ANTHONY LAMARR  – Act Two: The Way of the World

(2012   Self-Release)

Anthony Lamarr released this third installment in his series of thematically based recordings late last year. Act Two: The Way of the World is by far the best of the three, Lamarr taking it up several notches from the second installment, Intermission: The Learning Never Stops. Scott Lamps returns as co-producer, arranger, engineer and significant instrumentalist. He also mixed and mastered the recording at Madison’s DNA Music Labs. The production is excellent, clear crisp and clean. On previous efforts, Lamarr’s impressive tenor outshone some of the songs. This time around the songs rise to the occasion.

The opener, “Act Two” serves as an introduction to the rest of the album. Built on “Bach’s Cello Suite No.1 in G Major,” Lamarr adds beats, keys and vocals to Lamps’ cello. Lamarr’s lyrics do not shy away from his positivity or his Christian faith and these have been the backbone of all three of his recordings. Throughout he implores the listener to let God in, not only to guide but to bring forward a worthy mate and a good portion of this album seems obsessed with finding the perfect God-sent partner as much as finding oneself.

“Instruments” is a punchy number, one of the best Lamarr has come up with. Horns provided by Pete Ross and Charlie Wagner really funk things up while the inclusion of Lamps on bass and drummer Joey Banks make this an all-star lineup. At only 2:45 it leaves the listener wanting more. Things shift to pop with “It Gets Better,” another excellent song that’s beautifully arranged. Fellow Compass Rose (Lamarr’s other musical sideline) member Mike Droho features prominently. “Fear” is undoubtedly the heaviest track Lamarr has recorded to date with strong Pink Floyd overtones in the middle section.

“Elevation” is another strong contender and a song that was developed into an outstanding video shot in Blue Mounds State Park. This track features a spoken word intro from Rob Dz and cameos from Smokes, Clifton Beefy and D.L.O. the Iceman. It’s a super-cool groove highlighted by Catherine Schweitzer’s smooth cooing on the choruses.

“Go the Distance” goes a little over the sentimental top, not straying far enough from the Disney film song of the same name featured in Hercules. “Pretty Boys” and “World Song” employ hip-hop and world music arrangements respectively with a strong vocal performance from F.A.I.T.H. on the latter. “My Tomorrow” is an outright song of praise while the vocal-and-piano closer “Ovation” ends the album on an inspirational note.

If there’s one facet of Lamarr that shines through his music and his personality it’s his sense of community. He serves on the Madison Arts Commission and has made a real difference there already. The same commitments come through in his music and it’s great to have such an uplifting force in a world – and a local music scene – where cynicism is the easy way out.

The Frequency’s 5th Birthday Bash

Jesus, has it really been 5 years??

The Fequency will celebrate with a 5th Birthday Bash on Staurday, June 8th.

Appearing from back to front are:

1:00  DROIDS ATTACK – Madison Stoner Thrash – death to all false stoner thrash.
12:00 Nidnight THE FAITH HILLS HAVE EYES – Madison metalists supreme (and winner of best band name ever)
11:00 DICK THE BRUISER – Madison 2 piece bass and drums of fury.
10:00 THE UNITED TEACHERS OF MUSIC – Minneapolis guitar wizard rock
9:00 WAR OF ABBADDON – Madison super metal
8:00 PERVERSE ENGINEER – Madison porn prog
7:00 THE ART BROTHAS – Madison live art and improv

Be ready to rock!

The Madison Area Music Association Announces

Madison Area Music Awards

Tickets Go On Sale May 1st

The Madison Area Music Association proudly announce the performers for the 10^th Annual Madison Area Music Awards. John Urban, who has hosted all ten years, will again emcee the proceedings. There will also be a special appearance by Mitch Henck. The Michael St. John Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2013 will be UW Marching Band Director Mike Lekrone. Also mplanned is a performance from an area high school musical production which has yet to be chosen.

Tickets for the Madison Area Music Awards go on sale May 1^st at the Overture Center Box Office.

http://overturecenter.com/production/mamas-10th-annual-madison-area-music-awards

Here is the list of performers:

The Daze – Winner of the 2012 Launchpad competition and winners of four MAMAs last year. The Daze is a high-energy power-pop band who are all in high school.

https://www.facebook.com/THE.DAZE.MUSIC.MADISON?v=info

burdu99@yahoo.com

Kicksville – Founded as a studio experiment by Conrad St. Clair and Mike Stehr, Kicksville has grown into a musical collective, artistic movement, and multimedia freak show.

http://www.kicksville.com/

Conrad@kicksville.com

Anna Vogelzang – 2012 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase Performer and

