The Local Beat last Friday was the first full three hour program since February and my first evening back behind the board in a month after throat surgery.  I felt a little rusty behind the microphone but my guests to the show triumphed to make the three hours fly by with great conversation and some really cool new songs that had never been played before.

While waiting for the Trekky guys to come in, David Mueller of Birds of Avalon came by to drop off the pre-release of the Heads On Sticks album entitled Mocking Bird.  Heads On Sticks is David’s solo project that he has been working with off and on for the better part of four years.  In fact, his Marsupial’s EP was one of the first local albums I ever came across and really pushed me into the local music scene here.  We debuted his first new track in two years, a song called “Two Clicks.” David will be back on the Local Beat on the 9th to talk more about the album, so be sure to listen in then!

Will Hackney and Martin Anderson, the owners and masterminds behind Trekky Records, dropped by a little late after being stuck in traffic to pump up the third annual TrkFest, which happened Saturday, June 26 at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC.  We spent the majority of an hour and a half talking about the day-long festival, the differences between this year and the previous two years, playing music from bands signed to Trekky, and other bands involved with the show.  Will and Martin are also in numerous bands in the area themselves and two of the busiest guys I know, so I had to ask them about their time management and how they run their business.  In all, we had a fascinating insight into a remarkable record label and the guys behind the scenes.  You can check out some of the pictures from TrkFest here.

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Local favorites Bombadil stopped by for the last hour of the show to debut some brand new material and play live for the first time in a year.  As many of you know, Bombadil had to take a break last summer as pianist Stewart Robinson went back to school and Daniel Michalak had to take time to recover from a serious health problem, while James Phillips moved to Oregon and Bryan Rahija went to work in Washington D.C.  However, the band has still made time to write music and admitted that they now have enough new material for an entire album.  We discussed the difficulties with being so far apart and still trying to be a band and the frustrations with not being able to tour.  We also touched on their most recent album, Tarpits and Canyonlands, which was released last summer.  The band was unable to promote the record despite raving reviews, and I had to ask them how that made them feel.  Despite the down turn in events, the group seemed exceptionally positive and upbeat for the future and even played two brand new songs for us, which you can download through our Local Beat ReverbNation page (you can listen to them in the music player to the left).

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It has been longer than a month since we have had a live Local Beat, and, since February, we haven’t had a full, three hour show (mostly due to NC State Baseball).  I have spent the past month recovering from throat surgery and also doing some summer traveling, but it is finally time to get back into the amazing local music scene here, and tonight’s show is going to be one for the ages.

We are dedicating the first two hours to Trekky Records and their kickass annual summer event TrkFest.  The event happens tomorrow, June 26, and this year there will be two stages of live music as well as the usual crafts, food, and beverages including:

• Pants-off Dance-off
• Coffee Sack Race
• Cool Kids Yoga Session
• Musical Chairs Cake Walk
• Sprinklers and Water Things
• Tour of Piedmont Biofuels
• Free Haircuts
• Shadow Puppets
• Bliss Tent

I know I am going to get a haircut that I so desperately need and jam out to my favorite local musicians that include:

• Megafaun
• Lost in the Trees
• Hammer No More The Fingers
• Embarrassing Fruits
• Midtown Dickens
• Mount Moriah
• Veelee
• Butterflies
• Ryan Gustafson
• Yardwork
• Ezekiel Graves
• Vibrant Green

This is the 3rd annual TRKFest, and tonight, on the Local Beat, we will be chatting about all of the old and new things about the festival, the bands, and hearing some live music from some of the performers tomorrow.

At 7 p.m. my favorite local band Bombadil will be dropping by for what is the first time in well over a year.  As many of you may know, Bombadil has been on recent hiatus as some of the members have moved away and Daniel Michalak has been dealing with some health problems. With that said, this is their first interview as a group in quite some time, and one of the first since their Tarpits and Canyonlands hit the streets back in 2009  (If you remember, the album was my #1 album of the year).  The entire band is going to try to make it and and perhaps play their first live music together since last summer. It is seriously going to be awesome.

