Yep, you read it right! WKNC will have the great pleasure of premiering two brand new songs by local favorites Lonnie Walker and Future Islands from their split 7″ coming out this November. We are the very first ones to have the tracks, so you’ll just have to tune in to the Local Lunch this Wednesday to hear them (and trust me, they rock).

The one and only DJ Ray will be unlocking the treasure chest of two brand new singles to rock you through the next week and a half until we get to see both bands live at Hopscotch! Are you as excited as I am?!??

This week, September 2 will feature music from all around North Carolina. First up is Asheville’s Darien will open the show with Charlotte’s The Houston Brothers filling the middle slot. Missy Thangs’ other great band Soft Company will be headlining! As usual this is a FREE show, 21 and up, and starts at 10 p.m.! See you there!

Darien

As a local artist who’s inspired by Irish music, there could not be a better act for Tir na nOg this Thursday. She plays the guitar solo and also sings/writes all of her own songs. Darien is an artist for the fans of bands like Rilo Kiley and Beirut. You’re going to love her.

The Houston Brothers

It’s good. I can’t seem to place who these two handsome men sound like… somewhere between Neutral Milk Hotel and Brian Eno. Check out their the link to their page for a full listen.

Soft Company

You might remember the leading lady from her other band, The Love Language. The Independent Weekly described their most recent album as full of “rich harmonies, layered keyboards and counterpoint guitars [that] slip and slide beneath each other.”

I will be having The Soft Company and another one of these acts at the station on Thursday at 7 p.m. so be sure to tune in. None of these acts are ones you will want to miss. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my Thursday night than sending off Chris Tamplin with the help of a few local beers and these three amazing local bands!

The Hopscotch Twitter announced that there will be a complete list of day parties, among other new info, added to the site soon.

And yes, WKNC, will be hosting a party, as well. More info real soon!

I will also be interviewing BOTH BANDS this Thursday from 7 to 8pm!  Tune in!

Goodbye, Titan

You can expect some wonderful landscape music from Goodbye, Titan.  If you enjoy listening to our Post Rock Block then you you absolutely love this weeks headlines for LBLB.  The Independent would say that this band is good for “fans of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky.”  If that sounds like you, come on out!

Once and Future Kings

You might have caught Once and Future Kings last semester when they did a free show on Lee Field.  Well, now catch them indoors at Tir na nOg!   As quoted from their Myspace page, “Once and Future Kings blend hook-laden, anthemic rock with a twist of dystopian lyricism.Critics compare them to Radiohead or The Flaming Lips, but your mom might say The Beatles.”

See you this Thursday!!  And by the way,  I recommend a pint of Foothills Hoppyum IPA.  That’s what I’ll be having!

This week’s Local Beat is going to be the first in a while with live music as all three of the bands coming in plan on playing some tunes for us on the air.

Carrboro group Max Indian is kicking things off at 5 p.m. to promote their show at the Local 506 on August 27. Max Indian is playing less and less these days, so I plan on asking them about the group’s recent happenings and chat with them about their upcoming gig during Hopscotch.

Twelve Thousand Armies is the closest band we have in the area that represents a cult following as their music has largely been missed due to lack of promotion and live shows, and I am excited to welcome them on the program at 6p .m. They are also playing the Local 506 on the 27th with Max Indian and The Houston Brothers. It will be their first interview on WKNC—who just twisted the band’s arm to finally get a hold of their album that came out awhile back—and I am sure many of you have been hearing constantly since.

At 7 p.m., Asheville artist Darien will be jumping on board to promote several upcoming shows in our area. Darien is relatively unknown around our region, but that has been quickly changing with her last release, Theorem, which came out on Alive and Well back in March. Darien has a busy couple of weeks in the area that include five shows in the Triangle between now and September 3.

As always, the fun starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.! Don’t worry if you miss it as all interviews are put on the WKNC blog following the show. Be sure to follow the Local Beat on Twitter or Facebook and download tons of free local music on our ReverbNation page!

First in was Betsy Harris, one of the most notable and certainly the most prolific local music photographers in the area.  Betsy was a fantastic guest who shared plenty about her role in the local music community, her work as a photographer, and several fun stories about her experiences in the past several years. Be sure to check out Betsy’s Fotki and Youtube for some sweet local multimedia content. Also, below are some of Betsy’s favorite photographs that she has graciously shared with us:

Jamie McFarlane of SWASO 12/13/10. © temples of grey (betsy harris)

Hugh Swaso of SWASO 12/13/10. © temples of grey (betsy harris)

Midtown Dickens’ Kym Dawson 2/6/10. © temples of grey (betsy harris)

Midtown Dickens’ Catherine Edgerton 2/6/10. © temples of grey (betsy harris)

