Field Report | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Genres | Folk |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | Verve Forecast, Partisan Records, Dine Alone Records (Canada) |
| Members | Chris Porterfield |
| Website | www |
Field Report is an American folk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin [1] led by singer/songwriter Christopher Porterfield. The band's name is an anagram of the surname Porterfield.
Chris Porterfield, the leader of Field Report, originally played with Justin Vernon (now the creative force behind Bon Iver) in the Vernon-led band DeYarmond Edison. After the breakup of DeYarmond Edison, Porterfield worked on his own project, Conrad Plymouth, then eventually changed focus to work on the band Field Report. [2] In 2017, The band was signed to Verve Records (Universal) imprint Verve Forecast, whose catalogue includes artists Richie Havens, Laura Nyro, Captain Beefheart, and Tim Hardin. In 2018, the band released their first album in four years entitled Summertime Songs, recorded in their hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The band has received much praise. According to Billboard Magazine, "Counting Crows, Emmylou Harris, and Aimee Mann each invited Field Report to open shows for them. The band's music is playing at Starbucks and garnering media accolades." [3] The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "The buzz leading up to Field Report's self-titled debut album, out on Partisan Records Sept. 11 [2012], has been louder than the music of this six-piece Milwaukee folk band, with Rolling Stone, NPR, Pitchfork and Time already writing raves." [1] Prior to the release of the band's second album, following a Daytrotter solo session with Porterfield, Sean Moeller wrote, "Marigolden is a triumph of a record, a true beauty that makes you believe in the regenerative spirit of all human beings." [4]
On October 22, 2014, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett declared the day Field Report Day in Milwaukee, prior to a performance by the band that evening at the Pabst Theater. [5]
Following a show in Denver, Annie Zdrojewski wrote "Porterfield’s lyrics turn what may initially sound like singer-songwriter-y indie folk of the replicable variety into something more: a confession of sorts, with visible cracks in the armor that you can feel because Porterfield writes them so achingly well." [6]
Paste Magazine's Eric Swedlund described the lyrics from Field Reports self-titled album as "imaginative, detailed and highly literate, creating character-driven songs, sketches that reinforce their narratives with imagery that coalesces into a remarkable sense of place." [7]
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel put the song "Home (Leave the Lights On)" as the top song from Milwaukee in 2014. [8]
Porterfield has said, “For me, songwriting all starts with the words. I’m very lyrically driven.” He often uses metaphors and historical references to paint a picture or inspire a certain feeling with his lyrics. He has said he was influenced by other artists known primarily for their descriptive and poetic lyrics, including Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell. For Field Report's second album, he created the word "Marigolden" to serve as the name of the seventh track and album. The word is a combination of marigold, indicating the effort needed to maintain the status quo, and golden, suggesting a desired status. [9]
Field Report's sound centers around the narrative songs that bring to mind the writing on albums like Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks and Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska.
Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie, joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza, and drummer John Sparrow. Former members of the band include drummers Victor DeLorenzo, Guy Hoffman (1993–2002), and Brian Viglione (2013–2016). Violent Femmes are considered to be an integral part of the then-underground folk punk and alternative rock scenes of the 1980s, and remain influential or inspirational to the subsequent movements, particularly on folk rock, indie rock, grunge, pop punk, emo, and the late 1980s and 1990s alternative rock scene.
BoDeans is an American rock band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin. BoDeans came to prominence in the 1980s. The band's sound encompasses multiple rock genres, including roots rock, heartland rock, and alternative rock. The band's biggest hit to date is "Closer to Free", which was used as the theme song to the hit TV series Party of Five. The band has been described as "one of the most successful, and best known, bands to come out of the Milwaukee area". BoDeans is included in a permanent installation at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
Willy Porter is a contemporary American rock musician and singer-songwriter from Mequon, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. In April 2023 The Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) announced that Porter would be inducted into the WAMI Hall of Fame.
