Eau Claire native and lo-fi experimental pop artist Pat Keen has been getting some pretty heavy hitting press as we await the release of his debut LP Albatross on June 2 via Ramp Local. Impose Magazine premiered “Indigo” and said “It’s simultaneously catchy, alluring, and out there, Keen’s composition jumping from steady danceables to pensive decelerations, and his seemingly multi-bodied voice weightlessly carrying you with it.” Then a couple days later, another song called “Chappy Coat” premiered via Stereogum, who said “… the extent of his musical range and virtuosity is all clearly exemplified alone by ‘Chappy Coat,’ which constantly twists into new shapes while seamlessly maintaining its cohesion.” Things are looking up for Keen who will release these new songs in Eau Claire at 10pm on June 15 at The Mousetrap along with Idle Empress and sloslylove.

A new locally-based podcast is celebrating the best of the best in rock ’n’ roll music. From the minds and voices of Dan Michaels and Jim Finn, two lifelong rock’n’ roll fans, Barstool Rockers has released several episodes where the two dig in deep in rock history, the big stories of the week, the music they love, and of course, they welcome a friend or two along for the ride from time to time. Michaels and Finn have been in the radio business for years, they were raised on rock radio through the heydays of the ’70s and ’80s, they crossed paths somewhere in the late aughts, and they haven’t stopped talking about the topic since. Most recently on the podcast, Finn had an interview with Tom Petersson, the bassist of Cheap Trick. Rock fans will surely get a kick out of the show. To check out the episodes, subscribe, and learn more, head over to www.barstoolrockers.com.