Local bands covering local bands is always awesome, but when the most popular band out of our state in recent years covers a song from one of the best albums in present-day memory we have to take special notice.  Scott Avett of Concord band The Avett Brothers did a nice cover on Crackerfarm of old tour-mates and fellow record label buddies Bombadil.  The song he covered was a spectacular representation of  “Marriage” off of Bombadil’s Tarpits and Canyonlands album.

It is hard to believe it has been a year since Bombadil last performed in concert and even less time since Tarpits was released.  Hopefully this will ease your soul until the band can hopefully one day make a comeback.

Many would call me a hopeless romantic.  I love to send letters and flowers to my girl and pamper her up when I can.  And while I am not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day and its pop culture marketing schemes,, I still feel the urge to go out and buy my sweetie some candy and flowers and make her a nice dinner to show her how much I care.  Another thing I like to do from time to time is make her custom mix tapes based around themes, as it was afterall music that brought us together.  Holiday mix tapes are usually the best and easiest and this Valentine’s Day will be no exception.

North Carolina is a hot pot for music and of course you are going to find some wonderful love songs tucked here and there.  If you had Valentine’s Day creep up on you from the back and take you by surprise today, and your significant other is a fan of local music, feel free to steal this play list as your own.  (You might even want to take it further and take your honey to see all of these artists the next time they play live.)

1. Tift Merritt: Another Country

2. Avett Brothers: I & Love & You

3. The Old Ceremony: God Said I Could Have You

4. Birds & Arrows: Honeymoon Song

5. Nola: Fall Into Me

6. Josh Moore: Rush Down My Spine

7. Benji Hughes: All You’ve Got To Do Is Fall In Love

8. Jeremy Blair From Effingham: I Do & I Don’t

9. Bombadil: Reasons

10. Whiskey Smugglers: Not Your Average Love Song

11. Brett Harris: I’m In Love

12. Mandolin Orange: Oh My Love

13. Stella By Starlight: As Good As It Gets

14. Tomahawks: Just Like One Another

15. Lost in the Trees: Love On My Side

16. Martha Ann Motel: Everything All At Once

Got more to share?  Comment below!

Last semester was quite the semester for N.C. State University and its image. The University was in national news — and it wasn’t pretty, whether it dealt with decisions administrators made, budget cuts because of the economy or corruption within the higher-ups. This image problem affected faculty, staff, students, donors and alumni alike. However, last year was also a  great one for local music, with many memorable events bands have taken part in. So, for the last episode of the semester, EOT brought you an N.C. State semester-in-review of news and sports, and a review of some of the things the local music offered you and the surrounding the community.

NEWS
Tom Anderson and Mike Alston filled in for Jack Boyer and Evan Garris to bring you this week’s local, national and international news. Listen to the podcast if you missed it for updates on the Obama exit strategy for the war in Afghanistan, bipartisan opposition to the Honors Services Law, the most recent bombings in Pakistan, the creation of the new aircraft: Spaceship 2, Raleigh’s rating as the 21st city in the nation with the “best bang for the buck,” former State Senate Democrat Cal Cunningham running for U.S. Senate, a Gastonia murder trial and more.

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VIP
I interviewed former student body president and current senior class president, Jay Dawkins, and Student Body President Jim Ceresnak about N.C. State’s image, the good, the bad and the grades they give its issues — ranging from the former N.C. first lady Mary Easley’s scandal, which caused the resignations of the University’s three top leaders, to the Rally 4 Talley campaign, to research developments at the University. Although Jay and Jim seemed to remain optimistic, it’s clear the University has its work cut out for it. Listen to Jim and Jay’s analysis here:

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SPORTS
John Cooper Elias, Tyler Everett and Derek Medlin gave us a wrap-up of the semester in sports, a football rundown and expectations for the next semester as well as next year for several sports, including men’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross country. We also discussed the firing that week of Volleyball Coach Charita Stubbs due to what can be considered a terrible tenure for her with the team, as well as the incident surrounding what she perceived to be a racist cartoon, which was actually intended to show that the volleyball team was finally winning some games last season. Be sure to check it out the whole podcast if you missed it:

