JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS - Ankeny Community Chorus performs for The Epiphany at Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Church in Ankeny on Jan 6, 2018

"The Ankeny Community Chorus is a choir of 80+ singers dedicated to sharing rich and diverse musical selections. Founded in June of 2001 by Ankeny Resident Bill Konnath, the choir sings a full range of classical and contemporary music...

"In June of 2001, Ankeny resident Bill Konnath approached Steve Carstenson, Ankeny High School Choral Music Director, about interest in a community chorus in Ankeny. Carstenson was a little skeptical, but with Konnath's encouragement, agreed to consider directing if Konnath could pull enough singers together to make it worthwile. Eighty-two Ankeny area residents showed up for the group's first gathering, and the Ankeny Community Chorus was born...."
- from their home page

Jazzman Joe on the YouTube page: MEMBERS OF THE ANKENY COMMUNITY CHORUS PERFORMED FOR CATHOLIC MASS AT OUR LADY'S IMMACULATE HEART CHURCH IN ANKENY, IOWA 1/6/18



Jazzman Joe's YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/jazzmanjoe100

Ankeny Community Chorus's home page:
http://www.ankenycommunitychorus.com/

Ankeny Community Chorus on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AnkenyCommunityChorus/


PREVIOUSLY ON IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE:

CULTURE MYTH - Day 1: Des Moines
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2018/01/culture-myth-day-1-des-moines.html

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IOWA - Episode 16: Sisko Diq
https://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2018/01/your-own-private-iowa-episode-16-sisko.html

EPISODE 59: Favorites of 2017 (and The State of The Website Speech) -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2018/01/episode-59-favorites-of-2017-and-state.html

A Whole Bunch of Boring Statistics on Favorites of 2016 and the Favorite Posts of the Year -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-whole-bunch-of-boring-statistics-on.html

YOUR OWN PRIVATE IOWA - Episode 15: Morning Sex and The Good Weed -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2018/01/your-own-private-iowa-episode-15.html

Two weeks ago...
JAZZMAN JOE VIDEO - DMACC Chorus Ensemble with Simon Estes on Dec 8, 2017 -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/12/jazzman-joe-video-dmacc-chorus-ensemble.html

Three weeks ago...
JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS: Sounds of the Season with Soprano Chelsea Smith at Our Lady's Immaculate Church in Ankeny, Iowa, on Dec 10, 2017 -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/12/jazzman-joe-videos-sounds-of-season.html

One month ago...
Iowa Music NEEDS Net Neutrality - and So Does Iowa Music Showcase! -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/12/iowa-music-needs-net-neutrality-and-so.html

Three months ago...
EPISODE 53: Happy Hawkeye Halloween 2017, Part 2 of 4 - Monster Turtle of Big Blue Lake and Other Iowa Sea Creatures -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/10/episode-53-happy-hawkeye-halloween-2017.html

Six months ago...
PLAYLISTS: New Iowa Music on Spotify 1 -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/07/playlists-new-iowa-music-on-spotify-1.html

One year ago...
Episode 42: The Acts of Iowa Music Showcase Live -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/01/episode-42-acts-of-iowa-music-showcase.html

Two years ago...
Episode 24: Favorites of 2015 -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2016/01/episode-24-favorites-of-2015.html

Three years ago...
Episode 2: My Board of Trustees -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2015/01/episode-2-my-board-of-trustees.html


OTHER IMSC WEBSITES AND LINKS:
Feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/IowaMusicShowcase
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Music-Showcase/364796883703114
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/iamusicshowcase
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/iowamusicshowcase

Labels: 2010s, 2018, Ankeny Community Chorus (band), Christian music, Christmas, Christmas 2017,Christmas music, Epiphany, Holiday music, Holidays, Holidays 2017, Jazzman Joe, JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS,videos, YouTube

It's Christmas! I got nothing!

It's Christmas! And I already put up all the podcasts and playlists for this year! So there's really nothing to do at this point.

