It's performed with the likes of Franz Ferdinand and The Smashing Pumpkins, but the pop-rock band What Made Milwaukee Famous has remained surprisingly and unfairly under the radar. Still, the Austin, Tex., band is finally starting to experience widespread recognition for its sophomore album, What Doesn't Kill Us.
"Sultan," an unashamedly catchy rock anthem that begs to be compared to the best of Spoon, gets What Made Milwaukee Famous' formula exactly right: It dispenses just enough horn power behind its jaunty piano lines, with pithily concise lyrics to boot. From "Make up your mind / Are you in are you out?" to "Your only guarantee is the fear of the unknown," the song is as much a nod to the under-appreciated band as it is to the down-and-out drifter who seeks a second chance.
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