Photographs taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

King Mez

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Kooley High

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Tir na nOg and WKNC bring you, once again, the fun time that is Local Beer Local Band Night! Remember, these shows are 21 and up, FREE, and always a great way to spend your Thursday evening.

Both bands offer long, epic, and ambient instrumentals that, for me at least, really make you think. This week’s bands cater to the fans of our Post Rock Block on Sunday’s from 6-7 p.m.  So check that out as well!

The Bronzed Chorus

These two guys seem to make enough noise to sound like a band with a good four or five members. The music is instrumental and very post-rock. Here in the station, while listening to The Bronzed Chorus, I overheard our deejay Escher say, “I could definitely see two giant robots battling to this.” He couldn’t be more spot on.

Negrido

This group is similar in sound to the Bronzed Chorus but a bit harder.  This band is actually from Atlanta, GA, but will be touring with The Bronzed Chorus across the nation this summer.

Last night’s Local Beer Local Band photos, taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

A tin djinn

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Static Minds

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

WKNC and Tir Na Nog are proud to present KOOLEY HIGH and KING MEZ at Local Beer Local Band Night on July 8!

KOOLEY HIGH

Kooley High has always been a favorite for the Triangle’s music-going crowd.  They blew up the courtyard with their high-energy performance behind Talley Student Center for one of our Friday’s on the Lawn series last fall. Our best turnout for the whole FOTL music series.
“Kooley High combines traditional hip-hop and R&B with a modern freestyle that traverses effortlessly between not only genres, but also generations. The result is a three-dimensional concoction that envelops listeners in a sound that is as smooth as The Fugees and Common, as passionate as Mary J. Blige, and as intelligent as Hieroglyphics.” —URB Magazine

KING MEZ

King Mez and Commissioner Gordon make up the next big BIG name in underground Hip-Hop.  You might as well see them now before the tickets to their shows cost you half your paycheck.

Eric Tullis, writer for the Independent, describes King Mez’s performance as “the veteran work ethic of an old soul with youthful enthusiasm. He bounces around as if permanently affixed to a pogo stick, cheering on Commissioner Gordon as he works in some of his new beats from his drum machine.”

The show is FREE, ages 21+. Starts at 10 p.m. Tir Na Nog has a wide selection of local brew specials from Big Boss, Aviator, LoneRider, French Broad, Foothills, and more!

Come down to Local Beer Local Band on July 8 to see Raleigh’s—and now Brooklyn’s—premier hip-hop group, KOOLEY HIGH, and the up-and-coming KING MEZ!

If you live around Raleigh, Kooley High is one of those groups that everyone seems to be familiar with through word of mouth or after seeing one of their many concert posters promoting their next gig around town.  They perform regularly around the Triangle, yet, somehow, I had yet to see one of their shows until now.  After procuring a pair of tickets to their show at the Pour House on Friday, May 28, I was pumped to finally see them live.

It was a good thing I was pumped because, rather than letting the unexpected downpour dampen my mood, I used it as a funny conversation starter when seeing other concert goers who had obviously suffered the same water soaked journey from their car to the venue.

The opening artists got the crowd warmed up by the time Carlitta Durand took the stage.  Her energy was positive, quirky, and contagious from the get go.  When she started singing, everyone was captivated by her soulful lyrics and smooth sound.  Her backup singers blended perfectly, and the band played with such energy and passion that almost seemed old school.  Undoubtedly, Carlitta performed a beautiful and moving set.

As Kooley High took to the stage, the crowd was ready and the energy was intense.  Kooley High did not disappoint and used the energy of the crowd to push it further.  Each individual of the group brought something fresh and new to their sound, while still managing to rhyme effortlessly as a group without one person overbearing the others.  Their set was tight and powerful.  For all of the people in attendance, it was a great way to spend their Friday night.

A few hours before Kooley High performs at the Pour House for their farewell Raleigh show, Foolery and Charlie Smarts wanted to come in and chat about their hip-hop legacy in North Carolina as well as their expectations for their futures in New York. The band plans to continue to make new music up north, but not before they have a great send-off tonight which will include classic Kooley High tracks mixed in with some new surprises.

Kooley High's Charlie Smarts and Foolery with Special K and the Sajhammer

Listen to part of the interview here:

Part 1: Introductions

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Part 2: A Changing Environment

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Join Special K and the Sajhammer this Friday at 11 a.m. as they will be talking to local hip-hop band, Kooley High. The band plans to discuss their upcoming performance with Carlitta Durand at the Pour House, May 28.

