Iona Zajac : I just realized I’ve been, I’ve been kind of like, trying to navigate New York and then I was like, shit.  

Logan Melia: It’s a beautiful place to navigate, so no judgment on my end.

Iona: Thank you thank you. How are you doing?

Logan: I’m doing well, how about yourself?  

Iona: Yeah, really good, really good. A bit like, a bit spaced out after being on the road for a couple of weeks. And it’s my first time in all of these places, so, kind of like a kid in a sweet shop.  

Logan: Are you liking it so far? Are you liking the U.S. vibes?  

Iona: I am, I am. Like, New York in particular it’s my first time here.  

Logan: And you’re playing two nights there, right? Tonight’s the second night?  

Iona: Exactly. Tonight’s the second night and at Terminal 5. Have you been there?  

Logan: I have been. You guys have been playing some really incredible venues.  

Iona: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, the ones in Canada, I have to say, have really stood out for me gig- wise. Our gig in Montreal was like, the highlight of the tour so far.  

Logan: Was that the City Folk Festival you played?

Iona: No, that was Ottawa, which was another highlight. That was amazing. 

Logan: Where did you play int Montreal that you liked so much?

Iona: Montreal, oh, off the top of my head, I can’t remember.

Logan: What made it so special for you?  

Iona: It was the audience, really. The audience were the dream audience to have on a stage, where they were giving you everything for the upbeat numbers and then really enjoying the slower numbers. Just so delighted by the gig and being there, that you stand on stage being so delighted to be there. And very similar, I’d say the most iconic venue that The Pogues have had really special gigs is a venue in Glasgow called The Barrowland Ballroom, otherwise known as “The Barras”. And it’s just really well known for them having the most rowdy, amazing electric gigs. And a few people at the show in Montreal kind of compared that audience to the Glasgow audience. So that was special.  

Logan: My first introduction to The Barrowlands was an old recording of Oasis playing there back in the 2000s. And then I just went down the rabbit hole. I mean, the fans look absolutely electric there.  

Iona: Yeah, it’s always a wild gig. I’ve got friends in an amazing Irish band called The Mary Wallopers.  

Logan: Oh, I love The Mary Wallopers. 

Iona: Yeah, you know them. So they’re big enough now that they could be playing the arena show in Glasgow, but instead they’ve chosen to do five nights in The Barrowlands rather than one night in the arena, just because of the buzz of the venue and the fans. It’s just great.  

Logan: Oh, absolutely. Now, I’m from Chicago, and the Riot Fest crowds that you’ll be playing to on Friday, I’m not trying to set your expectations too high, but I’m a longtime goer of that festival.  

Iona: Are you coming?  

Logan: Oh, I’m absolutely there. I’m front row for you. I’m getting there during Stiff Little Fingers.  

Iona: Class.  

Logan: You guys have been circled on the calendar for months ever since it was announced. But it’s crowd surfing, it’s moshing, and it’s the whole nine. It’s a good vibe.  

Iona: Brilliant. I can’t wait for that.  

Logan: You did a stretch in the UK, you’re doing some dates in the States right now. I mean, you guys have a ton of people on stage. How has the tour been as a whole?  

Iona: I mean, considering how many of us, it’s like the most harmonious and hilarious group of people. Honestly, the gigs have been amazing, but everything surrounding the gigs, like the bus journeys, have been just places of complete kind of hilarity. And we’ve written a lot of songs together on the buses. A lot of songs that are quite silly, like playing a game where you have to make up an album name and then write a track list, and then you choose to write one of the songs. And we’ve played that a couple of times. And we’ve done a lot of games, you know, poetry games, where you write a line and fold over the piece of paper and pass it on, and then you end up with this absolutely bizarre poem from all of our brains. It’s been a real place of just nonsense, but also just really amazing, open, creative people. And there’s obviously the three original members, James, Jem, and Spider, and there’s what they refer to as their children, which is all of us. And it really feels like that. It does feel like one big family. It’s amazing. And we all just feel so lucky to be doing it. It’s such an honor.

