BY: CLAIRE BORGELT Thousands of live music lovers will descend upon Douglass Park in Chicago this weekend for Riot Fest, a three-day music festival. The event began in 2005 as a celebration of everything alternative, hosting the biggest names in punk, rock, metal, alternative and hip-hop. To help you prepare for three days of mosh pits and music, here’s a list of WSUM’s must-see acts at Riot Fest 2023.
BY: CLAIRE BORGELT & AMANY KHREIS MADISON, Wis. — WSUM-91.7 FM Madison Student Radio has partnered with WUD Music to take over Memorial Union Terrace for Snake On The Lake Fest, a free outdoor music festival on September 15 from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.
BY: KAIT FUEGER Jungle is back in 2023 with the release of their new album, Volcano. While the British duo has touched down in Wisconsin prior to their upcoming show, this will be their first time in Madison.
BY: QUENTIN HOLLE Alan Palomo has been a force in the world of electronic music for over a decade, releasing three critically acclaimed LPs as the frontman of Neon Indian. Now, Alan Palomo has gone solo, with his first album in nearly a decade, World of Hassle, releasing September 15th on Mom + Pop.
BY: CHARLIE FINGER Field Medic, otherwise known as Kevin Patrick Sullivan, is a solo artist hailing from San Francisco, California. With influences of folk, acoustic and Midwest emo, his songs are introspective and poetic. Often writing about love, loss, heartbreak and personal struggles, Field Medic draws in his listeners with the power of relatability, and most of all, beautiful music.
BY: QUENTIN HOLLE Pitchfork Festival was an incredible experience. It was my first true music festival experience and it most certainly did not disappoint, with every band far exceeding my expectations. The lineup on the Blue Stage was packed to the brim with high energy acts, spanning the genres of funk, house, techno and hip-hop. Pitchfork certainly knows how to book a music festival.
BY: ANNA THOMPSON The first thing you need to know about the Father John Misty/Head and The Heart show at the Sylvee is that it was five hours long. The second is that I invented a game to play in between sets called “Find Guys Who Look Like Father John Misty At The Father John Misty Show,” which we gave up almost immediately because it was way too easy.
BY: QUENTIN HOLLE Program Director Quentin Holle sits down with Mr. Hoosteen for the latest episode of Syd’s Music Desk to discuss the intersection of music and visual art, our shared profound love of French Touch and the art of seamless album transitions.
BY: CONNER POSTER In June 2023, Pittsburgh-based indie rock band Feeble Little Horse released their sophomore album, Girl With Fish. This project expands upon their earlier works with new methods of experimentation, while still heavily embodying their unique sound. Girl With Fish uniquely blends indie rock with hyperpop and noise elements to create a sound that is exciting and playful, and definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously.
BY: LILY SPANBAUER What happens when three of indie’s top powerhouse women combine their lyrical genius and sonic innovation into one highly anticipated project? The answer: pure unadulterated musical magic, powerful enough to bring any self-loathing young woman or indie rock dad to their knees.
BY: CAMILA TRIMBERGER I only knew three things about indie-folk band Big Thief before walking into their sold-out show at the Sylvee. First, that their latest album was extremely well received at WSUM, that TikTok had a lot to say about the studio version of “Vampire Empire” and that they were led by MJ Lenderman (which I wasn’t even right about, sorry Adrianne Lenker).
BY: Cole Downing For anyone that enjoys chill soul and R&B music, listening to something upbeat and catchy or grooving to some harder hitting baselines and guitar solos, you can most definitely find what you’re looking for inside the growing catalog of up-and-coming artist Devon Gilfillian.
