December means many things: cold weather, final exams, continuous holiday music pretty much everywhere, and new ticket giveaways!

Here’s what we have this week:

Ex-Monkeys @ The Pour House Wednesday, December 2

Ex- 2Monkeys. Photo by ross grady

Viva Christmas feat. Los Straitjackets and El Vez @ Cats Cradle Wednesday December 2nd

Los Straitjackets

American Aquarium @ The Pour House Saturday December 5th

American Aquarium. Photo by Amy Schlatter

Southern Culture on the Skids @ Cats Cradle December 5th

Southern Culture on the Skids

Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online for your chances to win!

This Top 10 comes from Durham’s Red Collar.

Red Collar has had a fascinating year so far.  Its members decided to grasp their dreams by quitting  their great 9 to 5 jobs, cashing in retirement plans, holding yard sales and almost putting a home on the market in order to follow their dreams of touring. They document their journey on their blog.

Below are the lists of what each member is currently listening to. Red Collar said, “These lists of music reflect not only what we’re listening to now but bands we’ve played with over the past year.  There are local — now national — bands whose lead we admired and followed.  There are local — and soon to be national — bands who we love and trade war stories with.”

Beth: Bass/Vocals

1. Tom Waits – “Going Out West”
2. The Gaslight Anthem “The High and Lonesome Sound”
3. The Love Language – “Stars”
4. Des Ark - “Lord of the Rings and his Fascist Time Keepers”
5. Yo La Tengo – “I feel like going home”
6. Jawbox – “Savory”
7. K’Naan – “Dusty Foot Philosopher”
8. David Dondero – “the Real Tina Turner”
9. CCR – “Long as I Can See the Light”
10. Carole King “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”

Mike: Guitar/Vocals

1.  Megafaun – “Gather, Form and Fly”
2. Spoon – “Everything Hits at Once”
3. Joe Tex “Papa was Too”
4. Sonic Youth – “Teenage Riot”
5. Bon Iver – “Skinny Love”
6. American Aquarium – “Katherine Belle”
7. TV on the Radio – “Shout Me Out”
8. Spider Bags – “Teenage Eyes”
9. Hammer No More the Fingers – “Shutterbug”
10. Modest Mouse – “Broke”

Jason: Lead Vocals/Guitar

1. The Love Language – “Providence”
2. Hammer No More the Fingers – “Some Bad Ass New Song”
3. The Sandwiches -  “And Out Come the (Timber) Wolves”
4. American Aquarium – “Katherine Belle”
5. Dave Dondero – “The Real Tina Turner”
6. I Was Totally Destroying It – “Come Out, Come Out”
7. Look Mexico – “You’re Not Afraid of the Dark, Are You?”
8. Worn in Red – “When People Have Something to Say”
9. Tooth/Claw Split 10″
10. The Mountain Goats – “This Year”

Jon:Drums

1. The Pogues – “Bottle of Smoke”
2. Ben Nichols – “Last Pale Light in the West”
3. Guided By Voices – “A Good Flying Bird”
4. Modest Mouse – “Dashboard”
5. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – “Jack the Ripper”
6. Glenn Kotche – “Mobile, Pts. 1 & 2″
7. The Clash “Straight to Hell”
8. Townes Van Zandt – “Lungs”
9. Bela Fleck - “Matitu”
10. Wilco -”One Wing”

And also this video…

Tools, live at the Cats Cradle and the Duke Coffeehouse

Red Collar | MySpace Video[/myspace]

Here are the great shows happening this week to which WKNC is giving away tickets:

Wednesday, Sept. 30:

Ra Ra Riot with Maps and Atlases and Princeton @ Cat’s Cradle

Ra Ra Riot photo by Sarah Cass

Friday, Oct. 2:

SMNMNMN with Josh Drye Consortium and The Toddlers @ Nightlight

SMNMNMN

American Aquarium with Shawn Fisher and the Juke Box & Gabriel Kelly @ The Pour House

American Aquarium photo by Amy Schlatter

Saturday, Oct 3:

Hear Here Finale Show feat. The Love Language, Inflowential, and Motor Skills @ The Pour House

Hear Here

This is the second and final Hear Here show to promote the all-local and all-amazing tunes of some great artists from the area. The first show of the two part series was sold out and presented at Cat’s Cradle. If you weren’t able to attend the first show be sure to get your tickets now or listen to WKNC for your chance to win tickets!

Even though May is just beginning, 2009 has proved to be one of the best musical years in the Triangle and North Carolina in my memory. As the new Local Music Director at WKNC, my mailbox has been flooded with tons of music from all around the state and our community. This blog will highlight some of the newest local material you will hear on WKNC.

Bombadil- Tarpits & Canyonlands:
While this album is not set to release for a couple more weeks, Bombadil was kind enough to leave WKNC with a copy a little while back. Needless to say, after my first listen to Tarpits & Canyonlands, I knew this would become an instant classic in our area. After the second listen through, I grasped that it was indeed a musical masterpiece. After my eighth listen I realized it was the best album I have heard in the past six years, local or not.
This is the third release by Bombadil, a band out of Durham, North Carolina, in three years and by far their best output. Bombadil is well known for its generally upbeat folky and lyrically witty sounds, backed by instrumentation that carries the listener to a grassy field filled with barefoot serfs tipsy on bootleg mountain whiskey and rum. Or, as a review of their first album by ex-WKNC DJ Big Fat Sac more blatantly put it, “It sounds like a bunch of hobbits in Durham got together and made folk music.” Tarpits & Canyonlands does not stray far from this unique sound, but a definite sense of maturity is noticeable as compared to their 2008 release A Buzz, A Buzz. And while Bombadil delightfully keeps their catchy and original sonic personality within the music that has made them so popular, the main themes delve deeper into more serious and somber issues such as marriage, relationships, and growing old. Many songs reflect a more somber tone and feature unaccompanied harmonies unlike previous releases (such as “Reasons”, “Cold Runway”, & “Marriage”), while others retain that familiar goofiness and playful innocence of their first release (“Oto The Bear”, “Laurita”, & “Malaysia”). Even still some of the more stand out tracks such as “I Am”, “Sad Birthday”, “Needless to Say”, and “25 Daniels” offer a new glimpse into Bombadil’s creative genius.
Bombadil has certainly grown up the past three years and become one of the premiere bands to see and hear not only around these parts, but elsewhere as well. Be on the lookout for this album to receive massive attention from our DJs.

