You can’t talk about the history of music in Iowa without mentioning the seminal (and sadly defunct) grassroots record label Trailer Records, started by Iowa City musician David Zollo. Recently […]
Michael Roeder
Michael Roeder is a self-proclaimed “music savant.” When he’s not writing for Little Village he blogs at playbsides.com.
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Salt Fox — ‘Miss You, Kyle/Love Ya, Boys!’
In January 2024, the Cedar Falls indie pop trio Salt Fox found themselves heading to Texas for a gig. Right before departing, Kyle, a friend of a friend that the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Album Review: Dickie — ‘Headful of Hiss’ EP
Headful of Hiss By Dickie In April 2023, Dick Prall brought a string quartet to CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids. Billed as Dickie and the Cask Strength Quartet, the evening […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Munk Rivers — ‘Practice Room’ EP
Most of the press around Des Moines band Munk Rivers mentions their self-declared genre “yearncore.” While obviously somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it speaks to the very human emotions that weave through the […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Chrash — ‘Music for the Next Scene’
In a recent email from Chris Bernat, guitarist and vocalist for Quad Cities band Chrash, said, “We are all very pleased with the cover shot featuring a big shiner on […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Dope Walker — ‘Heavy Revelations’
Heavy Revelations by Dope Walker The lineup of Dope Walker is an unlikely cross-section of members from Minnesota and Iowa: Aaron “Lazerbeak” Mader from the Twin Cities hip-hop collective Doomtree; […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Run Dog — ‘The Big Room EP’
The Big Room by Run Dog Joel Sires slides into my DMs, “You gotta check this band out. Run Dog from CF. Unreal. So fully realized.” High praise from someone […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Katie and the Honky Tonks — ‘Two-Steppin’ in the Shower’
Two Steppin in the Shower by Katie and the Honky Tonks You only need to watch Cedar Falls band Katie and the Honky Tonks cover Loretta Lynn’s 1973 smash “Rated […]
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Album Review: Subatlantic — ‘Say It Again’
Say It Again by Subatlantic Quad Cities band Subatlantic’s new album Say It Again opens with a sparsely arranged synth/guitar/vocal thematic overture titled “Fate” asking, “What would you say if […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Histo — ‘JGDC’
JGDC by histo A near-fatal lung infection gave multi-instrumentalist Donald Curtis a sense of urgency to follow his passions for music and form Histo, according to the band’s bio. The […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Album Review: Sylvee & the Sea — ‘The Less I Needed the Better I Felt’
The Less I Needed the Better I Felt by Pieta Brown Pieta Brown says time she spent in Tucson and the friends she made there sparked a music career. These […]
Posted inStatewide
Video premiere: Halfloves, ‘Hospice’
“Try to imagine what it must be like to go to sleep and never wake up …” — Alan Watts On Halfloves’ first new single since June of 2021’s bouncy […]
