PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (11/12/14)

Here's the playlist for this week's pledge drive edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Real Hot Stuff", featuring recent local music and more. If you enjoy it, please consider making your financial contribution to WMSE and, as always, be sure to find the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Ramma Lamma - Hot Stuff - Ice Cream
Ramma Lamma - Street Trash - Ice Cream
Platinum Boys - Candy - Candy (Single)
Midnight Reruns - Stop Lyin' Down - Midnight Reruns
Midnight Reruns - Summer Smoker - Midnight Reruns
The Hussy - Wrong Right (E. React Mix) - Way With Words EP
The Hussy - Yr Stupid - Way With Words EP
Dogs In Ecstasy - Celeb Friends - Dat Cruel God
Dogs In Ecstasy - My Brain Is Killing Me - Dat Cruel God
Appleseeds - Leavin' Town - Appleseeds
Appleseeds - Free Time - Appleseeds
Soup Moat - Candy Shoppe - Inspirations
Soup Moat - Glossy Nautical Cat Magazine - Inspirations
Holy Shit! - I Hate Banks (Live) - Live On WMSE
Holy Shit! - Put A Bandaid On It (Live) - Live On WMSE
Get Rad - Word Is Bond - Get Rad/Sweet Cobra Split 7"
Get Rad - Who Can You Trust? - Get Rad/Sweet Cobra Split 7"
Drugs Dragons - Waiting Around To Die - Drugs Dragons/Static Eyes Split 7"
Drugs Dragons - Fester/Breed/Scatter - Drugs Dragons/Static Eyes Split 7"
Strange Matter - WWYD - Ennui Actuation Dissolver EP
Strange Matter - Ennui Actuation Dissolver - Ennui Actuation Dissolver EP
Trūc Of America - Clone Love - Outa Control
The Delphines - Careless - Hush
The Delphines - Hush - Hush
NO/NO - Crooked Faith - Drag EP
NO/NO - Mistakes - Drag EP
Space Raft - Rescue Mission - Space Raft
Space Raft - Anything Is Possible - Space Raft
Sleepcomesdown - Float Like An Echo - Cured By The Blur
Sleepcomesdown - In Fever Dreams - Cured By The Blur
Catacombz - Transactive Memory - Mother Tongue 2
Catacombz - Pony's Paradox - Mother Tongue 2
Daycones - Holy Commodity - Timescape Psalm
Daycones - Pickpocket Queen - Timescape Psalm
Sat. Nite Duets - Personal Day - Los DJs
Sat. Nite Duets - Band On The Rocks - Los DJs
The Fatty Acids - Interlude - Boléro
The Fatty Acids - Human Tetris Bodies - Boléro
Faux Fir - Compact Disco - Fashionable Life
Faux Fir - The Windings - Fashionable Life
Juiceboxxx - Let's Go (Andy Petr Remix) - Let's Go EP
Rio Turbo - Beach Boss - KISS FM
Rio Turbo - Still Style - KISS FM
Chants - I Feel Like I Feel It - I Feel Like I Feel It
Chants - Way Awake - I Feel Like I Feel It
Cyberchump - Flutter And Flow - Flutter And Flow
Cyberchump - Dark Machine Language - Flutter And Flow
Stacian - Escapist - Songs For Cadets
Stacian - Anatomy Of Guides - Songs For Cadets

ALBUM REVIEW: Mechanimal - Secret Science

It's generally pretty easy to discover specialized record labels that consistently release good music yet restrict themselves to a specific genre, likewise those that put out a wide variety of material while being lax when it comes to quality control, but it's rarer to encounter one that's both eclectic and reliable, which makes independent Greek imprint Inner Ear Records well worth checking out. Covering everything from folk to electronic, the music they issue is usually as intriguing as it is adventurous, and Secret Science, the new sophomore album from Athens-based trio Mechanimal, is a nice addition to that expansive catalog.

Formed by Greek musician/journalist Giannis Papaioannou and American photographer Freddie Faulkenberry, the band members themselves describe their music as "drone 'n' roll", although that's an incomplete (and oddly inaccurate) description of the sounds found on Secret Science, the follow up to their 2012 self-titled debut. In fact, the album bounces between a number of styles, be it the upbeat synthpop of "We Come Alive", the subtly dubby, trip hop feel of "Cut Communications" or the dark, throbbing techno found on the record's muscular closer "Down in the Basement", all of which come with a tasteful amount of Joy Division worship.

Those influences, as well as Secret Science's forays into industrial and more conventional alt-rock, aren't exactly wildly divergent, but the deftness with which the appropriately, hilariously named Mechanimal navigates the transitions from one to the other makes even the occasional misstep, such as the title track, where the clenched-jaw vocals and some overwrought lyrics conspire to push the song into goth cliché, seem less pronounced, even on repeat listens. Altogether it's a cohesive set of songs, but offers its share of surprises, making it more than deserving of a few spins and yet another solid release from Inner Ear Records.

CONCERT REVIEW: Bob Odenkirk (The Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee)

Comedy legend Bob Odenkirk reinvents the run-of-the-mill book tour as a big, busy stage show in support of his new collection of humorous essays, A Load of Hooey.

Read my full review here.

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (11/05/14)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. This episode: "Play Me on Your Gramophone", featuring the Canterbury Scene and more. If you enjoy it, make sure to also follow the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
The Wilde Flowers - No Game When You Lose - The Wilde Flowers
The Wilde Flowers - The Big Show - The Wilde Flowers
Caravan - Golf Girl - In The Land Of Grey And Pink
Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink - In The Land Of Grey And Pink
Egg - Symphony No. 2: First Movement - Egg
Egg - Symphony No. 2: Second Movement - Egg
Comus - The Prisoner - First Utterance
Comus - All The Colours Of Darkness - First Utterance
Cosmo & Dibs - Star Eyes (Full Version) - Star Eyes (Single)
Gong - Mister Long Shanks: O Mother I Am Your Fantasy - Camembert Electrique
Gong - Tried So Hard - Camembert Electrique
Soft Machine - Facelift - Third
Henry Cow - Nirvana For Mice - The Henry Cow Legend
Henry Cow - Teenbeat Reprise - The Henry Cow Legend
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man (Including "Mirrors") - In The Court Of The Crimson King: An Observation By King Crimson
King Crimson - The Court Of The Crimson King (Including "The Return Of The Fire Witch" And "The Dance Of The Puppets") - In The Court Of The Crimson King: An Observation By King Crimson
Van Der Graaf Generator - House With No Door - H To He, Who Am The Only One
Van Der Graaf Generator - Killer - H To He, Who Am The Only One
Hawkwind - Intro/Standing On The Edge (Live) - The 1999 Party: Live At The Chicago Auditorium March 21 1974
Hawkwind - It's So Easy (Live) - The 1999 Party: Live At The Chicago Auditorium March 21 1974

CONCERT REVIEW: Jaill, Platinum Boys, Sat. Nite Duets & Midnight Reruns (Linneman's Riverwest Inn, Milwaukee)

In the true spirit of the season, four of the best bands on Milwaukee's currently bustling rock scene take over Linneman's to throw one hell of a Halloween party.

Read my full review here.