Lonnie Walker- These Times Old Times:
Another yet to be release album has made its debut on WKNC this month. Lonnie Walker, a local favorite from Greenville has slowly been gaining in popularity as noticed by their pick in the N&O’s Great 8, and as a choice for WKNC’s own Double Barrel Benefit 6. If you have never heard their material before, picture a hardier Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks with intense vocal outbursts and crushing guitar. This is their debut release and features several new editions of songs already in WKNC rotation from their demo album. Popular tunes such as “Wider Than White,” “Summertime,” and “Pendulum’s Chest” stand out as ferociously better than their original counterparts while newbies such as “Grape Juice”. “Back Home Inside With You”, “Ships”, and my personal favorite “Crochet” make a stand as a mark of growth within their work. These Times Old Times certainly deserves the attention this band has been getting.

Roman Candle- Oh Tall Tree In The Ear:
It’s hard to believe this is only the second full length album by this former Chapel Hill band (now based in Tennessee) but it doesn’t miss a beat. In comparison to their first album it is remarkably similar, yet better at the same time. Oh Tall Tree In The Ear features the same poppy lyric style and musicality but manages to come off as wittier, catchier, and seemingly more developed.

American Aquarium- Dances For The Lonely:
This album has been in rotation for a couple of weeks now but is worth mentioning. Meet Bruce Springsteen the second with even more of that down to earth heartland rock. Luckily, this is not a bad thing and tunes such as “Katherine Belle” and “Louisiana Beauty Queen” keep your foot tapping for more. Dances for the Lonely has a solid country/southern rock groove that will be a staple on WKNC for some time.

Many other new tracks you will hear on WKNC this May include some older tunes that were either overlooked or not brought to our previous attention.  These include:
Aminal- A Face To Fight
Aminal- A Will To Fight
Brett Harris- Side Two EP
Brett Harris- Yesterdays News
Connells- Darker Days (yes, this album is from 1985, but it completely kicks ass!)
Kickin Grass Band- The Kickin Grass Band
Lemming Malloy- The Return Of The Norfolk Regiment
Luego- WKNC Sexclusive Pre-Sampler
Our Velvet Revolution- Our Velvet Revolution EP
Silver- +/-
Stars Explode- The Stars Explode
Water Callers- Springboard
Waumiss- Waumiss LP

And More!

WKNC has more tickets this week to giveaway. Check out what the deejays will be distributing during the daytime rock formats:

Left Outlet playing @ The Pour House Thursday April 23rd

American Aquarium playing @ The Pour House Saturday April 25th

Toubab Krewe playing @ Lincoln Theatre Saturday April 25th

Listen on 88.1 or streaming online

Sneak Peek for next weeks giveaways:

Dinosaur Jr – Mon, Apr 27 @ Cat’s
The Kills – Tues, Apr 28 @ Cat’s
Reverend Horton Heat – Fri, May 1 @ Cat’s

Here’s what we got for your listening entertainment this week. Tune in for your chances to win!

***Modest Mouse with Mimicking Birds playing @ Disco Rodeo Wednesday March 11th***

Modest Mouse

Check out our blog for more info on this great show!

Vetiver with Sian Alice Group & Megafaun playing @ Cats Cradle Thursday March 12th

Vetiver

American Aquarium with Bain Mattox and Shot From Guns, & Cary Ann Hearst playing @ Lincoln Theatre Friday March 13th

American Aquarium

Zoso (Led Zeppelin Tribute) with Allister Fiend playing @ Lincoln Theatre Saturday March 14th

Zoso

The Independent Weekly has chosen their top 40 tracks from the Triangle music scene from 2008.  The list features brief summaries of each band and their song, plus free downloads of all 40 chosen songs.  Very cool.  To access the list click here.

Some notable gems that even we at WKNC missed include Lois Deloatch’s traditional piece of “Down By The Riverside,” a fantastic jazzy/blues number,  Michael Holland’s country tune “Ballad of Eric Rudolph,” and Kooley High’s hip-hop track ”Kool With It” from the Summer Sessions.  Be on the lookout for these tunes to hit the Local Lunch & other WKNC formats in the near future.

A couple of songs I might have been able to survive without out that made the list include Bryce Clayton Eiman’s static laced “The Black & The Black” and ambient/indie band Boyzone with their song “Six Hunkth,” but its no secret I shy away from ambient/experimental tunes, and you gotta make everyone happy, right?  I am also a tad bit confused on how Oregeon folk singer David Karsten Daniels made the list.  I understand he plays the Triangle frequently, but would appreciate any knowledge on his relation to the Triangle.

Some notable exceptions include Greg Humphreys, Lonnie Walker, Tift Merritt, & Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies.  But alas, only room for 40, and I think the Indy always does a fantastic job with these sorts of lists.  By the way, does anyone consider Ryan Adams, Hotel Lights, or Roman Candle local anymore?  Just a thought…