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!

Ear Farm recently created a list of the top 10 North Carolina Bands you should hear. Amazing choices that I’m sure most will agree upon, they include: The Proclivites, Bellafea, Lost in the Trees, Black Ses, Schooner, Hammer No More the Fingers, The Bronzed Chorus, Birds of Avalon, Megafaun and Lonnie Walker as their number one choice. Undoubtedly terrific choices, but we here at WKNC are lucky to get the up in coming, the raw recordings, the unheard vocals of brand new local bands. So here is my short list of 5 avid local listeners might not have heard of….yet.

5. Free Electric State: Described as “Crushing distorted guitar…and vocals stylishly almost like background sound..” by our very own DJ Caid it’s hard to not be impressed by this group. Formed in Durham, NC Free Electric State is very new with only a two song CD in the station. This band should take off quickly with its ability to grab  attention with the 80st inspired vibe and catchy lo-fi sound.

4. M1 Platoon: Local Durham Hip-Hop crew M1 Platoon caught my eye during the joint album release show with Kooley High. The group joined together in the D.C. area and now can be found in Durham, NC. The lyrics consistently hype up their hometown as well as their new homes in Durham. The lyrics are great but it is the stage presence that immediately attracted me to M1 Platoon. With 7 group members plus a live DJ the stage itself is packed. It is incredible to watch each individual put their heart and souls out onto the stage. From jumping onto the amps, masking wearing interpretive dancing, to cheeky dance moves the group never stops moving. You see that the lyrics come from the heart and that what they are doing in the moment is what they are ment to do. If you only see one show this year I recommend checking out M1 Platoon doing what they do best.

3.Veelee: This band is one that I heard while driving to work. It was one of those music moments where your heart kind of fills up because you finally heard that sound you have been craving, something that shifts your insides around.  Maybe that’s just me but to put it briefly, this stuff is good, really good.  The Chapel Hill duo creates pop music with a strange dark side. With easy to follow singalong lyrics to unique keyboard sounds Veelee embraces the idea of minimalistic pop music that makes the listener want to put it on repeat.

2. Old Bricks: Raw, sad, make you curl up the fetal position and cry type songs.  Greymatter says ” the vocal style is best described as desperate and pathetic, but it works.” He is right, it totally works. The songs run from about six to eight minutes apiece but each one just grows upon itself. With a Daniel Johnson vibe the listener feels connected and appreciative that someone else is saying it for them, that we all hurt. Old Bricks shares with us the beauty and raw power of putting real human emotions into music. Check them out August 31 at Slims Downtown.

1. You and Your Effects:  Astounding folk rock built upon banjos, violins, flutes, accordions and incredible lyrics.  DJ Chuck compares them to Bowerbirds, DeVotcka and Sufjan Stevens.  The band is made up of five kids all under the drinking age which says a lot when listening to the lyrics these guys write. Dealing with adult issues and putting a intense,almost orchertratal(?) sounds as the background makes You and Your Effects an instant favorite to new listeners. Don’t be fooled though, they also hop to upbeat, jamish twangy rock and roll turning that frown right upside down. Unfortunately the college students are out and about doing what college kids should do…traveling the world, so don’t expect to see them live anytime soon.

Keep your eyes peeled and your ears tuned in to WKNC. For now I highly suggest checking out the links to hear for yourself just how incredible the scene around us is becoming.

Bowerbirds - Upper Air

Deradoorian - Mind Raft

Magnolia Electric - Josephine

1. Bowerbirds -Upper Air
2. Deradoorian -Mind Raft
3. Magnolia Electric Co. -Josephine
4. Double Dagger - More
5. Dirty Projectors -Bitte Orca
6. You And Your Effects - You And Your Effects
7. Stardeath And White Dwarfs - The Birth
8. Invisible Cities - Houses Shine Like Teeth
9. Mew - No More Stories [EP]
10. Ha Ha Tonka - Novel Sounds Of The Nouveau South
11. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
12. Portland Cello Project - The Thao And Justin Power Sessions
13. Wilco - Wilco (the Album)
14. Deer Tick - Born On Flag Day
15. Megafaun – Gather, Form, And Fly
16. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
17. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
18. Light Pines - The Light Pines [EP]
19. Tomahawks - Like A Horse On A Beach
20. Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanists
21. St. Vincent - Actor
22. Violet Vector And The Lovely Lovelies - EP II [EP]
23. Bronzed Chorus - I’m The Spring
24. Sonic Youth - The Eternal
25. Passion Pit - Manners
26. Throw Me The Statue - Creaturesque
27. Talbot Tagora - Lessons In The Woods Or A City
28. Boogie Boarder - Pizza Hero
29. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
30. Veelee - Three Sides

