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Pokey’s Fest 2 Preview

Pokey’s Fest 2 takes place in Iowa City this weekend from June 7th to June 8th. The DIY punk music festival features many Iowa City bands, along with performers from elsewhere in the Midwest, and a welcoming communal vibe.

Tennis headlines a show with Sam Evian for the Englert Theatre’s Track Zero series, bringing in breezy, light-rock tonalities alongside psychedelic pop and hypnagogic soul. Upon the night’s show, both acts exemplify what is evocative of what is carefree and serenely casual.

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Written contributions by Jaden Amjadi, Derek Tate, and Jake Bisson Jeff Rosenstock – N O D R E A M Throughout his career, though especially the last decade of it, Jeff Rosenstock has done more than possibly any artist to remove the stigma from pop-punk. His earworm melodies, impassioned shouts, and nervous energy consistently produce cathartic listening experiences. His newest effort, the surprise-release N O D R E A M, is no exception to this rule. Acting as a soundtrack to yet another anxious breakdown, songs respond to perceived personal inadequacies (“Old Crap”, “Beauty of Breathing”) and political helplessness (“Scram!”, “N O D R E A M”). While many tracks aren’t more than four minutes, most have a tremendous sense of pacing and dynamism, never wearing out a melodic or sonic idea before moving onto the next. The title track’s different musical phases cover a … Continued

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Wasteland, Baby! is full of references and asides to pop culture, politics and the spirit of survival. However you may choose to embrace or reject the void, there’s a track to speak to the contradictions of fear and hope, love and loneliness, anger and joy that buoy us from day to day. (Image via Pitchfork)

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