Looking for a date idea over Valentine’s Day weekend?  Or did you just say “bah humbug” to the idea of Valentine’s Day? Either way, listen to WKNC and you could win tickets to a variety of great shows. We won’t even tell your date that the tickets were free.

Feburary 9:
Blue-Tailed Skinks @ The Pinhook

Blue Tailed Skinks

Feburary 10:
Dance Revolution @ Lincoln Theatre
Diggup Tapes Cassingles Release party @ King’s
Tapes’n'Tapes @ Cat’s Cradle

February 11:
Diggup Tapes Cassingles Night 2 @ King’s
The Moaners @ Slim’s

February 12:
Ben Sollee @ Casbah **my personal Valentine’s Day pick**

Ben Sollee, courtesy of Stan D Payne

February 13:
Veelee @ King’s

Veelee

Inflowential @ The Pour House
Drive By Truckers Documentary @ The Pinhook

February 14 :
Yann Tiersen @ Cat’s Cradle

Yann Tiersen, courtesy of Ivo Kendra

Also, we will be giving away movie tickets to see Hall Pass for Wednesday, February 23 at North Hills.

Don’t stop now! I know you were out all last weekend at Double Barrel Benefit and the weekend before that at Moving Island but you CANNOT stop now! There will be a record release show for DiggUp Tapes on February 10 and 11 at Kings Barcade in Raleigh. Don’t miss the fun and there will be singles and box sets available!!

Thursday night lineup:

Arbor Myst (Multimedia set with help from Bubbly Mommy Gun from Athens, GA),

NAPS (Electronic Set),

Birds of Avalon (Experimental Set)

Whatever Brains (New Wave Set)

Friday Night line up:

Bubbly Mommy Gun (featuring a bunch of Athens dudes plus members of Quiet Hooves),

Fat Camp (from Charlotte),

Embarrassing Fruits and

Lonnie Walker

Show is going to be awesome! DiggUp Tapes will be releasing DiggUp Tapes Cassingles Vol 1 on FEB 15!  But remember, you can get your copy early at the Kings show!!  Twelve of DiggUp’s favorite bands on 6 tape splits. Featuring Whatever Brains, NAPS, Lonnie Walker, Birds of Avalon, Veelee, Motor Skills, Gross Ghost, Yardwork, Embarrassing Fruits, Fat Camp, Arbor Myst (Ben Clack formerly of Dark Meat) and the Snails (Featuring Members of Future Islands). The label was created by the two most attractive men in Raleigh. And they’ve created the most attractive compilation of the year.

DiggUp Tapes itself is currently working with 5 artists:  Lonnie Walker, NAPS, Arbor Myst, Nests, and Nieces and Nephews.

“Raleigh songwriter Brian Corum, who through his band Lonnie Walker will soon be, if there’s any justice, a bonafide Avett-level hero of independent music in the Old North State, created DiggUp Tapes last year with longtime friend Nathan Price. Their plan was simple: promote quality music in danger of being overlooked. Keep the focus local. Do it with rare but affordable tapes and vinyl LPs that have a keepsake quality.

DiggUp’s catalog thus far has featured bands in which Corum and Price are involved (Lonnie Walker, NAPS, Felix the Drum Machine), but the pair was ready to up the ante on an ambitious new project. The Cassingles collection is meant to be a document of North Carolina’s current underground music landscape, uniquely presented as a 12-song compilation divided over six two-band “split” cassettes. Each split has its own artwork, and the tapes can be purchased separately or as a set of six in special packaging.

The 12 artists who contribute exclusive tracks for Cassingles arrive at different stages of development and notoriety, but none is too far removed from humble origins or DIY spirit.

“Cassingles loudly declares that the Triangle’s independent music scene can stand up to any in the country. And while you don’t have to dig nearly as deep as before to find worthwhile music in North Carolina, sometimes having things wrapped up in a nice little package doesn’t hurt. “– Coby Mangum

you can listen here.

So Monotonix played at Kings last Thursday. I had no idea what to expect. I’ve heard that it is a good show and that they are “crazy” but man oh man… my buddies did a horrible job preparing me.