If you want Christmassy stuff, here's a link to all the Christmassy stuff we have - http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/search/label/Christmas

Labels: Christmas, Christmas 2017, Christmas music, Holiday music, Holidays, Holidays 2017

JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS: Sounds of the Season with Soprano Chelsea Smith at Our Lady"s Immaculate Church in Ankeny, Iowa, on Dec 10, 2017

From Jazzman Joe's YouTube page: THE FIFTEENTH ANNUAL SOUNDS OF THE SEASON GALA AT OUR LADY'S IMMACULATE HEART CHURCH, ANKENY, IOWA, PRESENTED CHELSEA SMITH, SOPRANO, WITH HOLIDAY SONGS INCLUDING HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING, ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH, DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR, JINGLE BELLS, I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, OH CHRISTMAS TREE, DECK THE HALLS, HAVE YOURSELF A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, SILENT NIGHT, OH HOLY NIGHT, & JOY TO THE WORLD....



Jazzman Joe's YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/user/jazzmanjoe100


PREVIOUSLY ON IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE:
One week ago...
FESTER RAGE VIDEOS: A Testament of Youth (ATOY) at The Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines on August 31, 2007 -
(http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/12/fester-rage-videos-testament-of-youth.html)

Two weeks ago...
JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS - Soya Vista Jazz Orchestra With Gina Gedler at Noce on November 18, 2017 -
(http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/12/jazzman-joe-videos-soya-vista-jazz.html)

Three weeks ago...
JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS: Home for the Holidays with Max Wellman and Tina Findlay Haase at The Bridge in Johnston on December 20, 2015 -
(http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/12/jazzman-joe-videos-home-for-holidays.html)

One month ago...
YOUR OWN PRIVATE IOWA - Episode 2: Nate Logsdon -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/11/your-own-private-iowa-episode-2-nate.html

Three months ago...
PLAYLISTS: New Iowa Music on YouTube 2 -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/09/playlists-new-iowa-music-on-youtube-2.html

Six months ago...
PLAYLISTS: A Father's Day Playlist -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/06/playlists-fathers-day-playlist.html

One year ago...
Episode 40: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2016, Part 3 of 3 - The Spiked Eggnog Edition -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2016/12/episode-40-happy-hawkeye-holidays-2016.html

Two years ago...
Episode 22: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2015, The Snow Edition -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2015/12/episode-22-happy-hawkeye-holidays-2015.html


OTHER IMSC WEBSITES AND LINKS:
Feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/IowaMusicShowcase
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Music-Showcase/364796883703114
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/iamusicshowcase
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/iowamusicshowcase

Labels: Chelsea Smith, Christmas, Christmas music, classical, classical music, Holiday music, Holidays,Jazzman Joe, JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS, Our Lady's Immaculate Church (Ankeny), sopranos, Sounds of the Season

PLAYLISTS: Iowa Holiday Music on Various Websites

Ho ho ho! Although we presented now with NINE different podcast episodes of Iowa Holiday music, we still have plenty of other music for you.

So we present playlists from SoundCloud, YouTube, Spotify, and BandCamp!

Some we have presented in the previous year, but all have been updated with new music I've found. If you know of any I miss, then let me know iowamusicshowcase@gmail.com.

You should also check out "A Conquered Christmas" featuring Christopher the Conquered and various central Iowa and Iowa in general music acts!

2015 - http://iowapublicradio.org/post/hear-conquered-christmas-studio-one-live-set

2016 - http://iowapublicradio.org/post/hear-conquered-christmas-2016-studio-one-live-set

So have yourself a corny Christmas! (Get it, cus Iowa grows corn?)













