This originally started out as a blog to provide more details about the music on Iowa Music Showcase.. But now it also features tags that have to do more with the individual artists and bands.
"Ever since Lipstick Homicide started I was a fan. I saw them play as high schoolers when their folks had to bring them to shows so they could be in the bar, and they would have to be done by 10.
"Over the years they have mastered their craft and are as good as any pop punk band out there. They've toured the states and Europe. They've played with all kinds of acts on all levels even opening for Green Day in New York.
"When it comes to recording they are also masters of the game and punk as fuck. We made "Out Utero" in 3 days total (for recording, mixing and mastering).
"I love working with all 3 of them in Lip Ho and their other projects and hope I get to continue for as long as I make records."
- from Luke Tweedy for Public School Records, who has worked on many of Lipstick Homicide's records
"Sonador is a Punk Rock / Indie band from Iowa that consists of Benji, Billy, Kate, and Jake.
"Benji and Billy have been friends since they were kids, they met Kate and Jake while attending local shows in Iowa City. Benji and Jake play guitar and sing, Billy plays bass, and Kate plays the drums."
- from their AloneTone page
"Although Kate Kane has always been intrinsic part of Lipstick Homicide, as well as playing in other projects and making guest appearances on other bands' records, she has kept up something of a solo career, making her music and songs.
"One of my favorite projects of hers has been "Meet the Cats", where she wrote a song about each of her cats and one of her family's cats. And it's FREE, so go get it!"
- from Dan OlderMusicGeek for this podcast/blog
"I first met Rachel when Samuel (Locke Ward) put together a band to back me up on one of my tours. I was taken right away by her bass playing style and how she locked in with Grace (Locke Ward)'s steady open drumming. I never told her what to play. She just seemed to have a natural feel for what worked. She had some Dead Milkmen song requests for the set which I would not have normally played solo, but with her on bass I obliged. Those Jack Talcum tours I did with The Powders, with Rachel on bass, are among my favorites.
"As for Lipstick Homicide, I only got to see them twice. The first time was several years ago (not sure of the year) at the end of one of my tours with Sam and Powders. I was impressed with the songs. The sound system was not the best but the songs shone through. The second time was just this past May and I was blown away by how tight they were, a fantastic show, great harmonies. (Kate was in Sam's band, the Boo-hoos, so she was on tour with us so I got to know her a bit too. Fun times.)"
- from Joe Jack Talcum for this podcast/blog
Lineup:
Joe Jack Talcum - vocals / guitar / harmonica
Grace Locke Ward - drums
Samuel Locke Ward - keyboards / guitar
Rachel Feldmann - bass
"...Sam’s side is another kind of mood enhancer, one you’d use to prepare for either a night of fucking shit up or a day when you have shit to do and may need to push some fuckers out of your way to do it. Though the songwriter and lead vocalist, with The Boo-Hoos, Sam seems to be operating chiefly as instigator to a project of rocking out as hard as possible, with his vocals sometimes pushed almost to the background, and as usual for him taking on various taunting falsettos and bellows... The seven quick songs showcase the band with a big guitar sound and sweaty rock and roll energy, reminiscent of The Pixies’ swan-song album Trompe Le Monde but with more satirical lyrics. Sam presents a Luddite alternate history in “This Edison Nightmare,” presents warfare as a dance craze in “Do The Pinewood Box,” and looks back fondly on some sort of riot on the infectious 'Fine Was The Night.'"
- from The Centipede Farm blog
Lineup:
Samuel Locke Ward - vocals
Grace Locke Ward - drums / vocals
Kate Kane - guitar
Chris Ford - guitar
Rachel Feldmann - bass
"Lipstick Homicide (Kate Kane, Rachel Feldman and Lucas Ferguson) have been making a big noise in Iowa City for six years or so, starting out at West High School. If you haven’t seen them play live, then you don’t get out much–and you’ve missed out. Their live sound is an exquisitely textured roar made up of Kate Kane’s slashing guitar, Rachel’s driving bass and Lucas’ frenetic drumming.
"The new songs on this Split LP with Billy Raygun aren’t really that different from their previous work, but these recordings capture their live sound better. Rachel & Kate’s singing is stronger and more confident and cuts through the mix without sounding hyped or unnatural. The songs are all high tempo rave-ups that seem to start out fast and speed up out of sheer excitement.
