Epsiode 13: Iowa Folk and Acoustic Music

Iowa has had a long and strong folk scene, from its earliest days as a territory, up to the 21st century with the likes of Greg Brown among others.

Why does Iowa feel such a strong attraction to these laid-back musicians without the pounding and thumping of other aggressive genres? Is it because it reflects the laid-back, contemplative nature of the Iowan people? Heck! I don't know!

I do know that we Iowans like our folk musicians and have them playing in all sorts of coffeehouses, meeting halls, barns, and back yards throughout the state.

In this episode, Iowa Music Showcase becomes your virtual coffeehouse or meeting hall as we present 8 Iowa artists continuing our proud folk tradition.

For more information, click on the song or artist...

Opening - Iowa Music Showcase opening by Dylan Boyle
Song 1 - "Rotary Dial" by Patresa Hartman (feat The High Crest)
Song 2 - "The Thing About the Devil" by The High Crest
Song 3 - "Cockles and Mussels" by Orckes & Trolles
Song 4 - "Ocean Blue Live" by Red Comet
Song 5 - "Rio Grande" by The Lawn Chairs
Song 6 - "I Won't Be the One" by Lindgren & Lewis
Song 7 - "Johnny Fire" by Ryan Sheeler
Song 8 - "Too Late to Stay (live solo acoustic version)" by Nate Nelson
Closing - Iowa Music Showcase closing by Dylan Boyle

All rights reserved by the composers and performers. Used by their kind permission.

To download:
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode13/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2013_.mp3
Next episode: Part 2 of the retrospective on Iowa City's pop punk band, Lipstick Homicide!

Iowa Music Showcase can be listened to and/or downloaded on the following sites:
Home page: http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Music-Showcase/364796883703114
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/iowa-music-showcase 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMPcIaIvvs0Aj4zk2JbXdQ/feed
Bandcamp: https://iowamusicshowcase.bandcamp.com/
ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/iowamusicshowcase
Google+: https://www.google.com/+IowamusicshowcaseBlogspotPodcast
Tumblr: http://iowamusicshowcase.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/IAMusicShowcase/
Other websites:
Spotify profile:
https://play.spotify.com/user/iowamusicshowcase
Spotify playlist:
https://play.spotify.com/user/iowamusicshowcase/playlist/28c74Ooze3Wk9sH9VezvMf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamusicshowcase
Instagram: https://instagram.com/iowamusicshowcase

Labels: 2010s, acoustic, folk (genre), folk music, High Crest (band), Lindgren & Lewis, Nate Nelson, Orckes & Trolles (band), Patresa Hartman, podcast episodes, podcasts, Red Comet (band), Ryan Sheeler, singer/songwriter

IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE PODCAST - Episode 12: Lipstick Homicide Retrospective, Part 1 of 3

"Lipstick Homicide, this is your life!"

Okay, most of you young'uns won't get that joke. And this isn't about their life so much as their music career. But I just couldn't past the chance to say that!

Seriously though, with Rachel leaving her hometown of Coralville for the bright lights of Minneapolis, it seem like a good time to look over the career of Lipstick Homicide.

So similiar to the show "This Is Your Life", this episode features friends and collaborators of Lipstick Homicide talking about the band. Part 1 featuring pretty much the work they did in 2009 and 2010. Just click here to see what the folks all said or on each song to see what they had to say there.

I hope you find a few surprises and treats you weren't expecting or didn't know about!

A big thanks to Trevor Treiber, long time friend of Rachel, Kate, and Luke, for all the help he gave me on getting this all together. Go check out his band, The Blendours!

Also, thanks to KRUI and Griffle TV for letting use their recordings of Lipstick Homicide live.

Finally, there will be a separate episode between each part of this retrospective. Not everyone is a fan of pop punk, and I want to still give them something to listen to. So Part 2 will be appearing around the end of July.

Episode 11: Guest Producer Bryon Dudley

Bryon Dudley got this opportunity because he won a contest, but now I've decided to open to anybody and anyone interested! If you would like to pick the music for an episode, feel free to send a list of 15-30 minutes worth of music by Iowa artists, of ANY genre or decade, to iowamusicshowcase@gmail.com.  And if I can get permission from the artists, I will play your list on a future episode!

If you haven't heard of Bryon Dudley, then you probably aren't very involved in the central Iowa, or at least Ames, music scene, Byron, usually along with his wife Rachel, is, and has been in numerous bands here.

But besides being a talented and prolific musician, Byron runs the record label, Nova Labs. He also runs a recording studio, The Spacement. And if that's not enough, he is also one of the co-owners of The Iowa Music Store!

So I feel it is both appropriate and an honor to have Bryon as my first, but hopefully not last, guest producer on my podcast!

Stong Like Bear home page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Strong-Like-Bear/42212906131

Nova Labs Records home page:
http://www.novalabs.info/

Iowa Music Store home page:
http://iowamusicstore.com/

For more information, click on the artist or song...

