WSPC PLAYLIST MARCH 2017

March 1, 2017
"After The Fire" performed by Roger Daltrey

"Rattlesnake" performed by St. Vincent
"Boogieman" performed by Childish Gambino
"Can You Get To That" performed by Funkadelic
"Down The Dolce Vita" performed by Peter Gabriel
"We Disappear" performed by Ryan Adams-WSPC PREMIERE

March 2, 2017
"International Feel" performed by Todd Rundgren
"Ooh La La" performed by The Faces
"Every Picture Tells A Story" performed by Rod Stewart
"Perfect Day" performed by Lou Reed
"Goodbye To Love" performed by The Carpenters

March 3, 2017
"The Middle Of The World" composed by Nicholas Britell
"Bibo No Azora" performed by Ryuchi Sakamoto
"Morning Passages" performed by Philip Glass

"My Baby's Gone" performed by Gary Clark Jr.-WSPC PREMIERE
"Breakout" performed by Swing Out Sister
"Steppin' Out" performed by Joe Jackson
"The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apartment" performed by Father John Misty
"Erase/Replace" performed by Foo Fighters

March 4, 2017
"Going Underground" performed by The Jam
"A Message To You Rudy" performed by The Specials
"Girls And Boys" performed by Blur
"Time Has Come Today" performed by The Chambers Brothers

"King Kong" performed by Babe Ruth

March 5, 2017
"The Man Comes Around" performed by Johnny Cash
"The Loner" performed by Neil Young
"Vigilante" performed by Tony Carey
"Bad" performed by Kirsty MacColl
"The Wanderer" performed by U2 with Johnny Cash

"The Unforgiven II" performed by Metallica

March 6, 2017

HAPPY 71ST BIRTHDAY TO DAVID GILMOUR
"Today"
"Untitled Instrumental" with Gilmour on drums
"Mihalis"
"Let's Get Metaphysical"
"Red Sky At Night" (live-with Gilmour on saxophone)

March 7, 2017
"I Miss You" performed by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
"For The Good Times" performed by Al Green
"Walk On By" performed by Isaac Hayes

"Dinosaur" performed by Dweezil Zappa-WSPC PREMIERE

"Black Lipstick" performed by Chicano Batman-WSPC PREMIERE
"Third Of May/Odaigahara" performed by Fleet Foxes-WSPC PREMIERE
"Chompy's Paradise" performed by BADBADNOTGOOD
"Lone Wolf And Cub" performed by Thundercat
"Cosmic Perspective" performed by Mndsgn

March 10, 2017
"Patient Zero" performed by Aimee Mann-WSPC PREMIERE

"Breaking Us In Two" performed by Joe Jackson
"I've Seen That Movie Too" performed by Elton John
"Shiver And Shake" performed by Ryan Adams-WSPC PREMIERE
"I Know It's Over" performed by The Smiths
"Forget Her" performed by Jeff Buckley

"Cold War Kids" performed by Tony Carey

March 11, 2017
"Time The Avenger" performed by Pretenders
"Time" performed by Sly and the Family Stone
"Time" performed by Pink Floyd
"Time (Clock Of The Heart)" performed by Culture Club
"Time Shift" performed by Jimmy Chamberlin Complex

March 12, 2017
"Book Of Love" performed by Fleetwood Mac
"Russian Hill" performed by Jellyfish
"Riding To Vanity Fair" performed by Paul McCartney
"Blue Motel Room" performed by Joni Mitchell
"Home At Last" performed by Steely Dan

"The End Of The World" performed by Sean Lennon-WSPC PREMIERE

March 14, 2017
"Pi" performed by Kate Bush

"There Should Be Unicorns" performed by The Flaming Lips-WSPC PREMIERE
"I Wanna Be Your Mirror" performed by Temples-WSPC PREMIERE
"Avalon" performed by Foxygen-WSPC PREMIERE
"Weekend Wars" performed by MGMT
"All I Do Is Nothing" performed by Disq

