Tone Madison

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 on Tone Madison: Video: Sizing up local screening events and prominent performances of 2025. By Grant Phipps. Madison needs a wake-up call. The longer we pretend this City is a progressive haven, the more people will be harmed. By Christina Lieffring. Three video artists tap into personal histories in the 150 Artists x 150 Years exhibition. By Grant Phipps. Read on ToneMadison.com // February 11-17, 2026.

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)

This week on Tone Madison: RESURRECTION explores human perceptions through the historical labyrinth of cinema. By David Boffa. Stop spotlighting new films by known abusers. By Grant Phipps. Wisconsin energy utilities sacrifice affordability and sustainability to fuel the AI gold rush. By Kristen Billings. Read on ToneMadison.com // Feb. 2-10, 2026.

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: What do we owe each other? Reggie and Anne navigate life without housing after the closure of Dairy Drive. By George Clyde. 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. By Cam T.B. Achieving a broader focus through music journalism in 2025. The fourth installment of our live music photo essay series centers a more personal vantage point. By Steven Spoerl. Read on ToneMadison.com // Jan. 26 - Feb. 1, 2026.

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: Tone Madison's favorite records of 2025. A celebration of 20 local releases that defined the year. By Steven Spoerl. One movie meditation after another: toiling through 2025. Nine writers processed these trying times through cinema, at the theaters and at home. By Grant Phipps, Lewis Peterson, Edwanike Harbour, Sara Batkie, Jesse Raub, Lance Li, David Boffa, Jason Fuhrman & Hanna Kohn.

This week on Tone Madison. 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. By Scott Gordon. Small Bites: The moral cost of meat. How a bad dream prompted more intentional eating in the new year. By Jesse Raub.

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.

A graphic that shows Grant Phipps as the author of: "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.

A graphic that excerpts a quote from an article: "Liking This Angle is [Wootton's] best and most subtextually rich work to date, effectively capturing the mindset of a video editor who's been laboring and poring over a particular section of footage so meticulously that it's taken on a life of its own and transformed from the subconscious eye."

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.

What's ahead in Wisconsin politics in 2026? Madison politics reporters discuss their perspectives on WORT-FM's "A Public Affair."

We looked ahead to 2026 Wisconsin politics. Managing Editor @stinadale.bsky.social transcribed excerpts of her "A Public Affair" convo on WORT-FM with @danapellebon.bsky.social and @fayeparks.bsky.social as well as Cap Times local government reporter @enjoyiana.bsky.social.

This week on Tone Madison: What's ahead in Wisconsin politics in 2026? By Christina Lieffring. Tone Madison's favorite songs of 2025. By Steven Spoerl, Grant Phipps, and Dan Fitch. Madison's musical odds and ends of 2025. By Steven Spoerl.

This week on Tone Madison: January 12 through 18!

The surreal, trance-inducing dread of "Sátántangó" – Tone Madison Saturday, February 1, 4070 Vilas Hall, 1 p.m., free.

RIP Hungarian slow-cinema master Béla Tarr.

In 2020 and 2023, we published writing by @nothingunfinished.bsky.social and Lewis Peterson on Tarr's enduring works SÁTÁNTANGÓ (1994) and WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES (2000).

This year I took a big step back from the day-to-day at @tonemadison.bsky.social, but my colleagues there have kept up the fight. They’re still publishing adventurous and adversarial journalism. And still, no one else in Madison media is doing anything like it. Please help them meet today’s goal!