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 […]
Album Reviews
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review:Gem Jones – Exhaust
Gem Jones Exhaust (Night-People Records) gemjonesia.bandcamp.com The latest EP from Gem Jones, Exhaust, is a brief study in juxtaposition. At only 19 minutes, Jones milks Exhaust for every second; vacillating wildly between light-hearted pop romps and intense aural assaults. Yet Jones finds a nice balance, keeping the effervescent material exciting with kamikaze guitar attacks or […]
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Album Review: Samuel Locke Ward- 7 AM New Year’s Day
Samuel Locke Ward 7 AM New Year’s Day samuellockeward.bandcamp.com The normally prolific Samuel Locke Ward, no longer content with releasing two recordings per year, has embarked on an ambitious project: write, record and release an album each month for a year. On his first shot across the bow, 7 AM New Year’s Day, Locke Ward […]
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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 […]
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Album Review: Old Man Charlie – Bad Life
Old Man Charlie Bad Life oldmancharlie.bandcamp.com/ I say it every few months but it bears repeating: Iowa City has a collection of local musicians and bands that stands up against any other city in terms of quality, creativity and above all, good weird. In terms of the global music scene we’re ahead of the curve […]
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Album Review: Wax Cannon – I’m Afraid of Birds
Wax Cannon is Dave Murray and Jay Miller, who are two regular guys who work at the UI hospital. I mention their day jobs because the music of Wax Cannon is their avocation, a project they’ve been pursuing for the last 14 years. This album finds them exploring the same sonic landscape of guitar-and-drum pop, […]
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Album Reviews:The Ills – I Kill Me
The Ills I Kill Me theillsrock.bandcamp.com This is by far the shortest release I’ve reviewed. It’s a lovely one-sided 7” EP put out by No Front Teeth Records in London UK. And it’s exactly the sort of hard, fast, stupid punk rock that should come out on a British Punk record label. With yelpy girl […]
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Album Review: Nerissa Campbell – Blue Shadows
Nerissa Campbell Blue Shadows crookedmouthmusic.com Nerissa Campbell is a Brooklyn NY Jazz singer and songwriter. Her connection to Iowa (LV tries to stay local, y’know) is through her husband, who’s from here; they come to Iowa frequently, and she’s played memorable shows in Iowa City, most recently at the Mill. Her music isn’t purely Jazz, […]
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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 […]
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Album Reviews: Mint Wad Willy – The Fucking Sidewalk
Mint Wad Willy The Fucking Sidewalk Mint Wad Willy left Iowa City a couple years back after putting out a couple of CDs and are currently living and playing in Omaha. Their new record The Fucking Sidewalk is a change from their earlier album A History of Guns & Liars, which was mostly rock with […]
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Album Review: Goldendust – Self-Titled
Goldendust Self-Titled Night-People Records It’s easy, in a scene as intimate as Iowa City’s, to see Goldendust as Wet Hair part two. While it’s true that Joe Heuermann walks that same line between crooning and caterwalling that Wet Hair vocalist Shawn Reed has been treading, like most of the commonalities between the two acts, similar […]
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Album Review: Wax Moth – Spiracle
Wax Moth Spiracle Mannequin Rein Recordings waxmoth.bandcamp.com The debut EP, Spiracle, from Iowa City metal outfit Wax Moth is nearly relentless. Starting with the feedback and initial kicks of “Colony Collapse” till the two-minute mark of the sixth and final cut, “Of Dust and Lung,” there’s barely a moment to breath during the pummeling this […]
