The '80s are far enough away for nostalgia to set in. For Milwaukeeans involved in the '80s alternative scene, it was a decade of great promise, a time when bands such as the Violent Femmes, Die Kreuzen and the BoDeans appeared poised to conquer at least a corner of the world outside. Atomic Records was a hub of Milwaukee's alt scene in those years, and when it closed earlier this year, some of the record shop's fans felt...

Atomic Records wasn't just a passive observer of the Milwaukee music scene, explains Damian Strigens. It actively shaped the scene, fostering local bands and, sometimes, even birthing them. Strigens, a one-time Atomic employee who now plays with Testa Rosa, was in one of those bands, The Mustn'ts, which he formed with another Atomic alum...