*This article contains language that may not be appropriate for minors*

In this actually insane, ridiculously controversial ride of an election season, a few candidates have made themselves known more than others. On one side of the table we have the former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, who was a household name before she made her second presidential bid. Perhaps the former FL has become even more spoken of in recent months because of the unprecedented challenger to her campaign, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who has made his own name widely known.

On the other side, the notorious Donald Trump is all most people see (much to the fault of the TV news media). Trump sucks up the majority of the spotlight with the uncouth statements that he makes every few moments. Turning on the morning news often yields the same results– an update on Trump’s ravings from the last 24 hours.

Trump was up against Texas Senator Ted Cruz and the Governor of Ohio, John Kasich. His two contenders often fell into obscurity in his wake, though Cruz appeared to be a real contender for the Republican nomination. Despite his decision to drop out of the 2016 presidential race, it is important that we think about what might have been– many considered Cruz the “next best option.”

Multiple well-known figures have come out with statements recently telling America not to vote for Cruz. This includes former Speaker of the House, John Boehner, a member of Cruz’s own party. To be specific, Boehner reportedly called Ted Cruz “Lucifer in the flesh.” Boehner went on to say the following:

“I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.”

On a more humorous note, Ted Cruz’s college roommate, Craig Mazin, has also made a number of statements about Cruz via Twitter. These comments sometimes discuss Mazin’s college experience with Cruz, but also speak of Cruz’s character.

While none of these statements are explicitly about Cruz’s policies, this is where the Senator becomes more problematic. Just for clarification, here are some of Ted Cruz’s most staunch proposed policies:

In recent months, Cruz has made it very clear that he opposes all abortion– including abortions in the case of rape or incest.

Cruz has also said that if he were to become the President of the United States, he would attempt to abolish the Department of Education, along with four other major federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the IRS.

On the topic of American Muslims, Cruz has said that he supports increased policing of neighborhoods with large populations of Muslim citizens. “We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized,” Cruz has explicitly claimed. Apparently Cruz is under the misconception that the only population that can become radicalized is a Muslim population.

Ted Cruz is also a large proponent of ending the era of “political correctness,” or in other words, being a decent human being. Cruz claims that political correctness is “killing people.”

These are just a few of Cruz’s stunning policies. The list of ideological thought processes and fundamental principles gone awry goes on and on. While we now have Trump as the de facto Republican nominee and this seems entirely horrible, America just might have a dodged a Ted Cruz bullet.

And while it may seem as though Ted Cruz is effectively waging a war against himself with his undesirable social thought, the internet is waging a war that is much more fierce.

If you’re looking for a laugh, just Google “Ted Cruz Zodiac Killer.” Let the Internet tell you itself. But here is a final piece of beauty provided for you to feast your eyes on:

Shut Up and Listen is a politically-based opinion column in which you, the reader, shut up and listen to what I have to say and then formulate opinions and come to your own conclusions. 

The post Shut Up and Listen: Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer appeared first on KRUI Radio.

“Sleep On The Floor” is the opening track of Cleopatra and opens with some strong base and your typical folksy cymbal action. It’s an excellent choice to preview the album– it’s bold, it’s a little quirky, and it’s definitely The Lumineers.

The second song of Cleopatra is entitled “Ophelia.” Even if you have not listened to the rest of the album, you can tell that “Ophelia” is a winner. Combine some slightly jazzy piano with The Lumineers usual bass-themed vibes and you have got yourself a hit.

“Cleopatra” comes third in the lineup as the title track of the record and offers a little bit of a different beat than the previous two tracks. The guitar drives a little more here, and overall the track is extremely successful. Here’s your dancing song, kids.

The fourth track on the album is “Gun Song,” which opens with the odd lyric I don’t wanna own a single gun / But if I did you’d be the one. The song is catchy despite the haunting lyrics and feels like one should be running through a meadow of flowers whilst wearing a fedora when listening to it. There really is no better way to describe the vibe.

“Angela,” “In The Light,” and “Gale Song” are some of the central tracks of Cleopatra and are extremely similar in nature. These are chill songs– you’re just going to want to sit back and listen to these. “Angela” and “Gale Song” are pretty sad and mournful, but “In The Light” is just a really easy jam.

