State of Sound

Our guest for this episode, Ellie Jackson, joined us for 88Nine’s State of Sound concert lineup in November. The Milwaukee artist's songs deliver a determined vulnerability and emotional exploration through guitars, stories, amplification, and a careful balance of harmony and dissonance. 88Nine music director Erin Wolf spoke with Jackson about “China Lights," her ode to a dissolved relationship in...

Dark Psychic is a two-piece dance-rock band from Milwaukee founded by Clark Rendall and Nathan Greene. Rendall’s drum tracks and bass loops bring to mind synth-pop and disco, while Greene’s guitar tones and melodies evoke new wave and post-punk. Recent influences include Kylie Minogue, Depeche Mode, Twin Peaks and, of course, ABBA. Their newest tracks shed the veil of pandemic pessimist grunge in...

Our guest, Milwaukee’s Rat Bath, joined us for 88Nine’s State of Sound concert showcase in November. This band of all transgender individuals reclaim queer-coded villains from their childhood as heroes in their storytelling. They describe their sound as "Post-Everything Rat Core" but have also been called Bubble Grunge, Alternative Emo, Dirt Americana and Melodic Hardcore.  Whichever way you slice...

Our guest, Alberto Kanost of Bear in the Forest, joined us for 88Nine’s State of Sound lineup in November. His songs howl with spiritualism built around folk music in the oldest, barest sense: joy and pain and a guitar coming together. In this episode, 88nine music director Erin Wolf speaks with Alberto about Bear In the Forest’s introspectively confident song, “Clear Clean Water.”

Our guest — Bobby Flowers of Hello, Face — joined us for 88Nine’s State of Sound lineup in October. Flowers and three of his fellow musicians formed the band after growing up in the Milwaukee music scene playing in beloved groups like Maritime, The Championship, Carolina and The Benjamins. Hello, Face has an emotional-yet-euphonious sound they suggest sounds best played loudly in a bar on repeat —...

This week’s guest, Cozy Danger, joined us for 88Nine’s State of Sound lineup in October. Described as a “downbeat message in an upbeat package,” the Milwaukee band offers up jangly surf garage as a sugar-coated dose of introverted reality — a cheery, up-tempo performance punctuated by themes that expose scars with a sense of timid optimism. 88Nine music director Erin Wolf talks with Cozy Danger dr...

This week’s guest, Caley Conway, joined us for 88Nine’s State of Sound lineup in October. She’s a trailblazer of the Midwest music community and brings a keen examination of love, co-dependence, self and struggle to her songs. No sound or texture is off-limits, and synths, omnichords, horns, keys and guitars adorn every nuance. On this episode, Caley talks with 88Nine music director Erin Wolf abou...

This week’s guest, Sean Lehner of Fuzzysurf , joined us for 88Nine’s State of Sound lineup in October. Known for blending jangly guitars, bouncy keyboards and tight harmonies, Fuzzysurf’s songs are peppered with hooks and witty lyrics that explore themes of modern life, love and the occasional societal critique (all without taking anything too seriously). Lehner talked with 88Nine music director E...

Imagine a musical fusion that transports you back to the neon-lit dance floors of the ’80s, where Italo Disco and HI-NRG (high energy) reigned supreme. Sonic time travel like that requires talent — two talents, actually. Bonnie Drinkard is the captivating vocalist from Detroit’s country-folk sensation Drinkard Sisters. Producer Martin Defatte (better known as Tron Jovi) is one-half of Milwaukee no...

Video Sex Priest was formed by Liv Mueller and Bill Backes after they spent time playing together in iconic Milwaukee rock band The Lovelies in the ’90s and early 2000s. The two initially bonded over their mutual love of new wave, dark wave, post-punk and rock. On this episode, Mueller talks about their dark and impactful song “Salt,” which centers on the dualities that drive our lives and shatter...

Next Paperback Hero is the name of Nathan Honoré’s Milwaukee-based project as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Throughout his songs, melodic baritone vocals deliver sincere, confessional lyrics with the intimate qualities of a singer-songwriter who creates a distinctly soulful, dynamic experience. This is one for fans of The National, Elliott Smith, boygenius and Bon Iver. In this ep...