Logan: That’s so sweet. I mean, it’s such a cool progression of the legacy. My whole family’s from Ireland, so the Pogues were the soundtrack to growing up and everything. I never thought I’d get an opportunity to see them. And so what does this legacy mean? What is your relationship with the Pogues growing up?  

Iona: I think, similarly, growing up with my parents, listening to them, and knowing of this guy, Shane MacGowan, that was just this absolute legend and mad character. Growing up, we’d be singing the songs at Christmas, but obviously my parents would have been going to see them when they were a bit younger than I am now. So, I really just grew up knowing them as legends that I would probably never get to see. And then suddenly getting asked if I might get up and sing a song with them, I was like, I can’t do that. I don’t have that kind of, I don’t think I had that kind of voice in me. To sing the song, one of my songs I sing is “Poor Paddy Works on the Railway”, and that requires you to be quite raucous. I just didn’t think I had that voice, because the rest of the stuff I sing is pretty mellow and folky, and I’ve absolutely found it thanks to them. The band is not trying to be what it was with Shane MacGowan, nobody’s trying to replace anyone. He has written songs that will last forever, and we’re just so lucky to be carrying on singing them. It’s a real love for him all through the show. Yeah, it really is. 

Logan: Thats so special.

Iona: Yeah, it really is.

Logan: Now Ireland is kind of, the U.K. as a whole, is kind of a hotbed kind of the best new bands between, you mentioned The Mary Wallopers, you have Fontaines, Kneecap, Sam Fender even from more of the British side of it. Is there anything that you have your eye on right now? Any artists from across the pond that us Americans should be keying into?

Iona: Apart from the ones you’ve just mentioned, I don’t know if you’ve come across Lankum. They’re a dark Irish folk band. They’re fantastic, and one of their members is playing guitar with us on this tour. John Francis Flynn is also brilliant from Dublin, and he’s singing a couple of songs with us, so you’ll see. Ireland is just constantly pumping out these amazing musicians at the moment. I’m from Scotland myself, but I’m living in London now. It’s kind of exhausting living in London, because there’s a brilliant gig to go to every day.  

Logan: Not a bad problem to have.  

Iona: Yeah, it’s not a bad problem to have. But yeah, I think this group of musicians is a particularly special group, because there’s so many people that have their own projects that are very exciting at the moment. Lisa O’Neill, who’s singing some of the big numbers with us on this tour, her solo project is absolutely amazing. I’m doing some shows supporting her as soon as I get back.  

Logan: And yourself too, you have your album “Bang” coming out November 21st. You have a few singles out right now, you have a music video for “Dilute”. This is a big year for you, this is exciting.  

Iona: Yeah, it’s all going on. Bringing out my first record has taken a long time and a lot of work, and it feels like a lot has gone into this year, and then suddenly it’s all happening at once. And so it feels great to be putting out my solo music and working on that alongside doing The Pogues stuff, because it’s all so different, but all feeding into each other. And my solo music is so different from this. So I feel like they’re just feeding different avenues, if you like.  

Logan: Yeah, I’ve listened to your stuff and it’s got such a feeling to it. It sets over you when you listen to it. And even going back to your first EP, “Finding Her in the Grass”, you have such a unique sound that has just consistently been yours.  

Iona: Thank you. I’m outside a restaurant just now because I met up with my producer who produced “Bang”. She’s in New York right now. And I think working with her and working with the musicians on the album has been really key to developing the sound. Because I really just started as me in my bedroom with my guitar, with a knowledge of three chords. That’s where the first EP came from. And so it’s really exciting, the prospect that this album is going to… because I’ve done so much solo touring, supporting people. And now with this record, we’re going to be playing with a full band. I can’t wait.  

Logan: Yeah, you got some co-headline dates with Robin Kester and then your album release show on the 27th at The Social. You have so much going on this year. What is the most exciting thing for you?  