Compiled by Daytime Music Director Jenna St. Pierre

Bowerbirds - Upper Air

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Deradoorian - Mind Raft

Here are the top 30 records at WKNC from the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director Jenna St. Pierre:

1. Bowerbirds – Upper Air
2. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
3. Deradoorian – Mind Raft
4. Ha Ha Tonka – Novel Sounds Of The Nouveau South
5. Double Dagger – More
6. Stardeath and White Dwarfs – The Birth
7. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
8. Mew – No More Stories [EP]
9. Portland Cello Project – The Thao And Justin Power Sessions
10. Invisible Cities – Houses Shine Like Teeth
11. You And Your Effects – You And Your Effects
12. Deer Tick – Born On Flag Day
13. Still Life Still – Pastel [EP]
14. Megafaun – Gather, Form, And Fly
15. Wilco – Wilco (the Album)
16. St. Vincent – Actor
17. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
18. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Eating Us
19. Lonnie Walker – These Times Old Times
20. Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine
21. Portugal. The Man – The Satanic Satanists
22. Sonic Youth – The Eternal
23. Passion Pit – Manners
24. Bronzed Chorus – I’m The Spring
25. Veelee – Three Sides
26. Throw Me The Statue – Creaturesque
27. Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream
28. American Folklore – American Folklore
29. Boogie Boarder – Pizza Hero
30. Talbot Tagora - Lessons In The Woods Or A City

The following are albums recently added to our library, which you can look forward to hearing on the air:
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
Yacht – See Mystery Lights

When I arrived at the RDU airport after six weeks in Prague to the terminal from which I departede, I felt like I had been gone for about half of that, if not less. It was like a time warp.

Then I went to the WKNC studio for my return to the airwaves, and I was reminded just how long six weeks actually is in the world of music. I am trying to catch up with the latest releases as quickly as I can!

On my show last week, I played a new track from Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies of their EP II, which was great. I’m looking forward to checking out the latest from Bowerbirds out tomorrow! It will be strange to have to learn words to new songs after singing along to “My Oldest Memory,” “Bur Oak,” and “In Our Talons,” for so long.

Tune in for my show this Wednesday (and every Wednesday for the rest of the summer) from 2 to 3 p.m. as I make up for lost time.

I haven’t had the chance to do much music buying lately, as my bank account’s been slightly restricting as of late. However, my birthday is this coming weekend (Valentine’s day, a blessing and a curse) and I’m using that as an excuse to head over to Schoolkids and buy me some new jams. What kind of jams? Well, there’s only three non-local records that are on my list right now (new ones from Animal Collective, Antony & The Johnsons, and Bon Iver). There are several local records, however, that I really want. First off, there’s Hymns For A Dark Horse and Bury The Square, the debut records by Bowerbirds and Megafaun, respectively (Megafaun have a new one on the way and if the new songs they played the Cat’s Cradle show I caught recently are any indication, this one will be just as great as the first). I’m headed up to Boone this coming weekend and both bands’ take on folk (Bowerbirds’ being dark and haunting, Megafaun abstract and rambling, both reflective) would serve as an excellent soundtrack to a weekend driving around the mountains. Then there’s the new debut from The Love Language, with their excellent lo-fi take on 50′s pop. Lonnie Walker, with their rambling folk rock, are quickly becoming one of my favorite bands, and I’m holding my breath waiting for the release of their debut record, as well as the new one Schooner is working on.

One of my favorite releases of the past decade was Hotel Lights‘ self-titled debut, full of melancholy and beautiful folk-pop gems. I’ve spun their new one, Firecracker People, on my show a few times, but have yet to pick the record up This must change, as everything I have heard off the record has been excellent. I’ve managed to catch EAR PWR‘s dance party live show three times within the past couple months, and am dying to pick up some of their records. Same goes for Greenville ex-pats Future Islands (who also have some great new songs). There are great new records from David Karsten Daniels and Gray Young.

