As an outsider looking in, Iowa might be mistaken for a cultural desert. As someone who’s lived most of their life outside of the state, that’s largely how I viewed it.
My mother was born in Elk Horn, but I began my time on Earth some 1,400 miles northwest of Shelby County. And it’s been almost 20 years since I graduated from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. But last year, I moved to Cedar Rapids, venturing north from Nashville to settle in among family and friends in a post-pandemic pivot.
It wasn’t until this year that I felt any sort of connection to this state. The feeling has, in large part, come as a direct result of immersing myself in Iowa’s music, illuminating a side of Iowa for me that I wouldn’t have otherwise imagined.
These 10 songs, all released this year by Iowan musicians, have helped (re)shape my view. Listen to the YouTube playlist
Subatlantic, “Ava”
Say It Again (July 2023) could be represented on this list by any number of songs. But “Ava” reveals itself as a careful and stylish standout, provoking a sense of ’90s nostalgia while sounding utterly modern at the same time.
Husoul, “Hopeless romantic”
This single “Hopeless romantic” (July 2023) represents Des Moines-based producer Husoul (pronounced: Hustle) at his finest, blending highly calculated percussion with delicate vocal samples, cast in a shadow of cyberpunk.
Xavy Rusan & FVNTVNV, “UV Rays”
On “UV Rays” (January 2023), Xavy Rusan’s collaborative release with producer FVNTVNV, the Davenport native’s West Coast aesthetic caters to a bi-coastal mentality, balancing his lyrical abilities with dynamic, world-class production.
SLW cc Watt, “Lost to Time”
Purple Pie Plow (July 2023) sees Iowa City’s Samuel Locke Ward and Mike Watt reviving their SLW cc Watt alias. “Lost to Time” lands at an exciting intersection, balancing bouncing bass and Sam’s howling vocals with an avant spoken word sax-jam.
Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops, “Nothing”
Sonic siblings to Jay Reatard, the Poly Mall Cops continue to establish themselves as a staple of Iowa’s live music scene, spreading the gospel of fuzz-punk with them every step of the way. “Nothing” from the band’s MANIC FEVER album (March 2023) is an unrelenting shredder.
In Loving Memory, “A Gentler Sun”
The EP A Gentler Sun (July 2023) marked the first new music from the Des Moines screamo pioneers in over two decades. Not having lived through the music the first time around, I felt out of place in the spiritual retreat of their reunion shows. (That didn’t stop me from buying my ticket to see them at Gabe’s in February, though.)
Closet Witch feat. Dylan Walker “My Words Are Sacred”
There might not be a more fitting soundtrack for the times than Chiaroscuro (November 2023), communicating a blend of rage and fear that continues to exist at every turn on a global stage.
LOVESBLIND, “all i need”
Fusing influences in a way that absolutely won’t work for genre purists, the single “all i need” (August 2023) captures a very specific vibe: something of a middle finger to all the people who insisted on today’s music sounding no different than yesterday’s.
Jarrett Purdy and Lex Leto, “WHATEVER I WANT”
Lex Leto, whose own brilliant Right Here EP was released just a month and a half after Have You Been the Night? (June 2023), presents here as something of a demanding lyrical foil to the playful musical backdrop.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs feat. Perfume Genius, “Spitting Off the Edge of the World”
Upon realizing something long evident to many, at one point this year I thought about just how long I’d listened to Perfume Genius before learning that the music is the product of an Iowa native. How many similar stories are there, waiting to be explored?
Chris DeLine is a writer living in Cedar Rapids. He also curates Iowa music playlists at villin.net. This article was originally published in Little Village’s December 2023 issue as a part of Peak Iowa, a collection of fascinating state stories, sites and people.
