This Thursday will be Chris Tamplin’s very last Local Beer Local Band Night. Tamplin was the orginal anchor in establishing a relationship between WKNC and Tir na nOg Irish Pub. He even won an Indie from Independent Weekly for starting and booking this event for about three years now. Tamplin is leaving the pub to pursue his dream of opening Motorco Music, a music venue in Durham. Therefore, since Tamplin is leaving, this week will be an extra special show!

This week, September 2 will feature music from all around North Carolina. First up is Asheville’s Darien will open the show with Charlotte’s The Houston Brothers filling the middle slot. Missy Thangs’ other great band Soft Company will be headlining! As usual this is a FREE show, 21 and up, and starts at 10 p.m.! See you there!

Darien

As a local artist who’s inspired by Irish music, there could not be a better act for Tir na nOg this Thursday. She plays the guitar solo and also sings/writes all of her own songs. Darien is an artist for the fans of bands like Rilo Kiley and Beirut. You’re going to love her.

The Houston Brothers

It’s good. I can’t seem to place who these two handsome men sound like… somewhere between Neutral Milk Hotel and Brian Eno. Check out their the link to their page for a full listen.

Soft Company

You might remember the leading lady from her other band, The Love Language. The Independent Weekly described their most recent album as full of “rich harmonies, layered keyboards and counterpoint guitars [that] slip and slide beneath each other.”

I will be having The Soft Company and another one of these acts at the station on Thursday at 7 p.m. so be sure to tune in. None of these acts are ones you will want to miss. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my Thursday night than sending off Chris Tamplin with the help of a few local beers and these three amazing local bands!

Thursday August 26th is going to be the first LBLB for the Fall 2010 semester!  Come and unwind from your first week at school at Tir na nOg Irish Pub for Local Beer Local Band Night!  This weeks bands are Goodbye, Titan and Once and Future Kings.   FREE, 21 and up, starts at 10pm!

I will also be interviewing BOTH BANDS this Thursday from 7 to 8pm!  Tune in!

Goodbye, Titan

You can expect some wonderful landscape music from Goodbye, Titan.  If you enjoy listening to our Post Rock Block then you you absolutely love this weeks headlines for LBLB.  The Independent would say that this band is good for “fans of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky.”  If that sounds like you, come on out!

Once and Future Kings

You might have caught Once and Future Kings last semester when they did a free show on Lee Field.  Well, now catch them indoors at Tir na nOg!   As quoted from their Myspace page, “Once and Future Kings blend hook-laden, anthemic rock with a twist of dystopian lyricism.Critics compare them to Radiohead or The Flaming Lips, but your mom might say The Beatles.”

See you this Thursday!!  And by the way,  I recommend a pint of Foothills Hoppyum IPA.  That’s what I’ll be having!

WKNC and Tir Na nOg Irish Pub team up to bring you Local Beer Local Band Night every Thursday. These events are always FREE and 21 and up. Starts and 10 p.m. Local beers on tap and local bands on stage. Enjoy!

Thursday, August 19 will feature music from The Small Ponds, Jon Lindsay and The Tomahawks!

The Tomahawks

A favorite local band of mine. I’m terrible at describing music but here it goes… Beatles-y southern rock. Yeah? Do yourself a favor and check out their tracks on the webpage.

Jon Lindsay

Whoa. I’m already hooked on this guy. It is happy and catchy like Belle & Sebastian except it is one guy… one absolutely adorable guy. Be sure to check out his music on his website or just come out on Thursday!

The Small Ponds

This duo is made up of musicians from Tres Chicas and The Proclivities. With a CD Release show in about a month, this show should be a wonderful preview of what is to come. The songs are slow, sweet and downright lovely.

WKNC and Tir Na nOg Irish Pub team up to bring you Local Beer Local Band Night every Thursday.  These events are always FREE and 21 and up.  Local beers on special and local bands on stage.

Photographs of Local Beer Local Band night on August 5 by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

Museum Mouth

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The Beast

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I Was Totally Destroying It

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This Thursday, August 12 features music from Aminal and Butterflies! Both are from Chapel Hill.