March 16, 2017
"Getting In Tune" performed by The Who
"Sitting Still Moving Still Staring Outlooking" performed by His Name Is Alive
"Some Kinda Love" performed by The Velvet Underground
"Wildest Dreams" performed by Ryan Adams
"Drown" performed by The Smashing Pumpkins

"Feels Like Summer" performed by Weezer-WSPC PREMIERE

March 17, 2017
"Back Stabbers" performed by The O'Jays
"Take That Knife Out Of My Back" performed by Filter
"How Do You Sleep?" performed by John Lennon
"Don't Tell A Lie About Me And I Won't Tell The Truth About You" performed by JAMES BROWN
"Liar" performed by The Sex Pistols

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY TO BILLY CORGAN
all songs performed by The Smashing Pumpkins except where indicated
"Siva"
"Tiberius"
"Thirty Three"
"Riverview" performed by Zwan
"I'm Ready" performed by Billy Corgan
"Age Of Innocence"

March 18, 2017

CHUCK BERRY

OCTOBER 18, 1926-MARCH 18, 2017

"Rock And Roll Music"

"You Never Can Tell"

"Johnny B. Goode"

"Nadine"

"Mean Old World"

"I Love You"

"Maybelline" (line 1958)

March 19, 2017

"Broken" performed by Gorillaz

"Nefertiti" performed by Miles Davis

"Ball And Chain" performed by Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company

March 20, 2017

"Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid" performed by Hall and Oates

"All Flowers In Time Bend Toward The Sun" performed by Jeff Buckley and Elizabeth Fraser (unreleased)

"Tee" performed by Tony Williams

"Shaman's Blues" performed by The Doors

"Two Arrows" performed by Real Estate-WSPC PREMIERE

"Las Vegas Basement" performed by Julian Cope

March 21, 2017

"Mr. Reed" performed by Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys

"The Man's Too Strong" performed by Dire Straits

"America" performed by Prefab Sprout-WSPC PREMIERE

"Paranoid Android" performed by Radiohead

"Fade Into You" performed by Mazzy Star

"Is This The Life We Really Want?" (spoken word poem) performed by Roger Waters-WSPC PREMIERE

"That Could Have Been Me" performed by Todd Rundgren featuring Robyn-WSPC PREMIERE

"Big Boys" performed by Chuck Berry-WSPC PREMIERE

March 23, 2017

"Show Me The Way" performed by Peter Frampton

"Too Much Heaven" performed by The Bee Gees

"Oh Candy" performed by Cheap Trick

"Magic Dragon Theater" performed by Utopia

"Lowdown" performed by Boz Scaggs

"Saturnz Barz (Spirit House)" from Gorillaz-WSPC PREMIERE

"Trapped" performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band

March 24, 2017
"Bad And Boujee" performed by Migos with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots-WSPC PREMIERE
"You'll Lose A Good Thing" performed by Barbara Lynn
"The Heart Part 4" performed by Kendrick Lamar-WSPC PREMIERE

"Pinball Wizard/Drowned/Won't Get Fooled Again" performed by Pete Townshend LIVE at The Secret Policeman's Ball-June 30, 1979

"Hitch A Ride" performed by Boston
"5150" performed by Van Halen
"Something To Hold Onto" performed by Trevor Rabin
"Tomorrow Never Knows" performed by Living Colour
"Money" performed by Andre Cymone-WSPC PREMIERE

March 26, 2017
"Me" performed by Erykah Badu
"Jimi Was A Rock Star" performed by Common
"The Placebo Syndrome" performed by Parliament
"I'll Stay" performed by Funkadelic
"Babyhead" performed by Fishbone

