The White Elephant The White Elephant (“Fly”) www.thewhiteelephantband.com The history of distortion effects on guitars dates back to what is usually considered the first rock and roll song, “Rocket 88.” Distortion was accidentally introduced by the guitarist Willie Kizart’s—of Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm—broken amplifier. Guitar distortion has come a long way since that fateful […]
Michael Roeder
Michael Roeder is a self-proclaimed “music savant.” When he’s not writing for Little Village he blogs at playbsides.com.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Pieta Brown and Lucie Thorne bring Love Over Gold to CSPS Wednesday
Pieta Brown is bringing her latest music project, Love Over Gold, to the grand CSPS stage in Cedar Rapids Wednesday. The two-piece project consists of Brown and…
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An interview with Mickey Hart
Although most people know Mickey Hart as one member of the “Rhythm Devils” percussion section of the Grateful Dead (along with Bill Kreutzmann), he has had a notable solo music career with an astonishing 14 releases to his name. In addition to a prolific musical career, he has a passion for ethnomusicology which has led […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Radoslav Lorkovic – Clear and Cold Remastered
I’ve mentioned on these pages before that my first time in a bar underaged was seeing Bo Ramsey and the Sliders playing Potter’s Mill in Bellevue, IA.
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John C. Reilly interview: Bring it back home
Actor John C. Reilly is known for his breadth of comedic and dramatic roles in movies like Magnolia, Step Brothers, Cedar Rapids and The Aviator. He is also known for his musical film roles in Chicago the Musical, Prairie Home Companion and the tour de force Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Reilly has recently […]
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An interview with Joey Burns of Calexico
Little Village caught up with frontman Joey Burns as he was waiting for a table at the restaurant Cochon in New Orleans during a visit for a performance at Jazz Fest. Check out the full interview after the jump…
Posted inAlbum Reviews, Arts & Entertainment
Album Review: The Men from…BEYOND! – Surf Solaris
My first exposure to the L.A. punk scene was through the soundtrack to the 1984 movie Repo Man. This scene would be documented much more extensively in the movie The Decline of Western Civilization, but there is some overlap. I watched Repo Man when it aired sometime in the 80’s on late night USA Network when I was in my early teens and it opened a whole world up to me–junk culture, beer swilling angry punks and aliens. The soundtrack has the amazing Iggy Pop theme song and bands like The Plugz, Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, Fear and Suicidal Tendencies.
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Interview with Iris DeMent
In October of 2012, Iris DeMent released her first new album of original songs after 16 years. The album—Sing the Delta, which DeMent maintained complete creative control over by releasing on her own record label—is an utterly personal work, drawing influence from her upbringing with gospel music and telling stories with her distinctive literary voice. It is a masterpiece of American literature as much as a timeless album of country folk. DeMent sat down with Little Village to talk about her career, her new album, songwriting, moving to Iowa and her upcoming Mission Creek Fetival show at the Englert Theatre.
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: The Blendours – Level 99
The continuing influence of The Ramones’ music on the face of rock years after their breakup is a testament to the idea that simple and direct is the most effective approach to getting to the hearts of youth. Directly or indirectly, any variation of punk rock today owes a debt to the amphetamine-driven sped-up version of ‘60s rock that The Ramones made.
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Blizzard at Sea – Individuation
Blizzard at Sea Individuation blizzardatsea.com “All that I see are the photons, vibrating strings propagating down through the geometry of the higher dimensions. There’s a world that I’m unaware of because it’s not the world I’ve been shown. History is in me. It’s just so easy to forget.”—“Longevity.” I quote the third and final track […]
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Album Review: Har-di-Har – Word(s) of Whim / Feudal Kind
Har-di-Har Word(s) of Whim Feudal Kind (EPs) Hardihar.com Few things excite me as much as stumbling upon a new band. The discovery of unexplored territory is a time consuming, but happy distraction for me, so I often click through on the Facebook pages of unknown bands when I see they were “liked” by someone else […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Iris DeMent – Sing the Delta
Iris DeMent Sing the Delta irisdement.com Iris DeMent put 16 years between her new album, Sing the Delta, and her previous album of original music. She quickly gained critical acclaim (and one Grammy nomination) for her first three albums and while she stayed busy performing and sporadically recording with others and delivering an album of […]
