Girls Rock North Carolina is a nonprofit organization focused on empowering girls and women to become confident and engaged members of their community through creative expression. The program uses music as a way to build community and self-esteem by centering around creativity, confidence, and collaboration. The organization’s biggest program is Rock Camp for Girls. The camp is a one week summer event in which campers between the ages 9-16 are instructed in an instrument of their choice, form bands, and write original music with their peers. This year the event is the week of July 22nd at Saint Mary’s School. Activities between band practices include attending workshops on songwriting, self defense, DIY, zine making, deejaying, body confidence, and more. During their time at camp, the girls are mentored by musicians, educators, and activists. The week concludes with a showcase at King’s in downtown Raleigh on Friday, July 26th at 6:00 pm.

No musical background or instrument are necessary to participate! If you sign up your girls before March 1st, then the $10 registration fee is waived!

To register follow this link!

Thursday, February 14th- Art Lord & the Self-Potraits, GOOGOOLOO, and Lonnie Walker at Kings Barcade, 9pm

While there are many great shows this week that can all be seen here at the Rock Report, there is one show that rises above all the rest. As you probably know, we here at WKNC worship the North Carolina bred synth-pop fanatics Future Islands.  But what you might not know is that Future Islands was not the first endeavor of Samuel Herring, William Cashion, and Gerrit Welmers.  Before Future Islands, the three of them were in a band with Adam Beeby called Art Lord & the Self-Potraits.  They played their first show 10 years ago on Valentine’s Day.  The band toured vigorously around North Carolina as well as a tour with Dan Deacon up and down the East Coast. After 2 years of existence, they laid the Art Lord to rest and started Future Islands.

This Valentine’s Day, Art Lord & the Self-Potraits are getting back together for a 10 year anniversary of their first show to release a double LP retrospective off Friend’s Records entitled The Definitive Collection.  This release is their first vinyl release to date and compiles songs from their four albums.  The show is at Kings Barcade this Thursday at 9pm. Brian Corum opens with a special solo Lonnie Walker set followed by GOOGOOLOO. Art-Lord and the Self-Potraits will then close out the night which is sure to be one of the best shows of this year.  So grab your loved one and come on out to the show.

—
You can check out one of the remastered tracks that will be on the upcoming release here. These songs were all remastered by Talk Normal’s Sarah Register.

Check out a synopsis from Samuel Herring of how Art Lord & the Self-Potraits came to be below:

“AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 1980’S, THE SPECTRUM OF MUSIC AND ART WERE BEING BLOWN WIDE OPEN. THE WORLD WAS CHANGING AND THE PEOPLE WANTED A STAR, AN ICON, TO CHALLENGE THEIR MODE OF THINKING. SOMEONE THEY COULD FOLLOW, WHETHER TO WATCH THEM ASCEND OR PLUMMET INTO THE HISTORY OF TEXTBOOK LORE.

AT THE AGE OF 18, LOCKE ERNST-FROST, WOULD BE SUCH A MAN. PROPELLED INTO BEING—LOCKE—THE SELF-PROCLAIMED, GERMAN LORD OF ART (FROM GERMANY, OHIO), THE NEW YORK ART SCENE BY STORM. GIVING HIS ONE OF A KIND VIEWPOINTS ON THE BANALITY OF LIFE, HE TORE APART THE AMERICAN POP CULTURE IDOLATRY, AND CHASTISED THE WORLD AUDIENCE’S FOOLISHNESS FOR FALLING FOR SUCH SIMPLE TRICKS.

