Author

Scott Gordon

Scott Gordon co-founded Tone Madison in 2014 has covered culture and politics in Madison since 2006 for publications including The A.V. Club, Dane101, and Isthmus, and has also covered policy, environmental issues, and public health for WisContext.

Profile pic by Rachal Duggan.

Scott's Latest Articles

A photo of several flyers in the large front window of Madison’s Lakeview Library Branch. Visible in the foreground is a flyer for an event called “We Read to a Dog.” In the background are blurry overlapping reflections of the adjacent parking lot and the interior of the library.
Library budget cuts are the last thing Madison’s arts community needs
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Microtones
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August 2, 2024

It's time we stuck up for the Madison Public Library system.

A reporter asked for body-camera footage. UW-Madison police threatened her with a fine.
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Politics
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July 15, 2024

A hands-on encounter with Wisconsin’s newest and most troublesome open-records law.

T-shirts in multiple colors are shown against an orange background. The T-shirts are printed with an illustration that depicts a horse wearing a police hat and a necklace that reads “Mom,” all placed within a gilded frame with a dollar sign at the top. Images of roses and diamonds float outside the frame.
Get yourself a “horse cop mom” T-shirt to support Tone Madison
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Misc
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July 11, 2024

You can now wear Rachal Duggan's wonderful, absurd illustration for one of our strangest political stories.

An illustration shows a close-up of a boxy police body camera. In the center of the rectangular device is a circular lens with the blades of an aperture appearing to close, with a small uniformed police officer standing in the center with his arms raised.
A new Wisconsin law undermines the transparency pitch for police body cameras
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Politics
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June 25, 2024

Act 253 contradicts open-records norms, and now it's time for law enforcement to put it to use.

A photo shows a large group of protestors gathered in a circle on UW-Madison’s Library Mall on a sunny afternoon. Behind them, the Memorial Union and Red Gym buildings frame a background view of the sky and Lake Mendota.
Protests, access, and the official story
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Microtones
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May 10, 2024

Please stop bellyaching about encampments having media-trained spokespeople.

Illustration: Cube-like abstract shapes against an orange background. Illustration by Maggie Denman.
Tone Madison’s 2023 Annual Report
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Misc
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May 6, 2024

Breaking down the finances, challenges, and triumphs of our ninth full year in operation.

A photo shows a close view of the face of Samer Alatout, who has blood on his forehead coming from a small cut and on his glasses. UW-Madison’s Library Mall and surrounding buildings are visible in the background.
The police brought violence to UW-Madison’s Gaza encampment
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Politics
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May 1, 2024

Wednesday morning's crackdown included brutal attacks on protestors, arrests without charges, and a dubious narrative.

A screenshot from Ticketmaster's online sales portal shows a multicolored, spinning, circular graphic over the words "confirming availability," overlaying a page with ticket price information.
The concert behemoth in the backyard
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Microtones
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April 26, 2024

Reconciling a global monopoly with a locally grown subsidiary is a challenge, and that's understandable.

A photo shows All Tiny Creatures members Andrew Fitzpatrick (left) and Thomas Wincek performing together in an indoor space. Fitzpatrick is standing and playing a guitar, and Wincek is standing and playing a keyboard. Other devices, including keyboards and a laptop, are arranged around them. Streaks of green light radiate across the photo.
The extended All Tiny Creatures modular morphology enters a new chapter
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Music
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April 15, 2024

Hear a forthcoming single, "Four Oh Five," ahead of the long-running electronic project's April 19 show at Communication.

A nighttime photo of the Madison skyline is altered with horizontal strips of intermittent distortion.
The housing take that aged me
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Microtones
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March 29, 2024

I went to Madison's marketplace of ideas and all I got was this reactionary op-ed column.