2012 International Acoustic Music Awards Finalist Anna Vogelzang recently transplanted herself to the Midwest, landing in Madison, WI where she’s embraced the local music community, receiving multiple Madison Area Music Awards and taking a teaching role at Madison’s Girls Rock Camp.

http://theanna.com/index.html

anna@theanna.com

Tefman – Wisconsin Hip-Hop artist Tefman has been featured in XXL Magazine, Hip-Hop Weekly, All Hip-Hop.com Breeding GroundSpotlight, The Source.com, Yo Raps!, and Sirrus XM Radio/Shade 45. Tefman, who is a member of L.O.S.T. S.O.U.L.S., also runs Top of the Map Entertainment, a record label that is building an impressive roster of up-and-coming artists.

http://www.tefman.com/

608tefman@gmail.com

Anthony Lamarr and guests – Anthony Lamarr received the 2011 Madison Area Music Awards Song of the Year for his faith-based “My Tomorrow.” His broad range of vocal capabilities and songwriting skills has led him to complete his first trilogy of albums: Opening Night: A Symphony From Sorrow, Intermission: The Learning Never Stops, and Act Two: The Way of the World. Spanning over a vast array of musical genres this trilogy compiles a number of award-winning musicians to unite music-lovers worldwide.

http://www.anthonylamarr.com/home.html

anthonylamarr@gmail.com

Mikko Utevsky – Mikko has the distinction of being the initial First Chair recipient, a program sponsored by MAMA, Heid Music and in partnership with WISC-TV. He is a Madison resident who who founded and conducts the Madison Area Youth Chamber Orchestra. Mikko is currently finishing up his freshman year at the UW-Madison and is a scholarship viola student at the UW School of Music, where he studies with Pro Arte String Quartet violist Sally Chisholm and where he plays in the UW Symphony Orchestra and UW Chamber Orchestra.

https://www.facebook.com/madisonchamberorchestra

madisonchamberorchestra@gmail.com

http://www.themamas.org/first-chair-program/

Ladies Must Swing – Over 15 years ago, LMS became Ladies Must Swing which came from Linda Marty Schmitz, President of the Madison Jazz Society. The group plays big band music and includes five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums, congas, guitar and vocalist.

http://ladiesmustswing.com/

ladiesmustswing@yahoo.com

Mike Massey with an excerpt from his ballet Dracula – Michael Massey is a singer, songwriter, pianist, performer and producer who has written or collaborated on over 250 rock, pop, country and instrumental songs. He has three critically acclaimed albums, including Pop Album of the Year at the 2006 Madison Area Music Awards awards. Michael also has won numerous ADDY, TELLY and WAVE awards for excellence in original music for advertising. His recent work scoring the ballet Dracula was a huge success, the show getting rave reviews.

http://www.mikemasseymusic.com/

mikemassey@tds.net

Last Crack – The original lineup of Last Crack will reform for the first time in four years. It’s a rarity when this band gets together and this will be an event unto itself. Last Crack formed in Madison in 1987, and from 1989 – 1992 the band was signed with Roadracer/Roadrunner Records, and released two albums in over 23 countries.

http://www.lastcrack.com/index.html

paul@megatonestudios.com

Voting in the final round is still open until May 17^th. Go to www.themamas.org.

The Madison Area Music Association Joins Forces With

Wurst Times Festival

 Wurst Times Festival III

Sunday, May 26

701 East Washington Ave

11 am – 9 pm

The Madison Area Music Association proudly announces that we are joining forces with Wurst Times Festival. MAMA, Inc. is functioning as the fiscal sponsor, allowing Wurst Times, LLC to operate more efficiently and to take tax deductible donations. Donations can be made through the MAMAs’ website (www.themamas.org), the Facebook event for Wurst Times Fest III, (https://www.facebook.com/madisonareamusicassociation#!/events/367453463369851/?fref=ts) , the Wurst Times Festival site (www.Wursttimes.com) , or directly at www.paypal.com (wursttimes@themamas.org).

The MAMAs will also be running the MAMA/Max Ink Stage at the High Noon Saloon.

The third annual Wurst Times Festival showcases the best of local talent with over 25 original bands scheduled to play the all-day event. This year the main stage will feature many of your favorite MAMA-nominated acts.

We could stop with the fabulous music, but we don’t! We have locally made, scrumptious brats, paired perfectly with Wisconsin’s finest beer. Vegetarians can also tickle their taste buds with vegetarian brats. Java Cat will provide free coffee from 11 am to 2 pm and the first 100 people will receive a free gift. There will also be some raffle items.

The entire band schedule can be found here: http://www.wursttimes.com/

We endeavored to keep our event unique and affordable, a benefit by the working class, for the working class. Brats will be priced at $3 each or 2 for $5 and event beer at $3. A suggested $10 monetary donation and non-perishable food donations will be solicited at the door. Proceeds are allocated between Second Harvest Foodbank and to the Madison Area Music Association to promote music education for Madison-area youths.