Iona: I think, apart from these The Pogues shows, I think the next thing will be the album launch in London. That’ll feel like a big moment because I’ve not really done a headline show under my own name before. And so much has gone into getting this album out in the world. We’re sort of releasing it. And I just hope it’s a big celebration of the music. And the thing I’ve been enjoying this year the most actually, because we recorded the album nearly two years ago now, so the songs have been around for a long time. But this year I’ve really been focusing on the visual and the videos to go alongside the tracks. And that, I think, has really injected the music with a currency of how I am as an artist at this point, versus how I was when I wrote the songs. And I’ve just been so enjoying that creative process and finding amazing people to work with. And so I’m about to make the next music video for the next single, which is called “Murder Mystery”. It’s kind of a play on Scandi Noir, Murder Mystery songs. It’s very surreal. But we’ve got a really exciting plan for the music video for that. So I’m excited to make that when I get home.

Logan: This is so exciting. Now, I won’t keep you too much longer. I’ve got one more question for you. Thank you so much for taking the time with me. So this new album of yours, you mentioned Emily Dickinson as a previous influence for the song “Summer”. Are there any forms of media that you really fall back on that just always hit the inspiration chord for you?   

Iona: I think reading poetry is probably always where I go to. Reading poetry and people watching would be probably my two… If I’m needing material, I’m just obsessed with watching people and writing that focuses on everyday experience and the subtleties of daily living that sometimes we miss because we’re occupied by big things in life. So, like Hannah Sullivan has always been a big inspiration and Alice Oswald. Hannah Sullivan has this poetry collection called “Three Poems”. It’s the best observation of busy life that I’ve read. I’d say that. This record is a big one because it really does detail the last 15 years of my life. Going forward, the stuff will probably be a bit more current. I’m so excited to have it out in the world.

Logan: You can listen to it on November 21st. You can catch Iona with The Pogues this Friday at Riot Fest.  

Iona: So nice to speak to you, Logan. I’ll see you on Friday.  

Iona and The Pogues put on an incredible show, one that brought in a crowd spanning generations to sing, dance, and celebrate Shane and The Pogues’ legacy. With an encore of “The Gentlemen’s Soldier” in the shadow of fireworks, The Pogues set at Riot Fest will live in the memories of their fans for life. Iona’s first LP “Bang” comes out in just under 2 months on November 21st. You find her music here.

The post Interview: Iona Zajac on The Pogues, “Bang”, and the Lash appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The show began without any address to the crowd, nor waiting for the voices in the lobby to die. Nat simply inhaled, setting his bow upon the wired strings, and pulled out a thick note to reverberate across the room. The crowd grew quiet. Even the chamber outside stood silent as Baldwin linked that first cloying note into the next, carefully working the bow across the face of his instrument. Heavy fingers danced over the neck with instinctive grace and calculated intent, weaving into a low melody. Throaty vocals accompanied the deep bass in a voice which moved as gracefully as the hand pulling his bow, as though he were writing a sentence over the strings. With his words, Baldwin spoke of family, love, age, and time. He spoke of messing up, of starting over, and of trying again. Baldwin sang, played, and spoke out that theater what it felt to be human. The set was short, interrupted only twice by modest introductions and credits, and a brief “I love you too!” in response to a shout from an audience member. And yet, the music seemed to last longer than it could have possibly been, as time turned to hour-miles bent around the heart. The sweetest moment being Nat’s cover of beloved Iowa musician Arthur Russell’s “A Little Lost”, fluttering and earnestly singing “Cause I’m so busy, so busy/Thinking about kissing you,” perfectly befitting of the atmosphere that evening.

As Baldwin closed out his set, he thanked everyone for coming and spoke with audience members afterward, exchanging handshakes, kind words, and various forms of sweet affection. Within the culture of modern music festivals, even at smaller ones like Mission Creek, it can feel almost routine to show up and just choose what’s easiest, what’s simplest, and forget how to care. When I left the Riverside theater that night, I left knowing that Nat Baldwin cared, and so did I.