Opening - Iowa Music Showcase opening by Dylan Boyle
Song 1 - "Wake You in the Morning" by Ira Grace and The Bible Belt Prophets
Song 2 - "Fleshlike Material" by Mumford's
Song 3 - "The Fall" by Brooks Strause
Song 4 - "Machete" by Bleujack
Song 5 - "W(rest)le" by Pennyhawk
Song 6 - "Shut Up" by Strong Like Bear
Closing - Iowa Music Showcase closing by Dylan Boyle

All rights reserved by the composers and performers. Used by their kind permission.

To download:
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode11_201506/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2011.mp3
Next episode: A tribute to the members of Iowa's pop punk band, Lipstick Homicide!

Iowa Music Showcase can be listened to and/or downloaded on the following sites:
Home page: http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Music-Showcase/364796883703114
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/iowa-music-showcase 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMPcIaIvvs0Aj4zk2JbXdQ/feed
Bandcamp: https://iowamusicshowcase.bandcamp.com/
ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/iowamusicshowcase
Google+: https://www.google.com/+IowamusicshowcaseBlogspotPodcast
Tumblr: http://iowamusicshowcase.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/IAMusicShowcase/
Other websites:
Spotify profile:
https://play.spotify.com/user/iowamusicshowcase
Spotify playlist:
https://play.spotify.com/user/iowamusicshowcase/playlist/28c74Ooze3Wk9sH9VezvMf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamusicshowcase
Instagram: https://instagram.com/iowamusicshowcase

Labels: acoustic, alternative music, blues (genre), Bryon Dudley, folk music, Guest Producers, Ira Grace and The Bible Belt Prophets, Mumford's, podcast episodes, podcasts, singer/songwriter, Strong Like Bear

Episode 10: Iowa Country Music

Strangely, for a state where farming plays such a central role, we really don't have a big country scene. It seems that if a musician wants to dig into that rural, pastural part of their music psyche, in this state, they usually turn to folk or Americana.

But be as that may, a few souls still are ready to tread the country road. And in this episode, we featured 5 Iowa artists doing just that, ranging from alt country to modern country.

For more information, click on the artist or song...

Opening - Iowa Music Showcase opening by Dylan Boyle
Song 1 - "Don't You Pray for Me" by The Colt Walkers
Song 2 - "North of the River" by Monday Mourners
Song 3 - "Hold On" by Crossfire
Song 4 - "That Kinda Tough" by Danny Grause
Song 5 - "Aim's Gettin' Better" by Diana Upton-Hill
Closing - Iowa Music Showcase closing by Dylan Boyle

All rights reserved by the composers and performers. Used by their kind permission.

To download:
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode10/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2010_.mp3

Next episode: Guest producer Bryon Dudley presents 5 songs!

Iowa Music Showcase can be listened to and/or downloaded on the following sites:
Home page: http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Music-Showcase/364796883703114
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/iowa-music-showcase 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXMPcIaIvvs0Aj4zk2JbXdQ/feed
Bandcamp: https://iowamusicshowcase.bandcamp.com/
ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/iowamusicshowcase
Google+: https://www.google.com/+IowamusicshowcaseBlogspotPodcast
Tumblr: http://iowamusicshowcase.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/IAMusicShowcase/
Other websites:
Spotify profile:
https://play.spotify.com/user/iowamusicshowcase
Spotify playlist:
https://play.spotify.com/user/iowamusicshowcase/playlist/28c74Ooze3Wk9sH9VezvMf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamusicshowcase
Instagram: https://instagram.com/iowamusicshowcase

IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE PODCAST - Episode 9: Iowa Jazz Music

This episode is dedicated to my jazz-loving wife and father-in-law.

Sorry it's taken so long to get another podcast out. "Life is what happens when we're making other plans." Overtime, family gallbladder operation, and a graduation conspired against me. Something had to give, and it was the podcast. I'll try to get it back to every two weeks.

At a casual glance, one might not think much about Iowa's jazz scene. The fans and players are not nearly as numerous as, say the rock, alternative, or even the blues scene.

But what it lacks in numbers, it more than makes up on dedication. Many of the colleges have Jazz departments. And the ones, that may not be big enough to have a jazz department, will often have one member of the music department dedicated to jazz.  And the colleges and college towns, if they don't jazz festivals, will often host Jazz musicians.

Here in Des Moines, we have Jazz in July, a month-long Jazz festival. And the restaurant, Chuck's, features Jazz every Friday and Saturday night. And The Des Moines Social Club has started a monthly show with The NOLA Jazz Band.

And if that is not enough proof for you, check out Jazzman Joe's YouTube channel, featuring literally 100's of videos of Iowa jazz artists doing their thing
- https://www.youtube.com/user/jazzmanjoe100/videos.

So here in the episode, we present six bands and artists pushing Jazz forward here in Iowa.