PREVIOUSLY ON IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE:
One week ago...
EPISODE 58: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2017, Part 3 of 3 - Scrooge -
(http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/12/episode-58-happy-hawkeye-holidays-2017.html)

Two weeks ago...
EPISODE 57: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2017, Part 2 of 3 - The Snowman -
(http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/12/episode-57-happy-hawkeye-holidays-2017.html)

Three weeks ago...
EPISODE 56: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2017, Part 1 of 3: Nestor -
(http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/11/episode-56-happy-hawkeye-holidays-2017.html)

One month ago...
PLAYLISTS: Thanksgiving - Iowa Style -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/11/playlists-thanksgiving-iowa-style.html

Three months ago...
EPISODE 51: Iowa Hip-Hop and Rap 2 (and 3 episodes of the Iowa Block Radio rap podcast) -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/09/episode-51-iowa-hip-hop-and-rap-2-and-3.html

Six months ago...
PLAYLISTS: A Father's Day Playlist -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/06/playlists-fathers-day-playlist.html

One year ago...
Episode 40: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2016, Part 3 of 3 - The Spiked Eggnog Edition -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2016/12/episode-40-happy-hawkeye-holidays-2016.html

Two years ago...
Episode 21: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2015, the Flurries Edition -
http://feeds.feedburner.com/IowaMusicShowcase


OTHER IMSC WEBSITES AND LINKS:
Feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/IowaMusicShowcase
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Music-Showcase/364796883703114
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/iamusicshowcase
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/iowamusicshowcase

Labels: BandCamp, Christmas, Christmas 2017, Christmas music, Christmas playlist, Conquered Christmas,Holiday music, Holiday playlist, Holidays, Holidays 2017, playlists, SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube

IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE PODCAST - Episode 58: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2017, Part 3 of 3 - Scrooge

Ho ho ho! We bring the last of this year's Holidays episodes.

And as in previous years, this episode features some situations and language that some of you may not want to hear. So you have been warned.

The rest of you I hope enjoy this last collection of festive musical frivolities.

And be back next week as we present a whole bunch of playlists featuring Iowa's own songs of the season!

Art by John Leech
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Leech_(caricaturist)

IMSC Ep 58 - Song 5: "Happy Holidays" by Bryan Baker

"Singer / Songwriter, Geek Werewolves howling for lost love and regret, robots enslaving and destroying humanity, lost love returning in the zombiepocalypse, and that's just the first three songs!"
- from his ReverbNation page

"Bryan Baker (Kaklick Martin) is a metaverse musician: A singer/songwriter performing in, and writing songs about, the virtual world known as Second Life®. Bryan’s avatar Kaklick took the stage in Second Life® for the first time back in late 2005, so he is among the longest running performers in Second Life® and was an early evangelist for the live music scene there...

"Bryan has been writing music since his childhood, but got serious in high school. Originally intending on a path that would have taken him to Berklee School of Music in the early 80s as a bassist, he was offered the chance to try out a musician's life straight out of high school and he hired on as a bass player in a lounge outfit of no consequence in the twin cities area. When this came to an end a few months later he returned to Iowa and joined a new-wave outfit called 'The Keyz' based in Ames. They played some great shows to appreciative fans, but this didn't last either. By this time he'd started studying at Iowa State, initially in music, then migrating to theatre and eventually graduating in that field...

"For several years he concentrated on other aspects of his life, and his career path led him to work on show control for many high profile entertainment venues, but he kept writing and playing music. In 2004 he started seriously recording and writing again and has been going full steam since."
- from his Facebook page

Lineup:
Bryan Baker - vocals, instruments

Home page:
http://ka-klick.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Bryan-Baker-54790471441/

ReverbNation:
https://www.reverbnation.com/bryanbaker

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode58/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2058_.mp3

Labels: 2010s, 2017, Bryan Baker, Christmas, Christmas 2017, Christmas music, Des Moines area, Ep 058, folk music, Happy Holidays (song), Holiday music, Holidays, Holidays 2017, pop music, West Des Moines

IMSC Ep 58 - Song 6: "Christmas Makes Pants Happy" by Keepers of the Carpet

"Active 1996-2008 Originated in Buffalo Center, Iowa. Later involved in Bi-Fi Records in Ames, Iowa. Later self-released "Just Set Fire To The Prize." Members: Jordan Mayland, Jason Holland, Zack Smith, Pete Smith, Tyler Smith, Eric Moffitt, Rano LoVan, Paul Friemel, Dan Shea, Jacob Tyler Wolfgang."
- from their BandCamp page