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HEAR THIS
Kelly Reid gave us a list of best local moments of 2009 including Bombadil shows, the Raleigh Undercover event, the journey to the Love Language’s Debut album and more. Be sure to check it out if you haven’t:

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COMMUNITY CANVAS
Mike Alston sat down and spoke to Eric Hirsch and Pierce Freelon from The Beast to talk about some of the programs and “hip hop” curriculum the members take to N.C. schools. Hirsch discusses the importance of music and scholarship, and how the band was able to put the two together for schools around the nation:

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WOLFPACKER OF THE WEEK
Damian Maddalena sat down with Logan Scarborough, Forestry Club president and senior in forest management. Scarborough talked to us about the club and its activities, including its forestry competition, Rolleo. Listen to the fyll segment here:

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As always, be sure to let us know what you think/want to hear more or less of at publicaffairs@wknc.org. We’ll be back in action for the spring semester — same time, same place!

2009 was one hell of a year for WKNC and for North Carolina music. On our end, we had the sad departure of local radio legend DJ Stevo (you can still hear him broadcasting over at taintradio.org) but also the beginning of something new with myself taking over the Local Beat in August after DJ Mick provided a couple months of Friday evening entertainment. We have also added to our ranks several different Local Lunch DJs who have all been doing a fantastic job of providing you with non-stop local music every weekday from noon to 1 p.m.

In the local music spectra of our community, many new bands have made their way onto the scene while others have begun establishing themselves as some of the premiere musicians in the country.  Still, other groups broke up or left our region for better or for worse. Even some unfamiliar venues have begun making their mark in this region. Some amazing shows have been played and become ingrained in the memories of many and there is no doubt that more and more people within our community have been tuning into to the amazing local music this part of the country offers.

As it is a common trend in nearly every aspect of our culture at the end of the year to create some sort of countdown list in remembrance of the past 12 months many local blogs, newspapers, and magazines have been ranking their top bands, albums, and songs from 2009.

Not to be outdone, I have been preparing for this list throughout the year and after listening to every second of every song on all 154 albums that have been sent my way  by local bands and artists (an exhausting feat that nearly killed my GPA). I have whittled my way down to my top 10.  In total, I have listened to more than 1,400 local songs culminating in just less than 74 hours worth of North Carolina music from 2009.  Many of these albums and bands are unfortunately not worth mentioning but after much debate I worked my way down to 38 records that in my mind would qualify as top-10 material.

First to be chocked off were EPs. Certainly, the Tomahawks Like a Horse on a Beach EP was one of the finest groupings of four songs I had the pleasure to listen to, and Violet Vector’s EP II could have made the cut, along with Aminal’s A Face To Fight EP, Mandolin Orange’s self titled EP, and Veelee’s Three Sides EP among others, but I feel that LPs are the ones that truly stand the test of time.

Second to go were the compilations.  Hear Here will remain my number one album of 2009, but it is difficult to split the award to all 17 of those bands.  I also always enjoy the Have a Holly Raleigh Kidsmas volumes but putting a holiday album on the list didn’t seem quite right either.

I finally worked my way down to the last two dozen or so and that is where things began to get difficult.  I may never fully forgive myself for excluding I Was Totally Destroying It’s release Horro Vacui and I have no excuse for not including it.  That album kicks serious ass.  As does Americans in France’s Pretzelvania, Bowerbirds’ Upper Air, Calico Haunts’ After All, Hammer No More The Fingers’ Looking For Bruce, Old Ceremony’s Walk on Thin Air, Ryan Gustafson’s Donkey, and many others that unfortunately were not included (I will stop before I start second guessing myself).  In any case, after much rambling here it is:

10. The Bronzed Chorus: I’m The Spring

This duo out of Greensboro has seemingly come out of nowhere in the past two years.  Since recording their independently released debut thurtythurty in Adam Joyce’s bedroom, Joyce and band mate Brennan O’Brien have taken the state by storm after signing to Hello Sir Records and promptly putting out the masterpiece that is I’m the Spring. Post-rock noise ecstasy combines with powerful imagery of storms of overdriven guitar and bass pounding the skies with an untamed fury.   The effect of two musicians creating such a visual component to their music speaks volumes of what this album truly is: art.  Stay on your toes throughout this album and try not to miss a note, you won’t come back down after hearing this.  More Reviews:

