Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last couple of months, then you know that the United States’ midterm elections will be held on Tuesday, November 6th, 2018. Midterms are held during the middle of the presidents current term of service — hence, “miderms” — and they are elections for the House and Senate, as well as governors.

So while we may not be voting for a new president just yet, the representatives that we put into office will really affect how “easy” the last two years of President Trump’s current term is.

So, yeah, you could say that midterms are pretty important.

To get in the spirit, I have created a top ten list of politically-motivated songs that I love and inspire me to get out and vote.

“Happy Judgement Day” by Neck Deep

“Happy Judgement Day” comes off of Neck Deep’s third studio album The Peace and The Panic. Hailing from Wales, UK, the pop punk band took their political stance on the political climate of the world shortly after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

There’s a strong, sarcastic tone throughout this song, seen in lyrics like “Oh, what a time to be alive! / Wake up and smell the dynamite.”

Themes that are touched upon include reliance on our phone screens, Brexit, the infamous Wall, and worshiping celebrities. There’s a lot touched on, but considering the enormity of what Judgement Day is supposed to be, it’s fitting to touch on that many themes.

The songs overarching opinion is that ultimately, we are f**ked, and we did this to ourselves.

“Building walls / dropping bombs / stop the world, I’m getting off / oh we almost had it / then we pissed it all away.” 

“Everyone Lies To Me” by Knuckle Puck

This track comes off of their latest release Shapeshifter. While the album in its entirety isn’t a political album, this track is one that comments on the nature of our current government.

The lyrics comment on how our current generation is undoubtedly listening to what the government is telling us, and how they make up our minds for us. There are lyrics in here that can’t be taken as anything but political — for example, “They’ll cut tax for crooked and corporate” and “Cause education only taught you what they want you to know.”

It’s on the angstier side of pop-punk, something that I’ve always really enjoyed about Knuckle Puck.

“Hands Held High” by Linkin Park

This song came off of their 2007 album Minutes to Midnight, and this track has always hit me right in the gut. The song criticizes rich men and politicians who use their power to further themselves in life.

There’s much speculation that this song directly comments on the Bush Patriot Act, by saying that Bush was taking away freedoms entitled to us as Americans.

Other parts of the song comment directly on the War on Terror, and certain scenarios that were happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What I like most about this song is not only the lyricism, but the simple snare drum beat that follows it. It reminds me of something that a marching band would play — and I’m sure it’s meant to sound like something a soldier would march to.

“Hero of War” by Rise Against

This acoustic track is always heartbreaking to listen to. The song follows a Iraq veteran looking back on the hardships that he endured during war.

The lyrics allude to a couple different situations, one of them being the human rights violations committed by American troops against detainees in Iraq.

“We took him away / A bag over his face / From his family and his friends / They took off his clothes / They pissed in his hands / I told them to stop / But then I joined in / We beat him with guns / And batons not just once / But again and again”

Another situation that arises is a woman or child that walks out during a firefight and how the narrator has to shoot them down, as they don’t know if they are an innocent bystander or a suicide bomber.

The song is meant to showcase the heartbreaking situations that our soldiers go through overseas, and to hopefully persuade people to not support the War on Terror.

“Dear Mr. President” by P!nk

P!nk is one of my favorite vocalists, and songs like this play a huge reason as to why that is. This song is so underrated.

This song acts as P!nk’s open letter to the president, who, at the time, was George W. Bush. The lyrics comment on the War on Terror, No Child Left Behind Act, the disapproval of homosexuality, lack of empathy for the poor, and Bush’s strong religious beliefs.

The lyrics are posed as questions, such as “How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? / How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?”

It’s a really moving song that stands the test of time; many comments on the YouTube video of this song suggest that President Trump have a listen.

“Still Waiting” by Sum 41

This song has a sick guitar riff that takes off in the beginning, which really drives this powerful anthem.

The song opens up with “So am I / still waiting / for this world to stop hating?”

Vocalist Deryck Whibley said in an interview with MTV back in 2002 that this song isn’t just about the war on terrorism, but “. . .the war on everything. It’s about the world as we know it.” He also said that the song was heavily inspired by the events of 9/11.

“American Idiot” by Green Day

Who would I be if I didn’t include “American Idiot?” This entire album of the same name was a concept album during the time of George W. Bush’s reelection in 2004. The song was heavily inspired by his politics, 9/11, and the War on Terror.

