Over the last couple of years, Johnny Franchino has become one of the most interesting and exciting artists coming out of the Milwaukee area. He has set himself apart not only through his extremely unique and exciting form of music, garnering attention across various online music communities. He has put himself on the map by being covered by various music blogs and publications around the country and world, and he has won a bunch of local Wisconsin musician awards to further validate his efforts. It is easy to see why so many people are attracted to Johnny Franchino’s music; he blends Dance music with Hip Hop and R&B in a way that is so individual. Johnny Franchino’s current run of awesome music started at the beginning of 2023 when he first started dropping his AESTHETIX music series. Over the course of the year, Johnny put out 12 AESTHETIX singles (many of which were written about on Eastside Vibes), as well as an EP of the same name. His efforts led to him being considered one of the top artists in Milwaukee last year, not only as recognized on Eastside Vibes but also in many other places that recognize local music. He continued his AESTHETIX efforts into 2024, having already put out 12 songs this year as a part of the series(once again, many of which have been covered on ESV). Johnny recently started a new music series called Intermission, of which there are already three singles. Below, I wanted to cover the new Intermission tracks from Johnny Franchino. Let me know in the comments below what you think of Johnny Franchino’s Intermission songs, and also comment the names of any other Milwaukee-based or independent artists you think I should check out!

Johnny Franchino’s first Intermission track, ‘Airforce Chino,’ came out back on September 17. This track is somewhat adjacent to the feeling we get from the AESTHETIX series, but this song definitely stands out from the general sound that most of those songs have. The 1990s Dance music element of the AESTHETIX series is certainly here. This mainly lies in the whimsical feeling of the synths that drive this melody. ‘Airforce Chino’ feels decidedly tougher than most of the AESTHETIX music, though. The beat, which feels like a fusion of Garage music and Boom-Bap, hits super harder, driven by its bass drums. Johnny Franchino raps in a way on this track that certainly matches the intensity of the instrumental. His flow is so in your face and his tone is bold, making the song feel pretty mean. I have heard Johnny rap on plenty of tracks, but never in this way, and I love hearing this kind of flow and tone from him. ‘Airforce Chino’ is an upbeat Hip Hop banger that sets itself apart from any of Johnny’s music from the last couple of years, and it is exciting to hear him go in this direction. Homecoming,’ which was released about a week after the last track on September 23, has a sound that I have not heard from Johnny Franchino to this point at all. Unlike ‘ Airforce Chino,’ there is nothing about this one that feels anything like the AESTHETIX series. ‘Homecoming’ has an old-school underground Hip Hop sound that is very interesting. This track makes me think of artists like Atmosphere, Mos Def, or El-P, and I dig it a lot. The instrumental for this one is simple but impactful. The melody has a melancholy but soothing tone, mainly driven by a slightly distorted keyboard riff. The beat for this track is pretty sparse but has just enough emphasis to drive the somber feeling of the melody home. The thing that stands out the most by far about this one, though, is the rap performance from Johnny. Everything about his rapping on this track is great. He raps with a variety of flows that showcase his skills as a spitter. His alliteration is phenomenal on this track, really drawing me in as a listener. Frankly, Johnny Franchino just kills it on this track. If you are into laid-back Hip Hop where the focus is on the rhymes, ‘Homecoming’ is a song for you. ‘Dedication’ is Johnny Franchino’s newest release, having come out on Halloween. This is another one with a sound that is unlike anything I have heard from Johnny to this point. ‘Dedication’ is a more modern feeling of a Hip Hop song than the last track. This track has a pretty cool Melodic Trap instrumental. The reverb that is put on the melody of this track is very interesting. ‘Dedication’ has a melody that feels so hypnotic and atmospheric; it makes me feel like I am floating through space. The punchiness and audacity in Johnny Franchino’s rapping on this track contrast the more laid-back feel of the instrumental. His vocal performance creates a hell of a juxtaposition with the instrumental, and it really pops off. Once again, Johnny demonstrates his abilities as a spitter on ‘Dedication,’ hitting us with witty wordplay that makes the track sound out. On these three new Intermission tracks from Johnny Franchino, we see a grittier and more brazen approach to music than what we have seen from him before. As much as I love the AESTHETIX series, Johnny brought something new with these tracks which is just awesome. He proved he could lean into the sounds that some of his peers are making just as enthralling music as they could. These new songs from Johnny Franchino bring something new and special to the table from him. I am not only excited to hear some more AESTHETIX music in the future, but I am also excited to see where Johnny goes with this new Intermission series.