Alex Schaaf and Yellow Ostrich come of age

Alex Schaaf of Yellow Ostrich may have set-up shop in Brooklyn, but his roots are in Wisconsin. Orginally from Prairie Du Chien, Alex attended Lawrence University in Appleton and played in the Fox Valley-based Chairs band before the emergence of his solo-outing as Yellow Ostrich. Testing the waters of live performance with tape loops, one of the first Yellow Ostrich shows took place at the Gates of Heaven in Madison in May of 2010. 

 

Continue Reading

Rock of the Arts top ten Madison albums 2011

One thing can be said for Madison's music scene in 2011. It was the emergence of the city as a bona fide lo-fi mecca. Maybe you had to have your ear to the ground of the indie music blogs, like we do, to see the numerous mentions of Madison artists like Peaking Lights, Julian Lynch, All Tiny Creatures, Dead Luke and Slow Loris across the country. Something is going on here. Can someone please tell the Madison Area Music Awards?


Continue Reading

Rock of the Arts top ten indie shows of 2011

As 2011 draws to a close, we take a look back at our top live shows of the year. A mixture of local and festival-curated performances that became etched into our memory banks. Madison lived up to its reputation as an indie rock magnet, pulling in a steady stream of cutting edge shows while the big festival experience added fuel to the fire. Let's get to it. Rock of the Arts top ten indie shows of the year: 

Continue Reading

Top 10 anonymous comments about Pitchfork’s top 50 album list

Anonymous

Tis the season for end-of-year album lists sprouting up around the Internet. Who thought you would see the day when Rolling Stone and Spin would try to out-indie Pitchfork? You know, it’s a sign of the times. Indie rock has crossed over into the mainstream generating big bucks and attracting a corporate crowd that passionate indie fans find nauseating.
 
Yes, the big independent music blogs that so adamantly defended the right to practice the DIY ethos are now becoming the very thing they hated. The old-school music industry has invited themselves to the party and have infiltrated the music blogosphere with all the crass commercialism they can muster.

Continue Reading

Madison’s inaugural FRZN Fest with two-day indie line-up

Frozen Fest

If you like discovering new indie bands and keeping yourself sane in January, FRZN Fest might be just what the doctor ordered. The inaugural two-day indie music festival will take place Friday, January 13th and Saturday, January 14th at the High Noon Saloon in Madison.

With a cross-section of emerging artists from Sean Carey (of Bon Iver) and Polica (featuring members of Gayngs) to Class Actress (known as Brooklyn's Madonna), the multi-day festival will bring a much needed spark to a traditionally slow time of the year for live entertainment. According to Chairlift's Facebook invite, Active Child may also be added to the festival. The line-up so far:

Continue Reading

© 2023 Rock of the Arts