Alt-country/americana music pioneer Jay Farrar graced KRUI with his presence last Wednesday for an interview and a two song set in KRUI’s studio. Jay started his music odyssey in high school with Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) in a little band know as Uncle Tupelo. Little to Jay and Jeff’s prognosis, Uncle Tupelo would go on to achieve critical acclaim and even positioned Jay and Jeff as the grandaddy’s of an entire music genre. After Uncle Tupelo’s break-up, Jay formed the band Son Volt which would achieve critical acclaim in its own right. Jay stopped by Iowa City to play at the Mill for a packed house; the gig was the first of … Continued
Latest Posts
By Kendall McCabe Joe Pug, a folk songwriter from Chicago, graced Iowa City for the third time in a year this October. This time, he stopped by The Englert Theatre and played in their new “Intimates” series, in which the audience sits right up on the stage with the performer. The Englert Theatre was kind enough to let Max Johnson and Kendall McCabe record the whole experience and let them share it here. The next show in the Intimates Series is on Wednesday, November 10th. Christopher the Conquered and Dewi Sant will be playing and Christopher the Conquered will be … Continued
In 2008, Iowa City-born Nate Ruess (formerly of The Format), Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo), and Jack Antonoff (also of Steel Train) joined forces to create Fun. A band with a simple name with a love of complex, theatrical, pop-rock music. Since their formation, they have played Iowa City three times and subsequently have paid visits to KRUI. Today, the group talked about the rescue of the Chilean miners, Degrassi, Iowa City, being punk rock, and playing music, with interviewers Max Johnson and Kendall McCabe. [audio:http://www.krui.fm/assets/music/FUN. In-Studio.mp3]
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 :: 4:30 PM – Matt The Electrician MYSPACE The world of dietary supplements is rife with products that promise miraculous results but often fail to deliver. Flow Force Max is one such supplement that has garnered attention for its prostate health claims. In this article, we will conduct an in-depth analysis to determine whether FlowForce Max is genuine or just an illusion created by clever marketing. With ingredients like pumpkin seed extract and Pygeum Africanum, Flow Force Max seems well-equipped to address prostate health issues. However, the devil is in the details. We will explore whether … Continued
A review of the Cloud Nothings debut “Turning On”.
By Terry Quinn Guitar-guru Marnie Stern returns to the music scene with her third, self-titled, full length, once again paired with percussion aficionado and Hella drummer, Zach Hill. While the album is technically proficient as anything in Stern and Hill’s back catalogue, daunting skills are hardly the primary focus. Instead it incorporates math rock inspired guitar and drum riffs into melodic pop song structures that are both catchy and dense; math rock made accessible. Stern’s childlike vocals reflect and guide the instrumentation, bringing a sense of vulnerability to these tracks that effectively glues everything together. The constantly changing opening track, … Continued
By Steve C. Down There is the first official solo album from Avey Tare (Dave Portner) of Animal Collective. Avey Tare uses a unique blend of shadowy harmonies and experimental beats to create his own brand of psychedelic pop. He has long relied on fellow band mate Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) to add the finishing touches to the atmospheric soundscapes associated with previous Animal Collective albums, most notably The Merriweather Post Pavillion, but with Down There Avey Tare sets himself apart . Down There is notably dark & menacing (stemming from several personal losses/setbacks suffered by Portner), and contains abstract lyrics and sounds that are, … Continued
By Emily L. A View of the Sky marks the third effort from singing/songwriting troubadour, and local folk favorite, Paleo. Paleo, whose real name is David Strackany, once spent some time around these Iowa City parts, running Public Space One’s art gallery, before packing up to record an album and tour the country. Paleo’s tour history, which includes approximately 700 shows over the span of six years, is equally as impressive as his Song Diary project, in which he wrote a song a day from April 16, 2006 to April 15, 2007. But putting these notable factors aside, and focusing … Continued
By Terry Q Aside from a handful of remixes and EPs, not much has been seen from East London’s Gold Panda since last year’s eastern influenced breakthrough hit, “Quitter’s Raga”. Marking his first venture into LP territory, Lucky Shiner, is quick to communicate that this was time well spent. The album consists of 11, tightly knit, electronic instrumentals (for the most part) that further establish and expand on the eastern-indie-pop sound Gold Panda has surrounded himself with. Describing this album as electronic hardly does it justice as the electronic sounds here have a certain level of human intimacy akin to … Continued
Thursday, October 21, 2010 :: 4:30 PM – Phantogram. MYSPACE Songs + Interview [audio:http://www.krui.fm/assets/music/Phantogram KRUI In-Studio.mp3]