Music

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

Tyler Fassnacht performs live at GBUFO Museum Gift Shop and Records in 2025 as part of Heather The Jerk. His face is scrunched as he plays guitar and screams into the microphone. He's somewhat out of focus, while the microphone stand's arm lock is in focus in front of him. He's wearing a white band shirt with a red illustration and red collar. Behind him is nearly all black. A ghostly blue cascades over Fassnacht's person (and red Fender Telecaster) as he sings.

Madison musicians bare their teeth

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Music
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October 29, 2025

New releases from September and October seize a cathartic aggression.

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Kate Ruland (Left) and Emma O'Shea (Right) of The Spine Stealers are shown in their Madison studio. Both are wearing cream-colored sweaters with wintry designs. O'Shea has one arm around Ruland's shoulders and another on her hip, and is smiling at the camera. Ruland wears a stoic expression, and has her arms crossed around her chest. Both are wearing pendant necklaces. The sun shines through the window behind them, casting a subtle light on their hair and shoulders.
The Spine Stealers aim to author a bold new chapter
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Music
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October 6, 2025

Songwriters Emma O'Shea and Kate Ruland open up about their burgeoning career.

Jane Hobson performs live at the Crystal Corner Bar in 2023. The photograph is faded. In it, Hobson is centerstage, playing guitar. To her left is a bassist, to her right a guitarist. The band's drummer is not clearly visible, hidden in part by a large stage monitor on the image's bottom left corner.
Jane Hobson’s new single exudes an empathetic warmth
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Music
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September 24, 2025

"Walking In Circles" is an understated indie-rock gem.

Damsel Trash performs at Harmony Bar & Grill in 2024. Emily Mills is playing a red-shell drum kit and smiling to the image's left. To their right, Meghan Rose is playing a white Telecaster and scrunching up her face in concentration. In the center of the image, behind the duo, a trans flag hangs on the venue's wall. Mills is wearing a chunky necklace and a white zip-up jacket. Rose is wearing a colorfully patterned jumpsuit. Mills, Rose, and the flag are illuminated, the rest of the image is nearly black, with only some stray stage equipment visible.
A hot slate of Madison music demands extra attention
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Music
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September 3, 2025

New releases from July and August reflect a defiant determination.

Slick pose with their arms around each other in front of a vehicle being serviced at an auto repair shop. From Left to Right: Calvin Childress, Nate Opperman, Hance Throckmorton, and Morgen Nicodemus. Each band member is holding a small repair tool. They're all smiling, apart from Opperman, whose lips are pursed.
Slick swings for the fences
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Music
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August 20, 2025

The emergent indie-punk quartet prizes the power of impact.

Photo of a performance venue with elaborate stage lighting. Taken at a long shot from a second level, the five-piece band performs on a stage in the background below on the first floor. A rather large crowd of several dozen people fill out the first floor space in front of the stage.
Atwood Music Hall is putting century-old silent film on its grand new stage
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Film
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August 6, 2025

The east-side venue launches a free trio of Silent Movie Nights featuring live DJ accompaniment, starting with "Metropolis" on August 8.

Dan Walkner appears smiling, holding a fishing rod in front of a body of water. He's wearing a plaid shirt and black jeans. His hair is long, he's got a full beard, his sunglasses are perched on top of his head, and he's smiling.
Dan Walkner’s “Easy Going” balances subtle pathos with nostalgic warmth
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Music
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August 4, 2025

The Americana-indebted songwriter's latest album is an intoxicating concoction.

Hottt Probs perform at High Noon Saloon. Their vocalist is shown mid-strut in a black fishnet bodysuit that's worn under a black miniskirt and a gray bra with ornate designs. She takes up the middle of the image. The band's drummer is shown in soft focus in the lower left. Part of a banner cuts into the backdrop, reading "AN ERROR" behind the band.
Hottt Probs headline the next entry of a great new live concert series
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Music
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July 23, 2025

Atwood Music Hall's Locals Only emphasizes Madison's musical talent.

Graham Hunt performs live at the High Noon Saloon. He's wearing a red button-up long sleeve shirt and gripping a microphone with his left hand and singing with his head down. His right hand grips the mic cable. Behind him is a cascade of blue and purple stage lighting. The stage lighting provides a soft, halo illumination effect that surrounds Hunt's head. Dusk bassist Ridley Tankersley can be seen in soft focus several yards behind Hunt, playing tambourine.
Local artists ratchet up the heat
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Music
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June 25, 2025

May and June's new music releases teem with scorching confidence.

The members of Cribshitter crouch and rest for support on a small wooden table outdoors. Trees are visible in the background.
Cribshitter celebrates a chaotic history
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Music
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June 9, 2025

The legendary Madison band is back with a mini-documentary and greatest hits compilation.