Flying high: The Wildbirds are proud of their Wisconsin roots, and those roots are an essential part of the band and its gut-punching guitar rock.

On the cover: The Wildbirds - (from left) Jon Jon Fries, Hugh Masterson, Nicholas Stuart and Mathew Reetz - are playing the Cactus Club on New Year's Eve.

Photo by C.Taylor.

dinner & a movie
Restaurant Threeview 2007: Highlights from some of 2007's best eats
Movie Threeviews 2007: A look at the good, the bad and the ugly

music & nightlife
Bartender of the week: Jen White at Marchese's Olive Pit
Best shows of 2007: Straight from MKE's blog party
Musicians pick their music: MKE asked some local musical acts to choose their favorite albums of 2007.

• Best of 2007 #1: Speech of Arrested Development
• Best of 2007 #2: Andrew Jonathan of Northern Room
• Best of 2007 #3: Peter Woods of Milwaukee Noise Fest
• Best of 2007 #4: Matt Turner of the Erotic Adventures of the Static Chicken
• Best of 2007 #5: Element
• Best of 2007 #6: Testa Rosa's Betty and Damian Strigens
• Best of 2007 #7: Wichy Ayala of Nabori
• Best of 2007 #8: Jason Mohr of Juniper Tar
• Best of 2007 #9: Dan Didier of Maritime
• Best of 2007 #10: Aaron Spransy of Those Royals/Spransy and Kolb