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When it comes to must-hear Milwaukee music for January, we’re looking back — in one case, way back.
Among the local albums and songs included in this month’s roundup is a long lost collection of songs from a beloved rock band recorded in 1979, plus music from late 2019 we didn’t get to review before publishing our December recommendations.
Here are our eight picks for January, listed in alphabetical order.
‘Billy,’ Chicken P
With his melodic flow, a great ear for sticky beats, and his slice of street-life style, Chicken P (also known as Lil Chicken) has had one big YouTube hit after another the last couple of years, with each music video accumulating hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of views. That includes the instantly catchy “Fast Cash Baby,” which shows up on his album, but “Billy” also illustrates a new side to his bravado, evident by the emo-influenced, heart-on-his-sleeve anthem “Tell Me Again.”
‘Breathe,’ Field Report
One of the most nationally recognized Milwaukee-based acts of the 2010s, Christopher Porterfield’s Field Report begins the new decade with Porterfield’s own label, Fellesskap Records, and a vow to release more music more frequently. That era essentially begins with “Breathe,” which carries over the signature poetry of Porterfield’s verses and the the radiant polish from Field Report’s last album “Summertime Songs,” and incorporates some trippy jazz flourishes (via drummer Devin Drobka and guest saxophonist Jonathan Greenstein) that breathe new life into the band’s sound.
‘Clueless,’ Reyna
At this point, it’s safe to expect any song the Banuelos sisters, Vic and Gabby, make is going to be an impeccable pop gem, and “Clueless,” their umpteenth, instantly infectious single in four years, is one. But what sticks out about “Clueless” (which, yes, is a reference to the 1995 teen comedy classic) is the song’s flippant attitude, the way Gabby sings about being sorry without really meaning it, and the mistakes that she’s made that are destined to happen again.
‘God’s Work,’ Panalure
With the presidential election coming up — and with Wisconsin a key battleground state, and Milwaukee hosting the Democratic National Convention in July — expect to hear a surge in political songwriting in 2020. Folk-rock band Panalure gets the ball rolling with this scathing condemnation of the Trump administration backed by the familiar sway of a gospel tune. “We won’t celebrate their racist myths/Or separation politics,” Fred Ziegler sings. “We the people must resist.”
‘The Haskels,’ The Haskels
The late ’70s punk and New Wave band — which included future Violent Femme Guy Hoffman among its members — lasted less than two years, and didn’t even release a full-length album, but the band remains a treasured act in the scene, thanks in part to legendary shows at beloved late local club Zak’s. But the band did manage to record 14 songs on a single day in October 1979, just two months before breaking up — and 30 years later, that lost album is finally out. Filled with swagger and irresistible irreverence, “The Haskels” reaffirms what’s made the band so beloved decades after its demise — and in the process, will hopefully win over some new fans.
‘Rewind,’ Twan Mack and Solana
“Love is war” may seem like contradictory sentiments, but it’s a relatable sentiment, and this collaboration between rapper Twan Mack and singer Solana really speaks to that, with the contrast between Solana’s sweet voice and Twan Mack’s harder rhymes, between the lush strings and damning lines like “If I go to hell, we’re going to go there together.”
‘Treason Youth,’ NilexNile
“To be young again” is the kind of wistful daydreaming you might hear from people who didn’t really know struggle. Rapper NilexNile is not one of those people. “I’ve never been so afraid to go outside,” he says on the opening line of the opening track of his EP, later talking about feeling alone and struggling to “get my head right” (“Black Sheep”) and about young black men being “afraid to lose their life” (“Trees N Youth”). While the rapper’s “youth” has clearly been full of hardship, he hasn’t completely lost his youthful optimism. “Opportunities are coming in abundance,” he raps confidently on “Hussein’s Theory.” “Time has changed for the black man.” Nevertheless, a whispered voice repeatedly chiming in “possibly” suggests NilexNile isn’t so sure if change will actually come.
‘Ultra Cloud,’ Xposed 4Heads
At some point, novelty bands have to cease being funny, right? Not Mark G.E.’s Devo-inspired Xposed 4Heads, which released a few gag songs back in 1982, only to re-form (and actually play its first shows) three decades later. The band’s latest EP is dripping with cheesy ’80s synths and humorously dumb lyrics, as in “It’s time for fun! This is how it’s done!” on “Good to Go.” And the fact that G.E. zestfully delivers the lines without winking irony makes “Ultra Cloud” all the more amusing.
RELATED: Check out the 20 best Milwaukee albums and songs of 2019
“Must-Hear Milwaukee Music” runs on or around the first of every month in the Journal Sentinel and at jsonline.com. If you have a new album, EP or song coming out, contact Piet Levy at plevy@journalsentinel.com for review consideration. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
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