I was sad to leave the battles at Tir Na nOg (we had Shards, RBT, Squall and Thieves) but I could hear Kings beckoning me so I finally departed.  Kings was packed. I grabbed a beer and stood in the middle of the floor, a good spot to watch the band play on stage. But they didn’t play on stage. Monotonix clears a space on the ground and begins. I can’t see a thing and move to sit on the bar where I finally get a look at the insanity.

PBR cans (most with PLENTY of beer left in them) are flying everywhere. The band is crowdsurfing, the audience is crowdsurfing. There is beer in my hair and I’m amazed watching Monotonix literally play ON TOP OF the crowd. A few held up one band member and a few people held up his drum to play. (Did I mention that they are hardly wearing clothes?) I get scared as the band moves in my direction.. the bar. I have to scoot over so they can set up right next to me and a roommate. I’m a bit close for comfort but I was not about to give up my sweet spot. The singer grabs a dollar out of the tip jar, puts it somewhere…. unmentionable… and then throws the dollar down. The band seriously played everywhere but on stage.

(picture from when they played at the old Kings… I didn’t have my camera this night… glad I didn’t.  Who knows what Monotonix would do to it if they got a hold of it???)

Thanks Monotonix.  I had a great time.

We have a few giveaways for this first week of February:

You can see Monotonix at King’s in Raleigh on Feb. 3. This Israeli garage rock band on Drag City Records has toured in the past with Dinosaur Jr. and Silver Jews.

Deerhoof is playing at King’s in downtown Raleigh on Feb. 6. They have been noted as influencing bands like Sleigh Bells, Dirty Projectors, Of Montreal, St. Vincent, and Sufjan Stevens.

If you’re a metal head, you could win tickets to Bull City Metal Fest featuring Caltrop, US Christmas, Colossus, In The Year of the Pig, and much more. This two day event will be at Casbah in Durham on the fourth and fifth of February.

If you’re looking for some more great shows, be sure to check out the rock report, and pay close attention to Double Barrel Benefit 8 this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5 at King’s.

Remember, you have to listen to win!

Saturday, January 22, the second night of the Megafaun weekend, I was lucky enough to get into the sold out show. I got off work at ten thirty and raced over to Kings. Upon entering I found out that I had missed Cloudlines. Super bummed, I reached for a Duck Rabbit Milk Stout. I made my way through the crowd and took a seat at my favorite viewing spot, behind the sound booth. Brad Cook was the first of Megafaun to walk out on stage. The crowd excitedly greeted the rest of the band as they got ready to play. We were greeted back with “What the f*ck did we do to get all of you here tonight,” …or something like that.

After a couple songs, Megafaun talked of the band Megafun and jokingly played one of their super fun, silly, dancy tracks. The show continued, and I stood singing along to my favorite song of theirs, “Volunteers.” I must say it is too good live. Another beer in the show was wrapping up. The audience was still as enthused as when Megafaun first got on stage (some of these guests still enthused since last night’s show).  The show had ended and we clapped ourselves to death until we got our encore. The song would be acoustic. No microphone either. The ENTIRE audience was silent. It was eerie and amazing to have a packed out show fall dead silent to hear what Megafaun was offering us. Following this song Megafaun pulled some extra friends on stage to play other instruments, including a harmonica.

A great show.  This was my first time seeing a full Megafaun show.  Can’t wait to do it again!

Giveaways are a win-win-win situation for everyone involved. You get to listen to the great tunes at WKNC, the DJs get to talk to you (we LOVE calls)  and you can win tickets to some awesome shows! Win, Win, Win situation.

This week, you could win tickets (you +1) to:

1/27: Alejandro Escoveda at Cat’s Cradle

Alejandro Escovedo, courtesy of Allogist

1/28: American Aquarium at King’s

1/28: Robbie Fulks Duo at Casbah

1/29: American Aquarium at King’s

American Aquarium, courtesy of elawgrrl

1/29: Best Coast at Cat’s Cradle

Best Coast, courtesy of la-underground

1/29: Kickin’ Grass Band at The Pour House

The Kickin' Grass Band's self- titled album was released in 2008

Just be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it, and you could win!