HOWEVER, THIS PROVED TO BE TOO GREAT OF A CHALLENGE FOR THE YOUNG MAN. WHILE THE WORLD HERALDED HIM AS THE SAVIOR OF ART, HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS BECOMING THE THING THAT HE DESPISED. THE SPOTLIGHT WAS TOO GREAT, THE LEVEL OF OBSERVATION TOO HIGH. HE WANTED TO ESCAPE THE LIFE HE HAD CREATED. AND SO, AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 19 HE BANISHED HIMSELF FROM THE SPOTLIGHT, TO A BUNKER IN ZURICH, NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

FLASH FORWARD, FEBRUARY 2003, LOCKE ERNST-FROST EMERGES FROM THE BANKS OF THE TAR RIVER, IN THE SMALL, COLLEGE TOWN OF GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. IT HAS BEEN TWO DECADES SINCE THE ART LORD HAS SPOKEN, AND NO ONE KNOWS HIS NAME. THE MYTH. ERNST-FROST HAS BEEN IN SECLUSION FOR THE LAST TWENTY YEARS TRYING TO CRACK THE AESTHETIC CODE. HE HAS SPENT EVERYDAY, SINCE HIS RETIREMENT, DREAMING, SCULPTING AND PAINTING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD. HIMSELF. AFTER BEING SET AWAY FOR SO LONG, HE BELIEVED IT WAS TIME TO FINALLY STEP OUT OF THE DARKNESS, AND SING TO THE WORLD HIS TALES OF WOE.

AFTER AUDITIONING MUSICIANS FOR HIS PROJECT, HE REALIZED IT WAS FRUITLESS. NO ONE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY FOR HIM. DETERMINED, HE GAVE LIFE TO THE ONLY BEINGS WHO WERE WORTHY TO STAND ON THE STAGE BESIDE HIM, FOUR TEARS DROPPED ON CANVAS, AND HIS SELF-PORTRAITS WERE BORN. TOGETHER, THEY SET OUT, LOCKE, #1, #2, #3, AND #4. FINALLY, THE ART LORD AND HIS SELF-PORTRAITS, COULD TELL THEIR STORY TO THE WORLD…HOW HARD IT IS, TO BE, SO GREAT.”

Tonight on the Local Beat we are back to another jam packed program with several local bands releasing new albums.

On Tuesday Durham band I Was Totally Destroying It released their sixth album, Vexations. The album has been streaming here all week in anticipation for their release party tomorrow evening at Motorco Music Hall in Durham and I must admit, I am quite smitten. We will be chatting with the members at 5pm today and while the group has been on the program almost a dozen times now and are always charming and fun, as is their music.

For the second hour we will have the pleasure of being joined in studio by the guys of American Aquarium. Front man BJ Barham has been on the Local Beat many times but this will mark the first that he will be joined by his band mates. American Aquarium has released 7 albums now, including one EP and one live full length, and their newest, Burn. Flicker. Die., is to be released tomorrow evening at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh.

For the last hour of the evening we will be joined for the first time, about half way through by Wilmington electronica group Dash. If you listen to the Local Lunch you will recognize the bands dancey electronic pop song “Into The Sounds” which has been quite a bit of airplay. You might also want to head to Kings Barcade after the interview to check the group out live.

As always, the fun starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.! Be sure to follow the Local Beat on Twitter or Facebook and download tons of free local music on our ReverbNation page!

Lower Dens have had a good year. With the release of “Nootropics” in early May and overwhelmingly positive reviews afterwards, they have had one of the greatest stretches in their still young career. On top of this recent success recording, I took the trip to see how it would translate live at Kings during their show on Thursday June 21.

The evening kicked off with a non-musical act, something not expected and pretty entertaining. Alan Resnick took the stage as a man who has created the perfect digital copy of himself. His set continued as the comfortably awkward, passive-aggressive comedian interacted with his computer generated likeness albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, all as a part of the joke. It was a new and pleasing experience, as his set was fast enough to keep things moving and different and entertaining enough to keep the experience fresh.

Next it was time for No Joy to shine, a band I had only the minimal amount of experience with before. Their mid-tempo rock could range everywhere from slower hazy surfer rock to faster paced, mid-tempo Yuck-esque drone. If anything, their show demonstrated the growing sense of potential that the band has moving forward, something altogether exciting to look forward to.

