APO/THECARY by DEĀ EX MACHINĀ Nothing is more frustrating than a tired cliché, especially one that happens to be true. Take “the only constant is change,” which is made anew when refracted through the lens of a burgeoning artist. Torina Gedler, a Des Moines-based synth-pop musician playing under the moniker DEĀ EX MACHINĀ, provides that […]
Skyler Gonzalez
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Mark Haugen — ‘Maybe Next Year’
Maybe Next Year by Mark Haugen “There are anchors and balloons, tell me which one are you?” This was the first lyric to spring from Mark Haugen’s latest album cycle. Releasing “Anchors and Balloons” as the lead single of Maybe Next Year was a thoughtful choice; the song’s lyrics tease the world of the full […]
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Album Review: Hambone and the Maple Babies — ‘Hootenanny’
Have you heard of “word painting”? It’s the musical technique in which instrumental choices illustrate the lyrical ones — and vice versa — in a positive feedback loop. Synergy at its finest. Skilled word-painters create something unique, something a purist musician or lyricist couldn’t create when exclusively focusing on one or the other. Iowa City’s […]
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Album Review: Jinnouchi Power — ‘Home’
It can be difficult finding a sturdy, writerly hook for the idea of “home.” What new things can be said about finding your place in this world? Well, as it turns out, there’s still plenty that you can *sing* about home.
