16 top Milwaukee albums, songs and EPs to check out in September 2023

This month's roundup of must-hear Milwaukee music reviews is a long one, covering 16 terrific releases that dropped in recent weeks, which still doesn't cover the full gamut of good, new stuff out there.

Recommended albums, songs and EPs are listed below in alphabetical order.

'Been a Long Time Comin',' Listening Party

True to its name, the Listening Party has been paying close attention to Americana heroes. The band creates the kind of sparse campfire epiphanies that have made the Lumineers so popular — Weston Mueller's voice on "Took a Walk" echoes like he's singing in an empty church or a vast canyon — but frequently blends them with rustic touches like the Bobbie Nelson-inspired saloon piano on "Wastin' Time."

'Degenerate,' Supertentacles

Technically, summer doesn't end until Sept. 23, and Sean Anderson's latest Supertentacles single, with its fizzy, slightly psychedelic pop touches, is ripe for the less enticing, tail end of the season — especially a line about being passed out on a diving board with a cigarette.

'Float Away,' Alley Eyes

The engrossing fatalism of Arctic Monkeys at their most dramatic drifts in at the end of the three-song EP's title track, segueing into a killer curveball combination of John Carpenter's ominous score work with high-octane early Foo Fighters for follow-up "Above the Neck."

'In Da Club,' Lakeyah

In celebration of hip-hop's 50th anniversary, the Milwaukee rapper hopped on an EP that also featured up-and-comers like Flo Milli and Doechii putting their own spin on old hits. In Lakeyah's case, it's a twist on J-Kwon's "Tipsy," and even if the chorus is a pretty predictable lift, the way that Lakeyah's bravado-drenched flow rides the beat is a blast.

'Jinksie,' Jinksie

The Wendy Norton-led punk rock trio recalls the raw, rollicking defiance of Joan Jett from the jump with the eight-track project's opener "Go On," and later conjures up the rugged catharsis of early riot grrrl for "The Passage."

'Just Bands,' Kill.Dawn and AyooLii

True to form, prolific lowend rapper AyooLii has been releasing tracks at an astounding clip since I interviewed him for the Journal Sentinel — including a song "woah (I just made the news)" that he seemingly made and released the day after that story was published. Carve out time to embrace all the infectious chaos he's been unleashing this summer, but if you only have 97 seconds to spare, start with "Just Bands," a gnarly Kill.Dawn collaboration that samples Lady Gaga's "Just Dance."

'Ladies Please,' Vincent Van Great

Coming off strong at the start with Casanova pop swagger, Great reserves his greatest stuff for his more reserved songs at the end, from alluring "Rewind" with an ethereal Amanda Huff guest verse to finale "Star Track," supplemented by SistaStrings' uplifting backing vocals and snappy, slyly sweeping arrangements.

'Loved and Lost and Found,' Jay Matthes

Back with his first album in six years, the folk veteran isn't what you remember, at least initially. Peppy opening number "You're Up to No Good" recalls swinging traditional New Orleans party jam "Iko Iko," while "Some People Drink" sounds like it was accidentally left off a Garth Brooks or Alan Jackson recording session from the '90s. But it's refreshing to see a sturdy, accomplished songwriter like Matthes explore new things for his return, while songs like "When We Danced Slow" show his ongoing gifts as a tender Americana songwriter.

'Might As Well Turn It Up,' Hayward Williams

"I don't go for the highwire act," Williams sings on the third song of his nine-track album. That much is true; a blustery sax solo aside for "I Love You But This Can't Go On," the soulful folk rocker isn't into showboating eight albums into his career. Instead, Williams displays a mastery of writing and singing songs that get under your skin.

'Moment,' Immortal Girlfriend

After scoring a song placement on Netflix's "Wednesday" last year, the brooding synthpop band of brothers Will and Kevin Bush sounds even more emboldened on their latest single, the closest they've come to channeling Trent Reznor's haunted oeuvre.

'Negative,' West Nile Crows

I only have positive things to say of the rock band's confident five-track debut EP "Negative." Garrett Holm's avant-garde drum fills open it up on first song "Collector," which makes a surprising turn into moody trip-hop before the band makes a racket with the subsequent title track.

'Rational Fears,' Man Random

Anxiety is on the menu, but even when you think you've got the power-pop garage-rockers figured out, they'll throw in a, well, random detour like the half-minute ska banger "That's It" or Nintendo-inspired pseudo-chiptune toe-tapper "N E S Games."

'Red Sundress,' Dres, Steve Hybicki, Richie Allen

Allen might be the only country singer-songwriter with the chops to make reggaeton music, as he did with local brother duo Gego y Nony. Both of those worlds come together for unconventional earworm "Red Sundress," as does some hip-hop bounce, with prolific Milwaukee rapper Dres supplying some verses.

'Self Preservation,' Honey Creek

The breakneck, breathless drums of "Burnt Bitter," the sugary synth melodies of 'iQuit," the gear-switching guitar riffs of the title track, the dynamic vocal contrasts between Chris Merisalo and Ellee Grim across the four-song EP — the pop punk on "Self Preservation" rarely goes down this smooth and tasty.

'Undercover,' Gold Steps

Speaking of pop punk, Gold Steps immediately became one of Milwaukee's finest practitioners of the sound with last year's debut album "That Ain't It," recalling all the feels of early Paramore and scoring a record deal. The follow-up single pushes them further into pop territory, with the throbbing synths, sticky hooks and Liz Mauritz's open-hearted vocals recalling Chrvches.

'Your Chaos, Too,' Andrew Cesarz

The award for most dramatic album cover of the year goes to Cesarz's "Your Chaos, Too," depicting the singer-songwriter standing atop windows outside a skyscraper, playing piano on one hand, in a cool blue light, like a cut scene from "Inception." It's quite the statement — but so is Cesarz's ornate, cinematic collection of piano pop, from the flashy '70s shine of "Our World" to the title track's Peter Gabriel-esque bombast and dizzying Ben Folds-style piano runs.

"Must-Hear Milwaukee Music" runs on or around the first of every month in the Journal Sentinel and at jsonline.com. If you have a new album, EP or song coming out, contact Piet Levy at plevy@journalsentinel.com for review consideration. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 16 top Milwaukee albums, songs and EPs to check out in September 2023