Iowa Basement Tapes blog #11-20

~ Thoughts and track lists from Kristian Day, host of the weekly program, Iowa Basement Tapes, which airs Thursday nights from 9-10 p.m. ~

(Most recent at the top of the page.)

Iowa Basement Tapes #20 - 11/15/2018

Night Listeners of KFMG -

This is our first road trip show! 90% of this weeks episode was recorded while driving in a minivan to Madison, WI with Dylan Sires (of the band Sires). We blast through a lot of tunes originating from the Cedar Valley, something I haven't done in a while. Bare with us, the sound quality is questionable at times because... we are in a minivan. If you miss the live show, be sure to check out the archives on iTunes.

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Iowa Basement Tapes #17 - 10/25/2018

Night Listeners of 98.9FM KFMG -

Dude, October is coming to an end! I hope everyone has been enjoying the Halloween season to the fullest potential. Tonight was our last show for October. The next time you hear my voice it will be November. I can't say much will change around here. I will still be playing the best in the heartland's alternative music but Iowa Basement Tapes is in the process of syndicating to other stations across the state of Iowa. It has been something that has always been in the works and I hope more music is discovered along the way.
Tonight I spin tunes from Iowa City's Milk Duct Tape who does a cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla", Sioux City Pete, Samuel Locke Ward, The Vahnevants and Sires. Make sure to check out all the bands on their respective pages and if you miss the live broadcast you can check out the archives on iTunes.

- Kristian Day
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Iowa Basement Tapes #16 - 10/18/2018

Night Listeners of 98.9 FM KFMG -

We are half way through October and I am in the mood for blues. My buddy Buffalo Bonker brought me a pile of Iowa blues tunes and I'm going to dig into them with Scarlet Runner from Gilbertville and The Graveyard Blues Band from Cedar Rapids (there is also rad avant-garde jazz band from Lansing, MI called Graveyards that everyone should check out). I also met a stone mason who talked to me about the Iowa metal and punk scene of the 80s. He talked a lot about Voodoo Gearshift which made me finally want to check them out. I also got Sioux City Pete with a song from Necro Blues (I had to omit the title).

If you miss the broadcast make sure to subscribe to podcast edition on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher.

- Kristian
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Iowa Basement Tapes #15 - 10/11/2018

Night Listeners of 98.9 FM KFMG -

Tonight I got stuck on a surf kick. The Afterdarks, Person Whale, and Steve Reverb & The Sound Tones all in the first 20 minutes. Person Whale has made its way into my heart. I love how sloppy the sound quality is and I wish more musicians would cut themselves some slack and let things sound a little more organic once and awhile. After much talk about my buddy Bensmasher (curator of 319dude.bandcamp.com), I finally got one of his recordings into the mix. Before I ever met Ben in person, we chatted on AOL Instant Messanger. He told me he had a "hippy industrial" project called Harm. When we met in person at Relics Records he gave me a copy. This was around 2003 and I wish to this day that he had recorded more material. At one point I had a remixed version of "Ten Red Months" that was more guitar-based vs the long ambient version that is on the album. When he first shared with me the 319 Dude Bandcamp archive, I asked him why Harm was not included and he told me "No one really knew I did this."

If you miss the broadcast make sure to subscribe to podcast edition on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher.

- Kristian
#trustkristianday

Iowa Basement Tapes #14 - 10/4/2018

Night listeners of 98.9FM KFMG -

October is finally here! If you have been listening to the show for a while, you know that I drop a lot of samples from movies at the beginning of episodes. Most of them come from horror films like Return of the Living Dead, Trick Or Treat (the one with Gene Simmons), and whatever else one might be sitting in my office when I am working on the show. Horrors movies always seemed to go hand in hand with punk rock and metal for me.
Anyways tonight I dug out a tape from this super obscure artist named Sky Carrasco. I purchased her cassette, Dark Pines, several years ago from Record Collector in Iowa City. Her music is made up of violin, ukulele, and drums. I highly recommend checking it out. On the heavy side of things, I got some CR Dicks, X-Ray Mary, and an old-school punk jack from Mister Clean. I want to also point out the last track on tonight's playlist was the closest thing I have to hair metal. Geardown from Humboldt, IA plays a medley of hair metal tracks into one epic ballad.

If you miss the broadcast make sure to subscribe to podcast edition on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher.

-Kristian
#trustkristianday

PS. If you are into horror movies, pick up the October issue of Cityview Magazine for my cover story on Dick Klemensen who has been publishing his magazine Little Shoppe of Horrors in the basement of his Des Moines home for 45 years.

Iowa Basement Tapes #13 - 9/27/2018

Night Listeners of 98.9FM KFMG -

September is over! What happened? I feel like I have been all over the place and I am in the midst of three commercial shoots happening out in Pella, IA (is there punk rock in Pella?). I went from assistant directing a really expensive proof of concept in Arkansas to producing and managing three corporate projects. I really just want to enjoy the Halloween season right now. Speaking of Halloween season, over the next few weeks I will be playing tunes that are little grimmer. You bet there will be some Horrors and Afterdarks, but baby there is so much more out there. Iowa never ceases to amaze me. Jack Meggers is also finally bringing that grocery sack of Mason City tunes so stay tuned for that next week.

Tonight I spun some classic tunes by The Buzzards from Iowa City, Spy Morale doing a cover/tribute to the late hardcore act, Sorry Excuse, and I close out with Aseethe playing a turtle speed version of Black Sabbath's Rat Salad (just an excerpt because I don't believe in filler). I also discovered my first band from Solon, Iowa, Uncle 'Na Anteaters.

Can I also ask if there is any no wave punk from Iowa? Something that sounds like Lydia Lunch, early Sonic Youth, or The Birthday Party? #askingforafriend

If you miss the broadcast make sure to subscribe to podcast edition on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher.

- Kristian
#trustkristianday

Iowa Basement Tapes #12 - 9/20/2018

Night Listeners of 98.9FM KFMG -

Tonight I cracked open the show with one of my favorite tracks from self-titled LP by The Horrors. The riff on this song gives me goosebumps everytime I jam it. I introduce some new bands into the mix including Mold, The Twelve Canons and Anthon Worden. A few tracks on tonight's program are of lower quality then we are used to playing. One of them imparticular, is a track by The Problems, one of Ed Nehring's many musical projects dating back to 1979. A mention I need to make is my discovery of the surf rockers, Steve Reverb and the Sound Tones which features my buddy Justin Beahm from Cedar Rapids/Marion on drums. If you miss the broadcast make sure to subscribe to podcast edition on iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher.

-Kristian

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Iowa Basement Tapes #11 - 9/13/2018

Night Listeners of 98.9FM KFMG -

This we week is my birthday show so I am packing this episode with tons of musical goodies. You know because of this there will be some Captain Three Leg and Deerslayer (for real). I throw a curb ball and play a track from Bob Dorr & the Blue Band, something I have never had on the show before. I also got a track from the Iowa City band Genital Hercules. I have been saving this song for a special occasion. I should also note that I recorded this week's show from a hotel a room in Springdale, Arkansas. I make movies everywhere...

-Kristian
#TrustKristianDay