The post Mission Creek 2025: The Caring Nurture of Nat Baldwin appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Started initially in 2004 by singer/songwriter and bandleader Justin Ringle, the Portland, Oregon based band has changed several times throughout its existence.

After bouncing between several rock bands around his home state of Idaho, Ringle moved to Portland and fixated on the acoustic genre.

A year later, another musician named Peter Broderick heard some of Ringle’s demos and offered to help add some instrumentations to the songs and build them up. Horse Feathers was from then on a duo, and the two released their debut album, Words Are Dead, in September of 2006.

Bringing in more people, Broderick’s sister Heather Broderick joined the band the following year on cello and the band continues to feature new members as time goes by.

After releasing another album entitled House With No Home with the independent record label Kill Rock Stars, Peter and Heather Broderick left the band one shortly after another in 2008 to pursue other musical projects.

The band gained the new members of Nathan Crockett, Catherine Odell, and Sam Cooper as instrumentalists following Broderick’s departure. A few more transitions have occurred since then, and the band now sits at five members.

No matter the members of the band, their commitment to creating inventive acoustic music has stayed constant.

Horse Feather’s music features a wide array of instruments with an emphasis on strings. The band’s pieces typically contain guitar but aren’t limited to them, integrating folk instruments including banjo, mandolin, violin, and others that give their music a unique sound.

Intricate instrumental backdrops showcase the talent of the band members and set up a lovely contrast to Ringle’s calming vocals. While some certainly pick up speed and energy, the majority of their tracks focus on a quaint and emotional atmosphere which bring listeners to a pleasant reverie.

In an interview with Mission Creek Festival, Ringle discussed how Horse Feathers has evolved over the years and his experience with it. He says he considered leaving the music industry altogether after touring in 2012, but decided to focus on having fun with music.

After playing a show with the band and some of his closest friends, Ringle had a realization in conjunction with the feelings that resulted from the high energy performance.

“We liked it, and the unusual feeling that I had after that show – which I think is referred to as ‘joy’ – became something I wanted to experience again. I shared more. I stopped editing myself as much.

The joy of playing live became its own reward, and I dared myself to allow that joy to shape the songwriting. In the end, I was able to let it go, and I don’t own it anymore. Which also feels like joy. That’s the way it was, and so it is with us.”

After Iowa City, the band will continue on a tour around the U.S., details of which can be found on the Horse Feathers website. Check out Horse Feathers at The Mill on April 5th, and be sure keep up with the rest of Mission Creek Festival events.

The post Mission Creek Festival Promo: Horse Feathers appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The National’s 7th album, Sleep Well Beast contains many of the band’s first’s; a guitar solo by Aaron Dessner on “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness,” or the song “Turtleneck,” which Berninger explains to NPR is basically gibberish but with dark political connotation about President Donald Trump.

Electronic influences aren’t new to Sleep Well Beast, although it seems so to an audience. A bright citrus opening to the album playfully awakens this to the audience, with horse hove sounding synths while in the background, a melodramatic piano pattern carries the classic sounds we’ve been craving since their last release in 2013; Trouble Will Find Me.

“There’s some of it [electronic influence] on every record, really. You can hear beds of electronic stuff kind of rolling away in the background on the last album, on “Demons” and “Don’t Swallow the Cap” says Bryce Dessner, National guitarist and composer tells Joe Goggins.

Bursting choruses, bloody and brooding lyrics all bring together the perfect pace that Sleep Well Beast is. While still moody and dark, no doubt with help from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, friend of Aaron Desser, there’s a new take on relationships, romantic and social, for this album.

“I’m not lost I’m not lost I’m losing grip the fabrics ripped” Berlinger grumbles in Sleep Well Beast, “let me figure it out, how to get us back to the place where we were when we first went out.”