“Long Way From Home” is the eighth track of the album. This song is passionate and has some really nice guitar work. It doesn’t stand out as a hit, but still has a lot of merit. This one is not going to get stuck in your head, but it is enjoyable to listen to.

“Sick In The Head” comes up next on Cleopatra and experiments a little bit with some echoing vocals. This one is pretty sad, and the repeating guitar pattern is a little much, but again, it’s not bad to listen to.

The tenth track, “My Eyes,” is the peak of The Lumineers moodiness and melancholy. The track is a little haunting, but also has more upbeat moments of excitement during the chorus. There’s some spooky piano work, which makes this song shine amongst many other chilled-out ballads on the record.

“Patience” is up next, and is a real shortie, coming in at 1:37. This track is solely instrumental, featuring a really beautiful piano melody that complements the tone of the album as a whole.

“Where The Skies Are Blue” is the first of the additional bonus tracks on the album. This song is a little more light-hearted than most on the record, which is probably explained by the title of the track. “Where The Skies Are Blue” almost feels like a carnival or a picnic vibe. It’s cool, happy-go-lucky, and fun to listen to.

“Everyone Requires A Plan” is another bonus track on Cleopatra and mimics the melancholy of earlier tracks like “Angela” and “Gale Song.” Once again, this track is nice to hear, but doesn’t exactly shine.

“White Lie” is the final bonus track of Cleopatra and kicks off with some really clean, deep vocals. This track combines the pretty piano melodies that were experimented with earlier in the record with The Lumineers’ signature driving guitar. It’s pretty morose, but has some building appeal. This one is a winner and an excellent choice to wrap up the record.

So what’s the consensus on Cleopatra? It’s folksy, it’s soulful at moments, and at others it’s very chill. Unfortunately, it doesn’t shine all the time. In terms of cohesion, this album does well, but individual songs have a hard time standing out in memory. Especially in the middle of the album, songs start to blend together. However, there is technical precision and attention to detail here, as a well as attention to the larger theme of the album. The songs are good, they just don’t stand out on their own (with the exception of “Ophelia” and “White Lie”). This record is definitely worth giving a listen to, but don’t put it down for album of the year.

Album Rating: B+

Check out The Lumineers on Twitter and Facebook, if you’re into that.

The post Album Review: “Cleopatra” by The Lumineers appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The featured photo collection was entitled “X-Offenders,” and most of the photos were taken 40 years ago, in 1976, when Persky still lived in Greenwich Village and was just beginning her career as an artist. Entirely by coincidence, in this 40th anniversary showing there were forty photos on display.

Most of the prints hung around Persky as she spoke chronicled a time in her life when she was in a relationship with Gary Valentine, the bassist for Blondie in the 1970s. As a result, many of the photos featured Blondie’s founders, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, in their most organic settings.

Persky decided on the name “X-Offenders” for the exhibit because “X-Offender” was the name of the debut single that Valentine had written for Blondie. The collection acted as a tribute to their time together, and Persky’s time with Blondie as a whole.

The photos were up close and personal; many were head shots and all seemed honest and raw. The prints were almost as raw as Persky herself– when she opened up the talk to audience discussion she confidently said, “If you ramble, I will cut you off like a cancer.”

Though this exhibit was focused mainly on 1976 and Blondie, Persky also talked about life as an artist in general. She emphasized the importance of being true to oneself and creating. “What you create is so much more important than anything else,” she said, “Just keep making the work.”

Creating is just what Persky has been doing since she was a teen in Greenwich Village. She discussed the first play that she acted in, written by HM Koutoukas specifically for her, and her stint as a writer for The New York Rocker.

What seemed to create Persky’s genius was her environment. She spoke of the influence that Greenwich Village had on her upbringing often throughout the hour. It was a place of artistic creation for people of all sorts, though “the Village was empty back then.” Greenwich seemed to be a hub for creation.

Persky described walking out on the streets of New York to find props and materials for her artistic endeavors. “All of the stuff we used was just trash that somebody brought in, but then again, we were trash that somebody brought in.” The artists of Greenwich made art of anything and everything they had.

Throughout Persky’s talk, she was brutally honest and open. The range of topics she discussed spread from finding out she was weird at the age of five, to traveling to Los Angeles with Blondie for one of their first major gigs. It is clear that she has had a life full of adventure and experience.