Spider Bags 2/6/10. © temples of grey (betsy harris)

Don Dixon 8/28/08. © temples of grey (betsy harris)

Carter Gaj of Max Indian 10/3/09. © temples of grey (betsy harris)

Ingrid Stenzel of BUS 6/8/07. © temples of grey (betsy harris)

Karen Mann of Mann’s World also joined me on the show for about an hour.  Karen is one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent, local music blogger in our area and having her on the program was a special treat. Karen and I talked about her history in the area and her role within the music of our region. Karen was a fabulous interviewee and had plenty to say, all of it proving to be noteworthy and captivating about her dedication to the music and her blog. Karen is also having a special Mann’s World day party during Hopscotch on September 11th. Check out the flier below:

One of my favorite journalists in the area, Bryan Reed, made an appearance as well. Bryan is well known for his contributions to Shuffle Magazine where he is Assistant Editor and also the Independent Weekly where he covers local and national music. He was fun, witty, and full of knowledge on music scenes outside the Triangle region.

Linnie Green, the new editor of Diversions at the Daily Tar Heel, got quite a bit of crap from me for going to NC State’s rival school, but after I settled down and matured a little, she gave us some interesting insight into how Diversions works and what priorities they have with local music.

The mastermind behind NBC 17’s Music.MyNC was also a guest that evening. Jake is another extraordinary blogger in the area and also heads the live Sessions for Music.MyNC. I talked with Jake about how the Sessions came to be what it is and his thoughts about his contributions to the music.

Take a listen to the entire evening below, broken up into three parts:

Hour 1

Hour 2

Hour 3

Thursday, August 19 will feature music from The Small Ponds, Jon Lindsay and The Tomahawks!

The Tomahawks

A favorite local band of mine. I’m terrible at describing music but here it goes… Beatles-y southern rock. Yeah? Do yourself a favor and check out their tracks on the webpage.

Jon Lindsay

Whoa. I’m already hooked on this guy. It is happy and catchy like Belle & Sebastian except it is one guy… one absolutely adorable guy. Be sure to check out his music on his website or just come out on Thursday!

The Small Ponds

This duo is made up of musicians from Tres Chicas and The Proclivities. With a CD Release show in about a month, this show should be a wonderful preview of what is to come. The songs are slow, sweet and downright lovely.

Throughout the evening, Karen Mann, Betsy Harris, Bryan Reed, Linnie Green, Jake Seaton, and hopefully several more prominent local music raconteurs will be sitting down as we chat about their services to our music scene and relate anecdotes and stories. In addition, they will be choosing the local music we will be playing throughout the show.

Among many things, Karen Mann is one of the most notable bloggers in the region with her personal music blog, Mann’s World, which is a treasure trove of videos, photographs, news stories, album reviews and more.
Related Links
Mann’s World
Vimeo
Twitter
Flickr

Betsy Harris (aka Temples of Grey) is one of the most recognizable local music photographers in the region.  I swear I see her at every single show I attend.
Related Links
Fotki
Youtube
Twitter
MySpace

Jake Seaton is the mind and body behind Music.MyNC.com who is famous for their live sessions with local bands and for breaking almost every important story about North Carolina music.

Bryan Reed is a writer for Shuffle Magazine, the Independent Weekly, and seemingly countless others.

Linnie Green is the new editor for Diversions of the Daily Tar Heel.

BUT, I’ll go ahead and be honest. (I have the megaphone!)

Light Pines dude.  This was my Ffffifth? Sixth? time seeing this outfit in action, and, as usual, they failed miserably to disappoint. “Knowing what to look for” may be an appropriate good phrase, but I’m barely a musician. I just know to look for the awesome, I guess.

No nonsense. No garrulous banter between songs. No distracting movement.  Just a terse, diligent, and damn-solid entertaining performance. A change of lighting and, if you’re lucky, a modest “thank’yeh”  after each song is all you’re gonna get.  And what would (or possibly could) you do with anything extra?

Nope, I didn’t take pictures.  Flashes are annoying.

T.A.

Photographs of Local Beer Local Band night on August 5 by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

Museum Mouth

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

The Beast

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

I Was Totally Destroying It

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

This Thursday, August 12 features music from Aminal and Butterflies! Both are from Chapel Hill.

Aminal

You might remember Aminal from our concert series Friday’s on the Lawn. They played for a crowd of people, blankets, and picnic baskets. Hooray for indie pop! Come on Thursday to bob your head and tap your toes!