Voting in the final round of the MAMAs is still open until May 17^th. Go to www.themamas.org.

The 10^th Annual Madison Area Music Awards is Sunday, June 23^rd at the Capiol Theater in the Overture Center.

TEFMAN – Feel Good Music

(2013 Self-Release)

Buy this music here

Review by Jesse Spohn

Tefman (Dexter Patterson) is a fixture on Madison’s hip-hop scene as a member of L.O.S.T. S.O.U.L.S. and on his own as well as being the force behind Top of the Map Entertainment. His first album under his own name, Feel Good Music, is triumphantly mature. He wastes no time getting into it, laying his first verse on the title track just ten seconds in. He can’t help but sound grimey with a voice that’s reminiscent of N.O.R.E., but clearly wants to explore different moods. Like many artists from the Midwest, Tefman is naturally going to blend styles from the East Coast and West Coast, and he does this quite well.

Tefman’s songs come across as painstakingly crafted to set a specific mood, as though each were written for a different scene in a movie. Gravitating toward synth-heavy and melodic beats, he is not shy about featuring auto-tuned hooks. Thanks to a mixed bag of talented producers that includes Scattered Brains, DJ Pain, DLO, Decap and others, Feel Good Music  is loaded with a variety of tempos and time signatures.

Feel Good Music is an album that weaves in and out of hip-hop norms, rarely breaking new ground in terms of subject matter. As such, it comes as close to being a mainstream hip-hop record as any recent output from Madison. You may find yourself reading the credits and Googling the featured MCs and producers. It’s clear that Feel Good Music is coming from an authentic place though Tefman is well aware of what works for the masses and what doesn’t.  This comes from experience as he references in album closer “Turnt Up”: I’m smarter cuz I’m older now.

Tefman is not trying to be super lyrical on purpose. He’s moving beyond regional success and heading towards mass appeal. Every – and I mean EVERY – chorus is memorable, all of the beats are knockin’ and the featured artists are outstanding. You’ll hear appearances on almost every song from artists like Star Persons, I-20, MC Starr, Boulevard Marv, Rickaby, Sincere Life and more.

The lyric feel good music is phrased a few times throughout, but this is not the type of album you can bring home to your grandmother. Sure, he references family life and pleads with people to “stop the violence,” but these messages are dominated by hustler tales. Tefman is reminiscent a mix between Rick Ross, N.O.R.E., and GOOD Music’s Consequence – so if these artists appeal to you, Feel Good Music should be an instant purchase.

BRETT NEWSKI AND THE CORRUPTION – Tiny Victories

(2013  Yes Please Records)

 Buy the album here.

Brett Newski and the Corruption will perform May 3rd at the Frequency.

Those who’ve been in Madison for a few years – and have been paying attention – will recognize the name Brett Newski from his former band the Nod, which was together from 2008-2011. The Nod released three albums, Shoddy Heart (2009), Easy, Maverick (2010) and Tomorrow Compadre (2011). Tomorrow Compadre was released the day of the band’s farewell show at the Memorial Union Terrace in July of 2011 and the next day Newski boarded a plane for Bangkok. What happens next is a story of adventure and opportunities that resulted in his forming a new group, Brett Newski and the Corruption (You can read the feature story at “Local Sounds” on Madison Magazine). The Corruption is based in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) and is comprised of British drummer Matt Green and Canadian bassist Jeffro Ganter. The alternative rock that the band generates has gone down well with the locals and should go down equally well here.

The album is ten pop songs, none of which eclipse the four-minute mark. All are catchy as hell, with hooky choruses, driving guitars and clever lyrics that prove the band don’t take themselves too seriously. Two of the tracks are re-workings from In-Between Exits, a solo album Newski recorded, also while in Southeast Asia.

Comparisons to bands like Weezer, the Strokes and the Pixies have been made but there are also traces of early Bowie as exemplified in songs like “New York Apartment” and especially the vocal doubling on “In Between Exists.” There’s a video for the former, shot is Vietnam in a makeshift oven constructed from PVC piping. The oven concept is taken from the song’s primary lyric, “Last night I slept inside the oven / Waiting for you to turn me on.”

“Sundog,” a song about a dog’s loyalty leans toward the country side of alt-pop. “Wet Pavement” is a highlight with an ultra-catchy chorus line: “Loan me all your love / I swear I’ll pay it back.” The track also has a cool guitar solo. “Saigon Smog” is the track that draws Strokes comparisons. There are a couple of references to Wisconsin. “Eau Claire” looks toward an eventual homecoming while “Right now, I really don’t got anywhere I gotta be.” The albums closer, the oddly-titled “Buenos Aires!,” finds Newski intoning, “On the streets of Saigon all the mayhem makes me sane / All the comforts of Wisconsin are a memory in my brain.”