This morning’s talk was an insightful and exciting view into the daily endeavors of a person with a true talent for art, as well as a vehement appreciation for the impact that art has on our world.

The post Mission Creek: X-Offenders Artist Talk @ The Englert Theatre 4/8/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Well, this probably isn’t the album for you. But if you are looking for some laid back, structurally sound tunes for a peaceful night in, you’re reading the right album review.

Ouroboros is Ray LaMontagne‘s sixth album, and was released on March 4, 2016. Ouroboros is the follow-up to Supernova, which was released in 2014. LaMontagne’s new album combines his usual breathy tones and gentle, yet driving, beats. It’s the same-old, same-old for LaMontagne, with a bit of electronic play, but Ouroboros is still good. 

It should be noted at this point that the term “breathy” will most likely be used often in the following article. After all, Ray LaMontagne is one breathy dude.

The record is divided into “Part 1” and “Part 2,” which were intended to be played as two cohesive pieces. LaMontagne wanted Ouroboros to operate like a vinyl record– one half fully played, and then flipped over to the second half. Both parts hold the easy-going vibes that any Ray LaMontagne listener is used to.

The record opens up with, “Homecoming,” a first glimpse back into the super breathy voice and soothing rhythms that define Ray LaMontagne. First things first, this track is LONG. We’re talking eight and a half minutes long, the length of two, if not three, full songs long. This song could be described as a whimsical, spiritual journey through springtime. A LONG, spiritual journey. (But a fulfilling one.)

The second track of Ouroboros is “Hey, No Pressure,” which was originally released as a single. LaMontagne’s rock undertones are more visible here than in the first track– we get some super smooth electric guitar and bass thrown into the mix. ‘Ol Ray’s usual breathiness is transformed into an edgier breathing gap between each word, which adds some nice variation to the record thus far.

“The Changing Man” is the third track of the record and opens up with some really sick guitar, which carries through the majority of the song. There aren’t many vocals here, but this adds to the mystery of the track and of Part 1 in general.

“While It Still Beats” closes out Part 1 of Ouroboros and feels slightly more intense than the previous tracks. Rest assured, there is still some super breathy stuff in here, but LaMontagne also adds a deeper undertone. This intensity fades into nothingness towards the end of the song, bringing Part 1 to an almost angelic close.

Part 2 of Ouroboros opens up with “In My Own Way.” This one is also a doozy in terms of length, closing out at around six and a half minutes. The track as a whole is pretty laid-back and easygoing, with a few instances of some grimy electric guitar. The gentle guitar line carries through, and since it is combined with LaMontagne’s simple vocals this track is soothing to listen to. Apologies in advance, but this could be LaMontagne’s most breathy track yet.

The second track of Part 2 is entitled “Another Day.” This track will make you want to spin dramatically in an open field. The opening lyrics are Spring is here / Spring is past / The sounds of summer settle in / The snake slips through the grass. “Another Day” comes off light-hearted and easy to listen to.

“A Murmuration of Starlings” comes up next and kicks off with some really neat guitar work. In fact, this track is almost entirely guitar work. It’s a non-vocal, with some tasteful drums and synth thrown into the mix. As a cohesive part of Ouroboros it blends well, and flows almost like an intro into the next track.

Ouroboros comes to a close with “Wouldn’t It Make a Lovely Photograph,” potentially the best track on the record. This is the summation of all previous elements: Ray at his most breathy, smooth guitar, and gentle, yet driving drums. This is the best possible track to end an album of cohesion and harmony.

Ouroboros is reminiscent in the sense that it draws inspiration from vinyl record culture, and yet there is more reminiscence somewhere in this album. It’s almost indescribable, but this record feels like LaMontagne is calling to older roots.

So, what have we learned here? Ray LaMontagne is one super breathy dude. His signature vocals cannot be matched. In combination with his easy-going guitar work and gentle beats, LaMontagne’s voice has made a cohesive, beautifully simple record that will withstand the tests of time.

Album Rating: A

Check out your old pal, Ray, on Facebook and SoundCloud.

The post Album Review: “Ouroboros” by Ray LaMontagne appeared first on KRUI Radio.

We’ve all seen it. That is, Hillary Clinton‘s desperate and often embarrassing attempts to appeal to the youth voters of America.

