Concert Coverage
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Nina Simone is a legendary figure not only for her music, but for her ceaseless fight for social change in America. The fearless spirit of Simone was channeled into and molded by Counterfeit Madison in her Saturday night performance.
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Crowds are occupying the Englert on Saturday night, a night where a parade of local artists will take the stage. There will be songs dedicated to the person who was almost hit by Elly’s car earlier in the day, about wanting to die – but in a good way – and mouthguards.
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After two hot yet blissful days of music, St. Charles finally reached the last day of the Hinterland music fest. This year was the first in the festival’s history that the programming extended across three days rather than two.
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Guitar reverberated around room, echoing amid a complex synthesized soundscape. SASAMI had a commanding presence from the get-go, asking all audience members to come rock out with her.
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“Hey everyone. I’m a big fan of the sitting down, relaxing,” Melina Duerte, better known by her stage name Jay Som, said as she greeted the seated crowd at the Englert Theatre on Friday night. She continued with a small grin, “We’re relaxing too.”
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Adorned in varying combinations of black, the three members of the Iowa City-based alt-rock band took the stage familiarly, no doubt feeling at home. Smiling out at the crowd, the aura inside Gabe’s became warmer, a clear friendship between the band and audience.
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The yellow marquee of The Englert Theater provided a nice reprise from the spring snow floating down onto the Iowa City street. As cold and blustery as it was outside, the serene music of Jamila Woods made the Englert a warm space to spend the night.
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The usually dark second floor of Gabe’s was aglow from the light of a sizable yellow neon sign bearing the band’s name in a psychedelic font. The members of The Artisanals looked as if they stepped straight out of the 1970s as they took the stage, a crystal lamp and paisley rug rounding out the vintage setup of the Charleston-based five man group.
Columns & Features
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For Pleaser Magazine Issue 4
Being several decades removed from the 1970s and 1980s, most representations of musicians from these bygone eras in movies, television, and books are done in a state of glamorized nostalgia. From Almost Famous to Daisy Jones and The Six, the allure of these fictionalized takes is clear. The framing of these stories, though, can dramatically impact the public perception of the musicians they’re based on, and things are never quite as simple as “it was just what they did back then.”
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You have likely already heard snippets of hemlocke springs’ hypnotic sound when scrolling through social media without even knowing it. Rabid use of her single “girlfriend” on TikTok—the audio has been used in 68.9K videos to date—brought the artist a slew of new fans since its release in November of 2022. Her latest single, “enknee1,” shows a new layer of the artist equally deserving of virality.
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Reaching the end of the year, we look back at the music that shaped us during the last twelve months. The most popular retrospective for music listeners, Spotify Wrapped, is a gift that comes early. I looked closely into how accurately Wrapped reflects listening habits with the data it collects. Then with the help of Pleaser staff, I dove into the larger question of how our music streaming footprints shape us as listeners.
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Live music is getting harder and harder to come by as social distancing efforts continue. Yet in a time where paranoia runs rampant, music is one of the most powerful ways we can cope. Music is a way to distract ourselves from the horrors of reality, a form of therapy.
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Leon Bridges’ voice first cascaded through my headphones per a random shuffle of my Spotify Discover playlist. I got so wrapped up in the tune that I had to scramble to find the artist before the impassioned chords reached their end. This modern connoisseur of 50s and 60s inspired soul music brings an ease and passion to each note he sings, making every song a joy to consume.
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Joker has received praise for its gritty and intimate take on Arthur Fletch, the man behind the clown paint. Arthur goes through a wide range of emotional changes in his journey to becoming the Joker and so too does the soundtrack, which covers a range of musical styles to reflect these shifts.
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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. blends together different time periods, genres of film, and music. While much of the soundtrack is older songs from around the world, the original score adds a thrilling contrast fitting a spy drama.
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Since Gene Kelly tapped his way around the now-iconic light post in “Singin’ in the Rain”, movie musicals have been a colorful statement on the screen. Though the golden age for these lively productions was in the 1930s to 1950s, there has been a recent rise in following for the genre through the popularity of “La La Land”, “The Greatest Showman” and “A Star Is Born.”
Album Reviews
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“The Death of Summer & Other Promises” by Etta Marcus
When I’m in the throes of a lie on the floor moment during the cold months of the year, I tend to reach for music that mirrors that melancholic feeling. Although it may seem antithetical to getting over the blues, in my experience, accompanying the seasonal depression with songs that speak to those feelings makes things more cathartic.
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"The Age of Pleasure" by Janelle Monae
Pour some champagne down a water slide and go. Kiss who you want, dance how you want, be who you want. Love yourself, in all the ways that you can. Janelle Monae’s The Age of Pleasure embodies these notions of indulgence, pushing the listener toward a space of freedom.
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"Egypt Station" by Paul McCartney
With over fifty years of fame under his belt, Paul McCartney is a musical icon. As one of the only remaining members of The Beatles, McCartney has increasingly focused on his solo career. McCartney ‘s most recent album “Egypt Station” is an at times bumpy road of an artist trying to evolve with musical trends.
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"Dreamland" by COIN
COIN takes some of the synthetic sweetness and feel-good nature of 80s new wave and injects it into their saccharine concoction of indie pop. Smile-inducing and musically intricate, the 14 track collection is a refreshing jolt of happiness in a world that’s overwhelmingly wrapped up in the distressing.
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"Mr." by Leslie Odom Jr.
Taking cues from the music of Nat King Cole and Cab Calloway, Leslie Odom Jr.’s second album after his debut record in 2014 feeds on traditions from a variety of musical genres. Mr showcases all of Odom Jr.’s different musical talents with elements of jazz, R&B, and hints of Broadway.
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"Dazer" by Halfloves
Let Halfloves new album “Dazer” hypnotize you with their unique psychedelic blend of indie rock. The five-man group has been a favorite of the Iowa City music scene for the past few years, especially after their rousing 2019 Mission Creek Festival performance.
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"WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?" by Billie Eilish
Pop music has gained an ominous new frontrunner: Billie Eilish. She has become a standout artist, created videos with frightening yet fascinating visuals that garnered millions of followers across several platforms, and she is only seventeen.
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“Cuz I Love You” by Lizzo
Hip-hop dynamo Lizzo has gained large following in the past year. Originally from Detroit, the artist—whose full name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson—released her third album Cuz I Love You. The eleven song collection expands on her body-positive message in her unique R&B style.
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"Always Ascending" by Franz Ferdinand
Always Ascending is full of music that harkens back to the punk movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Each song carries experimental work with sounds, lyrics, and rhythm. Kapranos hypnotic voice leaves you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see where a song goes next.