This song also comments on the affects that the media has on consumers, especially in the post 9/11 period where Americans were on edge.

This song is an absolute banger, in case you haven’t heard.

“A World Divided” by Our Last Night

This song doesn’t comment on politics the same way that the others on this list have, but it still shows a strong point of view: we are divided amongst ourselves by the color of our skin and our beliefs.

“Divided by the colors / Split by our beliefs / Forced against each other / nothing’s as it seems / But between white walls, we could forget it all / The fear would fade, we could start to change / A world divided and afraid”

I think it takes a good approach and is a little bit more timeless than the rest of the picks on this list. Segregation has always been an issue in our society and the way that we see each other.

“20 Dollar Nose Bleed” by Fall Out Boy

One of my favorite things about Fall Out Boy is that their lyrics are very much left up to interpretation — this song is no exception.

The song mostly refers to a drug called Benzedrine, an amphetamine that is known for causing nosebleeds. But there’s also some political references in the second verse:

“It feels like fourteen carats but no clarity / When I look at the man who would be king / The man who would be king / Goes to the desert, the same war his dad rehearsed / Came back with flags on coffins and said / “‘We won, oh we won!’”

It’s been speculated that this verse is about George W. Bush in his president-elect state (looking like fourteen carats but no clarity) and going to the same war that his dad had (George H. W. Bush also went to war in the middle east during his presidency).

“Imagine” by John Lennon

To close out this list, I figured I would bring back this gem. This has got to be one of the most political songs of all time, perhaps. This song came out by former Beatles member John Lennon in 1971. It was very anti-war, this war being the one in Vietnam at the time.

The lyrics are asking the listener to just imagine what life would be like with no religion, no countries, no possessions. It’s a really interesting thought. The simple piano that flows throughout the piece carries the lyrics from one verse to the next.

It’s a sugar-coated, optimistic, hopeful song. That’s something that we might need more of sometimes.

I hope you enjoyed my picks! Let me know what yours are!

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: Favorite Political Songs appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It was announced this past week that Warped Tour will be making its last cross-country tour next summer. In 2019, there will be some sort of 25th anniversary thing, and after that, Warped Tour will be dead.

Vans Warped Tour is a summer-long festival that kicks off every year in June and runs through August. Warped Tour focuses on the rock scene and has been touring around the United States every year since 1995. Over one hundred bands hop on the tour each summer, varying from up and coming bands to the leaders of the punk rock scene. The most popular genres played at Warped are pop punk and metalcore, although there are many hardcore, street punk, and even hip hop acts that are thrown in.

Warped Tour was always so special to me because it was a festival like no other — Warped travels across the country, setting everything up and tearing it down every day in a new city. Every day is different: bands play at different times, some bands hop on the tour for a couple dates, etc. And not to mention, it was a rock/punk-rock/pop/metalcore/electronic/hip hop tour. The lineup was always diverse, the general admission tickets were no more than $60, and there was pretty much a guarantee that the tour would travel somewhere near you.

I started going to Warped Tour in 2014, but I remember begging to go since 2012. I was a junior in high school, and my friend and I were finally old enough to go (according to our parents; Warped is an all ages event). I was super excited to see some of my favorite bands, like Mayday Parade, Echosmith, and We The Kings. That day I discovered so many of my favorite bands: State Champs, Real Friends, Neck Deep, The Story So Far, Beartooth.

I knew from that first time at Warped that I had to go back the next year.

My best friend, Ily, and I snagged our tickets early on for the Denver date again. We got to see a handful of great bands again, like Neck Deep, Our Last Night, PVRIS, Beartooth, and Man Overboard. We met one of our favorite band photographers, Adam Elmakias. It was a fun year, despite not knowing as many bands as I did the year before. I discovered so many new bands.

Ily and I went again in 2016, and I think that was probably one of the best days of my life — no joke. You can read my festival review of that here, but long story short I got to see literally all of my favorite bands and meet them as well. Pictured below is me with one of the bands, Real Friends. It was so fun to be able to see so many of my favorites in one day — something that would be impossible had it not been at Warped Tour.

And then of course, 2017. This year, I decided to go twice — once in Denver with Ily, and again in Minnesota with my friend Taylor. I thought for sure that since 2016 was so good that 2017 had a lot to live up to. You can read my entire festival review of 2017 here. Honestly, it didn’t even matter to me that there weren’t as many bands that I knew — I still had a fun time discovering new bands and jamming out to old ones.

