Juniper Tar released an early Milwaukee album of the year candidate this spring with Since Before, a beefy folk-rock (emphasis on the rock) record with a big-picture philosophical bent and a unique sense of scale. In short, the album was the work of a real band, one that has decisively distanced itself from the hordes of demure singer-songwriters who have turned contemporary indie-folk into an af...

It's been a long, strange year for this short, regular feature. Usually, the best media apologies fall into one of a few categories. There are apologies for the things too awful to consider ever happening, like San Francisco's Asian Week printing the story "Why I Hate Blacks" in March. There are the minor mistakes which lead to corrections far more interesting than the errors themselves, like...

Local bands have sometimes been lost in the shuffle at Summerfest, but for the last three years a stage dedicated exclusively to local and regional performers has showcased the kind of independent Milwaukee bands that the music festival had historically overlooked. Since quietly debuting in 2007, the Cascio Interstate Music Groove Stage has...

Today’s lineup at the Cascio Groove Garage, Summerfest’s all-local stage, puts the spotlight on bands that thrive in the city’s all-ages and basement show scenes, including Terrior Bute, a synth-punk trio schooled on Devo but prone to clever, noisy freakouts a la The Mae Shi, at 6:30 p.m.; the feral screamo trio Cougar Den at 7:30 p.m.; the jazz-spiked punk band Red Knife Lottery...

Thursday’s lineup at the Cascio Groove Garage, Summerfest’s all local stage, is another celebration of American music. Drawing from the spirit of Bob Dylan and altcountry pioneers like Uncle Tupelo, Sharking Hour (at 6:30 p.m.) is followed by the jam-leaning, power-blues trio Super Custom Deluxe at 7:30 p.m. and the cheeky, drunken honky-tonk of headliners Whiskey Bound at 8:30 p.m.

Although Kid, You’ll Move Mountains’ songwriting nods to the insular, indie-rock of late-'90s Polyvinyl bands, the band performs with the communal, clap-along spirit of so many modern indie-pop bands, making them a perfect fit for outdoor festivals like this one. The band’s 5:30 p.m. set this evening is followed at 6:30 p.m. by Sleep Tight Co., who play some the city’s sweetest, most melodic dream-pop, and then a 7:30 p.m. performance from At Latl, whose catchy, livewire indie-rock recalls early...

It's the type of conundrum I like to see: Two tempting concerts in one night. Tonight, two killer acts, college-rock icon Morrissey and younger up-and-comers Los Campesinos!, headline conflicting concerts at 8 p.m., at the Rave and the Turner Hall Ballroom respectively. The appeal of both acts is similar, with each turning out catchy guitar-pop and sharing the same comically acerbic world view. Li...

My annual look back at the year in Milwaukee music is in this week's issue of the Shepherd, but it's worth taking a little extra time to expand on an obvious but important point. Over the last half decade�and particularly the last two years-the media support system for local bands has strengthened two�or threefold. There is now a vast network of print publications, Web sites and radio stations buo...

A direct copy and paste from my ever-expanding "you can't make this stuff up" file of press releases: I would like you to consider runnung a story on the band "4 On the Floor". The bass player is just re-elected Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel, the drummer is local municipal attorney Stan Riffle, the lead guitarist is Pius High School teacher Craig Gyland and I'm the front...