Butterflies

From Chapel Hill and signed under Trekky Records, Butterflies will be opening up at Tir Na nOg this Thursday.  “Butterflies reimagine indie pop in laid-back folk environs… contemplative (though hopeful) soul searching of… frontman Josh Kimbrough, who gets help from a revolving cast of friends… including pianist/ girlfriend Katie Zickefoose. She adds generous harmonies.”  -Spencer Griffith, Independent Weekly

At 5 p.m., Gray Young is coming by for an hour to talk. The band has several shows coming up this month, including one tonight at the Berkley Cafe with the Loners, Goner, and Asheville band Knives and Daggers, and one tomorrow at the TTWD Fest where they are playing at 4 p.m.

Rat Jackson has an album release party for their new release Midnight Get Right with Aminal and Red Collar at the Broad Street Cafe on August 7. The new album is reminiscent of Rat Jackson’s live show, which is energetic, straight-up rock n’ roll, and I have a feeling the second hour of the program is going to be just that.

At 7 p.m., there will be a pre-recorded interview with  Graveyard Fields. Frontman for the Carrboro band, Brian Risk, came in last week with Pete and Andrea Connolly (of Birds & Arrows) who are also in the group.  We talked about the creation of the band and their debut EP Saturn’s Moon, which has been out for a couple of months. Two of the members of the group, Carol and Jon, are expecting their first baby at any moment right now, which made for some interesting conversation.

As always feel free to follow the Local Beat on Twitter, Facebook, or ReverbNation.  If you can’t tune into the show tonight, then stay tuned on the WKNC blog for our weekly recap of the evening.

Rosanne Cash's memoir

If you’re any kind of a fan of Johnny Cash, you’ll know of his talented and oldest offspring, Rosanne Cash. Not only has she continued the Cash legend, but she herself has taken the name a great many strides forward in the world of music and literary arts. In her 30+year career, she has thus far released 12 albums and has had 11 #1 singles, with her most recent album release in fall 2009. She has also written a book of short stories, a children’s book, essays and work fiction, and, most recently, her memoir.

This nationally and internationally renowned musician will be coming to Raleigh to promote her soon to be released book Composed:a Memoir.

“Now, in her memoir, Cash writes compellingly about her upbringing in Southern California as the child of country legend Johnny Cash, and of her relationships with her mother and her famous stepmother, June Carter Cash. In her account of her development as an artist she shares memories of a hilarious stint as a twenty-year-old working for Columbia Records in London; recording her own first album on a German label; working her way to success; her marriage to Rodney Crowell, a union that made them Nashville’s premier couple; her relationship with the country music establishment; taking a new direction in her music and leaving Nashville to move to New York; motherhood; dealing with the deaths of her parents, in part through music; the process of songwriting; and the fulfillment she has found with her current husband and musical collaborator, John Leventhal.”

—Quail Ridge Bookstore

flyer for Rosanne Cash at Meredith College

Above is the official flyer for the event. The event will be held on Friday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Auditorium at Meredith College. The tickets are $5 and available at Quail Ridge Bookstore, or the event is free with a purchase of the book itself. While she will not be performing, she will be discussing her new book and signing memorabilia and merchandise.

MoogFest will take place Halloween weekend, October 29-31, in Asheville, North Carolina. A full line-up announcement and ticket info are coming on August 10, but they’ve already released the headliners and a few other names, and they’re pretty hefty. Massive Attack, MGMT, and Thievery Corporation will head up the festival, with other acts including Big Boi, Jónsi, and Caribou set to play. Tickets go on sale August 13. Stay tuned to the MoogFest website for more info!

Jenks Miller and Heather McEntire of Mount Moriah got stuck in heavy traffic on the way to the station, and, unfortunately, we only had around 12 minutes to chat about the band and their brand new limited edition 12″ called The Letting Go during the first hour of the evening. We discussed the history of the band and their future as far as releasing their upcoming album is concerned. We also promoted their sold out show at the Pinhook with Midtown Dickens and the Mountain Goats Saturday, July 31. Jenks and Heather run Holidays for Quince Records, and each is in several different bands, including Un Deux Trois and Horseback, and are two of the busiest people I know. It was interesting to talk about their other projects in relation to Mount Moriah. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I had to hold back many of the questions I had for them, but what we did talk about was certainly fascinating and worth a second listen:
Mount Moriah on The Local Beat 7/3/10

At 6 p.m., John Booker and Rachel Hirsh of I Was Totally Destroying It came in to promote their new 7″ The Get Big 7″, which is officially being released at Tir Na Nog this Thursday for Local Beer Local Band (alongside Museum Mouth, Jews & Catholics, and The Beast).  The new single is being released by their record label, Greyday Records and can be purchased at any local record store as well as online or at their shows. If you buy the vinyl, it comes with a digital download and bonus track! I also had to ask them about their band name and their answer might surprise you! Listen to our interview as we talked about the new release, IWTDI’s upcoming shows, and their penchant for wearing costumes on stage:
IWTDI on the Local Beat 7/30/10

