Songwriters Ken Pomeroy and Loudon Wainwright III played at the James Thater for ICSF 2025. Seeing songwriters encouraging people to start and showing them how to begin is what makes art happen.
A celebration took place in Chicago this September. The 20th edition of Riot Fest has come and passed, and while still covered in a layer of dirt and sweat, next year’s edition can’t come soon enough.
Soldier Field finally had something to celebrate again, as the Chicago Bears snapped their eight-game losing streak to the New Orleans Saints with a 26-14 win. Powered by a dominant defense and resurgent run game, the Bears overcame offensive struggles to notch their fourth straight win and move to 4-2 on the season.
On October 1, 2025, I journeyed to Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines to see a performance from Father John Misty, and left with a disappointment most bitter and foul, great show though!
Iowa education’s system has embraced the arrival of artificial cal intelligence with no signs of slowing down. However, some have raised concerns that it may lead to its downfall while others see it as a successor to the internet and printing press.
This weekend, Las Vegas will host the fourth edition of When We Were Young. A festival celebrating the scene out in the desert holds more than you’ve bargained for as 53 bands take on 4 stages in 1 day. A whirlwind for every pair of vans and fishnets in the pit, it’s Christmas in October for many. Here is your stage by stage preview of When We Were Young 2025.
This New York-based synthpop band, made up of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, is touring on the back of their fourth full-length album, New Meaning.
KRUI Music Staff’s picks for February.
Earl Sweatshirt – SICK! On the newest album from Earl Sweatshirt, the rapper continues his streak of thoughtful and melancholic bars–this time with a slightly more approachable selection of beats, supplied by the likes of The Alchemist and Black Noi$e. Avant jazz is still a key piece of the production, though some of the pianos here have a midi sheen to them, and some of the trap-influenced drum tracks will be familiar to fans of contemporary hip hop. One such track featuring this style of production is “2010”, with a bright, yet off-kilter synth loop. Here, as with many spots … Continued
20. Snail Mail – Valentine “Snail Mail retains the same wounded lover ethos and hazy, scorned vocals but with a noticeably more pop-inspired instrumental palette. Indie rock guitars and peppy drums provide a sturdy melodic base, while additions of piano or dreamy synths give this album a sometimes danceable effect.” –Sydney Sjobakken 19. Lingua Ignota – Sinner Get Ready “Lingua Ignota has always incorporated a regal and grandiose instrumental palette, but SINNER GET READY shows a slightly softer side to her work with elements of religious hymns and neofolk. Yet, despite drawing back a bit from her more abrasive tendencies, she still … Continued
The Body & BIG|BRAVE – Leaving None But Small Birds The Body and BIG|BRAVE have each earned their tenure in metal, but together they have created an album that defies any preconceived notions one might have had for them. On Leaving None But Small Birds, both bands veer into a brand of folk rock that is rife with an eerie grit. Twangy layered strings mesh with the heavy distortion of guitars that both The Body and BIG|BRAVE are known for, creating a delicate and foreboding atmosphere. Similarly, the guttural shrieks and growls of The Body are replaced by the haunting croons of BIG|BRAVE’s lead vocalist Robin … Continued
KRUI’s Music Staff rounds up the best releases of September
Tropical Fuck Storm – Deep States Aussie noise rock band Tropical Fuck Storm’s third album, Deep States, is as messy and disorienting as the doomed political landscape it was birthed out of. Reflecting mind-poisoning social media discourse twisted through the filter of a distortion pedal, vocalists Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin deliver some of their most compelling melodies over lacerating guitar and synth lines. The opening track, “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, writes from the perspective of Jesus’ second coming to Earth to proclaim in a grand chorus “There ain’t no end of days.” Even at its loudest, a sense … Continued
Spellling – The Turning Wheel The Turning Wheel, Chrystia Cabral’s third album under the project Spellling, offers bewitchingly captivating progressive folk and neo-soul songs. A shift towards natural instrumentation marks a stark change from 2019’s synth-heavy Mazy Fly, giving these songs a new liveliness, and pushing Cabral’s songwriting towards the theatrical. The sonic palette on its own can be bewildering at first–veering off without warning into performances of soul, hard rock, classical, folk, and of course, synthwave. It’s no surprise that the personnel list reveals more than thirty performers–all of whom sound great. The songs are left with an enchanting … Continued
Squid – Bright Green Field Long before the release of their debut LP, Squid has been making waves in the post-punk community with their own brand of angular and uniquely provocative songwriting that has set them apart from peers in the genre. With the often deranged and purposely erratic vocal delivery of singer Ollie Judge and the driving pseudo-punk melodies conducted by the rest of the band, there is no doubt the group has emotional, musical, and lyrical potency. In their most recent works, including the two singles they released in 2020 and their latest LP, Squid has begun to incorporate … Continued
KRUI Music Staff’s March picks of best releases!
