Freak Focus: Head of Femur

“What will the future bring? I can’t even wake up early in the morning…” That’s pretty much the way I feel during this (and every) finals week, wondering how, over the course of the last 15 weeks, things get to this point. The answer is, they just do (”they just do”= music + booze), and Head of Femur know this. That line is from “Isn’t It a Shame?” the closing track on their stellar recent release, Great Plains. The rest of the record is filled with a sound that is actually stripped down from their last record (could you go any bigger than Hysterical Stars?)yet still manages to convey the epic space–both internal and physically real–of their midwestern subject matter. It’s a rock/pop/prog exercise in representing the features of a featureless landscape; in short, it’s what we do everyday, set to music.

If you don’t know anything about HoF, here’s the scoop. They were Nebraskans transplantedto Chicago by the fall of 2001, and soon the trio of Mike Elsener, Ben Armstrong and Matt Focht had some songs on their hands. They end up signed to Greyday for their dubut, and end up on SpinART for their sophomore effort, the aforementioned Hysterical Stars. In the meantime they are touring with a gazillion people, Polyphonic Spree-style, with harps and bajos and who knows what else. The sounds, of course, are killer, and they take to road with my some of my favorite bands, like Arhcitecture in Helsinki and Andrew Bird.

And now, dear reader, they are passed along to us. “Stripped down” to a “more manageable” five piece (this is seriously what people are writing. Do you understand yet how HUGE this band’s sound is?), they take the stage at ICYC this Sunday with Des Moines’ Poison Control Center and Heavenly States. You’ll be there if you know what’s good fer you.


Download: Head of Femur - Climbing Up Fire Escapes

Freakin’ Weekend: 5.15-5.17

nullLast week’s post was all about Mother’s Day, so hopefully you found it in your heart to do something nice for your mom, or some mom somewhere. But in the “how did I miss this?” department, I stumbled upon this story while watching the Celtics-Cavs playoff Game 5 this evening: apparently Monday night during Game 4, LeBron James absorbed a hard foul which drew his mother, seated courtside, to her feet. As she approached the court, LeBron apparently then instructed her to, “Sit your ass down!” To get the real dirt, and a more educated opinion than mine (I couldn’t watch Game 4 due to a meeting I was attending), you’ll have to consult espn.com columnist Jemele Hill’s take on the situation here. But seriously, is that not amazing? Clearly LeBron felt he was heading for a chamber of fear if his masculinity was questioned on national TV by his mom coming to his defense. But can you blame her? I mean, after all, she was a witness. As a write this, the Celtics go on to win tonight. Expect more basketball related “commentary” and bad puns in the coming weeks as the NBA playoffs heat up.

THURSDAY
Seven Samurai + Finishing the Game / Bijou Theatre / 6pm + 10pm / $5
The Bijou’s spring film series comes to a close this weekend, so for those of you that have missed out (myself included!), this weekend represents a final chance to catch some alt.films before they take a summer break. On this night you’ve got a classic and a modern parody: the evening begins with Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic Seven Samurai, in which a band of wandering ronin come to the aide of a threatened village. The late showing is last year’s Finishing the Game, which imagines a film starring Bruce Lee. The catch is that only a few scenes into the movie, Mr. Lee passes away. He is replaced and the end result is this at times hilarious and definitely thought-provoking genre parody. Of course we don’t expect you to see them both, but props if you do.

FRIDAY
Mose Giganticus w. The Emotron, Bear Weather, Skogliv, Dr. Fantasia vs. Slownite / Hall Mall / 9pm
Slanty Shanty Records proudly presents the record release show of Philadelphia’s Mose Giganticus, who are in the midst of a tour with their hometown bros the Emotron that will eventually lead them to Alaska. Some sick locals join them: Bear Weather, also of Slanty Shanty, Skogliv, which is some solo work by Adam Luksevitch of Foul Tip/The Tanks, and Dr. Fantasia vs. Slownite. I’m not even sure what that means. As always, BYOB.

