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

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

Ep 58 - Song 1: "A Collage of Impressions" by The Poison Control Center

"The band's indie rock sound is strongly influenced by bands of the 1960s, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys, but they have also touched upon more unrelated genres since their inception. Their earlier recordings show influence of the lo-fi sound and pop sensibilities of indie rock bands of the 1990s, such as Guided by Voices and Pavement, although recent albums have featured more polished production."
- from their Wikipedia entry

"The Poison Control Center have long been considered one of Iowa's personal favorite local bands. The creation of Patrick Tape Fleming and many of his friends, the band's inspiration has stood as one of Iowa's music scene's key ideals: community and friendship. Though the numbers and band members have changed throughout the years, the band has continued to release music in a more condensed version... The band is best known nowadays to consist of Patrick Tape Fleming on guitar and vocals as well as Devin Frank, who also plays guitar and sings, Joe Terry, who plays bass and sings (and does a cool thing with a trumpet and some swingin' hips), and Dave Olson, who plays drums (... and he sings, too). Though some of the members have moved away, the band still likes to get together to entertain the masses, doing cartwheels, standing on their heads while shredding through guitar solos, dancing in the crowd, and leading many a sing-a-long with the crowd (basically, putting on legendary rock shows)."
- from their DMMC music directory entry

"From the Ames/Des Moines/Iowa state capital corridor, there's been a rattling for what seems to be decades, a great disturbance that became a lesser disturbance, that became a puzzlement, that was fleshed out, that was refined, that was commandeered by four principal songwriters all of distinguishably different persuasions, that was made into an operable quartet that has come to this day embracing all of its idiosyncrasies in a more controlled environment. The Poison Control Center, if it's appropriate in its syntax to claim the multi-headed project as a single being, was a madman in its earlier days of playing in green jump suits a la the yellow ones Dignan wore in 'Bottle Rocket.'

"It was an unhinged variation on the simple pop structure that spawned all of the Beatles crazies who made all of the fuzzed out, drugged up psychedelic indie rock for The Elephant Six Collective and Kindercore Records. They were and still are a group that bows to hermetic Jeff Mangum, hyper-kinetic Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo (lead singer Patrick Fleming would probably list being an invited guest to the Apples front man's wedding as a life highlight), Elf Power, Masters of the Hemisphere and all of the other various off-shoots and denominations of these incestuous bands. They've helmed in their more reckless leanings and stand before us with the tassel flipped over to the left side of their caps, signifying a graduation of sorts into the kind of rock and roll world that they always knew was out there waiting for them if they could just get there - surviving personal losses and creative differences and growing up (the biggest detriment to a band that lives and dines on doing things the hard and ambitious way).

"The PCC now - with its forthcoming new record A Collage of Impressions -- is going after legitimacy. It already has legacy and relative longevity, as well as experience playing ice cream parlors and Patrick Fleming and Devin Frank staging live battles with their bodies and guitars, like two feral bighorns clacking their bones together for the appealing hand of the lady bighorn. The record makes the most of their multi-dimensions and individual voices and egos. All four voices get their crack and the barnburning, waylaying is an attractive version of the closest this band will get to giving us a straight answer. It's still pop, via the weirder, non-cerebral form of the word, but it's an expansion of on the many years of trying and a testament to what plugging away at a sound burning a hole in your head can lead to. Poison Control Center sings that love is the answer, but the reason they're even able to repeat what was just said is by way of supreme companionship - which gets a lot of face time on the new album. It's a full developed friendship of mostly brothers that has taken their love of weird but simple music courting."
- from their entry on Daytrotter

Lineup:
Patrick Tape Fleming - vocals, guitar
Devin Frank - vocals, guitar
Joey Terry - bass, vocals
David Olson - drums, vocals

Home page:
http://thepoisoncontrolcenter.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/The-Poison-Control-Center-98639736292

BandCamp:
https://thepoisoncontrolcenter.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, 2007, A Collage of Impressions (song), Ames, Ames area, Christmas, Christmas 2017, Collage of Impressions (song), Ep 058, Holidays, Holidays 2017, Indie Rock, Poison Control Center (band)

IMSC Ep 58 - Song 3: "High on Christmas" by Dan Bee

"Dan Bee started off life stillborn in Evanston IL in the mid 1970's. After his revival he did the normal baby thing, then the toddler thing. After going through some torturous years being picked on and ostracized as a teenager the pure isolation led him to lock up in a room with a guitar becoming a musician. Today he is an adult man child making music which aids him to bypass the crippling nature of his normal reclusiveness.

"Dan Bee is a songwriter who marches to the beat of his own drum. He does what he does and does it as well as he can. Some people will like it and some people will not. The music isn't trying to be anything in particular other than an expression of the emotion the songwriter is going through at the time of creation.

"Dan Bee is one of those weird musicians who doesn't really care about what guitar they are playing on or playing with technical skill. While those things do have their merits, Dan feels as long as what you do has passion and you have passion for it then that is enough.

"The music on this page can and will be anything from a rough acoustic demo recorded on a cell phone in a bedroom, to a full band of friends recorded in a lush studio.