I’m pretty bummed about Warped ending, to say the least. But I’m grateful that for the past 4 years, I’ve made some of the best memories of my life. I’ve discovered so many bands, been introduced to the alternative scene, met some of my favorite bands, and seen countless performances.

You can expect to find me at the last Vans Warped Tour next summer, and also expect some Top Ten’s lists about the final Warped.

RIP Warped Tour.

The post RIP Warped Tour: The End of an Era appeared first on KRUI Radio.

1.) “Where Do We Go When We Go”

This was one of the first singles released in anticipation for this record, and I think it does a fantastic job showcasing the themes discussed in this album. Lead singer Ben Barlow’s dad passed away before this album came out, and you can see that the death of his father inspired a lot of the songs on this album. This song questions faith and religion, calling it a “fallacy.” The song itself has an uplifting message, saying that you should enjoy your life right now, because there is no proof of an afterlife.

2.) “Can’t Kick Up The Roots”

This song, coming off their second full length album “Life’s Not Out To Get You,” has always held a special place in my heart. It’s a song about loving your hometown, despite how boring it can be sometimes. I moved to Iowa from Colorado when I was 10, and while Iowa is pretty boring compared to Colorado, I love this place and can’t kick up the roots. The two lyrics that resonate with me most are “It can be grim, and send you west from time to time,” and “I’m not stuck, I’m staying.”

3.) “Gold Steps”

“Gold Steps” is that uplifting song that everyone should give a listen. The album title “Life’s Not Out To Get You” comes from this chorus, actually. This song talks about how it’s normal to have ups and downs in your life, but at the end of the day you’ll be fine.

4.) “Silver Lining” 

With the heavy instrumentation and lower vocal range for Barlow, this song is a classic early Neck Deep jam. It always amazes me how great their lyrical content was in their early days. Lyrics like “Drown your sorrows in this bottle / It’s full of the things I’ll never say to you” and “You always want what you can’t get / And I always want what I’ll regret” get me every time.

5.) “What Did You Expect?”

One of the best things about early Neck Deep is that you can feel the angst that they feel simply because of the lyrics and instrumentation. This one is heavy, just like “Silver Lining,” and also talks about a failed relationship. It’s a pessimistic jam, with lyrics like “You went and fucked this up / Because you couldn’t keep your legs shut” and “You’ve got some nerve thinking we could be friends / Well what did you expect? / A fucking compliment?”

6.) “Losing Teeth” 

Ahh, the memories. This was the first Neck Deep song that I ever heard. It was featured on the Warped Tour 2014 compilation CD, and I was beyond excited to see them. This song definitely showcases who Neck Deep is — a generic pop punk band that’s made their mark in the genre. It’s a song that is driven by awesome guitar riffs, vigourous drumming, and a passion-filled yell from Barlow. It’s a good listen.

7.) “Crushing Grief (No Remedy)”

This is a killer track for so many reasons. It’s honestly one of the best songs that they play live, because the whole crowd is moshing, crowd surfing, jumping, you name it. I haven’t seen them in a while, so I’m not sure if they still play it life, but it’s a hoot.

8.) “Staircase Wit”

The guitar riff at the beginning is what really draws me in, and the lyrics keep me around. This is another one to see live — hell, pretty much any Neck Deep song is fun live based on their stage presence.

9.) “Serpents”

This song comes off of “Life’s Not Out To Get You.” Right off the bat, we see improved vocals from Barlow, the perfect amount of bass guitar, and compelling lyrics. Basically, Barlow is saying that this chick is a snakes a** h***, but like, in a nicer way. I love it. *sips tea*

10.) “In Bloom”

And last but not least, my new favorite Neck Deep song. This came out on “The Peace and The Panic,” and I think it’s fantastic. It’s definitely one of the softest songs that they’ve ever written, but I think it still fits in their sound. Neck Deep prides themselves in this song, saying it’s one of the best songs they’ve ever written, if not the best. I definitely agree with that — there’s just something so pleasing about it. I think it’s the chorus.

Those are my favorites! I love Neck Deep so much, so narrowing this down was kinda difficult. Let me know what your favorites are!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: My Favorite Songs by Neck Deep appeared first on KRUI Radio.

