HD Harmsen/Mumfords split on Maximum Ames records

There’s a rare variety of seven inch that is not only is a split with material that isn’t available anywhere else, but also is a collaboration between both bands on either side.
This endangered species from HD Harmsen and The Mumfords is the latest single from Maximum Ames Records who are fiercely supportive of the Iowa music scene and these two bands.

"Tarzan" from HD Harmsen constructs a big chorus sound with unbelievable enthusiasm in this story song about Tarzan. I guess because he’s got problems thanks to a back and forth confusing telephone call. They hide the things that make them what they are from each other. Jane seems a little bit like the jerk in the relationship, but maybe they can work it out because they're so different? Lots of vocal harmony from HD, the verse is a real vibrant pop sound that opens with a gong. Tarzan wants a monkey. Its that blinding storytelling sound that ends with a quick four beat at the end of the verse, taking that classic example of a relationship and updating it into modern times with slight distortion and a catchy chorus. I don't think it’s going to work out with these two they just aren't being honest. Hiding things and secretly being annoyed with each together. I appreciate HD didn’t go for the happy ending.
The Mumfords have popped up on numerous singles, including a self released 45 with a serial killer country-fried track on the B-Side along with Samuel Locke Ward. The flip side here, "Cleft Lip" (featuring the ghost of HD Harmsen) has them taking their outsider hip-hop sound heard recently on a split with the Wheelers and combining it with a gypsy of Gogol Bordello sound. Maniac rapid-fire vocals that are shocking before they truly sink in about getting his dick sucked before it morphs into a Mighty Bosstones sound. Coke porn carnival, almost Cramps style mess they want everyone to sing along to, using the horns and funk beats in as punk as possible way. Sweaty, no shirts, drinking jam.

Get this from Maximum Ames Records

No samples of these tracks anywhere, all you get is a track off HD's latest album, Papoose:

Derek Lambert and the Prairie Fires on Maximum Ames Records

Maximum Ames, the record label discovering and pressing Iowa based artists is back with this alt-country single from Derek Lambert and the Prairie Fires, based out of Des Moines. Derek had been writing and performing solo previously until getting together with the prairie fires to round out this huge back room bar country sound. Even if the loner, acoustic guitar sound is your style, this sound is equally rooted in the ensemble work of a bunch of relatives on the porch, playing standards long into the night.

Like A-Side's "Swing Low" which is exactly the song you're thinking... an acapella start but with some new verses, wiping dirt from his lips and shoveling dirt. Done in that huge band, chorus all pipes firing sound... a million voices coming in for the chorus, yelling like their lives depended on it. That goofy ballad of despair, tryin' to make the best of a bad situation,...the point of the song after all and they make it their own form of success. An abbreviated version of this retelling ending right in the middle to continue on with "It Shines" going into their heavy rocker-country style with a light, warm distortion even on Derek's vocals. A little like that Devil went down to Dixie song...or a little rawhide style of that sentiment anyway. They keep rising higher and higher, the instrumentation billowing into a coud of static and fuzz. This slower section is the morning after, the depression sets in when everything has kind of gone wrong. What do you do in that situation but go get fucked up again to chase that hangover. That's what they do in this sort of Irish sea chanty way. Sing along people. There's a weird backwards masking at the end of this, probably something to do with the devil.
B-Sides "I Came Down" comes in a little quieter this time with slow, electric fingerpicking and Derek's laying on the imagery again... this guy really wants to create a story everytime, in his specific lonesome way. The bass waits to start humming in along with the slow crash of cymbals and when they hit the title of this track the instrumentation really builds, it's all in service of this songwriting.
"A Change Will Come" goes heavy rockabilly this time with rumbly vocals and a bluesy bass line of stuttery gripped pick electric... they are ending this on a bang. Now that I hear this big ensemble sound again, it's what you look to these guys to do well. When they have this almost party sound of crazy blues is where this picks up steam and they're going to get you to have as good of a time as they are. Turns out this was recorded somewhat live and that energy come soff in this recording.

On black vinyl with download card from Maximun Ames Records. They love Iowa as much as Fort Lowell loves Tuscon.

Blues Pills on Maximum Ames Records

The guys over at Maximum Ames Records sent me the advance CD-R copy of this Blues Pills single a while back and I didn't actually end up getting to it before putting on the vinyl the other day. I'm glad I waited to catch this on rumbling vinyl, but I can see why they were so eager to share this amazing debut of eerily authentic power psych with probably one of the most incredible female vocalists out there from this Iowa based band.

A-Side, "Black Smoke" is going to let you work up to what they have in store, the reverb thick slow guitar and rolling snare launch this in a classic groove direction, but right away for me the second Elin's vocal comes in this whole thing completely changes. She's got the same big striking chops as someone like Shannon Shaw, with her unbelievable range and tone. The classically trained sounding skill lying just underneath this reckless abandon style vocal, not afraid to push her limits and get into an uncomfortable place. It's not right to think Janis immediately but let's just get that out of the way right now...and it's uncanny. This one picks up really quick, she's just as easily loudly up front hitting a growly, raspy yell...but just to act as a foil to this really impressive verse section. Like she's been quietly waiting over there to bust out along with the cymbal crashes and this low groove. Seriously a new impression of classic rock, huge riffs, while everything has this deep big room tone, but with a once removed feel of texture to the whole track, it can't possibly have been recorded this last year. The Enthusiasts actually have some kind of contemporaries in their neoclassic take on this genre, make room for heavy-psyche. The gutsy riff that ends up plowing through the midesction of this is almost completely overtaken by this out of control lower range bellow and they've saved the last third of this track to completely show off their chops as well from the call and response of drum fills to a growly guitar. Big period appropriate theme's of The end of the world and Death, but delivered by Elin Larsson it doesn't sound half that depressing.

B-Side's "Bliss" breaks out the Wah and destroys the heavy groove bassline, this time Elin's vocal has some kind of slight distortion here, everything pushed into the treble end of things maybe. Opposite on the low end the bass rhythms are doubled up and punchy. This one is a little overwhelming, they get into a pretty serious racket coming out of these three, weirdly all I can reference is that Mothers Milk record I must have listened to a million times before the internet. This one has that kind of subtle nod to funk, but with a Dead Meadow utterly out of range low end. They're blowing this one right off the turntable, I don't know why but I really just want to hear her voice again, whats she up to?

Maximum Ames' mantra is: "all Iowa, all vinyl". The thick grey kind here with a pitch perfect design on the reverse of this psych front sleeve and in one of those thick fold over bendy picture disc bendy plastic outer sleeves that if you take a long whiff... it's going to help the ride. Insert card and download...from Maximum Ames Records.
No bandcamp, you have to go over to Maximum's site and scroll down for a streaming player.