Kooley High

During the show, Kooley High will also be giving away tickets to their show. Be sure to tweet questions you’d like the WKNC deejays to ask the band. Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online.

This week on WKNC we are giving away tickets to a myriad of fun goodness:

5/28 Carlitta Durand and Kooley High at The Pour House

5/29 North Elementary at Slim’s

Robin Hood, with Russel Crowe and Cate Blanchett

Sex and the City 2!!! With Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Kattrall

Keep listening for these exciting giveaways and more!!!!

The Music In The Gardens summer concert series at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham is returning this year with another stacked lineup. Highlights include Camera Obscura, a Lonnie Walker/Mount Moriah double bill, Bowerbirds, Kooley High, Kingsbury Manx, Max Indian, and Billy Sugarfix (performing as Billy Sugarfix Carousel which, coming from him, probably means something pretty neat). Most shows occur each Wednesday and are $10 for the public, $5 for Duke students and employees, and children 12 and under get in free. You can get more information on the series, including dates, times, and ticket info, here.

Full schedule:
5/26 Annuals
6/2 Camera Obscura
6/9 Lonnie Walker, Mount Moriah
6/16 Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz
6/23 Bowerbirds
6/29 Samantha Crain
7/7 Kooley High
7/14 Kingsbury Manx
7/21 Max Indian
7/28 Billy Sugarfix Carousel
8/4 Mallarmé Chamber Players (at Kirby Horton Hall)
8/11 Ciompi Quartet (at Kirby Horton Hall)

If you’ve been following along with us these past two Fridays, you’ll know that we’ve been participating in a small interview series featuring many of the talented acts at this spring’s Shakori Hills Grassroots Music Festival. Last week, DJ Mick and DJ Kligz sat down with Bowerbirds and the ever so comical Inflowential. On this particular Friday, I had the pleasure of interviewing two great local bands, The Beast and Orquesta GarDel.

DJ Special K with Eric Hirsh (Beast & GarDel), Pierce Freelon (Beast), Justice Freelon (Little Beast), Nelson Delgado (GarDel), and Andy Kleindienst (GarDel)

As an avid local music lover, The Beast, of course, was no stranger to my earbuds. I last caught the band last at WKNC’s fall Fridays on the Lawn series where they opened for Kooley High. Obviously, I was going through a bit of a withdrawl, and with promises of on-air free-styling from Pierce Freelon, the Beast’s front-man, the interview was too hard to pass up. Orquesta GarDel was a newcomer to my music pallet. Based in strong Latino roots, GarDel plays classic and modern salsa music with a sound heavily influenced by the New York-Puerto Rico connection of the 1970s. Eric Hirsh, Beast’s keyboardist, is also a major part of GarDel, which has ultimately led to some interesting collaboration in the past. I won’t give away too much, but I experienced firsthand the powerful forces and talent when these two groups collide. Be sure to check out the whole interview including the free-style performance:

Part 1: The Beast. 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Part 2: Orquesta GarDel.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Part 3: Shakori Hills.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Part 4: Free-style “Ahora” GarDel and Beast. 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Next Friday, tune in to DJ Kligz as she will be talking to The Honeycutters as they gear up for their performance at Shakori that weekend.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Inflowential stopped into the WKNC studio last Friday to talk about their upcoming show at Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, their first LP (on the way…), an imminent move, and to thank everyone they’ve ever met.

Inflowential

DJ Kligz and I had a grand time chatting it up with them and spinning some of their music, so have a listen below.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Independent Weekly announced the line-up for its first Hopscotch Music Festival today.  The festival will take place in downtown Raleigh on September 9, 10 and 11 2010. Headlining the festival are Public Enemy, Panda Bear and Broken Social Scene. A plethora of local favorites will be playing as well.

Here’s a list of the bands scheduled to play the festival, with more to be released April 12:

