Today is the 14th of February, and you know what that means. It's time for a very special Heavy Rail--two hours of classic funk and soul to help you get down. Check it out!
Happy Alaska Day everybody,
There's been so much good hip-hop coming out lately, we at KURE have had a hard time keeping up with it... for instance, tonight I'll be throwing down, in its entirety, a theme album that dropped over the summer you may have heard on the station before: Deaf in the Family's "For Those About to Rock," an Oktober Zero-style album that bites a bunch of classic rock tracks. Great production on the beats, and a concept that has been done before but not quite like this... anyway, tune in at 9:00 tonight and decide for yourself what you think.
One big concert coming up: a fella named Lyrics Born is stopping by the Mews on the first of November at 9:00, along with Sioux Falls's Soulcrate Music and local act Gutter Bros. Ten bucks gets you in if you buy your tickets in advance... I know I am going to. Which I guess means there will be no Heavy Rail two weeks from now. C'est la vie.
Stay warm out there...
All right,
If you haven't had enough good hip-hop from all the shows in Iowa, or all the dope albums that have been released in the past month--I know, you're insatiable right? Well, so am I... so I'm going to head on down to Des Moines tomorrow and pick up tickets for this fine show at the Vaudeville Mews a week from Friday, the 29th. Pigeon John will be gracing our fair state in a bang-up show that will also feature the fast-talking Busdriver, Boston's Akrobatik and some guy going by the stage name of Caural.
This one's a late show--it is 21+ and won't start 'till 10:00, so head down to DSM early and enjoy yourself some fine adult beverages while you wait. Make a night of it, if you like. You do like that, don't you baby? Yeah. Just you make sure you get your tickets now while you still can, so I can see you there.
Shoot, I have been forgetting to do this for a while.
But welcome back, Iowa State! KURE is still here, and so am I. Hung Lo has left for the greatest city in the world, but I'll still be holding it down for you every Wednesday from 8-10 pm... check it out.
I don't have the upcoming shows list compiled all nice and neat for this website, but everything I know about for the next couple of weeks you can find in this message board thread from 515Crew.com. Check out especially that M-Shop show a week from Thursday, on the the 7th, when Diverse and Ohmega Watts come to town--should be quite good.
By the way--if you didn't get to town before classes started you missed a crazy show by Toronto white-boy hip-hop act Ninja High School in the parking lot of the Super Wash at Colorado and Lincoln Way two weeks ago Friday. What is that, the 18th? I guess that was the 18th, roundabout 9:00 at night. Our guy at KURE took some video footage of the thing if'n you're curious.
Good luck with whatever you're doing this fall. See you on the tracks...
Hey folks,
Time has borne down upon us and we're at the last show of the semester... but never fear! We'll be back again in the summer, same time, same place, so even if you're leaving you can catch us through the webcast from wheverever you are!
If you're sticking around, you should definitely check out the People Under the Stairs/Time Machine/Psalm One show next Tuesday at the Vaudeville Mews. If you missed the Soul Position show two weeks ago, here's your chance to make up for it--it's going to be big!
-Peace,
Hung Lo and Paddy O.
Hey everybody,
We've been pumping it up on the show, but Soul Position is playing the Vaudeville Mews tomorrow night (that's Thursday the 20th) at 9:00 with One Be Lo and Aeon Grey and we would love to see you there. It will be the biggest hip-hop show in DSM for a while, so head on down if you can! As of right now, you can still buy tickets from Iowa Tix for $12, which isn't such a bad price considering that it bumps up to $15 at the door, if the show doesn't sell out before you get there.
Also, it's worth mentioning that the Nappy Roots are playing VEISHEA near Forker Hall at midnight on Saturday evening. That will be something too. But no Soul Position show.
Don't act like you didn't know...
Hey everybody, we took it easy around Spring Break; sports broadcasts and this cool little TV show called "Black and White" have had us slacking off a little bit. OK, OK.
There are more good things coming up for Ames and the local scene, though--check out the big Des Moines Music Coalition show this Friday, the 31st, for a six-hour showcase of everything Des Moines has to offer musically. Not to mention a quite nice showing by Aeon Gray and the Gutter crew's DJ Diverse.
Check that, and keep it tuned here for the line on all the crazy stuff going on out there in April!
Tah Dahhhhhhhhhhh!
The second week of the 2006 We Built The Rail Road.
DJ toasty is going to bring in some asian flavor into the show tonight. (Like we don't have enough to begin with.)
All of the sudden I am thinking, when should we start counting down on our show? Maybe a few weeks from now? and Make a BIG deal and get all sentimental about? Hmm....suggestion would be nice.
