Java Blend

While new to Chicago, Phillip-Michael Scales is no stranger to the Midwest nor to packing up a van and playing original music to a crowd. He is the man-behind-the-curtain of Briar Rabbit. Raised in a suburb of Detroit, Scales began playing music at a young age. By high school he was self-releasing records, fronting bands, and went on to formally study music at college in Boston. A return to the Midwest allowed time to process his stay on the east coast resulting in the debut release "Briar Rabbit & The Company You Keep." Using his powerful, yet dynamic voice, Rabbit delivers a lyrically sharp, self-analytical collection of songs that chronicle leaving one place for another. Appropriately, Company was recorded between Boston and Chicago (CarterCo studios) with friends and former band mates. The sound is best described as well-thought indie-pop that draws its influence from folk, blues, and rock. With an unruly amount of Chicago pride, Briar Rabbit is a promising talent to keep your eye on in 2012.

Rising out of the prairies of the Midwest, The Pines are one of the most distinct and powerful indie-rock/Americana groups to hit the national scene in years. Emerging from the same Minneapolis music world that spawned such notable acts as The Jayhawks, The Replacements and Bob Dylan, The Pines have gathered a stunning line-up of musical talent, in both their live shows and on record, that has gained them a faithful and growing following.  Frontmen Benson Ramsey and David Huckfelt share a common musical language rooted in the songs and songwriters of their native Iowa, while each bringing a distinct voice and sensibility to the sound that Rolling Stone senior writer David Fricke called “quietly gripping” stark-country.

Christopher the Conquered has always been the primary outlet for the musical explorations of Iowa songwriter Chris Ford, but The Fate Of A Good Man marks an important moment in the evolution of the project, as it is the first album to feature a full band, with Ford staying firmly seated at The Piano. He’s backed strongly by The Black Gold Brass Band, which is featured heavily on the album, with songs arranged to rise and fall with the energy of the five-piece horn section. Joining them is a rhythm section built with bass, drums, and guitar, along with Ford’s keys. Ford’s reliance on a strong backing band performing results in moments of spontaneous beauty and moments of downright weirdness, often at the same time; a prime example of the possibility of Sound.

Ever since the release of her 2005 Machine Records full-length debut ...this side of yesterday indie-folk singer/songwriter Martha Berner has created quite a buzz in the music world. Not only did that release and her 2007 follow-up EP Ten Tiny Little Pieces garner a wealth of press accolades both nationally and abroad, including features in high-profile publications, such as Magnet, Performing Songwriter, Chicago Tribune, Hear/Say, and Out Magazine, but it also opened the door for worldwide radio play. This year marks the return of the dusky alto with her long-awaited full-length follow-up Fool's Fantasy along with her new band The Significant Others.

Los Angeles based Janiva Magness is one of today’s most talented and recognized blues and roots vocalists. A two-decade darling of the blues genre, Janiva’s vocal prowess is now being recognized by music critics at large.

Billboard writes “Magness carves out a niche by singing the blues with maturity and sophistication.”

Although her vocals are at times beautiful, this 49 year-old grandmother is best known for her sauciness and the bold, brazen beauty of her recordings and performances.

Pat Hazell encore broadcast from 2010

Patrick Hazell is "a legend in Iowa Music," according to The Des Moines Register and is referred to by many as the "Godfather of Iowa Blues.” Hazell began his professional career in 1961, and eventually created a wide repertoire of original compositions and rhythm and blues standards with over 35 recorded albums while touring extensively in the American Midwest, Europe, Russia, and South America. In 2000, he was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame as well as the Iowa Music Association Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

Daphne Willis encore broadcast from 2010

In a very short time, Chicago-based singer/songwriter Daphne Willis has grown from a feisty neophyte into a self-assured, marvelously expressive artist with a bracingly seductive sound. The 22-year-old’s Vanguard debut album, What to Say documents Willis’ voyage of self-discovery, while also standing as a captivating introduction to a remarkably fresh voice with a distinctive point of view—one that both reflects and scrutinizes the social patterns of her generation.

FireSale is an original act out of Davenport, Iowa that mixes Reggae/Dub/Ska/Rock and many other personel influences into their own signature sound. They have been together since 2007 and have made many showings in the QCA playing events and venues such as River Roots Live, Riversance Art Festival, The Redstone Room, The Mill, Palmer College Homecoming, The IMU, and River Fest.

Noah Earle - Encore performance from 2010

Born in Topeka, Kansas, and surrounded by a musical family, Noah Earle absorbed various strains of influence. His musical involvement began in early childhood when he would listen to the traditional country and country-gospel music that his family would play and sing at their gatherings. Between the ages of about 5 and 18 he underwent classical training for piano, voice and fiddle (his grandpa said "never let anybody call it a violin").  By the age of 10, he had decided that he wanted to write songs, like his uncle and grandfather. Throughout this time, he was also exposed to blues and jazz by his dad and uncle, both of whom performed in a number of bands. From these surroundings Noah has emerged as a formidable solo artist, displaying unmistakable talent through his deft and varied guitar style and an agile, soulful approach to his singing.

In 2006, he won the solo category of the Kansas City Blues Challenge and was a finalist in the International Blues Competition in Memphis.  More recently, he was chosen as a New Folk finalist at the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival in 2007.

Earle's first release for MayApple Records, Postcards From Home, found him focusing his songwriting solidly in the Americana vein.  His second, This is the Jubilee, which was released in April of 2010, represents an evolutionary leap toward greater confidence and stylistic originality.

Formed over 10 years ago, Cornmeal has grown from humble beginnings into a nationally recognized live music institution. 10 years together is no simple task these days, especially when the last five have seen the band spending over half the year on the road. Heavily influenced by American roots and folk music, Cornmeal blends lightning fast tempos and impeccable harmonies into an unrivaled live performance that continues to expand upon the five-piece acoustic-electric groups’ vast musical repertoire. While steeped in the tradition of the past, Cornmeal continues to forge their own path, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass, Americana and folk for a whole new generation of music lovers.