“The [lyrics] are flexible, My marriage is in tact, but this is clearly a record about a relationship that’s over or maybe about to be over”  Berlinger tells NPR’s All Songs Considered with a chuckle. The album is centered on Berninger and his wife, Carin Besser, who co-wrote part of the album.

“We write about the things that are really really scare us the most, looking over the edge, and if you really look far enough over and address it and then come back and talk about what you saw and saying ‘I don’t want to take that step, I’m not going to do that’ that’s a healthy thing,” he tells NPR.

Sleep Well Beast isn’t an album that was put together with just chords and lyrics, it’s a socially aware active piece of art. The title of the album was born from the idea of Resignation Syndrome where, after being told they’re being deported from Sweden, hundreds of Syrian refugee children are falling into a comatose state for weeks at a time.

Berninger explains what part the election took in the album to Joe Goggins, “We had a bunch of songs that were actually quite political, but they just felt fundamentally lame and insignificant afterwards, so we dumped them. The political stuff that remains is just of a different tone.”

Aaron Dessner continues, “You can’t really separate your art from your personal experience, and everything that’s happening right now – you know, these are things that are going to affect our children.”

You can hear empathy, and the tug on Berninger’s patience in his voice through the entire album. It’s nothing that we don’t expect from the band, but it’s everything we needed to hear.

“The end of it’s a bunch of imagery from news footage that I saw, people like on forklifts..and you know native americans stopping the pipeline…and different stuff, its just fragments of imagery coming in and out at the end” Berninger tells NPR’s All Songs Considered.  

“Also the sound of the record gets a little bit deconstructed and the pieces of the architecture of the song get kind of revealed at the end…it was a big…yeah we were smoking weed, man.”

Sleep Well Beast was released September 8th, 2017.

The post Everything you need to know while you’re listening to The National’s new LP “Sleep Well Beast” appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Origami Ghosts proclaims on their Facebook page that they have occasionally been compared to iconic groups such as the Shins, Modest Mouse, and the Beach Boys.

Judging simply by Fruit & Animal, I am going to have to disagree with this presumptuous statement. While Origami Ghosts does at times hold the same happy-go-lucky vibe as the Beach Boys, it isn’t clean or polished. And while songs from Fruit & Animal such as “Tongue” might hold the same dramatic instrumentals as the Shins and Modest Mouse, their organization can’t really compare.

The most striking and cohesive element of the album as a whole is the layering—every song holds a juxtaposition of rhythms and phrases. At times this is enjoyable and interesting to listen to, but at others it can be overwhelming.

For example, in “Lick Your Paws… Henrietta” there is a clear melody intertwined with multiple countermelodies, but because of the subdued nature of the the countermelodies, the song remains easy to listen to. This directly contrasts with other songs on the album like “The Wheel,” which contains a flute, a wind chime, a trumpet, drums, echoing vocals, and honestly, who knows what else. There are many interesting instrumentals that really add to the album, such as the refreshingly brassy horn playing in “Seeing Elves” and “Watered Down, Planned Out,” but unfortunately, the intense layering at times distracts the listener from these enjoyable moments.

The lyrics of Fruit & Animal are nothing to be spoken of either. In many of the tracks, they appear nonsensical and too abstract for the ordinary person to draw meaning from. In the eighth track, “Dr. Friends,” the line, Last night I was talkin’ to my friends/ Talkin’ about doctors/ Yeah talkin’ about doctor friends, and lines with similar word choice appear repetitively. On an even more confusing note, this song contains a Chewbacca growl and the word “shimmy” whispered seductively. Other songs that contain mystifying lyrics include “Kangaroo Boxing,” “To Do List,” “Dolphins & Vultures,” and “Incubator.”

While much of Origami Ghosts’ new album Fruit & Animal is only something most would want to listen to occasionally, there are a few hits on the set. “Unicorn Horse Divorce” is the clearly shining star of the album. This track not only has an amusing and intriguing title, but holds a catchy beat and visible organization. The lyrics aren’t philosophical or especially meaningful, but they are fun and interesting.

