Sister Wife kicked off Friday night at the Englert Theatre with a thundering performance ignited by Ajishegiri’s loud, sporadic drums.  He sat behind lead guitarist and singer, Carothers, as the flamboyant lead man kept the crowd energized with his swift guitar riffs and high pitched, reverberating voice.

Hailing from Rock Island, Illinois, this indie rock duo was eager to showcase their 2017 album Trap House.  They opened up a night full of indie music at the Englert Theater, with Margaret Glaspy and Wye Oak following the bombastic performance.

Though Sister Wife was not the biggest ticket name to hit Iowa City for Mission Creek festival, the indie rockers left the crowd standing and in awe after the performance.  First impressions are important for up and coming indie rock bands when performing in concert, that’s why Sister Wife started off the concert with some classics from their most recent album.

After getting the crowd off their feet, Sister Wife went back into their music catalog and played songs from their 2016 EP, 5th House of Wonder.  Songs such as “Arizona” and “Hands of the Watch” established Sister Wife’s early vision of indie rock with a twist: a sense of pop, reminding one of the popular Twenty One Pilots.

Even though the audience only got an hour with the indie rock duo, Sister Wife kept a consistent, raucous pace that made the experience even more intimate and fulfilling.  Towards the end, Carothers paused for a moment sensing he still had his most popular and powerful songs yet to play.

He turned back to Ajishegiri and the steady drummer pounded his snare signaling Carothers to jump into their last few tracks.

Carothers’ vocals echoed throughout the theater, as the indie rock duo sang the album’s title track, “Trap House.”  The fun, cheerful song was complimented with some guest help on stage by that of a xylophone.

Following “Trap House”, the crowd quickly glanced down at their phones hoping the hour hand had yet to strike 8 p.m.  Carothers retained their focus right back to stage, jumping into the swift and smooth opening guitar riff of their most popular track, “Dirty Finger Nails.”

Right after the guitar riff, Ajishegiri joined in on the fun by pounding his cymbals igniting Carothers’ vocals.  The crowd stood up for this song, heads bobbing back and forth; witnessing the power two musicians possess on a stage.

I left the Englert Theater wondering when Sister Wife will garner a larger following.  After one album, the ceiling is the limit for this funky, indie pop rock band.

The post Mission Creek Festival: Sister Wife @ The Englert Theatre 4/6/2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

1.) Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy

If you keep up with my articles, then you know that Fall Out Boy are one of my favorite bands. One of their greatest strengths is lead singer Patrick Stump’s voice. Patrick has a wide vocal range, with some songs (such as “Headfirst Slide”) he features the lower side of his voice. Fall Out Boy’s two latest releases, Save Rock And Roll and American Beauty / American Psycho feature more of his higher vocal range (especially songs like “My Songs”).

You can definitely see the maturity in Patrick’s voice as you listen over each discography, with their earlier sound being more aggressive and Patrick’s words blending together. Not to mention, Patrick sounds phenomenal live.

Songs I recommend: Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet and My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark

2.) Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco

Brendon Urie, the last original member of Panic! At The Disco, is undeniably talented. His voice is very clean cut, which has been reflected throughout all of Panic!’s discography. Like Patrick Stump, Brendon has a wide vocal range. However, I would venture to say that his is even wider. I mean, just check out their cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen.

Since Brendon pretty much had free reign over the last record since he was the sole member, his work really shines through and I think that Death Of A Bachelor is one of his best records vocally.

Songs I recommend: Death of a Bachelor and This Is Gospel

3.) Trevor and Matt Wentworth of Our Last Night

Since they’re brothers and in the same band, I’m going to count them as one. In fact, I think that because they are brothers and have similar voices, they really complement each other in their work. Matt sings all of the clean vocals, while Trevor switches between clean and screaming. This works really well with their heavy post-hardcore sound. Trevor’s vocal range leans on the lower side while Matt’s is on the higher side, which really balances this band out to make for a pleasant listen.