"Kate & Rachel’s songwriting is sharply focused on producing hook-filled punk-pop anthems, comparable to (but in my opinion more vital and genuine than) bands like Green Day and Blink 182. But I kinda hate those bands for the craven calculation that goes into their image and unthreatening, radio-friendly sound. Lipstick Homicide might not mind achieving punk-pop stardom, but they’re not going to do anything different to get there. Every song on their side of this record is instantly hummable pop perfection that they rip into like it’s their last night on earth."
- from the Little Village website
"...It’s got almost all of my absolute favorite Lipstick Homicide songs on it... Lipstick Homicide has hit after hit after hit to prove why they’re not only one of the best pop punk bands going to day but one of the best bands in general going. The girls and guy in this band know exactly what they’re doing when they set out to make some great tunes."
- from the Rad Girlfriend Records website
Lineup:
Rachel Feldmann - vocals, bass
Kate Kane - vocals, guitar
Luke Ferguson - drums
"Grism is a group comprised of Zach Lint (aka Coolzey of the Sucker MCs), Grace Locke Ward (Petit Mal, Leslie & The LY’s, Etsy.com superstar), Rachel Feldman and Kate Kane (Lipstick Homicide). They’re longtime friends and members of the recombinant scrum of rock bands in Iowa City.
"Even though Grism is a vehicle for Zach’s indie-pop song writing, Grism’s sound—a splashy melange of Superchunk, Unrest and Dinosaur Jr.—comes as much from the women in the rhythm section as it does from Zach, something he’d be the first to tell you. Rachel and Kate have been playing rock music together for nearly half their young lives; they’re a well-tuned punk-rock machine. Give them the chords, wind them up and they’ll sound huge. Grace’s drumming is solid and energetic while subtly underlining the song structure.
"...The track 'Relentless' serves as a declaration of principles for the rest of the songs. 'If I should die I would hope to stay that way otherwise life would always stay relentless.' Zach’s lyrics reflect a comic disorientation, prone to flights of cartoonish fancy, concerned with making sense of a crazy world: 'I read a book and it seemed to contain what I’m after, but on second look, couldn’t find that particular chapter.' Some of the best moments are when words fail him and the band launches into ‘la la’ call-and-response choruses. Grace, Rachel and Kate sound like they’re eight years old, in the best possible way.
'The album sounds like the one playing in Zach’s head 20 years ago, embracing and extending the vision of his indie-rock heroes. It’s executed with the skills of enthusiastic grownups but with the wide-eyed enthusiasm and untethered imagination of children. And who wouldn’t want to hear the music that was playing in their heads when they were 12?'"
- by Kent Williams for the Little Village website
Lineup:
Zachary Lint - vocals
Kate Kane - guitar, vocals
Grace Locke-Ward - drums
Rachel Feldmann - bass, vocals
"You may not find any lipstick lesbians at this month’s Ottawa Explosion music festival.
"However, rock fans looking to pucker up for some peppy punk can catch Iowa natives Lipstick Homicide when the band plays its first ever Canadian show June 16 at Club SAW.
"Bassist and vocalist Rachel Feldman, guitarist and vocalist Kate Kane and percussionist Luke Ferguson met while attending high school in the tiny town of Coralville, an Iowa City suburb.
"When Canadians think of Iowa, 'punk' may not be the first word that comes to mind, but Feldman assures there are plenty of hard rockers in the state known as America’s heartland. You just have to look for them...
"Feldman and Kane both identify as gay and say that although their orientation somewhat influences their lyrics, their sexuality has never been a hindrance to their musical careers.
"'We've been lucky enough to have not yet come across any kind of firsthand bigotry or discrimination towards our band that I'm aware of,' Feldman says. 'Definitely not here in Iowa or any of the punk rock scenes or communities we've visited.'
"Lipstick Homicide has yet to visit Canada; in fact, their show at Ottawa Explosion will essentially pop their international cherry. The girls say they are excited to experience this milestone.
"Feldman says she’s already met several courteous Canucks.
"'We have had the opportunity to get to know a few Canadians at shows here and there. Everyone we've met so far has been extremely kind and in an awesome band. A lot of my favourite bands right now are from Canada.'"