Tune in to WKNC online or 88.1FM on your dial!

Kings Barcade hosted the kickoff of the Beggars and Colossus’s 2011 North Carolina statewide tour Thursday, Jan. 13. Fortunately for the audience, the opening act was worth the $6 admission price.

The Beggars, classified as punk/rock/soul on their MySpace page, is a five-piece band from Detroit proper. Almost 700 miles is a long way to come to play for the two dozen or so people milling around Kings at the beginning of the set, but the group didn’t seem to mind. Vocalist Steven Davis swaggered around the stage wearing a red polo, khaki pants and a pair of white wrist sweatbands looking like he could be right at home at a 1980s Sunday afternoon family reunion – until the music started. Davis and his band mates were, in a word, enthusiastic. The singer’s theatrics included frequent jumps into the audience, losing his loafers and socks on more than one occasion, tossing the microphone around, crawling on his knees across the stage, a string of “fuck, yeah!”s in between songs and a backwards somersault from the floor back onto the stage. With all the jumping around, he even split his pants (a fact they specifically requested to be put in this blog). Davis slipped off the stage at the start of the last song, returning with “super limited edition” tour merchandise – a six-song CD and spiffy black tee.

The 45-minute set opened with “Same Costume as Mine,” a quirky song about matching outfits punctuated by the superb saxophone work of Rod “Pool Party” Jones. That got the crowd pumped up and kept them there through “FRK,” “It’s All About Me,” “Gold (My Neck I’ll Hang Around),” “25 Miles,” “Us Dudes (Wee get so Rad),” “Sleepaway Camp” and “Thieves.” Their finale “Stop, Drop, Rock n’ Roll” had the crowd chanting the chorus and pumped for the show’s headliner.

Colossus lead singer Sean Buchanan joined the Beggars on stage for “Stop, Drop, Rock n’ Roll,” which gave the first hint of intoxication. He made it clear he had a few too many when he crashed in to the drum kit in the middle of the second song. After a brief interlude, Buchanan regained his composure and the show continued. When he knocked over another drum, the band called it quits after the fourth song. The lyrics weren’t coherent enough to get any song titles.

Those who saw Colossus before Thursday should choose to remember them from previous performances. For those experiencing the Raleigh rock/metal band for the first time, consider giving them another chance. Colossus really does display “talent like a Viking lets blood on a battlefield as Independent Weekly’s Bryan Reed wrote. While the crowd did grow from the original two dozen, perhaps it was best there were limited witnesses.

The 2011 North Carolina statewide tour continues Friday, Jan. 14 at Pinups in Greensboro and Saturday, Jan. 15 at Reggie’s in Wilmington. The Beggars conclude their trip of the Wolfpack state Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Reservoir in Carrboro. Colossus will play again Saturday, Feb. 5 for the second day of the Bull City Metal Fest at Casbah.

If you can brave the icy cold air and scraping the ice off your car, we’ve got some hot giveaways for you!

1/12: Obits @ Kings Barcade

1/12: The Walkmen @ Cat’s Cradle

The Walkmen, protected by Wikimedia creative commons.

1/13: Colossus @ Kings Barcade

Colossus' Sean Buchanan and Bill Fisher in the WKNC Studio

1/13: The Wigg Report @ Casbah

1/15: The Love Language @ Cat’s Cradle

The Love Language w/ Schooner, courtesy of Frank McMains

1/15: The Ettes @ The Pour House

The Ettes, courtesy of Oliver Lopena

Be the correct caller at the appropriate time to win tickets — you have to listen to win!

For a more complete list of local shows, visit the Rock Report!

Night two of Double Barrel Benefit 8 features Kid Future, HaLo, King Mez, Yardwork and Hammer No More the Fingers.

Kid Future at Tir na nOg

Kid Future
(Kieran Moreira, WKNC Program Director)
Kid Future could possibly be one of Raleigh’s best kept secrets. The indie band maintains a low profile online only featuring one of their recorded tracks. However, it can only be a matter of time before their talent betrays their anonymity. After catching them at a packed Slims Downtown in July and seeing them perform at Hopscotch in front of Raleigh Times, it’s clear that Kid Future has a knack for mesmerizing audiences. What’s to be expected from their performance? Dreamy synth sounds mixed with frontman Bryan Costello’s moody voice creates a recipe that is very reminiscent of the National and the Killers.