March 28, 2017
"Maybe I'm Amazed" performed by Paul McCartney

March 29, 2017
"Haven't Got Time For The Pain" performed by Carly Simon
"King Of Pain" performed by The Police
"Take Your Pain Away" performed by Eurythmics
"Taste The Pain" performed by Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Sketches Of Pain" performed by Tears For Fears
"I Just Can't Help But Feel The Pain" performed by The Spinners

March 30, 2017
"Now I'm Gone" performed by Juliana Hatfield
"Falling" performed by Susannah Hoffs
"Extraordinary" performed by Liz Phair
"Give Me Back My Man" performed by The B-52's
"Caroline" performed by Concrete Blonde

"Halfway Home" performed by Broken Social Scene-WSPC PREMIERE
"End The Reign" performed by Fishbone
"Little Wing" performed by Derek and the Dominoes
"Pharoah's Dance" performed by Miles Davis

"HUMBLE" performed by Kendrick Lamar-WSPC PREMIERE
"It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night" performed by Prince from the "Sign O' The Times" movie

March 31, 2017
Intro to "Zoom" season 1
"The Electric Company"--Morgan Freeman as the DJ
"Another Day" performed by Paul and Linda McCartney
"I Can Feel Your Heartbeat" performed by The Partridge Family
"Smile Please" performed by Stevie Wonder
"Everyday Sunshine" performed by Fishbone
Closing Credits to "Zoom" season 2

SAVAGE RADIO PLAYLISTS MARCH 2017: WVMO 98.7 FM-THE VOICE OF MONONA

SAVAGE RADIO EPISODE #68 "HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY"-MARCH 8, 2017
1. "Take It Off" performed by The Donnas
2. "Strung Out" performed by Wendy & Lisa
3. "Accident" performed by Rachael Yamagata
4. "Not With Me" performed by The Cold And Lovely
5. "Prince Johnny" performed by St. Vincent
6. "I Want It Now" performed by Esperanza Spalding
7. "'97 Bonnie And Clyde" performed by Tori Amos
8. "The Acid Queen" performed by Tina Turner
9. "Rocket's Tail" performed by Kate Bush
10."Honey" performed by Erykah Badu
11."Who Am I" performed by Lily Frost

SAVAGE RADIO EPISODE #69: "JOHN HUGHES BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE"-MARCH 15, 2017
1. "Happy Birthday" performed by Altered Images
2. "Modigliani (Look In Your Eyes)" performed by Book Of Love
3. "Do Wot You Do" performed by INXS
4. "Thieves Like Us (instrumental version)" performed by New Order
5. "Love Of The Common People" performed by Paul Young
6. "The Edge Of Forever" performed by The Dream Academy
7. "The Shyest Time" performed by The Apartments
8. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" performed by The Smiths
9. "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby" performed by Kirsty MacColl
10. "If You Were Here" performed by The Thompson Twins
11. "Can't Help Falling In Love" performed by Lick The Tins

SAVAGE RADIO EPISODE #70: "1977-40 YEARS"-MARCH 22, 2017
1. "Elo Kiddies" performed by Cheap Trick
2. "In The City" performed by The Jam
3. "See No Evil" performed by Television
4. "Sheer Heart Attack" performed by Queen
5. "Shock Me" performed by KISS
6. "Uh Oh, Love Comes To Town" performed by Talking Heads
7. "The Secret Life Of Arabia" performed by David Bowie
8. "Wizard Of Finance" performed by Parliament
9. "Abandon City" performed by Utopia
10."Moribund The Burgermeister" performed by Peter Gabriel
11."You Make Loving Fun" performed by Fleetwood Mac
12."Birmingham Blues" performed by Electric Light Orchestra
13."Juke Box Music" performed by The Kinks

SAVAGE RADIO EPISODE #71: "WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION"-MARCH 29, 2017
1. "Volcano Girls" performed by Veruca Salt
2. "Friends" performed by Meshell Ndegeocello
3. "Bone Chaos In The Castle" performed by Kaki King
4. "Aganju" performed by Bebel Gilberto
5. "Possibly Maybe" performed by Bjork
6. "Late Bloomer" performed by Jenny Lewis
7. "Glory" performed by Liz Phair
8. "Black Crow" performed by Joni Mitchell
9. "Invisible Ink" performed by Aimee Mann
10."Turn To You" performed by The Go-Go's
11."Hello (rock remix)" performed by Poe