It’s awkward, it’s cringe-worthy, and sometimes even borderline painful. Check out prime example number one, from Hillary’s Snapchat story:

If that wasn’t enough, here is prime example number two:

These social media outreaches are obviously pointed directly at millennial voters– after all, most folks above the age of 30 are befuddled by the quickly disappearing videos of Snapchat and “those tiny pictures the kids are using to send messages.” So, what’s the catch here? Why aren’t these focused appeals working on America’s youngsters?

Here are some reasons, Hilldawg.

My feelings towards the tremendous debt that I am going to be dragging behind me for potentially the next twenty years can’t be expressed with some little pictures. I don’t want to “chill” in Cedar Rapids with you; I want you to stop preaching justice for the middle class while taking millions of dollars from large corporations and banks on Wall Street to support your campaign.

There’s just something that Hillary doesn’t have that can be found in a few other candidates– integrity. It could potentially be this lack of integrity that turns the millennial voters away.

In our young lives full of photoshop, biased news, and backstabbing competition, something that we as millennials might value over anything else is the truth. Our generation is constantly searching for what’s right, what’s just, and what makes sense to us the most. Hillary represents the very opposite of this sought-after truth that many millennials are hoping to find in a presidential candidate.

Hillary stands for everything that we as young voters are against– she is the establishment, she supports the polarization of two party politics, and her campaign is one of the most carefully-orchestrated fronts in the world. Each move she makes is cautiously formulated — backed up by public polls and leagues of advisers. Her political opinions change with the times, and her main talking points shift more often than not to pander to the community she is visiting. How much of this is politics, and how much is desperation for the vote?

Many millennial voters are drawn to Hilldawg’s Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders. It’s easy to say that her shifting views look shady and shallow when compared to Sanders’.

Hillary has flip-flopped on the Iraq war, same-sex marriage, and immigration to just name a few issues. And while we can be glad that on some of these topics it seems like she’s come to her senses, how much is she actually an advocate for? If she is elected, how many polices will she actually work to enact?

Where Hillary’s important issue track record is sketchy at best, Bernie has been saying the same freaking thing for the last 30 years, or potentially even longer. Perhaps it is here, in this “democratic socialist” that millennial voters find the honesty and justice that we have all been searching for in the political system.

Disillusionment with American politics is running high, and Bernie Sanders represents a “political revolution.” In this dichotomy, Hillary is just the same old, same old.

Once again, it just comes down to the truth. Does Hillary tell it often? We don’t really have clue. Each word that she says is pre-fabricated and each tasteful pantsuit is probably picked out weeks before its appearance. Yes, she is a warrior of women, and of the impoverished, and of those who have been systematically oppressed, but it might just be a front. Or, it might not be.

So, who is the real Hillary? I guess that’s the problem– no one truly knows.

For more fun times, check out Hilldawg on Twitter.

Shut Up and Listen is a politically-based opinion column in which you, the reader, shut up and listen to what I have to say and then formulate opinions and come to your own conclusions. 

The post Shut Up and Listen: Why Hillary Can’t Catch My Millennial Vote appeared first on KRUI Radio.

As a debut album, Don’t You excels– Zutrau’s vocals are haunting and clear, each melody compliments the next, and each song acts as a moving part, yet can stand on its own. Don’t You demonstrates obvious thought towards blending and cohesion.

The record opens with “It’s All in Vain,” where we first get to experience the silky smooth vocals of Kelly Zutrau. After starting this track I was completely sold on everything Wet had to offer in this album. The song starts off with easy, flowing vocals, that move into a slightly more upbeat chorus. This song builds and builds until ending abruptly, but successfully with a final synth beat. “It’s All in Vain” is an excellent choice for an opening track.

“Deadwater” is the following number and carries the same easy vibes that “It’s All in Vain” brought to the album. It seems impossible that a person could become more obsessed with Zutrau’s voice after listening to the previous track, but I stand corrected. The astonishing female vocals are complemented nicely by male vocals near the height of the song, adding to the mellow tone of the track.

The third song on the album is entitled “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl,” and begins with a slightly quicker pace than the previous tracks. Zutrau sings “I don’t wanna be your girl no more, no,” and honestly, she has me convinced. I don’t wanna be whoever’s girl no more either. The ending of the track is a little off, but the flowing nature of the majority of the song makes up for this hiccup.

