Chat Pile – Sifting (single)

Fresh off the heels of their latest collab album with postrock artist Hayden Pedigo, Oklahoma hardcore/noise band Chat Pile return to their typical fast paced and abrasive style with two new singles. Starting off with the absolute head thrasher Masks, you can really feel the influence of their new record label Sub Pop, which they themselves cited as influencing the song. “It’s a true dream to put out a single on Sub Pop, and our new song Masks hopefully honors the spirit of the mythical, sometimes mystical, city of Seattle,” said Chat Pile in a recent press statement. This influence is apparent with the aggression and style of other iconic Sub Pop bands such as Mudhoney and The Melvins. Still though, they maintain the band’s complex rhythms and Raygun’s own unique vocal style to give this era its own spin.

Continuing along with the Seattle tributes, the band paired the Masks release with a deep cut cover of Nirvana‘s Sifting. If you thought that song couldn’t get dirtier and sludgier, you’re in for a treat. The perfectly sloppy guitar solos pairs with these muddy backing riffs and vocals that are just low quality enough make for such a grimy and fun listening experience. The six minute run time feels like a breeze, considering the level of quality we’re working with, and it makes me more than excited to listen to whatever they have planned for the future.

–Tarik Krob

My New Band Believe – Numerology (single)

altFresh from the elegantly titled My New Band Believe is their second ever single, Numerology. Helmed by Cameron Picton of black midi fame, My New Band Believe offers on Numerology a blend of very poppy indie rock with elements of samba and disco that feels triumphantly hectic. The lyrics evoke a night on the town with your buddies as you get increasingly…inebriated, and the finale of the song is admittedly comical, but still feels like a ripe conclusion for the preceding spectacle. The song clocks in at 4:18, yet its manic energy makes it feel half that length. As a consequence, I usually listen to this song at least twice in a row. After the conclusion of black midi, frontman Geordie Greep has received the brunt of the attention from the public, especially following the release of his album The New Sound, in 2024. However, I imagine Picton will have his own stint in the windmill-scene spotlight as Numerology feels undoubtedly like Picton’s Holy, Holy moment.My New Band Believe releases their debut album on April 10th, be there or be square!

–Jack Manley

Lana Del Rey – White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter (single)

To say this new Lana Del Rey track was surprising would be an understatement. Not only is it shocking that she actually released it, instead of just relentlessly teasing it on social media like she’s been doing with her upcoming Stove album for half a year now, but the song itself is a very different direction for the singer. It’s dark and sinister. It builds tension in the verses and dissolves it with an almost “Disney princess” cadence of soft whispers in the chorus. The atmosphere is at times heavy, and at times light, but an underlying eeriness keeps the listener on their toes. The song is composed of haunting synths and magical entrancing string instruments like violins, violas and cellos. Sweet guitars, piano, percussives, brass, and even a harp bleed into the delicate mix. These instruments build the orchestral nature of the track, giving it an almost ethereal and uncanny quality.
Instead of leaning country like Lana promised with the upcoming Stove album, she seems to be more interested in exploring ominous soundscapes with this track, opting for a southern gothic route with her own spin. However, the singer’s tendencies to romanticize the mundane are still very much present, with her basking in the traditional, stay-at-home-wife lifestyle that she has come to greatly appreciate. White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter paints this picture of Lana cooking for her husband while she awaits his return from hunting wild animals in the spooky woods near their home. Mentions of words like “voodoo” and “magical” evoke a mystical feeling into her daily affairs, and the expression “whoopsy-daisy” and the “yoo-hoo” ad-libs make the song feel all the more whimsical.
Lana Del Rey’s new single offers a glimpse into a darker side of her music which was prevalent in the earlier days of her discography. Her Born to Die album and her Lizzy Grant persona both offer a preview of this gloomy sound, as highlighted by many fans in online spaces. But despite similarities to her earlier works, White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter demonstrates an entirely new soundscape and tonal shift for Lana, which is exciting to experience as we await the release of the upcoming album.

–Clara Carrion

Ratboys – Singin’ to an Empty Chair

Chicago has always consistently been putting out incredible music: Wilco, John Prine, Mavis Staples. Today, there is something brewing in the second city, that has come to boil over. Leading this charge is indie-rockers, Ratboys. The Notre Dame Alumni, and Chicago natives, celebrated their sweet sixteen as a band by releasing their sixth studio album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair.

This is not only a continuation of their breakout success from 2023’s, The Window, but an expansive journey into their own sound and personality. This album feels as though every note has a meaning behind it and every strum is a continuation of a bed time story you don’t want to end. Ratboy’s has a comforting sound, one that puts the listener in their world with lyrics reading, “the bugs are writing books with their eyes.” This sense of joy and poetry bleeds from songs, while reflections of todays wild world in The World, So Madly brings it back down to earth. The slide guitar sings by itself, and the bouncy yet fuzzy guitars within the band blend together like peanut butter and jelly.

Ratboys throw in hits throughout their album like its nothing, and put forth my favorite album of 2026 so far. They will be touring the record this spring with support from Florry, villagerrr, and fellow Chicagoans Free Range.
FFO: MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, Wednesday, The Beths

–Logan Melia

xaviersobased – Xavier

Periodically, it seems that the Music Discourse Eye of Sauron happens to latch its all-consuming gaze onto a particular artist who has established a particular brand of sound until it has become so virulently synonymous with their name that it cannot help but seep through these fiber-optic spaces into the minds of those cultural sleuths so invested in the all-important web of contemporality. Xavier happens to be one such example, the culmination of multiple years of underground consistency and empire building surrounding Xav’s uniquely futuristic, atmospheric, and outright unpredictable approach to production. He proves himself to be at once an absurdist paragon, a staple of the modern cloud rap scene (as well as the extended Surf Gang universe), even forming his very own imprint 1c in the lead-up to this album. Thus, through following an approach that is entirely unpredictable yet expected, Xav has captured the spotlight into a…decidedly mixed reaction.

The seasoned listener will notice differences. There is a greater sleekness in each beat’s construction. There are feature placements that would have once seemed impossible with Zaytoven and Rio da Yung OG, as well as this being Xav’s first big-boy big label treatment, giving cause for a greater critical stir even with this being his first studio album in four years. It seems Xav took this opportunity to give people more of what they had flocked to him for in the first place: a cinematic, woozy, and disorienting experimental rap album. iPhone 16 features a discordant symphony’s instrumentation that wouldn’t have been out of place on a Steve Reich composition. Production standouts include Tony Hawk, as well as 100,000, both ranking among Xav’s most explosive compositions yet. However, the real star of the show is the digital streaming exclusive, Party At My Place, featuring Dylan Brady of 100 Gecs and Skrillex, creating a characteristically mind-bending and bombastic blend of the three’s respective styles. All in all, those who were already fans of Xavier’s output found more to enjoy, whereas those who weren’t (for the most part) gave a collective shrug and continued about their days. Give it five years, though…

–Evan Raefield

Converge – Love is Not Enough

Metalcore legends Converge return with another intense record after five years. This band does not miss, they wind up each shot and take the fattest fucking swing at it and send it flying at wee Anthony Fantano’s slippery baldass head. It’s a great record, neither their best nor worst, but Converge excels at consistency. 30 years of this metalcore business and they’re still accelerating ahead, splitting noise and peeling catharsis off the razor’s edge. Vocalist Jacob Bannon describes the album and its creation as “unrelenting and super raw the entire time, and that’s by design, because that’s how we feel. That’s what’s resonating in our collective spirit right now.” It’s a surprisingly political album, with lyrics from Bannon lying much more grounded in reality than his previous work, themes ranging from human powerlessness to the opiate industry. The band describes Love is Not Enough as less approximating an album, instead existing as the culminating “artist’s statement,” of the full band. Don’t let the title fool you, this is a record that advocates for love. Each song is a lonely cry of agony, desperate for more love to lay exposed and shared in the world, combating the darker chaos and panic around us. “Love is essential, but it’s not everything.”

–Pauly

The post KRUI Staff Picks: Best Releases of February 2026 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

FRIDAY

You could feel the energy from zip codes away. Although the music didn’t start until Friday afternoon, the camping portion of this festival opened its gates on Thursday to a rested and energetic group. This year was about a 50/50 split of Iowans and travelers, providing a wide range fans eager to see this incredible lineup.

Friday kicked off with one of my personal favorite bands from the weekend, Scowl, coming off of their second album Are We All Angels with an absolutely electric set. An incredible band and great group of people, I had the chance to interview the band after their set and talk about everything from their opening sets with Blink-182 this fall to what was left on the cutting-room floor from their recording sessions. Stay tuned to Downey’s Hour, Monday Nights 9-11pm, for the interview!  

A monumental task following Scowl, INJI and Good Neighbours had the bar set high. INJI took the crowd in and made them dance, a very joyful set to watch. The energy from her was magnetic and the good vibes continued with the Australian group Good Neighbours. You can’t go wrong with indie rock in the summer, and they brought with them tracks off their upcoming debut LP, Blue Sky Mentality.

