What Made Milwaukee Famous
What Made Milwaukee Famous has been a stalwart of the Austin music scene since their inception in 2003. The three original members, Michael Kingcaid (vocals, guitar, keyboards), John Farmer (bass), and Jason Davis (guitars, vocals), each bring a diverse range of influences to the table, allowing them to seamlessly shift between genres at the drop of a hat. With the release of their first two records, Trying to Never Catch Up and What Doesn’t Kill Us on Seattle’s Barsuk imprint, the band has been touted for their abilities to channel strong musicianship and diverse song-writing into instantly, addictive hooks. Their “elegant pop” (Billboard) has landed them on the bill at a number of the mammoth festivals including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Sasquatch, SXSW and Lollapalooza, highlighted by a taping on PBS’s prestigious Austin City Limits with Franz Ferdinand. They have also shared the stage with the likes of Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, The National, Snow Patrol, The Walkmen, TV on the Radio, and the Pretenders to name a few; a testament to their musical diversity and mutual respect with other artists in the industry.
What Made Milwaukee Famous has returned with their third full-length album (due out summer 2012) that picks up right where they left off, uniting powerful, anthemic hooks with lush instrumentation. WMMF, recently recognized by The Onion's AV Club as one of the "15 Austin Bands That Defined The Decade," has enlisted a who's who of the Austin music scene with guest spots by Kelly Doyle (Robert Ellis) on lead guitar, Evan Jacobs (Tacks the Boy Disaster, Polyphonic Spree) on keys, and Cully Symington (Okkervil River, Cursive, Twilight Singers) on drums to round out a fresh new sound for the band. Their new album tentatively titled, You Can't Fall Off The Floor, was recorded at Good Danny’s studios in Austin, TX and co-produced by Danny Reisch (White Denim, Shearwater). Guest musicians Kathleen Edwards and Matthew Vasquez (Delta Spirit) lend their talents, along with Austin staples Dana Falconberry, Warren Hood, Mike Harmeier (Mike and the Moonpies), Gary Newcomb (Lil' Cap'n Travis), Aaron Sinclair (Frank Smith, The Lot Six), and Mike Booher (Zykos). With the impending release of WMMF’s newest installment, they are poised to satiate their passionate devotees with exciting, new material and their rivetingly energetic, live shows.