"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

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

BandCamp:
https://keepersofthecarpet.bandcamp.com/

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode58/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2058_.mp3

Labels: 2000s, 2006, Ames, Ames area, Christmas, Christmas Makes Pants Happy (song), Ep 058, Eric Moffitt. Christmas music, Holiday music, Holidays, indie music, Indie Rock, Jordan Mayland, Keepers of the Carpet (band)

IMSC Ep 58 - Song 7: "When No One Calls on Christmas" by Tuff Jerks

"This is Jason Hennesy. I'm a songwriter and sales professional in southeast Iowa. I'm interested in failure."
- from their BandCamp page

IMSC Ep 58 - Song 8: "Part of the Party" by Karen Meat

"Karen Meat is a pop rock project of Arin Eaton based between Des Moines and Iowa City. The band itself is a moody character, a sequined oversized sweater, crooning melodies and lyrics of a bored generation. She’s Drunk Like The Rest Of Us, Karen Meat’s recent November 2016 tape release, steers away from her DSM band (Brad Turk, John Huffman) as Eaton collaborates with her business partner Dana Telsrow. Karen Meat glitters with memorable beats, 60s-girl-pop inspired vocals, guitar solos by Dana, and coordinated outfits. Full band Karen Meat includes releases such as On The Couch (2016), and self-titled Karen Meat & The Computer (2015) – grumpy rock n’ roll songs with a tinge of partying and omnicord, with titles like “Who Cares?” and “Pizza and Beer”. Realistically, pop songs should be fun AND sad. Karen Meat embraces the power of rejection and depression as themes for her music, and her upbeat tunes are gems of sarcasm and truth. Follow Karen Meat on Twitter at @K_Meat for more declarations on how weird the world can seem."
- from their Facebook pag

Ep 58 - Song 9: "Merry Christmas, Bats" by Personal Vendetta

"we play awesome punk songs"
- from their Facebook page

Lineup:
Joshua Mutant - guitar/lead vocals
Danny Anderson - Bass
Kernan, the Korean Nun - drums/vocals

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/vendettapunk801/

BandCamp:
https://personalvendetta.bandcamp.com/

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode58/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2058_.mp3

Labels: 2010s, 2016, Ames, Ames area, Christmas, Christmas music, Danny Anderson, Ep 058, Holiday music,Holidays, Joshua Mutant, Kernan, Korean Nun, Merry Christmas Bats (song), Personal Vendetta (band), punk,punk rock

IMSC Ep 57 - Song 1: "Angels from the Realms of Glory" by Joel Hernandes and ACCalive

"Our band is composed of an eclectic and multi-ethnic group of musicians who facilitate the worship at Asbury Community Chapel in Asbury, IA. We live to glorify God, by using the gift of music to build and encourage His church...

"We hope you enjoy the music our church has come to appreciate. Better yet, we hope you come to experience the awe and joy and worship Jesus has given us. Come and worship!"
- from their BandCamp page

Lineup:
Marco Arjona — lead vocals, backup & crew vocals, cajon, accordion, toms, various percussion
Connie Fullan — crew vocals
Jesse Fullan — lead vocals, crew vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, piano, bells
Raymundo Guerra — lead vocals, crew vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass
Amy Hernandez — backup vocals, crew vocals
Joel Hernandez — lead vocals, backup & crew vocals, nylon guitar, bass, ukelele, bells, penny whistle
Jon Lauriat — cymbals, banjo, various percussion

BandCamp:
http://accalive.bandcamp.com/

Home page of ACCalive (The Ashbury Community Chapel):
http://accalive.org/

Music page of ACCalive (The Ashbury Community Chapel):
http://accalive.org/rekindle/

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode57/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2057_.mp3

