Two years ago, LV reviewer Lucas Benson described Jim Swim’s In It With You EP as “a blend of hip hop, Nick Drake bootlegs, a book of poems by Rumi and a cold Arnold Palmer spiked with a little bit of whiskey.” It’s striking that, if you squint, those are all things you can imagine […]
Iowa City music
Track premiere: Brian Johannesen, “Corona of Springfield”

In Iowa City songwriter Brian Johannesen’s new single “Corona of Springfield,” one of two new tracks he dropped today, a child — the narrator in fact — is born in a Walmart in Springfield, MO. Like so many life events during the pandemic, what might have been a celebration and blessings with gatherings of loved […]
Elizabeth Moen debuts song criticizing Gov. Kim Reynolds’ disconnection from small-town Iowans

“A Red State Handshake” Red State Handshake Wrote some of this a while back and finished some lines and added slide this weekend for our dearest Kim the Reaper.LyricsOn the corner across from the gas stationOn the same block as the public libraryThere’s a house whose yard is stocked fullOf trash under it’s decaying treesPiles […]
The Mill is closing after nearly 60 years in Iowa City
Independent musician Ace Jones hones his craft on the Iowa City Ped Mall

Guitar in hand, foot tapping a tambourine, Ace Jones is a one-man show for all who pass through the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall. This is where the Marion-based artist has come for years to practice his set in a low-pressure environment. “It’s a great place to just work on songs, or I’ll freestyle a song and see if it sounds good,” Jones said. […]
No music, no problem: Area bars and restaurants that provide a space to eat in peace

“Don’t worry; they don’t have a band tonight. I called ahead to make sure,” my husband said about the restaurant where we were thinking of eating that evening. Though we’d technically passed the threshold already, I think that was the moment we officially entered our 30s. I had to tease him about being old and […]
Video premiere: Good Morning Midnight, ‘Josie’s Experiment’
Album Review: Kevin Gordon — Tilt and Shine
Letter to the editor: A response from a guilty artist to ‘Let’s retire the $5 show’

I want to thank Luke Tweedy for his Sept. 29 letter to the editor. Artist compensation is an incredibly important subject that isn’t discussed in concrete terms nearly enough. I spend quite a lot of time thinking about it while I sit at a desk working a job I don’t really care about, dreaming of a day when I can support myself entirely on my art. […]
Letter to the editor: The $5 show and the Iowa City DIY music community
Letter to the editor: Let’s retire the $5 show

I think it is time for every venue in the area and every band to revalue themselves. Do what you want, certainly—I sure don’t want people telling me what to do. That said, I do take advice. Is a goal of $10 shows by 2020 too lofty? Would suggesting that all shows from here on out charge a $7 base price seem ridiculous? If so, ask yourself, do you really support music and the arts? Certainly some do not, but they were not coming out at any price. […]
Elizabeth Moen’s moment

While in France trying to make friends, a 15-year-old Elizabeth Moen buried a language barrier beneath guitar chords and a rising voice. She returned to the United States with budding spirit and, after five more years, played her first show — an open mic at The Mill. At 21, she wrote her first original song. Moen has since become a staple of Iowa City’s music scene, cementing a place in the hearts of local music lovers that, at 24, is still surreal for her to hold. […]