Ever get in those moods where you get lost in something, then something catches your eyes, then you get obsessed with it, then find something completely random stemming from that thing that you’re obsessed over with that originally caught your eyes and then you really dig the new thing you discovered? Run on sentence aside, this happened to me quite a few night ago. Growing up in the early 90’s as a disciple of the Nintendo Entertainment System, one of my favorite games as a kid was the 1990 Lucasfilm classic Maniac Mansion. With the glorious power of YouTube, I searched for people’s uploaded videos of speed-runs in beating the carnage classic. After a few minutes of witnessing these ten minute wizards beating the game, I came across a band’s own music video with a song entitled, “Maniac Mansion.” Yep, you guessed it, that band was Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s very own SWaMP.
The funky, silver lining rock and roll roots-tastic quartet consists of guitarist/vocalist Nicholas Burbey, keyboardist/vocalist Benjamin Hotz, bassist Chad Edstrand and drummer Dylan Brown. At first listen, their musical aspirations are flung all over the place, much like a Jackson Pollock painting. Notes of old delta bluesmen, Frank Zappa, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the 8-bit era of Nintendo stretch and weave their ways into the wacky minds of these four Milwaukeeans. Could it be something in the water? Perhaps. It is where Miller Brewing is based. Hey, after all, Alice Cooper is a regular visitor of Milwaukee all the time, and he’s a guy that knows how to party!
SWaMP also knows how to get the party going with flavorful hooks that can rival many established jam bands, inject enough soul into a groove to make any R&B group blush with delight and also shred guitar much cleaner than any metal band out there.
With whimsical titles such as “Struttin’ Tutt,” “Encupa,” “Maggot Medusa” and the aforementioned “Maniac Mansion,” this young Milwaukee quartet is certainly on its way to blazing a worthy path of glory. It’s highly prevalent in the band’s personal message:
That’s right folks; put the children to bed, cage the dog, lock the doors. Put on some fresh socks and underpants, change your air filters, inspect your colostomy bag and check the batteries in your smoke detectors.. SWAMP is ALIVE!
For a city known for having elected three socialist mayors, this young quartet is playing shows throughout the greater Milwaukee area. Grab a High Life and click your heels for SWaMP because you’re certainly not in Kansas anymore!
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Maggot Medusa