Rebecca Black took the stage next, demanding the crowd’s attention and movement. There were very few moments in which her commands were not being followed by the pit. Black covered Katy Perry’s “Ur So Gay,” as she has been opening for Perry’s arena tour all summer. Her set included an interpolation of her hit “Friday” and a track off her brand new record, Sugar Water Cyanide. This wasn’t the only sighting of Rebecca Black as she held a booming DJ set at the campfire stage later that night.

Royal Otis came up next with more upbeat indie rock, taking on covers of the Cranberries’ “Linger” and Sophie Ellis Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor.” Royal Otis knew how to work a festival crowd and enjoyed every second of it. Right after the duo was Remi Wolf, one of the hottest new names on the festival circuit this year. With her incredible live band, including poet and member of Paramore and Vampire Weekend Brian Roberts Jones, it was a nonstop party.

Following Remi Wolf was the sub headliner, Clairo, who waltzed on stage with her band, all holding wine glasses, setting the tone for the relaxed and elevated evening of music she was about to provide for us. With headphones on and an amazing record to showcase, Clairo played a 14-song set, with half of the tracks coming from her third LP, Charm. I adored this set for many reasons, but a huge one was all of the analog instruments being used on stage. A wide range of winds, horns, and synths were all included in this set. A favorite part was multi-instrumentalist Hailey Niswanger setting St. Charles on fire with a saxophone solo that could have woken up a sick toddler on Benadryl who just spent all day in the sun at Disneyland. The band all exited the stage in the same leisurely fashion they had entered, but with the confidence of knowing they had just made thousands of new fans.

Ending Friday night on the main stage was Tyler, The Creator. Coming off his brand-new record Don’t Tap the Glass, anticipation was high for the first hip hop headliner in Hinterland history. A bright green shipping container was flipped from the back of the stage to show the word Chromokopia (the album Tyler has been touring) until stagehands unrolled a big red banner with the most recent record’s title draped over it. Asking the crowd, “Des Moines what’s good,” Tyler made his way on top of the shipping container, where he would spend the next 75 minutes putting on an unforgettable show and complimenting, “I don’t even know where I am on the map, but your town is beautiful.” Opening his set with the first two tracks off Don’t Tap the Glass before jumping straight into almost the entirety of side one of Chromokopia. With a career-spanning set with songs from all but one of his records, Tyler left everything out on the stage. He spoke highly of the energy we brought, mentioning how taxing this tour has been but how crowds like Hinterland make it all worth it. Tyler hustled from Lollapalooza to St. Charles, then right back on a plane to Montreal the next night for Osheaga. Hinterland got the best set of the weekend with four more songs than either fest. An incredible day with a jaw-dropping headliner, Hinterland blasted itself forward on the strongest foot possible.

SATURDAY

Hinterland’s undercard continued to impress with hey, nothing running onto the stage to start the day with the energy of a headliner. They’ll be returning to Des Moines opening for Cage the Elephant in October. I walked into Saturday knowing the least out of the three days, but walked away with so many new songs to add to my playlist. Willow Avalon was a pleasant surprise as she might have been my favorite of the day. During a quick seven songs, including an unreleased track called “Work To Do,” the crowd was swept up on the wave of her soft voice and set lightly back down with the feeling of a lullaby in our hearts.

Hinterland each year seems to book artists who blow up from the time of the lineup announcement to the festival, and this year that included both Gigi Perez and Role Model. I hadn’t been a listener to either before this year, but the excitement around both of these artists led to can’t miss sets. Gigi Perez hitting half of the songs off of her breakout record At the Beach, In Every Life to a loud crowd shouting back words of every song. Role Model also held the crowd in his hand for his big hit “Sally,” where he brought out lead singer of The Marías, María Zardoya. Sandwiched in between Perez and Role Model was another one of the hottest new groups, Glass Beams. Taking the stage masked and with instruments in hand, their type of music was yet to be heard ever before at Hinterland. The trio grooved along with an interesting and new fusion of alt and psychedelic rock mixed with traditional Indian music.

Still Woozy brought some fun set pieces and interesting visuals drawing in attention from the whole hill. It was a fun and fresh vibe Sven Eric Gamsky and company created for their time, getting folks up to dance and sing to their infectious tracks. After Still Woozy, The Marías took the stage to thunderous applause and rightfully so. The Marías showed Hinterland why they’re one of the hottest groups on the festival scene by playing so many songs it felt like a headlining set. I love a band who brings their set pieces to a festival and The Marías were bouncing around theirs for a full hour.

At the end of the night, turf was spread and shrubbery was placed as Kacey Musgraves‘ festival run of her Deeper Well tour hit St Charles. To a colorful and lush backdrop, Musgraves came out sporting butterfly wings, jet black hair, and a tobacco-burst Gibson acoustic. Hitting four tracks off of her brand new record, seven off of her Grammy Award-winning Golden Hour, and a scattering of her earlier works, Musgraves’ 17 songs felt like a story time of who she was, is, and wants to be. An incredibly moving set anchored by her six-piece backing band. A lovely send-off for the night into our final day on the festival grounds.

SUNDAY

Sunday began with Detroit-based rapper Sam Austins, who took the stage to a fairly full festival grounds thanks to the thousands of campers for headliner Lana Del Rey. Austins brought the crowd even closer to the stage, getting legs tired from dancing as the day was just beginning. Irish rocker Orla Gartland followed with a quick set of tracks off of her new record Everybody Needs A Hero, and a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova.” The energetic trio made this stop on their way out west opening up for Glass Animals.

Wyatt Flores and Evan Honer both played great sets earlier on in the day, with Wyatt coming out to sing their duet “Take Me As I Come” and Honer joining Flores for a cover of The Fray’s “How To Save A Life” during his set. Flores played another cover, Sturgill Simpsons “You Can Have the Crown,” where he attempted the nearly impossible task of making a Sturgill Simpson song feel like his own, and succeeded at that challenge. They both hustled up to Des Moines after their set to play another show at the Val Air Ballroom that night, but it didn’t stop them from making memorable sets while they were in St. Charles. Michael Marcagi was sandwiched in between and was a great artist to transition in between these two collaborators. With a fun and upbeat set, holding its own emotional moments, Marcagi made time for it all including an acoustic cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “deja vu.”

Sierra Ferrell continued to move her way into my playlists with an incredible set, kicked off by her band singing “Happy Birthday” to her in front of a sold-out Hinterland crowd. She opened with a fiddle in her hands, singing “I Could Drive You Crazy” off of her most recent record Trail Of Flowers. Between the finger picking and fiddling, Sierra Ferrell makes every audience not only a fan of her work, but a fan of this old-time country folk genre. She’s joined the likes of Billy Strings, Jesse Welles, and Zach Bryan in collaborations in just the past few years, and rightfully so, as Ferrell has launched into becoming one of the faces of the genre. During her set, eyes were taken off of her and directed towards the sky as three hot air balloons floated over the festival grounds. Exchanging waves from the atmosphere and the ground, it was one of those beautiful moments you could only find at Hinterland.

The set I was most excited for this weekend did not disappoint. Bleachers put on a Bleachers show in true Bleachers fashion. The stage: slathered in checkerboard print; the backdrop: all black with sheets draping over Lana’s towering set; guitars: tossed across the stage like baseballs. Without logos, visuals, or much beyond instruments and his voice, Jack Antonoff and company prove once again they are one of the greatest live acts in the world. Kicking off their set with three tracks off of their 2024 self titled LP, Bleachers delved head first into longtime fan favorites after including a cover of “The Whole of the Moon” by the Waterboys which they recorded on their 2023 record Live At Radio City Music Hall. Antonoff called for people to hop on each other’s shoulders during their first single, “Rollercoaster,” to which many in the pit obliged. Before their final track, “Stop Making This Hurt,” Jack recalled watching an old Smashing Pumpkins concert on his way to Iowa and mentioned how nobody crowd surfs anymore. I will admit, crowd surfing at Hinterland was not on my agenda walking into the weekend, but when an opportunity like that presents itself, it’s impossible to turn down. GA and VIP alike, people were being ushered in the sky up to the barricade as Evan Smith and Zem Audu traded 8’s on their saxophones as the band took their bows and danced offstage. Rock and roll is alive and well, and to any doubters, point them in the direction of a Bleachers show.

Lana Del Rey took the stage at about 10:30, later than when some festivals wrap up, which is one of the huge perks of having a festival in the fields. With a mix of theatrics, projections, a string section, backup singers, and dancers, all with the backdrop of a bayou house down south, Lana is known for her production value and she did not disappoint. In her second-ever performance in this state, Lana opened with a variety of tracks including her new single “Henry, Come On.” Closing out the evening with a cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Lana said this was her last date of the year and for the time being. A sold out crowd stayed until the end and shuffled out with the epidemic of post-concert depression just short of midnight.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Best Cover: Michael Marcagi covering Olivia Rodrigo’s “deja vu”
• Best New Song I Heard: “Late To The Party” by Orla Gartland
• Best Set Design: Lana Del Rey
• Crowd Favorite: Role Model
• Highest Energy: Scowl
• New Favorite Artist: Willow Avalon
• Must See Again: Sierra Ferrell
• Personal Favorite: Bleachers

My Thoughts on Hinterland:

Before all of the people getting on shoulders and crowd surfing, Bleacher’s frontman Jack Antonoff mentioned how Iowa does it right, and even going as far as to say “Glastonbury, take note.” All of these little moments that Hinterland makes snowball into a unique, well crafted and personal festival experience. The crew at Hinterland did an outstanding job this year to make sure patrons knew they are cared for and valued in St. Charles. As part of Hinterland’s 2025 initiatives, as of the start of Saturday, Hinterland had given out over 61,000 17-oz bottles of water. Hinterland also takes care of the town, platforming vendors who were able to raise $3,000 for the B. Well Foundation’s Creative Coaches, the Iowa Alliance for the Arts raising over $3,500, and Wander & Co. Planting 325 trees and donating over 400 meals to area food banks.

