Sunday, May 21, 2017

IMSC Ep 47 - Song 1: "Sunshine" and Song 5: "The Ones" by Dagobah



"A long time ago in a midwestern town far, far away, the boogie began. And it hasn't stopped since.

"Iowa City-based band Dagobah takes its name from a sunny day meditation concerning Jedi master Yoda's weed-choked home planet. This six-man group's spaced-out, funky sound, goofball stage presence and tongue-in-cheek humor seem to flow naturally from the same source...

"'Blending the space-pirating, hopping-across-the-galaxy raucousness of Han Solo with Yoda's Zen-like teachings, Dagobah's "pfunklectic' music takes you on an emotional roller coaster. It runs the gamut of introspection to all-out psychedelia...

"'It's a matter of taking quality music seriously while poking fun at music in general,' said bassist Todd Fackler."
- from the May 4th, 1995, edition of Rebel Yell

"With a unique blend of horns, percussion, and "Star Wars', Dagobah, the latest local band to take Iowa City by storm, will have fans tearing down the walls...

"Singer, guitarist, and songwriter Pat Willis said Dagobah's sound is indescribable...

"'I know that sometimes I suck, but it's all part of the unique flavor - staying true to one's self and not caring about a specific formula,' Willis said.

"Adding to that flavor is the duo of Les Miller on trumpets and David McCray on saxophone... the hillbilly horn section...

"...Dagobah may be the only band to use the 'Star Wars' trilogy as a metaphor for its songwriting style.

"'Yoda, he's kind of like a figurehead, someone to look up to in a way, and the whole Force thing, the training, the Jedis, ya know, the dark side and the light side of The Force - it's all very applicable to us,' Willis said...

"Good or evil, Dagobah is definitely not boring...

"'I think our strength is our absolute unpredictability.'"
- from the Oct 24th, 1994 edition of The Daily Iowan

"'It's a lot of fun, a lot of dancing; it's a good workout as well as good partying.' (said guitarist Pat Willis)...

"Dagobah is a strange mixture of people that produces a proportionally strange brand of music.

"Coyly described by Willis as 'lots of dancing, lots of funky beats, it just goes every which way and loose.' Dagobah throws innumerable influences into its stylistic blender to create a sound that doesn't even remotely resemble ingredients.

"'We do sound collages: we do... more somber, introspective stuff; we do reggae,' said Willis. 'I guess the main gist is eclectic funk. "Funklectic!" How about that?'"
- from the Feb 2nd, 1995, edition of The Daily Iowan

Lineup:
Pat Willis - vocals, guitar
Todd Fackler - bass
Les Miller - trumpets
David McCray - saxophone
Carey Steward - percussionists
Brad Engeldinger - drums


To download the podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode47/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2047_.mp3

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Ep 47 - Song 2: "Get on the Dark Side" and Song 6: "That"s No Moon" by The Han Solo Project



"The Han Solo Project was created by Tom Hummer and Mike Bal of Thoughts of Crossing. Their music covers a variety of rock styles and centers around the Star Wars universe."
- from their Locusic page

"This week, my long-time friend/drummer/collaborator/partner-in-crime Mike Bal and I released a new album as The Han Solo Project, titled The Force Hits Snooze. All the songs are about Star Wars."
- from Tom Hummer's home page

"Just another guy with a guitar... drums, bass, saxophone, piano, odd samples, and scary noises...

"One day Tom Hummer decided to make some music."
- from Tom Hummer's Facebook page

"Tom Hummer is a musician from Ames, Iowa...

"Tom has played bass for the rock band Thoughts of Crossing since their formation in 2003. He is also a founding member of the music review website Velocities In Music."
- from Tom Hummer's home page

Lineup:
Tom Hummer - vocals, instruments
Mike Bal - drums

Artwork by Mike Bal
https://mikebal.me/



Tom Hummer's home page:
http://www.tomhummer.com/

Tom Hummer's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/tomhummermusic/

Thoughts of Crossing's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ThoughtsofCrossing/

Thoughts of Crossing's ReverbNation page:
https://www.reverbnation.com/thoughtsofcrossing

To download the podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode47/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2047_.mp3

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IMSC Ep 47 - Song 3: "A Dark Gift" by Jordan Mayland and The Thermal Detonators



"Known as having his hand in many projects, Jordan has put out three "solo" albums playing most instruments on every track. The newest album "This Mess" is the first full band Thermal Detonators album and out now!"
- from their BandCamp page

"Jordan Mayland and Thermal Detonators was the name Jordan chose for his original solo EP debut. After years of playing music from that EP solo the band has finally come to add new color and life into old songs and help create a new atmosphere of multiple live layers, sing-alongs, and new theatrical elements."
- from their Facebook page

"The soul-stirring Ames/Des Moines pop unit Jordan Mayland & the Thermal Detonators delivers a tantalizingly dark treat with its generous new record This Mess, their first LP from the hand-made Nova Labs label.

