FEATURE: Juiceboxxx Deserves to Be Taken Seriously

Milwaukee's underappreciated hometown hero Juiceboxxx enters an exciting new phase of an already eclectic career, but isn't exactly leaving his past behind either.

Read the full piece here.

CONCERT REVIEW: 88Nine Block Party (Radio Milwaukee, Milwaukee)

Radio Milwaukee celebrates ten years of middle-of-the-road music with a block party spotlighting plenty more of the same, albeit with one unexpected detour.

Read my full review here.

FEATURE: Juiceboxxx Brushes off His Viral TV Performance

I catch up with the always-unpredictable Juiceboxxx to find out how having a less-than-flattering video go viral can actually offer its own unique advantages.

Read the full piece here.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (02/26/14)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Orbiting the Earth", featuring techno, house and a special live mix by Juiceboxxx! If you enjoy it, be sure to also connect with the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Strobelyx - Yellowyx - Coloryx EP
Strobelyx - Bluelyx - Coloryx EP
Corporate Control - A Wilderness Of Size - Ten Dry Nails
Corporate Control - Vainglory - Ten Dry Nails
Cock & Swan - Looking Out (Graintable Remix) - Recess Tangle, Vol. 2
Cock & Swan - Inner Portal (OCnotes Remix) - Recess Tangle, Vol. 2
Fever Kids - Holding Grass - Holding Grass (Single)
Fever Kids - Peter, Debbie, Mary - Holding Grass (Single)
Robert Forman - Cat Juggling - Cat Juggling
Casetofoane - Enel - Electromagnetic
Casetofoane - 90 - Electromagnetic
Juiceboxxx - Thunder Zone Mondo Radio Mix (Live) - N/A
UltraCat - Orbiting The Earth - Orbiting The Earth (Single)
UltraCat - Funk The Floor - Orbiting The Earth (Single)
Jake Allison - We Got The Funk - Summer In The States
Jake Allison - Flappers And Philosophers (Strong Suit Remix) - Summer In The States
The Carrier Wave - Orange Meanies - 4X4 Acid Stompers
The Carrier Wave - Tastes Like Hairspray - 4X4 Acid Stompers
Morphamish - Bottums Up - Get My Fix EP
Morphamish - Low Slung - Get My Fix EP
Dr Nol - Proplus - The Juno Love Faction
Dr Nol - Juno Love Faction - The Juno Love Faction
The Courier - Any Excuse (Vibes Alive) - Got The Vibes - The Complete Collection
The Courier - Fellow Friend - Got The Vibes - The Complete Collection

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (09/11/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Your Little Something Sweet", featuring indie pop, alt rock and a special visit from Juiceboxxx! As always, if you enjoy it, be sure to also find the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album

Sexy Water Spiders - Black Gold - Black Gold

Sexy Water Spiders - Bad Boys By The River Bed - Black Gold

Dark Chocolate Chips - Fat Mama Kick - Salut

Chocolate Chips - Pure Gold - Salut

The Fatty Acids - Girls And Gods - Boléro

The Fatty Acids - Flamingo Graveyard - Boléro

Dinosaur Feathers - New Frontier - Torrential Zen

Sat. Nite Duets - Conjugal Visit - Torrential Zen

The Pharmacy - Where Do You Run To? - Stoned And Alone

The Pharmacy - Pines - Stoned And Alone

Teenage Moods - Sugar Band - 7" Single

Teenage Moods - Flower Hunting - 7" Single

Dead Waves - Lost Again - Kill The Youth EP

Dead Waves - Happy - Kill The Youth EP

The Pandoras - It Felt Alright - Stop Pretending

JEFF The Brotherhood - Bummer - Single

Best Coast - Sunny Adventure - Single

King Tuff - Hit & Run - King Tuff

King Tuff - Swamp Of Love - King Tuff

B L A C K I E...All Caps, With Spaces - War Child - B L A C K I E All Caps, With Spaces Discography

B L A C K I E...All Caps, With Spaces - False Marriages - Gen

B L A C K I E...All Caps, With Spaces - Stay Up - B L A C K I E All Caps, With Spaces Discography