Some people walked into Hinterland this year skeptical with what this fresh take on the festival would look like, but with more free water stations, more natural and temporary shade structures, a larger concourse, expanded merch and vendors, more entrances, and a whole new VIP and Saints setup, Hinterland calmed any fears patrons had for years to come and put on the best festival of 2025.

With an abundance of music festivals to choose from, Hinterland goes above and beyond to become a more-than-worthwhile destination for its festival-goers. There is a certain energy that is brought to the fields that foster a sense of community found rarely at other festivals. That community comes from a mix of the classic “Iowa Nice,” the campers, and the organizers taking extra care of this very special festival. You can’t get this feeling at Lollapalooza or Austin City Limits. Hinterland is singular. Hinterland is something you can exclusively feel in Iowa. The groundwork has been laid this year for many years to come. Hinterland will be returning to St. Charles July 31- August 1, 2026, to an eager and reinvigorated crowd. Thank you to the staff, volunteers, security, and all who helped put together this magical weekend in the fields of Iowa.

Tune in to “Downey’s Hour” on Monday nights from 9-11pm for the latest festival news about Hinterland and more!

The post Hinterland 2025 Recap appeared first on KRUI Radio.

FRIDAY

SCOWL (12:00 pm): One of my most anticipated sets of the weekend is bright and early on the first day. Fresh off their second LP, Are We All Angels, Scowl is not slowing down anytime soon. Receiving rave reviews including a 4.5/5 from New Noise and a 5/5 from Kerrang, Scowl’s long-awaited Iowa debut can’t come soon enough. Hardcore has rarely made its way to Hinterland, but this is a more-than-welcome change of pace ushering in a loud and fast welcome to the campers. Listen to Are We All Angels here. 

INJI (1:00 pm): If Scowl’s distorted guitars aren’t your cup of tea, INJI will be for you. Energetic and danceable artists are a huge part of Hinterland, and she brings just that to the camp. If you spent any time on TikTok in 2022, you have definitely heard INJI’s breakout single Gaslight, which helped launch her into prominence. She has a busy weekend, earning herself a spot on Sunday, August 3, at Osheaga in Montreal. You can listen to her brand new single, BOYS AIN’T SHIT here. 

Good Neighbours (2:00 pm): Hailing from across the pond, Good Neighbours burst onto the scene earning themselves a Rising Star nomination at the BRITs this year. Their debut LP, Blue Sky Mentality, is set to release on September 26, but you can hear some of their unreleased tracks at the Hinterland main stage. An exciting and fun indie rock duo, and I am stoked to see where they will go. You can listen to the singles off their new record here. 

Rebecca Black (3:00 pm): It’s fitting, isn’t it, having Rebecca Black play on a Friday. Taking a few days off from her opening gig for Katy Perry to play the common combo of Hinterland and Lollapalooza, Black has a brand new record she’s been touring. Released this past February, SALVATION is a powerful and quick jab of a record coming in at seven songs and 21 minutes. She will also be making an appearance at the campfire at midnight for a DJ set. You can listen to her new album here. 

Royal Otis (4:15 pm): Another international indie duo, this time from across the other pond. The Australian duo made up of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic (see what they did there?) made a big splash with their cover of Murder on the Dancefloor, originally by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and the anticipation is only growing for their upcoming record hickey coming out August 22. You can tune into the three tracks released from the upcoming record here. 

Remi Wolf (5:30 pm): One of the hottest names in pop right now, Remi Wolf has become a must see after her 2024 breakout record Big Ideas. She’s pulling a triple-header this weekend with Hinterland on Friday, Lollapalooza Aftershow at the Salt Shed on Saturday, and Lollapalooza on Sunday. A busy weekend for a busy artist who has performed over 40 shows on her current tour this year. You can listen to Big Ideas here. 

Clairo (7:30 pm): Boys listen to Clairo, we exist, and it’s not performative. Her gigantic 2024 record, Charm, showed Clairo firmly finding her footing in the music industry and with only four remaining dates scheduled, this set is a must-see. Nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Album in 2024, it’s been a monumental stretch for the Georgia native. You can listen to Charm here. 

Tyler, The Creator (9:30 pm): If CHROMAKOPIA wasn’t enough to get you to Hinterland, Tyler’s brand-new record DON’T TAP THE GLASS should do the trick. A surprise release, with only days’ notice, has been a breath of fresh air with its quick and energetic 10 tracks. In only 29 minutes, Tyler has created something we have not heard in the mainstream in a very long time, if ever. What is bound to be an instantly memorable set, Tyler is the first rapper to headline Hinterland in the festival’s history. You can listen to DON’T TAP THE GLASS here. 

SATURDAY

hey, nothing (12:45 pm): Kicking off the second day of Hinterland is the two-piece band from Georgia hey, nothing. They have skyrocketed in popularity in the past year, earning themselves an Audiotree session and almost half a million monthly listeners on Spotify. hey, nothing will only continue to pick up the pace this year, opening for Cage the Elephant on their fall tour. You can hear their new single Waiting Room here. 

Willow Avalon (1:45 pm): Sporting a cowgirl hat and a voice of gold, Willow Avalon sings songs you imagine yourself falling in love to. A great compliment to the Kacey Musgraves headline, these folky and heartfelt songs will be making their way to your playlist. Another Georgia native on Saturday, Avalon’s set is worth getting there early for. You can listen to her single Country Never Leaves here. 

Gigi Perez (2:45 pm): Taking some time off from opening for Hozier on his Unreal, Unearth Tour 2025, Gigi Perez will take hold of the Hinterland stage. With over 1 billion streams on Spotify, Sailor Song has provided a jumping-off point few could ever imagine. In addition to opening for Hozier, she will be hitting the festival circuit hard this year playing Sea.Hear.Now., All Things Go, and the quadruple header of Hinterland, Osheaga, Lollapalooza, and Lollapalooza Aftershow all this weekend. Perez joined Mt. Joy for a single this past May; you can listen to In The Middle here. 

Glass Beams (3:45 pm): Trapped inside during the pandemic, Rajan Silva decided to create a sound yet to be heard at Hinterland before. This three-piece band has earned themselves an opening slot on Rufus Du Sol’s stadium tour through their unique and fresh instrumentation. Sporting face coverings while performing live is where the similarities to Iowa’s own Slipknot end. Glass Beams dawns face coverings while perfuming live, much prettier than the face coverings of Slipknot. You can listen to the latest Glass Beams EP Mahal here. 

Role Model (5:00 pm): With the breakout success of his latest album, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), Tucker Pillsbury a.k.a. Role Model has been selling out venues since. A nearly fully sold-out European tour awaits him after his opening slot for Gracie Abrams’ arena tour ends. A very deliberate but relaxing sound is what you get from Role Model. You can hear his new version of his album’s closer, The Longest Goodbye, featuring Laufey, here. 

Still Woozy (6:30 pm): Starting at 13 years old, Sven Gamsky a.k.a. Still Woozy, began creating beats and songs. This love of music has led to 2025 being his eighth year of this project, including slots here at Hinterland, Lollapalooza, and a headlining European tour this fall. You can hear his latest record, 2024’s Loveseat, here. 

The Marías (8:00 pm): Hinterland’s undercard this year hosts some of the hottest acts right now, and The Marías fit perfectly in that category. With almost a spacey, arial sound to much of their music, their 2024 LP Submarine set them up for a long tour. With a sold out show at Red Rocks just days before their Hinterland slot, The Marías will charm you with their amazing live performances. You can listen to their new single Back To Me here.  

Kacey Musgraves (9:30 pm): Modern-day country legend Kavey Musgraves will take the stage Saturday evening in St. Charles for the second time, previously playing Hinterland in 2019. She skyrocketed into stardom after her hit album Golden Hour, along with other singles, netting her 17 Grammy nominations and eight wins. Musgraves isn’t afraid to share her success, joining the likes of other Hinterland headlining alums such as Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan. Her most recent record, Deeper Well, has been an incredible strong progression for Musgraves’ songwriting, earning herself a third Country Song of the Year at the Grammys with The Architect. You can listen to Deeper Well here. 

SUNDAY

Sam Austins (12:15 pm): Kicking off the third and final day of Hinterland is hip hop artist Sam Austins. Boasting over 63 million streams from his hit Seasons, Austins’ live performances are ones to get a good spot for. Releasing music since 2014, his most recent endeavor The woods vol. 1 has placed him in a must-watch category for the future. You can listen to Austins’ Hot like you here. 