"Mayland is a veteran of some of Iowa’s best bands of the past two decades, starting with the beloved early 2000s (local) hitmakers Keepers of the Carpet and continuing through today with acts like Volcano Boys and TIRES. The Thermal Detonators are Dave Atchison, Paul Hertz, Sean Huston, Claire Kruesel and Frank McBroom — a seasoned outfit that blends voices and diverse instrumentation into a rich sound that feels gracious, even compassionate. You can hear the band listening."
- from a review by Nate Logsdon on the Little Village website

Lineup:
Jordan Mayland - Vocals/Guitar/Piano/Drums/Bass Guitar
Dave Atchison - Drums/Percussion
Paul Hertz - Bass Trombone/Piano/Vocals
Sean Huston - Guitars/Vocals
Claire Kruesel - Glockenspiel/Vocals
Frank McBroom - Bass Guitar/Vocals
Dang Felton - Viola
Becca Park - Cello


Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/jordanmaylandandthethermaldetonators/

BandCamp:
https://jordanmayland.bandcamp.com/

To download the podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode47/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2047_.mp3

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IMSC Ep 47 - Song 4: "Luke, I am Your Father" by Keepers of the Carpet




"Iowa's premiere geek-pop-rock band"
- from their Pure Volume page

"Keepers of the Carpet began in a small town in North Iowa (Buffalo Center, to be precise) and moved to Ames in the early 2000’s. They were instrumental in the famous BiFi Records explosion which introduced the world to Poison Control Center, among others."
- from a review by Dave Murphy on the Des Moines Is Not Boring website

"Iowa Rock Music. Hailing originally from Buffalo Center, Iowa, Keepers were well known for their exciting live shows & poppy rock music...

"Started in 1997 practicing in barns. We came to Ames and met Bi-Fi Records. We recorded an album. We got on the radio. We played shows. We went on tour. We broke up. We got back together. We changed members a lot. We put out another album. We got on the radio again. We have awesome fans."
- from their Facebook page

IMSC Ep 47 - Song 7 and theme: "Set for Stun" by Echo 3



"Echo 3 is a power pop trio from the Dubuque area. They play catchy energetic rock with a punky edge, featuring both male and female vocals, and lyrics that range from broken love to Star Wars quotes."
- from the Access Dubuque website

"Somewhere between the blurry lines of indie rock, power pop and modern-day punk, you’ll find the Dubuque, Iowa trio Echo 3. Combining the essential mix of raw energy, catchy melodies and radiant harmonies, Echo 3 has produced a sound worthy of attention. So what makes this band any different from others in the genre? While it’s tough to pinpoint Echo 3’s appeal, certainly its internal chemistry, lo-fi vibe and the presence of female bassist/vocalist JR give the band’s music a unique shine.

"While I don’t advocate MTV’s 'making the band' model, the cable music channel would do well to pay attention to these three before the pop-punk wave finally crashes on its pointy little head. Without question, Echo 3 has the ingredients necessary to become superstars in today’s 'add water and stir' music industry – radio-friendly tunes, marketable members and a female musician who adds a much-needed dimension to the group.

"Calling JR out is not intended to be sexist. After all, she’s one of the band’s primary strengths (although guitarist/vocalist Drew and drummer/vocalist Kurt aren’t chopped liver either). But the point here is a trio of all males won’t ever be as marketable as a trio with at least one female member. Record companies are forever trying to appeal to both male and female audiences, and this mix does the trick for them.

"And if TRL isn’t next on Echo 3’s list, then at least they have a solid set of tunes and a modest base of fans of which to be proud. The band’s self-titled debut is a clear winner that showcases a homogenous mix of the band’s influences, which include The Pixies, Green Day and Metallica. Plus, they like Star Wars and The Simpsons, so what more can you ask for?"
- from an article/review by Dave Haucke on the Kaffeine Buzz website

Lineup:
Andrew Noll - guitar and vocals
Kurt Urbain - drums
Jessica (JR) Barnes - bass and vocals.





MySpace:
https://myspace.com/echo3

Four live full sets on YouTube (thanks to YouTuber Stimpy789):
The American Legion in East Peoria, IL on October 30th, 2003 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_fFdJvd_l4
The Cyber Cafe in Peoria, IL on August 3rd, 2004 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDwDLvFF7u8
The Cyber Cafe in Peoria, IL on January 30th, 2004 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYpt2tyVzDU
Their final show at The American Legion in East Peoria, IL on October 24th, 2004 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FHTe-SFbBg

To download the podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode47/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2047_.mp3

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