Ep 23 - Song 1: "My Song About Why I Don't Do Christmas Songs" by John Burns

In the fall of 1972, during my junior year of high school, I sat down at the Cable-Nelson piano in the basement of my parents' house and laboriously penned my first song, "Last Airport Home." A few days later, I wrote another, and then another -- and then another. . .

I never stopped.

Then, in January, 1976 I played a borrowed Wurlitzer electric piano at the Wakonda Country Club on Des Moines' South Side with a band called Now and Then. That was my first professional gig. On Halloween Night of that year, I got a call from the legendary Baby Lester in Omaha, beckoning me to join him on the road as a member of Baby Lester and the Buggybumpers. I followed him to Odebolt, Iowa, Independence, Missouri (twice), Fayetteville, Arkansas, Worthington, Minnesota, Albuquerque, Abilene, Atchison, Kansas, Buffalo, Wyoming, Tiffin, Ohio, Pierre, South Dakota, Indianapolis, Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Green Lake, Wisconsin, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Humboldt, Iowa and, yes, Kokomo. I'd like to say I never stopped playing.

Okay, there were a few stops and starts from time to time -- but I'm playing NOW!!

And, yes, I am the brother of marathon champion Mary Burns-Prine, owner of the Women Runners Website and author of The 2008 Women Runners' DAILY JOURNAL & CALENDAR. But I'm determined to make it on the quality of my songwriting, rather than my sister's celebrity, so I pretty much try to keep it a secret. How's that, Mary?

BUY MY CD!!
- from his home page

Home page:
http://www.bjohnburns.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/b.john.burns

IMSC Ep 23 - Song 2: "I Hate Christmas" by Lesbian Poetry

"my feelings about these songs are best summed up by 1000 multi-colored heart emojis" -katie b. (free cake for every creature)
- from their Facebook page

Rice-a-roni. Butts. Kissing. Lesbian Poetry is hard to define because Lesbian Poetry means a little something different to everyone.

I’ve seen Elliot play more times than I can probably count. The first time I ever listened to Elliot’s music was on his couch in 2009, and he offered me some cereal and we didn’t talk at all. Later, I watched Elliot sing songs a cappella in his backyard with hunnies and fellas floating in the pool behind him. I’ve seen Elliot on a 625-acre farm in Eastern Iowa, unblinkingly rejecting the stage and sound system. With his voice out-loud and arms tied awkwardly behind his back, he stopped hearts with his even-paced drawl against the Iowa countryside. Aided by bare instrumentation, Elliot’s songs read as poems or folk tales. His songs have an amazing sense of humor and life that the listener feels like they’re chatting with an old friend or maybe even someone they kissed at a party once. And sometimes they’re profoundly sad. And that’s okay.

Many of us know and love Elliot Burke, the main brains behind the operation that is Lesbian Poetry, but he’s very earnest about involving other Iowa musicians in his musical efforts. He’s currently playing with Luke and Wesley Belknap, who are both involved in their own musical pursuits in Iowa. He toured last summer with Little Ruckus, playing solo stuff but always excited to strum along to Dom’s tunes with his acoustic guitar and sweat-power grin. In the past, he’s been so down for whatever that he picked up his trumpet and toured the country with Mumford’s. Something about Elliot’s spirit makes him a natural third or twelfth member to any band.

Please please please, listen to Elliot’s stories. There’s nothing but hits in his discography. From the oldies but goodies like “You Want to Fuck Her Again” and “Wine and Cheese” to literally any song on Lo-Fi Country for the Whole Family, you will find something – a single line or a chorus – that will resonate with you as entirely true. And if you drop him a line, Elliot will definitely play a show in your backyard or local pizza parlor or jungle gym. That’s what Lesbian Poetry is to me.
- from The Des Moines Music Coalition piece by Zoey Miller

Ep 23 - Song 3: "Merry Christmas" by Nuclear Rodeo

By the Powers of Greyskull, Nuclear Rodeo formed, toured, released albums, EPs, and love to party and treat people nice.
- from their Facebook page

Lineup:
David "Bobby Thunder H-Bomb" Olson: Drums, Hollering
Campbell "Candy Corn" DeSousa: Lead Vocals, Guitar, Gut Bustin'
Jordan "Finger Party Pompom" Mayland: Bass Guitar, Background Vocal Lovehammer, Sound Wizard
Phillip "Stun Baton Technology" Young: Guitar, Party Brigade
Steven "Mcgillicuddly" Rood: Drums, Life/Band Saving
Dustin "Bad to the Bone/Nice in the Heart" Harmsen: Guitar, Aux Percussion, Keys, Vox, moves

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/nuclearrodeo/

Bandcamp:

https://nuclearrodeo.bandcamp.com/

Ep 23 - Song 4: "Red Light Christmas" by Tuff Jerks

Steve Squires and I made this back in 2005. Christmas album for jerk teenagers.
- from their Bandcamp site

Lineup:
Steve Squires
Jason Hennesy

Bandcamp:

https://tuffjerks.bandcamp.com/

IMSC Ep 23 - Song 7: "I Still Believe" by North of Grand

Thanks to North of Grand for letting me play this unreleased demo.

A Farewell To Rockets, the fifth album from Iowa’s North of Grand, marks the end of an era and the beginning of another. The band’s Brolester Records debut is a tribute of sorts to the Rocket Transfer Warehouse, the brick building NOG called home for a decade before being booted - so the structure in downtown Des Moines could be converted into condos. Rockets is also NOG’s first recording as a quartet. The addition of lead guitarist Matt Wellendorf has transformed the band from a somewhat simple, punk-pop trio into a fully-realized rock n roll machine...

Rockets displays North of Grand's knack for writing catchy, guitar-driven rock n roll, littered with powerful hooks and memorable lyrics. The nine songs, clocking in under 28 minutes, feature fist-in-the-air choruses, blistering solos and Thin Lizzyesque dualing guitars backed by a straight forward, hard-hitting rhythm section.
- from their Facebook page