You are browsing the archives of 2007 December.

An editorial by Nick Kowalczyk
I am twenty-eight years old, a political cynic—someone savvy enough to deflect the warm, fuzzy feelings of sentimentality, especially for politicians. So I am stunned to find myself believing in Barack Obama.
Too young to have experienced Robert F. Kennedy’s campaign, I was taught by history books that optimism and awe for [...]

Hey Folks!
We’re back. Kind of. Actually we’re all in NYC feeling the cool waves of blue blood East Coasters. We’re unearthing our J Crew sweaters, wearing collared shirts, and slick designer jeans. Kind of. At any rate we do have the future of our country on our minds and will be returning to Iowa City [...]

Here we are at the end of our celebration of the best 2007 had to offer in music. Thanks for reading. We’ve come a long way in the 2 months since we started, and have big plans for the coming year. Hopefully you’ll all stay with us in 2008. We’ve got some really awesome things [...]

#2 :: Menomena - Friend and Foe (Barsuk)
When Menomena burst out of Portland and into popular consciousness with 2004’s illuminating I Am the Fun Blame Monster, two things became immediately clear: this band has a great sense of humor (the title is an anagram for “Menomena’s first album”), and this band makes music that doesn’t [...]

#3 :: David Karsten Daniels - Sharp Teeth (Fat Cat)
Much earlier in 2007, when the fields were fallow and the most bitter cold engulfed the plains, Sharp Teeth unraveled itself as a brief masterwork of human emotion. Not on the first, nor the second listen, but gradually, in the same way that intricate relationships are [...]

#4 :: The Field
From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt, 2007)
The Field’s From Here We Go Sublime does for minimal (or micro) house what St. Germain’s Tourist (2000) did for jazzy house: it positions itself as an indisputable classic within its genre, appealing to both electronica heads and fringe listeners. Why would you want anything [...]

Now that we exhausted ourselves thinking about the blissful nights of music that made Iowa City hot this year, it’s time to take a step back and look at our favorite albums of the year. These are truly the 5 albums that made us continue our faith that there’s no shortage of great music in [...]

This is it - after much deliberating, ruminating, and downright arguing, the honors of being the two best concerts Iowa City offered this year have been laid down. We are very pleased this Sunday afternoon to present:
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Like opening the smallest presents first, you’ve seen some pretty sweet stuff, but now you’re really looking for the big ones. Fortunately for you, our next four favorite concerts still await you beneath the tree. Missed the first four? Check them out right here. Check back tomorrow for our two favorite concerts of the year, [...]

At Mission Freak, we know that the season of Yule is more about making retrospective lists on blogs than it is about family, giving, or good cheer. But rather than put you through another endless list of our favorite records of the year, we thought we’d kick off our Look Back at 2007 with our [...]