Jenny Owen Youngs is where the sweeping, cinematic pop of Regina Spektor, and the irreverently comical lyrics of Liz Phair meet. Born in 1981, Youngs was brought up in a quiet New Jersey suburb. Taking up the guitar at the age of 14, she later attended the State University of New York to study music. (The SUNY system produced other notable contemporaries of Youngs, like Regina Spektor, Langhorne Slim, and Dan Deacon.) Her next full-length release, "An Unwavering Band of Light," is due out on February 7, 2012.

Grammy-nominated artist Matthew Santos has established himself as one of the rare and striking talents quickly emerging from the Chicago music scene. Far from all of the sound and fury of the modern music trends, Santos is quietly rising into one of the most remarkable voices of his generation. Santos was nominated for “Best Rock Entertainer” for Chicago’s 2009 Music Awards and his band is featured as one of the “top ten bands to watch” in Chicago by The Chicago Sun-Times. Best known for his collaborations with Grammy-Award winning hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco, Santos has since stepped away from the flash and bang of the lime light in an effort to cultivate his own sound and songwriting, while carving out an independent road to creative success.

Somewhere between a bar and the recording studio, Miles Nielsen stirs up his own pop rock brand of Beatles-eque Cosmic Americana. Pop rock arrangements and sunny melodies tucked between a long lost country folk steel guitar floating through speakers around crashing drums, bouncing bass lines and smooth as butter keys. Born in Rockford, IL, home of Cheap Trick and 'Symbol', power-pop DNA runs through the veins of his songs and performances.

Ray Bonneville – encore broadcast

Ray Bonneville is a roaming blues poet, inspired by the road and the many other places he has called home—New Orleans, Colorado, Arkansas, Alaska, Boston, Seattle, Paris, France, Montreal and Austin Texas. Born in Canada and raised in the United States, Bonneville has lived all over. No place, however, has been more influential than New Orleans. Like the great American writers of the south and his favorite authors Cormac McCarthy and Flannery O’Connor, Bonneville is inspired by the places he has been and the unusual people he has met throughout his travels. Honing his craft for the last 30 years, Bonneville’s gritty storytelling and deep-grooving blues style has won him much critical attention. He has toured all over the world, sharing the bill with such blues legends as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, J.J. Cale and Robert Cray. His latest CD is titled Goin’ By Feel.

The Awful Purdies – encore broadcast

Formed in the summer of 2006 by former member Amy Finders and founding member Annie Savage, The Awful Purdies is a five-piece all female Iowa band featuring Katie Roche on accordion, whistles and percussion, Marcy Rosenbaum on guitar and mandolin, Nicole Upchurch on banjo and percussion, Katie Burnes on cello, and newest member Sarah Cram on guitar. All members are singer-songwriters who together create original music as diverse as the backgrounds of the women in the group.

Sons of Sylvia – encore broadcast

Sons of Sylvia is an American country-rock trio composed of three brothers with the surname Clark, three of 11 born to preacher parents. All three Adam, Ashley and Austin, along with their three other brothers Aaron, Andrew, and Alan, originally comprised a sextet called The Clark Family Experience. In 2007, Adam, Ashley and Austin began recording The Clark Brothers. Under this name, the trio won the top prize in the Fox Networks talent competition The Next Great American Band, and subsequently signed to Universal South Records. The band renamed itself Sons of Sylvia in October 2009 and has released its debut album Revelation.

Caroline Smith – encore broadcast from 2010

Since her arrival in Minneapolis during the fall of 2006 as an 18-year-old, singer/songwriter, Caroline Smith has utilized her proximity to a music scene bursting with notable venues and like-minded musicians. One such venue was the 400 Bar. Hearing of artists like Elliott Smith, Conor Oberst and Mason Jennings making their names and performing residencies there, Smith approached owner Tom Sullivan and was signed on for a residency of her own. A growing audience and favorable press was to follow, not to mention supporting Mason Jennings and even a spot opening for B. B. King. Smith separates herself from the usual female singer-songwriter pack with a distinct style of song-writing and a genre of music she’s begotten and named “story-book folk.”

The Wandering Bears – encore broadcast from 2010

The Wandering Bears project is led by the smooth harmonies of duo-angels Sarah Mannix and Samantha Blickhan, and backed by David Earl and beard brothers Drew and Mitch Fischels. The group has been compared to Fleetwood Mac, Metric, Death Cab for Cutie, and Pieta Brown. They’ve just returned from a 5-week tour on the West Coast. Their self-titled debut disc is available for free in its entirety on their website.

"Like Surfer Girl having ventured to a place where the buffalo roam," Joey Ryan & The Inks have fused a penchant for breezy West Coast pop with their Midwestern roots, drawing comparison to some of the best of both worlds in the process. (Isthmus). Dennis Lane, The Inks’ second effort, has been garnering attention on national stage with the band touring to support it.

The Hot Club of Davenport is well known in eastern Iowa for their unique gypsy jazz stylings. Gypsy jazz, which draws on the musical influences of swing, jazz and gypsy music, is popular throughout the world. The style was made popular by Django Reinhardt in the 1930s and continues to be heard around the world. The Hot Club of Davenport features guitar, banjo, violin, bass and vocals to create a sound that is energetic, sentimental, flamboyant and sophisticated, often at the same time.

Eddie Piccard grew up only a few miles from Cedar Rapids, but soon left for the jazz scene in Chicago, for famous Rush Street and the playboy clubs, appearing opposite the likes of Ramsey Lewis and George Shearing. After cutting his chops with his first trio in Chicago, Piccard moved on to the lights of the Florida resorts. Forming another trio, he hobnobbed with such biggies as Jackie Gleason and Liza Minnelli.