(dramatization)

HaLo
(Tommy Anderson, WKNC General Manager)
Ahem, that’s “hah-low,” or “Mr. Ben Ready” to you, good sir.  This guy is witty, upbeat, and dare I say funky hip hop out of Raleigh. HaLo is connected with 9th Wonder, and he appears on Kooley High’s much acclaimed recent album Eastern Standard Time. This gentleman has already developed a name in the area and beyond (he’s also got one Local Beer Local Band under his belt.) Request his stuff on WKNC during Local Lunch and Underground. Fantastic stuff.

King Mez

King Mez
(Tommy Anderson, WKNC General Manager)
What can you say? If you were fortunate enough to catch any of King Mez’s performances in the area (or elsewhere), you know what an energetic, committed show he is able to put on. Street-wise lyrics, lush beats (provided by Commissioner Gordon on his most recent release “The Parapalegics” ), and a style that is all his own, King Mez is unforgettable and singularly compelling. As with HaLo, request this during Local Lunch as well as Underground. We’re very very excited to have King Mez on board making night two that much more of a treat for anyone lucky enough to get a ticket.

(not actual image of band)

Yardwork
(Nicole Kligerman, WKNC Local Music Director)
Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Yardwork is described as playing “South Eastern Minimalist Pop/Prog.” No matter what you call this band’s music, it is awesome, and those who have seen this band live know that this will not be a show to miss. Complete with a large and eclectic cast skilled in multiple instruments, this group puts on a kaleidoscopic show that will entertain your eyes as well as your ears. Usually working with two simultaneous percussionists, the sound is so rich and deep that you’ll find a completely new array to look for in each song.

There isn’t a lot known about Yardwork, and the biography on the band’s Myspace is a story including feral, mutant school teachers and PV rays. Whatever the history of the band, the music they play is bad ass and great for jumping around.

Their Local Beer Local Band performance in 2010 was barely contained by the stage. The larger space at Kings should be a perfect opportunity for this helter-skelter outfit to unleash their full furry upon downtown Raleigh. I saw Yardwork for the first time at last years TRKfest and am so psyched for another chance to see the live energy at this years’ Double Barrel Benefit 8.

Hammer No More the Fingers

Hammer No More the Fingers
(Kieran Moreira, WKNC Program Director)
Possibly the coolest name for a band, Hammer No More The Fingers, hailing from Durham, are local heavy hitters with a UK tour under their belt. They’ve graced WKNC’s airwaves since 2007, so it’s only natural that they take their place as Double Barrel Benefit night two headliners. Looking For Bruce, which released in 2009, cemented the band’s success meshing a blend of quirkiness, mid-twenties male humor, rock, and pop. What’s to be expected from HNMTF at Double Barrel Benefit 8? Raw energy. Although a lot of indie artists delve into bubbly pop sounds, HNMTF tries to remain edgier and grittier with sharp guitar licks and soaring vocals. We are very excited to have these fellas on board as headliners.

It was a frigid night on Friday, but that didn’t keep people from coming out to a great local bill happening at Kings.

Starting off the night were Soft Company. A local supergroup of sorts, with Missy Thangs of The Love Language serving as bandleader, backed by members of such defunct local acts as Lake Inferior and Violet Vector & The Lovely Lovelies, the band made their way through a set of mid-tempo songs  that brought to mind 70′s AM radio and classic pop. The highlight of the set was a song midway through (that I didn’t catch the name of) that slowly built to an epic couple minutes of wailing guitars and prolonged “oh”s from Thangs.

Taking a break between sets to play some pinball down in Neptunes, I came back up to find a curiously less full Kings. Josh Carpenter, who plays drums in Asheville band Floating Action, brought along his own set of original songs that brought to mind The Old Ceremony on a sugar rush. With a full album recorded and (hopefully) due out soon, he’s definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming year.