- from Bradley Turcotte in The Daily Xtra
To see this performance:
Lineup:
Rachel Feldmann - vocals, bass
Kate Kane - guitar, vocals
Luke Ferguson - drums
"Listening to the new record from Tuff Jerks makes me really want a Miller High Life. While I fully respect the sawdust tang of Pabst Blue Ribbon, it fails to fill me me with the same schmaltz Miller High Life does. I view High Life as the ideal beer for dancing in a dank sweaty basement or singing songs in a creek bed.
"For its fun, occasional irreverence and sheer quality, Tuff Jerks new record reminds me of that beer. Jason Hennesy and his cadre of Iowa City awesomes have put together a record of loose but well-developed rock songs that are built on a foundation of songwriting that is buoyant and catchy. While some of Tuff Jerks songs don’t take themselves that seriously, they always manage to avoid smirking immaturity.
"The record’s sparse rock instrumentation is filled out with occasional string flourishes and sunny backing vocals, while Jason’s warbly and occasionally effete voice has enough range to successfully pull off both goofy and sincere...
"As far as mixing, the drums and bass on this record largely take a backseat to the straightforward guitar parts and vocals, which gives the album an intimate garage vibe and adds to the backyard barbecue feeling of the album.
"While it may be silly to say that Tuff Jerks’ records reminds me of drinking a specific beer, I mean it as the highest compliment. One of the ways music can succeed when it maintains a cohesive aesthetic is by tying itself directly to the sensory memory of the listener. Fantastic music can do this on the first listen. So, until you have your next High Life, this album should be able to tide you over."
- from Lucas Williams for the Little Village website
Lineup:
Performed by Jason Hennesy, Zach Lint, Brian Boelman, Kate Kane, Steve Squires, Katie Burnes, Alex Body, Samuel Locke Ward, Cody Hennesy, Meara Oberdiek.
Songs written by Jason Hennesy.
Mixed and Produced by Zach Lint
Engineered by Luke Tweedy
"Yeah, this is NOT Lipstick Homicide. This is Big Bad Gina covering Lipstick Homicide.
"But more importantly, this is Big Bad Gina covering Lipstick Homicide at the reception for my wedding.
"My wife, Ann, and I had Big Bad Gina play because my wife's not a huge punk fan, and we figured Big Bad Gina with their folky jazz/jazzy folk would have a bigger appeal.
"So we each chose a song to have them cover. My wife chose Train's "Marry Me".
"(And yes, I still married her and considered myself very lucky that she was stupid and crazy enough to marry me. I did play her Dickies' "Marry Me Ann". She didn't care for it.)
"But my wife actually likes Lipstick Homicide. And since they were my second favorite band after The Violent Femmes, and they were playing at the show where my wife came out to meet me. We had been emailing each other, after finding each other on Match.com.
"So I had Big Bad Gina play this Lipstick Homicide song that I felt captures the way I feel about her.
"I made a video using my phone. And made a mp3 from that. So that's why the sound quality is pretty bad.
" I basically made it, so Lipstick Homicide could see it. I'm glad to say that Rachel has said publicly on social media, that this is one of her favorite things. And that they 'killed it'. And how touched she was because she never had anyone cover her before,
"I'm grateful that Rachel appreciated it so much. And that it meant almost as much to her and as it did for me."
- from Dan OlderMusicGeek for this podcast and blog
"I first started hearing about Lipstick Homicide from friends of mine who keep a close eye on the punk rock scene. They often tell me about new bands I should see, but when it came to Lipstick Homicide, they couldn't shut up about them. Best new band in years, they said, great musicians, and with a level of energy that put most bands to shame. I heard some recordings of theirs, and couldn't help agreeing. When I was asked by Billie Joe Armstrong to put together a compilation of up-and-coming bands for Adeline Records, Lipstick Homicide seemed like a natural, and the song they submitted reminded me uncannily of late 80s/early 90s Green Day (their first album in particular) despite the obvious difference of having female rather than male vocals. I was traveling in the Midwest at the time and went to meet them at a show they were doing in a basement in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and since that time I've seen them a couple dozen times, on both the West Coast and East, and in the UK as well. They've never put on a disappointing show.
