Today marks the conclusion of Pitchfork’s extremely preemptive list of the top 200 albums of the ongoing decade. And while it’s a little arbitrary, and misses out on basically half a year of music (or 1/20th of the decade), one thing is for certain: you won’t find Kansas City’s Get Up Kids anywhere near it. [...]

Tonight The Picador continues their amazing and diverse week of music closing out September and opening up on (R)October with Sleepy Sun. The indie-proggers are touring behind their expansive new record Embrace. The San Francisco outfit gets down the jammy traditions of it’s stomping grounds for some psyched-out grooves, with a nice dose of Pink [...]

A unique chance to connect with one of the titans of the American environmental movement takes place on Tuesday night, as John McPhee comes to Iowa City. He’s written 29 books in a 40+ year career that’s seen him elegantly blend journalism with aspects of novelistic writing. His first book, A Sense of Where You [...]

Last minute reminder: tomorrow night, Minneapolis MC Brother Ali comes to the Industry as part of his Fresh Air Tour, which features fellow Rhymesayers MCs Evidence and Toki Wright, and his DJ BK-One. Brother Ali’s new album Us, just came out this week. As before, Ant of Atmosphere handled the production. Ali has come under [...]

The Daytrotter Barnstormer is back already, and will once again be visiting the Octagonal Barn in West Liberty, this time on October 12. In case you’ve forgotten, we tipped you off to this event earlier this year, when it made its inaugural run through the small communities of Iowa. Now you better hope for some [...]

Sunday night we welcome Wye Oak back into the arms of our fair city for a show at the Mill. Wye Oak played at PS1 back in April, but this time they’ll be toting their new album. The Knot centers the focused songwriting of Jenn Wasner across swathes of melancholy. As on their first album, [...]

It gets a little funny tonight in Iowa City. A handful of the finest and oddest pop craftsmen are on display this evening at the Mill. Headlining this motley crew: Dead Milkmen guitarist Joe Jack Talcum. Talcum’s still writing jangly pop gems with healthy dollops of irreverence and humor (check “U Turn Me On” and [...]

It’s a big night. Heck, it’s a big week. What with five national bands touching down in Iowa City at the Picador, Mill, and Yacht Club over the next three days it’s kind of like we’re experiencing the intense punch of Labor Day Weekend all over again. Thank the heavens it’s an away game on [...]

Mission Freak hasn’t run a contest in a minute, but this is one that you’re not going to want to miss out on. The folks at XL Recordings have offered to give away ONE copy of a super-limited edition Titus Andronicus 12″ vinyl LP: The Innocents Abroad: Live in London, 23/02/09 features our favorite New [...]

It’s true: there are a lot of writers in Iowa City. Hell, I’m one of them, caught in the endless black hole of trying to hack-it-out, finish a book, and make even a speck of a name for myself. Why do we come here - to Iowa City — out of all of the places we [...]