Music in Milwaukee suffers from an identity crisis of sorts. It isn't just that any mention of the Milwaukee music scene doesn't cause any particular genre to spring to mind. It's that there really doesn't seem to be a band that captures the soul of the Brew City, a local group whose sound is unmistakably and uncompromisingly the audio interpretation of the Miltown experience.
That seems to have been the case before The Pushers. Their straightforward approach to the Midwestern blues sound is honest, pulls no punches, and is equally appropriate as background music for a killer party on the East Side as it is pouring out the stereo on the job site. The music is pulsating with energy, but it does not blatantly unleash it - Rather, it simmers underneath the a deceptively calm and low key surface. There's something in there that a Milwaukee resident instinctively understands.
The songs' subjects tend to focus on simple topics, but in a meaningful way. The group's lead single, and go-to crowd pleaser 'Heartbreaker' combines country slide guitar and hard rock balls to relate the struggle of a notorious ladies' man whose ability to make women uncontrollably fall for him is both a blessing and a curse - the listener can't tell if the protagonist is boasting or expressing regret as he describes the constantly shifting roster of women whose temporary infatuation distracts him from the fact that despite appearances, he is painfully alone.
Providing the framework of The Pushers' sound is Rogers's guitar playing. It's both phenomenal yet unobtrusive - he slings infectious riffs and smoldering leads alike with the same deliberate subtlety, all under frontman Cooper's defiant growl. Cooper, whose presence not only is the perfect representation of the everyman hero portrayed in the lyrics, wields a blues harp. Not only does merely featuring a harmonica set The Pushers apart from fellow local rock bands, the way it furiously shreds along with the guitar shatters any resemblance to blues bands as well. The Pushers play tunes that are so unrelated to other music in Milwaukee.
Visit the Official Website for The Pushers
Visit the Official Website for The Pushers
The rhythm section, bassist Blackburn and drummer Cejka lock into seething slow mosh grooves, thunder out attention-grabbing breaks, and straight-ahead rock, all without a hitch or hesitation. They create the type of foundation that is often lacking in much of today's actual hard rock: one that inspires people to actually want to get up and MOVE. The success of most music in Milwaukee is often based on a band's ability to keep the bar and party crowds happy, and The Pushers do it without sacrificing any of their integrity. This is because their music so perfectly captures the experience here, both the good times and the bad.
If you are looking for a perfect example of music in Milwaukee, look no further than The Pushers. They're the ones to watch over the next few years.
