Rising gas prices become campaign issue as candidates push for repeal of minimum markup law

Army temporarily grounds all Apache helicopter training flights after fatal crash

Ex-US Olympian indicted over alleged Reflecting Pool vandalism

Sources: Wisconsin man charged with death threats targeting Gov. Evers

Jill Biden says she thought Joe Biden was having a stroke during 2024 debate

Cops Gone Wild: Former teacher sues Charlotte police for mistaken identity conviction that cost him his career

New book gets deep into details of Violent Femmes debut album

From JSOnline:

Jim Higgins

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

If more than 7 million copies sold and a public-television special are not already enough validation of the classic status of the Violent Femmes' 1983 debut album, here's another indicator:

That album is now the subject of a book in the famed 33⅓ series about individual recordings.

Books in this series can vary widely from detailed music journalism to idiosyncratic personal takes. "Violent Femmes" (Bloomsbury Academic) by Nic Brown, a drummer as well as a writer, is both fannish and deeply reported. Brown interviewed original band members Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie and Victor DeLorenzo at length. He also spoke with album producer Mark Van Hecke and other figures.

Brown knows enough about how music works to ask detailed questions about riffs, notes and words. He engages band members in smart conversation about Ritchie's role as a lead bassist and DeLorenzo's use of loud-soft dynamics. But his book never flies over a non-musician's head. It's hard to imagine a fan of the album not enjoying Brown's work here.

As someone who has read many Milwaukee takes on the Femmes over the decades – and has written a few, too – I also enjoyed Brown's view of the band from outside the local hothouse.

Brown explores the band's formation, its unusual instrumentation and how it worked in the studio. He also goes over each song in detail, both lyrically and musically.

Here are a few takeaways gleaned from Brown's book. While passionate fans may already know some of these, you'd have to be a certified expert to know them all.

1. Bassist Ritchie coined the Violent Femmes name as a label for the rhythm section he had with DeLorenzo, at a time when the pair played with various other musicians.
2. By the time he met Ritchie and DeLorenzo, the prolific Gano had already written all of the songs that would appear on the Femmes' first two albums, and some of the songs that would turn up on the band's third.
3. What led to the Femmes' acoustic instrumentation, particularly Ritchie's acoustic bass guitar? "I just thought that we should all be equipped to play acoustic music because there was an imminent apocalypse on the horizon," Ritchie told Brown. "I thought we probably wouldn't have electricity."
4. The trio's first gig was in the basement-level Beneath-It-All-Cafe on Downer Avenue (under the old Wash Tub laundromat).
5. The person who actually "discovered" the Femmes busking outside the Oriental Theatre on the day of a Pretenders concert in 1981 was Peggy Sue Honeyman-Scott, the wife of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott. It's often written that James or even singer Chrissie Hynde was the initial talent spotter.
6. Who bankrolled the recording of the album? DeLorenzo's father loaned the group the $10,000 they needed.
7. Castle Studios in Lake Geneva, where the album was recorded, was a facility that had been installed in the main lodge of the fabled Playboy Club there.
8. Given the enormous backlog of songs Gano had written and the limited studio time the band could afford, how did they decide what to record for the first album? Gano said Ritchie had "the brilliant idea" to pick only "the poppy songs." That's why the band's second album, "Hallowed Ground," is so different: it has the Gano songs influenced by gospel, country and jazz.
9. DeLorenzo calls the distinctive snare drum beats he plays at the beginning of "Blister in the Sun" "stutter flams." A flam, Brown explains, is played with two sticks hitting one note together. Those familiar flams are heard today as pump-up music samples in stadiums and arenas around the country.
10. Penn Jillette, of the magic duo of Penn and Teller, gave Gano a specific and enthusiastic compliment about the timing of a line in "Kiss Off." But you'll have to read Brown's book to find out what it was.

Jim Higgins is the author of "Sweet, Wild and Vicious: Listening to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground" (Trouser Press Books, 2024).