Orla Gartland (1:15 pm): Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, Orla Gartland is a breath of fresh air in the indie pop scene. Creating a personal sound in that genre is difficult, but she has a very defined sound that flows so smoothly with her voice. Her most recent record, Everybody Needs a Hero, is a lovely listen with an exciting and youthful glow that earned her an opening slot for Glass Animals this summer. You can listen to her second LP here. 

Evan Honer (2:15 pm): Another artist who got their start during COVID, Honer has had a quick five years that have led him to playing all over the world. After diving in in college, Evan took his spin at being an artist when the pandemic hit, and it has snowballed from there. After some harsh words from a judge during his American Idol audition, Honer has proved his doubters wrong, releasing a monsoon of singles and EPs before his two full-length L’s were released in 2023 and 2024. Honer caught a big gust of followings after uploading his cover of Tyler Childers’ unreleased track Jersey Giant. With a steady stream of great tunes pouring out of him, Honer is going to be a fun watch for the future. You can listen to his 2024 record, Fighting For, here. 

Michael Marcagi (3:30 pm): Back-to-back college athlete Michael Marcagi was on the links for Thomas Moore University when he wasn’t in his room playing songs. His first release in December 2023 earned him a record deal with the promise of more great tunes. The Red Clay Strays caught wind and picked him up for their opening slot on their summer tour this year. His song Scared to Start landed him in the Top 100 Billboard tracks last year. You can listen to his hit single here. 

Wyatt Flores (4:45 pm): A Grand Ole Opry veteran, Wyatt Flores calls upon fiddles, slide guitars, and his own southern voice to create some of the best there is in the modern country scene. Nominated by the Americana Awards for Best Emerging Artist, Flores’ first full-length LP, Welcome to the Plains, is worth all of the praise it gets. With a series of covers ranging from the standard Oh, Susanna all the way to The Fray’s How to Save a Life. This year he released his first live album, Live at Cain’s Ballroom, to a roaring success. You can listen to it here. 

Sierra Ferrell (6:00 pm): Kicking off my favorite back-to-back of the weekend is Sierra Ferrell. Her magnetic songs just wash all over you, and you think it can’t get better until the next song plays. What is set to be a great set from one of the best contemporary artists in folk and country is the perfect time to get your spot set for the final leg of Hinterland. Ferrell makes her first return to St. Charles since 2022, and since then has released Trail of Flowers in 2024. With a new album under her belt, and a brand new single released just last week, Sierra Ferrell is a can’t miss set. Listen to her new album, Trail of Flowers, here. 

Bleachers (7:45 pm): My personal favorite of the weekend, Bleachers is an absolute can’t-miss. This six-piece band, headed by producer extortioner Jack Antonoff, brings down the house each show with two drum kits, two saxophones and members constantly rotating between instruments. It’s alive, it’s loud, it’s rock and roll. Bleachers puts on the kind of show everyone dreams of playing while singing in the shower. Coming off their self-titled album released last year, Bleachers has taken from Fleetwood Mac, Nick Cave, Bruce Springsteen, and much more to create their masterpieces. The Boss was brought on for Bleachers’ 2021 single Chinatown off of their third record Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night. It’s top of my list and should be top of yours too. Listen to the live recordings from their Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre set here. 

Lana Del Rey (9:45 pm): Closing out this weekend at Hinterland is the incomparable Lana Del Rey. A powerhouse for the past decade plus, Lana has headlined everything from Coachella to the Newport Folk Festival. With the release of Grammy-nominated Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd Lana saw her work with producer and Bleachers front man, Jack Antonoff, reach her debut at #1 in the UK and #3 in the US. I’m holding out hope that Antonoff and Bleachers will join forces with Lana to play their song Margaret off of that record. With Hinterland being Lana’s only scheduled date left this year, it is sure to be a must-see. Listen to her new single Bluebird here. 

An incredible weekend of music awaits Iowa, with close to three dozen world-class artists all in one place. You can view the full schedule here, and purchase tickets to Hinterland here. Directions to the festival can be found on the website as well. Stay hydrated, and have a great weekend! 

The post Your Guide to Hinterland 2025 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

100 gecs – 10,000 gecs

Hyperpop icons Dylan Brady and Laura Les released their second 100 gecs record after a four year break since their breakout first album. 10,000 gecs is built on their ear-itchy crunches and absurd combinations of random noises that coalesce into that perfectly overstimulating gecs sound. I wasn’t expecting the 10,000 gecs to surpass their first record, but there’s a charm of genuine passion to their new album. 

If I can trust 100 gecs with anything, it’s to respect the holy sanctity of nü-metal and the gospel of ska. I love nü-metal. I love ska. 100 gecs does both great. Tracks transition erratically to hyperpop versions of various genres until every track is a whole new combination of influences and wacky noises, yet it remains collectively cohesive in its absolute commitment to the silly.  

At its core, it’s an album that embraces the intrinsic joy of silly “cringe”. While the last album felt unserious and a meme in itself, 10,000 gecs is an homage to all the music that gets universally hated on by the masses. I’ve seen a lot of ska, butt rock, and Linkin Park hate in my days, but 100 gecs embraces the cringe. As the most stupid and genuine album I’ve heard this year, 10,000 gecs has to be a top pick. 

Recommended for fans of hyperpop, nü-metal, dubstep, crocs shoes, ska, bad stick-n-poke tattoos, and rats. >:) 

-Pauly, Online Content Staff

bl4ck m4rket c4rt – Today I Laid Down

Up until about a week ago my album of the year was Dogsbody by Model/Actriz followed by Lonnie Holley’s Oh Me Oh My. I even got to meet and talk to the members of Model/Actriz, and Lonnie Holley on the same weekend here in Iowa City. Considering they dropped in February and March respectively and stayed at the top of my year-end lists. I felt secure in my reviews and was ready to look forward to what 2024 offered. Then I heard Today I Laid Down. 

Summarizing the artist’s Bandcamp page doesn’t feel particularly useful or appropriate. If you want a description, it’s kind of like if you told Car Seat Headrest to make a Deathconsciousness sequel. If you want the backstory or context, it was solo produced by 17-year-old Kai Wesener who has since passed away.

The vocals are whispered and overpowered by the instrumentals and occasional punches of noise. The album contrasts dreamy and quiet acoustic and piano ballads, with distorted crashes and buildings of tension. It’s a 10/10, one of less than a dozen releases I’ve ever made that claim on behalf of. Like the album I’ll keep this short. A family lost a son, peers lost a friend, and we lost a talented soul. I really do cherish the few pieces of art he shared with us. I love it, and I I hope you’ll give Kai a listen. 

-Amman Hassan, News Staff

Club Eat – Start

Club Eat dropped their first album “Start” back in May. At the core of this album is a plethora of caffeinated bad-bitch bangers fit for the charmingly ostentatious DIY club scene of New York City. The duo of Ren G and Chicken’s music production consists of extremely glossy hyperpop songs that are restrained enough so they never get lost in the chaos.

Digitial bass hits with the right amount of heaviness make every song bumping and danceable in an eccentric flair. Perfect for a dainty hip shuffle, hand toss combo. Infused within the instrumentals are sampled sounds akin to that of the Utopian Virtual vaporwave subgenre, which gives a Frutiger era vibe to the album’s glitziness. This aesthetic is even shown through on the album’s cover art of Ren G flying through the air from being hit by a car, with all her purse contents scattering, in front of an early 2010’s back drop of Times Square.  

The front woman’s lyricism and snarky vocal delivery is what gives this album its admirable flamboyant personality. She sings about both her obsession with boys, and the raving feeling that daily life brings. Above all, the lyrics are witty, campy and funny. Like on the song “Clothes” where the line ”I put clothes on to take clothes off” points out how we dress up our best when going out just to take them off in front of someone later at the end of the night. Or on “Parking Lot” where she describes fucking in a car with some guy playing the band Tool as an uncomfortable and unfitting backing track.

Even among all its imposed glamour, the album still feels incredibly relatable. It’s grounding in the sense that we are all just trying to survive on this manic planet, living by the mantra of “crazy world makes the crazy girls crazier.” 

-John Glab, Editor-In-Chief

Fever Ray – Radical Romantics

After two projects under the Fever Ray alias, Karin Dreijer collaborates once again with their brother and former collaborator on the project The Knife, Olof Dreijer. Radical Romantics sounds flamboyant, fun, enigmatic and energetic. All these adjectives can also describe The Knife’s musical catalog, but in this case, Karin has the last word of what goes into it. 

The opening track “What They Call Us?” debuts various elements applied throughout the first half of the record. One being the electronic wind instruments (EWI) that Olof brings to the table. On this track it resembles a combination of tornado alarms and singing whales. Formant-shifting tools are heavily used to introduce different characters within the album’s concept, and right from the beginning we see Dreijer’s voice change into an androgynous being. 

“Kandy” contributes more towards that line of ideas, in this case building the melody from the EWI that brings an almost prohibited indulgence to the track. The lyrics refer to Kandy, a self-referring character within the album’s universe that, even though sweet, may not be good for the taker. Kandy’s interaction with Romance, another character within the album, is magnificently showcased on this track’s video. Between the previous and the following track, one can clearly hear the difference between the two halves of the album. One delicately playful, yet mysterious, while the second is strong and unrestricted. 

