The DJ Takeover sponsored by Level Up is a program for listeners to discover their favorite artist's favorite artists, working to foster connection to the music and makers inside and outside our city. For the entire hour, we go down the rabbit hole of stories from their past, experiences of the present and goals for the future.
About 30 minutes into talking with high-energy rock ‘n’ rollers Chapped Lips, I started to get a handle on what was reality and what was a bit.
The energy behind the fast-paced music of Chapped Lips has nothing on the Milwaukee band's quick-witted rapport when Slater, Zach, Jonah and Sam are in a room together. When I did finally confirm what was fact and what was fiction, it was too late. They were always three bits ahead of me.
Joining me almost one year after the release of their latest EP, ROT, I had the opportunity to understand the next generation of Milwaukee rockers. Their sound can be found somewhere at the intersection of Midwest punk and West Coast rock, just around the corner from ’60s-inspired Greek chorus grunge.
Listening to the music of Chapped Lips is exciting not just because of their artistic prowess, technical ability, taste and unparalleled spirit. It’s also because, for me, it calls back to a golden age of music circa 2015 defined by projects like Car Seat Headrest, Jeff Rosenstock, The Wrecks and Generationals (for Milwaukeeans, think Fatty Acids, Midnight Reruns, Soul Low). It's a sort of high-top Converse confidence made stronger by the possibility of what’s next.
I’ve been grieving this sound for some time, wondering if my admiration for the genre came from nostalgia or from the merits of the music itself. Somewhere between anger and bargaining, I heard “Freebird III” by Chapped Lips, and the grieving process came to a halt.
Having the chance to sit down with the band, I was reminded why I fell in love with this sound to begin with. It's the sound of contagious hope, carefree-ness and fearless radical acceptance. I’ve personally witnessed their music’s ability to gather a large following of people at live shows, celebrating their ability to break barriers by taking matters into their own hands. From DIY basement shows to local venues to touring the West Coast, Chapped Lips have conjured the spirit of feeling something for the first time.
They play Milwaukee next at a pair of Cactus Club shows, Jan. 23 and March 13. For those interested in a Valentine's weekend full of ad-libbed death growls, you’ll have to travel to Chicago for their Feb. 13 performance at Bricktown.
DJ Takeover: Chapped Lips playlist
- Chapped Lips, “Freebird III”
- Parquet Courts, “Freebird II”
- Andrew Lloyd Webber, “Heaven on Their Minds” (from Jesus Christ Superstar)
- Black Sabbath, “War Pigs”
- Arctic Monkeys, “A Certain Romance”
- The Beatles, “I’ve Got a Feeling”
- Jeff Rosenstock, “Festival Song”
- Slipknot , “Wait and Bleed”
- Courtesy, “High School Friends”