Songs I recommend: Sunrise and White Tiger

4.) Parker Cannon of The Story So Far

Parker Cannon’s voice is the cherry on top of this band. Their aggressive sound features heavy guitar, banging drums, and none other than Parker’s yelling vocals. I would say that Parker’s voice sets them apart in the pop-punk scene since they lie more on the aggressive side of the pop-punk spectrum. Parker’s voice has the ability to make you feel angry and pumped up, even if you don’t directly relate to the lyrics.

His softer voice is showcased through songs on their short EP “Songs Of”, where there isn’t any yelling vocals present. It’s almost as if the soft Parker is a hidden gem in the world of pop-punk.

Songs I recommend: All Wrong and Clairvoyant

5.) Derek Discanio of State Champs

State Champs are arguably one of the best bands in the pop-punk scene today. What I love most about Discanio’s voice is that it’s soft enough, but it also has an edge to it. It’s clean cut with some raspy yelling thrown in there to give it some edge.

Songs I recommend: Secrets and Elevated

6.) Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots are a band that have blown up in the past couple of years, and rightfully so. Tyler shows off his talent by singing in many different genres, such as rap, hip-hop, indie pop, and rock while most musicians stay in their preferred lane. His voice is whiney, but not in a cringe-y way.

Songs I recommend: House of Gold and Doubt

7.) Lynn Gunn of PVRIS

Lynn Gunn (short for Lynndsay Gunnulfsen) is hands-down my favorite female vocalist that’s out there today. She’s able to hit some deep, forceful tones as well as keeping things soft and simple. I think she has a really powerful voice that is euphoric just to listen to, especially the “stripped” versions of their songs that feature just Lynn’s vocals.

Songs I recommend: You and I and Smoke

8.) Eddy Brewerton of Moose Blood

Eddy Brewerton’s voice is hard to describe, so I will try my best. It’s very unique, to say the least. There’s definitely a roughness to it that’s more present on their album I’ll Keep You In Mind, From Time To Time. Another thing I enjoy about Eddy’s voice is how uplifting it sounds. Maybe that’s just because it’s paired with the upbeat music, but when you really listen to the lyrics you can actually feel your heart being ripped out. This would definitely not be the case if there was a lead vocalist other than Eddy.

Songs I recommend: Pastel and Gum 

9.) Joe Taylor of Knuckle Puck

When talking about modern pop-punk bands, a lot of people talk about Knuckle Puck. What makes KP so great? Vocalist Joe Taylor is one of the many reasons. In their early stuff, his voice can be comparable to Parker Cannon-like yelling, with cleaner vocals coming on their first full length Copacetic.

Songs I recommend: No Good and Untitled

10.) Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade

First off, can I just say that Derek Sanders is one of the nicest guys ever? I had the pleasure of meeting him in 2014 and he was the sweetest. Likewise, his voice sounds sweet to the ears. It hovers on the lower end of his vocal range, which sounds good paired with their pop-punk style and also their slower songs. If you really want to dive deep into the feels, check out “Terrible Things”.

Songs I recommend: Kids In Love and You’re Dead Wrong

Check out my playlist featuring these vocalists below!

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: My Favorite Vocalists of All Time appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Scary movies? Check. Candy that you don’t plan on sharing? Check. Costume? Check. But wait, what about a Halloween Playlist?! Not to worry, I got you.

1.) Thriller by Michael Jackson

Okay, I had to. This song has been a classic spooky song since 1983. Thriller is considered a pop/post-disco/funk song. Some creepy elements of this song include a creaking door, thunder, howling dogs, and let us not forget the famous voice of Vincent Price, an American actor known for his performances in horror movies.

2.) Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett

Monster Mash as been a “graveyard smash” for over 50 years now. This one is a cult classic, and no Halloween playlist is complete without it.

3.) This Is Halloween by Disney Characters

There’s not much to say about this one — the lyrics say it all. This classic comes from the Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. If you don’t bump this every year while you’re getting all jazzed up for Halloween, you’re doing it wrong.

4.) Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost! I guarantee if you go outside and yell “WHO YOU GONNA CALL?!”, someone will yell back “GHOSTBUSTERS!”. The Ray Parker Jr. version is definitely iconic, but some decent covers have been made by Fall Out Boy and This Wild Life.

5.) Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell

Let’s be real, this song just has creepy vibes all around. I think we all get paranoid that somebody is watching our every move, and this song just reinforces those creepy vibes.