“Even it Out” posts itself as the most out-there track of the album lyrically. It calls out to Dreijer’s kid’s bully, and the anger that comes as a parent in the situation, making known the possible repercussions of a not-so-far from reality situation. My favorite track is “Carbon Dioxide” which takes a dance-filled 4-on-the-floor with over-the-top vocals, along with strings that fall and come back to their feet throughout the song. What makes this track great is its ending, working as an amazing encore for a dance party. It takes me back to mainstage EDM festivals from 2012, but in the best way possible. 

-Andrés Mora Mata, Music Director

Flooding – Silhouette Machine

From Kansas City, Missouri, three-piece band Flooding released their second fully fledged album entitled Silhouette Machine in September of this year. Precedent to their self-titled album, the second album integrates more hardcore screamo, and abrasive beatdown components that further intensify and reinforce the band’s tonality for harshly sedated ruggedness. Upon the onset of the new album’s first track “Run”, one is immediately taken aback, as the band’s lead, Rose Brown, belts out a caustically grating caterwaul that communicates a dissonant vibration, which is quite fresh for the band.  

In terms of metrical measure, one can also observe more deep drops of percussion and stabbing augmentations of guitar, at which fuzz and distortion are much further increased. For instance, on the following track on the album dubbed “Muzzle”, there is more of a pick-up on overdrive saturation and amplified grain. In this particular song as well, Brown’s mint beginnings into aggressive snarls are ever guttural and bestial, inciting the band’s hint at evolution.

The rest of the songs, like “Interlude (The Dying Swan)” and “Slit”, emit the band’s classic gloomy, eerie down tempo in respect to slowcore. Other tracks on Silhouette Machine like “Silver Gilt” and “Monolith Girl” have more of the coarse static that is audibly present. Wholly, the album consists of obscure dialogue and drably overcast instrumentation, which provide atmosphere for eye bags upon a cathartic outburst. 

-Anika Maculangan, Online Content Staff

JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown – Scaring the Hoes

I planned on starting my review by quoting a tweet that JPEGMAFIA had released teasing this collaboration with Danny Brown, but it has since been deleted. I remember it being a few photos of him and Brown, with a caption that read, “if it ain’t scaring the hoes i don’t want it.” With that singular tweet, my hype flew through the roof. I was worried it might’ve been too much, but on March 24th, 2023, I was pleased to learn that the hype was well deserved.  

Scaring the Hoes contains JPEGMAFIA’s signature style of production combined with Danny Brown’s iconic voice in a synergy that you rarely find on a collaborative album. The album as a whole is a sonically jarring experience, but in traditional JPEGMAFIA fashion, this works to the strength of the individual songs which in turn works with the whole album. The listening experience shifts from loud and brash as heard on “Burfict!” and “Garbage Pale Kids” to angelic and floaty such as on “Kingdom Heart Key” and “HOE (Heaven on Earth)”. Speaking of “Kingdom Heart Key”, it contains the lone feature of the album, that being redveil, the young rapper who is starting to cut out his own spot in my favorites playlist. redveil’s feature is amazing and fits perfectly in with the partnership of Danny and JPEGMAFIA.   

Scaring the Hoes is a powerhouse of an alternative hip-hop album that achieved classic status the day it was released. The strengths come through on the production and the absolute insane flows and bars. I think all hip-hop fans, regardless of their opinion of alternative hip-hop, should give this album a listen. I give it a 9.76/10. Oh, and this isn’t even counting the deluxe edition, in what was called “The DLC Pack”. 

-Mason Dunn, Programming Director

Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s an tunnel under Ocean Blvd

In the time of overtly commercialized pop, and a music industry dictated by social media, how does one stay relevant and timeless? A handful of artists in the last year have made a successful attempt, and one of these attempts, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey, has become one of the most celebrated of the year. Ocean Blvd serves as a crash course in Lana Del Rey’s musical world-building while capturing a healing mood that many have found themselves in the post-pandemic world.

Lana takes her listeners through a sonically pleasing journey to a cheerful and accomplished resolution. Along the way, however, grief and loss are expressed over the topics of family, relationships, and self. The opening track, “The Grants” sets the tone for who and what is to be grieved by Del Rey affirming that she’s going to “take mine of you with me,” when speaking about memories. Then, in Ocean Blvd, she asks the same of her audience, “Don’t forget me, like the tunnel under Ocean Blvd.”

Learning how to set boundaries and making peace with the past are also essential to the album’s structure. Candy necklaces, braids, root beer, and trucks create a set to a dreamy California that Lana has crafted in previous albums which impart her personal touches to this latest release.  

-Amelia Johnson, Music Staff

The National – First Two Pages of Frankenstein

After their 2019 album, I’m Easy to Find, The National fans were a little worried about a future album. The slow and sentimental release was a sign that The National was trying something different, trying a new sound. When First Two Pages of Frankenstein dropped in April, it exceeded every expectation of The National’s classic sound, and in a way that rivals their best albums. They continue with the slower and more melodic sound. Frontman, Matt Berninger, weaves beautifully sensitive lyrics about broken relationships, the loneliness that comes with fame, and the feelings of never really leaving someone who you promised to never see again.  

With the help of cameos from Taylor Swift, Sufjan Stevens, and Phoebe Bridgers, the band creates a new somber atmosphere. The first song on the album, “Once Upon a Pool Side”, featuring Stevens, sets up the cohesive list of songs. The song describes Berninger’s fear of fame, and his personal life being taken away. Other songs on the album, such as “Your Mind Is Not Your Friend”, featuring Phoebe Bridgers, and “Ice Machines” convey a similar message. 

Berninger takes a deep dive into writing about his depression. Does this make some songs harder to dance to? Yes. But there are still some songs that have The National’s more well-known tone like “Grease in Your Hair”, and their most popular single from the album, “Tropic Morning News”. My favorite thing about this album is the way the band ends it. The last track is called “Send for Me”, an emotional rollercoaster about the letting go of someone who will live with you forever. This is a perfect way to tenderly bring the album to a close on a more hopeful note. 

-Tatum D’Emanuele, Music Staff

Tyler, the Creator – The Estate Sale (Reissue)

Whenever a new installment of the Fast and Furious franchise comes to theaters again, I am ecstatic. No, not because I am a fan of the over-top action series, although Tokyo Drift is an underrated masterpiece in my opinion, but because I am a Tyler, the Creator fan. As many online have pointed out, Tyler, the Creator releases seem to coincide with installments of the franchise. This year we got Fast X, but more importantly, we got Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale. 

The Estate Sale is a deluxe edition of 2021’s Call Me If You Get Lost. However, this is no normal deluxe edition where the artist throws in some of their rejected tracks, and re-releases it for a few more sales. While the extra tracks do consist of songs that were cut from the original album’s release, these songs don’t feel like an eclectic accumulation, but rather a faithful continuation of the original album.  

DJ Drama’s loud adlibs welcome us back to the wonderful world of Call Me If You Get Lost, full of Tyler’s now trademark outstanding production, writing, and artistry. Tyler continues the flexing of his newfound upper levels of success, on tracks like “STUNTMAN”. The Estate Sale continues the hard-hitting features with new ones from A$AP Rocky and Vince Staples.  

We bounce with the upbeat, exciting, and eclectic tracks that are what we have come to expect from Tyler, but we also get a diversion from this with the slowed-down “SORRY NOT SORRY”, my favorite of the new tracks. While we get to experience new songs, it’s a treat to re-experience the masterpiece that are all the original tracks from Call Me If You Get Lost. The Estate Sale was a surprising but welcome addition to 2023, and topped my list of favorite releases. 

-Preston Venable, Programming Staff

underscores – Wallsocket

underscores’ new album Wallsocket has quickly became a favorite of mine, with continual listens since it was released in September. At first, I didn’t really give the album a chance, as I had never heard of her before and sometimes it is hard for me to get myself into a new artist. Thankfully, one of my fellow DJs at KRUI played the track “Cops and robbers” on the radio and I was hooked.  

The collaborations with such artists as Jane Remover, gabby start, and henhouse! really livens up the atmosphere of the album, while still fitting its theme. Heavy themes are present throughout, even some that could be triggering to audiences at certain instances, but underscores handles it beautifully.  

Beyond the theming, the world that is created in this album is very immersive. The songs center on three girls in the made-up town of Wallsocket, Michigan. Like the different characters, all of the songs present a different soundscape which never lets one get bored of the album. In fact, my own issue with the album is how jam-packed it is with content that could be delved into, and stylistic differences that make it really hard to fully articulate in this short blurb. Heck, I don’t even know how to properly classify this in any genre sense! If you do go out and listen to this album, I would heavily suggest you read some of underscores’ interviews on it. They are really eye-opening. Go out and enjoy this album! 

-John Mumm, Online Content Staff

Wednesday – Rat Saw God

Wednesday’s record Rat Saw God propelled them to the forefront of indie and alternative rock, putting them on many year-end lists, Iowa City’s Sound Alternative included. Diverging from the shoegaze-heavy sound in Twin Plagues, Rat Saw God ranges from country-tinged indie rock, to the pulverizing riffs and head-bangers of dark shoegaze. 