“Gone Bananas!” demonstrates a flair for drama that the other tracks lack with an extremely memorable opening. The final track of the album, “Now Where Am I?” begins with a simple guitar/drum beat that is somehow both soothing and uplifting.

Though much of Fruit & Animal is merely subpar layering and nonsensical lyrics, a testament can be given to their innovation. Songs like “Love” and “Fond of Flying” demonstrate their experimentation with echoing vocals and interesting techniques of keeping rhythm. Specifically, in “Fond of Flying,” there is a verse in which the only time keeper is beat boxing.

It is impossible to say that Origami Ghosts is not original—their unique blend of sound gives them unmatched distinction. What this album may need is a serious consideration of what layering is useful, and what is not, as well as contemplation of organization. While I won’t give Fruit & Animal my recommendation, I do commend their ingenuity.

Album Rating: B-

Check out Origami Ghosts’ Facebook page or their website.

The post Album Review: “Fruit & Animal” by Origami Ghosts appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The set was filled with passion, energy, and messages of love and a desire to find home. They playing the entirety of their self-titled debut album, as well as a new song they’ve been working on throughout the tour, and an incredibly reserved cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.”

After the show I spoke with Daniel Chae, violinist and electric guitarist for the sextet. He said, “this was one of the best crowds on tour. Seriously, we’re just blown away by the love and support.”

Check out our video of their performance:

The Tuesday leading up to the show I spoke with Alex Hwang, lead vocalist and guitarist of Run River North.

Read the interview below:

KRUI: The band was originally, “Monsters Calling Home.” Why the name change? What’s the meaning behind the new name?

Alex: It’s simply because Of Monsters & Men. I feel like we were having too many conversations about them, and we wanted to stop talking about them so we just dropped the ‘Monsters’. The new name kind of came out from that. We were just letting go and seeing if we could come up with something better than that. What we came up with was Run River North. I have a friend whose daughter is named “River.” As we talked about it, it felt like it described our music and who we were a lot better than “monsters”. Our music and our live show is very much like a river where it can get really loud and bombastic and other times it gets really quiet and it’s more about the lyrics. It just has more emotion to it and we’ve grown into that name a lot more than “Monsters Calling Home.” And it’s still a song, but I feel like we’ve grown up from that.

Speaking of growing up, the first thing that really got the band going was the “Fight to Keep” video in your Honda. Where did that idea come from?

We were doing a cover for a friend of ours who requested a song and we didn’t have time to record it anywhere so we just decided to do it in my Honda CR-V. It sounded really [good]. There’s actually another video we have—a Black Keys cover—so after that we just decided to ante up and see if we could get into all of our cars and pretend like it’s a Honda video. Luckily for us Honda saw it and made a big deal about it and got us onto Jimmy Kimmel. It all started because of our cover song and it sounded great. And [we thought] why not make another video that doesn’t look live everything else on Youtube.

I have a quote here. You said, “We want to share the stories about being ‘dash American.” Talk about what being ‘dash American’ means to the band and how is it important to your message?

We’re all sons and daughters of immigrant, Korean parents. We’re lucky because we live in L.A. but a lot of times people see us and say, “Oh well they’re just Asian.” We see ourselves as American before anything else. For us it’s just, how can we reconcile our parent’s stories and what they gave up to give us an opportunity here in America, along with the fact that we have our own dreams, our own ambitions and can be different from what they expected of us. And how do you do that honorably and make sure that you’re not pissing on what they gave up while at the same time being true to yourself? In the band that’s something that we all wrestle with because some of us don’t come from completely musical backgrounds and given this opportunity, what do we do? Some of us worked in banking, others went to school for other things. I think for the message of the band, the songs that we sing are about what we consider ‘home’ and what does it mean to keep moving around so much. Regardless of what “dash American” you are. America is built on immigrants. It’s built on people trying to find ‘home’ with their careers or with their families or what not and I think that resonates well with the kind of message we had with our first album.

