What Made Milwaukee Famous

Taking their name from a Jerry Lee Lewis song, What Made Milwaukee Famous have had their fair share of breaks during their short career. After being one of the few unsigned bands to play on PBS music show Austin City Limits, they joined Barsuk and saw their debut album reissued to plenty of praise. But their second album is going to be the real test because now that the hubbub has died down, they have to stand on their own merits. And they don’t quite make it. In its defence, What Doesn’t Kill Us is an enjoyable listen but upon reflection its shortfalls become apparent, like the way that all of its best songs somehow morph into songs by other artists when any attempt is made to sing them, such as "The Sultan” changing into Spoon’s "The Underdog.” There’s also a lack of focus that makes the band hop around trying to find something that works for them when they excel at guitar pop and should stick with it. The biggest issue with What Made Milwaukee Famous is that their derivative music lacks the personality to see them labelled as anything but a competent, yet unoriginal, band.