Karly Hartzman’s eclectic songwriting weaves religious imagery with pastoral scenes of the paved American South. Dollar Generals, burning cotton fields, and death loom in her painted landscapes. Hartzman also grapples with the restrictive faith of American Christianity, contrasted with her own personal life. 

“Comfort fools us into faith, then fate pulls us away again,” Hartzman sings in “Bull Believer”, an eight-minute epic whose conclusion culminates into Hartzman wailing “finish him” over and over again. This is all over Alan Miller’s powerful drumming and a solid bed of distortion. Xandy Chelmis’ lap guitar joins Hartzman’s screams. 

Ghosts and trauma haunt the album. Death is prevalent in Karly’s life, from seeing herself “dead at the end of a staircase,” in “Hot Rotten Grass Smell” to someone dying “in a Planet Fitness parking lot,” in “Bath County”. Emotional openness shines in the album’s tracks adorned with MJ Lenderman’s powerful, catchy guitar riffs. Somber reflections contrast explosive vivaciousness. 

My favorite track on the album is “Quarry”, a single tucked into the album’s B-side. It opens on an image of an old lady who “sits caddy corner to the aftershock from the quarry.” The old lady says that “America’s a spoiled child that’s ignorant of grief,” but then “gives out full-sized candy bars on Halloween.” Ironically, the older, wiser lady feeds into the same system she criticizes. 

The chorus continues the explosive imagery. A quarry is a result of searching for materials. Their flaming youth eventually burning out the barren landscape the old lady haunts. “Quarry” embraces the group’s country influences while critiquing the same system in which country music flourished: blue-collar music about living life to the fullest after the extortions of the work-week. 

Rat Saw God is Wednesday’s most complete work yet with unabashed, confessionals from Hartzman. Wednesday’s scuzzy shoegaze-country sound is finally fully realized. 

-Nick Layeux, Training Director

Zach Bryan – Zach Bryan

There were two country singers who spent time at #1 on the Billboard charts in 2023: Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan. Unlike Wallen, Bryan’s self-titled fourth studio album was produced completely by himself and contains self-aware and detailed songwriting that sets him apart from other mainstream country acts. 

Bryan is transparent about his struggles with fame and how his career has changed. “Tradesman” is a daydream about being a carpenter and the ways his life would be different, ending with the line, “the only callouses I’ve grown is in my mind.” “East Side of Sorrow” is a rollicking song with electric guitar and banjo that includes the complaint, “Do you ever get tired of singing songs like all your pain is just another fucking singalong?” “Ticking” begins with dobro and finds Bryan frustrated with some of his fans, “everyone thinks they know me now in these close-minded leave-me towns, but I’m too young to even know myself.” 

The album also contains a number of songs written about losing friends and family. “Summertime’s Close” describes the process of losing a loved one to cancer. It details the time spent together during the sickness, and then dealing with the loss by themselves after the person has passed away.  “Jake’s Piano – Long Island” contains an ode to someone who had a big impression on him when he was younger, with Bryan wanting to let them know of the positive ways in which he’s changed.  

Even though the album topped the charts for two weeks, the self-deprecating lyrics like “I’m a self-destructive landslide if you wanna be the hill,” from the track “Spotless” and “Did the city beat your ass like the trash you are?” on the album closer “Oklahoman Son” help defy the idea that mainstream country is always formulaic. 

-Brian Wrobel, Music Staff

Other Positive 2023 KRUI Album Reviews:

Dryad – Abyssal Plain

Kelela – Raven

Kali Uchis – Red Moon in Venus

MSPAINT – Post-American

Washer – Improved Means to Deteriorated Ends

Cover image by Anna Kritz.

The post KRUI Staff Favorite Albums of 2023 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

“Snail Mail retains the same wounded lover ethos and hazy, scorned vocals but with a noticeably more pop-inspired instrumental palette. Indie rock guitars and peppy drums provide a sturdy melodic base, while additions of piano or dreamy synths give this album a sometimes danceable effect.”

–Sydney Sjobakken

19. Lingua Ignota – Sinner Get Ready

“Lingua Ignota has always incorporated a regal and grandiose instrumental palette, but SINNER GET READY shows a slightly softer side to her work with elements of religious hymns and neofolk. Yet, despite drawing back a bit from her more abrasive tendencies, she still maintains the same level of harrowing torture and anguish that permeates her work.”

–read Sydney Sjobakken’s full review here,

18. Greta Van Fleet – The Battle at Garden’s Gate

Staffer Hadley’s Album of the Year

“Greta Van Fleet does not disappoint with their third album, which keeps their iconic sound while incorporating some of the most beautiful lyrics I’ve ever heard. They stray from their classic rock roots to incorporate a more worldly sound while still being amazing and technically sound. They play with a new, more diverse range of sounds that sets them apart from their usual comparison to Led Zeppelin and creates a sound all their own, with enough flair to show their growth as a band while still sounding like the group we know and love. Personally, I think it’s their best album yet.”

–Hadley Stewart

17. Rauw Alejandro – Vice Versa

Staffer Alejandro’s Album of the Year

“In a very limited genre like reggaeton, Rauw Alejandro breaks those limits to deliver Vice Versa, an album full of fun tracks that use the typical reggaeton and Latin pop beats in new and creative ways. The lead single and opening track of the album, “Todo de Ti”, is a funky introduction that sets the tone for what the rest of the album is going to be. However, the highlight of the album is “Cosa Guapa”, which mixes Latin pop and House to make a new classic for Latino nightclubs.”

–Alejandro Gonzalez

16. Shannon & the Clams – Year of the Spider

Staffer Ryan’s Album of the Year

“The newest from Shannon & the Clams combines elements of Rockabilly, 60s psych, & Doo Wop, creating a unique retro sound. Vocalists Shannon Shaw and Cody Blanchard achieve excellent chemistry.”

–Ryan Knipp

15. SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE – ENTERTAINMENT DEATH

Director Sydney’s Album of the Year

“As discordant as it is dreamy, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE’s ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH easily excavated a place for itself in the top releases of 2021 with its irreverent sense of nostalgia, melancholy, and an eerie understanding that maybe all is not well. The twinkly yet jarringly off-kilter synths remind one of an old photograph being eaten away by time and sun-exposure, while the vocals are melancholic and ethereal. The constant shutters, glitches, and static present in the mix add to the unusual ethos of this record which is sure to lull its listeners into a dangerous state of naive ease.”

–Sydney Sjobakken

14. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – HARAM

Director Jaden’s Album of the Year

“Billy Woods’ and ELUCID’s poetically confrontational bars hit as hard as ever. Now with smooth and jazzy beats from the Alchemist, the two reach new heights. It’s the contrast between Woods’ deep bellow and ELUCID’s rasp, as they deliver dizzying bars filled with emotional gut-punches. It’s how they seem to have pushed the Alchemist on some of these songs to create his most experimentally mind-bending beats yet, while still maintaining crisp production. Put simply, HARAM cements Armand Hammer as one of the best rap duos to ever do it.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

13. Backxwash – I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES

“On the newest album from Backxwash, she continues down the path of dark, industrial metal-infused hip hop, rapping verses that mix the personal with the occult. The first single and title track “I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES” is a perfect encapsulation of why this album rules.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

12. The Mountain Goats – Dark In Here

“It just so happens that this new set of songs on Dark In Here is some of the band’s best work in years. The instrumentation is never particularly showy–folk rock guitars, some keys across piano and organ, some spare woodwinds–restrained drums which only hit hard when the time is right. Attention is primarily on Darnielle’s lyricism and vocal performance, which he keeps on the softer end of his register. These songs are sad, or at least, they explore different aspects of loneliness and darkness.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

11. Tyler, The Creator – Call Me If You Get Lost

“Smooth and soulful, with lyrics that’ll make you ask, “Who hurt Tyler?”. It also has a fair balance of gritty or harder songs, and smooth, horn-filled soul pieces. It’s a nice middle-ground between IGOR and Flowerboy.

–Sydney Sjobakken

10. Doja Cat – Planet Her

It’s Doja Cat. What could we possibly say? Her new one is pretty great.

9. Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz

“The brand of tongue-in-cheek, abrasive yet catchy songwriting that Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys has engineered is on full display on their sophomore LP Welfare Jazz. The album certainly lives up to its name with instrumentation that is often jazzy, bluesy, and unrelentingly infectious.”

–read Sydney Sjobakken’s full review here.

8. Injury Reserve – By The Time I Get to Phoenix

“On the newest album from Injury Reserve, rapper Ritchie with a T and producer Parker Corey carve out a new lane for themselves in experimental hip hop, as they grapple with the passing of founding member Stepa J Groggs. The results are unlike anything the group, or any other artist for that matter, have made before. From the confrontational opening track, they make it clear what the listener is in for–Ritchie strikes a battle rap stance over enveloping synth lines with a verse that verges on mad rambling in the best way possible.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

7. black midi – Cavalcade

“To expect anything less than off-kilter and left-field from black midi is to underestimate them, but Cavalcade proves that being “left-field” is not a matter of luck or a lack of ingenuity. Across this album, the band employs a Coraline-esque balance of blissful fantasy and demented horror with contemporary jazz-inflected progressions, snappy drums, and perfectly spaced breaks into full-bodied blows of distortion and drive.”

