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. […]
Album reviews
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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 […]
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Album Review: David Huckfelt — ‘Room Enough, Time Enough’
David Huckfelt’s 2021 Room Enough, Time Enough gets its title from the name the Navajo used to describe their ancestral homeland, near where Huckfelt recorded the album in Tucson, Arizona. Its rocky landscape influenced the Western themes of the record. Being in Tucson allowed Huckfelt to take a more communal approach to recording the album, […]
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Album Review: Awful Purdies — ‘The Great Unraveling’
The Awful Purdies’ new release, The Great Unraveling is a defining statement for these accomplished musicians who combine their strengths, with wearied joy, to perform miracles. The songs are timely and timeless. The album is proud but not boastful, strong but not brutal, both wise and playful. The sheer quality of the material and the […]
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Album Review: Soultru— ‘The Truth’ EP
The Truth: An Acoustic EP by SoultruTerrance “Soultru” Banks has been blending pop, R&B and hip-hop for years. For The Truth, the Davenport singer’s latest EP, he’s taken an unexpected step back: peeling back the production and sitting down for a set of stripped-down, unguarded acoustic songs. It’s a bold move for any singer to […]
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Album Review: Twin Wizard — ‘Glacial Gods’
Glacial Gods by Twin Wizard After a messy split from Dubuque stoner-metal powerhouse Telekinetic Yeti, drummer Anthony Dreyer forged a trans-Mississippi partnership with axeman Brad Van, a member of Madison kindred spirits Droids Attack. The result is Twin Wizard, whose thundering debut Glacial Gods had the ill fortune to drop on Friday the 13th back […]
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Album Review: Stephanie Catlett — ‘Caught Under Glass’
Caught Under Glass by Stephanie Catlett Stephanie Catlett surprised listeners with her 2019 EP Meet Me in the Dream, and fans of her initial work will be delighted to know that her 2020 LP Caught Under Glass (available today, Dec. 11) holds intricate poetic depth and a melodic sensitivity that expand on her initial promise. […]
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Album Review: Elizabeth Moen — ‘Creature of Habit’ EP
Liz Moen’s origin story, as relayed to me by Luke Tweedy of Flat Black Studios, begins before she recorded a single note. He said she decided to record an album of her own songs, and in short order she was at Flat Black with a band she had just formed. She came to that debut […]
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Album Review: Jim Swim — ‘Softee Boy’ EP
Softee Boy EP by Jim Swim When I first listened to this Jim Swim project, I wasn’t sure if this was all done by one creative or if there were multiple people — a rapper/singer just going over some instrumental tracks. I’ve heard a single or so here and there, but not enough to know […]
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Album Review: Bernemann Brothers Band — ‘Gone West’
With the Nov. 1 release of their debut album, Gone West, the Bernemann Brothers Band finally provides their fan base with a set of songs that show how far they’ve come in the past five years. The band started with a single performance, when musical brothers and veteran musicians Matt (drums) and Ryan (guitar and […]
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Album Review: Ben Driscoll — ‘Unseen Danger’
UNSEEN DANGER by Ben Driscoll I don’t know if it’s a conscious influence, but the music and moody atmosphere of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks come immediately to mind listening to “Muleville,” the lead-off track on Ben Driscoll’s Unseen Danger. The tremolo guitar is an Angelo Badalamenti favorite, and the cooing backing vocals from Katherine Ruestow […]
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Album Review: Joel Sires — ‘Dog Years’
Dog Years by Joel Sires To paraphrase the famous Corinthians Bible passage, Joel Sires — songwriter and frontman for Cedar Falls band TWINS — set aside his “childish ways” for the songs on their last album, Dream On, out earlier this year. That new maturity on record is a result of woodshedding new songs at […]
