Sinners & Saints by Cedar County Cobras There’s a moment in Cedar County Cobras’ “Bessie Smith’s Last Ride” when nearly a century of American history collapses into a few verses. The song takes as its starting point Smith’s death following a car accident on Highway 61 near Clarksdale, Mississippi in 1937, a tragedy long surrounded […]
Katie Roche
Milwaukee’s Maximiano will share a new album with Iowa City featuring nature sounds, blunt lyrics and a song called ‘Puppers’
Milwaukee-based musician Maximiano is preparing for their Iowa debut on April 18, bringing a deeply personal and close-listening performance to the stage at The Black Angel.
Album Review: Weary Ramblers — ‘Driftwood’
Driftwood by Weary Ramblers For Iowa duo Weary Ramblers, music isn’t just what they do — it’s how they stay connected in a world that often demands too much from body and spirit. Their new studio album, Driftwood, released October of last year, is a portrait of two artists who have found sanctuary in their […]
Album Review: Simon Cropp — ‘Paperback Dream’
Simon Cropp doesn’t just write songs — he crafts worlds out of the ordinary. On his debut album Paperback Dream, the 28-year-old songwriter invites listeners into his universe of small-town stories, worn highways and quiet revelations. With a voice both gentle and resolute, Cropp illuminates the beauty and heartbreak tucked inside daily life.
Album Review: Big Begonias — ‘In Bloom’
Gabrielle Kouri’s tune-wrangling—her quirky lyrics and distinctive compositions—have long been long admired in Eastern Iowa folk music circles.