Alex Iglehart and Wylie Pamplin of Calico Haunts came in at 7 p.m. for their first-ever radio interview to promote their first show in Raleigh since 2007, which was at the Berkely Cafe Saturday evening. We also debuted some brand new songs from their upcoming record that is scheduled to be released in October this year. Many of you might be familiar with Calico Haunts last release After All, which was one of The Independent Weekly’s albums of the month last year. Unfortunately, the band dissolved shortly after the release and little promotion was done for the record. A short time later the band was pieced back together and they started recording a follow up album only to have their work stolen two weeks before it was scheduled to be finished. With all of these mishaps you might think the band would throw in the towel. Listen below for their side of the story and their reactions:
Calico Haunts on the Local Beat 7/30/10

I Was Totally Destroying It

If you find yourself at Tir Na nOg on other nights rather than Thursday, then you might have caught their other musical project I Was Totally Destroying U2 where they cover all the hits of U2 while offering spot-on Bono impersonation. Well guess what… they have original tracks too! Which are way better than U2 in my opinion.

The Beast

You might remember The Beast because they were featured on the Hear Here music compilation. They’re a delicious hip-hop group that has entertained Raleigh listeners for a while now. Be sure to catch them live this Thursday!

Jews and Catholics

A review from Patrick Culliton describes this duo in brief: “How can two people make this much noise? Machines. Guitar, bass, sequencers, hands, throats. Machines. One wing beats rust, the other glisten. A Jew, a Catholic; a boy, a girl. Isn’t tension what our attention’s after? Do you like to dance, even a little, and sweat, even a lot? We’re all lost in the woods, thank God. Jews and Catholics can fly deeper in.”

Museum Mouth

This Thursday will be the first time I will see Museum Mouth live. I am incredibly excited, as I am listening to them now. Grungy, sort of angry about something, indie rock. Already I am drawn to the lead vocalist. Fast-paced music paired with this lady’s wonderful, almost lazy-like singing voice is working for me in so many ways.

See you there, friends!

First Friday is coming this week, and if you are heading down that way, then you should feel obligated to stop and see some amazing local and national musicians, get some local beer, and support a local art gallery.

Lump Gallery in downtown Raleigh is having its 4th annual benefit party for only $10 ($5 with a student I.D.) and features plenty of entertainment and refreshments alongside the artwork. Carolina Brewing Company will be providing beer and there will be raffle tickets  for prizes available (for a suggested donation) for Duck & Dumpling, The Pit, jeans by Denim Raleigh, Holly Aiken hand bags, Askew Taylor’s art supplies, and artwork!

In addition, Chapel Hill band Organos will be playing along with a deejay set by Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu. Neil Prewitt of Yuxtapongo will be featuring a video and performance as well.

Lump is located at 505 S. Blount Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601.

It all starts at 7 p.m.!

The Moaners

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Spring Collection

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

At 5 p.m., we are starting off the show with Mount Moriah, a band I have been raving out for over a year since I first saw them at their second show ever back in May 2009. The group is releasing their first LP after debuting their first song “Lament” on the Holiday’s For Quince Compilation Vol. 1, which has been getting airplay on WKNC.  The album is entitled Letting Go and is officially being released at the sold out show this Saturday July 31 at the Pinhook with Midtown Dickens and The Mountain Goats.  The 12″ vinyl record will be released on the streets on August 3. We should have plenty to talk about and hopefully you will hear some new tunes!

I Was Totally Destroying It is coming in for the second hour. They are also playing Saturday evening at Cherry Bounce Festival in Raleigh but we will mostly be talking about their new 7″ single “Get Big,” which should be in the running for best album artwork of the year so far. We also have quite a bit to talk about, including their Sound Around app, their contribution to the Musical Chairs Compilation, and their U2 cover band. It should make for an entertaining hour!

For the final hour I am having in Wylie Pamplin and Alex Iglehart from Chapel Hill-based Calico Haunts who are making their radio interview debut. Calico Haunts put out one of 2010’s best records with their After All album in the fall of 2009. They have just finished a new record and are planning to leak a couple of new tracks on the show! In addition, we will chat about their first ever Raleigh show at the Berkley Cafe with the Dead String Brothers on July 31.

As always the Local Beat starts at 5 p.m. and runs through 8 p.m. every Friday on WKNC.  Feel free to follow us on Twitter (@WKNCLocalBeat), ReverbNation, and Facebook.

Photo by Hathir Pfau

The Luego show, which had originally been scheduled for this Saturday, July 31 at Slim’s Downtown, has been moved back to August 13. Those who won tickets for the show will have their names on the list for the new show date. Also, with the changed date, Cary Ann Hearst has been added to the lineup. Proof that change is not always a bad thing…

Cary Ann Hearst joins Luego for their 8/13 show - photo by Sara Poe