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/music/2026/05/11/new-book-gets-deep-into-details-of-violent-femmes-debut-album/89944766007/

Anthony Fauci Adviser Indicted by DOJ on Charges of Concealing COVID Records

Record-Breaking Drone Show | Guinness World Records

'WHERE IS THE OFF BUTTON?': AI fears grow after robot wins half-marathon

GZ PrintPak invests $7M in Mount Pleasant bag plant, creating 40 jobs

From JSOnline:

La Risa R. Lynch

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Holiday season shoppers might be bringing home a piece of Wisconsin – a shopping bag made in Mount Pleasant.

GZ PrintPak, a global printing and packaging company, this year began manufacturing paper bags for high-end retailers at its new facility, at 13505 Louis Sorenson Road.

The company now plans to expand its Racine County operation to produce collapsible and standard rigid boxes, along with co-packing services.

The company will invest $7.1 million into its 69,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, creating 40 jobs, according to a Dec. 4 announcement.

“We’re really proud to be here, because Wisconsin offers an ideal mix of workforce availability, infrastructure, and location advantages – enabling us to better serve our customers across North America,” said Peter Levenec, chairman and chief commercial officer of GZ Media, GZ PrintPak's corporate parent.

GZ Media, based in the Czech Republic, is the world’s largest vinyl record producer.

GZ PrintPak is the only U.S. manufacturer to have developed an automated system for producing fully recyclable luxury paper bags, according to the company.

The company says it offers an attractive alternative to overseas suppliers by leveraging tariff-free manufacturing and competitive pricing.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is supporting the expansion by authorizing up to $300,000 in state income tax credits over the next three years. The tax credits are contingent on the number of jobs created and the capital invested in the project.

“Wisconsin is known as a global leader in the paper industry, and GZ PrintPak is the kind of innovative international paper manufacturing company that belongs in Wisconsin,” said Sam Rikkers, WEDC deputy secretary and chief operating officer.

The expansion also was praised by officials from the Racine County Economic Development Corp., the Village of Mount Pleasant, and the Milwaukee 7 regional economic development agency.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2025/12/10/czech-company-gz-printpak-making-high-end-paper-bags-in-wisconsin/87691347007/

Ukraine sniper claims 2.5 mile shot using AI drone spotting

Miller High Life releasing vinyl record featuring dive bar sounds. And it’s infused with beer

From JSOnline:

Hannah Kirby

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

What Wisconsinite needs a white noise machine when they could fall asleep to the familiar sounds of a good ol' dive bar?

Miller High Life is releasing "Dive Bar Sounds," a limited-edition beer-infused vinyl record — yes, it's made with The Champagne of Beers inside — with seven original tracks featuring dive bar sounds, according to a news release.

Here's a sampling of the vinyl's tracks and their descriptions:

• "Welcome to the Dive": An upbeat rhythm built from the percussive sounds of pool balls, with subtle notes of the classic High Life jingle woven throughout, capturing the energy of game night at your favorite bar.
• "Regular's Remix": A laid-back track where the familiar murmur of regulars and clinking High Life bottles create the soundtrack to a perfect night at the bar.
• "Champagne Nights": An ambient sound led by the signature hiss of The Champagne of Beers being opened and the effervescent dance of bubbles rising to the top.
• "Last Call Symphony": A low-fi melody featuring the hum of High Life neon signs and a closing time bell that feels like your final waltz out of the dive bar.

The announcement comes just in time for Record Store Day on Saturday.

The vinyl is serving as the kickoff to "The Soundtrack to the High Life," a new, yearlong music platform that will feature a range of music experiences, including the sponsorship of Teddy Swims' 2025 North American tour, the release said.

More info and upcoming "Soundtrack to the High Life" announcements will be shared on millerhighlife.com/soundtrack and Miller High Life's Instagram, @millerhighlife.

How to buy Miller High Life's new 'Dive Bar Sounds' beer-infused vinyl record

A limited quantity of "Dive Bar Sounds" will be available at millerhighlife.com/divebarsounds for pre-order over multiple days: Thursday, Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The vinyl costs $18 and buyers have to be at least 21, the release said

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/beer/2025/04/10/miller-high-life-beer-infused-vinyl-record-dive-bar-sounds/83023706007/