• Independent Weekly
• Pinnacle Magazine

9. Starmount: Tyranny of the Sphere
Here is another instrumental album that cracked my top 10, the debut album from a newly discovered band from right here in Raleigh.  Starmount is one of the most unique bands I have ever heard and likely ever will with their blending of pedal steel guitar, upright bass, synthesizers, and a drum/electronics kit to make quite an uncommon yet entrancing sound.  Already signed to Superfan records, this album has begun making it’s mark on the community even if the group only plays a couple of times a year.  To keep it short and simple, Starmount is a band that I cannot relate with another group but one which I will now begin to compare bands to.  Their music is one of a kind and this album speaks volumes about the progressive and evolving nature of music.  In my opinion, the best way to listen to this record is go sit in a dark room, turn the music up loud and let it wash over you like a fresh cool breeze.

8. Polvo: In Prism
I will be the first to line up and shamefully admit that I was never a big fan of Polvo.  The fact of the matter is that I never really gave them a chance.  However, after watching them at the Double Barrel Benefit back in February I was converted and anxiously awaited their new album after news of them hitting the studio began to spread.  What resulted was one of the grandest vindications of the year.
In Prism was Polvo’s first album in 12 years, but boy did they come back with a vengeance.  Classified from anywhere to Math Rock, post-hardcore, to psychedelic, you can put them in whatever genre you like, but to me Polvo and especially this record stands to no-one’s label but their own. The entire album plays seamlessly like a single beating entity whose life unfolds out to you through each track as it’s own but also as a part of the whole organic form Polvo creates.  Call me a noob to their works but In Prism is one of the finest, if not best album of the Polvo catalog.  Here are a couple of reviews to dignify my claim:

• Allmusic
• Independent Weekly
• Pitchfork
• PopMatters

7. Lonnie Walker: These Times Old Times
I remember the first time I saw Lonnie Walker at the Terpsikhore Collective Leap Year Extravaganza back in 2008. They played alongside IWTDI and Annuals, two of the best bands in the Southeast, but it was Lonnie Walker who stole the show and the hearts of everyone in the crowd that night. Stevo and I harassed lead singer Brian Corum that night and he brought a demo to WKNC the next week. The rest they say, is history.

These Times Old Times contains several remakes of the same songs from that first demo but also quite a few newer tracks as well. The whole album is reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks but a bit hardier and with a more intense rock ‘n roll feel while still keeping that same folky edge that they are known for. Tunes like “Grapefruit”, “Back Home Inside With You”, and “Crochet” add on to the already set LW standards and are surrounded by short sentimental ditties like “Old Birds In The Seas”, “Horse Boots”, and “Country Crowded Trees” to create an album that never gets old after each listen. The effect of their debut release was immediate as they were one of the top headliners for Artsplosure ‘09 and named Ear Farm’s band of the week back in August and are now one of the most sought after live shows in the state for fans.

6. Avett Brothers: I and Love and You

It is becoming difficult for me to label the Avett Brothers as a local band in the past two years only because they tour so god damn much.   But these boys out of Concord have without a doubt become the shining beacon of North Carolina music in recent years and are obviously the most successful group in the past 10 years from our state.  I and Love and You is their most recent output, their major label debut, and without question their best since forming in 2000.  Known for their heartfelt and emotional songs as well as their raucous and mesmerizing live performances this album captures all of those things better than any other.   It has the ability to make your hair stand on end through one sentimental song and then the next throws you into a whirlwind of acoustic picking heaven.
Many questioned the Avett’s move to a larger label after the band promised to stay close to their roots but one listen to this record, produced by music legend Rick Rubin, proves the move right.  Just check out some of the reviews below:

• Allmusic
• Independent Weekly
• Paste
• Rolling Stone

To prove the Bros. success over the past 9 years I and Love and You peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200 best selling albums, #8 in best selling digital albums, and #7 in rock albums. Point proven.

