Soil Compilation

Music
When We Were Young Recap

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KRUI’s recap of When We Were Young Festival 2025 in Las Vegas. Throughout 4 stages, 53 bands tore through their sets across a 13 hour day. Here is how I spent my day at When We Were Young. 

Music
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Show Review: I Hear IC at The Mill

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I Hear IC is an hour long extravaganza of people making art and music of all types, welcoming both students and residents of Iowa City to perform their finished or unfinished projects. In the past they have welcomed choirs, plays, bands, alternative singer/songwriters, poetry — if it’s art, you can perform it at I Hear IC. Wednesday, March 13 was a hodgepodge of music and poetry, ranging from opener Gabi Vanek playing adapted guitar music on her bassoon to regular Jessica King reciting poetry of heartbreak and fairy tales to Combined Efforts Men’s Chorus (directed by Michael Pelnik and organized … Continued

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Valgeir Sigurdsson @ The Englert

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On Wednesday, March 13 at 8 PM, a handful of Iowa City residents entered The Englert Theatre. Instead of filing into the usual theatre seats, listeners were invited on stage. A group of approximately fifty chairs was nestled around a piano, a music stand, and a Mac computer. The stage was otherwise rather bare and decorated sparsely: bricks, pipes, blue lights, and dulled yellow lights created a calm, relaxed environment. Everyone comfortably chatted, visited the bar, and eagerly awaited the start of the concert. Eventually, Valgeir Sigurdsson himself came out on stage followed by Nadia Sirota, a violist with whom he … Continued

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Show Review: Slim Goodbody @ The Englert Theatre — 2/27/13

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Tens of children between the ages of six and eight trekked into The Englert Theatre at 10 AM on Wednesday, February 27. The snow did nothing to stop these children from making it to the Englert on time. This field trip was an exciting and educational experience for the kids. Not only did they enjoy a morning away from the classroom, they learned about how to keep their bodies healthy and happy. Amid the chatter of the children, a voice rang out: “Slim Goodbody’s program will begin in two minutes!” The voices of the kids immediately replied: “What? No!” They … Continued

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UI Lecture: Ayana Mathis at The Englert Theatre

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The Englert Theatre was packed last Monday night, February 25 at 7 PM. The crowd, filled with students and Iowa City citizens, was there to see one incredible woman: Ayana Mathis. Mathis, a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, came back to Iowa City to read from her debut novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. The novel’s recent acclaim is partially due to its acceptance in to Oprah’s book club. Following a wild applause, Ayana Mathis took the stage and read a short poem by Gwendolyn Brooks entitled “Kitchenette Building.” She then commented on the poem, noting that it questions whether … Continued

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Post All-Star Break: Teams that Need to Improve

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The season has finally gotten to the half way point and it has been nicer to some teams more than others. There have been a lot of ups and downs this season half way through, but there are some teams that have not gotten it done. These four teams make my list of teams that desperately need a change of pace in the second half. 1. Los Angeles Lakers Alright, I will say this topic has been beat over the head well after it died, but that does not change the fact that the struggling Lakers have a great deal to improve … Continued

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Track of the Week: “Goin’ Down” by The Pretty Reckless

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You know that sweet, innocent little girl who played Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas? As it turns out, she (Taylor Momsen) is now the lead singer of an alternative rock band: The Pretty Reckless. The Pretty Reckless released their debut album, Light Me Up, on August 30, 2010. They have since been on two world-wide tours, released a second EP, been featured on the soundtracks of  Kick-Ass and Frankenweenie, and were nominated for two Virgin Media Music Awards (Best Group, Best Newcomer) in 2010. I purchased Light Me Up in 2011 and immediately … Continued

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Track of the Week

Track Of The Week: “Dead in the Water” by Ellie Goulding

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Last March, Ellie Goulding’s long-awaited first full album Lights was released. Only a year and seven months later (Tuesday, actually), Halcyon hit the stores. Personally, I have only ever been a fan of a few of Ellie Goulding’s covers, and I never really got into Lights. However, Halcyon has a slightly different feel to it. The pop, almost techo vibe of Goulding’s previous work is still present, but there is a new hint of alternative that really has me hooked. It is most apparent, to me, in the more laid-back track “Dead in the Water.” The first two minutes of the … Continued

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