Have you received any negative response or backlash being a Korean-American group that plays your American folk/rock sound?

No I think most of the people are pleasantly surprised. We get a lot of people that say, “oh we did not expect that from you guys.” The initial response is obviously surprise but we’ve gotten nothing but open arms. People [are] buying our vinyl, our t-shirts, and coming to more shows because of the fact that we aren’t what you expect us to sound like. If anything the backlash only comes when [we] don’t get a response. There hasn’t been any hate mail or [people saying] “you guys shouldn’t be playing that music,” or “this doesn’t make any sense.”

Coming into a show do you have something you want the audience to take away from it?

Mainly, it’s very different from the album. It’s very different from the videos. I think already we’ve grown a lot from being on the road and seeing what our songs can do. It’s been this really organic show. I don’t know if theres anything to take away. We just love it when people are coming up to us and saying that was not what they expected. It’s a pretty fun live show. It’s really exciting for us to play. Also we have a new song on the set that we’re doing. So we’re already trying to figure out what our next album is going to be.

Have you started recording the new album?

We’re sampling. Once we’re back we’re going to sit down with different people, even ourselves, and see what it looks like and start recoding immediately.

Is there a sense if it will sound like the first album?

I think there’s going to be a lot of transition. The song “Beetle”—if you come to the show—what that is, is a great example of the direction we’re heading into. There’s definitely some folk elements to it but I feel like now being on tour and sharing the stage with all of these people. The songs on the album [we’re written] and the music came afterwords. “Beetle” is definitely a great representation is what our band is slowly becoming. It’s a lot more jammier. I think there’s a lot more room for other instruments to breath. It will have more of those elements than the folk-americana stuff. Also I think we’re going to be writing stories about other people because when we’ve been touring we’ve hearing so many other people talk about what the music is for them and hearing their stories, and hearing about their families, I think that will be a lot more of the lyrical material for the next album.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

The post KRUI.FM Exclusive with Run River North appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Last night, (April 4^th) at the Englert Theater, the popular indie folk-rock band The Head and The Heart preformed an incredible show. They were just one of many headlining shows and events happening in Iowa City for the annual Mission Creek festival.

Before The Head and The Heart began they’re performance they’re opener, Canadian native, Basia Bulat blew the crowd away. She continued to amaze the audience with her astounding vocal talent and equally astounding instrumental talents.

Bulat is know for playing the autoharp, and for a very good reason, this 36 stringed instrument is not for amateurs. She also played keyboard and ukulele during the show. The folk singer-songwriter’s bubbly and enthusiastic personality captivated the audience and kept them cheering for more.

 Although they were sad to see Bulat go, the crowd was definitely thrilled to see The Head and The Heart take the stage.The band from Seattle, Washington started in 2009, and has certainly gained a large amount of followers within the past few years.

Many fans gathered up by the front of the stage to get as close as they could to the band. This wasn’t too difficult seeing as how involved with the audience the band members became. Jumping off of the main part of the stage and getting just a few feet away from some very excited audience members was just one ways that they thrilled the crowd.

Between songs, the vocal artist made comments to the audience which kept them feeling involved in the show, this included a shout out to Iowa City’s Blue Bird Dinner, which got a very positive cheering response from the audience.

During the show the band preformed songs both from their 2011 album The Head and The Heart, and their more recent 2013 album Let’s Be Still. Whether you knew the lyrics or not, it was very easy to get swept away by this extremely talented group of musicians. Their performance certainly didn’t disappoint, and their five-song encore was an amazing ending to a phenomenal show.

To show even further how much they are grateful to their fans, Jon Russell (vocals) (along with opening act Basia Bulat) stood out by the merchandise table after the show and were enthusiastic to meet fans, answer questions, sign posters, and take pictures.