Ep 57 - Song 2: "Jingle Bells" by Farewell 2nd South

"I'm a music composition major at Luther College, and I'm also on the cross country team. 12 of my teammates and I lived in a residence hall called Farwell last year. Farwell has a floor plan with 'clusters.' A cluster is basically a big living room with 7 dorm rooms attached. We lived on the 2nd floor, south side. One day, I said, 'Hey guys let's make a Christmas album.' So we started that day with 'Oh Holy Night' and basically just recorded Christmas songs here and there for about 2 weeks. Our philosophy for most of these was, 'First take, best take.'... But for the most part our goal first and foremost was to have fun, which really shines through on tracks like, 'Jingle Bells' (our breakout single). At the very least, our friends liked it.

For the most part, this project was, for me, a way to make music purely for fun and not worry so much about being artistic or serious or whatever. It's kind of similar to my joke project, DJ Yoyo (https://djyoyo1.bandcamp.com). I also have serious stuff here - https://hunterprueger.bandcamp.com.

As for the group now, we're all still friends and teammates but we no longer live in a cluster. Look out for a music video coming soon."
- from Hunter Prueger in an email to Iowa Music Showcase

"Merry Christmas from the guys who live and hang out in the Farwell 2nd south cluster. From covers of our favorite Christmas songs to a Kenny G diss track, you better not play this in the dorms as it may be considered a fire hazard. Recorded entirely in our dorm rooms, living room, and the practice room beneath us." - from their BandCamp page

Lineup:
Hunter Prueger - Ukulele, recorder, piano, melodica
Maape Finnegan - Vocals
Ranger Deranek - Vocals, recorder
Laika Amann - Vocals
Mance Streitz - Vocals, shaker
Ethan Harris - Vocals
Pike Selcke - Vocals
Sasso Lumbar - Vocals
Kenobi Warehime - Vocals, guitar
Sengi Duethman - Vocals
Taz Brandt - Vocals, ukulele
Solo Weber - Vocals
Chiron Kern - Vocals
Howl Orton - Vocals
Anna Ryden - Vocals
And Kenny G, of course

BandCamp:
https://farwell2ndsouth.bandcamp.com

Hunter Prueger's BandCamp page:
https://hunterprueger.bandcamp.com/

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode57/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2057_.mp3

ISMC Ep 57 - Song 3: "King Jesus Was His Name" with "What Child is This?" by Craig Johnson

"The songs... represent the ideas and works which is accomplished in IdeaSound Studios."
- from the BandCamp page

BandCamp:
http://ideasound.us/

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode57/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2057_.mp3

ISMC Ep 57 - Song 4: "Blessings at Yuletide" by Clark Ford

"Clark Ford is a songwriter from California, living in Iowa. He writes music in several genres including pop, rock, country, blues, sacred, operetta, and jazz. Much of his work is included in a series of stage musicals: '1961','1972', '1983', '1994', '2005', and '2016', the musicals."
- from his Facebook page

Lineup:
Doris Nash - vocals
Erica Fuchs- vocals
Clark Ford - vocals

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

SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/cfford

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/clarkfford

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode57/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2057_.mp3

Ep 57 - Song 5: "Take Me to Rio for Christmas" by Bob Phelan

"Singer/Songwriter (BMI), Originals, Christmas Parodies, Jingles

"Songs for Radio, Advertising and just for fun.

"I started playing drums in bands at age 11. Picked up the bass at age 16 and have played ever since. I started writing in the 80's and it was hit-and-miss through the 90's. The writing bug hit me again around 2009, and I got into writing classic songs into Christmas parodies as well as more original songs. I found that parodies are a real challenge. Taking a classic song and re-writing it into a Christmas story and maintaining the same sound and feel as the original can be tricky.

"I do all my own vocals and most instrumentation myself in my little basement studio.