Now a class act in Cedar Rapids for many years, Piccard and his sidemen delight with everything from Sinatra standards to an amazing Ray Charles tribute.

An on-the-road performance we recorded earlier this year at Aroma’s café in Charles City with acclaimed singer-songwriter Pieta Brown.  

"Brown is a wonderful songwriter. Mixing folk, country, rock and a bit of blues, her work is full of wonderful imagery and moods."— Vintage Guitar

If you haven’t yet caught her engaging and disarming live show, take a chance on Ellis, and you’ll become a lifelong fan. A mix of folk artist, dharma teacher, and comedienne, Ellis’ music is best described by the effect it has on her audience rather than a particular genre. Simply put, she leaves audiences better than she finds them, with softened edges & opened hearts. With compelling songwriting and engaging performances, Ellis is quietly amassing a loyal following of supporters across the globe. She released her 7th album, Right On Time, in 2010.

The Damn Choir's use of guitar, cello, vocals and drums, along with Gordon Robertson's introspective lyrics, create songs that range from meandering and melancholic to pulsing and vengeful. The Damn Choir has made the most of Chicago’s long winter by filming a labor-intensive stop motion music video for their song “Noah” and recording their second album entitled “You’re my Secret Called Fire.”

Mari, Matt, and Jake Abdo, are the siblings
who are LYNHURST. The band is named after the South Minneapolis Park and neighborhood where they grew up. Ed Hermanek emigrated from Chicago and stepped in as the band’s new drummer. After leaving college, the LYNHURST members toured the country a few times and tested their mettle by playing all types of places from crusty rock clubs to high-profile gigs opening for Sheryl Crow, Ingrid Michealson, Owl City, Amos Lee and others. Jake notes, “We are committed to our music and to each other. The band knows that keeping three different sibling personalities together is a benefit and a challenge. We keep at it andencourage each other because we love the job and know we can make it – one of these days.” More info at http://www.myspace.com/lynhurstmusic

The Pines - Encore Java Blend performance from 2009.

 In a world swimming in singer/songwriters, it's difficult to rise above the masses and create a truly unique sound that captures ears and stimulates the mind. The Pines are a band that has taken on this feat, honing their musical craft to near perfection with a sound that wavers on the edge of traditional acoustic/roots music, but embraces the nuances of today's indie-rock and blues music.Meeting in a Mexican barrio in Arizona, fellow Iowans David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey began playing music together, forming The Pines. Committing to a musical career, they returned to their Midwestern roots and settled in Minneapolis, a music haven that has launched the careers of such folk and rock legends as Bob Dylan, The Jayhawks and The Replacements.

From Oklahoma, Maggie McClure’s sincere presentation of original songs coupled with her creative interpretations of select cover songs gives audiences of all ages an enjoyable, unique live-performance experience. Listeners compare Maggie’s indie/pop sound to singers such as Michelle Branch and Colbie Caillat. As the singer, songwriter, and pianist performs all over the country, she presses forward with honesty, tenacity, and an unshakable spiritual centering that intersects with her goal of positively affecting our culture.

Saul Lubaroff has been playing music since he was 8 years old and playing in college jazz bands before he had his driver’s license. While Saul is a classically trained saxophonist, his real love is jazz. He was a key member of the R & B group, Shade of Blue, for 7 years, performing over 100 shows a year across Iowa and Illinois; shortly after he formed the Saul Lubaroff Quartet. Currently, Saul is a member of the popular funk band, GrooveShip, and anchors the horn section in WeFunk.

Thankful Dirt, an Indie/Americana Des Moines-based duo, strums and sings while crafting an intimate look into the lives and pain of the everyman while finding a way to calm your soul. The beauty in Thankful Dirt’s music comes not only from Molly’s powerful, soul snatching vocals but also from the unique relationship the two share in the project. Together they ignite a sound both unique and universally appealing. Music lovers ‘dig’ Thankful Dirt.

Paper Thick Walls presents an elegant mix of deep, reflective, and at times haunting music, which captures elements of sound similar to acts like Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens. The almost orchestral arrangement of piano, upright bass, guitars, drums, fiddle, mandolin, and other various instruments has a fascinating way of complimenting the profound fictional story lines that Paper Thick Walls portray through their lyrics.

The best way to describe Ben Cook-Feltz's music may be, “Paul Simon singing piano ballads about broken hearts, and pants, to thunderous percussion.” A native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Cook-Feltz has spent the past seven years living in Minneapolis, performing throughout the state and metro area with a variety of backing ensembles, large and small, sure and unsure. He recently completed a new CD, Ben Cook-Feltz And You, celebrating its release with a Virtual CD Release Show, filmed at Minneapolis’ Hideaway Studio (Atmosphere, Brother Ali, the Snoop Dogg Super Bowl commercial), and launched online. For Java Blend, Cook-Feltz will be joined by the Glorious Percussion Armada, an assemblage of local Twin Cities percussionists who band together to heal the world, through song and paradiddles.

Bryce Janey is an outstanding blues/rock axe slinger from Marion, Iowa. He began his career at the age of 13, touring regionally and nationally from Chicago to Los Angeles with a blues-rock trio called the Janey's. Bryce began his solo career in 1995 and has received widespread praise and accolades ever since. His newest album, "Blues in My Soul," features "soul-powered, retro-70s bluesey heavy guitar six string mojo."

Featuring Ellen Stanley on banjo and vocals, Mother Banjo is a critically acclaimed songwriter who combines the haunting sounds of traditional folk and gospel with contemporary alt-country and Americana. Called an "outstanding poet" (Inside Bluegrass), the New England-raised, Minnesota-based musician was selected as a Midwest Finalist in the prestigious Mountain Stage NewSong Contest. Her latest album, "The Sad and Found" was named the #10 local album of 2009 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press and was featured nationally on Sirius/XM Radio.

