New Tattoo by Jim Swim Jim Swim is not new to the Iowa hip-hop scene. He performs all over the state, but during the day he teaches middle school kids about the importance of learning grammar and proper English. It is only natural he would take his verbal skills to the microphone. His latest release, […]
Album Reviews
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Album Review and Q&A: Alex Ramsey — ‘Bonsai’
Bonsai by Alex Ramsey Alex Ramsey has been a mainstay of the collective of Eastern Iowa’s folk and country blues community, either as a member of the Pines (who seem to be on a sabbatical) with his brother Benson and David Huckfelt or contributing his keyboard prowess on releases from acts like Mason Jennings and […]
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Album Review and Q&A: Traffic Death — ‘Judas Curse of the Iron Sabbath’
Look, it’s no surprise to anybody that I nearly broke the internet trying to get my hands on the new Traffic Death album (Ed. note: The album is available for preorder on the Bandcamp page for Sump Pump Records. Once physical copies are available, the band will have them at shows). I’m not going to […]
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Album Review and Q&A: Good Morning Midnight — ‘Songs of Violence’
Songs Of Violence by Good Morning Midnight Good Morning Midnight’s latest album is expansive. Songs of Violence is an aural road trip down county highways in an unfamiliar wood. It is a definitive Midwestern rock album. Singer-songwriter Charlie Cacciatore explained the sound over a pilsner at George’s Buffet on a recent summer afternoon: “When I […]
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Album Review and Q&A: ENGLISH — ‘Mona Lucy’
Mona Lucy by ENGLISH The Des Moines-based band ENGLISH began a few years ago when guitarist and vocalist Chris English assembled a group to record some songs he’d written to commemorate 25 years of remission from childhood cancer. English enlisted Justin Goes on bass, Russ Tomlinson on drums, Hans Decker on trumpet and Tommy Doggett […]
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Album Review: Strong Like Bear — ‘In the Future Only the Rich Will Live Forever’
In The Future Only The Rich Will Live Forever by Strong Like Bear The dystopian cyberpunk delight of Carmen Cerra’s cover art is the first thing you’ll love about Strong Like Bear’s June release, In the Future Only the Rich Will Live Forever. The world is more organic than the man; the walls have tendrils […]
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Album Review: Jimmie’s in the Basement — ‘Star Demon & The Sky Goddess’
Star Demon & The Sky Goddess by Jimmie's in the Basement Let’s just accept it. Not one of us is going up to space this summer on some billionaire’s untaxed vanity spaceship. That’s why last month Jimmie’s in the Basement were kind enough to give us their record Star Demon & The Sky Goddess. Put […]
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Album Review: Hex Girls — ‘Pop Fluff’
Pop Fluff by Hex Girls In typically warped Hex Girls humor, the back of the 10” vinyl version of Hex Girls’ new EP Pop Fluff shows a taxonomic chart with the caption “Hex Girls feed off of the energy of heterotrophs.” The food chain presented includes “Evil” and “Truth,” “Death,” “Boredom,” “Sex” which leads to […]
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Album Review: SLW cc Watt — ‘Real Manic Time’
Real Manic Time by SLW cc Watt Being Iowa City’s — scratch that, Iowa’s — most prolific songwriter for years, you would think it would be hard to keep surprising people. While most of us gorged on trashy Netflix documentaries or started and stopped fad hobbies to fill in for the lack of human contact, […]
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Album Review: Dan Padley — ‘Bloom’
Bloom by Dan Padley On a first listen, I struggled to find my way into the musical world of Dan Padley’s Bloom. The record by the Iowa City guitarist and composer is mysterious, almost certainly by design. But it is by way of this sense of mystery and wonder, it seems to me, that the […]
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Album Review: Shining Realm — ‘Enter the Shining Realm’
Enter the Shining Realm by The Shining Realm “Ascension,” the opening track on Shining Realm’s new release, starts with a long, low, layered drone that hits like a cicada symphony warming up on a hot summer night. When you close your eyes, you can see the exact angle of the beam of light that you’re […]
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Album Review: Wave Cage — ‘The Portrait’ EP
The Portrait EP by Wave Cage Wave Cage — a local band made up of Jarrett Purdy on keys and synths; Ryan Garmoe on flugelhorn and electronics; Nolan Schroeder on saxophone and electronics; and Christopher Jensen on drums — describes itself in a couple of ways. In an email to Little Village, co-leader Purdy calls […]