My alarm woke me at 7 am on Sunday, June 25th, 2017. Honestly, I probably didn’t need it — you know that feeling you get on Christmas Eve when you can’t fall asleep because you’re too excited for the day to come? Well, that’s the feeling I get every year before the Vans Warped Tour. Let’s be real, I’m more excited for Warped than I am for Christmas (which is when you know that Warped is legit).

If you don’t know how the Vans Warped Tour works, check out my last Warped Tour review, where I pretty much explain all that you need to know.

We arrived to the venue early again, and got in the Express Entry line. As soon as we got in, we bought the schedule and planned out our day. Honestly, there weren’t that many bands that I was dying to see this year (unlike last year), so everything pretty much worked out in our favor. We took a lap around the venue, figuring out where all the stages and stuff were, before we arrived at our first stop for the day: I Prevail.

I Prevail is an American metalcore band from Michigan that formed in 2014. It’s pretty impressive that after only being around for about three years, they’re already playing one of the main stages at Warped Tour. They kicked the day off at 11:50 am, and I can guarantee that there wasn’t a still person in the crowd. While I’m not super familiar with their music, it was easy to jam out with them. Their type of metalcore sometimes leans on the lighter side, which attracts fans more on the rock/punk side of the spectrum. They played most of their popular songs, such as “Stuck In Your Head” and “Scars“.

As soon as I Prevail wrapped up, we headed to the Full Sail stage to see Trophy Eyes, a punk rock band from Newcastle, Australia. While I wasn’t suuuper into them before today, they definitely put on a show that convinced me to check out the rest of their discography. They opened with one of their most popular songs, “Nose Bleed“. If you haven’t already, I would definitely check out their most recent release, “Chemical Miracle” which came out in 2016.

Up next was a band that I was really looking forward to seeing: Our Last Night. The last time that I saw them was at Warped Tour in 2015, and I was stoked to see them live again. OLN released a 7 song Ep titled “Selective Hearing” on June 9th, 2017. They opened with a new kick ass song, “Broken Lives“.

One of the things I like most about OLN is that their music is a hard rock/alternative with some thematic/borderline electro elements to it. Their last studio album, “Younger Dreams“, is definitely the most thematic of what they have released, but “Broken Lives” definitely sounds familiar to their music on “Younger Dreams.” Their stage presence was also very thematic — lead vocalist Trevor Wentworth danced all around the stage as water cannons sprayed the crowd. They finished their set off with their popular tune “Sunrise“, as Trevor and guitarist Woody jumped out into the audience.

Right after OLN’s set, they held a signing at their tent. We briefly got to meet the guys, who were humble as hell. I would definitely recommend checking them out.

At 2:45, we headed back to the Full Sail stage to check out one of my new favorite bands, Microwave. Microwave is a rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. They played fan favorites, such as “Lighterless“, “Stovall“, and “Vomit“. Microwave offers a refreshing sound that still has the angsty and disenchanting lyrics that we all love. Microwave is SUPER underrated, so if you check out anyone that I’m talking about in this article, make sure it’s Microwave.

After sitting down to eat and regain some energy, we headed over to the Journey’s Right Foot stage to see one of my favorite pop punk bands, Neck Deep. Before Neck Deep stepped up to the stage, a speaker from the nonprofit organization Hope For The Day came out to speak about suicide awareness. Every year, they hop on the tour and talk about the importance of speaking up and seeking help (for more information, check out their website here). The crowd takes on a somber tone, until the speaker prompts the audience to chant for Neck Deep.

The crowd chanted “Neck Deep” and then erupted into applause as the guys jumped on stage. One of the things I love most about seeing Neck Deep live (which I have now seen them live 4 times) is that they have so. much. energy. Lead singer Ben Barlow always seems super happy to be performing, as seen in his goofy facial expressions. Their setlist contained mostly songs from their most recent record, “Life’s Not Out To Get You“, with the addition of their two newest songs, “Happy Judgement Day” and “Where Do We Go When We Go“. This was definitely one of the best sets of the day, considering the enthusiasm and adrenaline coursing through everyone.

I was glad that after Neck Deep we had a couple hours to spare, because they definitely wore us out. We sat at the Full Sail stage, waiting for the next band, Movements. Movements is a post-hardcore/emo band from SoCal. And boy, did this set make me emo as hell.

