Steven Spoerl

Madison

Music Editor at Freelance

Music Editor at Tone Madison

music editor: @tonemsn | appearances: rolling stone, npr, consequence, etsy, mrr, etc.

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Articles

Tone Madison's 2024 Annual Report

2 days ago | tonemadison.com | Scott Gordon |Christina Lieffring |Grant Phipps |Steven Spoerl

Our annual report is a bit later than usual this year because, as you may know, we’ve been undergoing a major transition. Scott Gordon, Tone Madison co-founder and Publisher, stepped down at the end of April. While it didn’t take long for his byline to pop up again (and there will certainly be more of that in the future), the day-to-day operations of Tone Madison are now in the hands of Film Editor Grant Phipps, Music Editor Steven Spoerl, and myself.
Cribshitter celebrates a chaotic history

2 weeks ago | tonemadison.com | Steven Spoerl

Chameleonic rock act Cribshitter can be a difficult band to fully comprehend, and that’s by design. Ever since their 2004 beginnings, they’ve reveled in defying expectations. Irreverent, chaotic and frequently side-splittingly funny, their long-developing arc has been an experience to behold.
Madison Jazz Festival returns with emphasis

3 weeks ago | tonemadison.com | Steven Spoerl

Madison’s relationship to jazz is often confounding. It’s clear there is consistent support for the genre: it’s hard to go a week without having multiple extremely worthwhile jazz shows on Madison’s proverbial books. Where the frustration lies is how insular that programming can often feel to outsiders. If you’re not actively seeking out an artist, it can be hard to know where to look, where to start, or what to prioritize.
Madison house-hunting: 2025 edition

4 weeks ago | tonemadison.com | Steven Spoerl

This is our newsletter-first column, Microtones. It runs on the site on Fridays, but you can get it in your inbox on Thursdays by signing up for our email newsletter. Owning a home in Madison can seem like a pipe dream. Too many non-negotiable aspects need to be as airtight as possible before it’s a responsible consideration. Financial security, job stability, a reasonably high credit score, and a baseline knowledge of home management costs should all factor into the equation.
Matt Monsoor's "Sam's Hill" is a rich slice of warm Americana

1 month ago | tonemadison.com | Steven Spoerl

La Crosse-based singer-songwriter Matt Monsoor first released “Sam’s Hill” 25 years ago on his debut album, Comfortably Lost In Greenfield Volume 1. Over the ensuing years, “Sam’s Hill” stuck in Monsoor’s memory.
An irrepressibly energetic dose of Madison music

1 month ago | tonemadison.com | Steven Spoerl

As 2025 clicks into gear, a wellspring of momentum makes itself known. Irrepressible energy can color any genre, but it’s a trait that stands firm as a fundamental pillar of indie-punk. A lot of the submissions that hit Tone Madison‘s inbox over the course of March and April were a flavor of punk, indie-rock, or some combination thereof. ‘Tis the season. Year after year, the emergence of spring generates a sense of propulsive urgency that ultimately reflects back into Madison’s local music output.
Tone Madison is announcing some leadership changes

2 months ago | tonemadison.com | Scott Gordon |Christina Lieffring |Grant Phipps |Steven Spoerl

Tone Madison will be making some major changes this year. But we’re not going away, nor is our commitment to fiercely independent coverage of culture and politics in Madison. Co-founder Scott Gordon will step down from his role as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief on May 1. After taking some time off, Gordon will continue to contribute to the publication as a writer and reporter.
Fred Really comes out swinging

2 months ago | tonemadison.com | Steven Spoerl

Alex Driver has been around the block. As a producer and MC, he’s a vital piece of the long-running Madison hip-hop crew Supa Friends. He’s also a standalone force in his own right. It doesn’t matter if Driver’s operating under his Supa Friends moniker (Al D), Ruwa Alien School, Dro Cup, or his new alias, Fred Really, in which he’s the sole producer and rapper. Everything Driver gets his hands on is imbued with a sense of unmistakable curiosity and a level of urgency.
A new wave of Wisconsin punk commentary

Mar 21, 2025 | tonemadison.com | Steven Spoerl

This is our newsletter-first column, Microtones. It runs on the site on Fridays, but you can get it in your inbox on Thursdays by signing up for our email newsletter. Media is impermanent. Every writer or documentarian learns this over the course of their career. Often, that development is harsh, unforgiving, or unexpected. Sometimes all three.
Andrew Fitzpatrick's "Forest Calendar" emphasizes an inevitable cycle

Mar 3, 2025 | tonemadison.com | Steven Spoerl

On “Wall Koy,” the opening track from Andrew Fitzpatrick‘s new album, Forest Calendar, a remorseless cascade of dread acts as a weighted blanket. Before that blanket becomes too suffocating or too restrictive, a lush synth figure pokes through the knitting to offer proof of lightness as a reprieve. There is a pattern. A structure. Over the course of Forest Calendar, Fitzpatrick meticulously expands upon this dynamic.