Have you heard this breezy Major Lazer track featuring Amber of the Dirty Projectors yet?

If you haven’t, check out this subtly badass music video before continuing on to the rest of this post (my personal favorite is the part with the T-Rex skeleton)

How about this awesome mashup  between Major Lazer and N.C. rapper J. Cole producer and DJ Diplo posted to Facebook this week?

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/61416261" params="show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ff0400" width="100%" height="81" iframe="false" /]

WKNC is pleased to announce that we will be giving away 2 pairs of General Admission passes to this year’s exciting Moogfest!

Moogfest is the annual festival created in honor of Robert Moog and his immense impact on the course of music. Held annually in Asheville, NC, Moogfest brings together some of the greatest artists from all over the world for an exhilarating two day electronic music festival.

This year’s festival, held on October 26 & 27, includes such great artists as: Primus 3D, Nas, Miike Snow, Explosions in the Sky, Santigold and many more! A full lineup can be viewed here.

For a chance to win these tickets, tune in to 88.1 FM WKNC and, when the DJ asks for it, call in to be entered for your chance to go to this year’s Moogfest!

I am subscribed to probably hundreds of North Carolina band email lists. That’s a lot, I know. I don’t have to, but it helps me stay connected to the massive amounts of musicians in our state whose music I promote on the Local Beat every Friday evening. Most send out emails every few months or so usually promoting a gig or sometimes promoting a Kickstarter campaign or new album. More often than not it’s purely informational and promotional, nothing out of the ordinary. Every now and then though I read one that is a little different, a little odd, something that stands out.

Back in May an extremely talented North Carolina songwriter, Steph Stewart, sent out an email to her subscribed fans that struck a nerve with me. I quote:

Dear Someone,

My heart sinks a little every time I bring my fellas into a gig that ends up costing us more to play than we make. When you play for tips or a cover charge, it’s always a gamble. It’s a hard balance to find and one that most musicians struggle reaching: To get out there and be heard WHILE making somewhat of a living… or at least not loosing money. And of course, it isn’t really about the money so much in the end as it is about the art.

Me personally? Well, I’d rather play to a room of 20 attentive and appreciative folks than 1000 folks who would rather talk over our background hum. I suppose, like with anything, there must be balance. There is an equilibrium, and as an artist, I need both. The well-paying gigs fill the pockets. They pay rent and bills. They put gas in the tank and food in the belly. This is essential.

Last night we played an incredible show at the Greenbean Cafe in Greensboro, NC. We performed to a small crowd of maybe 30 and had the pleasure of sharing the stage with some talented whippersnappers from Concord, NC and a fella touring from Kent, OH. We left with a grand total of $15 and gurgling guts from our PBRs, but it was all worthwhile. You see, those 30 or so strangers connected with us. For that hour, they were bold enough to follow us into the world of our music, and they reminded all three of us that we are worthwhile. This music we make, it’s worth a listen… So maybe it didn’t fill our pockets, but it damn well filled our souls.

Thank you Greensboro. We’ll be seeing you. And as for you, dear someone… we hope to be seeing you sooner.

Yours,
Steph

So much rings true in this letter. As an avid supporter of the numerous talented musicians in our area I often hear about how most of them don’t “do it for the money.” Money helps, no doubt, but that shouldn’t be the reason someone stands behind a microphone and performs for an audience, whether it be 30 or 1,000. It shouldn’t be the reason why someone creates a piece of artwork or publishes a poem. They should do it firstly for themselves and their own creative expressions and secondly for that interpersonal connection Steph talks about, that understanding bond that all people seek from others. We all have to make a living and no one is disputing that, but the best artists in our area are not doing it primarily for the money. They are not cheating themselves or their abilities.

So I want to use this letter to encourage you, the audience, the one who is so often reached out to by our local artists, to reciprocate that back to your community. Go see live shows. Tip a street performer. Buy the record from a record store. Request their music on the radio. Do your part in that artist-audience relationship. Most of our local bands are hardly doing this to make a buck, they are doing it for you.

Tonight, we’ve got a very school centered show! Nanotechnology is a rising trend in the world today, with which NC State is a spearhead. We’ve got a feature on Shack a thon, as well as Soundbytes on Marriage. Jake’s got a movie review as well. Tune in, in 3 minutes!

Each week, WKNC compiles a list of charts and adds.

Top 10 Charts:

It’s finally Fall, and KNC is still bringing tickets to the shows you want to see in the Triangle this September! Listen to win and call our studio lines at 919-860-0881 or 919-515-2400.

The Henry Clay People @ Kings Barcade (09/22)  - 2 passes remain!

The Bowerbirds @ Haw River Ballroom (09/22) – 1 pass remains!

Cate Le Bon @ Kings Barcade (09/25) – 2 passes remain!

Toro y Moi, The Choir Quit,  Can’t Kids, and Organos @ Motorco Music Hall (09/26) – 1 pass remains!

Thanks for listening and keep it locked to 88.1FM!

Each week, the WKNC music directors tally up spins for new releases and submit their top charts to CMJ.

WKNC is proud to announce that it is a part of this year’s MTVU College Radio Countdown, a showcase of some of the best college radio stations around the nation. Starting today, Tuesday the 18th, through Friday the 21st, WKNC will be airing its spot along with our top ten music video countdown. Be sure to tune in and check us out on mtvU, and also check out the MTVU Tumblr for our “WKNC pick of the day’s.”

Each week, WKNC compiles a list of charts and adds.

Student Media photographers Katherine Hoke and Sam O’Brien went back downtown finish up the third annual Hopscotch Music Festival.

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Student Media photographers Katherine Hoke and Sam O’Brien went back downtown for Day Two of the third annual Hopscotch Music Festival.

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Girls Rock NC is a Durham-based nonprofit organization for girls ages 7-15 that focuses on empowering them through creative expression. Through their after school program, girls learn how to play instruments, write songs and attend workshops in body confidence. Fall’s program will include ten sessions, which will be each monday 3:45-5:45PM from September 17-November 19.

The programming this year will be headed up by Heather McEntire (Bellafea, Mount Moriah, founder of Holidays for Quince Records) and Collier Reeves (co-founder of Homegrown City Farms), both veteran GRNC staff.

If you’ve aged out  of the camper range and still want to get involved, visit GirlsRock.org for ways to volunteer and donate.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Girls-Rock-NC/351736201514929

Hey Everyone,

Tonight, we’ve got a diverse lineup of stories for you all. Our contributors have brought coverage of the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention, as well as Herman Cain’s appearance on campus tomorrow. We’ve also got Soundbytes from the Brickyard about Voting. Phillip Farms are hosting a corn maze for Charity that is also Haunted, which Deondre’ has more news about. We’ve also got Eye on the Arts and a September 11th dedication. Tune in in 5 minutes.

Thanks,

EOT

WKNC sent Student Media photographers Katherine Hoke and Sam O’Brien to cover the third annual Hopscotch Music Festival.

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