I’ve been a fan of Summer Salt for years now, so finding out they were stopping in Iowa City as a part of their 2020 Tour had me beyond excited. Not only were they coming, but Okey Dokey and the Break up Shoes were their supporting acts. Going into this, I had high expectations because I know all of their music so well.

As they set up the stage for Summer Salt, it became filled with colorful fake flowers and hand-painted props. The stage had so much personality and warmth, it was exciting to see what was to come.

Once Summer Salt started to perform, it was nothing like how I imagined it to be. I expected the concert to be like their music: mellow and relaxed. I was definitely wrong, but in the best way.

The concert was very high energy, with constant bouncing and dancing. At one point, there were even mosh pits. I would never expect to be moshing to the calm music I was so used to hearing. They were able to take their laid-back songs to another level and it showed through with the band’s personality. Eugene Chung, the drummer, even got into the crowd and sat on someone’s shoulders. Standing in the front row, the lead singer and guitarist, Matthew Terry, played his guitar inches from my face. Not only was he jamming on guitar but his voice sounded even more heavenly in person.

My favorite song they performed was “Candy Wrappers“. Since it’s their most popular song, the audience was definitely the most excited to sing along. It was so much fun and it gave me a new perspective on the song to hear them perform it live.

Their show ended with one of my favorite songs, “Going Native”, which was a great way to end the night. Summer Salt outdid my expectations and their concert was so much better than I could’ve imagined. Overall, it was pretty “Sweet to Me.”

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Joe Keery: most people recognize him as Steve from Netflix’s popular series, Stranger Things. He’s been one of the main characters in the series and played a huge role in its previous season.

You might be wondering what they have in common. An indie-rock artist and a well-known actor. Well, Joe Keery is Djo.

I came across Djo’s most popular song, “Roddy“, earlier this fall. I loved the variation throughout the song and how Djo is able to keep the song interesting using such a mixture of sounds. Later I went on to Spotify to see what other songs he’s made to not only discover his full-length album, Twenty Twenty, but that Djo is none other than Joe Keery himself.

His album, Twenty Twenty, was released this past September and I’m surprised it’s not well-known yet. But perhaps that’s not the purpose. He was previously in the band, Post Animal, staying with the band through the first season of Stranger Things. However, people started to come to Post Animal shows specifically for Keery and they disbanded. Yet as Djo, his music has become more dreamy than his past work in Post Animal. He has created his own unique tone while working individually. It’s interesting to see how he’s progressed through this solo project away from Post Animal.

“Roddy”, the most popular song from the album, transitions into a variety of melodies through the song. From its catchy melody to suddenly synth-filled rhythms, it creates what sounds like a totally different song. Meanwhile, the song, “Mortal Projections”, has haunting chords and raspy vocals that progress into a memorable instrumental that gradually builds momentum into the end of the song. For more of a rock song, “Personal Lies“, has alluring guitar chords with Keery’s unique psychedelic spin.

One of my personal favorites is “Chateau (Feel Alright)”. It is an extremely dreamy song that has smooth and calming lyrics. It seems to be gentler than most of his other songs and I think creates an interesting dynamic within the album.

Another standout song is “Tentpole Shangrila”, which has everything from guitar riffs to trippy rhythms. “Just Along for the Ride” also is a great track from the album. Most of the song is pretty mellow, but the backing vocals help to make the chorus unique.

Joe Keery continues to impress his audience with his popular role in Stranger Things to writing an entire album in the meantime. He has no lack of talent and it will be exciting to see what other projects he will release in the future.

The post Album Review: Twenty-Twenty by Djo appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Marcelo Mena is the former Minister of the Environment in Chile and is currently working at the World Bank as a climate advisor. He is originally from Chile and moved to Iowa City at the age of seven. Mena went back to Chile for his undergraduate degree at the Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso in Valparaiso, Chile. He later earned his master’s and doctoral degree in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Iowa. He is also a former KRUI member and director.

With a banner in hand saying “Iowa City Climate Strikes,” the Student IC Climate Strikers took to the stage to introduce Mena. The group consists of students from Iowa City schools. Recently, they have been protesting the University of Iowa for its energy consumption and coal burning at the nearby power plant. Not only do they protest Friday after Friday, but earlier in October, these same students protested with Greta Thunberg to combat these issues.

After the introduction, Marcelo Mena began his presentation. As he starts speaking, it’s obvious he knows what he’s talking about. Although he speaks with so much knowledge and understanding, he still remains humble and down to Earth. It’s clear that he is truly passionate about climate change and developing solutions for a better environment.

At the beginning of his presentation, he mentions some important facts regarding climate change. Mena says that if we don’t lower our emissions, the world will face many consequences like rising seas, stronger storms, shifting rainfall, and the acidification of the ocean. One issue that particularly stood out to me would be that productivity in certain countries will decrease. Countries that rely on labor, specifically that is outdoors, will see a decrease in growth because of the rising temperatures.

Next, Mena focused on his work in Chile and the huge impact it made on the country. He was part of an energy revolution while directly working with Chile’s president. Mena helped create better power generation like increasing solar power, and creating a tax on cars with higher pollution rates to give people an incentive to purchase cleaner cars. He also enacted emission standards for power plants, a ban on plastic bags, new national parks, and more ocean conservation.

Mena also mentioned the Green Campus Initiative and how there needs to be more energy savings on campus, which is a similar message to the IC Student Climate Strikers.