9th Wonder & Friends, Active Child, All Tiny Creatures, American Aquarium, Americans in France, Atlas Sound, Balmorhea, Bear in Heaven, Best Coast, Birds of Avalon, Black Congo NC, DJ George Brazil, Broken Social Scene, Brutal Knights, Richard Buckner, Burning Star Core, Cannabis Corpse, Caitlin Cary’s Small Ponds with Tres Chicas, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Cults, Greg Davis, Double Dagger, Double Negative, The Dynamite Brothers, EAR PWR, ExMonkeys, First Rate People, Followed by Static, Ben Frost, Fucked Up, Future Islands, Golden Boys, The Golden Filter, Goner, Gray Young, Ryan Gustafson, Hammer No More the Fingers, Harlem, Harvey Milk, Horseback, John Howie Jr. & The Rosewood Bluff, I Was Totally Destroying It, Javelin, Jeb Bishop Trio, Juan Huevos, Kill the Noise, The Kingsbury Manx, Kooley High, Kylesa, The Light Pines, Lonnie Walker, The Love Language, Lucero, Luego, Max Indian, Erin McKeown, Megafaun, Midtown Dickens, The Moaners, The Monologue Bombs, Motor Skills, Mountains, Jon Mueller, Marissa Nadler, No Age, Ocean, Old Bricks, Panda Bear, Pattern Is Movement, Pictureplane, Plague, Pontiak, Public Enemy, The Rosebuds, Schooner, Sightings, spcl gst, Spider Bags, Thien, Tigercity, Tortoise, Treasure Fingers, US Christmas, Sharon Van Etten, Veelee, Vincent Black Shadow, War on Drugs, Washed Out, Weedeater, Whatever Brains, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Yip-Yip.

Tickets go on sale April 1. For more information, check out this article from the Independent Weekly.

It’s hard to believe that two months ago we were setting up for the first ever Fridays on the Lawn concert with I Was Totally Destroying It and Luego. From conception, Fridays of the Lawn was designed to expose students to the thriving, yet largely unnoticed music scene of the Triangle. Carl Licata, a senior in computer science, said, “the past show was a great way to experience good, local music first-hand, and it didn’t cost a thing.”

Now with two concerts down, WKNC turns to promote its final installment featuring a hip-hop based show with The Beast and Kooley High.

WKNC staff will be posted out at the Free Expression Tunnel at NC State tomorrow and Friday to hand out fliers for the show from 11am-1pm. WKNC merch and Hear Here Compilation CDs will be available for purchase.

Due to weather conditions, Friday’s show will take place at the Wolves Den in the basement of Talley Student Center. This show is also free and open to the public. Free food and free t-shirts will be available, however they are limited, so don’t forget to come early! Let’s make the last Fridays on the Lawn the best one yet!

This week’s Eye on the Triangle episode was a little different than usual. Because the N.C. State Board of Trustees is meeting Thursday and Friday (be sure to check the blog Thursday and Friday, and WKNC 88.1 at 7 p.m. Thursday for updates!) to vote on student fee increases, the EOT brought you a special episode on one fee that is facing contentious debate: the student centers renovation fee. However, we also had our (extended) Hear This segment, which featured Shit Horse from Odessa Records.

There are a lot of events coming up this week, so be sure to check them out. The Technician staff will be playing the Daily Tarheel staff in flag football at 4:30 p.m. Friday (we’ll be live blogging from the game!), and of course Fridays on the Lawn at 6:30 p.m. with Kooley High and The Beast in the Wolve’s Den in Talley Student Center.

NEWS
This week in News, Jack Boyer and Evan Garris gave us a rundown on several topics, ranging from Obama’s trip to China to Iran’s nuclear program. Here are links to some of the articles referenced in the newscast:
National
Obama wades into Internet censorship in China address
Fears grow over Iran nuclear sites
Local
Police find body of missing 5-year-old
University plans for Kay Yow Memorial and Cary basketball court dedicated to late NCSU coach Yow
North Carolina tornado outbreak
For the full newscast:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

SPORTS
This week in Wolfpack sports, we started off with statements from both the Technician editor and the Daily Tarheel editor to each other’s staffs about Friday’s football game on Miller Fields at 4:30 p.m. Listen to those here:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Derek Medlin and Tyler Everett then talked about football, basketball, predictions and stats. You can also check out Derek’s personal blog, Cardiac Pack. Be sure to listen to the segment if you missed it for more:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

VIP/SOUNDBYTES
To go along with our VIP segment this week, Matt Moore went around campus and asked students about their thoughts of the fee for the student centers and the Board of Trustees vote, which we had our VIP guests, Peter Barnes, former Student Centers president, and Christian Stackhouse, student senator, listen to and address in our discussion about the new fee. Barnes was one of the main advocates in the Rally 4 Talley campaign, while Stackhouse voted against the fee increase in the interest of the student body. We also played interview clips from Marycobb Randall, current Student Centers President, who also advocated the increase, and Jordan Hammond, a current student senator who was in support of the renovations personally but voted against the increase because of the student body votes against it. The fee, if approved by the Board of Trustees (Thursday and Friday) and Board of Governors (early next year), will increase the student centers fee by $83 for the next academic year, $165 the following year, and not to exceed $290 for the next 25 to 30 years. Listen to the full segment of interviews and discussion:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