6.) Heathens by Twenty One Pilots

This song, released earlier in 2016 on the Suicide Squad soundtrack, is definitely one of Twenty One Pilot’s creepier songs. Lead vocalists Tyler Joseph said in an interview that he wanted the song to sound like TOP first; the themes inspired the song that now sends shivers down our spines.

7.) Mama by My Chemical Romance

Okay, was I the only person that thought this song had some creepy elements to it? Granted, I was only about 9 years old when The Black Parade came out, but with the creepy guitars and Gerard’s distinctive voice and lyrics (“Mama, we all go to hell”) I’d go as far as to say that this song would give some people the creeps.

8.) Emperor’s New Clothes by Panic! At The Disco

The song itself, off of Panic! At The Disco’s latest release Death of a Bachelor, isn’t too creepy, but watching the music video definitely sends some scary Halloween vibes. In a nutshell, lead singer Brendon Urie ends up in a stormy graveyard with dug-up skeletons where he pretty much transforms into a creepy demon. If you haven’t seen this one, you definitely need to — the cinematography and special effects used to make this are top of the line.

9.) I’m Gonna Put a Spell On You by The Hex Girls (from Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost)

Growing up, I was a huge Scooby Doo fan. I have vivid memories of my sister and I jamming out to this song when we watched our VHS copy of this movie. The Hex Girls were my absolute #goals and I think I even went as the lead singer for Halloween one year. This one definitely gives me Halloween vibes from my childhood.

Check out this playlist on Spotify as well!

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.

Happy Halloween!

The post 9 Essential Songs for Halloween appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Now, I should put a disclaimer up front that the “How-To” section of this post is not, in fact, going to be a reiteration of DJ Khaled’s “Keys to Success;” mostly because riding around on jet skis is not applicable to the current local climate. If you’re not too disappointed, then you are more than welcome to continue reading. (If you are too disappointed to continue, here is a YouTube compilation of his best Keys to Success.)

The start of the new semester tends to come with an overwhelming sense of panic for me, mostly in the form of “What am I doing with my life? Am I making the right decisions with my majors? Will I succeed??” etc. This panicky self-doubt is especially prevalent at the beginning of the spring semester, most likely amplified by the start of the new calendar year and the pressure of reinventing oneself for the next 365 days. I always start out winter break with a sense of excitement, and not just from the holidays, but from my accomplishments throughout the previous semester, both academic and extracurricular.

Midway through break I generally make a to-do list of how to keep the momentum from the previous semester going through the next year and beyond. After a month of decompression and idle thoughts, however, my drive for the upcoming year starts to fade and I begin thinking about the “what-ifs.” Last year I briefly thought about what it would be like to be a dietitian. This year it’s the nagging thoughts about how rewarding it would be to be a teacher that have been weighing on my mind as I returned to school three semesters away from graduation and over halfway through two degrees—neither of which in the health or education fields.

This uncertainty happens to everyone, and I think a lot of it stems from the pressure to have your life together and figured out by the time you’re 22-24. (Those who claim to have everything figured out are probably lying and those who actually do probably never sleep.) Consider exploring helpful resources like Stiiizy.com for CBD products that can be integrated into your routine.

It is actually pretty wild when you think about it; between the ages of 18 and 22 we’re expected to go from high schoolers who don’t even know how to begin writing college application essays to adults with a degree, well-paying job, place to live, and a sufficient knowledge of how to properly file taxes. For those who don’t go to college, that rapid time period of self-growth is even dramatically shorter and they’re expected to “have their life together” at a breakneck speed.