NOW PLAYING IN THE SAVAGE JUKEBOX MARCH 2017

"DECEPTIVE BENDS"
10cc
Released April 1977

"GAME THEORY"
THE ROOTS
Released August 29, 2006

"PETER GABRIEL"
PETER GABRIEL
Released February 25, 1977

"FUTURE GAMES"
FLEETWOOD MAC
Released September 3, 1971

"BARE TREES"
FLEETWOOD MAC
Released March 1972

"MIRAGE"
FLEETWOOD MAC
Released June 18, 1982

"APOCALYPSE"
THUNDERCAT
Released July 9, 2013

"untitled.unmastered"

KENDRICK LAMAR

Released March 4, 2016

"FLOWERS IN THE DIRT"

PAUL McCARTNEY

Released June 5, 1989

THE LOW-FI SEDUCTION AND DARK ALLURE OF SLOW PULP: "EP2" SLOW PULP

"EP2"
SLOW PULP

SLOW PULP:
Alex Julian Leeds: Vocals, Bass Guitar
Emily Massey: Vocals, Guitar
Teddy Matthews: Drums
Henry Stoehr: Vocals, Guitar

with 
Nathan France: Saxophone on "Preoccupied"

All Music and Lyrics by Slow Pulp
Recorded at Mama Stoehr's 
Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Henry Stoehr

Released March 9, 2017

First, I wish to send my apologies to the band for being unable to capture their live performance on the evening of March 9, 2017 as life had grown so complicated with its busyness to even accommodate one more thing to fit into it.

But even so, I had to stop by and grab the disc!

Dear readers, it has been nearly two years since the world has received any new music from the Madison, WI. based band Slow Pulp. Granted, the members of the band are extremely busy young people, juggling all manner of responsibilities from schooling, jobs and even having one band member living entirely out of the state in Minneapolis. But, much has changed since their debut release "EP1" (released June 8, 2015), back when the band existed under the name of Barbara Hans and this very collection of music went by the name that the band is now utilizing as its new, official moniker.

Singer/guitarist Henry Stoehr, bassist/vocalist Alex Julian Leeds and drummer Teddy Matthews, the trio of the newly christened Slow Pulp, have added a fourth member to their ranks in the form of singer/songwriter/guitarist and former Modern Mod frontwoman Emily Massey, and the addition has made for an absolutely perfect fit, allowing the band to unearth a previously untapped sultriness to combine with their specialized brand of low-fi bedroom pop and dream punk on their freshly unveiled second release entitled simply, "EP2."

Slow Pulp, performing live at The Frequency March 9, 2017

The night of March 9th was a celebratory one for the band as their live performance live at The Frequency (with their compatriots in Dash Hounds as openers) served as the official "EP2" release party and from what I have heard and seen on-live, the night turned out to be a triumphant one for the band, and rightfully so, as "EP2" is a clear winner, showcasing the band evolving and expanding upon the garage psychedelia of their debut release.

1. The dream punk aesthetic is on full display on "Brett Favre," the opening track on "EP2." While named after the Wisconsin Green Bay Packers football legend, the brief instrumental zig-zags from languid to full throttle power  chord assault on a dime as television announcements from an unknown Rugby match cheer loudly in the background. The significance of merging one sports hero with others from a completely different sport, as if one is appearing in the other's athletically enhanced fever dream? Only the dream weavers of Slow Pulp know for certain...

