Tone Madison

Continuity and expressive experimentation in the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival Eight writers share their initial insights on the eight-day extravaganza, April 9 through 16, across UW campus and Madison.

Arts Editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social introduces our extended preview of the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival (April 9 through 16):

"...May your experience offer a hopeful pleasure that reminds you of the potential for better days, and the collaborative power of art through community." 🎞️

"Boy Apparition" finds queer liberation by challenging normative constructions of masculinity mk zariel's chapbook coaxes us to the edges of our imaginations, and is infused with the undercurrent of love that is necessary to keep going.

"[mk zariel's] BOY APPARITION is a collection that breaks wide open everything we think to be true and provides us with curious and daring alternatives," writes @rmbanting.bsky.social.

Don't shrink the Common Council and County Board Madison needs more representation, not less.

"Running for local office should be an accessible entry point into politics, one where forging relationships with your neighbors and understanding your community matter more than working more formalized political connections," writes @scottgordonwi.bsky.social in today's Microtones.

Madison acts rivetingly ring in 2026 Five local bands offer new songs and projects, and capture a hopeful feeling in the new year.

New contributor and Madison Music Radar founder Aaron Grych rounds up five of his favorite local music releases (songs and projects) from January and February 2026.

Grych's picks include @alewives.bsky.social, Cause and Control, Worms for Sale, Sandhill Strangers, and Hush Now, Sweet Halo. 🎶

The Cardinal Bar's Cuban film series invites local support for Madison sister city Cine Cubano bridges interest in Cuban cinema with the cultural exchange and aid mission of the Madison-Camagüey Sister City Association.

"Film has been a pivotal way for me to learn about Cuba," says programmer Victoria Gutierrez.

Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez details the new Cine Cubano series at The Cardinal Bar as well as the venue's sustaining connections to the island nation.

The next screenings are on Sunday, March 8. 🎞️

Starter homes? No, we need starter apartments As homeownership continues to be out of reach for too many Madisonians, we should build more owner-occupied, multi-family housing.

"...The dream of the inexpensive starter home is not compatible with our economic reality, but a starter apartment under $200,000? That's more realistic," writes Managing Editor @stinadale.bsky.social in our latest Microtones.

The federal war on trans healthcare mirrors that of abortion Hospitals are folding to anti-trans hate, but the community continues to advocate for trans youth.

"...All people, children and adults, are the arbiters of their own bodies and should not be forced into a box to fit someone else's design," writes @anodynerhyme.bsky.social.

Small Bites: How I make bread Meditating on the process, flour, flavor, time, and place.

In this month's "Small Bites," @jesseraub.online meticulously meditates on making bread: the process, flour, flavor, time, and place. 🍞

Three video artists tap into personal histories in the 150 Artists x 150 Years exhibition Chele Isaac, Toby Kaufmann-Buhler, and Aaron Granat reveal the creative depths of their works, which are on display through February 28 at Central Library.

Phipps also explored new experimental video art by Chele Isaac, @sawingsound.bsky.social, and Aaron Granat as part of The Bubbler's 150 Artists x 150 Years exhibition at Madison Public Library - Central. He revealed the creative depths of their works: PHOTO><SYNTHESIS, EYE SEES TIME, and APHANTASIA.

Madison needs a wake-up call The longer we pretend this City is a progressive haven, the more people will be harmed.

Managing Editor @stinadale.bsky.social insisted that Madison needs a wake-up call after she unpacked a few recent news stories. The longer we pretend this City is a progressive haven, the more people will be harmed.

Video: Sizing up local screening events and prominent performances of 2025 A chat with Josiah Wampfler at OCA Media about our favorite movie-going experiences and acting roles of last year.

Arts Editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social chatted with Josiah Wampfler at OCA Media and hand-picked some inspiring screening events in Madison throughout 2025. Additionally, they each shared several standout movie performances of the year.

This week - February 12 thru 17 - on Tone Madison! ✨

What Wisconsin's stagnant minimum wage means for workers and the economy With its minimum wage frozen at $7.25 since 2009, Wisconsin lags most states, and shrinks the buying power of many workers while fueling debate over economic trade-offs.

We also republished this @wisconsinwatch.org piece by Hongyu Liu on our state's stagnant minimum wage—what it means for workers and our economy

Wisconsin energy utilities sacrifice affordability and sustainability to fuel the AI gold rush Gas plants used to power data centers increase costs for consumers, risk of exposure to pollutants, and accelerate the harms of climate change.

