BOOM FOREST

Boom Forest is the spiritual incarnation of John Paul Roney, a Nashville-based songwriter and an evangelist for a contemporary folk tradition forwarding humanism in the face of our looming techno-apocalypse. Begin with the acoustic introspection of Bob Dylan, add artful electronic production cues a la Kid A, and layer in multi-part harmonies that would be at home in a Southern Baptist choir, and you’re on your way into the sound Boom Forest makes from the Automated Woods of Tomorrow.

boomforest.com

PHOX

It was in Baraboo that the six unlikely musicians attended high school together, some playing on the soccer field, others on video production sets.  They did the thing that most people do when they are 18: they fled the coop, each going their separate ways (to film school, cosmetology school, a job with Homeland Security…). But promises were made that couldn't be kept, and as they fell in unrequited love and lost their respective jobs, in spite of themselves, each simultaneously pulled the ripcord and came home. The sextet promptly (-ish) got a house together in the Portland of the heartland, Madison, WI. As prolifically documented in their online video series, PHOX rekindled their onetime A/V production house while discovering how to live as a family (i.e. how not to berate each other about the hair in the sink). After receiving an honorable discharge from their service to Soft Rock & Roll, local musicians/wizards PHOX disbanded in early 2017. The track contributed herein was recorded by Brian Joseph in 2014 at April Base.

phoxband.com

ZACH PIETRINI BAND

Nominated two years running for Best Band in Milwaukee (2014-2015, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee), Zach Pietrini is rooted in brutally honest americana, and delivers instantly familiar tavern tunes. His songwriting has "sharpened and become more focused" (Shepherd Express) on his latest release, Highways and Heartache. Zach cites Gram Parsons & Ryan Adams as major influences on his work, and is driven by his desire to connect with people through the beauty of story and song.

zachpietrini.com

Peridot

We marry folk songs with pop melodies, drawing inspiration from elusive emotions that we all feel, but often struggle to articulate. They’re subtle and powerful and they aren’t easily described by familiar words like “love” and “heartbreak.” Most of the time, they are more complicated than that. Peridot is an exploration of universal emotional hues, and we hope every song is a fingerprint.

peridotband.com

VIOLENT FEMMES

Violent Femmes came together in 1981 and were quickly applauded as one of the most inventive and original bands of the era, constantly pushing forward with their singular blend of folk and punk, sarcasm and spirituality. The Milwaukee-based band first attracted attention while busking in front of their hometown’s Oriental Theatre. The performance caught the ears of that night’s headliners, Pretenders Chrissie Hynde and the late James Honeyman-Scott, who invited the young group to open the sold out concert with a brief acoustic set. From there Violent Femmes released eight studio albums and more than a dozen iconic singles, among them such classics as “American Music,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Nightmares, “Add It Up,” and of course, “Blister In The Sun.” Violent Femmes’ remarkable three-decade-plus career has earned them cumulative worldwide sales in excess of 10 million, with 1983’s VIOLENT FEMMES awarded with RIAA platinum certification eight years after its initial release.

vfemmes.com

BRETT NEWSKI

Living on four continents in five years, Brett Newski has existed on the fringe of society and avoided the “American Dream” at all costs. At age 25, he took matters into his own hands by quitting all of his part-time jobs and becoming a full-time nomad, posting up in the nooks and crannies of earth and sub-letting rooms in Vietnam, South Africa, Germany and Wisconsin to write songs and recharge between tours. Newski’s sophomore LP “Land, Air, Sea, Garage” was recorded at a surf camp in the Sri Lankan jungle, and at home in Wisconsin. The album is about diving into the world with no safety net and landing on your feet. It’s a smart indie rock n’ roll record with tongue-in-cheek moments that show parallels to Violent Femmes, Jonathan Richman, Mountain Goats, early Weezer, Frank Turner, & Elliot Smith.

brettnewski.com

J-COUNCIL

J-Council features music written by Jon Wheelock and Sam Farrell and produced by Grammy nominated Cory Chisel.

j-council.com

HORSESHOES AND HAND GRENADES

In 2010, the five Wisconsinites that make up Horseshoes & Hand Grenades found themselves in a living room in the college town of Stevens Point, WI, holding acoustic instruments and enjoying a hodgepodge of fermented beverages. Music and revelry ensued that evening and, while many of the party guests eventually bid their goodbye well into the morning hours, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades wasn’t ready to let the get-together fade. Many years later, the music still hasn’t stopped and the party is still going strong, from the mountain west to the river towns of the Midwest that the quintet calls home, and all across America.

hhgmusic.com

SARA VOS

Sarah Vos is a Milwaukee-based musician and songwriter. She was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and grew up in northeastern Wisconsin. Raised on Bible hymns with her four siblings, Sarah has been expressing herself through music and song her entire life. In 2010, she helped form Wisconsin-based folk band, Dead Horses. Since then, Dead Horses have released three records and have performed with the likes of Trampled by Turtles, Elephant Revival, and Mandolin Orange. Years of touring tirelessly have proven to be a reliable and fulfilling muse for Sarah as she continues to travel, play music and write new material.

deadhorses.net