However, the highlight of the night was clearly to be expected in Lower Dens’ performance. It was a fairly even mixture of tracks from their new album “Nootropics” and “Twin-Hand Movements.” The sound, which was once again excellent in Kings, proved to be one of the key factors in the success of the show. Their tracks came across as clearly as the record would have intended, and their precision was so spot on that you could tell there was a real sense of chemistry between each of the members. There was a consistently dreamy atmosphere surrounding Kings, as constantly changing patterns reflected on the band and the back of the stage complimented the beautiful shoe-gaze tracks that Lower Dens played. For a show that was not particularly long, it felt as if the show had been going on for days. However, this was the kind of show where you would not mind. One beautiful track after another accumulated for a hypnotizing performance and an amazing night for music in downtown Raleigh.

Last Friday, Jan. 13, on The Local Beat we had two very special guests join us. At 5 p.m. the Kickin’ Grass Band popped in for the first time in about a year to promote their 10th Anniversary Show at the Carolina Theatre the following night. There were plenty of laughs and anecdotes as the band shared stories with us from the past 10 years. Take a listen below:

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At 6 p.m. the quartet from Monoslang joined the program to discuss the group’s new self-titled EP. The band has only been together in this lineup for six weeks and in that time they booked a show at Kings Barcade, recorded a 3-song EP and released it. Quite a busy six weeks! Listen to the interview below to hear their story:

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A few mid-January concert tickets are up for grabs this week. Listen in to WKNC to win!

Friday, Jan. 20: Raleigh’s Finest Dance Party feat. Fuck the Biters at Kings Barcade

Friday, Jan. 20: Brand New Life with The Black Experience at Pinhook

Sunday, Jan. 22: Anthony Green with The Dear Hunter at Cat’s Cradle

The Local Beat is back this week with the first of many guests in 2012.

At 5 p.m. long-time regulars on the program, the Kickin’ Grass Band, will be back in studio. KGB has been hard at work for the past year travelling and touring across our great nation but are finally playing another show in our area tomorrow night. It is a special event as well; the band has officially been together for 10 years and this will be the “Ten Year Anniversary Show.” The concert is tomorrow night in Durham’s Carolina Theatre with the Apple Hill Cloggers and other special guests. Tickets are $15 and available at www.carolinatheatre.org  and www.pinecone.org,  by phone at (919) 560-3030 or toll free (888) 241-8162, or at the Carolina Theatre box office. The band will be playing live in studio as usual and I will be asking them to share some stories from the past 10 years.

At 6 p.m. we will be welcoming in a new band to The Local Beat, one that has been creating quite a bit of publicity recently. Monoslang, a new group from Raleigh, will be showing up to chat about their new self titled EP which is slated to be released tomorrow night at Kings Barcade in downtown Raleigh. Monoslang is made up of four area musicians who mic trip-hop, post-rock, and indie together to form a very unique sound. I will talk with the group about their history and sound and listen to some of the new tunes off of the EP.

Minor Stars and No Eyes are also playing the show which will cost $5 and start at 10 p.m.

As always, the fun starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.! Be sure to follow the Local Beat on Twitter or Facebook and download tons of free local music on our ReverbNation page!

Monday night at Kings Barcade, Givers visited Raleigh with two special guests, hometown friends imagineIAM and Michigan-based Lord Huron.

imagineIAM has a very unique sound – big on drums and everything you can do with them. This was their first tour, so the crowd and other performers that night joined in on the excitement.

imagineIAM's set list

Lord Huron joined the stage next. They mixed indie pop with folk elements, creating an interesting sound. I hadn’t heard of them before, but it’s a band I would love to revisit. With ukuleles, guitars, shakers and drums, the band’s last song was fitting – “When Will I See You Again.”

