Tone Madison's weekly podcast brings you interviews, reporting, and commentary on arts and culture in Madison. The pieces air on WORT-FM's local news show, and we run longer versions of them here, on tonemadison.com, and on iTunes: apple.co/1kQSKVx

Tone Madison Podcast

From http://runningupthathill.bandcamp.com/

Kathleen Baird, Eric Carbonara and Jesse Sparhawk, "Strange Phenomena" (Kate Bush cover)

For WORT's In Our Backyard show, we look at some of the best music headed to Madison, including Homeboy Sandman, Prhyme, and Disappears. Read more: http://buff.ly/1yo1FSv

Upcoming Madison concert highlights on WORT-FM

From the EP "Swamp Cocktail." Read more: http://buff.ly/1BIhaBj

Myrmidons, "Oh It'll Burn Ya"

Musician and Tone Madison contributor Joel Shanahan (aka Golden Donna) is moving away from Madison soon. He'll still be a big part of Tone, but in honor of his departure he's made us this special mix.

Inverted Village Mix, by Joel Shanahan

On this episode of "Two Tickets Please!" host Josiah Wampfler sits down with Grant Phipps and Sara Batkie from Tone Madison to discuss their experiences at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival and the films they saw. Then, Josiah gives his four favorite films from the festival.

Two Tickets Please! Ep 25_ 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival Four Favorites & Wrap-Up Discussion with Tone Madison

Jazz pianist and UW-Madison jazz studies chair Johannes Wallmann joined Scott Gordon at WORT studios this week to talk about the two new albums he's releasing this year, and to offer frank commentary on running a jazz program as budget cuts and changes to tenure policies loom. A shorter version of this segment initially aired June 11, 2015 on WORT's In Our Backyard show. Segment produced by Dylan Brogan.

Johannes Wallmann on his new albums and UW-Madison's jazz program, for WORT-FM

Ahead of his set this Friday at La Fete De Marquette's electronic stage, Madison-based DJ Jared Perez has made this effusive, house-heavy guest mix for Tone Madison.

Playlist:

Skit - Be True (Firecracker)

Peter Horrevorts, “Galapagos” (Kanzleramt)

Eliphino, “I Don't Care” (Hypercolour)

The Godson, “Analog Love” (Rush Hour)

Jimpster, “Dangly Panther” (Freerange)

Miss Patty, “Jam Session” (Sole Channel)

Neuroxyde, Doomwork, “Jazzy Stuff” (Starlight Unlimited)

Cheek, “Venus” (Pépé Braddock Remix) (Versatile)

Batida, “Puxa” (Beat Laden Remix) (Soundway)

General Ludd, “Woo Ha” (Mister Saturday Night)

Kyodai, “Breaking” (Local Talk)

Anthony Naples, “I’ll Still” (Rubadub)

?

Trankilou, “Atom Funk” (Kif Recordings)

Percussions, “KHLHI” (Text)

Wendy Rene, “After Laughter” (Alkalino remix)

Little Roy, “Come As You Are” (Alkalino Rework)

Lord Nelson, “Shango” (Daniel Haaksman & DJ Beware Remix) (Soundway)

HP Stonji, “Don't Wait Until Dawn” (Spezialmaterial)

Gus Gus, “Polyesterday” (4AD)

Jared Perez, “Bkwrd Gecko”​

Jared Perez, Trankilou Unveiled Mix

Two Tickets Please! Ep_27: 2025 Summer Movie Discussion with Tone Madison

Madison-based violinist and sound artist Troy Schafer talks with us about his many collaborations and adventures in experimental music, ahead of his Sunday, August 16 show at the High Noon Saloon. Produced by Dylan Brogan for WORT-FM. A shorter version aired previously on WORT's In Our Backyard news show.

Troy Schafer on avant-garde music and sound art, for WORT-FM

Tom Yoshikami recently moved away from Madison after more than 10 years curating art-house film events here, including roles with UW CInematheque, the Wisconsin Film Festival and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's Rooftop Cinema series. Yoshikami spoke with us by Skype from his new home in Vancouver to share his perspective on film culture in Madison. Read a longer version here: http://bit.ly/1hxac0l

Segment produced by Dylan Brogan for WORT-FM and aired on WORT's In Our Backyard news show.

Tom Yoshikami on a decade of Madison film programming, for WORT-FM

Troy Peterson, who performs under the name Kleptix, joined us at WORT-FM studios to talk about his whimsical approach to electronic music. Thanks to WORT's Dylan Brogan for producing the segment.