–read Sydney Sjobakken’s full review here.

6. Illuminati Hotties – Let Me Do One More

“From atop Illuminati Hotquarters, singer/songwriter Sarah Tudzin pens tunes to capture the last gasps of a dying Summer on Let Me Do One More. The band’s variety of sounds range from catchy pop-infused punk to endearingly sincere folk and beyond.”

–read Jaden Amjadi’s full review here.

5. Low – HEY WHAT

Staffer Zachary’s Album of the Year

“Nothing is better than seeing a band you’ve grown up with expand their sound while keeping their core values the same. Hey What finds Low, nearly 30 years into their career, blowing out the speakers with harsh electronica and entwining the noise in their ethereal melodies and reigning them in. Sparhawk and Parker have always been masters of sparseness, and while that usually means playing with silence, here, they showcase how isolating and cold chaos can be while proving it ineffectual in the face of the human spirit. This is honestly the strongest album from them in years, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the future.”

–read Zachary Leboeuf’s full review here.

4. Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters

Staffer Amelia’s Album of the Year

“When Lana Del Rey dropped three singles on a random Thursday in May, only about two months after Chemtrails came out, it became evident she was working on a new project that would move her forward as a singer and find her focusing on new themes. Blue Banisters explores themes of sisterhood, friendship, family, righting wrongs, and dealing with critics. Songs range from well-known bootlegs in the fandom to a closing song she wrote in 20 minutes with her sister and her dad. She strips many songs down to piano and voice, but standouts like “Dealer and “If You Lie Down With Me” use synths, horns, and screams. Blue Banisters rivals the Grammy-nominated NFR among fans because of this new style and maturation shown by Lana on this album, and sets a new standard for any project she creates in the future.”

–Amelia Johnson

3. girl in red – if i could make it go quiet

Director Daniela’s Album of the Year

“girl in red’s anticipated debut album, if i could make it go quiet, captivates listeners with its relatability, instrumental intensity, and variety. The intimate lyrics about relationships and moving through life resonated with me. The presence of numerous instruments such as piano, synths, drums, and guitar was deliberately and thoughtfully used to create a specific mood for each track. girl in red has the ability to write fast-paced bangers, heartfelt ballads, and nostalgic instrumental songs. The combination of all of these elements creates a memorable musical experience leaving me hungry for more of her work.”

–Daniela Rybarczyk

2. Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth

Staffer Ken’s Album of the Year

I’d never heard of Genesis Owusu before he was played during one of the music staff meetings, but I’ve been hooked ever since. I instantly got hooked to the many bangers present on Smiling with No Teeth the moment I started listening and haven’t left my thoughts since. Each track sounds so fun and surprisingly diverse from one another instrumentally and vocally, it makes my brain feel very happy!

–Ken Dompier

1. JPEGMAFIA – LP!

Staffer Evan’s Album of the Year

“On LP!, JPEGMAFIA plays perfectly into his strengths. The experimental hip hop titan revives his distinctive, engaging, and humorous attitude and delivers yet another project full of heart, intelligence, and musical brilliance. With bold and outlandish production, an infinitely wide arsenal of flows, and rebellious and sarcastic lyrics, Peggy drops another instant classic and advances his case to be considered not just one of the best experimental hip hop artists of our time, but one of the best hip hop artists, period.”

–read Evan Weidl’s full review here.

The post The Best of 2021: Music Staff Picks appeared first on KRUI Radio.

What is your favorite genre of music to listen to?

“I would say I mostly listen to lo-fi indie. I’ve been listening to a lot of sensitive indie recently, kind of on the grungy side of things.”

What is “lo-fi” indie?

“I would say an example of lo-fi indie would be Neutral Milk Hotel, but a lot of music from the 90s-earlier 2000s would also fall under this genre, like LCD Soundsystem, Modest Mouse, Slowdive, bands like that. I’ve found that there has been a huge resurgence of lo-fi recently! I mean, you might even think of a band like Beach House as being kind of lo-fi. The best way to think about it is like on old radios, how you can turn the dial from lo-fi to hi-fi. Lo-fi gives you more of that buzzy, high static-y sound, whereas hi-fi gives a super clear sound. I guess contemporary examples of lo-fi are Broken Social Scene, Angel Olsen or Mothers, which is a pretty new band.”

How long have you been listening to this genre of music?

“I feel like I started delving into indie in my later years of high school. I entered the scene around 2008/2009, which was a prime time for indie music. I feel like this time period was the peak of when bands like Feist and Vampire Weekend started emerging. It was also during the hipster revolution, where everyone wanted to be a hipster, so it was super easy to access that kind of music.”

What do you think you would categorize your music taste as?

“I think, for me, when organizing the characteristics of my music taste, it’s easiest to think in terms of decades, so things that have a 50s flare, or a 70s flare, or a 90s flare. I guess it’s all of the odd-numbered decades in a way. I love 50s music because of jazz like I love Chet Baker, and because of true country, which was the genre of Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. I like things that are rough around the edges but have a real emotional core. I guess as far as the 70s goes, I’ve been listening to a lot of Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan for some reason this year. I don’t know why, but it’s kept me so solid. There’s so much of a revival of the 70s right now with bands like Tennis. And the 90s of course, we are just living in the 90s all over again right now.”

What are you recommending that I review in my column?

“I picked an album called ‘Tender Buttons’, by a band called Broadcast. It’s a cool, kind of moody girl band from the early 2000s. I think the album came out in 2004. It’s kind of experimental and it didn’t quite get the acclaim that I feel like it deserves. It’s got super weird lyrics. It reminds me of a band that’s currently out right now called Melody’s Echo Chamber, which is produced by Tame Impala. It’s a super cool album and I hope you like it.”

How long have you been listening to Broadcast?

“I found them like three or four years ago. It’s just been a staple album for me. To me, there’s a sense of refinement to it, like they never get too over the top, but they build such an emotional core through really strange lyrics and minimalist sound, and there’s also that lo-fi, grungy sort of element at the base of it.”

Broadcast was an English indie band that was founded in 1995 by Trish Keenan and James Cargill. The band released a total of three albums. Throughout the majority of the band’s career, they had other members who played instruments for various periods of time, but Trish and James stuck together until 2011 when Trish suddenly died from the swine flu.

“Tender Buttons” was the third and final album by Broadcast, which was released in 2005. There are a total of fourteen tracks on it, making the album 40 minutes and 34 seconds long. I listened to all of the songs and decided that I would review the album in its entirety, the song with the namesake of the album, my favorite and my least favorite. Let’s start with the namesake.

So the title of the album, as you know, is “Tender Buttons”, and there is a song with that title as well. I really, really like the intro to this song. It mixes the strumming of a guitar with the strokes of a cello. It’s really cool. You kind of move your body along to it…until the words start. I say “words” and not “lyrics” because Trish keeps a monotone throughout the entire song and just repeats random words. I noticed that she says words that being with the letter C nearly 30 times. I don’t know what the significance of the words are…they don’t make any sense together. The last few phrases she says are “Die. Cut. Die. Cut”, over and over again. It’s kind of scary if you listen to the words…so don’t. Here’s the link.

My favorite song on this album is “Tears in the Typing Pool”. I think it’s because it has a Lana Del Rey sound to it. Lana does try to have a lo-fi sound to her music, now that I think about it. She idolizes music from the 60s, so it makes sense. I noticed that this song is the only one out of out of the entire album that is acoustic and clear enough for me to understand the lyrics, which make more sense than in the previous song! I think it’s about an oncoming break-up. That’s just how I interpreted it, though. Give it a listen and see what you think.

My least favorite song on this album was “Arc of a Journey”. I hate to say that I disliked it because the first four minutes of it were fine, but the final minute of the song just really hurt my ears. Honestly. It was miserable to listen to. I don’t know what is happening but it sounds absolutely horrible. You’ve been warned! The instruments used in the good part of the song kind of remind me of a Postal Service song, who I like! I just didn’t like the ending! I can’t understand the lyrics in here, so I had to look them up. They don’t make sense, but they’re all about space and constellations so I guess they’re supposed to go together…I’m just not deep enough to interpret them. If you choose to listen to this, beware! After four minutes, your ears may or may not start to bleed.

After learning about lo-fi, I can confidently say that “Tender Buttons” falls into that category. It has a really grainy and static-y sound to it. Trish’s vocals are so muffled that I can’t really understand the lyrics, but I guess that’s the point of the genre. I appreciate the unique use of instruments throughout the album and the clashing of notes found in nearly every song. The sound is really unique; it’s not eerie but it’s not comforting either. As a side-note, there are a couple of songs that are completely instrumental in this album. No vocals at all! I wasn’t expecting that, but I liked it. This is the perfect album to listen to when hanging out with your best friend on a Friday night, doing absolutely nothing. Here is a link to the entire album if you want to give it a go

So…yeah. That was an interesting ride. I think that Broadcast has a really interesting sound, but I don’t think I’m as into lo-fi as I hoped I would be. For me, to get connected to a song, I have to understand the lyrics and they have to have meaning, but in this case, it was hard for me to understand what Trish was singing so I couldn’t feel as many emotions as I had hoped. That may not be the case for other people, it’s just what I found. On the other hand, the more I listen to this album, the more I like it. Also, just putting this out there: I am not liable for anything that may or may not have happened to you after that last song ended. Just saying.