Organos finally came on around midnight to perform one of the best sets by a local band I’ve seen in recent memory. Maria Albani, her bass, and a couple pals encircled a table covered in various percussive instruments and a glockenspiel, while Reid Johnson from Schooner and Nathan White from Nathan Oliver played  intertwining guitar runs and Ginger Wagg, of Veelee, provided the back beat. The set ran through all of Organos‘ debut, The Limbs EP, as well as several new songs. One of the best aspects of the show was how well the band played together. It’d be easy for the ramshackle songs on the EP to come across messy live, but the band performed them with an effortless grace that further revealed the subtleties and intricacies in the music. As a bonus, Albani’s between-song banter rivaled that of Bradford Cox’s in hilarity, making quips such as “this is our guitarist, Justin Bieber”(referring to White).

Overall, the warm tones found in the night’s music served as the perfect counter to the icy winds blowing outside.

Since 2004, the Double Barrel Benefit has since served as the station’s primary fund raising event. As a department of a state university, NCSU Student Media consistently faces budgeting concerns (read: small budgets, which are made smaller each year). Similar fund raising efforts are absolutely integral to any non-commercial radio station, especially those that have very little in the way of guaranteed annual funding. Is that a shameless appeal? Not really, just part of the framework of the event.

What better way to secure some operating funds than to expose and promote local music? It’s unarguable that the Triangle area (conveniently covered in full by WKNC’s 25,000 watt transmitter atop D.H. Hill Library) is brimming with musical talent. WKNC has been a gracious actor within the local music scene for years, and helping local musicians reach their target audience (and beyond) is a major part of what we’re all about.

This year, local music fans who are generous (and indeed lucky) enough to attend the Double Barrel Benefit will receive something more than just two nights of great music and the knowledge that they helped the station keep the lights on for another year. All eight acts supplied a previously unreleased track to an eight-song compilation album; seven of the eight tracks were engineered and mixed right on the N.C. State campus. Kitchen Mastering, one of the South’s premier mastering facilities was responsible for the fantastic mastering work, and Triangle Duplication, located right in Raleigh, NC, provided duplication services; a free copy of this compilation is included in the $10 ticket price (buy a two night pass, get two compilations).

This year, Double Barrel Benefit 8 will take place on Friday and Saturday, February 4 and 5, at Kings in downtown Raleigh. Friday, February 4, will feature Cassis Orange, Luego, Bright Young Things and The Old Ceremony.

Cassis Orange
(Nicole Kligerman, WKNC Local Music Director)

Photos by Raul Rubiera Jr. http://www.RaulRubiera.com

Cassis Orange has got to be one of my favorite bands to come out of the Triangle in the past year. The poppy sweet sound is addictive, and I’m so happy about all the love this band has been receiving after the release of their Cassis Orange EP. I’m even happier about their inclusion in our Double Barrel lineup for this year.

Cassis Orange is the project of Autumn Ehinger and friends, and it’s actually the name of a popular Japanese cocktail drink. Japan is quite a large source of Autumn’s inspiration for song writing as her songs are, directly or indirectly, about the time she lived in Tokyo teaching English.

When trying to describe the music of Cassis Orange, I am reminded of a trip to the candy shop or being surrounded by color on a sunny day. The music is full of lo-fi pop sounds coming from Autumn’s Casio keyboard and lyrics about love and the like. The video for “Listen Heartbeat” was even filmed with a Locopop making its way around Cameron Village. The songs have the perfect sound for any happy time, and Friday night’s DBB8 is sure to be just that.

Luego
(Adam Kincaid, host of The Local Beat)

Phelan of Luego

To say Luego is a super-group is a bit of an understatement. Fronted by talented young troubadour Patrick Phelan, this band features an ever rotating cast of a who’s-who of the Triangle Music Scene, all friends and contemporaries of the ever expanding congregation under the tutelage of Jeff Crawford.  The likes of Peter Holsapple, William Moose, Mark Connor, Cameron Lee, Charles Cleaver, Rob DiMauro, Will Goodyear, Stuart Robinson, Brett Harris, Nick Jaeger, Caitlin Cary, James Wallace, and Dale Baker can all claim ties to Luego in one way or another. And yet despite this massive accumulation of local music demi-gods, it is Phelan who shines through with his vibrant stage presence and catchy lyrics layered on top of craftily set lo-fi blues rock that gets your feet moving while speaking to your heart.  The latest release, Ocho, was put out just a mere eight months following the debut release of Taped Together Stories setting a prolific trend that we hope can continue.