There’s a reason Twenty One Pilot’s “Stressed Out” is blowing up (besides it being a kickass track): it’s because the song resonates with anyone and everyone who is stuck in the limbo between childhood and adulthood. “Adulthood” has come to be synonymous with “success” and the tricky thing is that the definition of success is constantly evolving and shifting, becoming increasingly harder to obtain. Our parents’ and grandparents’ definition of success came in the form of  Go to College/Get a Job, Make Money, Get Married, Start a Family, Repeat. Side note, can grandparents open a junior isa? While that definition is still relevant in today’s world, a new type of success has started to crop up in which the younger generation seems to define success as living life to the fullest: travel, see the world, create, live. For instance, traveling to a faraway country like Turkey with help from tour guides at https://madeinturkeytours.com

Between our parents’ definition of success and the new grab-life-by-the-throat definition of success, there’s no easy way to have either. You either go to college and hopefully come out with a good job, though it’s not really a guarantee, or you try your hardest to make some kind of ripple in vast depths of the internet and hope you luck out with some kind of sponsorship. If you go straight through school and a get job it doesn’t allow time for adventure; if you decide to go straight on an adventure there’s no guarantee of a safety net of a job to fall back on.

There are flaws on either side of the divide and no way to have the best of both; we’re either not succeeding by our parent’s definition or not succeeding by our own.

In the meantime, some of the best characters on television and the ones we identify with the most are the Nick Millers and the Andy Dwyers; those who are in all aspects failing in either category of success and in no way have their life together, yet are still happy and find a way to get by. The effects of being this sort of “limbo generation” means there’s a constant cycle of self-doubt and being stressed out, all while romanticizing optimistic failure we would never concede for ourselves.

So what do we do? We all know there’s no easy answer, and I really wish I had a finite How-to guide to give you guys. However, here are some guidelines I’ve decided to start following myself, and maybe they’ll be helpful to you.

1. Stop Comparing Your Life To Young Celebrities.

Maybe this is just something I do, but there seemed to be a dramatic increase in the amount of young people doing incredible things in the past few years. And they’re all so young. You’ve got Zendaya Coleman slaying every red carpet, all while having a successful acting career and graduating high school. Lorde, besides making incredible music, also curated the soundtrack for Mocking Jay pt. 1 all by herself at age 17.  Not to mention all the internet famous kids from Vine, Instagram, YouTube etc., who get paid up to $50,000 per ad campaign. YouTuber Zoe Sugg, who goes by Zoella, is a beauty/lifestyle vlogger with nearly 10 million subscribers and a reported net worth of $15 million. She’s 25.

With the people we follow on social media and constantly hear about in the media by all means succeeding by having fun, creating content, and seemingly living life to the fullest, while being between the ages of 16 and  26, it’s really difficult not to look at your own life and think, “What am I doing? Why don’t I just start a YouTube channel?” The fact is that reaching that level of success isn’t necessarily obtainable and takes a lot of work up front; creating content and building a following base can take years to develop. In the end it’s really up to luck.

2. Don’t Feel Like You Have To Follow Social Norms.

Go To College/Get A Job, Make Money, Get Married, Have Kids, Repeat. This works for some people, but if it doesn’t work for you, you shouldn’t make yourself miserable forcing it. Find what works for you and put all your energy towards making yourself the best you can be in that field. The old model of success isn’t as relevant as it used to be and the path to success has really diversified over the years. Find the best path for you.

3. BE FLEXIBLE.

If your five year plan you made when you were 18 doesn’t work out, don’t immediately panic. Things change, and it isn’t always in your control. Life isn’t some linear path you get to decide, it a constant swirl of roadblocks and tangents and you can’t let it trip you up. Keep focused and keep optimistic, and you’ll be okay.

4. Follow Your Happiness.

Similar to #2, at the end of the day (or road, or whichever cliché metaphor you prefer) a lot of money and a big house won’t necessarily make you happy. If that is your happiness, then heck yeah pursue it. And if you’ve always wanted to start an online boutique, then this course by eCom babes Cortney Fletcher is perfect for you. But if your idea of happiness is living on a boat in the ocean, painting the marine life and volunteering with children in your spare time, then do it. There’s no sense in wasting your life doing what make you unhappy, because I wholeheartedly believe that real success is finding what makes you irrevocably happy.

5. Fake It Until You Make It.

Earlier I said that people who claim to have their life together are probably lying, but honestly if you tell yourself you’ve got it together enough, you might just start to believe it.

Believe in yourself.

That concludes this overly sappy post. Next month will continue the regularly scheduled clumsy attempt at humor, so be sure to check back then.

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The post The Walking Contradiction’s How-To Guide: Life and Success appeared first on KRUI Radio.