What Made Milwaukee Famous

Originating in Austin, Texas, the indie rock quartet What Made Milwaukee Famous consists of Jeremy Bruch on drums, John Farmer handling bass, Michael Kingcaid delivering vocals and guitar, and Drew Patrizi on keyboards. The group formed in 2003 and cultivated a playful indie rock style that appeals to admirers of Brendan Benson, Spoon, and the Wrens. During 2005 the band shared a stage with Franz Ferdinand for an Austin City Limits appearance, marking it as one of the rare unsigned acts featured on the long-running PBS program. Further exposure came through multiple South by Southwest performances and an appearance on DJ Steve Lamacq’s BBC digital outlet 6 Music, which helped secure a June 2006 signing with Barsuk. That August the label issued a remastered and lightly edited edition of the band’s 2004 debut Trying to Never Catch Up, expanded by four additional tracks. For the follow-up, guitarist Jason Davis joined the lineup—having previously played with Kincaid in a high-school group—and Chris Michaels, a former Sparklehorse touring musician, contributed production. The resulting album What Doesn't Kill Us reached listeners in early 2008.