Bright Young Things

(Tommy Anderson, WKNC General Manager)

Matt Damron of Bright Young Things

bassist and lead guitarist

There are several ways one could take the now-infamous tongue-in-cheek description of the BYT as “the Beatles on a bad day,” but the fact remains that there is only one way to take their live show. Energetic, creative, playful, yet still down to earth, Raleigh’s Bright Young Things weave their way right into the audience’s consciousness. (“I feel like I’ve known this band my whole life, and I’ve been a fan the whole damn time.”)

Lead guitarist Cameron Lee’s searing guitar licks slide right in next to Matt Damron’s crooned hooks; smooth and in-step keys along with the driving, bolstering rhythm section round out this attractive and impossible to forget outfit. The BYT are unassuming, polite, and darn catchy.

The Old Ceremony
(Adam Kincaid)

Django Haskins of The Old Ceremony

Django Haskins formed The Old Ceremony back in 2004 as a “mini-orchestra” of sorts with the aspiration of creating music that could not be composed by typical rock bands. What resulted was one of the catchiest and most sought after North Carolina groups in recent memory. After the release of their self titled debut full length the band struck a chord in the heart of music critics with their most successful output in 2007′s Our One Mistake, which was listed as one of the top 100 albums of that year by Paste Magazine. Without hitting a slump the band has dropped two more sophisticated masterpieces, Walk On Thin Air and Tender Age, while continually building upon the legacy that their live shows have garnered. Behind Haskins on stage, Mark Simonsen, Daniel Hall, Gabriel Pelli, and Matt Brandau fill out the fitting pieces into an intimate yet high energy show that has yet to repeat a set-list or let an audience down. The Old Ceremony is certainly a legend in the making.

For many years, WKNC has been a gracious and privileged member of the triangle music scene. The most recent edition of the Independent Weekly features a cover story detailing the ever-developing and fantastically powerful music scene in which residents of the Triangle have somehow fortunately found themselves immersed.  These periodic self-checks–just to make sure we all are on the same page with how lucky we really are in a  community such as this, are undoubtedly necessary and unarguably true.

The gradual synthesis that’s at the root of it all may very well never be fully understood. We’re fine with that. Let’s have a party!!

WKNC’s Double Barrel Benefit 8 is Friday and Saturday, February 4th and 5th at Kings in downtown Raleigh. As always, each night will feature four North Carolina bands.

Friday’s lineup will be announced Monday, January 10th during the Local Lunch on WKNC, with Saturday’s lineup coming during Tuesday’s Local Lunch spot. Tickets will go on sale via the Kings website on January 11th.  This event has sold out in years past, and we expect this to be the case again; so get your tickets quickly, folks.

~*~*~BONUS!!~*~*~Attendees of WKNC’s Double Barrel Benefit 8 will receive a free eight-song compilation album featuring an original, previously unreleased track from each of the eight bands. Seven of the eight tracks were engineered and mixed right on N.C. State’s campus by WKNC’s exceedingly-talented and ever-patient Sessions Director, Eric Scholz. The tracks were  mastered by Kitchen Mastering, and duplication services were provided by Triangle Duplication.

2011 marks a return to the event’s original venue, though obviously not in its original space. Kings (version 1.0) hosted the first four benefits.  Upon the venue’s “hibernation,” as we’ll call it, the folks at the Pour House welcomed the event with open arms for the next three years. Such a vibrant and enjoyable music community demands patronage to multiple venues.  Just as any fan of music should never pin him/herself to one venue, neither should an annual fundraiser concert.  As obvious as this should seem, it ought to be said that the Pour House and its folks are top notch. (Rumor has it that NEXT year’s benefit will attempt to transcend venue boundaries. We’ll see.)

Hope to see you all there! Stay tuned for further details!