"I hope you find my music entertaining and inspiring."
- from his ReverbNation page

Lineup:
Bob Phelan - vocals, all instruments

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Bob-Phelan-238189963033723/

ReverbNation:
https://www.reverbnation.com/bobphelan

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode57/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2057_.mp3

IMSC Ep 57 - Song 6: "Home for the Holidays" by Dominique Morgan (feat Jus B)

"Lyrics, Life and Love are the foundations of the artist known as Dominique Morgan. Since age 7, this storyteller narrates tales of the heart; recalling personal trials, tribulations and chronicles of passion. This 12-time Omaha Entertainment & Arts Award nominee has been deemed by Encounter Magazine as '…one of the most celebrated R&B artists in the Midwest.' Composing hit songs like 'In My Zone' (from the album Party Soul by Jus.B). Mr. Morgan has composed over 400 songs of expression throughout his music career - with albums like Loveaholics and Love Chronicles, Dominique eloquently translates life’s pain into musical memoirs of strength and courage."
= from his home page

"Dominique Morgan got into the music scene very early on and knew that music was what he was meant to do with his life. In 2005 he began to work at Icon One Music as a member of the writing staff, Penfluence while crafting songs for his own project. He spent years contributing to other artists projects until he was featured on the Icon One Music Christmas compilation Icon Onederland in 2009... This entire time he was writing and producing songs that would come to be his first project 'A Thin Line Between Love & Hate' in 2011 and that same year he won Performer of the Year from Brainstorm Promotions one of the largest LGBT promotions companies in the Midwest."
- from his ReverbNation page

IMSC Ep 57 - Song 7: "Christmas in the Air" by Jono and The Whatnauts

"We are from Des Moines, IA.

"Jono and the WhatNauts are, so far, only a recording band. We just completed an album entitled 'Peace&Love&War&Peace' to be released in January or February of 2018. Jono (me) has been in various Iowa bands such as: The (Original) Other Brothers 1999-2006, Alien Corn 1981-1998, The Red Ryder Band (Council Bluffs) 1976-1980, Zini (Lamoni) 1972-1976 & 1978-1981. I am currently playing guitar/vocals for Opus Taylor 2012-? around central Iowa. March 2018 will be the 20th anniversary of Alien Corn's CD release 'In The Middle Of Everywhere' and the 40th anniversary of The Red Ryder Band's LP 'The Red Ryder Band' (country-rock). I guess I release an album every 20 years. Jono and the WhatNauts are already working on their next album, so I can get off of that 20 year cycle.
- from an email sent to Iowa Music Showcase

"Jono started his musical career at age 14 when he was paid $10 to play at a pool-side party at a country club and has been playing professionally and semi-professionally ever since. He has written and recorded many original songs and albums and has toured with numerous regional bands throughout the Midwest. In addition to his role as Opus Taylor's lead guitarist, he occasionally plays solo and duo gigs including the popular Botanical Blues Series at the Des Moines Botanical Center. He is currently retired from teaching elementary school."
- from the Opus Taylor home page

Opus Taylor home page:
https://www.opustaylor.com/

Opus Taylor Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/OpusTaylor/

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode57/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2057_.mp3

IMSC Ep 57 - Song 8: "Joy to the World! Every Man is Free!" by Christopher the Conquered (feat The Black Gold Brass Band)

"You guys @ctconquered is the real deal. This record is blowing my mind!!!" - from Ryan Adams on Twitter

"It’s a little like Freddie Mercury singing selections from David Bowie’s Young Americans and the Rocky Horror soundtrack."
- from a review by Houston Roby on the website, 1 2 3 O'Clock 4 O'Clock Rock

"Singer-songwriter Christopher The Conquered may be one of the most underrated musicians in all of music. His lyrics are from the heart, the instrumentals alternate between beautiful and infectious to hypnotizing and haunting."
- from an interview by Reggie Edwards from the website, The Front Row Report

"Normally if someone tells me this I just assume that they are friends with someone in the band. But because I hold him in such high regard, I took Patrick at his word and I listened to the music with an open mind. And as it turns out, not only was Patrick (Fleming) being one hundred percent sincere, if anything he undersold it. After hearing these songs a couple times, I have to say that Christopher The Conquered, along with his Black Gold Brass Band, should be a lot of people’s favorite band...