Wisconsin based singer-songwriter Jeremiah Nelson is constantly creating and reinventing his music. “Drugs to Make You Sober,” Jeremiah Nelson’s new solo record feels like a real labor of love. It’s made up of seemingly traditional rock arrangements adorned with beautiful atmospheric and dreamy sonic wanderings. There’s something lonely and heartbreaking hiding underneath Nelson’s sonic layerings. These songs are about feeling lost, drinking, nostalgia in romance, journeying and finding one’s self, in part through music.

An acclaimed and award-winning singersongwriter from Des Moines, Iowa, Mary McAdams on vocals and guitar is "a sweet, simple recipe for awesome." Her music is a mix of folk and Americana blended with the blues. She performs at Music Festivals, Art Festivals, coffeehouses, community groups and schools. Mary is also a teaching artist and teaches songwriting, with an emphasis on working in schools with under served populations and schools that have lost their arts programming. Mary McAdams brings a mother’s love and a lover’s passion to the 10 original compositions on this Iowa-based release. Mary can serve up slow and saucy roadhouse blues, earnest Americana roots rockin’ or a lullaby ballad with equal authenticity.

Hailing from the Blue Mountains in Australia, Aust Blues Music award winner Claude Hay fuses slide guitar, sitar, bass and electronic percussion in a loop-driven performance that invokes the best of stomping traditional blues with a booty-shaking funk edge. Hay’s “do-it-yourself” approach music — including custom built instruments — builds layer by layer until you have to wonder where the rest of the band is.

Hay has been playing venues all over the world with his personally hand-crafted double necked guitar, Betty, since the premiere of his first independently released album, Kiss the Sky. His new release, Deep Fried Satisfied, showcases Claude as the ultimate DIY musician, honing his craft with hook-laden song-writing and undeniable talent.

Lead singer-songwriter Adam Levy of the St. Paul-based indie rock and pop band The Honeydogs delivers his first solo performance on The Java House stage in a rebroadcast originally aired in June of 2010.

Starting with 2001's brilliant day darkener, Here's Luck, The Honeydogs charted a course of capturing "the Zeitgeist of this anxious era" (Paste Magazine). The follow-up, 10,000 Years, was hailed as the bands' masterpiece - a concept album based on Levy's experiences in social work telling the story of a poor urban test tube kids’s rise and fall during a genocidal apocalypse in the not-so-distant future. In 2006, the band released Amygdala, a record thematically exploring fear in its varied forms - abandonment, losing children, war & death, aging, social decay. In 2009, the band emerged with Sunshine Committee, an offering that is considerably more hopeful in these desperate times.

Mike Droho & the Compass Rose hails from Madison, Wisconsin and has toured tirelessly throughout the country over the last three years. In addition to winning the Project M songwriting competition, the group has also been showcased at the legendary SXSW Music Festival. Featuring a one-of-a-kind set up of a guitarist/singer accompanied by a classically disciplined electric violin and a stage-shaking beat boxer, the group covers much stylistic ground, jumping from genre to genre, drawing comparisons to Jason Mraz, OneRepublic, and Brett Dennen. This rebroadcast originally aired in June of 2010.

Dubuque-based artist Nate Jenkins sings with a captivating vocal style atop vintage indie rock and pop arrangements, channeling his original songs through veteran musicians Brad Cavanagh, Rob Martin, and Chad Witthoeft. In this encore broadcast of Java Blend, the band incorporates its unique blend of effects and loops, delivering the quality of a studio session, while preserving the raw power and spontaneity of a live performance. The band’s varying styles and distinctive instrumentation brings a refreshing interpretation to the story of popular rock and roll.

With a father like power-pop mastermind Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick at the helm of his music education, Miles Nielsen is poised to carry his family’s rich songwriting tradition well into the 21st century. As Miles explains it, “most of my childhood was spent on a tour bus traveling across the country with Cheap Trick” where the idea that songwriting was “…a way for me to meld the world of dreams and real life together”. Nielsen’s self-titled release Miles is an album full of blooming melodies, jumping rhythms, and moving stories. Join Java Blend this hour for rebroadcast of Nielsen's performance originally aired in May of 2010.

Java Blend revisits an hour with veteran Cedar Falls musician Raldo Schneider. Schneider brought his signature country-folk with a jolt and a twang to the stage of The Java House in April 2009. A native of Bennett, Iowa, Schneider has recorded nine albums over the decades, including his latest titled Raldo Schneider Live. For the last 15 years, he has performed throughout the state as Raldo and friends with veteran musicians John Stortz on guitar and Travis Smiley on bass.

We take a look back at a performance by Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith of Iowa’s premier rock band, The Nadas, after the release of their album Almanac. It was a year-long project in which the band wrote, recorded, and released a song per month for all of 2009. The Nadas have carved a thriving career out of what was once their college pastime, consistently filling clubs and colleges across the country selling more than 125,000 albums through their own Authentic Records label. Originally formed some 15 years ago in Ames, their catchy, driving tunes feature great lyrics, a solid beat, and tight vocals.

Java Blend encores an hour with songstress Alexis Stevens. She returned to her Iowa roots after living and playing music along the west coast for the past decade. In 2008, Stevens independently released her debut album, Flood or Drought. Written and recorded in Portland, Oregon, the album reflects the indie-folk spirit of that city. Subtle and accomplished guitar work mixes with haunting vocals and poignant lyricism. Stevens has also collaborated with fellow Iowa City musicians Sam Knutson and Ryan Berneman, who add some richness and twang to the songs.

