“Mr. Softheart keeps post-punk alive in Iowa” – Iowa Public Radio
Mr. Softheart will be debuting songs from the new EP at Octopus College Hill in Cedar Falls July 5, then the band's embarking on a tour that heads east, with shows in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. It’s a variation of the tour the group went on last year, and they’re applying some lessons they learned.
“Dehd returns to the Chicago DIY scene to become their ‘most Dehd selves’” – Iowa Public Radio
Emily Kempf, bassist and vocalist of Dehd, is living in Chicago again after her flight to an Earthship community outside of Taos, New Mexico, a few years ago. She wanted to prove to herself that she could rise to the challenge of life off the grid, and while that part of the experiment was a success, Kempf is glad to be nestled back in the comfort of the Chicago DIY scene.
“Iowa music to experience in 2025” – Iowa Public Radio
Iowa can be a strange place for musicians. Historically, a lot of touring artists have skipped the state in favor of Minneapolis, Kansas City or, ultimately, Chicago. However, there’s a lot going on and a multitude of talented musicians creating music across all genres — right here in Iowa — that you deserve to know. With artists and venues scattered across Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, Cedar Falls and more, there really are endless musical offerings here in the state.
“Vampires, skeletons, roller skates & soundscapes: Halloweekend was jam-packed in Des Moines” – Iowa Public Radio
At xBk, Night Stories performed their annual Halloween show. Led by Greg Wheeler and Phil Young, the group supplies John Carpenter-like soundscapes with clips of horror films played behind the performers. Costumes were in abundance, including Nosferatu, E.T and Art the clown. Traffic Death (also from Des Moines) opened the show with thrash vibes and a little help from Captain Jean Luc-Picard on drums.
“The Aces make a triumphant headlining stop at Wooly's with opener Lady Revel” – Iowa Public Radio
The Aces are from Provo, Utah — but that distance from home but it didn't stop them from putting on an amazing performance Sunday night. The band powered through a fifteen-song-set, including their new single "The Magic." Locals Lady Revel opened the show. See photos Alyssa Leicht captured from the night.
“Goth Babe brought a late summer party to the Val Air Ballroom” – Iowa Public Radio
Crowd surfing inflatables and positivity were in the air last Friday night as Goth Babe headlined at Val Air. See the photos Alyssa Leicht captured from the evening. Were you at the show?
“The Mr. Softheart show happened like this” – Little Village
Two valued team members from Principal Financial Group were delivered here to the LiFT — by the divine means of Court Ave, or maybe, Fong’s — and found themselves next to me. There was nowhere else to go. The place was packed on Aug. 1 to welcome Mr. Softheart (the band, not man) into the home stretch of their summer tour. This would be the first of four final shows in Iowa, following a dozen others that covered more of the continental United States than Culver’s franchise locations.
“Photo Gallery: Scenes from the 80/35 Music Festival, featuring Killer Mike, OK Go and more” – Little Village
The 80/35 Music Festival covered Des Moines’ Water Works Park in confetti on the first of two great (and hot!) nights of performances from national, international and Iowa acts alike.
“Album Review: Anthony Worden and the Illiterati — ‘Plain Angels’” – Little Village
Anthony Worden makes music that an archivist of 20th century music would make. His early albums were heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground. Since then, he’s branched out. On Plain Angels, he writes songs as winsome and pleasing to the ear as Badfinger and Matthew Sweet. The album title itself seems to reference Gram Parsons’ album Grievous Angel, or maybe Lucinda Williams’ song “Drunken Angel.”
“Album Review: Mr. Softheart — ‘Magdalene in Crisis’” – Little Village
Somewhere in the search engine results for “magnolia,” there is one of many paintings titled exactly that. It’s just a JPG of the original by Martin Johnson Heade, but thanks to the click-to-zoom functionality on slam.org, you can get close enough to see the wrinkles in the white paint. The digital placard is also doing its best to describe the “voluptuous blossoms.” Any hint of horniness, however, doesn’t translate through the screen.
“‘We have local acts that deserve to be on a stage of that size’: 100-year-old Hoyt Sherman Place theater to host GDP music festival on April 15” – Little Village
Gross Domestic Product sticks to the mission — but that’s about it. Since the all-local music festival first popped up in 2006, GDP has bounced between Des Moines neighborhoods to celebrate the various corners of both the city and the scene. That means no two years of the one-day festival look or sound the same.
“Contact Buzz: Create your heart out across Central Iowa” – Little Village
Few countries have monetized making an annual expression of love more than America. Thankfully, true love does not place the almighty dollar as the main ingredient for its most alluring recipe.
“50 ways to explore the state, from Council Bluffs to Lansing” – Little Village
Best town? Boring. Best restaurant? Hackneyed. Best tourist attraction? Nah. Little Village staff and contributors would like to draw your attention to these truly Iowa-y sites, stories and experiences. Some are recommendations, others cautionary tales, but all make our godforsaken state just a little more amazing. Introducing, the Independent Iowa Awards.
“Artist applications for 80/35 and Gross Domestic Product are open until Nov. 4 at midnight” – Iowa Public Radio
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 80/35, the two music festivals hosted and produced by the Des Moines Music Coalition, are now accepting applications for bands to play the 2023 festivals. If you’re a musician who's interested in playing, we also want you to know that GDP is getting a new home – Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines.
“Track and video premiere: Mr. Softheart, ‘Surface Tension’” – Little Village
It’s all part of the act for Mr. Softheart.
“The last dance for Anthony Worden and the Illiterati was electric” – Iowa Public Radio
IPR's Tony Dehner shares his experience at the final performance by one of eastern Iowa's favorite bands.
“Who is Mr. Softheart?” – Iowa Public Radio
A new band, Mr. Softheart, is on our "must-see" list right now. You've met most of these band members before if you were following the glam-punk band Hex Girls.
“Last Tango in Iowa City” – Iowa Public Radio
Iowa City-based musician Anthony Worden will be moving out of state soon. Iowa Public Radio Studio One asked him to reflect on his experience making music in the state.
“Album Review: Mr. Softheart — “Caravaggio”/“Flower of Tomorrow”” – Little Village
“I suppose the new direction is another pandemic story,” Nick Fisher offers as the impetus for the recent pivot of the band formerly known as Hex Girls. “I had begun writing lyrics to songs that seemed to lend themselves to a new project: The themes were darker, perhaps more complex. Personal grief, as well as the collective grief and isolation of the time, had informed that shift.”
“Photo Gallery: GDP Festival 2022” – Little Village
GDP festival returned to Des Moines this past weekend with a lineup of heavy-hitting locals. The single-day festival played out on stages across Des Moines at a handful of venues, acting as a sort of musical tour of the city’s art scene.