5. Midtown Dickens: Lanterns
Much to my surprise this album dropped to number 5 on my list for when I first gave it a listen I was sure it would be in my top 3.  The two women (Kym and Catherine) founded their group back in 2005 have now expanded the band into a sextet after adding four of their best friends to play alongside them.  What results from this addition is a fuller and more satisfying full band sound to back their already magnificent song writing and singing skills.  Midtown Dickens is fun and enjoyable to listen to halfheartedly but once you take them seriously the music just opens up into something deeper and more profound than most bands can pull off.  Grab the album and take a seat because listening to Lanterns might knock you flat out.  

4. Megafaun: Gather, Form, and Fly

If you have ever seen Megafaun live you will know what I mean when I confess that watching these guys play is like having a deep religious experience.  So believe me when I say that listening to Gather, Form, and Fly is nothing short of transcending.  Megafaun has always been terrific whether as the original lineup of DeYarmond Edison before the split or on their first album Bury The Square, so it is difficult to say they have “matured.”  I prefer the word “evolved” instead as Megafaun has taken their already well-developed earthy sound and transformed it into music so beautiful and sententious that the sheer vastness of the sound is almost indescribable.  This album moves and breathes around you as you listen to it almost as if the whole world starts opening itself up to a Megafaun induced dream.

3. Luego: Taped-Together Stories
A second reincarnation of this band Simply put Luego is the catchiest band around.  With Patrick Phelan heading the gang and welcoming the likes of Jeff Crawford, Peter Holsapple, Nick Jaeger, Rob DiMauro, Cameron Lee, and Charles Cleaver Luego is as close to a local music supergroup as one might find.  Taped-Together Stories is a one of a kind in today’s music world with personal and heartfelt lyrics that anyone with a soul can relate to combined with bluesy rock/pop and craftily set beats that are easy to move your feet to all underneath Phelan’s raspy and grabbing vocals.  It’s all based off of that fun jangly pop and lo-fi production technique so popular among bands in our area (ie: Max Indian) but with an indie spark to complete the album’s character.  Simply put, it’s the catchiest local album of the year.  In 20 years this will be one of those albums you look back on and say “I was there.”

2. Horseback: The Invisible Mountain

As difficult as it is to describe this album, I am going to try, so bear with me as I fail to give this album it’s due indulgence.  Only four songs long, this masterpiece takes on 38 minutes of grinding harsh satanic laced vociferations backed by acrid droning that comes together like a choir of demons singing straight from the pits of hell.  It’s dark, malicious, and pierces the soul with a pointed tip but finally salvation is granted in the form of the nearly 17 minute finale “Hatecloud Dissolving into Nothing”, one of the most breathtaking and articulate pieces of instrumentation to grace my well worn ears.  Its beautiful, heart wrenching, and sincere.  Every note on this album is well placed and delicate to the overall fabric of the sound, nothing is taken for granted and nothing is overdone.  It’s perfect.
After listening to this album for the first time I found myself sitting on the edge of my bed staring at nothing for almost an hour trying to absorb what I had just heard.  Do yourself a favor and give this a try.

