I...I...Iowa

UPDATE 2: I finally re-ripped & re-upped the two IOWA compilations thanks to the gentle prodding of Dan the OlderMusicGeek. Re-uploaded 06/01/2014. Enjoy, NØ.
 UPDATE: TapeBeatles has been re-uploaded 11/16/2013.
I will re-up the Iowa Comps as soon as I can re-rip them.

Nathan Nothin' here.

Several moves back, I was packing up my records & although I don't really keep them alphabetized, I decided to box them up that way so I could get a better idea as to what all I had.

In so doing, I realized that the letter 'I' was the smallest, most neglected section. I had just decided with no real knowledge that 'X' or 'Z' or 'Q' or some other high Scrabble score letter was probably the slighted one. It was, however, 'I'. Yet in this smallest of groups were not one but two compilations that contain some very 'I'nteresting material. These are The Iowa Compilation - 13 Iowa Bands & It's Another Iowa Compilation - Uncharted Territories, both released by South East Records

South East Records was an Iowa City based label that put out many of the Eastern Bands records and the above mentioned Iowa Comps. Their first release was House of Large Sizes Debut 4-song 7" in 1986. House of Large Sizes has tracks on both compilations.

House of Large Sizes is by far the most successful, prolific, & well-known band in the history of the Cedar Valley. Begun in September of 1986 by core members Dave Deibler & Barb Schilf, the band released 8 full length albums & a smattering of EPs & singles. They have toured the country extensively, most notably with ex-Pixies front man Frank Black. The name "House of Large Sizes" refers to a chain of clothing stores for plus sizes which operated in the midwest in the 1980s.

HOLS or 'House' as they were known to fans & friends, signed to Columbia Records in 1994. They released their major label debut, My Ass-Kicking Life, on that label. Due to internal mismanagement at the label, they did not receive the support or attention for their record, & they left the label as a result. Not to be detered, they continued to play music & make records with What Are Records? & The Tyros Label until 2003.

The band broke up due for unknown reasons in late 2003. Barb & Dave currently own & operate Mohair Pear, a vintage/retro clothing store on College Hill in Cedar Falls. That said, according to its The Reverb in Cedar Falls has booked HOLS for a New Year's Eve show. More surprisingly, posted on the Bands 'MySpace' page is a New Year's End run including:
(Dec 28 The Picador Iowa City, Iowa
-Dec 29 People’s Court Avenue Des Moines, Iowa
-Dec 30 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis
-Dec 31 The Reverb Cedar Falls)

The second volume, It's Another... contains two tracks by one of the most interesting & important bands, The Tape-beatles. Similar to Negativland or John Oswald (Plunderphonics), The Tape-beatles believe in "Audio Piracy as a Compositional Prerogative" They believe copyrights were illegal laws which hindered art's progression. Of course they were right! In fact The Tape-beatles started a very justifiable war against copyright laws, which under the blanket group Public Works they continued. As the liner notes on this compilation clearly states, "all the Tape-beatles material is not copyrighted & can be used & abused at will..."

South East Records lasted until the mid '90s.

Various - The Iowa Compilation - 13 Iowa Bands, South East Records SER002, 1987.

decryption codes in comments

Side 1 -
Sally Anne - Drednex
Never Ending Ceiling - The Hollowmen
Why Their Faces are so Worn - Full Fathom Five
Sidewalk - Dangtrippers
My Turn - Claude Pate
One & a Half on a Hill - House of Large Sizes
Popsy Sally - Cursing Birds

Side 2 -
The Dam has Broken - Shellgame
Music Boy - David Brooks
Heat Ray - The Shy Strangers
Teddy Through the Glass - Moveable Feast
When I was Young - The Eclectics
War & Peace - Four Million

Various - It's Another Iowa Compilation: Uncharted Territories, South East Records SER006, 1988.

Side A -
Big Tough Dreams - The Eclectics
What if There's a Fire? - House of Large Sizes
Let Me In (your blood bath) - Artificial Limb Embrace
Ego Explosion - Full Fathom Five
Cult Pop Guru - The Dangtrippers
Pavilion - The Hollowmen
A Pale Blue in the Muddy Grey - 23 Lies
The Ads Become the News - The Tape-Beatles

 Side B -
A Thought - Stone Wakening
Crawl - Ted Cutler
Sid - Chronic Love
Now - The Merry Pranksters
The End of the World - Moveable Feast
The Dreamers - Made Ya Look
Getting too Round - The Punishment Club
Individual Choice - The Tape-beatles

fruitman
trootbath polywog
derogatory sweet potato
yamface the third
junior

Enjoy
NØ

(if you dig the Tape-beatles as much as I do & think that
two tracks of :34 & :36 seconds are just not enough...I
have included the entire The Tape-Beatles - A Subtle Buoyancy of Pulse - NØ
decryption codes in comments)

UPDATE: I have fixed the broken links to The Tape-Beatles & added their album The Grand Delusion.

Enjoy,
NØ