“Weak” shows up in the fourth slot on the record. This track gets a little angrier, which is a nice change of tone from the mellow, calm pieces that the album begins with. By no means does “Weak” get aggressive, but it seems a little more riled up, with a little more passion than what we’ve seen thus far.

“Island” is up next and has such an interesting opening sequence. Kelly Zutrau’s voice floats like a mother-freakin’ bird. There’s more experimentation with base here– it adds some depth to previously soprano- and alto-based melodies and harmonies. This track does get a bit repetitive towards the end, which takes away from the originality of the beginning.

The sixth track, “All the Ways,” feels similar in tone to “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl,” but with a picked-up tempo. The soothing vocals once again carry this track through moments of tension and peace. While “Island” did some tricky base stuff, “All the Ways” plays around with voice synthesizers– perhaps not the best technique to try out on an otherwise cohesive song.

“Small and Silver” is yet another experimentation track that messes with some syncopation near the center, this time successfully. The vocals and supporting instrumental chords are still on par, making this track a standard Don’t You example– complete, interwoven, and smooth.

“You’re the Best” is the eighth track on Don’t You, and one of the best. It opens with a really inventive clapping rhythm, mixed with some base variations. This song also plays with some a cappella, which is just plain cool in light of all the other things that are going on throughout the track. “You’re the Best” has some truly depressing/creepy(?) lyrics to go with all the intrigue: “All I know is/when you hold me/are you thinking Rosalie/or is she in me?/and all the rest.”

“Move Me” follows “You’re the Best” and is lackluster in comparison. Perhaps if the song had been placed elsewhere on the album, it might have shined, but with its similar vibe it feels like a repetition. This is not to mention that the lyrics themselves are very repetitive.

“Body” is the tenth track on Don’t You and can be marked as a tapering off from the succession of peppier songs we’ve just previously encountered. “Body” is almost reminiscent of the smooth, calming tracks we felt at the beginning of the record. It adds some of the experimental elements like clapping and varying base of the median tracks to Zutrau’s easy vocals in the opening section. It’s a relatively mediocre track, but successful in its own right.

“These Days” closes Don’t You and is such an incredibly mournful track. Kelly Zutrau absolutely shines once again here– she goes into an almost painfully high soprano, but it works so well because “These Days” is painfully sad. Sad, in a good way. Sad in a way that makes you want to have a really good cry and yell at whoever hurt her. It’s such a beautiful song to end the album on, and really rounds up all of the talent that Wet has shown throughout.

Wet has created a cohesive, interesting album with Don’t You. Each song holds its own territory, trying out new techniques and styles within, but also acts as a matching piece of a larger work of art.

What have we learned here? I think we’ve learned that Kelly Zutrau’s voice is magic. Also, we might have learned that we need to be looking out for the next album from Wet.

Check out Wet on Facebook and Twitter.

Album Rating: A

The post Album Review: “Don’t You” by Wet appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Ad Infinitum lays down an easy, electronically-inspired baseline within each track in order to layer melodies creatively from this central point. The record is a glimpse into the past, bringing back the vibes of 1980s synth pop.

The first track of the record is titled “Falling (In Dreams),” and is a perfect example of the aforementioned cool baseline as the standard for the album. This track has a relatively slow-going and drawn out beginning, but builds in intensity as it continues. It does not shine in comparison to other tracks on the album, yet is a decent choice to kick off the record.

The following track, “Sylvia,” picks up the pace a bit more than the opening song and has an overall stronger drive. The lyrics are not particularly stunning, but “Sylvia” offers an interesting, almost video game-like vibe to make up for it.

“In a Future World,” the third song of Ad Infinitum, is a clear winner on the album. It begins with a gentle synth beat and continues into a laid-back, yet driving rhythm. This is movie music– this is a song that should be played when a badass posse is walking down the street. This song is the perfect combination of upbeat and lazy– it shouldn’t make sense, but it does.

“Courtesy Phone” is the fourth track of Ad Infinitum. This track gets going straight from the opening note. The most enjoyable aspect is the strong electric guitar that interludes with the vocals. Vocal aspects in this track are stronger than in others, leading to a more successful track overall.

