By Chad Taylor
soundcheck@dmcityview.com

Des Moines Area Community College has announced a new addition to its music program. Starting this fall, DMACC will welcome longtime Jazz musician Scott Davis on board as an adjunct instructor. Jazz aficionados in town will know Davis from the nearly three decades of music in his resume, including his own Scott Davis Quartet. Davis will lead a three credit “Jazz History and Appreciation” course twice a week. Well played, DMACC. That’s what we in the journalism biz refer to as a “good get.”

The Iowa State Fair kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 9 with plenty of great music happening both on the grandstand and at the free stages. Check out a complete rundown of who plays where and when at www.iowastatefair.org/on-stage.

One of my simple pleasures in this life is the joy of hilarious (ridiculous?) band names. Case in point: This Friday, Aug. 10, at House of Bricks, the early show features Stoopid, along with Fairhaven and the brilliantly monikered Lake of Fat Kids. 5 p.m. $6 at the door. Bravo.

If you’re going to be at House of Bricks on Friday anyway, stick around for the late show, too. For $5 at 9:30 p.m., you can check out Display Case and Eclipse.

Also on Aug. 10, Dennis Warner is this month’s entry in the Lighthouse Concert Series at West Des Moines Christian Church, playing with Dan Neale. That show starts at 7 p.m. and will be held in the church’s coffeehouse. Tickets are $10 at the door.

There’s a lot going on at Wooly’s on Saturday, Aug. 11, starting with the early show at 5:30 p.m. where Otep is supported by Brother Babies and One Eyed Doll. Tickets to the all-ages show are $13 in advance and $15 at the door.

After that, Brandon McHose plays the late show starting at 10 p.m. Tickets are $12. Dustin Smith and the Sunday Silos also play.

The Sound Notes’ Pick o’ the Week is at Gas Lamp on Sunday, Aug. 12. Pay your $5 at the door and check out The Blackfood Gypsies along with the remarkable Stutterin’ Jimmy. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Continuing the apparent theme of the week, Vaudeville Mews offers up a twin bill on Tuesday, Aug. 14. The 5 p.m. show features Ames’ very own Little Ruckus, along with The Olsen Twinns, Pocket Aristotle and Rebel Creek, all for $5.

After that, The Olsen Twinns and Little Ruckus pull double-duty for the late show, and are joined by Trouble Lights and Mumford’s. That one starts at 9:30 p.m. and will run another $5.

Wrapping up this week’s notes, if you’re going to limit yourself to seeing only one Canadian death metal band this year, get down to People’s on Wednesday, Aug. 15 to check out Kataklysm. The show gets underway at 5:30 p.m., and tickets are $15 in advance through www.ticketfly.com or $18 at the door. Origin Rose, Funeral Fleshgod, Appocolypse, Deplorable and Immaculacy also perform. Mahalo. CV