The Sidewalks were formed in the summer of 1979 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by D.J. (Dan) Kwas and brothers John and Mike Bartlein. The band performed its own blend of 1960s garage band rock and 1980s punk pop around the region for the next three and a half years. In the summer of 1981, they released their sole single, "Natalie" b/w "Whoever Said That You Was Cool," which was a high-request record on college radio station WMSE . Their song "Rhythm Kids," a sly poke at the Catholic method of birth control, was included on mainstream rock radio station WKTI's 1982 compilation of local artists. After a 25-year absence, Dan Kwas returned in the early 2000s, releasing two Americana solo albums, "A Life Too Long Forgotten" and "Dreams Die Hard." In 2023, Kwas released his first new music in over a decade as part of One Good Year with the single "We Go Together."