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The Best Releases of August: Music Staff Picks

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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

Music
The Best Releases of June: Music Staff Picks

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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

Music
The Best Releases of May: Music Staff Picks

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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

News
Vaccines in Iowa: How are we doing?

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As of April 5th, all Iowans are eligible to receive vaccinations. Previously, state guidelines restricted vaccines to high-risk groups such as essential workers, adults aged 65 and up, or people with pre-existing medical conditions. Now that eligibility has expanded, securing an appointment may be a difficult task. (image via Global Gazette)

Sports
Iowa Spring Practice: QB’s duel, youth arrives, and defense shines

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Not since Iowa beat Illinois 19-10 on Senior Day in 2019 had the Hawkeyes played in front of home fans outside of friends and family. That streak ended Saturday morning as Iowa held it’s first of two open practices this spring with fans in attendance. Fans arrived as early as before 7 AM to get the first chance to see their Hawkeyes in person since November of 2019. Many were pleased with the results, but it would’ve taken a natural disaster to ruin the moods of the black and gold this weekend. “Certainly is great to be back in Kinnick … Continued

Sports
Nick Vittore

My Quarterfinal Questions

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At 30 years old, Gonzalo Higuaín is still playing tremendous soccer. Photo courtesy the18.com   ***Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are my own. For more info on the UEFA Champions League, visit http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/index.html#/   The UEFA Champions League is down to the quarterfinals, and these are the questions I have for the final stretch of the tournament:   Who Will Win Juventus vs. Real Madrid?   It’s painfully obvious that this is not only a question I’m asking; it’s a question the whole world is asking. These two foes will tangle for the twentieth and twenty-first occasions in April, and Juve reminded … Continued

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CONCACAF Champions League Soccer Preview

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Club América is aiming for its eighth CONCACAF Champions League triumph, and its third in the modern era. Photo courtesy the18.com   ***Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are my own For more info on the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, visit https://www.concacafchampionsleague.com/   This week’s top soccer headlines may have been in Europe. But plenty of talent will be showcased on this continent next week. That’s because the CONCACAF Champions League is just around the corner, and while it might not yield the same prestige as the UEFA Champions League, it’s just as important for the clubs involved. The winner not only claims … Continued

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Soccer Games I’m Looking Forward To- End of January 2018

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Here are some soccer games I’m looking forward to close out January 2018: Chelsea vs. Newcastle, FA Cup 4th round   Brazilian playmaker Kenedy will play for Chelsea knowing that he’s been heavily sought after by his opponent. Chelsea finally ended a four-match winless run with a 4-0 route of Brighton & Hove Albion. Watch for how manager Antonio Conte lines up his Blues side this weekend as they have a midweek clash in the Carabao Cup. This game will be Sunday at 7:30 am central time on Fox Sports 1.             Newport County vs. Tottenham, FA Cup 4th round … Continued

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South American World Cup Qualifying Update

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  Opinions expressed are my own. For more details on South American World Cup Qualifying and all other World Cup Qualifying competitions, please visit www.fifa.com     Ecuador 1-2 Peru As Argentina and Chile both failed to win Tuesday, Peru cashed in on a big win in Quito and surged to fourth-place. Edison Flores opened the scoring for the guests in the 73rd-minute, and Paolo Hurtado doubled Peru’s lead three minutes later. An Enner Valencia goal in the 79th gave Ecuador some hope, but it wasn’t to be, as Peru would hang on to win. The tough news for Peru … Continued

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Uruguay manager Óscar Wáshington Tabárez can be pleased with the fact that his team is in 2nd-place in South America. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons User: Елена Рыбакова Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

A “Short” Preview of the Weekend in Soccer: Weekend of April 29th

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(Disclaimer): Opinions expressed are my own   There’s a lot of soccer out there. Here’s an appetizer of some of the soccer you may hear about or catch on TV this weekend…   Four Point Difference, Five Games Left Chelsea maintains a four-point edge on Tottenham in the English Premier League as both teams have five games left. They both face formidable opponents this Sunday as Chelsea visits Goodison Park to play at Everton at 8 am central time, while Tottenham hosts Arsenal in the North London derby. Everything’s to play for in regard to all of those teams, as … Continued

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Ronaldo, Real Madrid Down Bayern Munich

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    (Disclaimer): Opinions expressed are my own. For full coverage of the UEFA Champions League, visit http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/index.html   Cristiano Ronaldo scored five goals in two games as defending champs move on   Surprises were abound in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals; an 18-year-old scored three goals in two games, and a man with no international goals netted two goals versus Barcelona. But the only surprise in Ronaldo scoring his 100th career Champions League goal was in how quickly it happened.   That’s because it indeed happened in the quarterfinals as Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich. The soccer celebrity scored … Continued

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Cristiano Ronaldo in a 2015 UEFA Champions League game vs. FC Schalke. Photo courtesy of Chris Deahr via Wikimedia Commons. Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

A Recap of Nationally Televised MLS Games on Opening Weekend 2017

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(Disclaimer): Opinions expressed are my own. For full coverage of Major League Soccer, visit mlssoccer.com    Recap of Nationally Televised MLS Games on Opening Weekend 2017   By Nick Vittore   The old adage is that setting a good first impression is important, and while first impressions don’t say everything, they left food for thought in Major League Soccer this weekend. Here’s what we witnessed on national television during the opening weekend in America’s top-flight soccer league.   The Season Kicked Off With a Bang (Portland Timbers 5, Minnesota United 1) Minnesota United kicked off its MLS existence by traveling … Continued

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US Men’s Under-20 Soccer Wins CONCACAF Title

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(Disclaimer): This piece is my recap on the U.S. Soccer Men’s U-20 national team’s performance at the 2017 CONCACAF Soccer Men’s U-20 Championship. Opinions expressed are my own. For more info and full coverage of the tournament, visit CONCACAF.com. The United States qualified for the 2017 FIFA Soccer Men’s Under-20 World Cup. To add icing on the cake, the team won its qualifying tournament, the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, for the first time on Sunday. Don’t go betting without seeing WhaleBets because in a tournament that has sometimes marked the end of American Under-20 World Cup Qualifying campaigns in the past, … Continued

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