IfIHadAHiFi Takes On California’s Mount Vicious

Words by Erin Wolf

No. Mount Vicious is not a Milwaukee band. Yet, the reason for the Californians’ edging into Fan-belt’s copy is credible. Paired with local insane-o rockers IfIHadAHiFi for a weekend touring stint, the two bands have a long shared-bill history through Mount Vicious’ previous incarnation in Replicator. With a similar bravado and unabashed capability for making a full-on rock assault fun, Mount Vicious and IfIHadAHiFi will be freaking audiences out with a string of shows this weekend: point A. being Chicago (last night) and destination point B. at Milwaukee’s Cactus Club, tonight,  before they head onto Madison and Dubuque. Fan-belt talks to Mount Vicious front man Conan Neutron about the nebulous pairing of unicorns and steroids, the magic of John Congleton and why Queen’s anthemic rock will never go out of style.

Mount Vicious, “Steroid Unicorn”

Mount Vicious, “Princess of the Brodeo”

And You Think YOU Have Problems

photo of White Problems courtesy of MySpace

Words by Erin Wolf

From the ashes of one of Milwaukee’s most vehemently loud and sonically crushing post-rock bands, Freight, a ‘Freight-less existence’ (as Fan-belt writer, Brian Whitney described it upon Freight’s disbandment), really wasn’t anything that the Milwaukee music environment was going to have to work on filling. The empty space was quickly appended with a new project of former Freight vocalist Brian Rogers: his just as  hard-hitting current project is tongue in cheek-edly called ‘White Problems‘.

Debuting at the Borg Ward almost a month ago, White Problems come back with a vengeance to hit up the Milwaukee rock scene with another wallop of noise tonight at the Cactus Club. Fan-belt gets the Cliffs Notes version on what former Freight fans can expect from their new, favorite scapegoats.

White Problems, “demo #9″

TGIT: Our Weekend Picks!

photo by Jim Sponholz

We aren’t exactly trying to be escapists, but this weekend in Milwaukee music is pretty overwhelming (but overwhelming equals good, in this case). To attempt to pick the usual pick-three-or-four-shows-out-of-x-number-of-shows-going-on would be pretty tough, because ‘x’ equals about twenty this time around. So, with that, here is a tribute list to the multitudinous things one should consider forking it over for because you are too broke to go to Coachella, or think that Coachella is for losers (it’s either one or the other). Milwaukee-dwellers, here’s the wind-up, and the pitch:

Thursday, April 16th

Turner Hall Ballroom: 1032 N. 4th: (“no-buck show”) The Parlor Mob + Invade Rome, 8 p.m.

Linneman’s: 1001 E. Locust: Robert Sarazin Blake + Jonathan Burks, 9 p.m.

Friday, April 17th

Linnemans: 1001 E. Locust: The Maze, The Vega Star, Cedarwell, 10 p.m.

Shank Hall: 1434 E. Farwell: Adrian Belew Power Trio, 8 p.m.

Frank’s Power Plant: 2800 S. Kinnickinnic: Rapid Adapter, Mechanics of Romance, The Empty Faces, 10 p.m.

Sugar Maple: 441 E. Lincoln: Jed Bishop

Stonefly: 735 E. Center: Fresh Cut Collective, 10 p.m.

Turner Hall Ballroom: 1032 N. 4th: Gallery Night Fashion Show with Codebreaker, The Etiquette, Perfect Little Monster, Kid Millions, King Hell Bastard, Chalice in the Palace, No Request, The Glamour

(Gallery Night)

Saturday, April 18th

Exclusive Co.: 1669 N. Farwell: Record Store Day, details *here*, additional story *here* 11:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Alverno’s Pitman Theater: 3431 S. 39th: Rachid Taha, 8 p.m.

Cactus Club: 2496 S. Wentworth: Somebody Talked (last show!), Year of the Scavenger, 10 p.m.

Shank Hall: 1434 N. Farwell: Pezzettino (Lion CD release) + Jentri Colello, Miles Nielson

Mad Planet: 533 E. Center: Kings Go Forth, NXMW DJs (northern soul DJs from around the Midwest) 10 p.m.

Turner Hall Ballroom: 1032 N. 4th: Jeff Beck, 8 p.m.

Art Bar: 722 E. Burleigh: Quinn Scharber, 9 p.m.

Frank’s Power Plant: 2800 S. Kinnickinnic: Tina Sparkle, Grand Disaster, The Aimless Blades, 10 p.m.

BBC Upper Level: 2022 E. North: The Saltshakers, Slo-Fi, Maudlin, 9 p.m.

Riverhorse: 701 E. Center: Architects of the Aftermath, RAZORFIST, Party by the Slice, 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 19th

Cactus Club: 2496 S. Wentworth: Extra Golden + The Chain, 10 p.m.

Borg Ward: 823 W. National: Yellow Crystal Star, Child Bride, Blessed Sacrifist, 7 p.m.

Carroll College: 100 N. East: Death Cab for Cutie, Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot, 8 p.m.