This Saturday at the Cactus Club, popular Wisconsin music blog Muzzle of Bees and its creator, Ryan Matteson, bring six bands from local to national level in triumph of the blog's five years of music exploration.
But that triumph will extend further than that -- it'll be the triumph of a community connecting together to the world of music via the Web as well a celebration of the power and emotion that will come from voices, guitars, and an assortment of other instruments.
The night features Wisconsin's own Daredevil Christopher Wright and Conrad Plymouth as well as Midwest/national bands The Small Cities, Strand of Oaks, Common Loon, and White Pines. Prior to the show OnMilwaukee.com got a chance to talk with Ryan Matteson (who also publicizes shows at The Pabst, The Riverside and Turner Hall) about his blog's milestone in addition to examining the six bands playing (Part II).
Part I: Ryan Matteson
OnMilwaukee.com: As you said on your blog recently the show Saturday is a bit of an excuse to get some of your favorite acts from the area. Could you tell me briefly why you pick the bands you did and how they kind of symbolize what you're doing with your blog?
Ryan Matteson: I think the bands playing Saturday capture perfectly a mix of what I'm listening to at the moment. I've been fortunate to see most of them in concerts many times and adore their albums and live show. As much as I love my record collection, nothing comes closest to the live music experience, so I hope I have brought some of my favorite musicians to friends and strangers through this showcase.
OMC: What do you think about having the blog last five years?
RM: I really only stop to think about it when I get an e-mail saying I owe my web host money for another year of service. I feel very fortunate to an audience outside of my circle of friends. I've always loved sharing the music I love with my friends, the blog just makes that group of friends a little larger, which is cool with me!
OMC: How did you get interested in making a music blog? What got you interested in covering music in this area and did you see a need for it (i.e. was there a lack of that when you started?)?
RM: I started the blog initially as a way to capture my backpacking trip across Europe with my best friend. I sensed my parents concern with the two of us heading off into the unknown for an undetermined amount of time and thought it would be a good way for them to follow us around and know we were OK. When I got back from that trip I decided to post on my website the stuff that I would normally be e-mailing to my friends that suggested albums and concerts coming to town. Once people I didn't know started stopping by I realized I could bridge the gap between what wasn't being reported in the newspaper or played on the radio.
The format's been pretty much the same, I basically just post what I'm listening to and enjoying at the moment. I think the best lesson I learned is to just be myself and cover what I like and not try to be the blog that covers everything.
OMC: "Muzzle of Bees," as many know, is a Wilco song. Did you have to go through anything to be able to use it and any remarks from the band?
RM: I never thought about it really, mostly because I never expected anyone to really read it other than my parents and close friends. I know the band is aware of the site.
OMC: The blog's grown pretty nicely over the years and around the time you got the job booking at Pabst/Riverside/Turner Hall you've been able to put together and sponsor some shows. Were you surprised about the level of attention/popularity it's gotten over the years and how you go about picking shows to sponsor with it?
RM: I'm always surprised when I meet someone who knows about my Web site. It's definitely a surprise when your dad tells you some of his co-workers follow the site. I tend to only seek out and sponsor shows I feel need to be in Milwaukee. There is so much music going on, I feel it's important to use whatever level of trust I've built to bring bands to town that might normally never play in the city. My aspirations don't get much bigger than that. If I can help host a guy like A.A. Bondy twice at Club Garibaldi I feel pretty privileged.
OMC: Covering local and national music must give you a pretty good idea about the music scenes over the past five years. Have you noticed any trends in music in the five years you've done the blog? Any thoughts what it might be like in the next five years?
RM: Absolutely. There has never been a better time to be a music fan or be in a band. I expect that to only get better in the next five years. The doors to new music discovery have been blown open thanks to the Internet. On a local level, the city of Milwaukee is packed with talent. Some of my favorite bands in the world live in this city. I'm proud to say that.
OMC: Have any thoughts or advice for our readers?
RM: My advice to any aspiring bloggers would be to be themselves and post every day. Don't worry about traffic statistics or what will get you a bunch of page views. Your audience will find you.
Daredevil Christopher Wright
Ever since OnMilwaukee.com interviewed the Eau Claire band last year, the band has continued to crash sonically through the barriers of sound as well as marking milestones such as their opening gig for Bon Iver this past fall. The band calls their unique sound joyful indie folk with three part harmonies.
"We try to work under the artistic principle that "there are no rules," and therefore work to be free to use all sorts of musical structures, genres, and styles (with varying degrees of success)," says singer/guitarist Jon Sunde. "We admire thoughtful composing and so in turn work to be thoughtful with our compositions."