SATURDAY
Bad Veins / Huckleberry’s Pizza Parlor, Rock Island / 7pm / $5
Once again, the rad folks at Daytrotter deliver, this time with a Saturday night gig featuring Cincinnati indie pop duo Bad Veins. The DT site promises an opener “TBA,” but keep in mind that these shows at Huckleberry’s Pizza start early and end early. As always, you know the drill: head down for some dinner and some tunes, be back in time to enjoy your Saturday night Iowa City style. It’s a foolproof plan.

Preview: Heavenly States

Heavenly StatesThe Heavenly States are kicking out the jams at the Yacht Club this Sunday night. It should be a riot. Once a bit more spacey and psychedelic, these Oakland, California rockers have taken a turn for the Hold Steady on their latest album, Delayer (Rebel Group; 2008). Well yeah, we can still expect vicious violin solos during the breaks and John Cale / Velvet Underground drones during the verses, but as a whole, this band has stepped up its drink and dance quotient. These guys and one girl got their start back in 2002 when singer / guitarist Ted Nesseth ditched his old punk-inflected band, Fluke Starbucker, to try on some new styles. Turning a bit closer to pop, he picked up a bassist, a drummer, and then the band’ s most distinctive sound-maker Genevieve Gagon who plays violin and keyboards. The Heavenly States have released EPs and LPs as much as they have repeatedly hit the road. They’ve criss-crossed the USA several times and even trekked out to Egypt (a la Grateful Dead) and Lybia to drop some indie rock nuggets on North Africa. So we should feel a bit honored to have these tried and true rockers sneaking into Iowa City on a Sunday night. Usually Sundays might be sleepy but heck it’s summertime and anytime is a good time to get down. Check ‘em out at the Yacht Club Sunday at 5PM. They will be joined by The Poison Control Center and Head of Femur.

New Music: Cursive on Daytrotter

nullIt’s never a bad thing to wake up on Monday morning only to be greeted with some fresh tunes by one of your favourite bands ever. Such was the case this morning when I happened onto our friends Daytrotter (totally awesome purveyors of free mp3s) only to see that they’re pumping out some new (as in, unreleased new) Cursive jams on the site. Iowans in the know got a taste of this current Cursive lineup last month when they performed at the Mill as part of Mission Creek. We know from talking to Mr. Kasher himself that weekend that there is a new Cursive record in the works, though there are no details beyond that. Until then, you’ll have to satiate yourself with “Let Me Up” and “Donkeys,” which we can only hope will make their way onto a new album in some form. “Let Me Up” is a typically haunting song, while “Donkeys” takes on infidelity once again, but this is a somewhat more mellow version of Cursive than we’ve grown accustomed to. Seems hard to believe if you saw them at the Mill, but they’ve always been known for their intensity as a live outfit. I won’t complain either way. Oh, and yeah, there’s a killer version of Ugly Organ standout track “Sierra” to go with it.

Cursive on Daytrotter

For those outside of Iowa, Cursive currently have three dates sporadically planned:

5.19 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
6.03 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
6.27 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean

And since we’re totally feeling generous today, please enjoy this deep Cursive cut, from the Burst and Bloom EP.

Download: Cursive - Mothership, Mothership Do You Read Me?

Freakin’ Weekend: 5.8-5.10

Mother's DayDon’t forget that amidst your last weekend of pre-finals revelry, this Sunday is Mother’s Day, one of our most important holidays. Make sure you take time to remember your mom, or grandmother, or wife/girlfriend, or whatever. You totally should already have a card in the mail. If not, you can totally snag a sarcastic and hilarious card like the one here at Some Ecards (thanks!). Your mom probably won’t get it, but she’ll appreciate that you thought of her at the last minute and sent her a digital card to say, “See, after all this time I forgot about you until the last minute.” Just kidding. But really, you can make somebody’s day this Sunday and it doesn’t even have to be your mom. Just be nice to moms. Now without further ado, all the things you can do in the days leading up to it so that you totally forget that shit.

Thursday
Film School w. Airiel, Foul Tip, Birth Rites / Picador / 9pm / $7
Nuff said. Did you really need more?