“If you guys don’t already know, we don’t really make happy songs,” lead singer Patrick Miranda said as they jumped into a new song about Alzheimer’s disease. What makes them stand out to me is their mix of singing and spoken-word vocals. You can really feel the angst, hurt, and desperation in Patrick’s voice when he performs the spoken-word portion of their songs. I recommend checking out “Vacant Home“.

We finished the day off with Counterparts, a melodic hardcore band from Canada. I’m not too familiar with their music, however I enjoyed myself during their angsty, head-banging music. Their set made me forget about my aching feet, the dried up sweat, and the fact that the day was wrapping up. I’ll definitely be listening to more of their stuff, especially with their new album coming out in September.

The best part of the day was definitely this punk rock lady who had to be somewhere in her 60’s. She’s my idol, my inspiration. This is gonna be me at Warped when I’m 60.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

The post Festival Review: Vans Warped Tour 2017 @ Denver 6/25/17 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Iowa City’s very own Starry Nights came on stage, a pop punk “witchy” “queercore” band (as described by their Facebook page.) Lead singer Kate Kane leaned in the microphone and let out a whiny “Hiiiii,” before jumping right into their first song. Their fast riffs and powerful drums were held up by Kate’s strong and wailing voice. They powered through their short setlist, stopping only to take sips of water and a mumbled “Thankssssss, you guyssssss.” They were clad in dark t-shirts and tattoos. (As you would expect from any pop punk band). They drew in a smaller crowd, but nonetheless they got the crowd prepped for the next acts.

Up next was a pop punk band from Cedar Rapids, Iowa (shout out to my hometown) called Know The Ropes. Aside from some relatively familiar faces on stage, lead singer Ryan Ask kind of reminded me of Parker Cannon, lead singer of largely-known pop punk band The Story So Far, not only in his husky scream-filled voice but also in his stage presence (besides the whole Parker drop kicking fans off stage part). Ryan would start the song with his back shyly facing the audience and his head hung, before the music engulfed him and they all head-banged and danced around the stage. It was really fun to watch them live, even not having known any of their songs before.

From Des Moines, Iowa, the next band up was Words Like Daggers. Their alternative sound brought a different vibe to the venue, the crowd enjoying the change in pace. The lead singers unique and silvery voice was backed by fast paced guitars and vigorous drumming, pumping the larger crowd up. They played a lot of songs off of their latest release, Perfect Weather. While I do enjoy alternative music, I found myself eager for Words Like Daggers to finish up and for State Champs to take the stage.

The wait for State Champs wasn’t painful, but actually memorable. Gabe’s, like most venues, plays songs between acts. However, this night the music was especially great. They played the latest Pierce The Veil track, a popular tune from Neck Deep‘s latest album, a PVRIS song, and most memorably, Sum 41‘s infamous “In Too Deep” from 2001.

The crowd jammed out to the nostalgic song as crew members set up the stage. It was a nice moment during the show that brought on a sense of unity throughout the crowd, and reminded me of why I fell in love with pop punk in the first place.

Finally, the moment we were all waiting for. State Champs, a pop punk band from Albany, New York, took the stage and opened with “Secrets” off of their latest album Around The World And Back. Girly screams shook the room and the tiny space between you and the person in front of you was suddenly closed as fans pushed their way to get closer to the band.

“We didn’t want to miss Iowa City!” said frontman Derek Discanio. State Champs took an off-day from their tour with A Day To Remember to perform at Gabe’s in Iowa City, a city they haven’t been in since October 2014 (click here for some footage of that concert).

Derek’s vocal chords range from low and throaty to high and ringing, making their pop punk sound a unique one in the scene. The crowd was definitely not still, with a mosh pit in the middle of the venue that was encouraged by the band members themselves. While my friend and I mainly stayed to the right and jumped up and down with the crowd, punk kids let themselves go in the mosh pit and ran rampant.

A lot of people also opted for crowd surfing, even though most of the people towards the front were us girls with chicken arms and wobbly legs. Nonetheless, it’s fun to watch people hold up the sweaty bodies of kids who just want to get close to the stage.

The songs they played came equally between their two most recent records, some songs being:

“Breaking Ground,” “Remedy,” “Secrets,” “Simple Existence,” “All You Are Is History,” “Easy Enough,” “Hard To Please,” “Losing Myself,” “Elevated,” “Critical,” “Perfect Score,” and “All or Nothing.”

Check out State Champ’s latest record Around The World And Back below!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

The post Concert Review: State Champs appeared first on KRUI Radio.