Aminal

You might remember Aminal from our concert series Friday’s on the Lawn. They played for a crowd of people, blankets, and picnic baskets. Hooray for indie pop! Come on Thursday to bob your head and tap your toes!

Butterflies

From Chapel Hill and signed under Trekky Records, Butterflies will be opening up at Tir Na nOg this Thursday.  “Butterflies reimagine indie pop in laid-back folk environs… contemplative (though hopeful) soul searching of… frontman Josh Kimbrough, who gets help from a revolving cast of friends… including pianist/ girlfriend Katie Zickefoose. She adds generous harmonies.”  -Spencer Griffith, Independent Weekly

Jenks Miller and Heather McEntire of Mount Moriah got stuck in heavy traffic on the way to the station, and, unfortunately, we only had around 12 minutes to chat about the band and their brand new limited edition 12″ called The Letting Go during the first hour of the evening. We discussed the history of the band and their future as far as releasing their upcoming album is concerned. We also promoted their sold out show at the Pinhook with Midtown Dickens and the Mountain Goats Saturday, July 31. Jenks and Heather run Holidays for Quince Records, and each is in several different bands, including Un Deux Trois and Horseback, and are two of the busiest people I know. It was interesting to talk about their other projects in relation to Mount Moriah. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I had to hold back many of the questions I had for them, but what we did talk about was certainly fascinating and worth a second listen:

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At 6 p.m., John Booker and Rachel Hirsh of I Was Totally Destroying It came in to promote their new 7″ The Get Big 7″, which is officially being released at Tir Na Nog this Thursday for Local Beer Local Band (alongside Museum Mouth, Jews & Catholics, and The Beast).  The new single is being released by their record label, Greyday Records and can be purchased at any local record store as well as online or at their shows. If you buy the vinyl, it comes with a digital download and bonus track! I also had to ask them about their band name and their answer might surprise you! Listen to our interview as we talked about the new release, IWTDI’s upcoming shows, and their penchant for wearing costumes on stage:

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Alex Iglehart and Wylie Pamplin of Calico Haunts came in at 7 p.m. for their first-ever radio interview to promote their first show in Raleigh since 2007, which was at the Berkely Cafe Saturday evening. We also debuted some brand new songs from their upcoming record that is scheduled to be released in October this year. Many of you might be familiar with Calico Haunts last release After All, which was one of The Independent Weekly’s albums of the month last year. Unfortunately, the band dissolved shortly after the release and little promotion was done for the record. A short time later the band was pieced back together and they started recording a follow up album only to have their work stolen two weeks before it was scheduled to be finished. With all of these mishaps you might think the band would throw in the towel. Listen below for their side of the story and their reactions:

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This Thursday, August 5 will be a bit more intense than your typical Thursday Night at Tir Na nOg. The Tir Na nOg and WKNC team have outdone themselves this time to bring you FOUR mega-awesome bands:  I Was Totally Destroying It, The Beast, Jews and Catholics, and Museum Mouth. Furthermore, this is an 80’s Dress-up Dance Party and 7″ release celebration, which will also feature DJ Johnny B Spinning the best 80’s hits!!!  There will be even more local beer varieties to choose from! This show will start 9 p.m. on the dot! 21 and up, of course.

I Was Totally Destroying It

If you find yourself at Tir Na nOg on other nights rather than Thursday, then you might have caught their other musical project I Was Totally Destroying U2 where they cover all the hits of U2 while offering spot-on Bono impersonation. Well guess what… they have original tracks too! Which are way better than U2 in my opinion.

The Beast

You might remember The Beast because they were featured on the Hear Here music compilation. They’re a delicious hip-hop group that has entertained Raleigh listeners for a while now. Be sure to catch them live this Thursday!

Jews and Catholics

A review from Patrick Culliton describes this duo in brief: “How can two people make this much noise? Machines. Guitar, bass, sequencers, hands, throats. Machines. One wing beats rust, the other glisten. A Jew, a Catholic; a boy, a girl. Isn’t tension what our attention’s after? Do you like to dance, even a little, and sweat, even a lot? We’re all lost in the woods, thank God. Jews and Catholics can fly deeper in.”

