Blessed—or perhaps cursed—with an unnatural ability to turn every song he touches into concentrated depression, Mark Kozelek writes emotionally devastating songs made all the more harrowing by his cold, disaffected vocals. His ’90s slowcore band, Red House Painters, always felt like a showcase for Kozelek . . .

If last weekend’s RiverSplash! didn’t make it official enough, there can be no doubt that Milwaukee’s summer festival season has finally arrived now that Jazz in the Park has returned. Every Thursday through September in Cathedral Square Park, a different jazz artist will headline this free gig while patrons—