Sonically the album is very well done. Keyboards (played by Newski) flitter about adding just the right amount of spice. The mix is clear and full and there are few gimmicks, just straight-ahead alternative rock that will have you pushing “replay.”

Newski is stateside once again and the Corruption have come to America to do a U.S. tour beginning at the Frequency in Madison on May 3^rd. There are no immediate plans for Newski to return to Asia but there are possibilities the band may follow up Tiny Victories with another album. That would be fortunate as Newski is on to something here that, in some alternate universe, would get loads of radio play.

PAUL FILIPOWICZ  – Saints and Sinners

Blues guitarist Paul Filipowicz delivers a searing album, his first release in over six years.

Read the review here.

ARTIST BEHIND THE AWARD:

BETH KILLE

She’s always been a leader, an inspiration, an instigator for good. But where Beth Kille really rocks these roles, is as a Madison-based musician. Kille’s done the hard work here at least twice. First, as part of the popular band “Clear Blue Betty,” which she left when her husband took a job in Texas, then again a few years ago as a primarily solo artist, when they returned to Wisconsin. But this multiple Madison Area Music Association Award winner, honored in 2012 for Country/Bluegrass Song of the Year, isn’t stingy about sharing her talents. While she continues to be busy as a singer-songwriter, she’s also helping cultivate a rock-n-roll fantasy for others through multiple windows of opportunity, with Ladies Rock Camp and Girls Rock Camp being the best examples. Kille says, “The main goal is that each camper walks away feeling empowered, like they did something crazy and succeeded, and they’re now a part of our musical community.”

Maureen Cassidy signed her daughter up for Girls Rock Camp a couple of years ago, then decided to take part in the adult version of the camp. The Madison mother says despite thinking it would be a positive experience for young girls, she felt unsure about the outcome for grown-ups. “I really didn’t believe a group of strangers could come together on a Friday, and by Sunday night– formed and named a band, written an original song, and performed it.”

Ladies Rock Camp participant Maureen CassidyBut Cassidy did it successfully during a recent Ladies Rock Camp weekend. She describes it as life-changing, especially since she’d always had the dream of being a rock star. And Cassidy admits, even after becoming a mother and starting a career, she couldn’t shake the desire. “This is the way to live that out and be successful in rocking out. As an adult camper, you feel supported from the first hour. And with teachers like Kille, you really cannot fail in this endeavor,” says Cassidy who also tells of meeting women of all ages, including one camper in her early 70′s who learned to play drums as a member of one of the camp bands.

Ladies Rock Camp participant Maureen Cassidy

But, Kille credits another woman as being the driving force behind the creation of the Madison camps. Halle Pollay’s daughter signed up for the Girls Rock Camp in Chicago, the closest location a half-dozen years ago. She landed on the waiting list, so Pollay decided to start a local version. And with Kille as the camp’s music director, the idea took off. “Our mission is to offer a culture of positive self-esteem and collaboration among the ladies or girls, while building community through music. I hope that through our camps, everyone feels empowered to go out and rock their dream, whatever it may be,” says Pollay.

For Kille, the ability to continue making music, while sharing the art she loves with others, is her own dream come true. “The most challenging part, for me at least, is making sure everyone in each band feels like they’re able to contribute to the creative process while pushing just hard enough for quick decision making so the song can be written and rehearsed, and so the campers feel ready for the show. You also need to make sure you’re instilling realistic expectations into everyone. No one attends a camp showcase and expects to hear The Bangles or The Go-Go’s. But we want the crowd there to celebrate the fun, and the gutsiness of these amazing women and girls. I feel like every showcase we’ve done has been a success. Everyone leaves with a smile on their face,” says Kille. And when the sheer fright about performing on stage turns to sheer delight in receiving the star treatment, Kille has one favorite tale she likes to tell. It follows the applause for a young band’s appearance, and Kille explains, “They started to exit the stage, when I felt a tug on my sleeve. One of the campers wanted me to tell everyone they’d be signing autographs out back. I love knowing they really felt like rockstars!”

Find information on Ladies and Girls Rock Camp at: www.grcmadison.org

Make Music Madison: Harmless Fun or Symptom?

The new Make Music Madison, and in a larger context, Mayor Soglin’s awkward attempts to addreess the issues facing Madison musicians, has generated a lot of discussion over the last several months.

http://www.madisonmagazine.com/Blogs/Local-Sounds/April-2013/Make-Music-Madison-Harmless-Fun-or-Symptom/