Kleptix's Troy Peterson on jumpsuits and circuit-bending, for WORT-FM

An appreciation of the introductory spiel Joe Buettner gives before shows at Madison's Comedy Club on State.

The man in the booth, for WORT-FM

Madison musician and artist Silas Ritchie joined us at WORT-FM studios to discuss his new electronic EP under the name Silas Be. Silas also tells listeners what to expect when he DJs at Nattspil on October 19 and November 30. Segment produced by Dylan Brogan for WORT.

Silas Ritchie on his new Silas Be EP, for WORT-FM

Madison's Sound Out Loud ensemble performs Tristan Perich's "qsqsqsqsqqqqq," a piece for electronics and three toy pianos. Recorded at the @wort-fm studios.

Hear our interview with Sound Out Loud on the Tone Madison podcast: http://bit.ly/1qin6CW

Sound Out Loud performs "qsqsqsqsqqqqq" by Tristan Perich

Tone Madison's Scott Gordon talks with Mike Weiser and Chris Bucheit of Madison jazz trio Major Vistas about their debut album, Minor Anthems (majorvistas.bandcamp.com). The band, which also includes drummer Geoff Brady, has several shows coming up: July 22 at Mother Fool's Coffeehouse, August 10 at the free Jazz At Five series on the Capitol Square, and October 14 at the also free Indigenous jazz series at the Memorial Union Play Circle.

Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes: apple.co/1mL8vPk
Co-produced with @wort-fm, wortfm.org

Podcast: Major Vistas on improvisation and mixing genres

The Access Denied panel, recorded live on Feb. 10, 2017 at the Madison Public Library's Central Branch, discussed inequalities in Madison's nightlife.

Podcast: The Access Denied panel

The Madison-based poet discusses and reads from his debut collection, "Trouble The Water."

Podcast: The transportive lyricism of Derrick Austin

Tone Madison's Scott Gordon, Emili Earhart, Emily Mills, and Henry Solotaroff-Webber discuss the many changes at work in Madison's music-venue landscape.

Podcast: Shifting stages in Madison

In a conversation with Tone Madison contributor Chali Pittman, multimedia artist José Carlos Teixeira discusses his video show "On Exile," on display through May 20 at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

Podcast: José Carlos Teixeira's dimensions of otherness

The longtime Madison musician discusses his projects past and present.

Podcast: Tony Castañeda's life in Latin jazz

Tone Madison's Chris Lay brings us this audio rendition of our September 2018 report from Madison's fifth annual Shrekfest.

Podcast: A story we can't get ogre

Longtime Madison educator Muriel Simms discusses her book "Settlin': Stories Of Madison's Early African American Families." 

Photo by Jon Hain.

Podcast: Muriel Simms' deeply interwoven oral histories

Digital Warmth is a new podcast created by Jordan Cohen of @chantssound and presented by Tone Madison. Welcome to the first episode.

Joshua Jenquin is an accomplished drummer, producer, and DJ. Topics include Wisconsin rave history, Addict Records, laughing while vomiting, being named-checked by Dominick Fernow, Swayze, getting kicked out of a town in Germany, and melding live playing with electronic music. 

I wanted to talk to Joshua because the way he combines drumming and electronic production in different ways inspired me, way back in MySpace days before I had made any records. I also saw him do an all-vinyl drum & bass DJ set that blew me away, and wanted to put together the pieces that I’d gathered about his musical history.

Follow Digital Warmth on Twitter: https://twitter.com/digital_warmth
Reach out at digitalwarmthpodcast@gmail.com
Subscribe: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-warmth/id1451018142

Digital Warmth S1 E1: Joshua Jenquin

Sage Caswell is a Los Angeles native who makes dreamy yet hard-hitting dance music. He has released music on Spring Theory and 2MR. Topics include early L.A. parties, a Daft Punk conversion experience, moving from DJing to producing, and the Midwest.

I hadn’t met Sage before we talked, but we had some random Madison/L.A. connections and I liked what I had heard of his music. Madison is so small that I always want to get to know the people who are doing interesting electronic music here, even if they’re passing through. —Jordan Cohen

Follow Digital Warmth on Twitter: twitter.com/digital_warmth
Reach out at digitalwarmthpodcast@gmail.com
Subscribe: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/digit…mth/id1451018142

Digital Warmth S1 E3: Sage Caswell

Hosts Alex Nelson and Shaun Soman reflect on Mitski’s April 3, 2019 performance at The Sylvee in Madison. Along the way, they recall past Mitski shows they’ve attended (1:34), rave about her chair-heavy new stage show (5:51), examine discourse around identity and music consumption (11:20), and formally analyze a few music videos from her transformative album Be The Cowboy  in an extended segment of “A.V. Club” (28:41). Oh, they also express grief over a missed opportunity to grab a very elusive Mitski matchbook and invite you to join them both in mourning (47:11).

ecord Store Dropouts is a music-adjacent podcast by Shaun Soman and Alex Nelson, presented by Tone Madison.