"Ford and his band have a 'throw it all against the wall and see what sticks' philosophy. They cover more genres than I can count, often in the same song, but it works. As the leader of the band, Ford reminds me of a couple very well-known and liked artists-Randy Newman and Ben Folds. Newman for the biting social commentary and Folds for the irreverence. He’s never afraid to speak his mind or turn something on it’s head. Writing from the heart is always the best way to go, and on this album Ford does that in spades."
- from a review on the website, Music. Defined.

"Christopher the Conquered is a soulful pianist who performs verbose ballads with a soulful groove. He performs with an authentic, infectious energy equal to the level of openness in his poetic lyricism. Christopher taught himself drums, trumpet, piano and guitar and built his chops performing in a church worship group. He harnessed the emotional-spiritual connection between audience and musician prevalent in this setting to elevate the performance of his own powerful tunes."
- from a feature on the website, Audiotree.tv

"This act channels everything right with retro pop rock. Every song contains a light-hearted and compelling narrative (don’t sleep on “I’m not Famous Yet”, it’s brilliant); every song has a melancholy punch; every song is just plain catchy. The stripped-down use of auxiliary instrumentation... delivers good vibes without being too aurally overbearing. 'In Des Moines, I’ll do whatever I feel like,' Christopher The Conquered mastermind Christopher Ford said regarding the city’s influence. 'The result is that I end up making music that is sincerely me.' Sincerity works for Chris, let’s hope he doesn’t stop using it any time soon."
- from the article, "Des Moines' Retro Pop Scene Will Put You in a Musical Time Machine", by Matthew Leimkuehler on the website, Vice

"Several other blogs and zines have already noted the vocal similarities (in range/delivery) to Jeff Buckley, so we hate to repeat, but, really, if this is your first time reading about Christopher Ford’s music, it’s a quick-yet-effect acquaintance. Those poignant chimes from his piano under his yearning, crackly vocal arches are adorned with jazzy elements like the loungy bass grooves, the swooning winds, the purring brass and the shuffling percussion. His winning charm is subtle and earnestness; if he has to sing a downbeat ballad rife with wary words straight from the heart, he’s going to do it. But if his piano solos are unconventional and his ponderous lyrics seem coy, it’s often downplayed into the decorous blend of instrumentation."
- from the article, "12 Iowa Bands You Should Listen To Now", by Jeff Milo from Paste Magazine

"Even more striking is Christopher’s expressive tenor which covers the vocal ground from gentle whisper to gospel belting — sometimes in the course of one song. He uses this range to both complement and ironically counterpoint the lyrics.

"On his website bio page, Christopher lists his influences, and two of them stick out to me: Randy Newman and John Darnielle (of The Mountain Goats). I hear it in the self-deprecating humor; the smart turns of phrase show that even as early as Christopher the Conquered is in his career, he has the chops lyrically as well as musically — making I’m Giving Up on Rock & Roll a rich tapestry of music, vocals and lyrics, one that the listener can wrap themselves in, one that reveals itself in layers on each listen."
- from a review by Micheal Roeder on the website, Little Village

"After ten years of writing, recording, and performing, Ford finally feels like his songwriting has made the proverbial leap. Over those years, Ford has plunged into every corner of the music business with a doggish devotion to the Iowa music scene: recording and performing as his main project Christopher the Conquered; playing in other bands; starting Maximum Ames Records in Ames, Iowa, and learning how to record and produce records; serving on the Des Moines Music Coalition, which aims to build a diverse music community in Des Moines, Iowa.

"Implicit in his resumé is a clear desire to foster and share musical growth, whether it is his or other local artists, with as many ears as possible."
- from the article, "Christopher the Conquered: Memphis, Italy and the Proverbial Leap - Concert Preview", by Andrew Stellmon on the website, Hear Nebraska

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

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

ITunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/christopher-the-conquered/id330669086

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode57/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2057_.mp3