The best new Milwaukee music this month ranges from Americana to goofy New Wave.
But it’s a particularly strong month for Milwaukee hip-hop, from the long-in-the-works album from one of the city’s most creative voices, to a local producer’s showcase for the brightest up and coming rappers, to a big name in the street rap scene teaming up with a major national act.
Here are the top 10 new Milwaukee-made albums, EPs and singles to check out in November, listed in alphabetical order.
Four years is practically 40 years in hip-hop, but WebsterX has pushed back against the prolific nature of his peers, and it’s paid off on his new album. Expanding on the promise of first singles “Huffy” and “8:08,” WebsterX celebrates Black pride (and pushes back against prejudice) on “Dreadlock Baby,” and recruits Zed Kenzo for a dynamite banger, “Dummy.” But the most intriguing aspect of “1 of 1” comes with the final three tracks, which showcase WebsterX as we’ve never heard him before. For “Fighting Words,” his blunt delivery is complemented by raw, lo-fi production, and on “Kryptonite” and “Gumdrops,” he shows his tender side, accompanied for the latter by gospel-steeped guest vocals from Grace Weber.
RELATED:10 top Milwaukee albums and songs to check out in October, with Lakeyah, WebsterX, MT and more
The Milwaukee-born country group returns with this heartbreaking epic, powered by a simmering build that erupts with Necci’s soaring voice at the climax. But what makes “Bloodlines” so moving, and tragic, are the lyrics and its concept, as Necci sings of being “born into bad luck, baptized in broke,” resigned to the same tragic fate that’s been the sad cyclical circumstances that doomed his father before him. “Gospel opens for Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Dec. 31 at the Pabst Theater. Tickets are $29.50 to $35 at the box office (144 E. Wells St.) and pabsttheater.org.
“Earth is Ghetto,” Deuce LB$
Technically, this is a showcase for one Milwaukee-based producer. But what makes “Earth is Ghetto” so grand is its collaborative nature, serving as a snapshot in time of an emerging alternative hip-hop scene. And Deuce LB$ manages to bring out the best in his collaborators, while demonstrating his versatility, from the reggaeton grooves of “Magnets” with Rahn Harper, to the psychedelic chill of “Hit My Move” with highly promising rising Milwaukee rapper Mudy.
Don’t let the title fool you. It only seems the rapper and singer is referring to the Biblical concept of paradise; instead the acronym stands for “Every Dream Ends in Nightmares,” with Renji processing the end of his last romantic relationship. Clearly a deeply personal project, “E.D.E.N.” culminates with “the hardest thing I’ve had to write in a while,” as he says it, on closing track “Thank You,” and it’s powerfully messy and relatable, filled with regret, some resentment, and ultimately, grace, as Renji wishes nothing but blessings for his former lover.
Singer-songwriter Lighthart’s ethereal and ambitious “By Moonlight” EP series continues with this second installment, scaling back the arrangements displayed on concept introduction “The Goddess” in favor of acoustic instrumentation. But the four songs here remain mysterious and intriguing, with Lighthart’s lullaby-like “Lay Me Down” and “Devilish” maintaining a slightly unnerving tension below their sweet surfaces, a tension that breaks through on “Burn The Witch.”
The kitsch is strong with this one, but you wouldn’t want it any other way from this Dr. Demento-approved, Devo-indebted New Wave band led by Mark G.E., which has clearly been having a blast since reuniting in 2012, three decades after releasing a couple of songs that made it on WMSE-FM (91.7)’s airwaves. To be honest, it’s surprising that songs like “New Wave Apocalypse” and “Can’t Fix This Funk” can be this fun since Xposed 4Heads was little more than a tongue-in-cheek concept during its first fleeting iteration in the early ’80s. But “Planet A’ Go-Go” also suggests the band has plenty of creativity to spare for future projects.
As the Chicago-based Weber begins her first headlining tour in her hometown of Milwaukee, she released a deluxe version of her masterful R&B album “A Beautiful Space” with this added gem. Made in collaboration with past Chance the Rapper producer Nate Fox and Justin Lucas (Khalid, The Revivalists), it features Weber’s church-kissed vocals, dialed down to a simmer, over dreamy production that recalls the mellower side of Tame Impala.
RELATED:Wauwatosa native Grace Weber just finished her first full-length album. Now, she’s going on a nationwide tour to promote it
I’ve been a full-time music writer for the Journal Sentinel for nearly 10 years, but this is a first: a shout-out on a hip-hop track. “And now I want to take my mask off/and be at all these local shows like Piet Levy’s laptop,” Henry raps on a track that’s stuffed with smart local music scene references, ranging from late bands and clubs (Soul Low, NO/NO, Gibraltar) to star venues and artists in the scene today (Luxi, the Cooperage, Cactus Club). I’m flattered to be included — and Henry’s right, until relatively recently, I was the weirdo with the laptop at shows. That said, as you go and pack some Milwaukee clubs again, with the pandemic still ongoing, please consider wearing that mask.
It was wonderful to see Martha Cannon return to her Lady Cannon project with last month’s “Steal Your Girl.” But it’s also a relief that L’Resorts, her prolific project with former Jaill frontman Vincent Kircher, is continuing. As with every L’Resorts album that’s come before, each track on “Vacation” — with their sunny pop melodies and droll vocals, their dry humor and subtle melancholy — is a winner.
For a few years now Chicken P has indisputably been the most popular rapper still based in Milwaukee, routinely accumulating hundreds of thousands, even millions, of YouTube views for his videos. It was only a matter of time before he lured a big-name collaborator, and it’s finally happened with Yung Bleu. The two work well together, with P holding tight to the flow, attitude and vibe that have made him a standout player in the hip-hop scene. If anything, Yung Bleu adjusts to complement P’s Milwaukee street rap sound, even referencing local rapper Gwapo Chapo during his verse.
“Must-Hear Milwaukee Music” runs on or around the first of every month in the Journal Sentinel and at jsonline.com. If you have a new album, EP or song coming out, contact Piet Levy at plevy@journalsentinel.com for review consideration. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