Vance Gilbert burst onto the singer/songwriter scene in the early 90's when buzz started spreading in the folk clubs of Boston about an ex-multicultural arts teacher who was knocking 'em dead at open mics. While considered by many to be an integral part of the New England folk scene, Gilbert's approach stands apart in significant ways. His performances often feature extended guitar and vocal techniques, and Gilbert's compositions frequently employ sophisticated melodies and harmonies that attest to his jazz roots.

Several of Gilbert's songs deal with racial issues and his live show banter often touches on his being a black man in a field of music dominated by both white performers and audiences. Join Java Blend for this encore episode which originally aired in March of 2010.

This hour Java Blend encores an hour with Kris Delmhorst after the release of her album Shotgun Singer, which began as an act of solitary creation. Holed up in a rural cabin with minimal recording gear and a houseful of instruments, she recorded her new songs alone and off the clock, in late night sessions that yielded layers of intimate vocals combined with nylon string and electric guitars, cellos, keyboards, and percussion.

Given her roots in Detroit, it would be easy to assume that Keri Noble grew up in the ‘80s surrounded by the rich musical history and culture of the Motor City, but things were not quite that way. The daughter of a Christian pastor in a small, Spanish-speaking church on Detroit’s southwest side, Noble was raised in a strict household where secular music was generally frowned upon. By her late teens, though, she’d heard enough bits and pieces of R&B, hip-hop and other urban sounds to realize that there was an entire world waiting outside the walls of the church. But it was the voice of Joni Mitchell more than anything else that steered Noble toward songwriting.

Join host Ben Kieffer for this encore performance origially aired on Iowa Public Radio in November of 2009.

Crooked Still boasts their musical prowess as a non-traditional bluegrass quintet and celebrates the recent release of their fourth album, Some Strange County. Known for their high-intensity, unusual instrumentation and innovative acoustic style, this Boston based band says that Some Strange County is their most personal and visionary album yet. During its recording, they band worked with Grammy award winning producer and engineer Gary Paczos (Alison Krauss and Union Station, Dolly Parton). Join host Ben Kieffer this hour with Crooked Still to listen to their music and talk about their lives.

Band members include Aoife O’Donovan, vocals; Gregory Liszt, banjo; Brittany Haas, fiddle; Tristan Clarridge, cello and Corey DiMario, double-bass. National Public Radio describes their sound as an “incredible blend of instruments, voices and lyrics. Mellow, rhythmic and captivating all at once… It can sound old, but this is modern music at its most impressive and thoughtful.

An indie artist from Richmond, Virginia, and one of the producers for albums by artists such as The Counting Crows, Jason Molina and Magnolia Electric Company, David Lowery has recently decided it is time to debut a solo record. His new cd, The Palace Guards, comes alongside successful projects as a lead singer and guitarist with rockers Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven. His debut solor project features thoughtful yet simplistic lyrical work and mellow electric guitar. He calls himself a “studio cat” who prefers to be behind the scenes and says his career as a solo artists and frontman is a “happy accident.” Find more information about Lowery here.

Rooted in rock, reggae and funk, Spiritual Rez takes the stage for this Java Blend broadcast. Over the past 8 years, members Toft Willingham, lead vocals and guitar; Van Gordon Martin, lead guitar and vocals; Jesse Shaternick, bass; Ian “Meat” Miller, drumset; Kory Stanbury, saxophone; and Bryan House, trombone, have toured the country to share their music and appreciation for the arts. The “Rez” has been called a “psychedelic dance earthquake,” and a “raw and intoxicating display of musical bliss.” The band’s most recent album, Nexus, was released in late 2010 and features positive reggae vibes in addition to vacationesque guitar solos and powerful, funk driven vocals.

Chase Garrett can’t get enough of that boogie woogie beat. Born in Iowa City, Garrett started playing piano at age nine. Deeply influenced by the blues of Otis Spann, the jazz of Oscar Peterson and the boogie woogie of Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis, this mostly-self taught 21-year-old is quickly becoming a well-known blues pianist. He began playing professionally at the age of 17 and has since performed in blues festivals and piano summits in Chicago, New Orleans, California and even in Barcelona, Spain. His recently released debut album, Mrs. Blues, is available here. You can also check out a bit of what you are in store for this hour here.

This edition of Java Blend features Iowa songstress Bonne Finken, a cancer survivor and a single mother. Her most recent EP, Expectation Fall pairs her adventurous and versatile voice with a refreshing rock, soul and R & B inspired sound. The Des Moines Register says her voice “thunders, whispers, pleads and screams” all at the same time, and Little Village describes her delivery as having the “buttery depth of Annie Lennox, the effortless blues edge of Bonnie Raitt and the complete lack of fear that marks Aretha Franklin.”

Expectation Fall follows her debut solo album, Soul on Display, released in 2009. Finken brings her unique take on life and love to the Java House stage this hour. “You only have so much time in life to show people who you really are…” she told the Des Moines Register in 2009.

This week Java Blend welcomes Iowa blues artist Kevin “BF” Burt. A social worker by trade, Burt’s smooth and powerful voice soothes the spirit when paired with his soulful guitar playing. Burt’s special blend of funk inspired blues has come from almost two decades of touring across the Midwest.

Beginning his singing career in church choirs in Waterloo where he grew up, Burt became heavily involved with music attending local blues jams an adult when a co-worker complimented his rich vocal ability. Burt also works with the “Blues in the Schools” program and introduced it to the Iowa City area. He both writes his own music and covers blues classics. Find more information on his music here.

With a warm, smooth voice and vivid ,conversational, lyrics accompanied by a steady fingerstyle acoustic guitar, Ben Schmidt brands his own version of folk and Mississippi delta blues sure to get your foot tapping. He has been called “an extraordinary talent” and “the total package” by music critic Jim Musser (No Depression) and plans to release his fourth album in 2011.

