Music

Deeper perspectives on Madison-area music: shows, new releases, and big-picture issues facing the music community.

Professional black-and-white photo of a long-haired and bearded man smiling widely as he plays an electric bass guitar on a stage. He wears glasses, denim overalls over a white t-shirt, and leans back into the bass groove he's playing.

Creating a music community on the isthmus with “Evan’s style”

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April 2, 2026

Musician and arts organizer Evan Fernandez discusses the importance of managing the HQ practice space for local bands and his own ensemble, The Porch Flowers.

Latest in Music
A custom collage graphic shows a cork bulletin board with five Polaroid-type photos pinned to it in two horizontal rows. Each Polaroid image represents a song or album cover art from a Madison band. The title of "RELEASE RADAR" appears above the board in a large, brown, outline lettering.
Madison acts rivetingly ring in 2026
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Music
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March 4, 2026

Five local bands offer new songs and projects, and capture a hopeful feeling in the new year.

The members of Crush Scene and two-thirds of Holly And The Nice Lions all stand on a vineyard path at The Vines in Sauk City, WI. From left to right: Holly Trasti, Travis Pashek, Rachael Guertin, Janet Kolterman, Tasha Spencer, and Madalyn Rowell. Guertin and Pashek have their backs turned to the camera, admiring the sweeping view. The remaining subjects are all pointing directly at the camera and smiling.
Achieving a broader focus through music photojournalism in 2025
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Microtones
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January 30, 2026

The fourth installment of our live music photo essay series centers a more personal vantage point.

A composite banner of the cover art from each of the 20 selected releases is displayed on a pale violet background.
Tone Madison’s favorite records of 2025
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January 20, 2026

A celebration of 20 local releases that defined the year.

The Spine Stealers' Kate Ruland (left) and Emma O'Shea (right) are shown in their Madison studio, standing next to a carefully-curated postcard collection that's housed in a wood stand.
Madison’s musical odds and ends of 2025
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Microtones
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January 16, 2026

A meditation on the past year's musical margins.

A composite banner of the cover art from each of the 20 selected releases is displayed on a baby-blue background.
Tone Madison’s favorite songs of 2025
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Music
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January 14, 2026

A sampling of the local music that helped us get through the year.

An American Robin with nesting material in its beak rests on a power line in the lower lefthand corner of the "Resolution" album art. Typewriter font with a strikethrough is centered near the top of the image and reads "tm." The image is primarily gray/blue with a strong grain effect, and a subtle vignette.
“Resolution” is out today!
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Music
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December 5, 2025

Proceeds from our new Bandcamp compilation will help fund Tone Madison.

Cynthia Burnson takes a passionate guest vocal turn during Christy Costello's set at the High Noon Saloon. Burnson wears a white tank-top and appears to the right of the image, tilting her head up with her eyes firmly closed as she belts outs, with one hand wrapped around the microphone and the other on the mic stand arm. A stage light coming in from the right sharply illuminates the side of her face.
Look out for our next compilation album, “Resolution”
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Music
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December 1, 2025

Our fourth Bandcamp collection features unreleased material from Madison artists.

The exterior of Harmony Bar & Grill on the corner of Dunning Street and Atwood Avenue in Madison, WI. The building has gray siding, a yellow marquee sign with a central yellow sign. Muted green accents and a classic brick facade surrounds the gray paneling. A street sign is visible, and the road around the venue is empty.
Tone Madison Presents: MAMA New Artist Listening Room
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Microtones
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November 21, 2025

Join us on Saturday, November 29, at Harmony Bar & Grill for a night of live music from emerging Madison artists.

An illustration shows a nondescript man actively drumming in the center of a stage with a blue backdrop and red curtains above. Five women stand on both sides of the stage to the drummer's left and right, surrounding him. The women convey negative, upset emotions through their arm gestures and body language.
As a musician stages his comeback, his accusers ask where the accountability is
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Music
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November 5, 2025

Four years after allegations of grooming and sexual misconduct, David Henzie-Skogen is back on the road with Youngblood Brass Band.