Pezzettino made instant fans of us when we first heard her debut a few years ago and she honored us by gracing our third "OMCD" compilation of local music with a track from the then-forthcoming "Lion" disc.
She stayed on our radar by bringing baked goodies and by blogging for us from the road. And, of course, by continuing to make some of the freshest, most vibrant music to emerge from Milwaukee in recent years.
When Pezzettino -- aka Margaret Stutt -- recorded her latest, "Lub Dub," with LMNTylst, and promptly split for Brooklyn, we were eager to hear this potentially winning collaboration.
She sent a preview and we were instantly won over by the girl group shoo bops on "Replay," the Slits / Tom Tom Club-esque "Cold Chick," the spacey "Intermezzo I" and "II," the reggae of the title track and the acoustic piano- and guitar-driven slo-jam that is "For You and Your Headaches."
I even happily ponied up a very token sum via Kickstarter to help get the record made.
Now that it's ready, you should go to the release party with Mondo Lucha at Turner Hall on Saturday, Sept. 11. You, too, will be smitten by the fun, smart, sassy, musical journey that is "Lub Dub."
Oh, did I mention that OnMilwaukee.com's Jason McDowell designed the sweeeet "Lub Dub" sleeve?
Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $18.
Also in town this week are Crowded House and Lawrence Arabia, who share The Pabst Theater stage on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m.
Lawrence Arabia's debut, "Chant Darling" -- on Bella Union (the label that is home to Milwaukee's Stephanie Dosen and Heidi Spencer) -- is packed with lush harmonies, great melodies and the irreverent lyrics of New Zealand's James Milne.
Milne is a long-time friend and collaborator of Liam Finn, son of Crowded House's Neil Finn.
The Finns have a new disc out, too. "Intriguer" is as satisfying a record as fans of Crowded House have come to expect.
"'Intriguer' is exotic in parts, traditional in origin," says Neil Finn. "Through many a twist and turn we fashioned some drama and intrigue. You will find some threads that go back through all that history and some new discoveries as well that will need to be followed up. "
Tickets are $45.
The Big Mouth Bard of Barking (England), Billy Bragg, returns to Milwaukee, 25 years after making his debut here at The Landing with the city's own The Blowtorch, a band you likely don't remember, but one that had the temerity to perform a cover of a then-unreleased Bragg tune in its set that night.
Expect nothing of the kind Thursday, Sept. 9 when Bragg plays at 8 p.m. at Turner Hall.
Australia's Darren Hanlon opens the show. Hanlon releases his Yep Roc disc, "I Will Love You At All," later this month.
Although he doesn't have a new record out, Bragg has been busy with his Jail Guitar Doors program that provides musical instruments to prison inmates. He also performed a half-dozen songs in the play, "Pressure Drop," this year in Britain.
Tickets for the show are $20.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
