Last week I had the chance to interview the guys from Hooray For Earth before they played at Cats Cradle in Carrboro alongside The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Surfer Blood (for a full run down of the show make sure to check out the post detailing the show here). We discussed their latest EP entitled Momo, future plans for a full length, how they all met each other, how they got the name Hooray for Earth, and much more. Below I have put the interview in its entirety so enjoy!

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Album art for Klaxons' Surfing the Void

1. Matt & Kim have announced a massive tour with a show in Carborro at Cats Cradle in October. The duo plans on returning to the area after the band plays several festivals and shows including Lollapalooza.(via Pitchfork)

2. Justin Vernon, more commonly known as Bon Iver, is set to play alongside Megafaun at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham this September. The two acts will collaborate for three nights, and the two plan on holding several conversations at Duke and the surrounding area the week of September 13. (via Triangle Music)

3. Interpol has signed back to Matador records. After releasing their 2007 album Our Love to Admire on Capitol, the band is set to release their album this year on their old record label. (via Paste)

4. Klaxons, who haven’t made much noise in the music world since their debut album in 2007, have announced plans to release their sophomore album this fall. The album is entitled Surfing the Void and contains one of the most interesting album covers in recent memory. (via Pitchfork)

5. Dave Sitek is set to record an album alongside Karen O, and it will be released in August. The album is set to have a more dance based feeling. Sitek told NME, “I had total freedom when I was making this record, so when I was recording it, it felt like I was putting everything into one basket and letting it float off into space.” (via NME)

by Tommyboy and Spaceman Spiff

Atmosphere is not the only thing that matters for a show, but few will argue against it’s utmost importance.  The atmosphere at the Cat’s Cradle on the 15^th was, forgive the term, awesome.  Laid back and congenial, the three bands on the bill obviously got along like good friends.  The Cradle was one of the last stops on their long tour together and the amicable vibe that evening was reinforced when each band mentioned the stop to be of personal significance.

Hooray For Earth performed first

The first to play was NYC-based Hooray For Earth (who had earlier in the day paid a visit to the WKNC studio for a live interview with our very own DJ Ones).  Several of their instruments appeared to be held together with duct tape, an eccentric detail that complimented the marvelously ramshackle nature of their music.  Their songs were slightly off-kilter and poppy and their set was high in energy.  Especially intense was the presence of two on-stage percussionists.

Surfer Blood singer John Paul Pitts taking a pose

Following in rather quick succession, as opposed to the customary half-hour wait between bands, the much-lauded West Palm Beach, Florida, natives Surfer Blood took the stage.  The performance was prefaced with lead singer JP Pitts voicing the notion that “we’re all the same; you guys are just like us, and we are just like you.”  After plucking the opening notes of “Take It Easy,” Pitts slyly asked the audience, “Do you want the guitar on or off?”  His question was met with a few seconds of stunned silence.  Surely the musicians behind one of the best guitar albums of recent memory, Astro Coast, would want to thrill us with their riffs?  The response for “on” was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, and for the rest of their set Pitts ran around the stage taking power stances, holding his ax like a gun.  The energy of the evening built to the soaring one-two punch of “Swim” (for which all willing guests were invited onto the stage) and “Anchorage.”  With calm confidence, the band masterfully captured the rich and spacious sound of their album.

Surfer Blood were joined onstage by members of the audience during "Swim"

Kip Berman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart took the stage after a short break to play a solo rendition of “Contender” before his full band took their places behind him.  With his band poised to start, Berman shyly asked the crowd, “Are you ready to rock?”  The band proceeded to breeze through pop gem after glorious pop gem only to peak with the catchy fuzz of “Young Adult Friction” and their new single “Say No To Love.”  If Surfer Blood is a guitar band, then the Pains are certainly a drums band.  Kurt Feldman, who also fronts the equally fuzzed-out band The Depreciation Guild, plays enchanting beats to which many people in the audience were enthusiastically air drumming.  JP Pitts of Surfer Blood and Gary Benacquista of Hooray For Earth gleefully appeared at the right moments to dance onstage and add frantic shakes of their tambourines.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

As if the aggregate experience of these acts was not enough, members of all three bands took the stage for the encore, abiding by the crowd’s fervent request for their rendition of Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” (see below for a video of a similarly energetic performance of the song in Orlando).  With everyone in the room grooving along to the song, it wasn’t clear who was enjoying themselves more: the musicians or the audience.  Quite simply, everyone was experiencing the joys of celebrating music together.