2. Opening "EP2" in earnest is the previously released "Bundt Cakes," originally part of a  2016 joint digital single alongside the Madison based band Trophy Dad, in which Stoehr also performs as a guitarist. Just as I wrote upon this site last year, the track is a punchy slice of power pop that provides more than enough left-of-center sonic curve balls to keep you on your toes while also delivering an instantly addictive melodic/vocal hook to keep you singing along as you thrash your air-guitars and drums.

3. Emily Massey's first vocal appearance upon "EP2" is truly audacious as the band raises their own game with the stunning lovelorn blues of "Die Alone." Many months ago, Stoehr was very gracious to send me an early version of the song, and even back then, I was struck with the track's meloldicism while also the fact that it sounded so...downright strange. Now, in its final version, both aspects of the song remain strongly as the sleepy purr of Massey's vocals merge brilliantly with the seemingly dilapidated instrumentation, all of which perfectly conjures up the image and feelings of what it means to be freshly heartbroken and romantically wounded to the point of near paralysis. Like I said, it is a strange sounding song as if the rich almost '70s AM radio melodics were combined with indie rock crunch. It's like The Ozark Mountain Daredevils' classic "Jackie Blue" as if the song was performed by the depressed heroine of the title.

4. Stoehr returns to the mic on "Husband Pillow," an aggressively jaunty affair that immediately snaps the band back into fighting mode from the despair of the previous track. As with "Bundt Cakes," this selection again showcases the band's fearless approach with their songwriting, ensuring the listener will be unable to predict where they will musically head next from verse to chorus or even from measure to measure, all the while packing as much music as possible into the song's scant two and a half minute running time and happily leaving you breathless in the process.

5. Slow Pulp brings the bedroom pop to the forefront with "Houseboat," on which Massey's seductive, breathily sung "Yeah" near the song's opening sold it COMPLETELY.  Somehow weaving The Andrea True Connection to my mind, the band sounds breezy, hazy, and more than a little drugged out, as if we have caught a  '70s era ingenue daydreaming. But, here comes that terrific unpredictability as the band shape shifts again, beautifully merging a speedier garage punk mid-section with its more languid opening and closing, anchoring Massey's newfound presence in the band as a spellbinding move.

6. "EP2" comes to a gorgeous close with "Preoccupied," a track where the band sticks tightly with its erotic daydream groove, again perfectly sung by Massey and augmented by the slinky saxophone by Nathan France.

With name changes and band additions, it would not be unfair to infer that Slow Pulp is a band still in search of itself while also existing as an exciting musical force capable of mixing styles and genres to their heart's content while armed with a continuously impressive skill and power. With "EP2," the band has richly expanded upon their musical palate, making me even more curious and excited as a listener to see and hear where the band will head in their future music whenever that may arrive. As of now, as excitingly so,  Slow Pulp is a band that is unquestionably difficult to pin down and that makes their presence in the Madison music community that much more vital and vibrant and deserving of your attention inside and outside of Wisconsin.

Aside from their songwriting and instrumental performances, all of which are first rate, the band has truly left me scratching my head with their sonic delivery. As with their local contemporaries in Post Social, Dash Hounds and Disq for instance, all of these band are proudly independent and low-fi. But unlike those aforementioned bands, who have all somehow made their low-fi recordings sound as lush as if they were realized in million dollar studios, Slow Pulp has gleefully remained with a scrappier aesthetic, as if they didn't wish to make their music sound too pretty, despite the glowing melodics that shine through their specialized, idiosyncratic pop songs. Whether by necessity or design, this aspect only enhances the band's identity as well as their mystery. Again, you just cannot pin them down.

Additionally, Slow Pulp's "EP2" is the sound of a band growing up to a degree. If there was something almost innocent or adolescent captured upon "EP1," this latest effort sounds as if the members have emerged from the garage and are heading up to the bedroom. Nothing salacious or prurient. But something that sounds more adult in intent and content.

Emily Massey in particular, sounds as if she especially has left the adolescent innocence of Modern Mod far behind in favor of exploring a more emerging womanhood musically, as also evidenced in her work with her other Madison based band Melkweed, which has yet to record and release material but have performed extremely well received live sets of some exquisitely realized soulful pop songs.