The fifth track, “Sleep In,” definitely has the most interesting opening musical phrase of the album. It begins with a low synth beat that adds eventual layers. These layers include backup singing that sounds like a child, as well as radio noise and a driving snare drum. It seems like these pieces shouldn’t fit together, but Lerner somehow makes it all flow into one unified track that is thoroughly enjoyable.

“Edgewood” brings back the video game quality of “Sylvia” as the sixth track. The quick synth hits give the song an unreal characteristic. The vocals in the beginning of this song are a bit off, but the beat is so strong and the guitar melodies really drive the track. The close of “Edgewood” enters into a slow breathy interlude, which doesn’t quite fit in.

“Its Not Yr Fault” is the seventh track of the album. First of all, I would like to say that I do not appreciate Lerner’s abbreviation of “your” in the song title. Perhaps he did not know which version of “you(‘)r(e)’ to use, or perhaps this is some artistic statement that I’m not catching. Regardless, “It’s Not Yr Fault” has the same driving synth, but is lackluster compared to earlier tracks.

“Farmers Road” begins with a dramatic piano-driven opening line and subdued vocals. This adds a nice amount of variety to the album that I really enjoyed. The electronic qualities of the track shine through at about the one minute mark, which gives the track enough cohesiveness with the rest of the album to include it. Though this song didn’t have the upbeat qualities of previous tracks, it’s quiet organization and thoughtfulness towards blending really made it shine out on the record.

“Ad Infinitum Pt. 1” is an entirely non-vocal track that shows Lerner’s knowledge of composition and organization of sound. Though there is no singing, there is a clear crescendo in intensity near the center of the track and an equally clear decline in excitement towards the end. “Pt. I” is short, yet an excellent display of talent and skill.

“Ad Infinitum Pt. 2” is hands-down the best track on this album. It is the most obvious choice for finishing this record and leaves the listener spellbound. It isn’t upbeat, yet drives on, and is held together by clear and clean piano chords that evolve into Lerner’s familiar synth. This song is a combination of all of the experimental elements of the rest of the album– processions of layering, central baselines, breathy vocals, and a brilliant guitar melody. You’ve convinced me, Michael Benjamin Lerner.

Ad Infinitum as a cohesive record could be described as an inventive new take on an old style. Telekinesis brings back the synth pop vibes of the 80s and combines them with interesting new ideas to blend not only time periods, but musical genres. While vocals were sketchy at times, and some of the same synth rhythms were overused, this album was successful in its experimentation with style and artistic creativity.

Album Rating: A-

Check Telekinesis out on Facebook.

The post Album Review: “Ad Infinitum” by Telekinesis appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The first song of the album is entitled “Be Your Man,” and is potentially the most successful track of Vessels. This track begins with a fun pairing of trap set and continued guitar. While the male vocals are shoddy at times, the female backup vocals are right on point and really add to the track. The lyrics of this song are sensical and are a nice addition to the fun vibe.

“Chip Off The Heart” is the second track of the album and starts right off the bat with really clean female vocals. After listening to the male vocals of the last track, this is refreshing. This song gets a little repetitive as the chorus is simply Just another chip, chip, chip off the heart repeated about a thousand times. Despite this, the track is upbeat and fun to listen to.

“A Love That Sticks” is the third track of Vessels and begins with the same slightly sketchy male vocals of “Be Your Man,” but again works in the neat addition of the female vocals during the chorus. This song has some really nice guitar work that serves as backup within the chorus as well. Overall, this track is a good addition to the album, and the female vocals that come in as an accent towards the end really bring the song to its peak.

The fourth track of the album is “Fix Me,” a song about drugs and love. These are two pretty common topics in the music world, but the song maintains a driving beat and a nice balance of guitar and vocals to make it unique.

The next track up is “Wolf Eyes,” which begins with slightly haunting vocals and emphasized electric guitar. The opening and closing moments of this fifth track are catchy, easy to listen to, and upbeat, but there is a middle verse that throws the listener off. Both sets of vocals are not up to par and the strong, controlling guitar cuts out. This track is not as cohesive as it could have been.

“The First Night We Met” is the sixth song of the album, and honestly a bit painful to listen to. So much of this album relies on vocal content, and the male vocals that take over in this track are mediocre at the best moments. The wavering quality of the vocals really distracts from any other aspect of the song.

