> I don’t usually concede this, but sometimes it’s better not to read the reviews. There are times when album reviews give a framework with which to appreciate an album, offering context that aids in the enjoyment of music, but sometimes they do]]> Jagjaguwar Records, already home to two of singer-songwriter Justin Vernon's projects, Bon Iver and Volcano Choir, announced today a release by a new supergroup featuring Vernon: Gayngs. The lineup is spectacular and a little bizarre, featuring members of]]> Milwaukee's most productive rap collective, Umbrella Music Group continues to release a stream of free new music on its Web site every month. The latest is Both Sides of the Mirror, a mixtape from UMG's Misen Lync, the trio comprised of rappers T.K.S., Ma]]> The Bay View Neighborhood Association is looking for bands to fill the 2010 lineup of its popular Tuesday-evening Chill on the Hill concert series at Humboldt Park. The series typically themes its weeks out by genre, providing opportunities for a wide var]]>