Givers took the stage around 11p.m. Their first full-length studio album, “In Light,” was released June 2011. I fell in love

 with the 51-minute album immediately. When I heard they were coming to Raleigh I couldn’t wait. The indie pop band from Lafayette, Louisiana is a five-piece that plays about twice that number of instruments on stage. Tiffany Lamson banged on drums with a uke on her back and dabbling with a fringe-laced xylophone on some songs. Taylor Guarisco, the other main vocalist, danced spaztically around on stage, jumping, kicking, and shaking his booty. The band had great

 chemistry – they joked around with each other during and between their upbeat songs. Everything sounded just as good, if not better, than the recordings on the album. The vocals were amazing, and seeing how the music was made was something I wasn’t expecting. Drummer and vocalist Kirby Campbell kept complex and interesting beats all night, Nick Stephan switched instruments every few songs (flute, saxophone, keyboard), and bassist and guitarist Josh LeBlanc danced around alternating between the two.

 

Setlist for Givers

On Monday, Oct. 12 at King’s Barcade, Make, The Proselyte and Thou played an excellent show. Put on by Primitive Ways this show was heavier than any other that has come through Raleigh in a while.

Make

Hailing from Chapel Hill, Make was a great opener for this show. Heavy, sludgy doom that had a bold psychedelic flavor; Make produces some very excellent metal. Support local music and check these guys out here: Make

The Proselyte

A nice addition from Cambridge, Mass., The Proselyte bridged the psychedelic feel of the show to a strangely happy yet still dark feeling. These guys brought some great metal to Raleigh, and it was very enjoyable to watch. I’ve never seen a drummer sing and drum so quickly. A very excellent band; both of their releases have been highly rated (Sunshine (2011) and The Proselyte (2007)). Check them here: The Proselyte.

Thou

Holy Dio. This is probably one of my favorite bands that I have seen in 2011. Coming up from Louisiana, these guys played on the floor and had one of the most energetic shows I’ve been to in awhile. I couldn’t get many pictures so you’re just going to have to regret not getting your eardrums covered in the sludgy, heavy goodness that is Thou. This five piece really blew me away with their show. I must admit two things helped; one, their excellent blog that allowed me to download their music and two, they played a kick-ass cover of Black Sabbaths Into the Void. Gnarly, dude.

Overall, as I have previously stated, this was and probably will be one of my favorite shows of 2011. It was heavy and covered in slimy, doom-y sludge. Good job to Primitive Ways for really knowing how to book a good lineup and to the bands, Make, The Proselyte and Thou, for giving Raleigh an excellent Monday night.

-It

From the genesis of N.C. State’s radio in 1922 to the first broadcast on WKNC 88.1 FM with a 10-watt transmitter to current day 25,000-watt WKNC, Raleigh has been privileged to have a radio station dedicated to providing an alternative to mainstream radio. Oct. 9 marked 45 years of WKNC and to celebrate we are giving you, fellow listeners, the chance to come out and party hardy with a FREE show on Friday, Oct. 14.

Kings Barcade and Diggup Tapes will host the big event where Stu McLamb from The Love Language, Lonnie Walker, Juan Huevos, and Hidden Cat will fill your sound holes with pleasing and body moving vibes. Stu McLamb will be opening with a solo cover song performance and YOU can help choose the songs. Check out the Facebook Event and leave suggestions in the comment portion.

The early bird gets the worm at this event as WKNC will be giving away party favors to the first 20 guests! The cake is also not a lie at this birthday bash as it will be ready and waiting for your consumption as well as screen printed T-shirts for purchase.

All the cool kids are going to this happenin’ soiree, so be cool and come celebrate WKNC’s 45th birthday!

Friday, Sept. 2 on “The Local Beat” is the first live program since July and it is jammed full of some amazing guests.

Last year we had Independent Weekly Music Editor and Hopscotch Music Festival Curator  Grayson Currin on the program for a full three hours to talk about the first ever Hopscotch. This year we toned it down a bit and Grayson, along with Hopscotch Marketing Director Greg Lowenhagen are coming in for one hour from 5-6 p.m. Join us as we chat about this year’s festival from the eyes of the men behind it.

At 6 p.m. local hip-hop act Kooley High is dropping in for the first time in quite awhile. The group is playing at Kings Barcade with King Mez, HaLo, and Drique London. The show is all ages and cost $1, with the starting time planned for around 10 p.m. I’ll be catching up with Kooley High and talking hip-hop.