"Here you go, have a listen and enjoy your life. :)"
- from his Facebook page

Lineup:
Dan Bobek - vocals, instruments

IMSC Ep 58 - Song 4: "Distracted When You Kiss" by Gloom Balloon

"Songs for a baroque heart."
- from their BandCamp page

"Gloom Balloon is full of surprises!'
- Spin Magazine

“Gloom Balloon is energizing, hilarious, heartbreaking, depressing, and sometimes it’s all of those things at the exact same instant. Gloom Balloon physically or emotionally grabs you by the head; there can be no doubt that Fleming will continue to be one of the best lyricists and one of the best performers you’ll ever see."
- themilkcarton.com

“One of the best records I’ve heard all year. […] Albums like this don’t come around every day, and we need to cherish them when they do."
– Josh Terzino, Music-Defined.com (#6 Top Album of 2013)

Lineup:
Pat Fleming - vocals, guitar

Home page:
http://gloomballoon.com/

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

BandCamp:
https://gloomballoon.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, 2017, acoustic, Christmas, Christmas 2017, Des Moines, Des Moines area, Distracted When You Kiss (song), Ep 058, folk music, Gloom Balloon (band), Holidays, Holidays 2017, indie music, Pat Fleming

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

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

JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS: Home for the Holidays with Max Wellman and Tina Findlay Haase at The Bridge in Johnston on December 20, 2015

For this installment, we present a holiday show featuring Max Wellman and Tina Findlay Haase.

"Whether it is at Chicago’s stunning Drake Hotel or the historic Hoyt Sherman Place Theater, vocalist Max Wellman is enticing music lovers throughout the region. With a sound evoking the likes of Sinatra & Connick, Wellman’s recordings & performances promise that the Great American Songbook is alive & well for a new generation of listeners.

When Wellman teams up with his jazz trio or his Big Band, it’s an opportunity to witness his talent on a grand scale. Concerts like his annual ‘Home for the Holidays’ have become a cherished treasure throughout the region."
- from Max Wellman's Facebook page

"Tina Haase Findlay and Brandon Findlay are bella soul. As a modular group, the duo expands with members of their diverse musical family, including international award-winning bassist Scot Sutherland and reknowned artist-educator Dr. Damani Phillips, among more than two dozen local and regional artists who regularly join on stage and in studio.

"As a duo, trio, quintet, or sextet, bella soul is built from a loving devotion to the kaleidoscope of sounds and styles that have naturally raised from the American deltas and heartlands they call home. And as they prepare a new collection of original work, Genesis of the Exodus, the Findlay's and their family are enjoying the blessings of lives filled with great friends, great art, and great love."
- from the Diva and the Deacons Facebook page





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

Max Wellman's home page:
http://maxwellmanmusic.com/

The Diva and the Deacons Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/bellasoulmusic/

One week ago...
JAZZMAN JOE VIDEOS: Ankeny Community Chorus at The Prairie Ridge Church on November 17, 2017 -
https://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/11/jazzman-joe-videos-ankeny-community.html

Two weeks ago...
PLAYLISTS: Thanksgiving - Iowa Style -
https://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/11/playlists-thanksgiving-iowa-style.html

Three weeks ago...
Leave me alone! I'm resting! -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/11/leave-me-alone-im-resting.html

One month ago...
EPISODE 55: Happy Hawkeye Halloween 2017, Part 4 of 4 - The Black Angels and Other Iowa Evil Spirits -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/10/episode-55-happy-hawkeye-halloween-2017.html

Three months ago...
PLAYLISTS: New Iowa Music on Bandcamp 1 -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/09/playlists-new-iowa-music-on-bandcamp-1.html

Six months ago...
OTHER SOURCES: Lock N Load show and YouTube channel -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2017/06/other-sources-lock-n-load-show-and.html

One year ago...
Episode 38: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2016, Part 1 of 3 - The Milk Edition -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2016/12/episode-39-happy-hawkeye-holidays-2016.html

Two years ago...
Episode 21: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2015, the Flurries Edition -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2015/12/episode-21-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

IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE PODCAST - Episode 56: Happy Hawkeye Holidays 2017, Part 1 of 3: Nestor

Ho ho ho! Once again it's time for Santa OlderMusicGeek to send away that crazy Evil Doctor OlderMusicGeek, and usher in the Holiday Season - with a capital H and S!

As we've done on the two previous years, the first episode brings the quieter and mellower Holiday tunes, mostly folk and acoustic works, but a couple of surprises in there, a Christmas tune from metal guitarist Ivan Dimitrienko and a rousing version of "Jolly Old St Nicholas" from The Wire Frames!

So grab yourself some hot cocoa, Coca-Cola, or eggnog, depending how you like to celebrate the holidays, relax, and get into the holiday spirit with some Iowa music.

Ep 56 - Song 1: "3am on Christmas Eve" by Marc Bailey

"The old saying ‘walk before you run’ would be an apt description of Iowa native Marc Bailey’s time in music. “The first 10 years or so I was really focused on putting together instrumentation and studying how everything interacted together,” says Marc. 'Each project I worked on taught me something new in terms of dynamics and creating songs. Then I flipped everything upside down by picking up a new instrument and immersed myself in songwriting as a whole.'

“'By no means am I reinventing the wheel, but every person has their own experiences and perspective so that naturally lends to a different take on things. I really dig getting lost in songs and finding my own meanings, my hope is that people can do the same with the songs I write.'”
- from his descriptiion of the 2017 Iowa Arts Festival web page on it live music

"I was in Ira Grace & the Bible Belt Prophets but now play on my own... the band is on hiatus, but I'm trudging on writing music and playing live."
- from an email Marc sent to Iowa Music Showcase

"Somewhere along the way I started writing songs, now I can't stop."
- from his Facebook page

Lineup:
Marc Bailey - vocals, guitar

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/marcbailey.music/

SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/arcailey

To download the whole podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode56/Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2056_.mp3

Labels: 2010s, 2017, 3am on Christmas Eve (song), acoustic, Christmas, Christmas 2017, Christmas music,Des Moines, Des Moines area, Ep 056, folk (genre), folk music, Holiday music, Holidays, Holidays 2017, Marc Bailey