Whatever led to this combined effort of forces from the band's past and present, the results are captivating, beguiling and often filled with a dark allure that is inescapable. All in all, the very best thing that I can say after hearing the release of Slow Pulp's "EP2," six tracks combining in a brief but musically packed 17 minutes can be summed up in the following two words:

More please!!!!

SLOW PULP

https://slowpulp.bandcamp.com/

A ROCK AND ROLL KALEIDOSCOPE: "DISQ 1" DISQ (2016)

"DISQ 1"
DISQ

DISQ are:
Isaac deBroux-Slone: Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Drums
Raina Bock: Bass Guitar

All music and lyrics by Isaac deBroux-Sloan and Raina Bock
Mixed by Doug Olsen and Isaac deBroux-Slone
Artwork by Andrea Olson-Avina

Recorded in Isaac's basement

Produced by Isaac deBroux-Slone
Released July 11, 2016

Last month, I had the absolute pleasure and honor of performing an on-air interview with the Madison, WI based band Disq upon my Savage Radio program which airs on the Monona, WI based community radio station WVMO 98.7 FM.

Raina Bock and Isaac deBroux-Slone at WVMO studios-February 15, 2017

What led me to meeting the band and having them on-air with me was nothing less than feeling thunderstruck by the music they created for their jaw droppingly wonderful debut album entitled "Disq 1," which was released in the Summer of 2016. I first heard the album, more or less upon a whim, near the end of 2016, and actually, more specifically, while I was compiling a list of my favorite albums releases of the year.

I was simply scrolling through my Facebook feed when I happened to see a mention of the band as being an opening act for the band Whitney that evening in my fair city. Certainly catching my eye as this local band, of which I had not heard of whatsoever, capturing such a prime position on the local live scene, I was curious to hear what they sounded like. Heading over to their Bandcamp page, I began to listen to their album.

On the very first song, I was instantly and enormously captivated. Perhaps midway through that first listen, I contacted local musician, singer and songwriter, Modern Mod/Dash Hounds' Alivia Kleinfeldt to ask her what she knew of Disq, to which she practically gushed in her written reply, "They're amazing!! They're basically prodigies!" By nearly the album's end, I was feverishly writing to Disq's Isaac deBroux-Slone to extol my amazement and excitement with everything I was hearing for the very first time, and from there, our correspondence began, leading to their appearance on my radio show.

As for the album itself, it has dawned upon me that I haven't written anything truly significant about "Disq 1" at all, aside from a quick description in my favorite albums of 2016 posting last December. So, at this time, I wish to remedy this situation by giving all of you the full presentation of a band and an album that is seriously deserving of your most valuable time and hard earned time finances, should you be inspired to purchase a copy and maybe even see them perform live. Dear readers and listeners, please allow me to take you through "Disq 1."

"Disq 1" opens with a song of romantic, melancholic hurt yet filtered through a stunning neo-psychedelic wonderland. "Candy (She's Not So Sweet)" grabbed my ears emphatically and refused to let go for even one solitary moment as the music's sad sway combined with an aggressive rock star swagger captured my power pop heart within its first few moments. And then, Isaac deBroux-Slone began to sing.

"Oh Candy I can't go to sleep, 'cause being is the pain
You probably don't even know, you left me in the rain
I promised her that I would stay, you know I said it's true
But every time I look at you, I change my point of view

I'm so confused but I am used to this
I'm gonna lose because I don't exist..." 

I am so uncertain as to precisely how they achieved such power and grace, honest angst and rock and roll glory from the jump. but Disq accomplished this feat most impressively. With every sonic touch, especially with deBroux-Slone's gloriously double tracked vocals, Ringo-esque drum fills and his just soaring George Harrison/Badfinger styled guitar solo combined with Raina Bock's McCartney-esque melodicism via her bass playing, I was swept away. With just one song, I was firmly in the hands of professionals, seasoned songwriters and musicians who clearly knew precisely what they are doing and the messages they are trying to convey. Believe me, with "Candy (She's Not So Sweet)," the message was beautifully received and I became increasingly anxious as to what I would hear next.