Dogs In Ecstasy - Ballad Of Jinkx Monsoon - Dat Cruel God

Eye.$ee.You - 94 - Single

DJ Dog Dick - Dried Old Leaves - The Life Stains

Michael Vidal - Dreams (Come Back To Me) - Dream Center

Schwarz - California (Schwarz Hardstyle Bootleg) - Single

The Tablets - Stranger's Light - Tablets

The Tablets - Vladimir - Tablets

Raw Geronimo - I Wouldn't Mind - Dream Fever

Raw Geronimo - Manic Cruiser - Dream Fever

Kurt Vile - Was All Talk - Wakin On A Pretty Daze

Kurt Vile - Girl Called Alex - Wakin On A Pretty Daze

Belle And Sebastian - I Want The World To Stop - Write About Love

Belle And Sebastian - Come On Sister - Write About Love

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Live It Up - Mature Themes

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Driftwood - Mature Themes

CONCERT REVIEW: Juiceboxxx & Rio Turbo (Hotel Foster, Milwaukee)

Local kindred spirits Juiceboxxx and Rio Turbo take over the east side's trendy Hotel Foster with memorable, but rather mixed, results. 

Read my full review here.

ALBUM REVIEW: Juiceboxxx - Beyond Thunder Zone

Never one to be caught standing still, it's probably unwise to press play on any new Juiceboxxx release with too many assumptions or expectations. The Milwaukee bred MC has a history of jumping feet first into new sounds and, respectfully, wrecking up the place, absorbing the best of rap, punk, dance and, as on last year's I Don't Wanna Go Into The Darkness LP, classic heartland rock a la Bruce Springsteen into his signature style of amped up American music. Beyond Thunder Zone, his new free mixtape, adds a heavy dose of the Beastie Boys and other 80s/90s hip hop staples, but, as always, it's Juice's personality that comes through.

Out now on his Thunder Zone Entertainment label, the 15 tracks naturally allude to what he's been listening to lately, but effortlessly synthesize it with all that's come before, and with his off-kilter flow and lyrics, which as usual center around living life to the max and hard lessons learned on the road. His sense of humor has caused many to write him off over the years, but thankfully it's still intact, most obviously on the SNL inspired closer, but also infused into more introspective tracks like "Never Surrender Forever" and the Big Star sampling "Hold On". The balance between partying and pathos is spot on, and in either mode, Juiceboxxx shines. 

It's a confident, invigorated collection from start to finish, and Juice had quite a bit of help getting it there, calling in a cadre of talented collaborators including Fat Tony, Schwarz and White Fang among others (even the artwork comes courtesy of Lil Ugly Mane). The most crowded track, "Pump It (Remix)" is probably the mixtapes's best, a bona fide monster of a summer party jam, but between other standouts like the infectious "1-900 JUICEBOY" and the catchy Wyclef Jean take-off "Gone Till November", the whole is built for repeat listens. Who knows where Juice will go next, but if you can expect anything, it’s that it’ll be well worth following.

VIDEO: Live Music Show - Curated By Juiceboxxx

I'm very pleased to present a special edition of Network Awesome's Live Music Show curated by Milwaukee's own Juiceboxxx! If you're familiar with his genre-bending music, you won't be surprised at how awesomely eclectic this collection is, spanning everything from Bob Seger to DJ Screw and beyond! 

Problems viewing the video? Watch on Network Awesome!

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (07/11/12)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. If you dig it, you can also find the show on Facebook and Twitter. Big thanks go out to this week's special guest, Juiceboxxx, and be sure to check out his upcoming LP, I Don't Wanna Go Into The Darkness, due out July 31st! 