His third album, Silt, explored and experimented with arrangement and musical texture and examined life in Iowa’s post-flood landscape after the floods of 2008 and was released in 2010. This hour on Java Blend, mandolin player Larry Mossman joins Schmidt creating a rich, soulful take in vintage folk music.

With story songs that search for community and shared meaning, Jen Chapin creates a funk and soul inspired kind of urban folk that has been called “brilliant and soulfully poetic” by National Public Radio and “addictive” by the Boston Globe. With five albums to her name, Chapin’s most recent release, ReVisions: Songs of Stevie Wonder debuted in 2009 and was praised as sophisticated and miraculous.

With a new record scheduled for release in this spring, Chapin expands her experience and musicianship alongside her Grammy-nominated husband and acoustic bassist Stephen Crump and guitarist Jamie Fox. As an activist, a mother and a musician, Chapin has been featured on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and has shared the stage with Bruce Springsteeen.

Nic Arp and the Magnificent Few join Iowa Public Radio’s Java Blend with a melodic and unique brand of Iowa City folk music. Arp’s debut album Faces and Words was released in 2006 and earned three stars from the Des Moines Register. His brand of Americana folk draws influence from artists such as Haven Gillespie and Beasley Smith, and his album features Iowa artists Tara Dutcher of The Beggarmen and Jim Rossen of the Tornadoes.

Arp has been described as “a powerful new voice” by the Cedar Rapids Gazette, and humble, organic and unforced by the Iowa City Press-Citizen. For this edition of Java Blend, Nic Arp is joined by the Magnificent Few, Dave Rosazza on lead guitar and Jim Rossen on harmonica.

Originally started as a psychedelic recording project in 2004, Brass Bed describes their produced and performed sound with the words “sunshine, sarcastic and sullen.” With a light-hearted, indie rock sound, the band pulls influence from 60’s revivalist bands like Dukes of the Strastosphear and the Elephant 6 Collective mixing feel-good rhythms with vocal harmonies and foot-tapping keyboard and guitar solos.

Rooting from Lafayette, Louisiana, the group likes to write music that doubles as a sort of rock and roll history lesson and an elevating musical experience. Members include Christiaan Mader, Jonny Campos, Peter Dehart, Jacques Doucet and Andrew Toups. Their most recent album, Melt White, was released in the fall of 2010 and is “contagious, poppy and fresh” according to fans of the group.

With a cool, indie, calypso-timed, jazz sound, Bermuda Report features Abbie Sawyer, formerly of Iowa City’s funk band, The Diplomettes, on vocals. Little Village says the band creates a “vacation in the tropics” through bluesy lyrics accompanied by jazz reminiscent melodies. The band’s five-track EP features Paul Kresowik, drums; Billy Legrand, guitar; Nick Leo, keyboard and Jeremiah Murphy, bass. Bermuda Report may be a fledgling band, but their full, freestyle melodies show potential to grow in 2011. Find their complete EP for free download here.

Join Java Blend for an archived edition of our program featuring Iowa's own Pieta Brown.

Over the past few years, Brown has been hailed by critics and industry prognosticators as one of the up-and-coming stars of Americana music. Her 2009 EP release Shimmer (produced by Don Was) drew rave response. Now, on Pieta’s new full-length release One and All, roots rock meets literate alt-country.

Join Java Blend for an encore edition of our show with Randy Weeks this weekend. Weeks has been branded “Cooler than an Eskimo beer box” (Houston Press).

After venturing west from his hometown of Windom, Minnesota, Randy Weeks spent nearly three decades as an integral member of the Los Angeles music scene. In the late 1990s Weeks struck out on his own and since then has recorded four highly acclaimed albums. In 2006, Weeks left L.A. for the “Live Music Capitol of the World,” Austin, Texas, where he has received an enthusiastic welcome from new fans and critics alike.

Upon the release of Going My Way, The Los Angeles Times named Weeks “Artist to Watch in 2009,” saying he “puts together a batch of consistently evocative, witty lyrics that he sings in a distinctively wry Lou Reed-meets-Willie Nelson voice.

Koplant No mixes jazz, electronic and rock stylings to create a mystic progressive sound influenced by Radiohead, Telefon, Garbage Factory and Happy Apple. Complete Life, the band’s debut album was released in October of 2010 and is said to be one of the best jazz rock records released in years by Omaha’s KIOS 91.5 FM in Nebraska. The band’s unique jazz fusion sound features Brian Lewis Smith on trumpet, Drew Morton on bass, Rob Baner on drums and Joe Vanderheyden on saxophone.

Producing a brand of Americana-country they like to call “Genuine Cornfed Cosmic Iowa Roots Music,” Scott Cochran and Flannel join “Java Blend” for this week’s fresh-brewed performance. Calling Eastern Iowa home, the group coins an alternative country sound playing mostly original songs with a few covers thrown in the mix.

Influenced by the stylings of Merle Haggard, Buddy Holly and Creedence Clearwater Revival, the members are proud to be “cornfed.” The group includes Scott Cochran, lead vocals and guitar; Iowa Rock’n Roll Hall of Famer Steve Ellis, vocals and guitar; Ryan Bernemann, vocals and bass and Rich Paterson, percussion.

Born from a scene in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Brother’s Karamazov, Ivan & Alyosha have been an interesting pair from the beginning. The duo, originally from Seattle, Washington, released their debut EP, The Verse, The Chorus, in 2009 and has musically sought to debate the existence or non-existence of the idea of god ever since. This year, they are out with a new EP entitled, Fathers Be Kind. Alyosha, really Ryan Carbary, is a monk and calls himself a “holy fool” whereas Ivan, really Tim Wilson, debunks the idea of God.

According to NPR Music’s Song of the Day, Ivan & Alyosha are “utterly charming." The two bring their tender and mellow brand of indie-rock to the Java House’s stage for this edition of “Java Blend.” Last year the group wowed audiences at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.

