Milwaukee and Wisconsin Garage Bands
The second installment of the Radio Ready regional power pop compilation series takes us to Wisconsin, a land more known for football, cheese and beer than infectious pop tunes, yet the 14 tracks contained within the grooves of this LP showcase groups from Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and Kenosha during a period of immense creativity when stardom seemed within reach. Sadly the talent of these bands was never appreciated by major labels and few made it beyond local recognition. The fact is, nearly half the songs documented in this collection didn’t even see a vinyl release in their day, while the rest were independently released in small runs for a regional market. Thirty years on, the music bolsters a youthful energy, an undying spirit and a plentiful supply of catchy hooks that should have earned them all national attention. Cheap Rewards Records has diligently remastered all the songs from a myriad of original sound sources to bring a coherent collection of pop tunes ripe for a new audience. The record comes in a vibrant gatefold sleeve with photo collages and liner notes by Dave Luhrssen, co-founder of Milwaukee’s largest and longest running alternative newspaper, the Shepherd Express.
Typ LP, Release 2014, Label Cheap Rewards
Tracklist1-Shivvers – No Substitute2-Wigs – 180 Degrees3-The Pop – Wait A Minute4-Rpm’s – Gimme Some Action5-Baxters – Don’t Run Away6-Sidewalks – Whoever Said That You Was Cool7-Orbits – The Waiting Game 8-Muscle Beach – Let’s Get Dumb9-Haskels – Daddy’s Girl10-Minors – Another Stupid Love Song11-Tyrants – Hard To Get12-Dominoes – Lies13-Spooner – You’re The Lucky One14-Valiants – Shake Baby Shake