"The Heretic Anthem" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The song was released as a promotional single from their second album Iowa. Revolver magazine praised the track and described that it "flirt[s] with full-on death metal in their extremity, both sonic and thematic."
Samuel J. Llanas is an American singer, acoustic guitarist, and songwriter in several rock and roots rock bands active from the 1980s to the 2000s, including BoDeans and Absinthe.
Angels Running is an album by the American singer-songwriter Patty Larkin, released in 1993. Larkin supported the album with a North American tour.
DeYarmond Edison is the former band of the members of Bon Iver, Megafaun, and Field Report. Guitarist and vocalist Justin Vernon went on to create Bon Iver; three members formed the freak folk group Megafaun, and Christopher Porterfield began composing, eventually establishing Field Report.
"Got the Time" is a song written and performed by the British new wave musician Joe Jackson, appearing as the closing track on his 1979 debut album, Look Sharp!. The song has since been performed frequently in live concerts by Jackson.
PHOX was an American six-piece alternative folk / indie pop band from Baraboo, Wisconsin. Active from 2011 until 2017, they released their self-titled debut LP on June 24, 2014.
Christopher Porterfield is an American songwriter, guitarist and singer. He currently leads the folk band Field Report. Porterfield started his music career in High School, co-founding the band, Dinner With Greg. He also previously played with DeYarmond Edison, a band led by Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon. He graduated from Mayo High School in Rochester, MN, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a degree in journalism. He has a younger brother named Tim, who graduated and played college basketball for Viterbo University in Wisconsin.
Lion is the fifth album by American musician, comedian, and actor Stephen Lynch, released in 2012. The first half of the album was recorded at Studio G! and the second half of the album was recorded live from Symphony Space.
The Wigs are an American power pop band.
Hayward Williams is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally from Waukesha, Wisconsin, he now lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is an active recording artist and producer.
VII is the seventh studio album by American alternative country band Blitzen Trapper. Described on the band's official site as "somewhat experimental ... a futuristic hip-hop/country-rock hybrid", and by lead singer and songwriter Eric Earley as "hillbilly gangster", VII was the first record Blitzen Trapper released with their new labels, Vagrant (US) and Lojinx (UK). The song "Thirsty Man" was released as the album's only single, hitting #29 on the Adult Alternative Songs Billboard chart.
Rivers in the Wasteland is the fifth studio album by American Christian rock band Needtobreathe, released on April 15, 2014, through Atlantic Records, Curb Records and Word Records. The album was produced by the band along with Kevin Augunas, Ed Cash, Joe Chiccarelli and Jerrod Bettis at various studios.
Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes is an album produced by T Bone Burnett featuring a collective of musicians recording under the moniker The New Basement Tapes—Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James and Marcus Mumford.
Direct Hit! is a Milwaukee-based punk rock band formed in 2007 by singer/guitarist Nick Woods. Its current lineup consists of Nick Woods, Devon Kay, Maura Weaver, Joram Zbichorski, and Logan Stang.
Natty Nation is an American rock and reggae band from Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 1995, as of April 20, 2017, the lineup included Demetrius "Jah Boogie" Wainwright, Aaron Konkol AKA Eyes of Moses, Anthony Paul Willis (drums), & Nick Czarnecki (guitar). The group has released several studio albums since their 1996 debut The Journey Has Just Begun..., in 2010 Isthmus (newspaper) named their 1998 release Earth Citizen one of the "top 25 Madison pop albums of all time," writing that "Natty Nation's mix of roots reggae and hard rock proved unique and gained a following that remains today," and their 2016 release, Divine Spark debuted at #3 on the Billboard (magazine) Reggae Chart.
Silver Ladder is an album by American singer/songwriter Peter Mulvey, released in 2014.
John Calarco is an American musician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Calarco was drummer for many Milwaukee area bands. He also co-wrote and performed in several songs on the very successful Willy Porter album Dog Eared Dream and toured with Porter as his drummer. He has made an impact as a touring performer, band member, recording artist, session musician and song writer/producer.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