Friday
The Mayflies w. Highway Shelter / The Industry / 9pm / $6 / 21+
Friday night, Mission Creek vets the Mayflies rock the newest venue in town, The Industry, which also happens to be the most awfully named venue in town. Rumor has it that the once-Q Bar has undergone a totally sick makeover and is going to become a legitimately hot venue. If you haven’t seen it yet, this would be a good chance to check it out.

Saturday
What a Load of Craft! 4 / Picador / Noon-6pm / FREE
Your very own DIY local craft fair and record swap, all day at the Picador free of charge. What more can you ask for?

Dead Meadow w. The Black Hollies, Mondo Drag, Brutus and the Psychedelic Explosions / Picador / 9pm / $8
…oh yeah, you could get Matador Records’ Dead Meadow in town for an evening of totally spaced out stoner indie rock. Kind of like a slowed down, fried up Pavement. Their new record, Old Growth, came out in February to positive reviews.

Preview: Foul Tip (last show?!) w/ Film School, Airiel, and Birth Rites

AirielOh dude, is your head spinnin’ too? I’m having a really hard time with this. Okay, Film School, shoegaze; Airiel, shoegaze; yep, so far so good. Wait, Foul Tip, rock? Birth Rites, rock? Something’s rotten in the state of Iowa.

It seems we’ve got ourselves a bit of a schizophrenic bill here on Thursday night. But there’s that old cliché about opposites attracting or something like that. But if you think it over, it makes perfect sense. (You got your shoegaze in my rock! No, you got your rock in my shoegaze! Scrumptious.) When you’re putting together a mixtape (remember those?) you don’t fill it up with whispy, floating tracks, or stack the sum’bitch up with rawk, you build up and ease off, build up and ease off; and that’s just what Mission Creek has in store for you this Thursday.

Mp3’s and all the dirt that’s fit to dish after the jump… Continue reading ‘Preview: Foul Tip (last show?!) w/ Film School, Airiel, and Birth Rites’

Freak Focus: Film School (Part Two - MP3s) - Updated!

Film School - Group Photo

Okay, so you made it through our quick history of Film School. How about a little tasty-taste of what this band actually sounds like? Below you’ll be able to click and hear different eras of the Film School sound to get a sense of how they’ve evolved over the years. They play at the Picador on Thursday, May 8th.

Early Years

“P.S.” (from the AlwaysNever EP): I’ve always maintained that this one of the best space-pop songs ever, the gem the Stratford 4 always wanted to write but just couldn’t pull off.


Download: Film School - P.S.

“Activated” (from the AlwaysNever EP): This is where the guys are showing off their 90’s indie rock roots. This song is another classic from the early-era.


Download: Film School - Activated

Transitional Period

“11:11″ (from the Like You Know EP): A straight-up hard rock jam with an inescapable dance-beat. During the middle-era of Film School, right before Bertens split with the greater part of his band, this was a live staple.


Download: Film School - 11:11

“He’s a Deep, Deep Lake” (from Film School): Film School at their most Floyd-a-rific. For shoegazers, space-rockers, and stoners around the world, this is your ultimate Film School track.


Download: Film School - He’s a Deep Deep Lake

Current Era

“Dear Me” (from Hideout): Hello, did someone order six helpings of shoegaze? They really aren’t taking any prisoners here.


Download: Film School - Dear Me

“What I Meant to Say” (from Hideout): My Bloody Valentine’s Colm O’Coisog played drums on this track. Enough said.


Download: Film School - What I Meant To Say

Freak Focus: Film School (Part One - The History)

Film School - Lady BassGet yr shoegaze headgear on. California rockers Film School roll through town this Thursday (May 8th) at the Picador, joined by Airiel and killer local acts Foul Tip and Birth Rites. We’ll do a proper preview of that show soon enough but we’d like to take a moment to introduce you to Film School, a band that we’ve been following for several years.