Mission Creek continues through the weekend. For more events, check out their website. For more from  The Head and The Heart, check out their website.

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As Austin and I received our cheese fries (which were really more like clods of warm, solid cheese adhered to the top layer of fries) the first band stormed the stage: Ramona Falls. In a not-so-wacky turn of events, the Art Garfunkel looking dude revealed himself to be the band’s pneumatic drummer and the auspicious leader of the four-piece ensemble.

Booming drums, rhythmic guitar, steady deep bass, thoughtful use of both the piano and synth, and a vivacious violin were signatures of the band’s 45 minute set.  They weaved together some of the most cohesive live music I have ever heard. Each musician’s playing complimented the others’ in a perfect way, both actively and subtly at times, enhancing the performance. Honestly, for most of the show I could have imagined Ramona Falls being some indie-rock band from Westeros (the land in Game of Thrones). The music was rich and epic in scale, a fusion between acoustic and electric that culminated in a remarkably interlaced and beautifully harmonized tale. One could easily imagine their set played to dramatic events unfolding at the edge of a sword. I was pleasantly surprised by the magnetic performance this band achieved, and I strongly suggest those of you reading this to check them out.

After a brief intermission, the second band and headliner of the show, took front and center. Two very unsuspecting looking guys stood before us; if I had seen the duo drinking coffee at Starbucks I really wouldn’t have guessed that they comprised a two-piece dream-pop band. As they started playing their glimmering, reverb-laden set, the awkward show dancing began in front of the stage. (You know what I mean).

Stoking the harmonized fire that Ramona Falls had set ablaze, Helio Sequence astounded me with their lush, poppy lyrics played in tune with snappy cymbal, heavy percussion, poppy synth, and plucky strings. You could almost feel an immediate shift in atmosphere as their music overwhelmed the venue. The lights seemingly became softer and yet richer with their yellow and blue hues illuminating the stage. What resulted was a dream-like show, the likes of which I’d never experienced. Each song melted into the next, the reverb parsing through dimensions, echoing through our minds.

This continued throughout the show, except for when the artists broke for small conversations with the gathering crowd.

One song, aptly named “The Harmonica Song,” stuck out in the best possible way. In the midst of their floating, mesmerizing set, the blasting juxtaposition of harmonica threw me into a shock. I was subsequently soothed by familiar (yet distinct and crooning) vocals, only to be set back on edge by ever louder and faster harmonic shredding.

Helio Sequence is one of the rare bands which, instead of using reverb to mask an inability to vocalize, use it instead as an atmospheric-enhancement to their stunning live vocals. This was definitely a show I won’t forget. I would also suggest that anyone who enjoys the poppy dreaminess of The Shins (a la Wincing the Night Away) should check out Helio Sequence’s latest album, Negotiations.

The post Show Review: The Helio Sequence, Ramona Falls @ The Mill — 11/7/12 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The changing landscape of the Midwest and its loss of the yeoman farmer carries somber tones that resonate well with Iowa natives The Pines.

Band members David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey are well-versed in traditional music, and their newest album Dark So Gold incorporates contemporary indie-folk instrumentals and stark-country vocals.

While not all listeners will enjoy the alt-country feel, fans of southern-folk bands like Lost in the Trees and You and Your Effects should appreciate the distinctive mix of acoustic guitars, banjos and haunting lyrics.

The album’s instrumental tracks “Moonrise, IA” and “Grace Hill” convey ethereal and atmospheric sounds that can only be captured by traditional folk artists. Meanwhile, their bluesy tracks “Rise Up and Be Lonely” and “Dead Feathers” give tribute to a Native American history of the Midwest that’s missing in most contemporary country albums. For listeners on the fence, simply listen to the opening track “Cry, Cry Crow”, and its gruff and rural background will give you a sense of the album’s influence.

The PINES – Cry, Cry, Crow (Official Music Video) from The PINES on Vimeo.

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