Witness veteran Italian "noise" bands like Uzeda and Three Second Kiss. The former is no stranger to Milwaukee and now Three Second Kiss comes to Bay View, too.
The Bologna-based trio has been around for a long time and it recently hooked up again with Chicago's Steve Albini to record "Long Distance," released stateside on the Windy City's Sickroom Records.
"In Italy there are a lot of very good bands, but for our music it's always difficult," says TSK drummer Sacha Tilotta. "It's like clubs are not really interested in music, but only to make money. Music is not always seen like culture, it's something more like entertainment. But maybe this is start to change, I hope. "
Even in the U.S. a record like "Long Distance" would never likely garner widespread acclaim, but it's frenetic, guitar-fueled explorations will certainly draw enthusiastic support in the underground music scene.
Because TSK was heavily influenced by bands like Albini's Big Black, it's no real surprise that the Chicagoan was selected to helm the board for "Long Distance."
"We decided to record with Steve for two good reasons," says drummer Sacha Tilotta. "We've known each other more than 10 years and he's the perfect person to put our music on tape ... simply, for what it is ... nothing less, nothing more. And, of course, we always want to record on analog tape, so (he's perfect)."
The record is the band's fourth full-length and fifth disc overall and was recorded at Red House studio in Senigallia on Italy's Adriatic coast. The studio has gained a reputation in recent years thanks to work done there by John Parish, Albini and a number of respected Italian bands, too.
"Red House is for me one of the best professional studios in Europe," says Tilotta of the studio that is surrounded by countryside and a big patch of sunflowers. "It's great for (its) equipment and a perfect place to make your music ... great staff and a beautiful place. I'd love to go there also to record bands, too. I'm a sound engineer."
The group comes to Milwaukee on June 26 as part of its third American tour -- the first for Tilotta, who replaced Lorenzo Fortini in 2006 -- to perform with Albini's Shellac and with Chicago's Bear Claw, whose 2007 disc, "Slow Speed: Deep Owls" was also produced by Albini.
"We played with Bear Claw in Switzerland and it was great," says Tilotta. "We started a friendship and we decided to tour togetehr, with other people who understand what it means to make music and to live for this . It is a passion and something we really need to live. It's not an hobby. And with Shellac, it's always exciting but also fun because we are all friends."
The show is at Club Garibaldi and doors open at 8 p.m.
Perhaps Three Second Kiss will appreciate the appropriateness of performing songs from its disc recorded in the Marche region of Italy in the back room of Club Garibaldi, which is owned by the Garibaldi Society, founded in Bay View in 1908 by emigrants from the Marche and Piemonte regions.
Some other shows on tap this week, which also marks the start of Summerfest, include:
J.B. Beverley & The Wayward Drifters also play at Club Garibaldi, but on June 23 at 8 p.m. Warriors for the "real" country music, the band has converted the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Stray Cats' Slim Jim Phantom and John Carter Cash into fans. The band's second disc, "Watch America Roll By," and this gig just may do the same for you.
The same night, legendary Aussie outfit The Church comes to Shank Hall with Adam Franklin of Swervedriver opening. If the headliner isn't enough to make my old friend Jim Warchol show up, then the opener certainly is!! Showtime is 8 p.m. and cover is $25.
Shank also hosts some '70s stalwarts on June 27 when The Acoustic Strawbs and Van Der Graaf Generator play at 8 p.m. Cover is $45. So you gotta really want it.
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.
