“Snapsounds vol. 1: March in the Marigny” is the first EP in an eclectic new series by VIVIAN – the duo comprised of Colorado artists Alana Rolfe and Timo Massa. “March in the Marigny”, documents the pair’s chaotic transition from Colorado to New Orleans in 2021. After releasing their debut album amid the uncertainty of a pandemic, the duo decided to take a more minimal and atmospheric approach to their next release. The result is a palette of hip hop beats, psychedelic textures, and glitchy details that give the listener a voyeuristic peak into VIVIAN’s world.

 “Talkin’ Bout Life” and “Bring Down the Rain” both feature a vocalist from Guyana by the name of Lil Tre’. “Snapsounds is all about capturing a time and a place,” says Timo, “our collaborations with Lil Tre’ pushed us in some exciting new directions while maintaining our mushroom-pop aesthetic. Tre’ took us under his wing and showed us parts of the city we otherwise wouldn’t have visited,” continues Timo, “We really got along and just enjoyed making music with him... that kind of chance meeting is part of what Snapsounds is documenting”. “Step Lightly” and the closing track “Scream So Loud” balance out the EP by featuring Rolfe back on lead vocals and showcasing the experimental pop sound the duo has been known for. The diversity of the 4 tracks leave the listener wondering which direction VIVIAN will take their next full length album.

Talkin' Bout Life

Law enforcement agencies across the state are now allowed to charge redaction fees when fulfilling open records requests for body-worn footage. That’s thanks to Act 253, which Governor Evers signed into law earlier this year.

And the UW-Madison Police Department has already put the new law into practice, as culture outlet Tone Madison discovered late last month.

Scott Gordon, editor in chief of Tone Madison, published his in-depth analysis of Act 253’s impact yesterday. He tells WORT News Producer Faye Parks that the redaction fees undermine the stated purpose of body-worn cameras: to foster transparency and trust in law enforcement. 

Image courtesy: Utility, Inc. via Flickr.

Scott Gordon Says New State Law Undermines Purpose of Police Body-Worn Cameras

Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Madison tonight for the first Concerts on the Square of the summer.

Meanwhile, a convention of arms manufacturers is just down the street at Monona Terrace. And a coalition of local, anti-war orgs are staging a die-in outside the convention, saying the attendees are responsible for the rising death toll in Gaza.

Image courtesy: Kit Moore / WORT News.

Anti-War Demonstrators Stage Die-In Outside Downtown Arms Convention

Forecast For Wednesday 6 - 26 - 24

Madison Labor Radio broadcasts labor news by and about working people for over 25 years. Co-founder and executive producer Frank Emspak produced Madison Labor Radio from its founding to his death, joined by the co-founder and co-producer Ellen LaLuzerne until her passing in 2023.

Madison Labor Radio Demo - May 9, 1995

Last week, the US Supreme Court voted 8-1 to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. In United States v. Rahimi the justices found that the federal law prohibiting domestic abusers subject to protective orders from possessing guns is constitutional under the Second Amendment. The Court’s decision affirms that individuals who pose a credible threat to the safety of another person should not be able to buy or possess a gun. The sole justice to vote against came from Justice Clarence Thomas. 

Mariel Barns, is a founding faculty member of UW–Madison’s Sexual Violence Research Initiative. She joined host Allen Ruff to talk about the Supreme Court case as well as statistics of domestic violence in Wisconsin, which Barns writes about in a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Barns reiterates that persons with a record of domestic violence are likely to commit domestic violence again, especially if they have access to a firearm. 

If you need help with or want more information on domestic abuse, you can contact Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) at 608-251-4445 or at abuseintervention.org.

Mariel Barnes is an Assistant Professor in the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. Her work primarily focuses on the interaction between social and housing policies, and domestic violence.

Photo courtesy of Bart Everson via Flickr.

Guns Fuel Domestic Violence with Mariel Barnes

There’s an adage, “making the billy goat the gardener” that may apply to a member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), the organization entrusted with making sure the State’s elections are fairly run.  Bob Spindell, a Republican-Party appointment to the Commission, and one of the fake electors who attempted to overturn the 2020 Presidential election, remains a member of the Commission even after his involvement in throwing out the popular vote of the people of Wisconsin.  Nicholas Ramos, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign joins the Thursday edition of the 8 O’Clock Buzz, to talk about a rally at the State Capitol in conjunction with the first in-person meeting of the WEC.    Nicholas would like to see Bob removed from the commission and the rally will focus on saving democracy for the voters of Wisconsin.  Seems like the billy goat wants to stick around for the next harvest.

Photo by Constant Loubier on Unsplash

Tending the Garden of Fair Elections

Elections in Wisconsin are conducted by more than 1,800 local clerks at the town, village, city, and county levels, some of whom only work a minimum number of hours a week and don’t have the resources to respond to frivolous lawsuits regarding the administration of elections.  Scott McDonell, Dane County Clerk, joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to talk about the recent attempt by a 2020 election-denier to make it much more difficult to vote by absentee ballot in the State of Wisconsin.  Josh Kaul, Wisconsin’t Attorney General, has issued a letter clarifying the clerk’s responsibilities.  Scott is also in contact with many of the clerks to address their concerns and make sure they are informed to what they are able to do to ensure free and fair elections in their districts.

Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash

Badgering Wisconsin Clerks

Have questions about Bus Rapid Transit?

A  new program hosted at Madison libraries aims to deliver  answers directly from Madison Metro employees. 

Earlier this week, W-O-R-T Reporter James Tishler headed to a “Go by Metro” event at Pinney (pin-eee) Library.

Madison’s Metro Helps Riders With Their Questions About Bus Rapid Transit

VIVIAN – the artist duo comprised of Alana Rolfe and Timo Massa formed in Fort Collins, Colorado. 2020 saw the release of "The Warped Glimmer", the pair's debut full length album, charting #89 on College Radio Charts. VIVIAN explores hip hop beats, psychedelic textures, sultry vocals and glitchy details to create the esthetic some have referred to as "mushroom-pop". Their EP, "Snapsounds vol 1: March in the Marigny" released September 2021 preludes the release of their 2nd full length album, "Pressure Makes Diamonds" upcoming in 2022.

Talkin' Bout Life

VIVIAN

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