(Video source: Pitchfork)

Conan O'Brien with Jack White Courtesy of teamcoco.com

1. Bloc Party’s front man Kele Okereke has admitted that he is unsure about the band’s future as he gets ready to release his debut album The Boxer. The band is currently on a year long break and plans for the band to reunite are currently uncertain. (via NME)

2. Bryce Dessner of The National has revealed that the band will be appearing on the next album by Sufjan Stevens. Stevens is currently recording his upcoming album in Brooklyn. Dessner added, “It’s going to be incredible. It’s going to probably blow people’s minds.” (via Exclaim!)

3. Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney has revealed plans for her first solo album. The album, which has yet to be named, will be released sometime this fall, and she is planning to complete a brief tour following the release. (via Pitchfork)

4. The Strokes played their first show in four years when they took the stage in London last week. Playing 18 songs, the band did not release any new material. The Strokes plan to hit the festival circuit in the summer. (via NME)

5. Jack White recently took the stage with Conan O’Brien, playing an intimate show to 300 people at White’s Third Man Record Studios in Nashville. The two played everything including White Stripes‘ classic Seven “Nation Army,” Radiohead’s “Creep,” and many more. (via Spin)

WKNC 88.1 FM is back on top with the release of Independent Weekly’s 2010 Best in the Triangle Reader’s Choice poll. WKNC earned the title of Best College Radio Station after the category was divided into college and commercial categories this year. The station was a finalist for Best Radio Station in 2009 and won top honors in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. WKNC’s DJ Ones was also named a finalist for Best Radio DJ, one of four WKNC DJs to honored in the last five years.

Independent Weekly’s Greg Lowenhagen stopped by the WKNC studio Thursday afternoon to present General Manager Tommy Anderson with the station’s award and talk about Independent Weekly’s Hopscotch Music Festival September 9-11 in Raleigh.

Last Tuesday, June 1, I sat down with the guys from Free Energy who had fought their way through the terrible weather and traffic to make it to our studios on NC State campus to talk with us about a wide variety of topics. We discussed the process behind creating their debut album Stuck on Nothing, the role of LCD Soundsystem’s great James Murphy, their work with music videos, their current tour, and their plans for the future. If you missed on the live version of the interview you can listen to it in its entirety below!

DJ Ones (far left) with Free Energy

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On Wednesday, June 2, before their performance in Carborro (which you can read all about here), I, DJ Ones, got the chance to sit down with bassist Davey Pierce from Of Montreal. In addition to speak about Of Montreal’s process behind creating a record, Davey gave us the scoop about their 2010 release. Davey also talked about the planning that goes in to creating the elaborate performances the band are known for and more. If you were late to listening to the interview, below it is posted in its entirety.

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Brock (left) with Rokoff and Mayor Adams (far right) Courtesy of Mayor Sam Adams

1. Following a handful of terrible news, Interpol has announced that they have a new bassist in David Pajo. The band has also announced their upcoming album will be called Interpol and is set to release sometime in September. (via Pitchfork)

2. Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun has revealed that he hasn’t spoken to his bandmate Nick Littlemore since last February. But Steele isn’t put off by not seeing Littlemore saying, “Once it (the tour) starts it becomes the norm. You’ve got to keep the show on the road. This is rock ‘n’ roll.” (via NME)

3. Portland Mayor Sam Adams has, among other things, a portrait of Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock. The singer, who is standing in front of a boar, dressed in lederhosen, and holding a guitar, recently stopped by the mayor’s office to see the portrait that Alexander Rokoff created in person and answer a few question with the artist about it. (via Pitchfork)

4. MGMT has released rather specific details on their new audio recording at live shows. The band will have special sections at live shows where fans will be allowed to record the band and they will be prohibited to record anywhere outside of this reserved area. The band is still prohibiting video recording. (via NME)

5. Belle and Sebastian has announced their first tour in quite some time. The band is planning on a short tour with about nine dates in the U.S. in the fall. The band is also close to finishing off their next album saying they were in “final stages of recording the new album.” (via Spinner)

I have another amazing privilege in getting the chance to interview Of Montreal tomorrow night at 5 p.m.! Of Montreal plays later that night at Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, and you can hear their interview with me, DJ Ones, before you head out to the show.