Museum Mouth

This Thursday will be the first time I will see Museum Mouth live. I am incredibly excited, as I am listening to them now. Grungy, sort of angry about something, indie rock. Already I am drawn to the lead vocalist. Fast-paced music paired with this lady’s wonderful, almost lazy-like singing voice is working for me in so many ways.

See you there, friends!

Photographs taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

The Moaners

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Spring Collection

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Local Beer Local Band Night is brought to you by WKNC and Tir Na nOg Irish Pub in downtown Raleigh. Each Thursday we have live local bands to entertain your ears, and the pub has local beers on tap to entertain your taste buds. These shows are always FREE and always 21 and up.This week we have The Moaners and The Spring Collection…

The Moaners

From Chapel Hill, these two talented ladies make up The Moaners. The Washington Post described their music as post-riot girl indie-rock blues band. This band will be loud and Melissa will be wearing sunglasses on stage. But honestly, any band who plays the saw is just fine with me.

The Spring Collection

The Spring Collection is a newly formed band made up of members from other local bands such as Bright Young Things and Hearts and Daggers. What does this group sound like? Well they like to say it is “60’s Garage and Mod with a late 70’s post-punk snarl…”

Should be an amazing show!  I will see you there!

And don’t forget… also on Thursday, July 29 I will be interviewing both of these bands on the air at 7 p.m.! So tune in for that!!

Love,

Audity

This week we have three awesome acts playing at Tir Na nOg: Jenna Smith, Kid Future and Midtown Dickens! Thursday nights at Tir Na nOg are always partnered with WKNC, is FREE FREE FREE and of course, 21 and up.

Jenna Smith:

This gorgeous singer and songwriter will be playing solo on her acoustic guitar.   This woman will give you goosebumps all over!  Her voice is so beautiful and soothing;  not surprising since she does music therapy.   Get here early to make sure you don’t miss this, otherwise all of your buddies who did show up early will tell you over and over again how awesome it was and you will beat yourself up for being late all night and won’t be able to enjoy the other acts.   Seriously.

Kid Future:

If you missed their act at Slim’s last Thursday (perhaps because you were at LBLB!) then no worries!  Here they are this Thursday for free at the one and only Tir Na nOg.  Chris Parker of Independent Weekly calls their jams, “burbling indie synth pop… reminiscent of ’80s acts like New Order but more sedate and dreamy.”  YES!

Midtown Dickens:

From Durham, this band delivers folk-y bluegrass.  Try your best to learn all the words.  My favorite thing to do when listening to MD is to sing along.  The song I started with?, “Airplane.”   Writer for the Independent Weekly, Brian Howe, said, “This band’s long let itself f**k up. Now they’ve learned to allow others to f**k up, too. They don’t gloss over failings and disappointments. They let them be and sing them into songs. You can sing them, too.”  See you on Thursday, friends!

Photographs taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

King Mez

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Kooley High

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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 Friday’s Local Beat was slammed full of live local music. We welcomed a new group to the scene, an old one getting back together, and announced some new local releases all in three hours. All the bands who came on the program also played some live tracks (nine total), never before heard, so be sure to listen to and download all of the brand new songs on the Local Beat ReverbNation page.

In the first hour of the show, I welcomed in Raleigh group Kid Future who made some news when they played at Local Beer Local Band back in April. It was their second show ever, but they made quite the impression on the crowd, and I welcomed them onto the show to learn more about the group and introduce them to those who have not seen them live. Unfortunately, we learned that even though the group is relatively new, drummer Robert Fisher is leaving the band to head to Boston for grad school. Remaining members Bryan Costello and Kevin Donnelly plan on continuing the band, and you can still see the original Kid Future lineup for two more shows. The first is at Slim’s Downtown on July 15 with The Cellar Seas and Thomas Costello (of Mount Weather), and the second is at Local Beer Local Band a week later at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub on the 22nd with Midtown Dickens. Check out the live acoustic songs Kid Future played in the widget above!

