The Waiting Room Never Saw It Coming From Iowa

Next week Brisbane is going to be invaded by Iowa. Not by the state of the USA; not by Mitt Romney; not by obscure Russian divas; not by fanatical Slipknot acolytes. No, Brisbane is going to be destroyed by the Melbourne trio whose debut LP Never Saw It Coming is a head mixture of all the best alternative/noise rock conventions of the 1990s, including adherence to hook and melody behind all the feedback. They are playing X&Y on the Friday August 17 (with able supports from Tape/Off and Sleepwalks), an afternoon sesh at Tyms Guitars on the Saturday, and then - drumroll - at The Waiting Room as headliners for this month's Sonic Masala Presents. They are bringing their new album in tow (including some on sexy yellow vinyl!) and a new single in the form of 'Love Song'. This is one not to be missed, including as it does support from the resurgent Seaplane, the destructive El Motel (who are promising something special for this show) and the debaucherous Crass Creatures. It's all for a tenner, with BYO, and I PROMISE YOU that this will be one of the strongest shows you will see this year. If not, Ill drink some beer - that'll teach me!

Here's the streamed Iowa album:


...and here is a little mixtape of tracks from the bands...

El Motel - Black RiderCrass Creatures - Cement
El Motel - Carnival Kid
Iowa - Panic Attack
Crass Creatures - Snake Hole
El Motel - Crazy Love
Iowa - Complete Control

...and because I don't have any Seaplane mp3's at work, here is a live version of 'Soiree'.



Get keen!

Iowa Never Saw It Coming

We have been championing fuzz-drenched wailing rockers Iowa for some time now, so it goes without saying that we would be championing their debut album, Never Saw It Coming. It's exactly what their previous 7"'s and singles 'Complete Control' and Panic Attack' promised - 12 tracks of unabashed 90s glory-hugging, some awe-inspiring guitar solos, and lotsa tension-filled hooks. There are a few missteps - for once it's an instrumental, 'Seretonin', that doesn't connect with me - but overall this record is killer - and loud. Very loud. There is even an opportunity on 'Lights Out' where the Melbourne trio seek out their inner grungemaster (could the title be a direct reference???), and buzzsaw with aplomb.


Never Saw It Coming continues Iowa's sexy attraction to multi-coloured vinyl releases, with the yellow wax making fizzy pants the country over. See it below - I wasn't kidding, was I? Grab it here. They also have a quality T-shirt which you can buy here (what am I, Iowa's merch buddy? Geez!) Apparently live these guys are killing it also. They had their debut launch the other weekend, supported by Brisbane's own Tape/Off who apparently held their own too. Tour dates for Brisbane will be forthcoming shortly.



Iowa - Complete Control

It's Easy To Get A Panic Attack In Iowa

Melbourne scuzzball slackers Iowa have prepped yet another single (where's the longplayer, guys?) (UPDATE: Iowa's debut album Never Saw It Coming hits shelves in April - patience my child!) called 'Panic Attack', and it's typically great, raucous and filled with ambivalence, malaise and a smoky urge to shred.

I know Ive been championing these guys for a while, but looks like Iowa are getting further notice (not gonna say "because of me", of course). I just had to add this quote from Doubtful Sounds as it excited me just reading it: “Heavy, chunky distorted guitars that come in waves like Dinosaur Jr and Crazy Horse soaked in shoegaze.” Salivation for the nation, right?
If you live in their land, they will play at The Tote on Feb 22 with awesome support from Damn Terran. No word as to when they will come north - once again, we wait with bated breath...


Panic Attack is out February 20th - pre-order it 'ere.




NB - Jordan from the band is a massive fan of Brissie band Tape/Off's EP of last year ...And Sometimes Gladness, a release I included in my Best EPs of 2011, so they have impeccable taste too...

The republican's latest Negro experiment.

"Loyalty to petrified opinions never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul in this world--and never will." ~Mark Twain~

I wish my man Herman Cain well, I really do. I heard that he was in Iowa last week giving em his I am black but I am just like you speeches. I wonder how he is playing down there? It looks like they [the republicans] are going social again and forgetting the economy now that O and his peeps have the Dow over *12,000 and the unemployment numbers heading South and not North. Anyway, Herman might have some work to do before he can convince the rest of you Negroes that he means well.

"Listen, all token black conservative presidential candidates who Republicans keep trying to push on us colored folk; I really don’t have a problem with your decision to throw your hat in the ring. Why not, right? Everyone is entitled, and if you feel like you’re qualified then do your thing and show us just that – your qualifications. Do not, however, use the same tired and insulting tactics year after year in an effort to court a political base that has little interest in you by embarrassing the rest of your community.

First, This Year’s Black Conservative Herman Cain tried to get attention for his pending presidential campaign by telling anyone who would listen: “Don’t condemn me because the first black one was bad.” Yes, of course, the go-to sleaze tactic to use when you are eager to prove to some white people that you dislike President Obama as much as them is to say something attention grabbing like that.

Now, right on schedule, he has busted out the second in what I’m sure will be a series of cliché tactics to appeal to his conservative base: Christianity. Cain appeared on the Christian Broadcast Network and told the interviewer that he believed God brought him through cancer so that he could maybe become president, Politico reports. Stop it, dude. And I say that as a Christian. We know that professed religion is pretty much a requirement for all conservative candidates, but to take advantage of that moment in your life and twist it for political gain is really sleazy." [Source]

Now now Mr. Smith, don't be so hard on Herman. Maybe he means well. Why don't we give him a chance before we call him a house dwelling hypocrite?

Carry on Herman.