Litmus Vinyl
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Litmus Vinyl

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | SELF

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | SELF
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"Superstar"

By James Livesey


With a dearth of songwriters and 25 originals in
their repertoire, Litmus
Vinyl routinely plays three-hour sets, allowing them to show off the
creative edge they hold over many of their peers.
"We have four songwriters in
the band," said guitarist Chad Sikkink. "We can
all write fast, slow, happy or sad." Sikkink and Seamus Holloway are the two
main songwriters for Litmus Vinyl.
Holloway also plays guitar and harmonica and is the band's lead singer. Jess
Hrobar provides keyboards and vocals, Reed Fox plays bass and Bill Pogue is
the drummer.
Sikkink, Holloway and Fox all met when they were freshmen at the
University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"Seamus and I first played together at the end of
freshman year, doing coffee
shops," Sikkink said. "Reed auditioned for that band, but he was too good."
Sikkink said Hrobar has been contributing more in terms of writing and
singing as of late, too. Pogue is the only member who doesn't write songs.
"Bill
doesn't write, but he can," Sikkink said. "He's probably the only one
in the band who can play everyone else's instrument." And the cross over
doesn't end there. Litmus Vinyl's approach to song-writing
is very democratic.
"I wouldn't consider a song finished until the whole band
gets a look at it,"
Sikkink said.
It's all about the crowd
And even more people get involved when it
comes to Litmus Vinyl's live shows.
Sikkink said live shows are all about "crowd
reaction - complete and total.
If the crowd is up, it makes it a lot of fun."
He said the band's sound changes
with the crowd.
"It all depends on the mood," he said. "Some shows we sound like
a jam band,
and sometimes we sound like a country band. We do about 90 percent
originals." But the band isn't afraid to dust off a cover, especially a
classic.
"Our favorite cover is 'A Day in the Life,'" Sikkink said. "We're all
Beatles
fans." With a nod to "the whole life of classic rock," Sikkink explained his
own
musical evolution.
"When I was young, the easiest way to play guitar was to play
the blues," he
said. "That progressed into more jam-based music, and that morphed into
alternative-country." Chi-Town next on wish list
Litmus Vinyl has a self-titled
CD, released in October 2004, that's available
on their Web site. Their EP, also self-titled, is out of print, but songs
from it are available to download. Sikkink said the band already has enough
new material for another EP. He said the songs would either be demos for a
new recording project, or be released as is.
Although the hope is to eventually
land gigs in Chicago and Madison, for now,
Litmus Vinyl only plays in the Milwaukee area.
"We've never toured outside of
Milwaukee," Sikkink said. "I honestly don't
know why."
He did mention, however, why Litmus Vinyl doesn't normally share
the bill
with other bands.
"In our career, we haven't played with a whole lot of other
acts," he said.
"We got sick of other bands promising a whole lot of people (would come to
the show), and then having everyone show up just to see us." And filling the
house is precisely what Litmus Vinyl hopes to do this
Saturday when they play at The Highbury Pub.
"(To) anyone that hasn't gone
there, I would suggest it," Sikkink said of The
Highbury Pub. "Having no cover at the door is huge. It's really nice to play
to a full house. They definitely bring in a diverse blend of music." On Stage
Who: Litmus Vinyl
When: 10 p.m. Saturday, April 23
Where: The Highbury Pub, 2322
S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Contact: (414) 294-4400, www.thehighbury.com or
www.litmusvinyl.com - The Bayviewer,


Discography

Originals-
1- Belmont Ave. (On EP, Downloadable from our website) 2002
2- Meteor Child (On EP, Downloadable from our website) 2002, also On 2004 LP,aired on WMSE 91.7,Rock 102.1
3- Driving Lights (On EP, Downloadable from our website) 2002, also On 2004 LP
4- All For Me (On EP, Downloadable from our website) 2002
5- Now That Your Gone (On EP, Downloadable from our website) 2002
6- She Said (On EP, Downloadable from our website) 2002
7- Big Girl (LP 2004) (Downloadable from our website) aired on WMSE 91.7
8- Rosemary (LP 2004) (Downloadable from our website)
9- Could Have Been (LP 2004) (Downloadable @ myspace.com/litmusvinyl)
10- When Night Comes (LP 2004)
11- In The Sun (LP 2004) (Downloadable @ myspace.com/litmusvinyl)
12- Space (LP 2004)
13- I Want To (LP 2004)
14- Further From Free (LP 2004)
15- My Blue Eyes (The Social Club 2007) (Downloadable @ myspace.com/litmusvinyl)
16- Take Away (The Social Club 2007)
17- I'm Gone (The Social Club 2007)
18- Tomorrow (The Social Club 2007)
19- Big Town (The Social Club 2007)
20- I Don't Mind (The Social Club 2007)
21- Indiana Skies (The Social Club 2007)
22- Belmont Blues (The Social Club 2007)
23- Sweetly (The Social Club 2007) (Downloadable @ myspace.com/litmusvinyl) aired on Rock 102.1
24- See You Tonight (The Social Club 2007)
25- Can’t Hide It (The Social Club 2007)
26- Hesitation (Last Dance Saloon 2012)
27- It Don't Matter (Last Dance Saloon 2012)
28- Horseshoes and Hand Grenades ( Last Dance Saloon 2012)
29- Fire ( Last Dance Saloon 2012)
30- Oh No Goodbye ( Last Dance Saloon 2012)
31- Lifeline ( Last Dance Saloon 2012)
32- Hit The Ground Running ( Last Dance Saloon 2012)
33- Caught (Last Dance Saloon 2012)
34- Country Music (Last Dance Saloon 2012)
35- Watch Them Go (Last Dance Saloon 2012)
36- Last Dance Saloon ( Last Dance Saloon 2012)

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Bio

The Litmus Vinyl
2491 South Delaware Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 517-5154
www.facebook.com/litmusvinyl
www.myspace.com/litmusvinyl
Contact: chad, csikkink@gmail.com

The Litmus Vinyl

In the simplest of terms, the Litmus Vinyl is a rock and roll band. Formed in 2003 by longtime songwriting collaborators Chad Sikkink (guitar) and Seamus Holloway (vocals, guitar), the Litmus Vinyl was put together to bring their songs to the people. The "Vinyl" has had ample opportunity to forge their distinctive sound and spread it around the Midwest. The Litmus Vinyl has filled many of the area's best-known music venues such as: Summerfest and Shank Hall.

All of the members of the Litmus Vinyl are trained musicians who have spent years studying music and performing live. Chad Sikkink (guitars) attended Music Tech in Minneapolis, MN while Jess Hrobar (piano/vocals) is a jazz- and classical-trained pianist. Bill Pogue (drums) and Sean Lau (sax/percussion) have both been studying their craft since grade school, while Seamus Holloway (vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar) has been a musician for most of his life, attending highschool on a music scholarship.

The Litmus Vinyl is currently in the process of recording a third full-length album. With new sounds, the Vinyl intends to conquer new ground and bring their live shows to esteemed venues around the country.

The Litmus Vinyl is a Milwaukee rock'n'roll band that proudly shows its influences, but throws them all into a pot to create a synthesis of neo-quasi-rock'n'roll. They are energetic and exciting, intelligent and indignant, sincere but never slight. They're here to keep Milwaukee on the musical map.