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 […]
Album Reviews
Posted inAlbum Reviews
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 […]
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Album Review: Nadalands — ‘The Vernal Equinox’ EP
The Vernal Equinox EP by Nadalands Nadalands are back with another meditative EP: The Vernal Equinox. Each song truly reflects the title’s meaning: shining light on the ways of the new world. This five-track treasure features vocals from well-known local musicians Alexis Stevens and Brian Johannesen joined with Matt Tritto and Benjamin Buttice. This projects’ […]
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Album Review: Penny Peach — ‘Brain Gamez’
brain gamez by Penny Peach 2021 is the year of reinvention, and Penny Peach’s Brain Gamez is the perfect soundtrack. Penny Peach is the multi-talented Elly Hofmaier. The singer, writer and recent University of Iowa grad released this carefully crafted five-track EP on March 5 along with an apt message: “just tryna get my mind […]
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Album Review: Mt. Umbra — ‘Not Great’
Not Great by Mt. Umbra You can find the umbra of anything by searching for the innermost, and darkest, part of its shadow. There’s secrets to be found there, but only if you can bring them back out into the light, half-busted and stained as they may be. Mt. Umbra is the self-described “one woman […]
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Album Review: Logan Springer — ‘Coyote- “kī-yōte”’
Coyotes tend to howl to locate each other and establish their territory, not only for the sake of those around, but also for themselves. It seems prudent then that Iowa alt-country singer-songwriter Logan Springer titled his full-length debut, Coyote- “kī-yōte”. Engineered and mixed at Flat Black Studios by Luke Tweedy and released in collaboration with […]
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Album Review: Elizabeth Zimmerman — ‘Roots of Rhythm’
Roots of Rhythm by Elizabeth Zimmerman The first song on Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Roots Of Rhythm, “The Journey,” is just her voice and piano. It brings Judee Sill immediately to mind. It combines pleasant, subtly modulated vocal style with an intricately worked melody and introspective lyrics. She presents to the listener as an inviting, fascinating mystery. […]
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Album Review: Steve Grismore Trio — ‘Better Times (Are a Comin’)’
Better Times (Are A Comin') by Steve Grismore If the music collection in your head includes the work of the late Ornette Coleman, there is a reasonable chance you have it filed under “weird” or “difficult” or even “unlistenable.” That may be true even if you consider yourself a jazz fan. Coleman, a multi-instrumentalist best […]