Hey, I am loving this Weekly Blogging shit!
Visit me at myroom.com and assfacejournal.com
Hung Lo
After a long winter break, we are sure that you miss us.
For 2006, the last semester of WE BUILD THE RAIL is going to be better than ever. How? I don't know. All we know is that we have a new DJ joining us this semester and it should be a load of fun. Yea, A Big load on your face!
Anywho, give us a ring and see what we can do for you this semester!
Hung Lo
Last show of the year is going on as I write this, so if it's not too late tune in and check it out! I'll be here until 10:00 tonight, and then that will be it for hip-hop this semester. KURE will still have other shows on during break, natch--check the information on their site for more.
Thanks to everyone who listened and called this year. It's been a lot of fun, and we hope you enjoyed our show!
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Da Asian and I were off stuffing ourselves full of turkey last week, but we're back now with a bunch of new music for tonight's show. Plus, two very special guests will be paying a visit: Aeon Gray, a member of the Soft Focus crew in Des Moines, and Ames's own Purify. We'll kick it with them for the first hour of the show, and we'll have something or other to give away in the second, so tune in!
As shows go, there are a few things going on. Apparently the excellent Heiruspecs was at People's last night, despite playing their "last ever show in Iowa" back in July. Not that I'm complaining, mind you!
Going forward, there are a couple of shows this week: first, Des Moines group Cleo's Apartment is playing a show sometime this Friday at Java Joe's in downtown Des Moines. Not sure about the details, but it should be free.
There will be another reggaeton party this Saturday at the Bali Satay House in Ames. Be there with five bucks around 9:30 PM if you want to do something other than freeze your ass off at some boring house party this weekend.
Next week there are a couple shows in the Des Moines area that I know of off the top of my head. They're both local acts, but they're the kind of gigs we haven't had much of lately here. The first is a crew/solo B-Boy battle at SkateWest in West Des Moines, of all places. Tickets are a stiff fifteen bucks, but there will be some talent there--already at least eight breakers and five crews from all over are signed up to compete for five hundred bucks in prizes.
So it sounds like this battle might be a damn good time. Just possibly.
But the night after that, Saturday the 10th, the local crew Unidentified Suspects will headline a gig at the Vaudeville Mews. Show starts at 8:00, and you'll get to hear six other acts for your money--some metal, some I don't know what. They don't do a whole lot of shows, so this is a good chance to check out a new crew and get screamed at by noisecore bands. Or something.
Happy Dia de los Muertos everybody. Hope your halloween was rockin' and all that. There were some good hip-hop shows the week before, and there are going to be some good shows in the next week too, all at the Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines:
That's about all the shows for now. There aren't any reggaeton parties at the Bali in Ames until after Thanksgiving, so you'll have to drive to Des Moines for your fix for a while. Or, of course, just tune it to 88.5 on Wednesday nights...
Woo! Hung Lo and I hit up the Hangar 18 show last night, which was excellent despite there being only twenty people there. Get out to these shows, people!
There aren't any shows in Ames for a while, but here's what's on our radar:
It's sad, but that's all that's coming up for the rest of the month. The Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines have a very, very good show coming up at the beginning of November, though: Swollen Members and the hilarious Brother Ali will be opening a show on Monday the 7th for the famed Planet Asia. I know it's a Monday show, but it will be a one to remember, and you'll have the whole rest of the week to sit on the couch watching VH1. Tickets are eight bucks in advance–go get yours now!
Oh, and don't forget to tune into our show tonight. We've got some... interesting vinyl to give away.
Hey everybody! Guess it's been a while since we updated this space. There are some good shows coming up in October, though, so let's just get right to it:
That's all for now--but man, that's a lot of good shows for Iowa.
Anyway, we're still on every Wednesday night at 8pm, so tune in and keep an ear open for a chance to win some free CDs!
Yep, the new semester is underway, and We Built the Railroads is back on the air, this time on Wednesday nights from 8-10 pm before Talkchat.
A few shows coming up around central Iowa for all you hip-hop heads. Word is there's something going on this Saturday at the Bali Satay House, starting at 10-ish... latin reggaeton something or other. I don't think it's the same people who did the gig last Saturday that had that big, nasty fight all over Welch--but that's all gossip and hearsay, so forget it. (Hopefully somebody can set me straight on what happened out there last weekend.) Anyway, check the show Saturday if you're in the neighborhood--$3/5 as usual, I think.
There are also a couple of local/regional hip-hop shows at the Mews in Des Moines on Thursday the 8th and Sunday the 10th. Three bucks for the one and six for the other is the quote I have, but hit up the VM website for more accurate information.