Reporter Kristen Billings detailed how Wisconsin energy utilities are sacrificing affordability and sustainability to fuel the AI gold rush. Gas plants used to power data centers are increasing costs for consumers, the risk of exposure to pollutants, and accelerating the harms of climate change.

Stop spotlighting new films by known abusers Madison boasts a dynamic movie culture, yet still needs programmers and community voices to facilitate change.

For Microtones, arts editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social talked to a handful of community voices involved with local film programming about the recent spotlighting of new films by known abusers (Roman Polanski, Brett Ratner, Luc Besson) in campus spaces and at commercial cinemas.

"Resurrection" explores human perceptions through the historical labyrinth of cinema Bi Gan's latest art-house epic premieres locally at UW Cinematheque on February 5.

@drboffa.bsky.social assessed Bi Gan's latest art-house epic, RESURRECTION, which explores human perceptions through the historical labyrinth of cinema. It premiered locally last Thurs, Feb 5, at UW Cinematheque (and will likely be added to Criterion Channel within the next month)

The past week-plus on Tone Madison: February 2 through 10! ✨

Achieving a broader focus through music photojournalism in 2025 The fourth installment of our live music photo essay series centers a more personal vantage point.

In his final Microtones as Music Editor, @stevenmps.bsky.social centered a more personal vantage point in sharing how he achieved a broader focus through music photojournalism in 2025 with the fourth installment of our live music photo essay series.

USRowing's trans-exclusionary policies only divide us all Amid institutional erasure of their autonomy, trans athletes deserve to be openly embraced by their teammates and representatives.

@anodynerhyme.bsky.social argued that @usrowingorg.bsky.social's recent trans-exclusionary policies only divide us all. Amid institutional erasure of their autonomy, trans athletes deserve to be openly embraced by their teammates and representatives.

What do we owe each other? Reggie and Anne navigate life without housing after the closure of Dairy Drive.

Student journalist George Clyde got to know Reggie and Anne, who were navigating life without housing after the early-autumn closure of Dairy Drive. Clyde asks our community what we owe each other, and what do we value?

This week on Tone Madison: January 26 through February 1!

We featured two stories by new contributors. ✨

Small Bites: The moral cost of meat How a bad dream prompted more intentional eating in the new year.

In the monthly "Small Bites" column, @jesseraub.bsky.social pondered the moral cost of meat and how a bad dream prompted more intentional eating in the new year.

The Madison "uniparty" is not oppressing you, because it's not real Local debates aren't what they should be, but they're not being crushed by the far left.

@scottgordonwi.bsky.social wrote that the Madison "uniparty" is not oppressing you because it's not real, in response to three recent Cap Times columns. Local debates aren't what they should be, but they're not being crushed by the far left.

One movie meditation after another: toiling through 2025 Nine writers processed these trying times through cinema, at the theaters and at home.

Nine of our writers—@nothingunfinished.bsky.social, Lewis Peterson, Edwanike Harbour, Sara Batkie, @jesseraub.bsky.social, Lance Li, @drboffa.bsky.social, Jason Fuhrman, and Hanna Kohn—offered "one movie meditation after another" for the year 2025, processing these trying times through cinema.

Tone Madison's favorite records of 2025 A celebration of 20 local releases that defined the year.

Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social solely penned our list of 20 favorite local records of 2025, from Baby Tyler to Johannes Wallmann.

This week on Tone Madison: January 19 through 25!

"Liking This Angle" finds artistic inspiration in degrees of the edit Nicholas R. Wootton's experimental short, featuring sculptor Christina A. West, premieres at Art Lit Lab as part of Project Projection on January 21.

The six-and-a-half-minute film, featuring sculptor and UW associate professor Christina A. West, has its world premiere at @artlitlab.bsky.social as part of Project Projection on Wed, Jan 21.

Nicholas R. Wootton's latest experimental short, LIKING THIS ANGLE, finds artistic inspiration in degrees of the edit, writes film section editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social.

Madison's musical odds and ends of 2025 A meditation on the past year's musical margins.

Spoerl also meditated on 2025's musical margins (the odds and ends) in this week's Microtones. Sign up for our newsletter to see stories like these in your inbox every Thursday morning (one day early).

Tone Madison's favorite songs of 2025 A sampling of the local music that helped us get through the year.

Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social, Film (and Arts) Editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social, and contributor Dan Fitch rounded up 20 of their favorite Madison songs of last year. From Avoidancepolicy to Dan Walkner, local music helped us make it through.