My record collection is calling out for the wonderful, Cat Power-like musings of Alina Simone. New ones from I Was Totally Destroying It and The ExMonkeys are on their way. The fact of the matter is, out of all the new records coming out, for the most part, the best ones seem to be coming either from acts right here in North Carolina or NC ex-pats. And that’s saying something. Time to go buy me some records

Merge organized a morning concert on the last day of early voting (9am the morning after Haloween) to encourage music fans to vote. Bowerbirds played, as well as Megafaun, Billy Bragg, Superchunk, Ivan Howard, the dBs and a few others.

Ever since the release of Hymns for a Dark Horse on local label Burlytime Records, Bowerbirds have been destined for big things. In short order, the record garnered glowing reviews from indie trendsetters Pitchfork Media and Prefix magazine and rose to the top of WKNC’s indie rock charts. Within a year they were signed to big-time indie-folk imprint Dead Oceans (part of Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar) and went on to tour with the Mountain Goats. Simply put, the Bowerbirds rose through the ranks of the music world at a meteoric rate.

Bowerbirds’ music is characterized by uniquely minimalist arrangements and melodies paired to stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and their debut LP is a concept album of sorts; its 12 songs discuss the conflicts of civilization versus the nature and humanity.

Naturally, with such material, you might consider Bowerbirds to be a ’cause band,’ and, indeed, they tackle the subject of environmentalism with fairly blunt words. Through clever songwriting, though, they avoid the adversarial tone that so many bands with a cause seem to convey; instead, they radiate an earthy idealism that wouldn’t seem too out of place in a Thoreau novel.

Nowhere is it more clear that Bowerbirds is an exceptional band than in concert. With even more sparce instrumentation than in thier album, they manage to create an even more full sound. They will be the final performers Friday night at the Double Barrel Benefit, taking the stage after Schooner.

Last Night around 10pm WKNC’s web server bottomed out and took a nose dive off of the cliff of life, no doubt due to an ecstasy overload caused by our Local Music Invasion.  WKNC webmaster DJ Bridges, our engineer Austin,  & Local Music Czar DJ Stevo spent the entire night resuscitating the website back to life in a miracle intensive care recovery.  If these fellows revive themselves in time to make it to the Double Barrel Benefit, please buy them a beer, bake them a cake, or give them a medal or something.  Bridges is still wandering the hallways in a haze, Im trying to send him home.

Because of our web problems, all blog posts from the last 2 days have been lost.  This means our DBB features on Birds of Avalon, Bowerbirds & Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies, as well as several album reviews and promotional posts are no longer available.  There is not a definite timeline on getting these back up, but we will most certainly try, especially the DBB Features, which all of those bands more than deserve for playing at this years event.

In the meantime, if you have not been paying attention (or didn’t read the blog that has since been deleted), yesterday & today on WKNC we will be airing ONLY local music through our airwaves to get everyone pumped for this years Double Barrel Benefit.  Its called the Local Music Invasion.  100% local music on Thursday’s Daytime is going to carry over until today as we will air North Carolina tunes all the way through the Local Beat which ends at 8pm.

Then, beginning at 8pm, we will begin live broadcasting from the Pour House and will air the entire first night of Double Barrel Benefit in its entirety.  A live benefit show coming through our airwaves, nothing is better than that!

However, this will trump Friday Night Request Rock & Chainsaw this evening, but fear not, those shows will resume broadcasting once again next week.

Set your calendars For Friday February 6th, and Saturday February 7th for WKNC’s annual Double Barrel Benefit #6 at the Pour House in downtown Raleigh.  Both nights are loaded with 8 of the best bands in our area for a small price, with all proceeds going to WKNC & NC State Student Media.

Prices are $7 in advance and $9 at the door.  There is a $5 surcharge for all attendees under 21.

Bands on Friday include (in order of appearance):
Lonnie Walker
Lost in the Trees
Schooner
Bowerbirds

Bands on Saturday include (in order of appearance):
I Was Totally Destroying It
Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies
Birds of Avalon
Polvo

WKNC will be broadcasting live from the site both nights.

Throughout the next month WKNC will begin featuring exclusive blogs about each of these fantastic bands leading up to the show.  Be on the lookout for those as well as listening to each of these bands on WKNC 88.1 fm.

In addition, the two days leading up to the show, WKNC will play 100% Local Music during its Daytime Format.   More information on this later.