For nearly 40 years, Jhe Russell needed to be perfect. After all, his dance career demanded it. But when injuries and the chaos of life took him in a different direction, he found peace in a job he never expected.
KRUI is pretty special, not only do we like music, but we also enjoy other things! From movies, video games, a DJ set, and sports, here’s a list of some of our KRUI picks from all things media that we loved to see in 2025.
No. 23 Iowa closed the 2025 season with a statement win, knocking off No. 14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl behind a clutch performance from senior quarterback Mark Gronowski. The victory snapped Iowa’s long skid against ranked opponents and served as a fitting sendoff for a senior class that chose loyalty and one last ride together.
Four seconds left, just two yards away. After an all-game shootout, the Bears had one final chance to close the book on an improbable ending. They fell just short.
The rumors are true, KRUI likes music! 2025 was a crazy year all around, and even crazier, we here at KRUI actually listened to lots of albums this year. We’ve picked out eleven of our favorite albums from this year to share, and explore together.
It’s December 29, 2025, and if you can believe it, we here at KRUI actually listened to music throughout the whole year! From pop superstars, to indie legends, to the fresh Bandcamp up-and-comers, we’ve picked out nine of our favorite songs released this past year to share and explore together.
I sat down with multi-instrumentalists Jano Rix before his gig with The Wood Brothers at The Englert Theatre on November 12th. Taking a beat to touch on what shaped him artistically, his favorite illustrators, and the impact dancing has had in his adult life, Jano let us into how he makes a chaotic world feel focused and comfortable.
On their new album, New York alt country band Frog purposefully give into the mundane writing “1000 Variations on the Same Song” while still exploring depths of Americana.
Hurray for the Riff Raff brought a powerful political voice to The Englert Theatre on Saturday, taking a stance through music. (Featured image via Reddit)
An album review of the folksy singer Shakey Graves and his latest album.
Photo VIA: The Des Moines Register
Marisa Anderson performed at the Trumpet Blossom Cafe with Sarah Louise and Liv Carrow for Mission Creek. Read about it here! (Image via: marisaandersonmusic.com)
Dawes returned to the Englert on their own, playing classic cuts and tracks from their new album. (photo via: JamBase.com)
Check out Caroline Rose’s brave new american album, I Will Not Be Afraid.
Check out KRUI’s track of the week, “America Religious” by Caroline Rose