"I'm Not Real," continues the thematic melancholic threads from "Candy (She's Not So Sweet)," but this time with a less power pop but more synthetic landscape, and a melodicism that vaguely reminded me of Jeff Lynne's 1970's/1980's studio wizardry, that certainly conveyed a romantic wooziness, a hazy heartache that lingers and haunts after a breakup, whether real or imagined, and still, it is armed superbly with an instantly infectious sing-a-long chorus.

From the album's first two tracks which demonstrated a superb confidence with building a wall of sound, the third track from "Disq 1," entitled "Neglect (Wondering)" is literally a stark contrast. Instead of layers of sound, the instrumentation is sparse--solely deBroux-Slone's drums and guitar augmenting Bock's strong, slow walking bass--all of which creates a musical palate that recalled "Let It Be" era Beatles or even Paul McCartney's classic "Let Me Roll It."

"You thought that she came from Wisconsin," begins deBroux, again showcasing his startling vocals that just snap my ears to attention. Throughout this song, Disq's melancholic tale of misconceptions, false impressions, abandonment and subsequent regret builds slowly over the course of six full minutes and why should it not as the band understand that the very best blues takes its own sweet time. Yet, when the slow burn tension breaks, it explodes into a "Plastic Ono Band" era Lennon-esque howl where deBroux-Slone shreds his vocal chords while Bock's rhythms keep that steady anchor, holding her musical partner in place, lest he should completely fall apart.

"The CIA," the album's fourth selection, goes dense and dark as the epic track feels as if two songs have been merged together to form somewhat of a hard charging rock suite. Opening with a glorious harmonized guitar riff and a driving rhythm, Disq explores the angst found within a relationship's emotional push and pull.

"You're coming close to me, I won't move away
 Not how it's supposed to be, can't you see I'm afraid
I'm waiting out for you, if I do, will you stay?
What am I gonna do when the grass has turned to paper..."

From the song's quiet middle, a passage that suggests The Who, Disq takes the song into the mountainous mantra of its second half, as layer upon layer of sound creates a musical forest you will be thrilled to find yourselves lost inside of as deBroux-Slone repeatedly sings, "hurt me tomorrow, but treat me nice today."

The second half of "Disq 1," is a sonic speedball, a triptych of short, sharp blasts of heavy power pop that connect instantly and grow more infectious with each and every listen. The pounding "Nobody Likes You," features a growling riff (is that Bock's bass guitar via a fuzz distortion or deBroux-Slone's synthetic wizardry or both?) and a rapidly free flowing stream of Lennon-esque venom directed towards a nemesis.

Opening with the sound of a warbled, broken down synthetic fanfare which soon explodes into  '70s styled AOR, the outstanding "All I Do Is Nothing," is quite possibly the most energetic, aggressive song I've heard about lethargy. And the self-explanatory "Overloaded," complete with cheesy '60s, "96 Tears" styled organ at the forefront, Disq blazes through the song like the most enthusiastic kids bashing it out in the garage and entertaining the neighbors to boot.

"Disq 1" concludes with one more epic and it is indeed the album's full culmination of all of its efforts over the previous seven tracks. The six minute "I'm Sorry" is a jaw dropper, a Beatles by way of Tame Impala psychedelia that again slowly builds its elements (even announcing some of them within the mix--a treat I just loved hearing inside of my headphones) until the point when the tension found in the increasing apologies (I love how deBroux-Slone's voice cracks on one sung "I'm sorry") releases itself via a dynamic, dramatic guitar solo beautifully surrounded by the rhythm section of his drums and the splendidly melodic bob-and-weave of Bock's bass playing. After all of the surprises that flowed from my computer speakers to my ears over the course of the album this grand finale sealed the deal tremendously.