The brainchild of singer / guitarist Greg Bertens, Film School emerged in San Francisco’s space-rock scene with their lo-fi yet lush debut, Brilliant Career (2001). Followed by 2003’s AlwaysNever EP, these early releases showcased an interesting blend of Pavement indie-grit and Pink Floyd textures. Film School steadily established itself as one of San Francisco’s “it” bands and a breakthrough SXSW run in 2005 led to a UK tour alongside the National and an eventual courting by renowned indie label, Beggars Banquet. After signing to Beggars, the band released the self-titled Film School (2006) which brought a grittier and louder guitar sound to the music.

Bertens cleaned house after the first Beggars release, retaining only the original keyboardist, Jason Ruck. Moving down to L.A. for inspiration, Bertens culled together a new lineup and wrote most of 2007’s Hideout, a record that refined the band’s edgy tendencies into a furious but focused sound. The new Film School recalls less of Pavement and Floyd than its other primary influences: Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine and Psychocandy-era Jesus and Mary Chain. On the heels of yet another strong showing at SXSW and a tour with British Sea Power, Film School is currently at a career peak, unfolding loud and unrelenting shoegaze tactics at each of their live shows. It’s an honor to have them come through Iowa City — and trust us, we’ve been working on getting them here for a couple of years now. Stay tuned for an mp3 extravaganza tomorrow. In the meantime devour these wonderful videos…

“Dear Me” video

“Compare” video

Preview: Solon Saturdays

ReubenAfter taking a month off in April due to the Mission Creek Festival, this Saturday sees the return of our monthly series at the Redhead Cafe in Solon. This month features two acts: Ruben Merringer as well as our own Tanner Illingworth. Merringer, former member of post-rock trio Beano, has made a direct turn for all-things Jeff Mangum on his solo work. Full of soaring and whiny-voiced melodies as well as the more than occasional trumpet flourish, Merringer’s songs are delightful nuggets of alternative folk-pop. Also an accomplished writer, Merringer puts craft and care into his lyrics. Illingworth, who formerly worked under the moniker Yield to Charlie and currently plays with Datagun, draws inspiration from the same irresistible jangle-pop well that has nourished bands like Built to Spill, Tripping Daisy, and more recently, Fourth of July so well. In all, prepare yourself for a night of songwriters with big ideas and wonderfully strummed acoustic guitars.

Reuben on Myspace: here

Freakin’ Weekend: 5.1-5.3

MaypoleIt is the first day of May, which is a veritable cause for celebration. As they say, April showers bring May flowers, so hopefully that little snow flurry that popped in to say hello on Monday is the last gasp of Old Man Winter as we wind down the semester and look forward to a summer. We also recognize that April showers bring final exams, but that’s not for another two whole weeks, so this weekend is undoubtedly a chance to relax and get jiggy one more time before you have to stuff like three months of knowledge into that cranium. If you get down like that.

Thursday
Run Run Run w. Samuel Locke-Ward, Liberty Leg, Mannix! / Picador / 9pm
Thursday night’s bill at the Picador features a mighty solid trio of three local opening bands. I’ve seen Sam twice in 2008 - once performing 30 songs in 30 minutes, and once with a 12 piece rock orchestra. One might ask: What will he do this time? We don’t have much to say about Run Run Run except that it might be a good time to hit up the freshly opened back patio.

Friday
Shame Train CD Release Party w. Miles Neilson, Cameron McGill / Mill / 9pm / $7
You don’t really need an excuse to go see Shame Train at the Mill, do you? If so, you’re in luck: the band is celebrating the release of their new CD. Not to mention Miles Neilson of Wandering Sons fame will be reprising his Saturday night Mission Creek performance. Beatles covers forthcoming.

Saturday
Mission Creek Presents Solon Saturdays w. Ruben Merringer, Tanner Illingworth / Redhead Cafe / 9pm / Free
Our new tradition in 2008 continues with a free show at Redhead Cafe in Solon. Just a quick jaunt out of downtown and you can experience music in a refreshingly intimate atmosphere with some of the dopest eats in Johnson County. Ruben Merringer and our own Tanner Illingworth (of Datagun) provide the entertainment, free of charge. Did someone say sweet potato fries?