Taking inspiration from her youth on a grain farm in rural Michigan, Whitney Mann released her debut EP, The Way Back Home, and garnered much attention in Madison, Wisconsin and quickly enticed the ears of listeners elsewhere. After the EP’s release in 2009, Mann performed with headliners Willy Porter and Bettye LaVette and was a musical guest on Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know? on NPR and Wisconsin Public Television’s 30 Minute Music Hour.

With her countrified-folk, singer/songwriter style, Mann won New Artist of the Year at the 2010 Madison Area Music Association awards and has twice opened for Willie Nelson.

Natalie Brown and Craig Erickson join “Java Blend” bringing a unique brand of music originating in Cedar Rapids. Brown celebrates her November 2010 release, Violin Crossings, featuring her personal style which is said to have no parameters. She mixes Celtic rooted sounds with jazz, funk, folk and bluegrass as she fuses her classical training with new age Suzuki influence.

Erickson accompanies Brown for this edition of “Java Blend” working off the pair’s long-standing musical collaboration. Erickson’s love of European blues and rock complements Brown’s unique mix of tradition and innovation.

Englishman is the song-vehicle for Lexington, KY native Andrew English (The Scourge of the Sea). Englishman’s self-titled debut full-length was produced by Justin Craig (These United States), a long time collaborator and honorary band member. It arrives after English and Matt Duncan (keyboard/vocals) spent a year sharing stages with Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Deer Tick, Vandaveer, Lost in the Trees, Frontier Ruckus, Sam Quinn, and many other fine folks. Cut to tape in the converted barn English helped to build on a rural Ohio farm, it is at once familiar and haunted. The ten snowy days of recording were broken up by family style meals of summer vegetables and winter toddies. This is likely to be the coziest new album for the coming cold, and any stormy weather hereafter.

"Englishman's Andrew English is a songwriter who writes in a style that reminds of old Grandaddy and All-Time Quarterback material, with a steady steam of gorgeous melody and layers of detailed sounds and beats." - DAYTROTTER

Ernie Hendrickson’s new release “Walking With Angels”, produced by Bo Ramsey, is a testament to the songwriter and performer that Hendrickson has evolved into. The album flooded the national Americana and AAA radio landscape, boasting over forty weeks in the Top 20 on the Roots Music Folk Charts and received heavy air play at over one hundred radio stations across the U.S., and even more internationally.

Born in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, Hendrickson grew up in Rockford, Illinois where he picked up his first guitar as a 10 year old and quickly found a gift for writing original songs and began developing his own distinctive and colorful guitar style, integrating flatpicking, classical and fingerstyle techniques. From the first basement concerts that he performed for family, Hendrickson has remained devoted to his craft, and has ascended through the ranks to be named among the finest songwriters of his genre. A landmark year for the young artist, 2010 saw him playing in prestigious venues from New York City to Nashville, where he opened for Don Williams at the legendary Ryman Auditorium. Poised for an even brighter 2011, Ernie recently landed an official showcase at the 23rd annual Folk Alliance conference to be held in Memphis this February.

BROADCAST SHOW: Skye Carrasco - Encore Edition

Iowa native Skye Carrasco has played the violin since the wee age of 5. Years later, when Skye was studying Sonata in D major Opus 94 bis by Prokofiev, Skye decided that she wanted to find a way to play music that expanded her classical training & that also encompassed her love for singing, poetry & whiskey. Skye has been writing & performing her own music ever since, with special inspiration from her first chamber-pop band, Skursula. Skye calls on company of J.S. Bach, Bjork, Ella Fitzgerald, Shostakovitch, & Violeta Parra to create a mingled duet that resonates between her violin-playing & vocals.

BROADCAST SHOW: We will repeat the performance of Cashes Rivers (originally aired on 1/14/11)

BROADCAST SHOW:  After the release of the EP The Trees Will Clap For Us earlier this year, Cashes Rivers is a quickly rising star in Des Moines and won the Mixies Award for Breakout Artist in 2010. Influenced by strong ties to family and community, the band has performed with The Academy Is…, The Morning Benders, The Envy Corps and The Nada’s. The group’s attention grabbing sound is best described as a multi-instrumental indie folk, and the band sometimes performs with a full brass and string section. (This program was recorded during a live performance on 12/17/2010.)

FREE, LIVE SHOW at the Java House: Friday, February 11, 12:00 AM-Whitney Mann

BROADCAST SHOW:Friday, March 04 and Saturday, March 05

Taking inspiration from her youth on a grain farm in rural Michigan, Whitney Mann released her debut EP, The Way Back Home, and garnered much attention in Madison, Wisconsin and quickly enticed the ears of listeners elsewhere. After the EP’s release in 2009, Mann performed with headliners Willy Porter and Bettye LaVette and was a musical guest on Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know? on NPR and Wisconsin Public Television’s 30 Minute Music Hour.

With her countrified-folk, singer/songwriter style, Mann won New Artist of the Year at the 2010 Madison Area Music Association awards and has twice opened for Willie Nelson. More information at

BROADCAST SHOW: Ellis Paul is one of the leading voices of the American singer/songwriter world. He was at the forefront of the wave of singer/songwriters that emerged from the Boston folk scene in the 1990’s and helped renew interest in the genre, successfully bridging the gulf between the modern folk sound and the populist traditions of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Paul’s current studio album release The Day After Everything Changed is completely fan funded and his first without a record label in 10 years. More info at http://ellispaul.com .

