RadioMilwaukee Music Awards Winners: A quick digest

The soul-funk ensemble Kings Go Forth cleaned house at the RadioMilwaukee Second Annual Music Awards last night, taking home FIVE awards. Here’s a complete list:

Artist of the Year – Kings Go Forth (Listener Choice Award)
Song of the Year – “One Day,” Kings Go Forth
Album of the Year – “Cathedral Square Park,” The Lackloves
Vocalist of the Year – Mark Waldoch, The Celebrated Workingman
Best New Artist – Kings Go Forth
TNT Award (Artist Most Likely to Blow Up) – Kings Go Forth
Club DJ of the Year – Kid Cut Up (Listener Choice Award)
Earwig Award (Catchiest Song) – “Foundation,” The Rusty P’s
Power “Poptart” Award (Power Pop Song of the Year) – “Latest Flame,” Quinn Scharber and the…
Dance Track of the Year – “Fire,” Codebreaker
“414 Music” Award (Best In-Studio Performance) – Stealin’ Strings
Memorable Concert of the Year – Kings Go Forth at Bay View Bash (Listener Choice Award)
Album Artwork of the Year – “Esque,” The Rip Off Artists
The 88Nine Award For Music & Community Service – Figureheads

Here’s a digest of what folks are saying …

Jail: Album Release Show Tonight @ The Y-Not III

In honor of their brand new, full-length album There’s No Sky (Oh My My) Jail will be celebrating with a show this Friday at the Y-Not III. The new album is guaranteed to be a hit with current fans and will definitely draw curious first-time listeners in with the band’s undeniable ability to write garage-pop that has style and smarts. 

Although this recent video doesn’t do the band credit with its sound quality, the sound quality of the new album is a shoo-in with its tracks laid down expertly by the band at home and mastered by sound engineering genius Justin Perkins (Smart Studios). 

Jail releases There’s No Sky (Oh My My) at the Y-Not III (1854 E. Kenilworth) Friday, February 27th. Also playing: The Trusty Knife and Call Me Lightning. 10 p.m. 21+

Last Rites: Chinese Telephones Play Their Last Show at The Borg Ward

 

Photo of the Chinese Telephones courtesy of MySpace

Words by Erin Wolf

Pop-punk bands have it tough. They write songs to tight time constrictions (most songs are about two-three minutes long), need to be able to have two really good singers who can harmonize to fast and loud music, and then…the hooks! Every song has to have a hook that makes it, well, pop. It’s no wonder that after a few years, this gets tiring enough to make band members change their minds and eventually, the whole band throws the towel in: but that’s all speculation. Chinese Telephones, a pop-punk mainstay in Milwaukee for years, talks about  the true reasons why they’ve found when to say when as they prepare for their last show tonight at the Borg Ward.

“Stay Around”, Chinese Telephones

TGIT: Our Weekend Picks!

Photo of Codebreaker courtesy of MySpace

Thursday, February 26th

88Nine Radio Milwaukee Presents: 2nd Annual Milwaukee Music Awards Celebration featuring: Fever Marlene, Codebreaker, Figureheads & Quinn Scharber and the…, DJs Kid Millions + Why B.E. Rich  & Luke Warm @ Mad Planet (533 E. Center), 10 p.m.

Join 88Nine Radio Milwaukee as they honor some of local music’s brightest and best to hit their airwaves over the last year. Catch the on-air awards on 88Nine from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. and head over to Mad Planet after full disclosure for full celebration of the winners of ‘artist of the year’, ‘memorable concert of the year’ and ‘club DJ of the year’.

Image courtesy of MySpace

 Saturday, February 28th

Broad Vocabulary Benefit @ Frank’s Power Plant (2800 S. Kinnickinnic): potluck dinner, raffle: bands: Plexi 3 + the International Date Lines, Uh Oh, Pigs On Ice & Exotic Matter

Independent bookseller and cooperative, Broad Vocabulary (now ‘A Broader Vocabulary Cooperative‘) found helping hands and creative organization from locals Kate Scanlan and Brian Whitney, who put together a fundraiser for this Saturday to blow all other fundraisers out of the water (this one includes a potluck dinner, raffle and  five bands). Find more information about  upcoming events and projects A Broader Vocabulary Cooperative is working on for/with the Milwaukee community at their blog *here*. 

Photo of Abaddon courtesy of MySpace

Abaddon + the Muzzler & Regrets @ The River Horse (1701 E. Center), 7 p.m.

What’s it like to see a hardcore and metal show staged next to a pinball machine? Only one way to find out: go and see for yourself on Saturday as some of Milwaukee and Chicago’s finest and loudest exports play at one of Riverwest’s best places to catch a cold PBR.

Photo of the Blind Shake courtesy of MySpace (it was taken @ Circle A in MKE!)

Sunday, March 1st 

The Blind Shake + Wereworm & Analytik @ The Sugar Maple (441 E. Lincoln), 8 p.m.

Minneapolis’ The Blind Shake are making use of their Spring Fever energy and booking it down to Milwaukee once again to play at The Sugar Maple. Sounding raw and twitchy, they’re not too far off from city-mates, Stnnng, but maybe a bit more of a walk on the psychedelic side. Check out this review *here* for a more accurate description. Also playing: the elusive ‘Wereworm’ of Milwaukee.

Learning + beer = awesome

Learning about new stuff + drinking craft beer is what makes Pecha Kucha such a great concept. I wouldn’t have expected to be doing a Fan-belt post in relation to last night’s Marquette vs. MIAD Pecha Kucha at Sugar Maple, but in the spirit of the event, I learned something new about Milwaukee music. It’s not related to any of the 20 x 20 slideshow presentations, which were good nonetheless, especially one about the central nervous system.

It was my introduction to Sugar Maple owner Bruno Johnson, who was holding down the DJ responsibilities between sets. Bruno owns the OkkaDisk record label, which releases — get this — experimental improvisational jazz. OkkaDisk works with a lot of Chicago artists; Karayorgis/Vandermark Duo (bottom) is out of Cambridge, Mass. Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet Karayorgis/Vandermark Duo

Isn’t learning awesome?