One day. One stage. One city. All Milwaukee.
By now, South by Southwest is foreign to no one. Very much the mecca of up-and-coming musicians, artists yearn for the opportunity to make the trip down to Austin. SXSW is known for being a taste-maker with bloggers and high-profile big wigs scouting out new music.
This year, distance is less of a hurdle for a handful of outfits who call Wisconsin “home” . The Milwaukee Home stage is the joint effort of a few local outlets to raise money for hard-working musicians and give them the SXSW stage they deserve.
The full line up of MKE musicians making the trip to Austin include:
Boy Blue, Brett Newski, C-Pipez, the Championship, Dana Coppafeel, Fever Marlene, Hugh Bob and the Hustle, Jayk, Joe Wray, Kane Place Record Club, Kimberlee Laske, Klassik, Scott Knoxx, Midnight Reruns, Pizzle, Proph, Qewl Miles, Ray Nitti, Ray Rizzy, Soul Low, Temple, Ujuzi Fresh, Valid Camp, Vic and Gab, Webster X.
We’ve previewed just a few of the musicians heading south this spring below, with more to come. Check out a sampling of home-grown MKE tunes that will be making their way to the big Texas stage:
Kane Place Record Club | Official | Facebook
Kane Place Record Club started, innocently enough, as a record club on Kane Place. In 2010, the friends made the move from just listening to music to creating their own. Known for their fun and high-energy performances, this soulful indie outfit has been hard at work growing their presence in Brew City. Check out their self-titled release below:
Klassik’s music is a blend of jazz and hip-hop. The artist is not only a talented singer, but a talented lyricist as well, being listed as RadioMilwaukee’s 2012 Artist of the Year and 2013 WAMI Hip Hop Artist of the Year. Released this past December, you can stream Klassik’s YRP (Young Rising Phenoms) below. If you like, explore further and check out the catchy track “Anything”:
Soul Low | Official | Facebook
Relatively new to the music scene, Soul Low could have fooled anyone. Their debut album is full of really fresh and creative songs, and they live somewhere in-between the indie rock and folk worlds.
There isn’t a single thing about Uneasy that we don’t like. Read our review of their debut album here.
One of Myles Coyne’s many projects is heading down to Austin as well – Temple. The quartet of musicians that make the outfit are John Larkin, Cassidy DW, Myles Coyne, and Jamie Yanda. This emo punk outfit are characterized by their non-stop energy and post-hardcore instrumental explosions. If you’re interested in hearing more Temple, check out what we had to say about their 2013 debut, Conscious of the King.
Vic & Gab | Official | Facebook
Fans of Tegan and Sara are going to love the dreamy music of Vic & Gab. Sisters Victoriah and Gabriela Banuelos front this indie pop band marked for their sugary sweet vocals.
WebsterX | Official | Facebook
This 21-year-old local is one hell of an MC. His mixtape, Desperate Youth, holds 16 experimental hip-hop tracks, each song with solid beats and jazz undertones that are expertly rapped on top of. Sometimes calling to mind Earl Sweatshirt and other times ModSun, WebsterX is way too good to simply be considered “up-and-coming”.
Milwaukee Home stage is a Collaboration between Festival City, Milwaukee Home, Flye Gang, and The Hotel Foster.
The idea of a Milwaukee-exclusive stage at SXSW makes my heart flutter. Check out and support the bands that are going to be making Wisconsin proud in March. Are you making the trip to SXSW this year? If so, who are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments section below. Cheers!