Of Montreal

Of Montreal is the spectacular band from Athens, Georgia, whose career has spanned the better part of almost two decades. The band has released over ten full length albums with one more entitled False Priest coming sometime later this year. The band has reached growing levels of success over the past decade with their 2007 album Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? reaching number 72 on the Billboard Charts, and their 2008 release Skeletal Lamping reaching 38.

And if you have questions for the band leave, them in the comment section below or tweet them to @wknc881

Kathryn Calder Courtesy of Caleb Beyers

1. Arcade Fire has announced specifics for their upcoming album entitled The Suburbs. Earlier in the week, the band released a special 12” single with two songs from the upcoming album. They have also announced a release date in early August. (via NME)

2. MIA has recently tweeted the phone number of a New York Times journalist who recently published an article that detailed the artist in an unflattering light. In response Lynn Hirschberg, the writer whose number was publicly released, responded saying, “She’s a provocateur, and provocateurs want to be provocative.” Hirschberg also stated that she found MIA’s response, “not surprising.” (via Guardian)

3. Due to Bono’s recent back surgery, U2 had to cancel their upcoming tour and headlining of Glastonbury. It was then later released that the band that would be replacing U2 at the upcoming festival would be Gorillaz instead. (via BBC)

4. The New Pornographers‘ Kathryn Calder is set to release her own solo album on August 10th. Following fellow bandmates including Neko Case, Calder’s first solo album is entitled Are You My Mother? (via Pitchfork)

5. David Byrne is suing the Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, alleging that the Talking Heads’ song “Road to Nowhere” was used in an advertisement without permission or proper licensing. Byrne is seeking $1 million in damages. (via ABC)

I, DJ Ones, will have the privilege of interviewing Free Energy next Tuesday at 4pm right here on 88.1 FM. Remember you can always stream the interview live on WKNC.org/listen. The band will come in before their show at Local 506 alongside Jukebox The Ghost, and another KNC favorite Minature Tigers.

Free Energy

Free Energy is one of the fastest rising bands in the nation right now. Since the release of their debut album Stuck on Nothing, the band has gone from receiving high praise from Pitchfork, Uncut, and Spin, and they have been named one of the best new bands of 2010 by Rolling Stone.

After hearing their music on WKNC, make sure you check out their live interview before what is sure to be an excellent show at Local 506. Oh and if you haven’t heard them before, you could always listen to one of my favorite songs, “Bang Pop,” below:

The National Courtesy of Akmal Naim

1. It has been discovered that there are two hidden tracks off of The Dead Weather’s latest album “Sea of Cowards.” The tracks are hidden on the limited edition split color vinyl and are located on the record’s center label. (via Pitchfork)

2. Bonnie “Prince” Billy is releasing a free single through Adult Swim as apart of the Adult Swim Single Series; where each week one artist releases a free single to the public. The series is set to run for a total of 8 weeks. (via Pitchfork)

3. The Roots have enlisted the help of the women of Dirty Projectors with The Roots’ upcoming album “How I Got Over.” The album is set to release June 22nd. (via Pitchfork)

4. For the first time since the tragic death of their drummer !!! has announced details on their upcoming album, and they have released a new tract that accompanies the new release as well. The album entitled “Strange Weather, Isn’t It?” is set to release August 24th. (via Pitchfork)

5. The National stormed the top of the Billboards charts with the release of their latest album “High Violet”. The album opened at number 3 selling 51,000 copies.(via Pitchfork)

