Over the several years, the Milwaukee DIY Alternative Scene has been growing steadily and consistently. Through the hard work of bands like Diet Lite, Social Cig, The Nile Club, and others, this scene has blossomed into something great. I would say the Milwaukee DIY Alternative scene is as exciting as any in the country right now, and it is still rapidly on the rise. Aside from the artists above, there is one Milwaukee artist who has done as much for this scene as anyone, and that is The Keystones. They have helped put so many eyes on Milwaukee’s Alternative music due to their success, and they seem like a band that is bound to break out and become a force in the national/worldwide Alt-Rock scene as well. The Keystones first started seeing a ton of success in 2019, when their singles ‘2010’ and ‘Miss Connection’ went viral. These two tracks are among their biggest to date, and they put The Keystones on the map as a band that needs to be paid attention to. After releasing several singles over the next couple of years, The Keystones dropped their self-titled debut EP in the summer of 2022. This EP was an amalgamation of some of the group’s singles from the previous few years, bringing them all together in a concise manner. After releasing a few more one-off singles to close out 2022 and to start 2023, The Keystones returned with their second EP, Rearview, last autumn. This was one of my favorite projects from any Milwaukee artist last year, and it proved that The Keystones are one of the most exciting artists on the rise in the city, competing with some of the great Hip Hop that has come out of Milwaukee recently as well. With these releases over the years, The Keystones have shown a ton of eclecticism. Their music has spanned from spritely Pop-Punk to more Grungy and harsh Alternative Rock; it is very cool how wide their range as a band is. After taking a bit of a break to begin 2024, The Keystones have returned with two new singles: ‘The Wolf of Walgreens’ and ‘Suckerpunch.’ Below, I wanted to briefly highlight these singles from The Keystones. Please let me know in the comments what you think of these tracks from The Keystones, and also comment the names of any other Indie Artists or Milwaukee artists you think I should check out!

Last year, on their EP Rearview, The Keystones took a bit of a lighter approach to their music than they had exhibited previously. They certainly returned to their brash, in-your-face ways on the track ‘The Wolf of Walgreens.’ In fact, this may be the biggest and boldest song I have heard from the group up until this point. Everything about this track is mean and huge. The melody for this track is dark and gritty; it has a tone that reminds me of the Alt-Metal that was big in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The mix on the guitar riff that drives this one varies throughout the track. In the verses, it has a bit of a cleaner and more crisp sound, and on the hook, it is extremely distorted, harsh, and huge. I love the grainy feeling of the riff on the hool for ‘The Wolf of Walgreens,’ as it makes me want to party the night away in the center of a mosh pit. The drums on this track are just as tough and hard-hitting as the melody. I especially love how the drums crash on the hook, as they add to the intensity of the track in a big way. The vocals on ‘The Wolf of Walgreens’ are pretty haunting. On the verses, they have a more stripped-back and almost whimsical tone, and on the hook, the vocals are shouted with a ferocity that is definitely on par with the instrumental during this section. Overall, ‘The Wolf of Walgreens’ is a massive return for The Keystones, as it brings them back onto the scene with an absolute bang. ‘Suckerpunch’ has a similar kind of intense Alt-Metal sound to the song that precedes it. If this is the direction that The Keystones are going for their next EP, I am more than okay with it. The tone and overall sound of ‘Suckerpunch’ is honestly pretty similar to ‘The Wolf of Walgreens.’ The transition between these two tracks when listening to them in succession is very seamless and fun because of this. ‘Suckerpunch’ is even more grating and nasty sounding than ‘The Wolf of Walgreens.’ Everything about this song feels amplified. The arrangements of these two tracks are similar. In the verses, the sound is slightly more low-key and stripped back, and in the chorus, the sound is massive and malicious. I will say that the sound of ‘Suckerpunch’ in the verses is still a lot more raucous than what we get on ‘The Wolf of Walgreens.’ The sound during the hook on this one is more audacious as well. ‘SuckerPunch’ is littered with heavy distortion and screeching sound effects, giving this track a feeling that is pretty foreboding. I really like the shouting on the hook for ‘Suckerpunch,’ as it gives this track an anthemic element that is extremely engrossing. ‘Suckerpunch’ is another powerful and vicious Alt-Metal banger that proves The Keystones are still expanding their sound in a cool manner. These two tracks show a new side to The Keystones that I would love to hear more of. I would also love to see these tracks performed live, as they are just so vigorous and fun. I am excited to see what The Keystones do next, as this is a very interesting direction for their music that I did not expect but would like to hear more of.