Following an 11-week, 73-show European tour, during which he ate “Space Cake” and declined a post-massage HJ, Brett Newski likely wouldn’t be the first person you’d expect to issue a new release within two weeks of returning to America. Think again. Before the worldly Milwaukee folk rocker embarked on his latest sojourn of potential “soul-crushers,” Newski logged some studio time to lay down six songs that are ONLY available on cassette. Newski’s Hi-Fi D.I.Y. is—as the troubadour says—“not available anywhere else; not on YouTube, not on iTunes, not at Hot Topic, but maybe at your neighbors garage sale.”

The Breadking-released tape was recorded by Shane Hochstetler at Howl Street Recordings and produced by former Violent Femmes (and current Nineteen Thirteen) drummer Victor DeLorenzo. The cassette—which features both DeLorenzo and Hochstetler—also includes accompaniment from members of Bright Kind, Myles Coyne, and Traveling Suitcase. Noting it’s “potentially a terrible marketing maneuver, but hyper-reality gives [him] anxiety too often,” Newski says Hi-Fi D.I.Y. will not be available online…except this one song he decided to send our way. Before he releases his new cassette at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn Thursday night, stream Newski’s otherwise-inaccessible “Everybody Knows You Can’t Sleep With Your Eyes Closed,” only at Milwaukee Record.

About The Author

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Co-Founder and Editor

Before co-founding Milwaukee Record, Tyler Maas wrote for virtually every Milwaukee publication (except Wassup! Magazine). He lives in Bay View and enjoys both stuff and things.