Artist - Song - Album

Les Edits Du Golem - Eden Roc - A.L-T.'s Summer Outing

Patrick Cowley - Megatron Man - The Ultimate Collection

Patrick Cowley - Right On Target - The Ultimate Collection

Green Velvet - Sleepwalking - Whatever

Green Velvet - Genedefekt - Whatever

A Guy Called Gerald - To The Other Side - Automanikk

A Guy Called Gerald - I Won't Give In - Automanikk

Primal Scream - Don't Fight It, Feel It - Screamadelica

Primal Scream - Loaded - Screamadelica

Gordon Jenkins - The Nightmare - Seven Dreams

Yoko Ono - Midsummer New York - Fly

Yoko Ono - Mind Train - Fly

Juiceboxxx - Like A Renegade - I Don't Wanna Go Into The Darkness

Cypress Hill - Boom Biddy Bye Bye (Fugees Remix) - 12'' Single

Godheadsilo - In The Air Tonight - Share The Fantasy

Onyx - Slam (Glow In The Dark Frustration Mix) - CD Single

DJ Craze - Tekmasta Anthem - Crazee Musick

2 Ton Bug - Follow The 2 Ton Bug - Wedding Of The Century

Belle & Sebastian - The Blues Are Still Blue - The Life Pursuit

Belle & Sebastian - For The Price Of A Cup Of Tea - The Life Pursuit

The Go! Team - Buy Nothing Day - Rolling Blackouts

The Go! Team - Yosemite Theme - Rolling Blackouts

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Forever Heavy - Dandelion Gum

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Jump Into My Mouth And Breathe The Stardust - Dandelion Gum

Super Furry Animals - [A] Touch Sensitive - Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals - Shoot Doris Day - Rings Around The World 

The Beta Band - Al Sharp - Hot Shots II

The Beta Band - Human Being - Hot Shots II

Gorillaz - 5/4 - Gorillaz

Gorillaz - 12D3 - G Sides

Blur - X-Offender (Damon/Control Freak's Bugman Remix) - CD Single

Blur - Coyote (Dave's Bugman Remix) - CD Single

CONCERT REVIEW: Juiceboxxx w/ Fat Tony & Rio Turbo (Quarters Rock 'n' Roll Palace, Milwaukee)

Fresh off a successful Indiegogo fundraiser for his eclectic label, Thunderzone, and anticipating the release of his upcoming LP, I Don't Wanna Go Into The Darkness, Juiceboxxx has been productive of late, and shows no signs of slowing down. But since he moved to L.A. a while back, Milwaukee hasn't seen much of him, which turned tonight's show into a homecoming of sorts before he hits the road, once again, for a tour of the Midwest and East Coast. It felt good to have him back, especially on such a well balanced bill.   

Starting things off was Milwaukee's own Rio Turbo, whose sleazy, sexed up party raps have only gotten more fun as he continues to collaborate with talented local beat-smiths. There's a welcome crossover funk feel to his newer material that layers Prince-style flourishes over the rough-cut four-on-the-floor that he's long relied on. It would be nice if he shook up his image a bit more often (the smeared lipstick is getting a little stale), but maybe he just realizes that the lithe Turbette back up dancers are getting the lion's share of the stares.

Houston rapper Fat Tony was up next, but first turned over the mic to his tour-mate 10ille (pronounced "Tennille"), a talented MC-chanteuse, for two songs. After that short interlude, he reemerged and ripped into an impressive set, swapping spitfire rhymes with Tom Cruz, with whom he's just dropped the new Double Dragon LP. Tony's got a knack for big choruses, as on a statement of purpose track about drinking Guinness and wearing denim, but he really shines on the verses, where his flow is almost inhumanly fast.

Then it was time for Juiceboxxx's long awaited performance, and though expectations certainly ran high, they were met handily. Recently, he's been experimenting with including live musicians in his set, and I can think of no one better to back him up than the current lineup of drummer Tony Dixon and guitarist Willy Dintenfass. The addition of live instrumentation perfectly suits the new material and adds a lot of punch to the old stuff, recalling the Beastie Boys Check Your Head, but the influence that looms larger than any other is The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. There's a serious Born to Run vibe running through the new songs (one even features a Clarence Clemons-esque sax sample!), but it's all incorporated without sacrificing any of the high-energy danceability. I've seen Juiceboxxx countless times, but he never ceases to surprise me, and the new set is no exception. Check it out if you get the chance.

FEATURE: Juice in a Can: Juiceboxxx Gets Hyped with Thunder Zone Energy Drink

With just a few days left for Juiceboxxx fans to contribute to an Indiegogo fundraiser for his record label, Thunder Zone, and an energy drink of the same name, I caught up with the high-octane rapper to talk about how the effort is going, his upcoming LP and what heavily caffeinated beverages have to do with music and culture.

Read the full piece here.

CONCERT REVIEW: Rafter w/ Juiceboxxx & Blueprint (Stonefly Brewery, Milwaukee)

Another fun night at WMSE's Radio Summer Camp festival. Especially good to see Juiceboxxx after so long.

Read my full review here.