To help celebrate 5 years and 10 issues of Burdock the 10th issue is an audio cd featuring poetry, music and collaborations across genres. The release was held December 15th at the Miramar Theatre and kicked off a series of performances called Burdock Presents where musicians and poets featured in Burdock perform extended sets in a small venues around Milwaukee.
1) Sailing to Byzantium — Jim Chapson
Has been published in Poetry Ireland Review, The Blue Canary, The SHOp, Prairie Spooner, B-Squad, Rust Buckle, and Honeysuckle Honeyjuice, Jim has appeared in Burdock issues 1,2,3,5,9, and now 10. He teaches satire and poetry at UWM. He sometimes tempts fate by riding his bike in winter. His books Scholia and Daphnis & Ratboy and are out on Arlen House Press.
2) The Storm — Lyra Vega
Emily Hall and Monica Stone for the duo known as Lyra Vega. Emily plays the Lute and Monica plays guitar and both contribute to the hauntingly beautiful vocals. They have a release forthcoming in 2012 it is strongly recommended that you seek them out.
3) Paperman — Loup
Either an alternate spelling of Loop or short for Loup Garou, a variation of werewolf or saskwatch depending your point of view, is a Milwaukee based jazz-infused-chamber-folk-band. (Hyphens) At full strength 6 people playing a variety of different instruments. Chief songwriter Brandon Miller is a jazz guitarist who also plays a Thomas Transistor Organ in the alternate project titled Back Seas.
4) The Battle At Coral Sea — Jennifer Kraft & Sam Rodewald The multi talented Sam Rodewald has an album out called Travel Songs and an EP called Love in the Context of a Zombie Apocalypse. Jennifer Kraft has a self-published chapbook out called To You Trying to Save My Life with an updated edition due out this year on Teppichfresser.
5) Jackie Skipped a Heartbeat...— James Murphy & Jon Liedtke
This track was performed live at Discovery World Milwaukee and was the first time James Murphy and Jon Liedtke had ever collaborated together for a live performance. James plays Jazz guitar around Milwaukee and is the creative force behind Jaems Murphy & The Vedic Eden. Jon Liedtke plays in the band Face of Ruin.
6) Flowers — Mario The Poet
Milwaukee based poet Mario Willis has been performing poetry at slams around the country. His style is straight forward. He makes his way selling his self published chapbooks and cds at poetry sets. Not everyone can claim that.
7) The Air is Thick — Hear Here
Hear Here is one of Scott's soundscape projects when he's not drumming for the soon to be internationally famous band 1913. A series of recordings by Scott Johnson comprise The Air is Thick. He is currently working on a narrative sampling project called Hey John based on the answering machine tapes of a man named John living in Milwaukee during the 80s and 90s.
8) untitled — Cynthia Spencer
Founder of the Riverwest reading series Cloudburst and author of a chapbook In What Sequence Will My Parts Exit on Plumberries Press. Cynthia Spencer is originally from New Jersey. She has work in a number of journals and zines and has another chapbook due out this year. Check out this interview with her just after the Burdock 10 release show back in December 2011!
9) Echolalia — Mark Adams son of BillThe title of this track is a disease that allows people to only talk in vowel sounds. Mark is gaining momentum all the time and has just released his last Acoustic cd titled "solo". He's getting a full band together to begin recording an album this summer.
10) Fade Out — The Plane to Lisbon
This version of the song was recorded by members Keith Gaustad, Ross Oldenburg, Victoria Robison and Ben Tulach back in February of 2011. The Plane to Lisbon takes off only rarely but rumor has it the group will be putting something out in 2012.
11) Put Down Blues — Dan Sweetland
Former founder and editor of "Horse Sense" Dan Sweetland is a graduate of the UWM Film department. He also studied music at Notre Dame and has played around Milwaukee in several different styles of music but his true love of Mississippi Delta Blues is noticeable on this track.
12) Full Moon Walk — Sandy Weisto
Nicknamed The Queen of Milwaukee Folk by those in the know Sandy runs the Tuesday Night Open Mic at the Miramar which just celebrated its 8th year. She also runs sound The 19th Street Coffee House which is the oldest coffee house in the city. She has a book of poems out called Coyote and recorded music with the group Sweet Diversity. The instrument she plays on this track is a Bowed Sultry.
13) Machinery's Ghost — Ross Oldenburg
Late one night at the Milwaukee Makerspace Ross began recording several different tracks of random noise in the vast warehouse space. Ross plays in several different Milwaukee bands and did the the mixing and mastering of Burdock 10.
14) Blizzard — Susan Firer & Jim Hazard
Susan Firer is a former poet laureate of the City of Milwaukee and a professor at UWM. Jim Hazard played the trumpet in the Shrine Circus and the Golden Eagles Band. Sadly Jim Passed away in March during a snowstorm. This track, the last collaboration between the couple of 40 plus years, was played at his funeral.
15) Permeate — Jordan Lannert
Began to play bass in the style of Les Claypool then moved on to adding other instruments to his repetoire. This track is one of Jordan's first experiements with playing every instrument in a track.
16) The Singing Bowl — The Lords of Space & Time
serves up a swirling blend of cosmic Americana with all the fixin's. The group features multi-instrumentalists Nicholas Verbos, Nick Liebner, Christine Barclay, and Alex Kristiansen. From the front porch to the outer limits of the universe, the Lords Of Space And Time are here to bring you back into orbit.
17) Murdock —The Demix
Demix hosts a monthly music series called MELT and occasionally DJs around the Midwest. He also assisted in the layout of the cd inlay for Burdock 10. The track title is translated: Murder + Burdock = Murdock
18) Make It Home — JoAnn Chang
Originally from Texas JoAnn came to Milwaukee in 1980s and became a proud supporter of local poetry. JoAnn is consistantly a top fundraiser during Woodland Pattern's Poetry Marathon. She has been singing since the 70s and writing poetry since the 60s. This song is performed at the 19th Street Coffeehouse.
19) Do Not Watch — Paul Vogel
Paul's work, according to some, has moved into a territory that can either be called post Goth or Neo-Morrisey. This track is a list poem of awful things you can watch online read over a recording of an old German folk tune "Where are the Happy Dreams of Childhood?" He also writes reviews and has had work appear in The Blue Canary, Burdock, and Oxford Magazine among others.
20) Nachtwurst — The November Criminals
Seeking to embrace everyone who would ignore them in an awkward unclish sort of way the three members of The November Criminals infuse elements of Polka, Hip Hop, BrewTown Stomp, Reggaetone, and...umm Opera. NTSC, Spade ONE & The BrüMeister are aiming to become Milwaukee's Best. Nactwurst is just the beginning.
21) Atmos Streets — ATMOS Spheres
Is a collaboration across the ocean between Scott Johnson and Erna Franssens. ATMOS Spheres is a blending of sounds recorded in Milwaukee with sounds recorded in Antwerp Belgium.
22) Beliefs — James Gapinski & The Garbage Experience
Now living in Portland James Gapinski is working on starting up The Conium Review. Prior to moving in 2010 he played out in Milwaukee often busking and jamming out songs with basic explanations of chord changes. Some songs were covers but more were his own. His most frequent partner during his last summer in Milwaukee was Dan Sweetland who plays bass on this song. Other members of the Gabage Experience included Candy, Keith, Paige and whoever else was at whichever coffee house or pub he happened to be playing that night. Happily he was able to return to play the Burdock 10 release. Check out this podcast interview on the Conium Review website.