1. Bombadil: Tarpits and Canyonlands

After hearing the first and then second song from Bombadil’s new album I knew that all of my expectations for it were going to be fulfilled.  After the eighth song I realized that this might be the best album of 2009.  After the third or fourth listen to Tarpits and Cayonlands it occurred to me that this album was one of the greatest records I had ever heard.  Few albums have ever reached me quite like Tarpits has and I am having a difficult time writing this piece so that it fully encompasses my true
The first review I ever read on Bombadil was after their first EP came out.  The review read “It sound’s like a group of hobbits from Durham got together and made some kickass folk music.”  Nothing could have been truer then.  Their songs were joyful expressions of life and bewilderment and innocence at the world.  Listening to their old stuff makes you want to kick off your shoes and go frolicking in a grassy field next to a lazy stream.  But as Tarpits and Canyonlands, their second full length began to emerge through live performances and hearsay I knew that this album would be different.  Many critics will ramble about the tides and maturation of bands and either bombast their new ways or extol progressive features from album to album.  Overall it really is what the band decides to do with their sound that makes a difference.  Fortunately for us, in Tarpits Bombadil did very little to their style.  The upbeat melodies and piano heavy chords are still wrapped in their folk tinged harmonies and buoyant  vocals, but something is different, something hard to put your finger on.  What arises is a sense of depth and emotion lacking from their previous works, a sense of death and not just life, of powerful heartbreak arising from potent love, of creating a fulfilled legacy, and a justification to experience all of these sensations without remorse.
When I first heard the album back in April I could not stop listening over and over.  It’s a work that speaks to each person in their own individual way and makes its mark on the listener.  From the ever present goosebumps during the very first song “I Am” through the seemingly drifting ‘Kuala Lumpur” (my personal favorite) all the way to the final four songs of redemption, loss, and ultimate love, Bombadil grabs you by the ears and the mind and takes you on a journey of illumination and enlightenment.
Overall this masterpiece is nothing short of lyrical genius coinciding with  instrumentation that matches the mood perfectly.  If you enjoyed their old albums, you will find this better.  If you never did like Bombadil before, this one will grab you.  Tarpits and Canyonlands isn’t just the best local album of 2009, it is one of the best album of any regard in the past decade.

Below is a brief list of my top 10 Local albums of 2009 as well as DJ Ray’s my awesome assistant in the Local Music department at WKNC:

The year 2009 has undoubtedly been a fantastic one for music, from the techno tones and spaced out beats of Animal Collective’s “Merriwether Post Pavilion” to the satisfying and deep “Tarpits and Canyonlands” from Bombadil. We were moved by new albums by old favorites like in Yeah Yeah Yeahs “It’s Blitz” and we were introduced to new acts that leave us wanting more like in Florence and the Machine’s beautiful “Lungs.” After knowing the huge amount of great releases that this year has left us with, I asked the daytime DJs at WKNC to complete a job that’s a lot easier said than done. Below is a list of the top five albums as completed by many of the DJs you know and love. Enjoy!

DJ Danger Tape

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

1. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
2. Bowerbirds – Upper Air
3. M. Ward – Hold Time
4. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
5. Japandroids - Post-Nothing

Just John

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
2. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
3. A Sunny Day in Glasgow -Ashes Grammer
4. Yacht – See Mystery Lights
5. Here We Go Magic – Here We Go Magic

May Day

Bowerbirds - Upper Air

1. Bowerbirds – Upper Air
2. M. Ward- Hold Time
3. Discovery – LP
4. St. Vincent – Actor
5. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career/The Love Language - The Love Language

DJ Elly May

Luego - Taped-together Stories

1. Luego – Taped-together Stories
2. Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club – The Beautiful Untrue
3. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below
4. Lonnie Walker – These Times Old Times
5. Gossip – Music For Men

Hot Tamale

Florence + the Machine - Lungs

1. Florence and the Machine - Lungs
2. Passion Pit – Manners
3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Matt & Kim – Grand
5. Discovery - LP

DJ Kligz

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It’s Blitz
2. Florence and the Machine – Lungs
3. Dirty Projectors- Bitte Orca
4. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
5. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

Riff Raff

Regina Spektor - Far

1. Regina Spektor – Far
2. Passion Pit – Manners
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- It’s Blitz
4. The Temper Trap – Conditions
5. You and Your Effects – Wire Sharks/Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone

Audity

Sonic Youth - The Eternal

1. Sonic Youth – The Eternal
2. U.S.E – Loveworld
3. Regina Spektor – Far
4. Metric – Fantasies
5. Veelee – Three Sides/Various Artists – Here Here Compilation

DJ Ones

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- It’s Blitz
2. Florence and the Machine – Lungs
3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Animal Collective – Merriwether Post Pavilion
5. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

DJ Matticus Rex

Do Make Say Think - Other Truths

1. Do Make Say Think – Other Truths
2. Pelican – What We All Come to Need
3. Bon Iver – Blood Bank
4. Caspian – Tertia
5. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Chuck

The Antlers - Hospice

1. The Antlers – Hospice
2. Megafaun – Gather, Form & Fly
3. Various Artists – Dark Was The Night
4. Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light
5. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

