Boogie. I like to boogie...
Maximum Ink Magazine
Author: Lane Klozier
Date: 09/01/06

Boogie. I like to boogie... As well as the occasional woogie. A good band to do this to is Milwaukee's Fire on Your Sleeve. These guys jump with a sound that is hard to put your finger on... Especially when you're jerking about to their infectious beat. Country meets punk and swing with a very original twist, showing top notch musicianship. On record these guys are great. Live, these guys kick total ass! Want your ass kicked? Then check 'em out at the Center St. Festival on Sept. 23rd!

Radio Interview
The Kramp & Adler Morning Show on FM102.1

Revved-up alt-country and rock!
The Onion
Date: 9/13/2006

Fire On Your Sleeve play a particularly catchy blend of revved-up alt-country and rock, with rough-edged vocals lending a slightly Tom Waits-ian feel
to their new self-titled EP.


Injecting the blues of the deep South with a modern sheen, Milwaukee's Fire On Your Sleeve could be in for some national attention.
On Milwaukee Magazine
Author: Mike Sandler
Date: July 4, 2006

Injecting the blues of the deep South with a modern sheen, Milwaukee's Fire On Your Sleeve could be in for some national attention.

"We were offered an A&R deal about a year ago," says vocalist Ryan Matzen. "But that's when we lost our guitar player. We could have signed that deal, but we didn't know what the hell was going on. We tried some guitarists out, but everything was in limbo."

Fear not. The band has recently enlisted the services of six-stringer Misha Siegfried, and plans to continue the journey.

The band has already accepted an invitation to the MidPoint Music Festival in Cincinnati, and will inundate the Queen City with its gritty stylings on Sept. 21.

"I've been a hired gun for the last couple of years," says Siegfried. "And it's weird to be in a band where I actually hang out with the guys."

A veteran of blues bands in Milwaukee and St. Paul, Siegfried seems content as a contributing member of Fire On Your Sleeve. "Most blues guys are in their 40s and 50s. I think Bill (Kern, drums) and I are definitely going to have to glue some hotel furniture on ceilings when we go on the road."

Before terrorizing Holiday Inns, the band is focusing on a plethora of shows in Milwaukee. "We've got about nine shows in the next month," says Kern. "So we'll know more about where we're headed soon. But right now, it looks like it's on the up and up."

A listen to the band's newly recorded EP provides clear documentation of what Fire On Your Sleeve is capable of. On "Chemicals," Matzen is at the forefront, grabbing the listener's attention with his nicotine-scarred vocals. Matzen's gruff voice fits perfectly with the guitar work of Siegfried, who provides excellent color to the track. Siegfried's understated guitar lines are not a display of pyrotechnics, because they do not have to be. Siegfried is a "lunch pail" player: nothing too fancy, but plays all the right notes.

"I'm all about the nuance," Siegfried says.

Matzen lets it fly on "Coast to Coast." As the song builds, so do Matzen's vocals. Towards the end, Matzen's wail splinters the song in two, allowing Siegfried to freelance a bit with an impressive, yet straightforward, solo. The band's rhythm section is also worthy of praise. Bassist Sam Silver paces the low end and provides back up vocals, and Kern (ex-Across the Rubicon) lays the foundation for all of the antics.

Fire On Your Sleeve plays "Anti-Fest" July 5 at Point's East Pub, with Low Lustre, Ryan Blue, and Flame Shark. Show time is 10 p.m.


Ryan Matzen literally suffers for his art.
MKE Magazine
Author:Tim Cigelske
Date: Aug. 24, 2006

Ryan Matzen literally suffers for his art.

The vocalist for the rootsy rock band Fire on Your Sleeve is afflicted with tonsillitis that causes pain and swelling in the back of his throat.

"It will swell really bad so I won't be able to breathe," he says. "I'll have to go get shots and painkillers."

But the illness is also integral to his band's sound.

Matzen's constricted airways cause him to intone in a deep, gravelly voice. The distinctive singing style is a dead ringer for early Tom Waits.

"Yeah, I get that sometimes," Matzen understates, while he contributes to his sound with pulls of cigarettes and Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Matzen better hope his painkillers hold up, because the band might be in for a lot more work in the near future.

Fire on Your Sleeve recently released its debut album with a six-song self-titled EP. That's part of a busy month that includes shooting a video at the Cactus Club, appearing on the WLUM-FM (102.1) Kramp & Adler morning show, and playing several area concerts, including Maxfest at the Points East Pub on Sept. 3.

The band's good fortune again comes at Matzen's expense. He's been working overtime booking and promoting since he's been unemployed for the past month and a half.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to oversell the band's assets. Matzen and bassist Sam Silver solidified their lineup earlier this year with the addition of new drummer Bill Kern and new guitarist Misha Siegfried. The foursome quickly jelled and formed a cohesive sound, which is clearly evident on their EP.

"I'd call it jazz meets britpop," Silver said. "There's a sort of gypsy jazz bastardization."

Fire on Your Sleeve evokes the laid-back vibe of a late-night club show that's almost bluesy in nature. Then the boogie drums and rocking guitar kick in at the right moments to keep the joint jumping.

Everything is falling into place for this up-and-coming band.