At Latl Regroups

 

image courtesy of the band

 Words by Erin Wolf

Atlatl/At Latl, where’ve you been? The band that was all over Milwaukee’s 2008 music scene, its five members packing their heated Modest Mouse-ish, carnivalesque pop over the radio airwaves, at venues such as Stonefly, Mad Planet and Cactus and on location stints at Summerfest and Record Store Day, were MIA for quite some time recently. Most bands have ripples and reconfigurations of some sort if they’re in a long-term musical relationship, and At Latl, although going through two major changes, are bucking the reconfigurations by hitting up Mad Planet on Thursday for a show that leaves them not even skipping a beat, even after skipping out.

TGIT: Our Weekend Picks!

photo of Javelin from MySpace

Thursday, August 6th

Javelin + Leo Minor, Juiceboxxx, Club Nutz DJs @ Y-Not III (1854 E. Kenilworth), 10 p.m.

Hailing from New York, Javelin makes good use of their record crates, digging in for the hidden dub, pop and psych deliciousness that  leaves their  live audience more than eager to eat up more. Leaving digital track trails across the Internet to complete their full-length Jamz n Jemz, Javelin’s cast of recycled characters, mainly comprised of George Langford and Tom Van Buskirk, will undoubtedly will be two DJs that will inspire the materialization of pens and notebooks.

photo of The Misfits from MySpace

Friday, August 7th

The Misfits + Speedfreaks, Get Rad, Self Destruckt @ The Modjeska (1134 W. Mitchell), 8 p.m. (all-ages)

The Misfits, the old-school, horror-punk band from New Jersey, will be in Milwaukee Friday to play alongside Milwaukee’s own hardcore heroes, Speedfreaks and Get Rad. Best associated with former front man Glenn Danzig (now, the band is lead by bassist Jerry Only), the Misfits made popular songs such as “Die, Die My Darling” and “Halloween” and played  alongside The Damned and Black Flag. Their skull logo, ripped from a 1940s film poster, is still their call-image to this day.

 

photo of Sleeping in the Aviary by Mike Krol

 Sleeping in the Aviary + the Candeliers, Amo Joy @ the Cactus Club (2496 S. Wentworth), 10 p.m.

Madison’s Sleeping in the Aviary has recently released a split 7″ with fellow Madisonian punkers The Hussy, which contains the pumped up track “Automatic (for Krol)”. This Friday, they hit the stage with Milwaukee’s “kitchen-sink pop” band The Candeliers, demonstrating that they fit right in between rambunctious pop and punk quite nicely.

photo of King Hell Bastard from MySpace

 Saturday, August 8th

KingHell Bastard  + Exotic Matter, The MVs, SLDSUC, DJ Butta Tooth @ Stonefly (735 E. Center), 10 p.m.

With a name stolen from the pages of Hunter S. Thompson, it’s obvious that KingHell Bastard is as smart as they come. The local hip-hop mavens, when alongside local funk/jazz pros, Exotic Matter, KHB is an unstoppable force. The two join forces at Stonefly this Saturday as they bring down the house with The MVs and SLDSUC (Logic and Eddie Nygma).

 

photo of Red Knife Lottery by Chris Stingl

Rockerbox 2009: Center Street: The Wildbirds, Red Knife Lottery, Speedfreaks, The Fatty Acids, Battle Royale, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Go for the bikes, stay for the bands. While custom bikes are the main attraction at the seventh-annual celebration that is Rockerbox  (dreamed up by Scott Johnson of Fuel Cafe), the event hasn’t overlooked the celebratory aspect of the event, inviting local bands to play the Rockerbox stage every year. This year features performances by The Wildbirds and Red Knife Lottery. The event runs from 11: 00 a.m. – 7 p.m. with bands playing sets between 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

TGIT: Our Weekend Picks

Thursday, June 18th

The Reckless Hearts/photo courtesy of Myspace

The Reckless Hearts (CD Release) + Fahri  + the Fatty Acids @ Stonefly Brewing Company (735 E Center St.), 10 p.m.

Three-chord happy-happy-joy-joy ditties are littered all over The Reckless Hearts‘ first full length, “Get Up And Run.” Get first dibs on the album as it launches tonight. Get  equally hyped on the openers: Fahriand The Fatty Acids (which sounds like a more sober Mates of State) will definitely give you your seratonin fix for the night.

Friday, June 19th

Juniper Tar/Photo by ellagraph

AA BONDY + Holly Miranda + Juniper Tar @ Club Garibaldi’s (2501 S Superior), 10 p.m.

Singer-songwriter AA BONDY killed it softly with his songs when he opened for Bon Iver at the Pabst last summer; Saturday’s show will be fittingly much more intimate at the smaller Club Garibaldi. Prepare to get your head all jingley-jangly after prolific Milwaukee songwriters Juniper Tar rock their opening slot, and Holly Miranda slinks through her set.

Scarring Party + The Bitter Tears + Pezzettino @ Sugar Maple (441 E. Lincoln Ave), 9 p.m.

If you’ve never seen the Scarring Party, you should — if only to process what the hype is about. Whether you think Daniel Bullock’s singing is a stylish pretension or an original act, its always sufficiently creepy. Add odd instruments such as typewriter percussion, an accordion and tuba, and you get a sound that’s distinct, if nothing else. Oh, and opener Pezzetino could possibly be the sexiest accordionist-slash-singer Milwaukee has ever seen.

Saturday, June 20th

The Von Bondies/photo courtesy of Myspace

Summer Soulstice Music Festival (North Avenue and Farwell), starting noon

We heard this year’s Summer Soulstice was going to be a veritable hipster’s delight, with a dodgeball tournament and an American Apparel/Urban Outfitters sale to start off the celebration. Still, its a stellar lineup, led by the neo-glam Von Bondies (9:30 p.m., west stage), former Freshwater Collins members Invade Rome (West stage, 8 p.m. ), the Ike Reilly Assassination and the Lackloves.

Mark Mallman + Group Of The Altos + Cherry Cake @ Mad Planet (533 E Center St.), 9 p.m.

Supposedly, Mark Mallman is the craziest dude on a piano you’ll ever see. Rumors have included dousing his pianos with gas and playing them as they burned. Mallman, based in Minneapolis, has solid Milwaukee roots and has collaborated with many local musicians such as Davey von Bohlen of Maritime.