Michael Roeder, Author at Little Village

Album Review: Other Brothers — Born Out Of Tune

Posted on Sep 21, 2018 by Michael Roeder

In April, KUNI’s Mark Simmet interviewed Des Moines Blues Rock trio the Other Brothers, who had just released their third album, Born Out Of Tune. He brought up the question of what to call their brand of music and decided it was classic rock. The conversation turned to how classic rock has gotten a kind of stigma based on the typical limited radio station song rotation, but that the sound of that music is making another comeback. Guitars are cool again and bands like the Other Brothers are are getting deserved attention from it.

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Album Review: King of the Tramps — Wild Water

Posted on Sep 5, 2018 by Michael Roeder

The Tramps’ latest album, Wild Water, returns with the southern rock-influenced formula the band is known for — dual Allman Brothers-style guitar leads, searing slide, driving drums and lots of groove. Partridge draws from his small town Iowa experiences, yet delivers songs I think can resonate with anyone. But, while I wouldn’t call Wild Water a political record per se, it’s clear that Partridge has had some hot button issues on his mind. […]

Album Review: Thrio — We Like To Have Fun

Posted on Aug 16, 2018 by Michael Roeder

In the bio for Eastern Iowa jazz trio Thrio, they describe themselves as “chord-less” — a somewhat clumsy way to explain that the band, as a trio of sax, bass and drums, doesn’t incorporate any instruments that play chords (keyboards or guitars for example). This isn’t a new idea for jazz — in fact, Sonny Rollins is credited with pioneering this configuration in 1957, which in turn influenced sax-led trios for decades to follow. In an interview with The New York Times in 2007, Rollins said that the lack of piano allowed him freedom to play outside of a song structure typically dictated by it.

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Album Review: TIRES — Handing Off The Egg

Posted on Aug 2, 2018 by Michael Roeder

Handing Off The Egg, the latest EP from TIRES, represents a developing and distilling of the Des Moines band’s sound. The washes of synths added seem trendy and hip in light of the current fascination with ’80s music — and the songs beg to be used as soundtracks. […]

Album Review: Annalibera — OPIA

Posted on Jul 5, 2018 by Michael Roeder

In her interview with the Pants-Off Podcast, Anna Gebhardt discussed the difficulty of coming up with a succinct genre for her band Annalibera. “I was going for a sound that would combine sort of where I came from with what I like to listen to: I like experimental music, I like electronic music, I like classical music and I like rock — you know, like just rock and roll. I came from Nebraska where I grew up listening to my mom’s country music station. So, I was trying to combine all of that into some loud music.” […]

Album Review: Thomas Comerford — Blood Moon

Posted on Jun 20, 2018 by Michael Roeder

The songs that make up Thomas Comerford’s new album, Blood Moon, weren’t necessarily planned to be an album. His goal following his 2014 album, II, was just to keep writing and recording songs at every opportunity without the pressure of a formal album release. He took the chance to work with Chicago acts such as Tatsu Aoki of experimental jazz group Miyumi Project, Panoramic & True, vocalist Amalea Tshilds and singer/pianist Azita Youssefi among others. Last summer he realized that he had a collection of songs that made sense as an album release. […]

Album Review: The Lost Tracks — Capitanos

Posted on Jun 7, 2018 by Michael Roeder

Iowa City band the Lost Tracks is on the cusp of a period of big creative output. Their new album, ‘Capitanos,’ is the first of three releases coming out just this year. […]

Album Review: Lissie — Castles

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Michael Roeder

Lissie’s 2016 album “My Wild West” centered around being homesick for the Midwest. But now that she’s living here in northeast Iowa on her own “40 acres in the sun” (to quote that album’s “Hero”), she’s apparently having boyfriend issues on her latest, “Castles.” […]

Album Review: Koplant No — Elker

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Michael Roeder

The opening track “Before We Go” on the reunited Koplant No’s new album “Elker” is a compound of skittering synth decay and dripping percussion flitting around a lone trumpet carrying a mournful melody. It’s a track that would fit perfectly on a Jack Lion record — which seems obvious when you consider that fellow Iowa City group Jack Lion shares Brian Lewis Smith on trumpet and Drew Morton on bass.
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Dick’s Tap and Shake opens up their Shake Room music venue

Posted on Apr 4, 2018 by Michael Roeder

Located in what used to be a trophy shop next door to Dick’s Tap, the front door of the Shake Room has had a sign announcing the coming arrival of the performance venue since the end of last year. In the last few months there has been a flurry of activity getting ready for the opening. […]

Halfloves team up with Exile Brewing at the Blue Moose

Posted on Mar 28, 2018 by Michael Roeder

The band started recording at Magic Barn this week and will continue working on the album throughout the year. This Friday, March 30, Halfloves will be at the Blue Moose. The show kicks off at 8 p.m.; tickets are $10. […]

Album Review: Middle Western — When Your Demons are Underground and You’ve Got to Dig Them Up

Posted on Mar 20, 2018 by Michael Roeder

When long-time Iowa City scene staple Dave Zollo and Lee County troubadour William Elliott Whitmore started performing together a couple years ago as Middle Western with members of Zollo’s band The Body Electric and Chicago guitarist Stevie Doyle, it seemed a natural fit. […]