HEAR THIS

Music industry veteran and Kingsbury Manx band member Paul Finn raised some eyebrows  when he pulled a rather ambitious move in June of this year — he launched a brand new record label with three albums.  Mike Alston was WKNC’s local music director at the time and had inquired about the Kingsbury Manx album, but he was surprised when it came packaged with debut albums from two bands he had never heard of — Americans in France and Impossible Arms.  Well, all three albums were spectacular (Independent Weekly agreed) and Odessa has put out a few more releases since.  Kelly Reid spoke with Finn about the launch of the record label, the inspiration behind such a bold move and the future for Odessa Records. Check it out below:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

And as a reminder, we will not be having an Eye on the Triangle episode next Monday, Nov. 23, due to a live broadcast of the women’s basketball game, but be sure to check out the blog for more or our podcasts on wknc.org/eot. Shoot us an e-mail with your thoughts on anything to publicaffairs@wknc.org. And come out to Friday’s football game and concert!

After taking shelter from the rain for the first Fridays on the Lawn back in September, many KNCers were concerned when they saw some ominous gray clouds in the sky late Friday afternoon. The stage, lights, and extra pizza were all ready, however one question remained: would students come out for the event? One of the benefits of Harris Field is its centrality to student life on campus. The grassy lot by Witherspoon Student Center serves as a visible hub, perfect for catching the unaware passerby headed out for early Halloween festivities. While the event was open to the public, the WKNC staff wanted to tap more into its student population at N.C. State. In order to generate interest, fliers were posted everywhere on campus, D.H. Hill Library e-boards and dining halls displayed posters for the event. WKNC staff even requested time to speak in front of their classes to publicize the concert series.

KNC deejays campaigning for Fridays on the Lawn at NC State's free expression tunnel

Graffiti Piece done by Saul Flores

Max Indian and Schooner certainly did draw a noteworthy crowd. This is evident because students stuck around even after the free pizza and t-shirts were long gone. Mike Alston, WKNC’s General Manager, mentioned that  ”UAB, IRC, Student Government, and WKNC are all supported by student fee money, so we felt it important to do something free and big for the students who help pay our bills.  Ultimately, we just want it to be a fun time for everyone involved while helping expose some great local music to otherwise unaware students.”

Max Indian performing on the lawn

WKNC expects to see even more students at the final hip hop based installment of the concert series November 20th, featuring Kooley High and The Beast. This show, however, will not be taking place on the lawn, but instead will be hosted in Wolves Den underneath Talley Student Center. Needless to say, many hope that Fridays on the Lawn will become a staple for the Wolfpack community.

This week’s top 10 comes from local hip-hop group The Beast. They are mixing it up a little and giving us their top 10 albums, instead of tracks, they are currently listing to.

From Pierce, emcee

“Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Part 2″ by Raekwon

“Brazilian Girls” by Brazilian Girls

From Eric, piano

“Infernal Machines” by Darcy James Argue’s Secrety Society

“Bring Me The Workhorse” by My Brightest Diamond

From Stephen, drums

“Such Fun” by Annuals

“Wildnerness” by Josh Mease

From Pete, bass

“Funeral” by The Arcade Fire

“Voodoo” by D’angelo

From the band

“Double Booked” by Robert Glasper

“Leave it all Behind” by The Foreign Exchange

The Beast’s album release party at the Duke Coffeehouse on October 16. Kooley High, Carlitta Durand and Freebass 808 will also be performing. Doors open at 8 p.m. See you there!

WKNC, along with our friends at the Union Activities Board, the Inter-Residence Council, and Student Government, will be presenting three nights of concerts on State’s campus this fall!  “Fridays on the Lawn” will take place on Harris Field in front of Witherspoon Student Center,  and each night will feature two local acts.  All shows are FREE and open to the public, and will start at 6pm.  If you cannot make it out, don’t fret!  The shows will be aired LIVE during the Local Beat starting at 6pm!

There will be FREE pizza and a limited supply of FREE T-shirts, as well.

The first date of the series is Friday September 25th,  and will feature I Was Totally Destroying It and Luego.

Check ‘em out here.

Friday October 30th will feature Schooner and Max Indian.

Local hip-hop acts The Beast and Kooley High will round out the series on Friday, November 20th.

In the event of adverse weather conditions, the shows will be held in the Wolves’ Den in the basement of Talley Student Center, with convenient parking at the Reynolds Coliseum Deck.   Click on the map below for a larger version.  (Full disclosure: this image was created by an engineering student.)

NC State Campus