Soil Compilation

News
Key Takeaways from the Iowa Senate Debate

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On Wednesday, October 7th, Democratic nominee Josh Turek and Republican nominee Ashley Hinson met in Johnston, Iowa, to discuss their platforms and concerns ahead of the November election.  Council Bluffs native Josh Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist and democratic member of the Iowa House of Representatives. Turek is seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate, a position that has not been held by an Iowa Democrat since 2008.  Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is running on the Republican ticket in hopes of securing a Senate seat next to Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley (R). Born and raised in Des Moines, Hinson … Continued

News
Iowa City Takes Down Street Kiosks And Plans to Take Another

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Article By Myles Ackman and Kade Grierson Two weeks ago—on September 22—city workers were seen across town extracting kiosk poles from the ground—the boards that you generally see around town crowded with posters—including one that previously stood outside China Star on South Clinton Street. People took to social media platforms such as Reddit to voice their concerns, with one post receiving 79 comments. Although local events can be found online, not all are promoted digitally. Some communities and event organizers rely on flyer displays to reach Iowa City residents. KRUI received the following response after reaching out to the city … Continued

Music
Phoebe Bridgers Live in Chicago

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After three years of hibernation, Phoebe Bridgers returned to the stage this fall for The Lost Tour spanning across North America and Europe. On Saturday, September 19th there was a sold out crowd awaiting the four time Grammy winner at United Center without a phone in sight.

News
Opinion: The University of Iowa must do more to protect its marching band and performers

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When a student dies under the university’s watch, it should become the concern of the entire student body. That is why, despite not being a member of the Hawkeye Marching Band or a student-athlete, I write today to call for more robust protocols and protections in the future to safeguard the health of some of the most dedicated and hardworking student-athletes on campus: the Hawkeye Marching Band.  It’s worth comparing what happened on September 5th to a similar tragedy that happened recently at Arizona State. This involved a draft pick, Matthew Mayich, who collapsed from heat exhaustion during an intense … Continued

Online Content
September 14, No New Jail Show

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As far back as my first punk show as an Iowa City resident, I would continue to hear calls to action to vote against a bill being proposed to spend $125 million on building a new jail within Johnson County. It seemed like a persistent issue with little in the way of progress, as those with any power to stop it were refusing to listen to the pleas of concerned citizens. So when I saw the announcement of a show to protest this very bill, I knew it was something I couldn’t miss out on.  In collaboration with Johnson County … Continued

Music
Alexa Squire

Review: Porcelain Raft – Strange Weekend

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By Shari Jaffri Mauro Remiddi, or better known as his moniker Porcelain Raft, is a multi-talented man. With an impressive repertoire right down his belt having traveled to many lurks of the world (the dashing Italian lad has worked off Broadway, joined part of a traveling circus in Germany and was part of a choir in Korea — imagine that), Mauro unremittingly stuns with his first full-length album, Strange Weekend. Released by the label Secretly Canadian, Strange Weekend is a wonderful and magical collection of songs. It begins with the woozy track, ‘Drifting in and Out’. With an opener like … Continued

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Preview: Kids These Days

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By Michael Kadziulis Chicago natives Kids These Days are taking the nation by storm. After a huge year where KTD performed at Lollapalooza, Summerfest and South by Southwest, the band is continuing to rock the nation touring the rest of the U.S. Don’t let the age of the band fool you, these kids know how to jam. KTD use elements of hip-hop, jazz, blues, funk, and rock to form a unique sound that has been compared to that of The Roots. The band will soon be releasing their LP “Trap House Rock”, which was produced by Wilco’s very own Jeff … Continued

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Review: Atlas Sound – Parallax

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By Nick Lovelace Bradford Cox is one of the most prolific artists in recent memory, having released a total of 14 full-length albums as the front-man of Deerhunter and as Atlas Sound, the moniker of his solo project, since 2005. This isn’t to mention the vast amount of music he’s recorded and shared on his blog. This guy has so many ideas when it comes to music, and it’s amazing that he’s consistently able to sift through his vast body of work to construct a cohesive and thoughtful album. Whether we’re talking about Atlas Sound or Deerhunter, not one of … Continued

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Review: Fool’s Gold – Leave No Trace

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By Alina Perez Gomez Fool’s Gold is back with their second studio album, Leave No Trace, from IAMSOUND Records.  It is a different style from their self-titled debut album released in 2009.  Luke Top and Lewis Pesacov formed this collective to explore their interest in African music styles, but their second album proves they have found their own style. Leave No Trace is a 10-track mini-vacation.  Many tracks have a tropical sound, with a mix of electronic styling.  I had the first three tracks on constant repeat, “Wild Window” being my favorite track of the album.  It is a dance … Continued

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Review: Wild Flag – Wild Flag

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By Riley Ubben Whenever anyone in the music blogosphere talks about Wild Flag, the band’s riot grrrl credentials almost always seem to be the primary focus. Sure, everyone loves to throw around the “supergroup” tag, but the success of these ladies’ past projects (Sleater-Kinney, Helium, The Minders) certainly isn’t the only reason for their success now. Plenty of supergroups make headlines every year, but rarely do these projects deliver. I mean, have you heard Loutallica? The reason Wild Flag’s debut is still relevant is because it’s one of the few releases of the year that rocks. And I mean really rocks—the … Continued

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Review: Peter Wolf Crier – Garden of Arms

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By Blake Carlson-Joshua Frontman Peter Pisano and drummer Brian Moen, Peter Wolf Crier, take the power of two musicians to a whole new level in their highly-anticipated second album, Garden of Arms. In a music scene riddled with alternative folk duos, Peter Wolf Crier have perfected one crucial element that sets them apart from others: the ability to sound complex. After the success of their debut album, Inter-Be, the Minneapolis based duo had a lot to live up to. They played 100 different shows around the country in a short six month time period. When they were done they sat … Continued

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Review: Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing

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By Rob Rodriguez  Blitzen Trapper simply rocks. I don’t know of another band that can consistently pump out great albums without a disappointing change in style. American Goldwing picks up right where Destroyer of the Void and Furr leave off. As always, the album offers a bit of everything. There is a cornucopia of sound; banjos, 70’s style synthesizers, and blaring harmonicas. You will nod your head to the guitar licks and then close your eyes in appreciation of all the beautiful southern melody. The album doesn’t skip a beat, opening loudly with the riff-heavy “Mind Find It Cheap.” But if you’re like me, you stay … Continued

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Review: Malajube – La Caverne

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By Alina Perez Gomez Dare to Care presents the fourth album by Canada’s indie rock heroes, Malajube.  Hailing from Montreal, Malajube is a quartet led by Julien Mineau on vocals and guitar.  Their first album, Le Compte Complet, in 2004 gained them instant fame in Quebec.  By their second album release in 2006, Malajube began to tour the US and gain international recognition.  While many bands that gain international fame turn to English to propel them to a wider stage, Malajube faithfully continues singing French lyrics.  Don’t speak French?  Not to worry.  Dubbed the language of romance, French is beautiful to … Continued

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Review: Mates of State – Mountaintops

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By Riley Ubben With the recent split of Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore, things are looking bleak for boy-girl bands all over. I mean, let’s be honest here–the lifestyle of a musician has to be tough on even the most rock-solid relationships. They spend their days crammed in a tour bus or in a recording studio with their significant others, and unlike the majority of their indie rock peers, they can’t even vent about their romantic woes via song. While it’s been over a decade since My Solo Project first introduced the infectious, lovey-dovey pop of the Mates of State, … Continued

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