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 […]
Local album reviews
Posted inAlbum Reviews
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 […]
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Album Review: Lex Leto x Christine Burke Ensemble — ‘I am here but I must go’
I am here but I must go by Lex Leto x The Christine Burke Ensemble Lex Leto has released their highly anticipated second studio album, I am here but I must go, in collaboration with the Christine Burke Ensemble. Beautiful yet jarring, all six tracks are extremely well-ordered and create an enchanting story. The album […]
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Album Review: Moscow Puzzles — ‘Vast Space of the Interior’
Vast Space of the Interior by Moscow Puzzles Instrumental rock music has always been a little underground. From its origins in surf rock to the many post-rock bands of today, there have been few moments where it has reached the attention of the mainstream music fan, which makes playing in a post-rock band a true […]
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Album Review: xco$mox — ‘Just Keep Swimming’
[Just Keep Swimming], the latest EP from Des Moines rapper xco$mox (pronounced cosmo) pulls you in almost instantly and rolls right into the end credits so fast, it takes you a moment to realize it’s already over. With a runtime of just over nine minutes spread over five songs, I had to immediately replay the […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Lady Igraine — ‘Unum’
The freshly imagined Unum starts and ends in essentially the same way. The soundscape for opening track “Tempest” fades in with one note like it’s revving up for a chorus of guitars, while closing track “A Thousand Armies,” after exploding into one last instrumental jam break, has its final guitar chord prolonged, slowed down and fading.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Album Review: Ion Alexakis — ‘Broken Glass’ EP
It’s crazy to think that hip hop is 50 years old. It’s global, ubiquitous. Including in Iowa. Ion Alexakis — though much younger than hip hop — has been active musically in Iowa City for years, working as a producer, singer and emcee. His day job as production supervisor at the Englert is a perfect […]
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Album Review: James Tutson — ‘Fool for You’
Recorded at Golden Bear Studios in Des Moines in the fall of 2023 and produced, engineered and mixed by Bryan Vanderpool, Fool of You features 11 originals by Tutson who handles lead vocals and guitar.
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Album Review: Wax Cannon — ‘Teeth’
TEETH by Wax Cannon In Eliza Gilkyson’s “Solitary Singer,” she croons, “He sings his best when nobody’s listening.” Wax Cannon reminds me of that song. A housepainter (David Murray) and a hospital pharmacy worker (Jay Miller) have been making music together for a quarter century, to no particular acclaim, except from their friends in the […]
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Album Review: Salt Fox — ‘Miss You, Kyle/Love Ya, Boys!’
In January 2024, the Cedar Falls indie pop trio Salt Fox found themselves heading to Texas for a gig. Right before departing, Kyle, a friend of a friend that the band had never met, showed up to be the roadie for the trip and became the inspiration for the title of the band’s new album. […]
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Album Review: Early Girl — ‘Do I Even Cross Your Mind?’
If every song is a sort of conceptual collage of sound, with its layered instruments and vocal harmonies, then Early Girl’s EP Do I Even Cross Your Mind? feels like both an auditory and physical collage. It’s a lovingly flipped-through scrapbook of grunge and throwback, capturing the grittiness of hand-cut paper, rough ripped edges and even a smattering of glitter.
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Curtis Taylor — ‘Taylor Made’
For those unfamiliar, Curtis Taylor is an award-winning trumpeter and recording artist. He is also Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Iowa School of Music. The fact that a talent like this resides in our community is worth celebrating.