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The 6 p.m. hour was certainly a special treat, as I was joined by Mike Roy and Rob Watson of The Whistlestop (also of Watson & Roy). The Whistlestop have not played live in over a year as the group took a hiatus due to the birth of Mike’s daughter a year ago and the release of his solo album Shot Friction.  Rob has also been working on his long awaited solo album but, in the meantime, the pair has had time to begin work on their second album and debuted some brand new material for us during the interview. In total, five live songs were played, including three brand new, never before heard tracks, which you can listen to and download on the Local Beat ReverbNation page. You can see The Whistlestop for the first time in 2010 this next Friday at Mac’s Tavern in Cary.

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For the last hour, I was joined by Billy Sugarfix of Billy Sugarfix’s Carousel along with Pete and Andrea of Birds and Arrows. The two groups are releasing a split 7″ vinyl single through 307 Knox Records this coming Friday, July 16 at the brand new 307 Knox headquarters located at 618 Foster Street in downtown Durham. We spent time discussing vinyl’s relevance in today’s music industry and the death and possible rebirth of the “single”.  Billy Sugarfix is signed to Pox World Empire and recorded his new single “If There’s A Secret” there even though it is being released on 307 Knox (whom B&A are signed to), and we chatted about the two record labels and decided on a new name for them: “307 Pox”.  Both groups played their brand new singles for us, which you can listen to and download from our Local Beat ReverbNation page.  Also, check out the brand new Birds & Arrows music video directed and produced by Billy Sugarfix:

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

A tin djinn

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Static Minds

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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!

Tir na nOg and WKNC bring you Local Beer Local Band night!!  This week we are featuring Static Minds and A Tin Djinn!  Of course it is free, and of course the local brews are on special.  21+ people!

Static Minds

You know their song “Time Bomb” because you’ve heard it on the awesome local music compilation Hear Here.  Experts have been quoted saying, “Their live performances are an intense blast of sweat, volume, and freedom with lots of songs about high times, bad girls, and living it up no matter what life throws at you.” Nod your head to these guys this week!

A tin dijinn

I have a feeling these guys are hilarious. I’m having a look at their page right now (see link above) and, in short, there is Eliot, “enforcer of paisley;”  Gary, “the young zulu warrior;” and Clay,  the “Japan-crazed boogie tambourine mad man.”  Overall, the band feats delicious glam rock with an indie twist.

Hooray for local music and local beer.  Who wants to hear these bands with a Highland Gaelic pint?  I do!!!

Photos by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

White Tiger and the Bed of Roses

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Colossus

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Come down to WKNC and Tir Na Nog’s Local Beer Local Band Night on Thursday, June 24 to see Trekky Records’ Embarrassing Fruits, Charlotte natives Yardwork, and Raleigh’s Whatever Brains! The show is FREE! Starts at 9:30 p.m.  Plus, there are mighty yummy local beers on tap.  I think I will hit up Big Boss Diablo this Thursday…

EMBARRASSING FRUITS
http://www.myspace.com/embarrassingfruitsband

“Over a breezy melody, lazily strummed chords and cymbal splashes, frontman Joe Norkus recounts fond memories of poolside dances and conversations about coffee with the girl he’s met on the corner. When lightning hits their town and Jesus Christ comes down for a visit, the people scatter—except for Norkus and his summer affection. Hell, they’re even making babies while the town burns.”
—Spencer Griffith, Independent Weekly

Read more:http://www.myspace.com/embarrassingfruitsband#ixzz0rE6MxOh7

YARDWORK
http://www.myspace.com/yardworknc

Yardwork is a sick band hailing from Charlotte, NC.   Listening to them while I write this blog, I’d say they are wonderful, catchy and happy, songs to rock to.  A friend of mine is buddies with the band, so of course all of us are going to be there!

WHATEVER BRAINS
http://www.myspace.com/whateverbrains

Whatever Brains is loud.  So loud and so awesome.  They have real talent turned up as high as the volume knob can go.  If they have T-Shirts for sale at the nOg, I recommend the hamburger one.

“Whatever Brains is, allegedly, a punk band gobbing guitar fuzz on songs paced like they were penned by a kid with ADHD and no meds.”  -Independent Weekly

Photographs taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

Starmount

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The White Cascade

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Goodbye Titan

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