Mick

Bombadil - Tarpits and Canyonlands

1. Bombadil – Tarpits & Canyonlands
2. Cotton Jones - Paranoid Cocoon
3. Megafaun – Gather, Form, & Fly
4. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
5. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below

DJ Ray

Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns

1. Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
2. Brazos – Phosphorescent Blues
3. Here We Go Magic – Here We Go Magic
4. Grouper – Cover the Windows and the Walls
5. The Low Anthem – Oh My God Charlie Darwin

Tommyboy

The King Khan and BBQ Show- Invisible Girl

1. The King Khan and BBQ Show – Invisible Girl
2. Megafaun - Gather Form and Fly
3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Telekinesis- Telekinesis
5. The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa

Spaceman Spiff

Bowerbirds - Upper Air

1. Bowerbirds - Upper Air
2. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3. Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
4. Harlem Shakes – Technicolor Health
5. The Temper Trap- Conditions

WKNC received a post card this week from local band Bombadil (who also just released a new music video). Since we’re assuming not every BombiFan got one, we wanted to share ours with you. You’ll probably want to click on the image to get a closer look.

Tarpits and Canyonlands

Local band Bombadil has created its first music video for the song “So Many Ways to Die,” off the July album release Tarpits and Canyonlands. The video is comprised of public domain footage related to risk-taking and ways to die.

Check out the video here!

Daytrotter illustration of The Bowerbirds

As I heard the The Bowerbird’s play the opening notes of “House of Diamonds” at Double Barrel Benefit 6, I asked myself where I had heard the song before. It wasn’t on Hymns for a Dark Horse, the album I had been playing on repeat, and wouldn’t be released on an album until Upper Air several months later.

I soon realized I had downloaded the then untitled track from Daytrotter, a site dedicated to hosting bands at its studios in Rock Island, Illinois, and posting the resulting interview transcripts and audio recordings for all to enjoy.

Just this week, Daytrotter posted tracks from some fantastic bands, Bombadil, Dead Confederate and Cursive.

Local artists Annuals, The Physics of Meaning, Avett Brothers, and Birds of Avalon, among others, have recorded in the Daytrotter studios and have tracks available for download on the site. The illustrators there create original artwork to accompany tracks from each artist, as seen above.

Daytrotter seems too good to keep a secret!

All right, we have a jam-packed Local Beat for you today (in a few short hours, actually).

A Rooster for the Masses, c/o the band's Myspace

At 5:00 our good friends A Rooster for the Masses will be stopping by to talk about their show for The Club Is Open Festival over at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill.  They’re playing with Red Collar, The Loners, and Rat Jackson tonight.  Talk about rocking.

At 6:00 we’re going in a slightly different direction than usual, with the band Sandbox.  Unfamiliar? Check out an article the Indy ran on them a while back here.  They’ll be performing in studio, as well.

Bombadil performing "Cavaliers Har Hum" at the Lincoln Theatre 4/10, c/o Mike Gray

And lastly, Bombadil will be joining us at the 7:00 hour to talk about their CD release listening party.  This from the band’ website:

We are thrilled to announce that Durham’s own improvisational marching band, The Scene of the Crime Rovers, will join the bill with Luego and The Tender Fruit.  We couldn’t be more excited to have them–Daniel and Bryan both played in the SOC Rovers for a little while and found them to be a true inspiration.

It’s hard to believe 2009 is half over.

There have been tons of albums out in months one through six that our DJs have released over the airwaves, some of which resulted in countless requests and songs that got stuck in our heads for days on end. It’s hard to narrow them down, but a few of the WKNC music directors have made their picks for the top five albums of the year so far in their respective formats.

Local Music Director Adam Kincaid selected…

Bombadil's Tarpits and Canyonlands

1. Bombadil: Tarpits & Canyonlands
2. Colossus: Drunk On Blood
3. The Love Language: The Love Language
4. Lonnie Walker: These Times Old Times
5. Embarrassing Fruits: Community/Exploitation

With honorable mentions for…

Americans in France: Pretzelvania
Hammer No More The Fingers: Looking For Bruce

Disagree with Adam’s picks? Send him an email and let him know which albums you would have chosen.

