Jonathan Coulton. Jonathan Richman. Half Japanese. They Might Be Giants. If the mention of those artists makes you smile, read on. If it makes you recoil in horror, feel free to revisit the time we waited in line for a signed bottle of 50 Cent vodka. Always a popular article!
Still here? Okay! Perhaps you’ll enjoy the debut solo album from Milwaukee musician/artist Billy Judge Baldus, Signature Moves. It’s an unabashedly quirky, silly, and goofy 10-track romp highlighted by Baldus’ soda-pop vocals and equally fizzy (but sharp) songwriting skills. “From wrestling anthems to heartfelt ballads, late-night infomercials to meat trucks,” reads a press release, “these ten tracks blend retro vibes, catchy hooks, and storytelling that’s equal parts fun and heartfelt.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!
Baldus previously played in “rock’n pop punk art band” Uncle Larry. Signature Moves is in the same goof/surf-rock lane as Uncle Larry, but it definitely drifts more into pared-down, Richman-esque troubadour territory. “Blues & Greens” is a charming summertime lark, “For Better Days” is a surprisingly affecting love song, and “Meat Truck USA” lazily unspools like a lost episode of The Adventures Of Pete & Pete. And it’s all “mastered on a giant analog tape machine [that] gives the album a warm depth and a timeless full sound.” Fun!
Baldus’ next show, a benefit for Tamarack Waldorf School, is Saturday, May 31 at Third Space Brewery.
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