Soil Compilation

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

Keep reading...

By Keith Evanson Hip-hop duo, Chiddy Bang, have taken their underground hype into the mainstream. After nonstop touring, mixtape releases, and record label signings, they have now settled down to release an official album. Band members, Chidera “Chiddy” Anamege and Noah “Xaphoon” Jones Beresin, use a successful formula to stimulate the ears of as many listeners as possible. Combining elements of hip-hop, electronica, and indie, they have displayed how versatile rap music can be. Xaphoon Jones shows a lot promise as a producer, there is no doubt about that. He has made a lot of interesting choices in the samples … Continued

Keep reading...