BROADCAST SHOW: Alison Scott is the strongest new voice to come out of the Minneapolis music scene in many years. Her soulful, organic, sound completely ignores the rules of cool that define so much of today’s music. Working with platinum and Grammy-winning guitarist/producer Kevin Bowe (Paul Westerberg, Etta James, Jonny Lang), drummer Peter Anderson (Polara, Honeydogs) and bassist Steve Price (Rex Daisy) the band has been performing sold out shows at Mpls venues like the Dakota, Fine Line and Varsity Theater along with several exclusive benefits and corporate functions. Her new CD was listed as one of the year’s top 10 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. More info at alisonscott.com. (This program was recorded during a live performance on 12/10/2010.)

BROADCAST SHOW: We will repeat the performance of The Burlington Street Bluegrass Band. (originally aired on 12/17/10)

BROADCAST SHOW: The Burlington Street Bluegrass Band returns to the stage of The Java House to perform its high energy acoustic Americana music, featuring exquisite instrumental solos and thrilling harmonies by some of Iowa’s most treasured musicians. The current lineup includes music greats Bob Black, banjo; Al Murphy, fiddle; Dale Thomas, dobro; Joe Peterson, mandolin; Mark Wilson, guitar and Aleta Murphy, upright bass. The group performs an eclectic mix of bluegrass, country, original music, and fiddle tunes, and brings nearly 200 years of collective experience to the stage. More info at myspace.com/theburlingtonstreetbluegrassband. (This program was recorded on 12-03-2010.)

BROADCAST SHOW: We will repeat the performance of Liza Day (originally aired on 12/10/10)

LIVE PERFORMANCE at The Java House, Iowa City, 2:00 PM - Alison Scott.

Alison Scott is the strongest new voice to come out of the Minneapolis music scene in many years. Her soulful, organic, sound completely ignores the rules of cool that define so much of today’s music. Working with platinum and Grammy-winning guitarist/producer Kevin Bowe (Paul Westerberg, Etta James, Jonny Lang), drummer Peter Anderson (Polara, Honeydogs) and bassist Steve Price (Rex Daisy) the band has been performing sold out shows at Mpls venues like the Dakota, Fine Line and Varsity Theater along with several exclusive benefits and corporate functions. Her new CD was listed as one of the year’s top 10 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. More info at alisonscott.com

BROADCAST SHOW: Born Lindsey Czechowicz, Liza Day’s stage name is one half affectionate nickname and one half borrowed from social justice crusader Dorothy Day. Her music reflects this marriage, half diary-page-reflection and half public service announcement, with sounds drawn from many influences. From Appalachian folk she borrows rustic textures and deadpan storytelling. From the margins of pop she takes a disregard for tired conventions. From classic rock she borrows a dash of grit and recklessness. From old soul and gospel she borrows the secrets of voicing urgent conviction with the most human of all instruments. More info at myspace.com/lizaday. (This program was recorded on 11-19-2010.)

BROADCAST SHOW: We will repeat the performance of The Wandering Bears (originally aired on 12/3/10).

BROADCAST SHOW: The Wandering Bears project is led by the smooth harmonies of duo-angels Sarah Mannix and Samantha Blickhan, and backed by David Earl and beard brothers Drew and Mitch Fischels. The group has been compared to Fleetwood Mac, Metric, Death Cab for Cutie, and Pieta Brown. They’ve just returned from a 5-week tour on the West Coast. Their self-titled debut disc is available for free in its entirety on their website. More info at thewanderingbears.com. (This program was recorded during a live performance on 11/12/2010.)

BROADCAST SHOW: We will repeat the performance of HipKnosis (originally aired on 11/26/10)

BROADCAST SHOW: The power pop band HipKnosis, formerly known as H&K featuring Heather Kelly, has just released their second, self titled album, “HipKnosis”. In the last four years, HipKnosis has gone from a duo to a full band and has gotten several reviews both nationally and internationally. Kirk Kaufman is a three-time inductee of The Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the owner and chief engineer of Junior Motel Recording Studio in Otho, Iowa. The band spent the last four years perfecting their sound and recruiting some of the top players in the industry including, Erick Hovey, Melvin James and Chris Anderson.  (This program was recorded during a live performance on 11/5/2010.)

LIVE PERFORMANCE at The Java House, Iowa City, 2:00 PM - The Wandering Bears.  

The Wandering Bears is led by the smooth harmonies of duo-angels Sarah Mannix and Samantha Blickhan, and backed by David Earl and beard brothers Drew and Mitch Fischels. The group has been compared to Fleetwood Mac, Metric, Death Cab for Cutie, and Pieta Brown. They’ve just returned from a 5-week tour on the West Coast. Their self-titled debut disc is available for free in its entirety on their website. More info at thewanderingbears.com

BROADCAST SHOW: We will repeat the performance of the Sons of Sylvia (originally aired on 11/5/10)

FREE LIVE PERFORMANCE at The Java House, Iowa City, 2:00 PM - HipKnosis.

The power pop band HipKnosis, formerly known as H&K featuring Heather Kelly, has just released their second, self titled album, “HipKnosis”. In the last four years, HipKnosis has gone from a duo to a full band and has gotten several reviews both nationally and internationally. Kirk Kaufman is a three-time inductee of The Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the owner and chief engineer of Junior Motel Recording Studio in Otho, Iowa. The band spent the last four years perfecting their sound and recruiting some of the top players in the industry including, Erick Hovey, Melvin James and Chris Anderson.

BROADCAST SHOW: Sons of Sylvia is an American country-rock trio composed of three brothers with the surname Clark, three of 11 born to preacher parents. All three Adam, Ashley and Austin, along with their three other brothers Aaron, Andrew, and Alan, originally comprised a sextet called The Clark Family Experience. In 2007, Adam, Ashley and Austin began recording The Clark Brothers. Under this name, the trio won the top prize in the Fox Networks talent competition The Next Great American Band, and subsequently signed to Universal South Records. The band renamed itself Sons of Sylvia in October 2009 and has released its debut album Revelation. (This broadcast was recorded during a live performance on 10/15/2010.)