If you want to read more about Trish Keenan’s legacy she left behind, read this article published by Pitchfork.

James Cargill recently dropped an album with his new band, Children of Alice, which is in memoriam of Trish, so if you want to listen to more music that is associated with this band, click here.

And, as always, if you want to follow me on Instagram, give me a follow here!

The post The Rolling Bean Promo: “Tender Buttons” by Broadcast appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Some rainy days are nothing but cozy – full of baking, movie marathons, sipping tea and snuggling with your dog. Others can be miserable – walking to class in a downpour, getting splashed by a bus driving through a massive puddle, wind spraying sheets of rain in your face – you get the point.

But whether you love them or hate them, rainy days always tend to make people more contemplative. Nothing sparks forgotten feelings or makes you reminisce about old memories like a soft drizzle outside of your window.

A fitting playlist enhances those feelings. And for those of us who love to ride the angsty train for as long as we can, rainy days are our jam – as long as we have something appropriate to jam along to during them.

Here are my favorite songs to listen to when the forecast reads, “heavy showers”.

“Talking in Code” – Margot and the Nuclear So So’s: This is one of my favorite songs of all time, regardless of the weather. The swooping violins, utter pain in the vocals and heartbreaking lyrics are absolutely killer.

“High Hopes” – Kodaline: Steve Garrington’s voice will stun you in this gorgeous ballad.

“Vincent” – Don Mclean: This sweet and tender song makes you feel as if you’re drifting through the clouds while Mclean sings to you from his own cloud, guitar in hand.

“Elise” – The Greeting Committee: This raw confession focuses on the simple moments of pure bliss that comes with falling in love.

“Big Black Car” – Gregory Alan Isakov: I’ve listened to this song an absurd amount of times, and it never gets old. The instrumentals are effortlessly beautiful and Isakov’s voice is the perfect accompaniment.

“Sunday Morning” – Maroon 5: Obviously, this is sort of a rainy day anthem, with the first lyric being, “Sunday morning, rain is falling/Steal some covers, share some skin”. Can’t go wrong here.

“Dynamite (Acoustic)” – Sigrid: If the rainy day you choose to listen to this song during is a particularly somber one, then this is the perfect backdrop. A rumbling piano plays below Sigrid’s icy voice, allowing us to hear every gorgeous intricacy.

“Carry You” – Novo Amor: This is definitely one of those songs that instantly has you visualizing yourself in a movie, but once the vocals kick in, things are more lighthearted, while still soothing.

“Girlie” – Alexandra Savior: With a sultry chorus and subtle swear words, this song reminds me of a young Lana Del Rey.

“Some Day Soon” – Alexi Murdoch: Not only is this song effortlessly beautiful, it’s featured in the first season of the NBC drama, “This is Us”, so it’s sure to give you major feels.

“Drink You Gone” – Ingrid Michaelson: It’s no secret that Michaelson has a stunning voice. It is showcased here while telling a heartbreaking story.

“Numb” – Max Jury: Max Jury is from Des Moines, Iowa, and has opened for Lana Del Rey. He coaxes listeners into a trance with his smooth voice and sultry music.

“Champagne Supernova” – Oasis: This is a no-brainer rainy day song – it begins with a flood of rain, and anyone who has seen “The OC” knows why this song is so special.

“Boston” – Augustana: Another one of my all-time favorite songs, “Boston” is tender while still building up to a dramatic ending that will have you belting out the lyrics.

“No One’s Gonna Love You” – Band of Horses: This is a classic breakup song if I’ve ever heard one. The aching lyrics will have a flood of memories with ex-lovers washing into your mind with the rain.

“Big Jet Plane” – Angus & Julia Stone: The Stones’ unique voices and whimsical lyrics create a dreamy vibe in this track.

“Fools (Acoustic)” – The Temper Trap: Every facet of Dougy Mandagi’s voice is heard in this incredible song.

“Cherry Wine” – Hozier: This is one of Hozier’s most tender-sounding songs, but the lyrics contrast the sweet vibe with the harsh reality of selfish lovers.

“Brooklyn Baby” – Lana Del Rey: As my favorite Rey song, “Brooklyn Baby” contains every trait that makes me love the singer so much – clever lyrics, insane vocal tricks, and a seductive vibe.

“10,000 Emerald Pools” – Borns: This song will add a little more grooviness to your rainy day with a catchy beat and chill vibe.

“If” – Bread: This seventies soft rock ballad will tug on all of your heartstrings and transport you back to another era.

“Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac: Another obvious rainy day song, beginning with the lyrics, “Thunder only happens when it’s raining”. Electricity flows through this entire seductive song.

“Let’s be Still” – The Head and the Heart: This is one of my favorite The Head and the Heart songs and definitely one of their most relaxing and contemplative, reminding us to live in the moment.

“Hold You in my Arms” – Ray LaMontagne: Another groovy, yet chill vibe oozes from this song, accompanied by LaMontagne’s raspy voice.

“Fly Away” – My Brothers and I: This is one of those songs that you’ll know every word to quickly as a result of listening to it on repeat.

“Blood” – The Middle East: I’ve admired this song for years because of its instrumental that sets me in a trance every single time I listen to it.

“The Girl” – City and Colour: You can never go wrong with this song, but it’s especially beautiful when the sky is grey and crying.

I could go on forever with sad, soothing, eerie, and thoughtful songs that are perfect for rainy days, but I’ll let you get started on this list first. Light a candle, step into your slippers and bask in the feeling that only rainy days can create.

The post The Alt Rock Chick: Rainy Day Tunes appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Born in South Africa but raised in Australia, Troye Sivan Mellet has been making his mark online for a long time. A now famous Youtuber (and a winner of a Teen Choice Award alongside Tyler Oakley for their video “The ‘Boyfriend’ Tag”), Troye Sivan released a debut EP titled TRYXE in late 2014, which was a surprise hit and landed at number 5 on the iTunes charts. Having found his musical voice, he continued to create music and dropped a second EP, WILD, in September 2015, which had similar success, possibly thanks to its endorsement by Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, and Adele. Shortly thereafter, he announced that WILD was actually an introduction to his debut album Blue Neighbourhood, and I can gladly say that the full product is one of the best debuts of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLKkwQM7uEY

The term “post-modern” is thrown around a little recklessly in regards to all types of art, but if the touchstone for “post-modern pop” is Lorde, Troye Sivan fits in neatly beside the girl from the land down under. His music consists of synth washes, tight and snappy percussion, dance tracks and ballads both assisted by electronic production. Both of them are able to deliver vocals that turn from soft-spoken and introverted to demanding and evocative.

Troye Sivan is also as gifted at songwriting as his female counterpoint: the title of the album is in reference to the concept of feeling trapped in the homes that we grow up in, but also the melancholy that is present when we do leave our places of origin. “I’m down to my skin and bone / and my baby listens to me on the phone / but I can’t help feeling like I’m all alone,” he coos on “Ease,” illustrating the anxiety so many young adults face even when surrounded by their loved ones; “When you heard me on the radio / did you turn it up?” he asks the ones he left behind in the string-adorned closer “Suburbia.” There’s melancholy laced through all the hope, and it makes for a relatable listen.

However, Blue Neighbourhood may arguably be one of the most important albums to come out in the mainstream pop demographic for a specific reason: its honest portrayal of a young person who identifies within the LGBT spectrum. Troye Sivan came out to his Jewish parents when he was 15, and came out three years later on a video blog. While openly gay artists Adam Lambert and Sam Smith have made strides in bringing a wider world view to queer performers in the industry, Troye Sivan comes off more explicit, and all the better for it: album centerpiece “Heaven” recounts his emotions with coming out to his father and others (“without losing a piece of me / how do I get to heaven?”); “Bite” pulses with desire and sexual awakening (“Kiss me on the mouth and set me free / but please don’t bite”); “For Him” recounts nights of being lightweights and “not having to say ‘I love you’/ to say ‘I love you.'” Even better, the three music videos he released prior to the album’s release (for songs “Wild”, “Fools”, and “Talk Me Down”) create a narrative arc that covers hidden sexuality, parental abuse, and suicide. It’s impressive for such a young artist to come out of the gate with something profound to say.

Blue Neighbourhood does so many things right within the pop world: all the tracks hit that sweet spot of a three minute run time, the album doesn’t overstay its welcome (even the deluxe version, with the essential bonus song “Blue,” feels worthy of its duration), and it melds familiar and new pop sounds in order to create a distinctive voice for its precocious artist. Even if he doesn’t break through to the mainstream, Troye Sivan deserves a place in the upper echelon of pop singers.

I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Grade: A

Key Tracks: “Wild”, “Bite”, “Heaven”, “Youth”, “Suburbia”, “Blue”

Blue Neighborhood can be listened to on Spotify here.

The post Album Review: “Blue Neighbourhood” by Troye Sivan appeared first on KRUI Radio.