Stutterin’ Jimmy at DG’s
The Des Moines blues rock ensemble Stutterin’ Jimmy lives in the pocket grooves of a seasoned rhythm section who are all veterans of numerous rock, jam, and blues bands. But the band gets an added boost from the powerful baritone behind the microphone. It’s a fairly remarkable band because, as the band’s name implies, the lead singer speaks with a stutter, including when tells empowering stories from the stage. Yet, when he opens his mouth to sing, the tone and diction could not be clearer. They are one of my favorite acts in our region.
The Des Moines act Origami Animals adds a touch of garage and punk to their blues sound, as heard on their Nova Labs release from last year. They’ll open the show on Saturday at DG’s Tap House alongside the Des Moines rock trio The Other Brothers.
Logan & Lucille at Vinyl Cafe
Tucson-based folk duo Logan & Lucille will make a tour stop at Vinyl Cafe on Tuesday for an intimate and unplugged performance of their carefully crafted and consistently hooky acoustic sound. Their tune “Sodapop & Chips” perfectly captures the experience of being on the road, asking politely for a place to stay, looking forward to trying the regional snacks. They’ll get a little taste of Ames at this all-ages show. They’re playing alongside Des Moines’ lo-fi folk-punk duo Cookie Doh and the Ames singer-songwriter Sisko Diq.
Karen Meat Releases New EP
The Des Moines garage pop unit Karen Meat debuted their killer new four-song EP on Stereogum last week and are officially celebrating the release at Vaudeville Mews in downtown Des Moines tonight. The record builds a compelling sound from a variety of synths and a drum machine blended nicely with live guitar and bass.
But the main strength of the record is the outstanding songwriting that features wave after wave of quotable lines like “I wanted you to have it all / all the things I never did / a tv on the wall / a magnet on the fridge.” By sticking to the place-specific lyrical style of country western but blending it the attitudes and sounds of punk and pop, Karen Meat has landed on a distinctive style that doesn’t lend itself to easy categorization but that easily finds it’s way into your brain and stays there.
Waka Flocka Flame Announces Ames Show
The rave-rap party starter Waka Flocka Flame is coming to ISU for a show at the incredibly cavernous Hansen Agricultural Center just south of the old Towers dorms. Although he’s often lumped in with hip hop he also has a lot in common with riff-heavy, breakdown-friendly metal and hardcore: expect to see moshing. Tickets on sale now.
Bryon Dudley Covers Primavera For Iowa Informer
Be sure to keep an eye on the daily coverage that Nova Labs co-founder and Iowa Informer staff writer Bryon Dudley is doing from the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Spain.
Correction: This article previously said that Origami Animals are from Iowa City. They’re from Des Moines.