Disq's debut release "Disq 1" is a rock and roll kaleidoscope of a debut! In many ways, that first listen captivated me just as powerfully as the first time I heard the debut album from Madison's Post Social, contemporaries of Disq within the Madison music community. As with Post Social, I was completely unsure as to precisely what I would end up hearing but what I discovered was nothing less than sensational, a feeling compounded by the fact that Isaac deBroux-Slone is now 18 years old and Raina Bock is 16 and both of them are high school students!

Yet, once again, I do not mention their ages as anything suggestive, exploitative or to insinuate any source of novelty. I mention their ages because there is indeed something in the water here in Madison, where this new generation of young people have taken it upon themselves to study, to learn, to create and accomplish something truly artistic and without any sense of jadedness or cynicism. These are young people whop have taken it upon themselves to really try to crack the codes into what it takes to write, sing and produce good songs, to learn one instrument or several to a certain proficiency.

And in the case of Disq, both Isaac deBroux-Slone and Raina Bock are clearly students of The Beatles, for instance, but they are savvy, clever and creative enough to have figured out how to create their own idiosyncratic identity, as well as to write a collection of strong pop songs and record and perform them in a fashion where my specialized brand of synesthesia happily exploded into overdrive.

The members of Disq are indeed serious musicians and already sound to be songwriters who are seasoned enough to go toe-to-toe with any of their contemporaries (and possibly even some well established artists). Yet, at the same time, they are playful enough where they clearly sound as if they are having a ball in the throes of creation and discovery, seemingly tickled that they were able to achieve one musical wonderment after another and even despite the darker, melancholic themes of their lyrics. For Disq, just like with Post Social, just like with the now defunct Modern Mod, just like with Dash Hounds, Trophy Dad, Slow Pulp, and other young, local musical heroes, the song is the brightest star in the room, and any sense of ego is not allowed.

Isaac deBroux-Slone's skills are simply magnificent, at times making him sound as if he is Madison's very own Jon Brion, the secret, melodic musical weapon in the mix of all of these wonderful music and performers that make up the Madison musical scene currently. He sings like a Beatle, performs on a variety of instruments like Todd Rundgren and yet somehow, has already discovered his own personality as a modern 21st century singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist.

While a quieter presence, so to speak, Raina Bock, as co-songwriter of all of the material, ensures that Disq is unquestionably a band, and not an extension of a solo project for deBroux-Slone. Although she does not sing, what I have discovered increasingly over repeated listenings to the album is how invaluable her bass performances actually are in guiding the music, the harmonics and the melodies of the songs. Her playing is inventive, consistently surprising in its depth, groove and fluidity, and the beautiful musical glue which holds these eight musical wonderlands of "Disq 1" together.

What a musical wonderland "Disq 1" is--a blissfully exciting, often marvelous, sparkling debut that has been a constant within my CD player and headphones since I first heard it. Dear readers and listeners, I excitedly urge and direct you to the Disq Bandcamp page (https://disq.bandcamp.com/) to try out their terrific release. I honestly believe that you will not only be thrillingly impressed, "Disq 1" will blow your mind!

WSPC'S SESSION NOTES FOR MARCH 2017

FROM THE DJ'S STUDIO DESK:

Hopes and dreams...

I always have hopes and believe me, you can easily say that I am a dreamer. And for right now, as we head into the (hopefully) final weeks of Winter, I am hoping and dreaming that we will be able to continue moving forwards in empathy and light and with all manner of new music to keep our hearts pumping strongly.

I am not certain what this month of Synesthesia will bring to me or you but I hope and I dream that whatever will be will be as warm and as wonderful as the arrival of Spring.

Keep breathing. Keep marching. Keep in solidarity with each other. And as always, with your music...PLAY LOUD!!!!!!