Xiu Xiu Courtesy of Huy Ngo

1. Record Store Day 2010 broke records (get it?) as being the biggest one yet. Stores across the country reported their biggest sales dates of the year. (via Pitchfork)

2. Xiu Xiu wants your hair. Yes, the art-pop band wants locks of your hair for their upcoming music video. The idea is that you hand them locks of your hair at shows and get some swag from the band. Currently the band is planning on filming themselves lighting the hair on fire while saying the name of the person who the hair had belonged to and inhaling the smoke. Yep. (via Pitchfork)

3. The Kills report that they are three-fourths of the way complete with their follow-up with to 2008’s “Midnight Boom.” The band is planning on completing the album when Alison Mosshart finishes up touring with The Dead Weather. (via NME)

4. Guitarist Johnny Marr has unveiled plans to compose the soundtrack to the upcoming film by Tony Kratz, “The Big Bang.” (via NME)

5. Front man of The Decemberists, Colin Meloy, is set to expand his writing career with a new deal with Harper-Collins. He is set to write three novels that are intended for a adolencent audience, much like his previous work books. (via Pitchfork)

Broken Social Scene Courtesy of Dave Gillespie

1. You Say Party! We Say Die!’s drummer Devon Clifford passed away after a gig the band was playing in Vancover. After collapsing on stage, the band asked fans to call 911, and Clifford was soon after rushed to a near-by hospital. Clifford died on the April 18th after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage. Clifford was 30-years-old. (via NME)

2. Broken Social Scene has announced that they will be releasing a bonus EP alongside their upcoming full length. The EP will be available to those who either pre-order or purchase a physical copy of the album. The 10 track EP is entitled “Lo-Fi for the Dividing Nights.” (via Pitchfork)

3. The collaboration between Danger Mouse, Mark Linkous, and David Lynch entitled “Dark Night of the Soul” will be officially released July 13th in the US. The album is dedicated to Vic Chesnutt who died after contributing to the album. The official release also comes after the suicide of Linkous. The album was initially leaked online and the collaboration originally “released” the album as a picture book including photos by Lynch with a blank CD that had a sticker on it which said, “Use it as you will.” (via NME)

4. Crystal Castles are to rush-release their upcoming album. The change in dates is coming after their upcoming full length was leaked online. This comes alongside the news that, along with many other bands, Crystal Castles had to cancel tour dates due to volcanic ash that has been interfering with European airlines. (via NME)

5. Phoenix are set to score an upcoming film by Sofia Coppola. The band will be doing the soundtrack for Coppola’s next flick entitled “Somewhere” which is due out in the fall. (via Pitchfork)

Cobain/Gosling/McAvoy Courtesy of Spin

1. The Antlers have announced that they are releasing a free ep. The two track ep is entitled, “New York Hospitals” and includes a brief introduction to their popular song, “Sylvia.” Alongside the free ep, the band have released a music video for their song “Sylvia.” (via Pitchfork)

2. Crystal Castles have announced that they are set to release their second full length. Just like the first album, their second will also be titled “Crystal Castles.” The new LP is set to release in North America on June 8th through Fiction records. (via Pitchfork)

3. Wavves‘ front man Nathan Williams has announced on the band’s blog that they are currently in the mixing process for their sophomore album. Williams enthusiastically wrote on the blog, “SOUNDS CARAAAZAAAAAAYYY AND WILL BE OUT THIS SUMMER. SEEEEEE YA!” (via Pitchfork)

4. Supergrass has sadly announced that they will be breaking up. Jokingly the band cited a “17 year itch” for the reason for breaking up. They were working on a new album before the announcement of their breakup. No plans have been announced if they will release this material. The band will make the split official after their upcoming tour is finished. (via NME)

5. Rumors that Rob Pattinson will be playing the role of Kurt Cobain in the biopic about the 90s grunge rocker. Courtney Love’s manager has since denied rumors that the part would be going to the “Twilight” actor. Love told the Canadian Press, “Isn’t that so stupid? Who would cast him?” When given her direct opinion who would be best to play Kurt, Love mentioned both Ryan Gosling and James McAvoy. (Spin)