"When Green Day's manager called and asked if I knew any bands that might be a good opener for Green Day's show at New York City's Irving Plaza, the logical thing would have been to ask one of several local bands, but I couldn't help thinking of Lipstick Homicide, even though it would mean a two-thousand-mile round trip just to play one show. I asked them, saying, "I know this sounds like a crazy idea, and it's probably totally not possible, but would you maybe be interested..." Before I could say anything else, they said, "We're on our way!" The Green Day crowd loved them, as I knew they would, and it was a night I'll always remember. Though probably not quite as much as Lipstick Homicide do!"
- from Larry Livermore for this podcast and blog
"Kate Kane didn’t get a lot of rest in the days and nights between Sept. 14 to 17. But she still isn’t sure she wasn’t asleep the whole time.
"Kane, 23, and fellow Lipstick Homicide bandmates Rachel Feldmann, 22, and Luke Ferguson, 24, opened Sept. 15 for Green Day at an intimate show for 1,000 fans at Irving Plaza in New York City.
"'I still haven’t totally accepted that it happened,' Kane says. 'I’m just waiting to wake up.'
"The Coralville-based band — Kane on backup vocals and guitar, Feldmann on lead vocals and bass and Ferguson on drums —learned of the opportunity on Sept. 12, just three days before they needed to be in New York City to play for the iconic pop punk band.
"They got the call — or more accurately, the email— from a mutual friend of the two bands, Larry Livermore.
"Livermore, a longtime friend of Green Day dating back to the mid-80s when drummer Tre Cool played in his band the Lookouts, included Lipstick Homicide on a 16-track compilation CD released in May called “The Thing that Ate Larry Livermore.”
"The compilation caught the ear of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong who tweeted last week, “Check out this compilation. Lipstick homicide kicks booty! All the bands do.”
"So when Green Day was suddenly looking for an opening act for their NYC show, Livermore thought of Lipstick Homicide.
"Kane wasn’t sure what to think at first.
"'I wasn’t totally sure if it was for real. Or if (Livermore) had talked to Green Day about it. I ended up talking to Green Day’s manager later that night, then I was like, all right I guess this is real. I guess I was just in disbelief. It was crazy,' Kane says.
"The band hit the road Thursday and 20 hours later were in New York City, where they played a 25-minute set. By Monday they were back in Coralville, still reeling form the experience.
"'It was really surreal and amazing,' Kane says. 'It was crazy. We got to meet Green Day and they are just like the nicest dudes ever and really down to earth. They thanked us for playing with them. Billy Joe even came on stage when we were playing and took pictures of us on his iPhone.'
"For the band it was a chance to share a stage with musicians who have influenced their own sound."
- from Carly Weber on Hoopla Now
"Sometimes — when you least expect it — dreams come true.
"At least that was the experience for Coralville-based pop punk band Lipstick Homicide.
"Last week, the band received an invitation out of the blue to open for rock band Green Day — a band that each of Lipstick Homicide’s members has been listening to for years. The call came just three days before the New York City show.
“'We were totally surprised and really excited and kind of didn’t even believe that that was for real at first,' said Kate Kane, 23, the band’s guitarist and backup singer. 'But it turned out to be the real thing. It’s pretty exciting.'
"The band’s drummer, Luke Ferguson, 24, had a similar reaction, not wanting to get his hopes up about the opportunity before they knew it definitely would happen.
“'We all kind of thought it was a big prank and that we were going to drive there and all of our friends were going to be laughing at us,' he said. 'We didn’t really believe it. It was pretty surreal.'
"The opportunity — set up by Larry Liverpool, who has worked closely with both bands — turned out to be legitimate, and the next day, the band packed its gear and hit the road for the 20-hour journey to New York City.
"After a sound check and visiting with the members of Green Day, Lipstick Homicide played in front of the sold-out crowd at Irving Plaza — about 1,000 people — which was four times larger than any show it had previously played.
“'They all gave us a really warm reaction. They all seemed to enjoy it and really get behind Kate and Rachel as they rocked,' Ferguson said.
"Kane said the highlight of the experience was getting to meet Green Day.
“'It was incredible meeting them,” she said. “They were really nice and down to earth dudes, and they were really nice to us.'
- from Press-Citizen.com
"'Nice shoes! You a rock star or something?' - douche at Papa John's. 'Yeah, actually I opened for Green Day a week ago.'"
- from Luke Ferguson on Twitter
To watch the performance...
Lineup:
Rachel Feldmann - vocals, bass
Kate Kane - guitar, vocals
Luke Ferguson - drums