They band has a knack for turning a down beat topic into a jovial and positive one ("A Conversation About Cancer") and offers their voices as one of the best instruments. The band continues to get noticed around the Midwest and country and doesn't look to ease off on the gas anytime soon.
Conrad Plymouth
Milwaukee's own Conrad Plymouth continues to make strides in Milwaukee and the Midwest with their sound that "operates within the American folk music idiom" but with a number of years together they know "where the exits are."
"We are Midwestern at the core: cold, isolation, sensibility and insecurity are all recurring themes, served over beds of guitars, pianos, drums and bass," says singer Christopher Porterfield.
"For the uninitiated, functional reference points could include Mark Eitzel/American Music Club, Neil Young, Wilco, Low, Sun Kil Moon, David Bazan or Damian Jurado. Basically we exist somewhere in the ether between Laurel Canyon and the Menomonie Valley (but closer to the Menomonie Valley-- you can always smell the Cargill plant in the songs)."
With a strong desire in songwriting and a singer able to stir the crowd, Conrad Plymouth desires to reap the harvest from their hard work. Every note is a choice according Porterfield and those choices have paid off so far.
Small Cities
Another band with strong ties to the Midwest is St. Paul, Minnesota, four-man band the Small Cities. Consisting of four friends coming from small towns of the Midwest, the Small Cities have found a footing in many cities both small and large. They've also had the opportunity to license their music to several shows including the MTV show "My Life as Liz which airs next month.
The Small Cities appeal might come from their special brand of indie rock that the band calls "melodic and slightly melancholic." The band released an EP recently that highlights their ability to mix it up with four unique tracks.
"We are a guitar rock band that like grooves and big harmonies, and are heavily influenced by bands like Low and Arcade Fire," says drummer/singer David Osborn. "I guess the goal is to be immediate without being annoying, interesting without being too obtuse, if that makes sense."
Common Loon
Hailing from Champaign, Ill., the psychedelic rock-pop duo of Common Loon have found a strong following in the Midwest and other parts of the country with their unique sound. With a new album in tow for April and national tour on the horizon, the band featuring long-time friends Matt Campbell and Robert Hirschfeld (they've known each other since Kindergarten), look to be on the rise.
That rise is thanks to their unique sound that, according to their press release, "traffic in dream rock, blending classic West Coast harmonies with some cosmically-inclined guitar-gush lushness and an otherworldly hi-fi-ness."
The band's had the privilege to be associated with my many bands including Sparklehorse, Sebadoh, Spacemen 3's extended family, Apples In Stereo, Olivia Tremor Control and Granddaddy.
White Pines
In his time away from his main band, folk band Canada (Quite Scientific Records), singer/songwriter Joseph Scott made a memorable journey from his hometown in Michigan to the streets of Brooklyn, New York to find a break and consequently a new form to share his music called the White Pines.
"White Pines is essentially just me -- not really a "band." I tend to travel with different groups of musicians backing me up; groups of friends, other bands I'm touring with, etc.," says Scott. "For the Muzzle of Bees show, it will most likely be a two- or three-piece."
The band recently released an EP called "A Face Made of Wood," which featured Scott and his band mates creating intimate folk music. According to the band's press release, "the songs are hopeful and introverted, but with the melodies and elaborate instrumentation one would expect from this member of Michigan's fruitful folk scene."
The band is quickly making strides with another EP and full length on the way as well as touring the U.S. and Canada. Scott also acts as support and also a member of bands like Cotton Jones and Strand of Oaks.
Strand of Oaks
If there's one person who truly knows the power that music has, its Strand of Oaks's singer/songwriter Timothy Showalter. Returning to his small town in Indiana after moving to Pennsylvania, Showalter's life took a tragic jolt when he saw the rubble that stood where his house used to stand. From nights in hotels and park benches life wasn't easy, just him and his guitar he borrowed. But that very guitar gave his inspiration and Showalter faced his troubles head on one song at a time.
From there he began to write songs and after awhile he started to get asked to do shows in the U.S. and UK. Firmly transplanting into the northern Pennsylvania scene he formed the folk based band Strand of Oaks, which he used in their recent album "Leave Run" as a vehicle to search for "modesty in the midst of confusion, addressing insecurities and existential debt with a simple and beautiful delivery."
With a tour stretching across the country currently, Showalter and band mates are finding support in their music that features "sparse guitar, hammond, rhodes and wooden instruments (to) support an atmosphere that is tender and raw, at times uncomfortable, shockingly candid, and unforgettable."
