♫♪  Altruist - “Low Stop”

Milwaukee, WI, is not, how would you say, a city known for much beyond beer, brats, and cover bands. When I was in college in Madison, there were a couple of scenes that saw some great bands come together and, ultimately, disband. But hey, I’m just one guy, and lots of people still in Milwaukee would probably say I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. And they’re probably right, if we’re being real.

A little over a year ago, Max Holiday (aka Mercury Drums) tipped me to some new sounds coming out of his Close Up Of The Serene label/event night. I’ve been a little out of the mix since, but I’ve got some hot jams to keep me warm throughout this cold, dark start to 2017. The latest Close Up release, from Milwaukee’s Altruist, focuses on some gritty, groovy, and slammin’ vibes. The Quicksand EP jumps from the clap-heavy title track, a dub-infused freakout (“DEET”), to our featured tune, the skittering footwork of “Low Stop.” Dig into it below….

Once you’ve soaked up that fiyah, head HERE to dig a little further into the Close Up sound thus far. You should also peep this interview with Max that gives a little context if you’re unfamiliar with any of what I mentioned above: “We live in a garage-rock town, a rock and roll town, but there are a lot of people here doing a lot of other things.”

Chocolate Grinder

CHOCOLATE GRINDER is our audio/visual section, with an emphasis on the lesser heard and lesser known. We aim to dig deep, but we’ll post any song or video we find interesting, big or small.

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