The final hour of the show will belong to Hunter MacDermut, aka The Tourist, who is releasing a brand new 12 track album Sept. 3 at Marsh Woodwinds in Raleigh. Scott Phillips (of Goner, Monologue Bombs, and about 20 other local bands) will be opening and the show at 8 p.m. Hunter and I are going to talk about the new album and the show and spin some tracks off of it.

As always “The Local Beat” starts at 5 p.m. and runs through 8 p.m. every Friday evening on WKNC. Listen live here and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and ReverbNation!

Earlier this year, Hooray For Earth released their first proper LP “True Loves,” an album characterized by loud, sharp synths and poppy vocals. Prior to their performance at King’s Barcade for Deja Mi, the band was kind enough to stop by the WKNC studios for an interview.

We’ve uploaded the audio in its entirety for you to listen to here! Hear what the band had to say about filming the music video for “True Loves,” their upcoming September concert with Cymbals Eat Guitars at Local 506, and the thrills of sleep exhaustion while on tour!

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Primitive Ways Records presented Snake Baptist (N.C.), RBT (N.C.) and F*uck the Facts (Canada)

July 23, 2011 at Kings Barcade

Snake Baptist: These guys were a riot. Slapping people and punching holes in the wall all while playing some solid, what has be described as turboviolence. Excellent to watch, excellent to listen to; hope these dude play again soon. (I’ll snap some shots when I see them play again.)

RBT: Renegade Bong Tyrants or they could be the renegade beard tyrants (all members have impressive beards). These dudes have laid it out every time I have seen them. Awesome vocals with killer guitar, bass and drums deliver complete hardcore havoc.

The Bong Tyrants

F*ck the Facts: I have to say in the past two months I’ve never liked Canada so much. Three bands have ventured from their motherland down south to play in Raleigh this summer and F*ck the Facts was the best by far. Overflowing with the energy needed for great grindcore they blew my mind. Awesome drumming, ripping guitar and mesmerizing vocals left my ears wanting more. Basically, these guys were a lot of fun to watch and even more fun to listen to. Also, their art was done by their lead singer Mel and ruled.

F*ck

the

Facts

That is it.

-it.

If you thought last week had a lot of giveaways, just wait until you see this week!

 MOVIE SWAG:

Captain America Prize Pack (Frisbee and movie pins)

7/27:  Advance Screening of The Smurfs 3D @ Regal Movies at North Hills 14

DAYTIME:

7/22: Dex Romweber Duo, Birds of Avalon, Eric Sommer @ Cat’s Cradle

7/22: Moonface @ Kings Barcade

7/23: Simple, Monoslang, Spiralfire @ The Pinhook

7/25: The Submarines, Matt Douglas @ Cat’s Cradle

AFTERHOURS:

Dim Mak T-shirts

CHAINSAW:

7/23: F*ck the Facts @ Kings Barcade

SPECIALTY SHOWS:

7/24: The Devil Makes Three with Mandolin Orange @ Cat’s Cradle

7/27: Lucinda Williams @ North Carolina Museum of Art

Enjoy – and remember to keep your radio locked on WKNC to win these awesome prizes!

This week you can win while listening to The Revolution. You can win hard. Trust me. We’ve got a metric ton of giveaways.

• Yardwork, Nucular Aminals and Clawform @ The Pinhook, 7/14
• Bill Callahan @ Local 506, 7/15
• The Charming Youngsters and The Howlies @ The Pinhook, 7/16
• The Ladybug Transistor, James Husband and T0W3RS @ Kings Barcade, 7/16
• Iris DeMent followed by True Grit (2010) @ North Carolina Museum of Art, 7/16
• Howlies, The Charming Youngsters and Nests @ Kings Barcade, 7/17
• Yob with Dark Castle and US Christmas @ Kings, 7/18

You can also win some 12″ vinyl from The Bloody Beetroots feat. The Cool Kids, Diplo and Laidback Luke as well as T’s from Bloody Beatroots and Steve Aoki.