Enjoy a compilation of selected tracks by artists playing shows we're excited about in Madison during the week of June 28 to July 5, 2018. For more information on these shows, read on under the playlist or check out all this week's Isthmus Picks.
Men I Trust, Thursday, June 28, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm: Hailing from Montreal, Men I Trust is a band that makes smooth indie pop. Sweet melodies, featuring the tender vocals of Emma Vernache, blend with slick drums for a sound that is entrancing with enough catchiness in the melodies and bounce in the rhythm section to make songs like “Tailwhip” quite danceable as well. With Pearl Sugar, Anna Wang.
Trophy Dad, Thursday, June 28, UW Memorial Union-Terrace, 9 pm: Since forming in 2014 as the dorm room project of Abby Sherman and Jordan Zamansky, Trophy Dad has become one of Madison’s best indie rock outfits, known for clever songwriting and cool lo-fi production. They’ve opened for bands like The New Pornographers, Whitney and Car Seat Headrest, and earned accolades from sites like The Fader and Stereogum. This might be one of the last chances to see this standout band perform together, so please do not sleep on this show! With Camp Friends, Joey Nebulous.
LunART Festival, June 28-30, various downtown venues: A first-of-its kind arts and music showcase featuring women performers, this festival includes workshops, lectures, panels, master classes and a range of performances revolving around dance, spoken word, music and visual art. The opening gala concert is Thursday at MMoCA; the closing gala is Sunday night at First Unitarian Society (both at 7 pm) — and there’s plenty in between. Find the schedule at lunartfestival.org.
Post Social, Fri., June 29, Communication, 8 pm: Laid-back alternative rock band Post Social sounds better than ever on the lead-up to their latest album Major Congrats, which they’ll drop at the sober space Communication. The first single, “Sand Wand,” is a melancholy banger, with twangy lead guitar playing underneath low-key and nostalgic vocal harmonies. The band gets distorted and loud on the second single “Before it Starts,” highlighting their tonal range, from hazy to wide awake. Bedroom-rockers Like A Manatee and Roz open.
Negative Approach, Friday, June 29, High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm: Re-formed in 2006, Detroit’s Negative Approach were founding members of the Midwestern hardcore punk scene in the 1980s, delivering pure abrasion and anger with rough, throaty vocals, overblown guitars and stilted rhythms. Every song is mean, vile and buried in distortion, but the band’s discography shows there are hundreds of different ways to siphon your anger into righteous, short bursts of noise. With hardcore Canadians Dayglo Abortions, and locals No Question and No Hoax.
Dos Santos, Friday, June 29, North Street Cabaret, 9 pm: Dos Santos, a quintet out of Chicago’s Latinx jazz club scene, blends American pop styles with their improvisational roots. Their latest album, Logos, is a psychedelic showcase of these expert and forward-looking instrumentalists. Opening is Acoplados, which started as a collaboration between Juan Tomás Martinez and Richard Hildner but has expanded into a local Latin jazz supergroup.
DJ Mike Winston, Friday, June 29, Connections, 9 pm: House music, one of the world’s most enduring and popular forms of dance music, actually originated in nearby Chicago. During the decline of disco, DJs like Mike Winston made their own mixes and annotations (drum machines, synths, etc.) to danceable sections of tracks, birthing a new genre. Winston was there from the beginning of one of the most important musical innovations of the later 20th century, and he is still thriving, staffing turntables and chopping up records. Just listen to his three- to four-hour-long mixes on Soundcloud. With Reg McClain.
Tapebenders, Friday, June 29, Mickey’s Tavern, 10 pm: If Tapebenders is not a familiar band name, you may remember the Milwaukee outfit’s past moniker, Elusive Parallelograms. While the name and membership have evolved over the years, the new EP We Are All Gone shows the band still mixing new wave, psych, prog and other sounds into artfully layered soundscapes. With Madison guitar-pop melody masters Skyline Sounds and rockin’ duo BackBuzz.
Caustic, Friday, June 29, Frequency, 8 pm: Matt Fanale, the man behind Madison’s cult-followed power-noise outfit Caustic, builds dark industrial EDM tracks laden with whispering robotic samples and driving rave beats, usually with humorous undertones. His live shows are known to be highly provocative and sexually charged extravaganzas of electronic energy. With opening sets by Faith No More cover band Malpractice, which boasts Frequency owner Darwin Sampson among its members; local folk-punk duo Gods in the Chrysalis; Chicago comedy rappers Handsome Naked; and indie rockers Labrador.
Free The 350 Bail Fund Concert, Saturday, June 30, Wil-Mar Center, 6 pm: As a part of its ongoing concert series to provide bail funds for Madison residents, Free The 350 provides another excellent night of local and Midwestern hip-hop. In addition to Kilo and Dequandray, two local concert staples of late, the night will also bring out-of-towners including Milwaukee’s Puerto Wiccan (what an artist name!), a female emcee who is influenced by deeply lyrical ’90s hip-hop like Wu-Tang Clan. Another standout is Madison’s lil guillotine, who raps prolifically over sparse productions, incorporating unexpected sound effects. With Sha, R Braille, TG, RamBunxious, Tha Catalyst, Willie Wright, Madison Dance Community, Tayco.
Red, White & Blues Festival, Sunday, July 1, Knuckle Down Saloon, noon: Enjoy a rocking day of blues at Knuckle Down’s annual Red, White and Blues Festival. Cash Box Kings feature the twin threats of Madison’s Joe Nosek on harmonica/vocals and Chicago singer Oscar Wilson. Their most recent release, Royal Mint, is also the group’s debut platter for legendary blues label Alligator. Also on the bill are a pair of Wisconsin acts that feature all-star lineups of veteran players — The Jimmys and Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys — as well as the Madtown Blues Collective.
Faun Fables, Tuesday, July 3, Ruby, 8 pm: Dawn McCarthy and Nils Frykdahl make up the Spokane folk rock outfit Faun Fables, whose songs ring with an epic and ancient quality, infused with electric guitars and powerful flute performances from Frykdahl. On their latest album, 2016’s Born of the Sun, McCarthy’s echoing vocals are the centerpiece, as she sings about timeless themes like aging and traveling through the country. Local rockers Negative Example and solo artist Stephanie Rearick open.
National Women’s Music Festival, July 5-8, Marriott-West, Middleton: A music festival? At the Marriott? Yes! With two stages and nearly two dozen acts from around the world spanning genres from rock to jazz to full orchestra, this event highlights the talents and contributions of women in the arts. In addition to performances, there’s also an incredible range of workshops on topics ranging from songwriting to self defense to “unlearning internalized misogyny through mindfulness.” Um, sign us up please! Find the schedule at nwmf.info.
gobbinjr, Thursday, July 5, Communication, 8 pm: Madison native Emma Witmer’s sweetly distinctive voice, venomous lyrics and playful songwriting align perfectly to create the quirky, vulnerable and darkly funny music of gobbinjr. Using her faithful Casio keyboard, she creates infectious beats and earworm melodies that explore the weird, the uncomfortable and the sentimental. With Addison Christmas, Colin Edwin.
Find the full rundown of this week's Isthmus Picks here.
