This group is incredibly down to earth and just wants to share their music with the world. Prior to releasing their EP, the band wrote a heartfelt post on their Tumblr.

In the post, the band states “We have had a lot of bad things happen to us, and we have decided that with whatever happens in this life to us, we want music to be at the front of our passions and our attention. Bringing music to our fans is so terribly important to us, that we would drag ourselves through hell and back to keep making songs for you all.” You can read the entire post here.

Since beginning back in May 2009, these guys have successfully put out three EPs, including the one that was just released under Third String Records (along with plenty of singles), played at Houston’s 2011 Warped Tour stop, even gained and lost a member, all the while growing their dedicated fan base and creating tons of great music.

The group only has 424 Spotify subscribers, and just over 1,100 subscribers on YouTube. Their most popular track, “This is How You Rewrote Yourself,” is so close to having 3,000 views. Why not help bump that up and give it a look? It’s filled with tons of great jump cuts, and conveys a message with a simple whiteboard. You can check it out below:

If you would like to stay connected with Dear You, feel free to check out their Twitter or Facebook. You can also check out their merchandise here.

The post Up and Coming: Dear You appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This week’s band is Wisconsin natives, The Millenium. The four-some, made up of Kyle Culver on guitar, Kyle Featherstone, also on guitar, but piano and vocals as well, Matt Hasenmueller on lead vocals, and Sean Koran on bass, are self-described as a ‘Titanic pop/alternative’ sound. For only being an official band since the beginning of this year, these guys have come quite a long way.

In just 11 months they’ve been on multiple tours, played the famous Vans Warped Tour, and even have a stellar music video for their song “Ghost Town”, which can be found on their only EP, It’s So Much Friendlier With Two.

Check out the music video below:

The band’s first single “Take Me” came out in February of 2014, and the full EP was out on February 23^rd. Their upbeat, poppy sound makes you want to get up and dance. Matt, the lead vocals for the group, has such a cheery presence on stage; it makes it hard for anyone in the crowd to stay in their seat.

Not knowing openers can be really hit or miss at shows, but I lucked out when I got to meet and interview these guys. These rad dudes recently played here in Iowa City, at the Blue Moose. The group was on a small tour with The Icarus Account and Chase Coy.

It was definitely refreshing to meet such cool musicians who are passionate about what they’re doing, and on top of it, are good at it too. The guys have just over 250 followers on the popular music streaming service Spotify, and just under 400 subscribers on YouTube.

If you’d like to give their music a listen, click here

The post Up and Coming: The Millenium appeared first on KRUI Radio.

With its simple and sweet lyrics, “Big Jet Plane” is quite the laid back song. Having an almost hopeful sound to it though, is a great tune for rainy days and staying in or even just walking to class. The vibe is overall super mellow and great for all occasions. I highly recommend checking out their other stuff!

The post Track of the Week: “Big Jet Plane” by Angus and Julia Stone appeared first on KRUI Radio.

In 2008 at Auckland’s MAINZ music college, Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith came together with fellow classmate, Aaron Short, creating The Naked and Famous. The group recorded two EPs. By 2009 the Aaron had joined the group full-time along with Jesse Wood and David Beadle. In September of 2010, they released their debut studio album titled Passive Me, Aggressive You, with the popular tracks “Young Blood” and “Punching in a Dream.” They won’t be on tour until next year due to currently writing/recording their next album.

When I first heard this song I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with the soft beginning, but once the vocals came in with the drums, I was hooked. Here is “Bells” off of their  No Light EP. I hope you dig this as much as I do. Enjoy!

The post Track of the Week: “Bells” by The Naked and Famous appeared first on KRUI Radio.

In 2011, they led a self-booked tour. Shortly afterward they acquired quite the following. On April 3, 2012, the band’s first album was released. Their first single, “Ho Hey,” is an upbeat love song filled with honest lyrics that are nice to sing along to, but I would like to focus on another potential hit on the album titled “Slow It Down”. It shows off a softer, more gentle side while still maintaining their mellifluous lyric style. Towards the end it speeds up a little for their signature upbeat vibe yet still remains sweet. The entire album has a very heart-on-your-sleeve feel and I highly recommend it for anyone!

The post Track of the Week: “Slow It Down” by the Lumineers appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Mountain Goats are an American folk band that was created by John Darnielle in his small studio apartment with nothing more than his poetry, a dual-cassette recorder, and a guitar that he got for a couple dollars up the street. He went on to share his poems with his friend Rachel who just happened to play the bass. They went on to tour the US and Europe, along with the Midwest and San Francisco. Then in 2001, when asked if he’d like to make records, John called his friend Peter and the two went on to make Tallahassee, We Shall All Be Healed, The Sunset Tree, Get Lonely from 2002 to 2007. All the while having different drummers play with them until the day they met Jon Wurster. They enjoyed him so much that the trio later went on to make Heretic Pride in 2008, and in early 2009, The Life of the World to Come.

This song, to me, is so full of upbeat feelings and sweet lyrics that it’s hard to not want to sing along or tap my foot. Despite the sad subject matter- Frankie Lymon’s drug-induced death at one of those rehabnear.me facilities– the phrase that stuck out was “Every dream is a good dream, even awful dreams are good dreams, if you’re doing it right.” Something about it just makes me want to keep scrolling through their playlist and especially check them out this Friday since they’ll be here in Iowa City at Blue Moose!

The post Track of the Week: “Harlem Roulette” by The Mountain Goats appeared first on KRUI Radio.