All right, the MF Doom show went pretty well. That wraps up the summer session, so next week Hung Lo will be back so we can do it up proper as We Built the Railroads again. Our time slot is changing, so check us out on Wednesday from 8-10 pm.
One show coming up for the very start of the fall semester--this Monday at the Vaudeville Mews the Des Moines main crew is doing an all ages show--Aeon Grey, DJ Really Real, GaiDen Gadema and Lad will hold it down starting at 9 pm. Doors are five bucks. There's also a cool Space Invaders-style flyer for you to download. Check it if you don't mind being a little tired for Tuesday morning classes, okay?
Very special show coming up tonight--for the last Heavy Rail of the summer semester, I'll be coming in a little early to do an all-MF Doom show. Tracks he's produced, tracks he raps on and tracks from his own album. Plus, for the last forty minutes of the show you'll hear the bootleg of upcoming DangerDoom project, beginning to end, censored but uncut.
Check it, and watch out next week for the return of We Built the Railroads!
Finally all moved in and back on the Internet--just in time to announce a fast upcoming show. A couple of the Des Moines kids will be doing a show with some guys from the Twin Cities's burgeoning underground scene at the House of Bricks on Sunday. Locals Gai Den Gadema and DJ Really Real will open for Kanser and the Guardians of Balance in a nice all-ages show. Doors are 7 pm tomorrow night (the 7th) and cover will be six bucks.
Yeah. Burgeoning. Okay? All right. Hope some of you can get out to the show--it should be a good time.
If the Internets are to be believed, Heiruspecs is going to be in town--and Iowa--for the last time ever this Saturday:
This Sunday, Aeon Grey and [DJ Really Real] are playing with Heiruspecs for what is most likely going to be thier last Iowa appearence being because they have been getting so popular in the South and western states. They are a good live hip hop act from MN. If you haven't heard them go to http://www.myspace.com/heiruspecs and check them out.
The show is at People's in Ames
Be there around 8 or 9
Cover shouldnt be anymore than $5
Aeon Gray and Really Real are a couple of hip-hop kids from Des Moines who put on a nice show, and I can vouch for Heiruspecs's quality. Definitely catch this show if you're in town!
Still on the lookout for more good hip-hop shows--okay, for any hip-hop shows--and I've got two coming up. 515Alive 3 (click for flyer or maybe a website someday) is coming up on Saturday, July 30th. Last year there were a few MCs there, and the headliner was DJ Swamp so if you go I bet there will be something to interest you. Anyway, it is FREE so just go, okay?
The night after that, Gabe's Oasis is hosting Eyedea and a live band or something with four openers. Every now and then, one of the big labels will send some of its Chicago acts out on a sort of farm tour--this one starts in Madison, Wisconsin and ends in Winona, Minnesota. Anyway, the show is the typical 19+/9:00 Sunday night gig; tickets are ten bucks and are available for presale online so check that if you don't mind getting back to Ames at like three o'clock Monday morning. Always a tough call, especially considering that student apartment leases here in town all start on the first.
I'm not the only one stuck moving on August 1st, am I? Oh man...
It's been damn hot in Iowa lately, so there's not much going on for hip-hop. There are a couple of upcoming shows, though.
This Saturday, the Bali Satay House here in Ames will hold the "First Summer Installment RVD Big Bad Rap 'n Hip-Hop Party," whatever that means. I'll try to track down more details before this week's radio show, but Bali is a great place to meet like-minded people so no matter who performs I bet you'll get your money's worth. ($3 cover or $5 admission) A week from next Sunday Icon the Mic King is playing the late show at Gabe's Oasis in Iowa City. Humankind will open; other details haven't been announced yet, but I imagine it will be a 21+ show with a $8-ish cover.
Like I said, there's not much going on. I guess we Iowegians can't handle the heat as well as they can down in the Dirty South. Which reminds me--Lil' Wayne is playing the Val Air Balroom on Friday for what it's worth, which is twenty-five hard cash dollars.
Finally, I mentioned on the show a while back that the last hip-hop show in Iowa was a Tech N9ne gig in the Quads. Turns out someone from Ankeny went out to that show and was nice enough to write some words about it for the benefit of the intar-web. Shoot, I just noticed the photo album too. I'm out, so check that, and check Heavy Rail this Thursday, okay?
All right, got a new website, now with no graphical content and no music available for download. It's like they say--LESS IS MORE. Shoot. Eventually my man Hung Lo will come through with a new website design; for now, I will keep updating you with playlists from the weekly Heavy Rail show and other good stuff.
Oh yeah--don't just listen to the show like some kind of brainless zombie, holla back! If you liked a track, now you can leave a comment on the website or send an email. Good things come to those who share, y'know?