Daytime Music Director Jenna St. Pierre selected…

Cotton Jones' Paranoid Cocoon

1. Cotton Jones: Paranoid Cocoon
2. Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
3. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavillion
4. Harlem Shakes: Technicolor Health
5. Screaming Females: Power Move

With honorable mentions for:

Akron/Family: Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free
Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Are there albums you think should have been on the list? Email Jenna to discuss.

Underground Music Director Damion Sledge chose…

Saigon and Statik Selektah's All In a Day's Work

Saigon and Statik Selektah: All in a Day’s Work

If you have Underground albums to add to the list, email Damion.

Stay tuned for the next six months of albums on WKNC, and we’ll see which ones come out on top in December!

Want easy access to your favorite local bands? Do you want free downloads of your favorite songs? Did you know all this is in the palm of your hand?

ReverbNation is a new company based out of Durham is allowing you, the listener, easy access to information and tunes from your local favorites.

Tracks from bands frequently played on WKNC such as A Rooster for the Masses, Bombadil, Hammer No More the Fingers, The Future Kings of Nowhere, I Was Totally Destroying It, and others are available through ReverbNation.

If you like what you hear from these bands on ReverbNation, don’t forget to check out the Local Lunch, Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m., only on the Revolution.

This week a few members from Bombadil are sharing their lists of the tunes that inspire them.

Bryan Rahija

Stayin’ Alive – The Bee Gees
Hymn 101 – Joe Pug
I Can See the Light – Paleface
Manteo – The Love Language
Last Bastion of Worthlessness – Des_Ark
Red Moon – The Walkmen
Oh You Pretty Things – David Bowie
Katoucha – Seydou Boro
Cut Your Hair – Pavement
ATliens-Outkast

James Phillips

Get The Fever Out – Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers
RoboCop- Kanye West
Blue Ridge Mountains – Fleet Foxes
I Pray for You To Die – Schooner
Clara Clairvoyant – Donovan
Badlands – Bruce Springsteen
Fireplace – Lost in the Trees
It’s a Man’s World – James Brown
The Sheriff – Wes Phillips
Hello – Sam Quinn + The Japan Ten

Fans should know that Bombadil has a new album,  Tarpits and Canyonlands, coming out July 17th!

Unfortunately bad news has been released about this local favorite. Click below to read more.

Sad News for Triangle Music

One of WKNC’s longtime favorite local acts Bombadil is taking a break from touring indefinitely due to the health issues of band members.  They released this today:

Taken from Bombadil's MySpace

Today we arrive with some bad news. As many of you have become aware, Daniel has been dealing with severe tendonitis in his hands since 2007. Things have gotten progressively worse and have reached a point where he cannot brush his teeth without feeling pain, much less perform with the rest of the band. As such we feel it’s best to cancel all of the remaining shows on our schedule.
 
Needless to say, this brings us great sadness. We tried to limit Daniel’s movements on stage, but it seems that even sitting in a chair and simply singing on stage was impeding his recovery. At the end of the day, we did not feel that it was in the artistic spirit of the band to continue and play shows without him.
 
It is not clear when we will be able to perform again–some doctors say that a 3 month break would suffice, while others forecast a 2-year recovery period. But in the meantime, we’ll be writing new songs and keeping you up to date of our activities. We see this merely as a road bump on the long road that is this band, and as soon as Daniel is able to perform music again, we’ll be visiting a town near you.
 
Our new record will still come out on July 7th, and you will be able to find it at a few select records stores, iTunes, eMusic, Amazon.com, and this very website. We are so excited to share it with the world and are exploring alternative ideas for some sort of release party. For now, we’ve put up two new songs on myspace: Oto the Bear and So Many Ways to Die. We are also now accepting pre-orders for the record here. Pre-orders will ship from Bombadil HQ here in Durham on July 1.

We are so grateful for the support everyone has shown over the years. Without your ears and encouragement none of this would have been possible.  Stay in touch and look out for more updates on the horizon!

-Bryan, James, Daniel, and Stuart

WKNC wishes the best to the band, and their fans, and a speedy recovery to Daniel.  In the meantime, be sure to catch their new album on rotation on 88.1 around the clock.