Milwaukee's Pulpa de Guayaba is a six-piece, multi-instrumentalist, bilingual reggae soul band that draws from psychedelic cumbias and jazz. The band takes listeners on a journey across musical and cultural boundaries. Their name means “Guava Pulp," a nod to their diverse roots and influences, which blend to create new and exciting sounds. Our guest for this episode, vocalist and band leader Domin...

State of Sound for August was such a fun, eclectic show representing the idea of what it means to highlight musicians from the great state of Wisconsin. Long Mama brought a tender, earnest energy to the stage and found time before that to sit down wtih 88Nine music director Erin Wolf for a chat about being alone on the road being perfectly imperfect and bridging crossings. After the live set, a co...

Secret Menu is a genre-blending-bending alternative rock band known for their rich vocal harmonies, technical arrangements, and authentic story-driven lyrics. They came through our space in August and left a distinct trace. This is the show of Erin Wolf and the band put us in the know.

State of Sound for August was such a fun, eclectic show representing the idea of what it means to highlight musicians from the great state of Wisconsin. Waldemar brought great energy to the stage and found time before that to sit down wtih 88Nine music director Erin Wolf for a chat about the inspiration behind her song, "Summer Rain."

State of Sound for August was such a fun, eclectic show representing the idea of what it means to highlight musicians from the great state of Wisconsin. ANDII brought smooth calming energy to the stage and found time before that to sit down wtih 88Nine music director Erin Wolf for a chat about the inspiration behind her song, "Summer Rain."

During our Pride edition of the State of Sound live concert showcase, Milwaukee's own Lady SabO shared some of her relatable, unpredictable and enlightening songs with our audience. In addition, she spoke with Erin Wolf about the track " freespace " off of 2024 EP ibnsabo2.

Milwaukee hyperpop artist Cyrus Chrome creates ethereal sounds to blissfully dance to, but their music goes deeper than something that merely gets you moving. It often centers around facing fears, growth and the healing process — all of which lends feelings of catharsis and peace. On this episode, guest host Carolann Grzybowski talked with Cyrus about the inspiration behind their song “Shoyu.” Als...

Ashley Altadonna is the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Milwaukee’s jangle pop-rock band, Vacancy Chain. Originally from Houston, Altadonna moved in 2000 to attend UW-Milwaukee's Film School. She was also the singer/songwriter for Milwaukee bands New Blind Nationals and The Glacial Speed.  Currently, Altadonna is a freelance videographer/illustrator, sexual health and wellness educator a...

State of Sound for May was such a fun eclectic show. Jacob Slade brought his vibe and his musical prowess to the stage. 88Nine Music Director Erin Wolf caught up with Jacob before his live performance at the Radio Milwaukee studios to talk about the song, "However You May"

State of Sound for May was such a fun eclectic show. Klan414 are a Regional Mexican group based out of Milwaukee, WI. 88Nine Music Director Erin Wolf caught up with them before their live performance at the Radio Milwaukee studios to talk about the song, " Tu Relato ." 

State of Sound for May was such a fun eclectic show. Blacktop is an indie surf folk project based out of Milwaukee, WI and our Music Director Erin Wolf caught up with them before their set to talk about the song, "Expectations." 

Since 2020, Micah Emrich has pioneered his signature sound, aptly named “Alternative Everything.” A versatile singer-songwriter and producer, he channels raw emotion into each composition, crafting melodies and hooks that linger in the soul long after the music fades. Emrich and 88Nine music director Erin Wolf sat down to go into deep details about his song, “maybe hell is a better place?” — a tra...

88Nine music director Erin Wolf recently sat down with Midwest singer-songwriter and indie artist Allison Mahal to chat about the inspiration behind the song " Freaky .” You'll also hear a selection of live-recorded tracks from  Mahal’s performance at April's State of Sound concert showcase. Want to be there for our next live show? Visit the event page to save a few bucks by picking up tickets in...

88Nine music director Erin Wolf recently sat with Jinksie band leader Wendy Norton to chat about the inspiration behind the song "Freudian Slit," an unreleased track from the group. You'll also hear a selection of live-recorded tracks from Jinksie's performance at April's State of Sound concert showcase. Want to be there for our next live show? Visit the event page to save a few bucks by picking u...