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Milwaukee’s own Brett Newski & The Bad Inventions have brought Midwestern country scuzz all over the world. With new single “Paper Crown,” they bring it back home.
Newski is a storied DIY musician who’s earned much acclaim for his rough and ready sound. Blending elements of Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan with Milwaukee DIY, Newski has carved his own lane in the music world. He and his band bring tunes that reek of the glory days of outlaw country with a ragged outlook on what change can do.
Their experiences touring around the world percolate all over their global viewpoint that personifies the individualistic qualities born out of revolutionary thought. On “Paper Crown,” the trio’s DIY influences shine in a way that calls back to legendary punks Black Flag, who knew their movement wouldn’t win but still had to give it their all. Newski’s music captures that feeling of taking every step with your heart and letting your passions guide your life.
In “Paper Crown,” the music follows a rapid-fire train heist of emotion that captures the listener for a little over 2-1/2 minutes. The instrumentation is rustic to the core and augmented with very few accessories. An acoustic guitar, simple percussion and bass provide a rhythm soaked in twang, with a piano being the main non-vocal points of melody. For added flavor, an electric guitar cuts through the fuzz with an eerily similar solo to “Folsom Prison Blues” that obviously gets the body moving.
Newski’s vocals on this track are a driving force throughout. He clutches onto the melody and guides the rest of the band with attentive lyricism. His voice is strong, holding itself against the cloud of sound that emits from the Bad Inventions while still maintaining an interesting personality. There's a lot of charm that comes from how nonchalant his singing is, and it’s impressive how firm it holds throughout the song.
The lyrics themselves back this sarcastic tone, with the opening verse showing off Newski’s own selfish desires:
I wanna be the star of my own ****** movie
Yea I wanna be the star of my own ****** movie
We all think we’re kings
But we’re wearing that paper crown so loosely
The song is Newski’s analysis and critique on modern society. His own admittance of a worldly desire doesn’t paint him as holier than thou; he’s as starry-eyed as everyone else. But a reality check is needed to keep you steady. It’s the lack of one for a lot of people that Newski focuses on:
Mamma’s caught in the web
Daddy's dying on the phone
Baby’s drinking all the Kool-Aid
It's all he's ever known
It’s an algo nation
They let us know what’s good
It’s an algorithmic nation
They let you know what’s good
Don’t need no human beings
Computer does what it should
The world we live in will never look the same as it did yesterday, but the internet’s evolution into a constant algorithmically tied dopamine burst has sent us so far forward and backward at the same time. To Newski, the damage is irreparable, and the effects of it all won’t be understood for a long time.
It’s in this sound logic that Newski makes it clear who all the players are: us. Because everyone is hunting for the next big thing that’ll make them accepted into the nearest crowd.
Take back control from the algorithm and listen to the single anytime using the player at the top of the page, and catch it on 88Nine throughout today (6:30, 10:30 a.m.; 2:30, 6:30 p.m.). For you long-term planners, Brett Newski & The Bad Inventions will be at The Argo on May 5. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are on sale now.
Jonathan Joseph is a Milwaukee-based multimedia freelance journalist who specializes in art and culture writing (and all things Milwaukee), with work appearing on Radio Milwaukee and in Milwaukee Magazine. Contact him via email or find him on LinkedIn.