The seventh track, “All I Got Is Today,” opens with some really ugly violin/fiddle playing. Granted, the violin/fiddle is playing quietly in the background, but still, it’s ugly. This track has the same shoddy vocals as the previous track, and starts off too slow to truly be successful.

“Diamond” is the eighth track of Vessels and plays with some interesting lapsing in the guitar and drums. The vocals are slightly better here, but the lyrics are unintelligible due to some stylistic slurring. This track is not the best, but definitely not the worst of the album.

This is honestly getting repetitive, but the lead male vocalist really brings down the ninth track of the album, “Good Winter.” His pitch is never quite spot on and it really takes focus away from some of the cooler background instrumentals in this song. The same upbeat guitar/drum combo prevails in this song, but the shifty vocals discount any instrumental work.

“Surgery” is the tenth song, and perhaps the one with the coolest build. The vocals and instrumentals together are almost spooky to begin, and remain slightly haunting as the track continues. However, the beginning of this track is its only decent section. After about the first verse or so, the song experiments with a bit of dissonance and some truly odd screaming, which does not really come to a successful end.

The final track of the album is entitled, “In Space.” This was an excellent choice to finish the album with, simply because its a fun song. It has the same driving beat that many of the other songs utilize and the vocals are pretty easy to listen to. “In Space” starts as an upbeat anthem, and eventually cools off to a slow fade, which is almost symbolic of the album as a whole.

Vessels is a very good example of a cohesive album. Each and every song contains a signature blend of guitar and drums, with the addition of pronounced vocals. What really makes this record is the small variety between songs– unique use of background instrumentals or vocal blending really helped to distinguish each track from the next.

Rah Rah’s Vessels is worth giving a listen to if you’re looking some fun, upbeat tunes.

Album Rating: A-

Check out Rah Rah on Facebook and Twitter.

The post Album Review: “Vessels” by Rah Rah appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This track is so fun because it gets going right from the start– the first sounds heard are a quick drum feature that moves quickly into an upbeat guitar/drum combination. A male vocalist soon is added to the conglomeration, and shoots the listener straight into the first verse.

What really makes this track is the addition of female backup vocals. These backup vocals mimic the chorus in a really clean and precise manner, which adds a bit of clarity to the murky voice of the male singer.

This track maintains an exciting, upbeat vibe throughout most of its duration. The guitar and drums that drove the beat from the beginning continue to keep the song progressive. Though one of the middle verses is slower and almost melancholy, the background instrumentals pull this verse back to the previous quick tempo where the song began. The song ends with a final guitar stroke and drum crash to conclude its fast progression.

“Be Your Man,” as well as the entirety of Vessels, is available on iTunes. Check out the track below:

The post Track of the Week: “Be Your Man” by Rah Rah appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It sometimes seems as though a guard goes up as soon as someone is approached by a stranger. They aren’t as willing to tell silly stories, make dumb jokes, or talk about what’s really going on with them.

I tend to sit and quietly observe before making an approach, which can lead to some pretty interesting content in itself. At times, the out-of-context, outrageous, and unbelievable from many sides are much more entertaining than a single story.

Just the other day, as I was sitting in the Burge Marketplace, a group of boys sat down at the table next to mine. I didn’t think much of it, but soon they began a loud conversation, and I just happened to listen in.

“Man, high school was sick,” one of them said, “Nice houses, nice booze to steal from your parents, and hot chicks that you already knew.”

Since I didn’t really share the idea that high school was “sick,” or agree with any of their reasoning for it, I decided to listen in a little more, and I suppose it was lucky that I did.

“I feel like everyone just gets hammered and then is like, let’s go lift and sweat this alcohol off.” another of the bros stated. Strangely enough, all of the others agreed with him.

I can’t say I’ve ever experienced this particular scenario, but to each their own.

From here, the conversation only got better and better. They talked about all the places they had puked in and all of the crazy stuff that they had done, and again, about how high school was “sick.”

In a final crescendo of bro-ness, another of the boys exclaimed, “Dude, you traded that shirt for weed?! Bro that’s awesome!”

I have no words for the conversation’s content, but listening in on this encounter made lunchtime a whole lot more entertaining.

Iowa City Observations is a continuing column in which I venture out into the streets of Iowa City and ask people to inspire me, as well as make probably irrelevant observations about Iowa City itself.

This column was inspired by Humans of New York. Check out their Facebook page and Instagram account.

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