On the first Friday of every month, something incredible happens at 900 Keosauqua Way. Creativity spills from every floor of Des Moines’ Mainframe Studios, transforming the city’s largest artist hub into a vibrant, open-door celebration of local art, music and community spirit. Inside, over 180 artists open their studios to the public, revealing an ecosystem of expression.
Arts & Entertainment
Posted inArts & Entertainment
After divorcing her bandmate, Deb Talan channeled heartbreak into a solo album
Little Village spoke with singer-songwriter and visual artist Deb Talan about the inspiration behind her recently-released solo album, I Thought I Saw You, what she loves about creating art in her chosen hometown of Iowa City, and the joy she’s found in collaborating with her fellow Iowa-based artists.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Third Coast Percussion and Jessie Montgomery let Hancher audience inside their cutting-edge collaboration
The plastic hose hangs from his mouth. It is plugged into the drum in front of him, like an oxygen line breathing life into the instrument. He beats the skin of the drum, eyes following the notes on the score in front of him, glimpsing the movements of the other percussionists on stage, the members […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Cory Peak — ‘Computer Image’
Computer Image by Cory Peak Cory Peak has to be one of Iowa’s most adventurous artists. Probably best known as the bassist for the grindcore/emoviolence powerhouse that is Closet Witch, Peak recently produced beats and did animation for the Iowa hip-hop project Negus Lamé. On top of all of that, Peak has been at work […]
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This weekend in Iowa: Allegra Hernandez, Tailor Lynn and more
Established 2001 | Always free! The sounds of today’s Weekender range from ukulele in Des Moines to abstract sound collage in Rock Island. Andrew Hoyt busts out his uke in his EP release show at Wooly’s this Friday. Rozz-Tox hosts psychedelic jazz artists Direct Mutant Action, with Rock Island-based opener Systems. Indiana screamo band Usurp […]
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Ukulele maestro Andrew Hoyt is ‘bringing the fancy wine to the party’ with his new EP, Wooly’s release party
Des Moines singer-songwriter Andrew Hoyt isn’t letting the stress get to him. Not the stress that comes with debuting (and having entirely paid for) his first all-original EP of music, Kind of Paradise. Or the anxiety in planning the upcoming album release show at Wooly’s, the first time he’s headlined said venue. Sure that stress […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Dizzy Bridges — ‘Spot the Pattern’
Spot the pattern by Dizzy bridges Dizzy Bridges’ new album is holistic, with hidden themes and lyrical depth to decode. Up for the challenge and armed only with the hint “Spoon-meets-Carlo Rovelli,” I enveloped myself in the poetry and existential questions of this Iowa-based art-rock quartet. Starting with patterns within my grasp — separate from […]
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Behind the ultimate rock-umentary — and its 20th anniversary re-release, ‘Dig! XX’ — is a sister-brother duo with an eye for mad genius
Multi-award-winning filmmaker Ondi Timoner has amassed a wide-ranging body of work about people she calls “impossible visionaries.” Her documentary subjects tend to stray from social convention and take the path less traveled, which can sometimes put hers in impossible situations. I imagine that nothing was more difficult than making Last Flight Home, a 2022 film […]
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Little Big Screen: ‘Party Girl’ and other movies to stream with your library card this month
The headlines haven’t been too kind to libraries of late, what with the book ban nonsense and slashed funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. To plant some good press in your newsfeed, Little Big Screen is letting everyone in on a little secret. Kanopy, one of the best streaming services, is free […]
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Album Review: Margaret Driscal — ‘Mommy Planet’
Mommy Planet by Margaret Driscal Dystopian fiction tends towards themes of technocratic authoritarianism, the persecution of marginalized groups and generally, bad vibes. There is often a Byronic hero or some sort of picaresque adventure that awaits the protagonist who, against all odds, finds some sort of victory in the face of all-encompassing oppression. To be […]
Posted inBook Reviews
Book Review: ‘Blue Light Hours’ by Bruna Dantas Lobato
I was a daughter who left her mother. This is a fairly common experience, from my understanding of the world, many children leave their parents, either to move down the street or across the country. My act of leaving was comparatively short in distance but long in duration, as I packed my suitcase once and […]
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This weekend in Iowa: a crossover quartet, the road to a summerjam and more.
Established 2001 | Always free! It’s another weekend filled with an eclectic array of things to do in our reader regions. Perhaps you had no plans to visit a church this Easter weekend? Could a National Medal of the Arts recipient change that? The Fisk Jubilee Singers will perform with Cornell College choirs at the […]