Finally, Mena mentions the best things for people to do to help the environment. Choosing a healthier meal option can reduce the environmental impact that food production creates. Also as an avid biker, he says that changing transportation to biking or walking can help the environment by reducing emissions. But not only does it help the environment, but Mena says biking got rid of a lot of stress from the many debates at work. And of course, he even showed off his tie, which was covered in bicycles.

Overall, Marcelo Mena’s presentation gave an insightful perspective on climate change. It was interesting to listen to a professional who has dedicated their career to help benefit the environment. His humor and humble personality showed through in his presentation which created an inviting and engaging atmosphere. Marcelo Mena’s work has inspired and will continue to inspire many across the world to improve the environment before it’s too late.

For more information on how to live sustainably and for ways to help out around campus, be sure to check out the University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment!

The post Marcelo Mena @ Englert Theatre 11/1 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Declan McKenna is a singer-songwriter from Cheshunt, England. The twenty-year-old’s first single was his self-released hit, “Brazil,” in 2014. Soon after, he ended up winning the Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Composition, which helped him gain attention from many record labels. He eventually signed with Columbia Records and re-released “Brazil,” which then became massively popular. The song itself critiques FIFA for awarding the FIFA World Cup to Brazil in 2014 and not addressing the poverty that affects the nation.

In 2015, he released his second single, “Paracetamol.” This song discussed how transgender teens are misrepresented in the media. After releasing this song, he proved his maturity in the music world through the combination of his passionate vocals and deep lyrics.

McKenna released two more singles, “Bethlehem” and “Isombard,” in late 2016. “Bethlehem” is referring to people that use their religion as an excuse to do what they want while “Isombard” is about right-wing media.

Following those singles, McKenna released two EPs in 2016, Stains, and, Liar, with “Brazil” and “Paracetamol” on both. McKenna released two more singles, “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home,” and “Humongous,” before releasing his debut album, What Do You Think About the Car?

What Do You Think About the Car? was released on July 21, 2017, and contained all six of his previously released songs, as well as five new tracks.

After a two year drought following his debut album, McKenna finally released a new single last August. His single, “British Bombs,” describes the hypocrisy of British foreign policy, specifically regarding arms trading.

In an interview via email with The FADER McKenna explains,

“I wanted to write a song that was outright against war, in any form. Violence breeds violence and I just don’t think the world is too complex to set a peaceful precedent, but it seems the business of war is what keeps happening. To say it’s a shame feels like a huge understatement.”

Declan McKenna via The FADER

Although the song is anti-war in general, he mostly references the civil war currently in Yemen. Over 22.2 million people are in need of assistance and the estimated number of deaths is up to 91,600 people. A majority of the bombs being used are thought to be supplied by the British or other western countries. Facts McKenna clearly draws on in his political song.

Declan McKenna will continue to create music that addresses true problems in our society and I think it’s important that he is using his fame to make a positive impact on the world. Now, he is currently creating his next album which will hopefully be released soon and continue his trend of addressing real, political issues.

The post Artist Profile: Declan McKenna appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Recorded and produced in his bedroom, Fuzzybrain by Dayglow, was released in late 2018. This is his first album, with another single, “Nicknames,” having been released this past September. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Dayglow is definitely an artist to watch. Dayglow, whose real name is Sloan Struble, created the 8 track album and released it before leaving for college in 2018. Throughout his freshman year, the album gained more and more popularity. 

His hit, “Can I Call You Tonight?” is easily the most recognizable and catchy tune from the album. Like the rest of his album, it radiates happiness and Dayglow’s unique energy. The song recalls the indecisiveness of furthering a relationship and not knowing how the other person feels, especially when one’s thinking they might leave.

Another relative hit from his album is, “Hot Rod.” This upbeat song is a song I easily put on repeat. It describes how a relationship became different than the couple first imagined it to be. The chorus is infectious with its lively lyrics: 

“But we both know-oh-oh
The way it’s gonna go-oh-oh
In the same way
Maybe I’m not all that you thought
And we don’t mo-o-ove
Like we used to do
In the same way
Maybe you’re not such a hot rod.”

“Junior Varsity,” is a song about change and moving onto a different part of life. This song particularly resonates with those either moving to college or away from it. How it all seems so ‘foreign’ but, is also something so anticipated. “Dear Friend,” is another song about change, but more personal. This song is about a changed relationship or friendship and how he reminisces about that individual from time to time.

Some of the other songs on his album display his lack of clarity and the uncertainty of his mind. “False Direction,” describes being led in a false direction and how he’s unsure of the right direction in his life. Similarily, “Fuzzybrain,” takes a peek into Struble’s ‘scattered mind.’ The song’s poetic lyrics create a mellow base for the many sounds featured in the song: “There’s rain inside my skeleton frame, a hurricane within my rib cage.”

As an upbeat song, “Run the World!!!,” is one of the best from the album. Especially shown with the number of exclamation points. However, the song is about running his own world and how that could be seen as narcissistic. He’s afraid that he’ll never be what others want him to be. 

“Fair Game,” is about a relationship and the constant ‘change of rules’ it required. The song mentions Dayglow, ‘losing his mind,’ which is a common – yet relatable – theme throughout his music. Also musically, “Fair Game,” has the most contrast. Most of his songs tend to be fairly repetitive, however, this song breaks out of the mold.

Dayglow is an artist whose music especially resonates with those of our generation. His music provides a warmth that blankets his audience with relatable lyrics. From creating music by himself to millions of streams to currently touring the country, Dayglow is an upcoming artist to follow.

The post Album Review: Fuzzybrain by Dayglow appeared first on KRUI Radio.