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Mission Creek Mix 2011

By Kendall McCabe and Max Johnson

Can’t wait till Mission Creek Week? Listen to KRUI’s exclusive Mission Creek Mix for 2011 and get a preview of some of the bands that will be playing in Iowa City next week.

Download the playlist here.

1. Who’s in Control by British Sea Power

British Sea Power, a rock group from Kendal, England, have put out five full-lengths since 2003. Known for their grandious, guitar-driven sound and peculiar individual persona, the group’s latest effort Valhalla Dancehall was met with much success in the UK upon its release in January of 2011.

2. Came Out Of A Lady by Rubblebucket

Rubblebucket has been called “a must-hear artist” by SPIN. The 8-member afro-groove band relies on horn instrumentation and roots influences to create a sound pleasing to lovers of indie, rock, and jam bands. They released their Triangular Daisies EP in October of 2010.

3. Clench My Teeth by Caroline Smith & The Goodnight Sleeps

The Minneapolis group Caroline Smith & The Goodnight Sleeps released their debut album, Backyard Tentset, in 2009. Smith’s folk-pop songs bloom into well-developed stories, and her whimsical, somewhat pinched voice is full of girlish charm.

4. Heartbeat by Colour Revolt

Members of Colour Revolt first played together while still in high school. Since then, they have since released two albums of their signature dreamy, guitar-heavy music. The Oxford, Mississippi band’s latest effort, The Cradle, was released in 2010 on Dualtone.

5. Ambergris by Snowblink

Snowblink is the musical amalgam of Daniela Gesundheit and Dan Goldman. Their debut album Long Live was released in February 2011 to critical acclaim.  Gesundheit showcases quite a set of pipes on the record, rocking “a vocal range Kate Bush would envy,” according to Chicago’s Gapers Block.

6. Untitled 101 by Peter Wolf Crier

When hearing a Peter Wolf Crier song, it’s important to occasionally take note of what year it is. The Minneapolis-based duo seem to be able to alter time and spin history around their brand of plainspoken lo-fi folk. Their May 2010 debut Inter-Be seems to be inspired as much by old-timey gospel music as it is by modern indie-rock.

7. So Long Silly Rabbit by Utopia Park

Utopia Park is the electro-punk-trance band of Fairfield, IA brothers Dominic & Philip Rabalais. Formerly known as Porno Galactica, released two digital albums through the Mission Freak label in 2009. The duo now runs their own cassette label, Sweat Power.

8. Ponyboy by Native

This post-hardcore band has a distinctive, epic, and thrashing quality that separates their music from the standard fare of other alternative bands. The northwestern Indiana group’s debut album, Wrestling Moves, was released in 2009 on Sargent House.

9. Watch Me Jumpstart by Guided by Voices

The newly reunited Guided by Voices will play this year’s Mission Creek Festival with its “classic” 1993-1996 lineup. The lo-fi, post-punk group is known for its seemingly endless output—they released 16 albums in less than 20 years.

The Dayton, Ohio-based band initially was active from 1983 to 2004 and underwent many lineup changes with songwriter Robert Pollard always at the forefront. Guitarists Tobin Sprout and Mitch Mitchell, bassist Dan Toohey, and drummer Kevin Fennell will perform along with Pollard at the Blue Moose on Saturday April 2 at 9 p.m.

10. Made Sheen by Pillars & Tongues

Pillars & Tongues is a self-described “amorphous soul-folk ensemble” from Chicago, Illinois. Lay of Pilgrim Park, their most recent album, showcases the group at their minimalist best. The album was primarily recorded live and used only vocals, a violin, double-bass, and percussion instruments.

11. Daydreaming by Dark Dark Dark

This six-piece Minneapolis band creates swirling music befitting of a noir film. Pianist Nona Marie Invie’s haunting vocals blend with meandering accordion and banjo melodies, backed by light and simple percussion. The result is “chamber-folk” at its finest. Their latest album Wild Go was released in October 2010.

12. Three Tooth Man by Mumford’s

Hailing from Ames, Iowa comes the powerful horn-folk dance band – Mumford’s. Mumford’s appeal is a very specific one, a fact that is as clear in their first full-length Eyes as it is in their incredible live show. The band’s songs emerge from a place of high contrast and are marked by blasts of noise tied to intricate melodies and goofy jokes caught in the epic tales of redemption.

13. World’s Smallest Violin by Paleo

Residents of Iowa City should already be quite familiar with Paleo, a staple in the local music scene, a literate folk musician who seems to always be spinning elaborate stories and then setting them against a jangly guitar background. His latest album “A View from the Sky” was released in September 2010, and he is already preparing to release a follow-up in June.

14. Friends in the Band by Poison Control Center

Poison Control Center is a band from Ames, Iowa, who have inspired countless other Iowa bands. Throughout their long career, some highlights include opening for Pavement and releasing their latest album in summer 2010, Sad Sour Future to praise from Pitchfork: “Clearly, this is a band worth getting familiar with.”

15. Civilian by Wye Oak

Wye Oak, a powerful duo comprised of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack from Baltimore, have been aptly described as “21st Century Folk” at just about every turn. Striking a balance between intimacy and detachment, between story-telling and noise, their releases have only gotten better and better since 2007’s If Children, culminating in Civilian which was released by Merge in early March.