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reco…ts/id1462354012
Subscribe via RSS: www.tonemadison.com/record-store-dr…outs?format=rss

Record Store Dropouts: Mitski live! (Season 1, Episode 2)

The musician shares a demo and discusses her songwriting and approach to visuals.

Psychic twinning with Erin Fein (Season 1, Episode 3)

The Dropouts discuss building safer concert spaces and talk with Black Belt Eagle Scout’s Katherine Paul. (Photo by Eleanor Petry.)

Concert communities and Black Belt Eagle Scout (Record Store Dropouts, Season 1, Episode 4)

From the album "We're Gay." More info: https://genderconfetti.bandcamp.com/album/were-gay

Gender Confetti, "Ask First"

Four cinephiles discuss UW Cinematheque's four-part series on Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami.

Podcast: But what about a dead end?

Hear the audio version of our interview with the Madison electronic duo.

Podcast: The rise of Klack

A podcast conversation with the Madison musician about his ongoing “State Of The Baritone” series.

Anders Svanoe builds a world around the baritone sax

Four Star's Lewis Peterson joins Tone Madison's Grant Phipps for a conversation about home viewing and coping in quarantine.

A Four Star Video Heaven podcast for darker times

City of Madison Arts Administrator discusses how city government is responding to the pandemic when it comes to public funding for the arts, and some of the longer-term impacts she anticipates on the local arts community. More information about the Conduit series at tonemadison.com/conduit

Conduit: Karin Wolf on the public-arts impact of COVID-19

Morris Ramen chef Francesca Hong discusses her effort to get relief for local restaurants during the pandemic.

Join the conversation at tonemadison.com/conduit

Conduit: "The service industry is a haven"

A conversation about the Madison non-profit's efforts to support artists with disabilities. For more information about Conduit, visit tonemadison.com/conduit

Conduit: ArtWorking reckons with the pandemic

The Madison musician discusses his solo project Asumaya and several other facets of his work.

Conduit is a livestreamed series created by Tone Madison, UnderBelly, and Communication. Find out more at tonemadison.com/conduit

Conduit: From birdsong to animation with Luke Bassuener

The Milwaukee-based journalist talks with us about covering Wisconsin politics through his newsletter, The Recombobulation Area.

Conduit is a livestreamed series created by Tone Madison, UnderBelly, and Communication. Find out more at tonemadison.com/conduit

Conduit: Dan Shafer on recombobulating Midwestern media

Carlee Latimer discusses the Madison Public Library's multi-faceted programming for artists and makers.

Conduit is a livestreamed series created by Tone Madison, UnderBelly, and Communication. Find out more at tonemadison.com/conduit

Conduit: All the Bubbler's buckets

Flight Path is an in-depth report on grassroots opposition to the basing of F-35 fighter jets in Madison. Available as this audio documentary and a four-part written series to be published serially over the next week, Flight Path is a partnership project of Tone Madison, Communication, and Northside News. The Air Force officially chose Madison as a site for the jets in April. But the fight continues in areas that stand to bear the brunt of the F-35s' noise, environmental, and economic impacts. These efforts have already brought neighbors together to organize and advocate for their communities in a changing Madison.

In this special hour-long audio report, journalist and activist Oona Mackesey-Green breaks down the politics surrounding the F-35s, but places a special emphasis on the nitty-gritty of groups including Eken Park Resistance and Safe Skies Clean Water. Largely sprouting from the very blocks where the jets will be loudest and most harmful, these organizations have not only staged protests but have also done extensive, time-consuming work to research the issue and build stronger connections within their communities. 

Keep up with the Flight Path project and find out more at tonemadison.com/flightpath

Flight Path: When resistance takes off

The Madison-based artist discusses navigating different areas of the arts world and their widely varied body of work.

Conduit is a livestreamed series created by Tone Madison, UnderBelly, and Communication. Find out more at tonemadison.com/conduit

Conduit: Nibiiwakamigkwe on the challenges to Indigenous artists

Madison's acting police chief, Victor Wahl, talked with protestors who blocked off the intersection of East Washington Avenue and Stoughton Road on Saturday, June 13, 2020.

Madison Acting Police Chief Wahl talks with protestors

Reporting and comment on the arts in Madison, Wisconsin.

Tone Madison

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks