Many would call me a hopeless romantic.  I love to send letters and flowers to my girl and pamper her up when I can.  And while I am not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day and its pop culture marketing schemes,, I still feel the urge to go out and buy my sweetie some candy and flowers and make her a nice dinner to show her how much I care.  Another thing I like to do from time to time is make her custom mix tapes based around themes, as it was afterall music that brought us together.  Holiday mix tapes are usually the best and easiest and this Valentine’s Day will be no exception.

North Carolina is a hot pot for music and of course you are going to find some wonderful love songs tucked here and there.  If you had Valentine’s Day creep up on you from the back and take you by surprise today, and your significant other is a fan of local music, feel free to steal this play list as your own.  (You might even want to take it further and take your honey to see all of these artists the next time they play live.)

1. Tift Merritt: Another Country

2. Avett Brothers: I & Love & You

3. The Old Ceremony: God Said I Could Have You

4. Birds & Arrows: Honeymoon Song

5. Nola: Fall Into Me

6. Josh Moore: Rush Down My Spine

7. Benji Hughes: All You’ve Got To Do Is Fall In Love

8. Jeremy Blair From Effingham: I Do & I Don’t

9. Bombadil: Reasons

10. Whiskey Smugglers: Not Your Average Love Song

11. Brett Harris: I’m In Love

12. Mandolin Orange: Oh My Love

13. Stella By Starlight: As Good As It Gets

14. Tomahawks: Just Like One Another

15. Lost in the Trees: Love On My Side

16. Martha Ann Motel: Everything All At Once

Got more to share?  Comment below!

After looking back to the top 10 local albums of 2009 we have a whole new year and decade ahead of us.  Here is a quick blog of some local bands who are rumored to be coming out with an album in 2010:

• Bellafea plans to begin the recording process in June after just signing to Tizona.
• Billy Sugarfix will release his Sessions @ KNC album January 9.
• The Carolina Chocolate Drops are releasing the much awaited “Genuine Negro Jig,” on Feb. 23 through Nonesuch.
• Felix Obelix will finally put out the long awaited The Tick of
  the Clock, the Beat in the Chest in late February.
• Front Porch Sofa is working in the studio right now for a summer release.
• Lost in the Trees has been rumored to release new material in the fall.
• Mount Moriah is currently recording a new album set to be released by Tizona.
• Organos has its debut album set to be released in early February.
• Schooner is getting ready for a release in mid-February.
• Veelee has plans on releasing another short EP (they just ran out of hard copies of their Three Sides EP)
• The Whiskey Smugglers already have a new album in the works and plan to record in 2010.

Obviously this is not all of them, but as many as I could muster.  Got any more to add?  Comment below or shoot me an email: localmusic@wknc.org.

One of the greatest things about WKNC is our ability to partner with North Carolina State University campus departments. Way back in May, we were approached by Center Stage to help promote a new venture called Off-Center. Since we’re a little off-center ourselves, nestled way down at 88.1 on your radio dial, we were thrilled. No doubt Center Stage does an excellent job of bringing national acts to campus; check out the schedule for yourself. With the re-opening of Thompson Hall, though, came the unique opportunity to create something new.

We have long wanted to expand the Center Stage series to include artists for which Stewart Theatre might not be the best venue: young artists or ensembles early in their career, some of the many fine artists who call North Carolina home, and some of the hard-to-describe performances that may not attract huge audiences, but that our faithful patrons know can provide an evening of exhilarating entertainment.

Next weekend, Sept. 18 and 19, Center Stage launches its Off-Center series with Double Barrel Benefit 6 alumnus Lost in the Trees. The Chapel Hill-based ensemble is often described as a folk orchestra, but you need to see them for yourself to really understand their sound. Lost in the Trees perform Friday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre. We could not have chosen a better kickoff ourselves.

Lost in the Trees performing in WKNC Studio 4/10/09, c/o Mike Gray

Raleigh’s ELM Collective, who plays Saturday, Sept. 19 at the same time and location, is groovy in a different way. The band boasts a global sound from four continents and a mission to blend culture through their music. Learn more about the band and flutist/physics professor Marco Buongiorno-Nardelli in the Winter 2009 Scope, a magazine from the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

Tickets for both shows are only $5 each for N.C. State students and can be picked up at the Ticket Central box office on the second floor of Tally Student Center. Members of the general public can enjoy Lost in the Trees and ELM Collective for $12-$15 each. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at (919) 515-1100, or skip some of the processing fees by getting them in person at Ticket Central.

Native Chapel Hill band Lost in the Trees is coming to NC State University Friday, September 18th!

Lost in the Trees Photo by Jordan Meyer

The show starts at 8:00pm and will be at Kennedy McIlwee Theatre in Frank Thompson Hall on NC State’s campus. Tickets are $5 for students and $15 for general admission.

Check out songs from this local band here and more events taking place on NC State’s campus here.

Support local music!

Ear Farm recently created a list of the top 10 North Carolina Bands you should hear. Amazing choices that I’m sure most will agree upon, they include: The Proclivites, Bellafea, Lost in the Trees, Black Ses, Schooner, Hammer No More the Fingers, The Bronzed Chorus, Birds of Avalon, Megafaun and Lonnie Walker as their number one choice. Undoubtedly terrific choices, but we here at WKNC are lucky to get the up in coming, the raw recordings, the unheard vocals of brand new local bands. So here is my short list of 5 avid local listeners might not have heard of….yet.

5. Free Electric State: Described as “Crushing distorted guitar…and vocals stylishly almost like background sound..” by our very own DJ Caid it’s hard to not be impressed by this group. Formed in Durham, NC Free Electric State is very new with only a two song CD in the station. This band should take off quickly with its ability to grab  attention with the 80st inspired vibe and catchy lo-fi sound.

4. M1 Platoon: Local Durham Hip-Hop crew M1 Platoon caught my eye during the joint album release show with Kooley High. The group joined together in the D.C. area and now can be found in Durham, NC. The lyrics consistently hype up their hometown as well as their new homes in Durham. The lyrics are great but it is the stage presence that immediately attracted me to M1 Platoon. With 7 group members plus a live DJ the stage itself is packed. It is incredible to watch each individual put their heart and souls out onto the stage. From jumping onto the amps, masking wearing interpretive dancing, to cheeky dance moves the group never stops moving. You see that the lyrics come from the heart and that what they are doing in the moment is what they are ment to do. If you only see one show this year I recommend checking out M1 Platoon doing what they do best.

3.Veelee: This band is one that I heard while driving to work. It was one of those music moments where your heart kind of fills up because you finally heard that sound you have been craving, something that shifts your insides around.  Maybe that’s just me but to put it briefly, this stuff is good, really good.  The Chapel Hill duo creates pop music with a strange dark side. With easy to follow singalong lyrics to unique keyboard sounds Veelee embraces the idea of minimalistic pop music that makes the listener want to put it on repeat.

2. Old Bricks: Raw, sad, make you curl up the fetal position and cry type songs.  Greymatter says ” the vocal style is best described as desperate and pathetic, but it works.” He is right, it totally works. The songs run from about six to eight minutes apiece but each one just grows upon itself. With a Daniel Johnson vibe the listener feels connected and appreciative that someone else is saying it for them, that we all hurt. Old Bricks shares with us the beauty and raw power of putting real human emotions into music. Check them out August 31 at Slims Downtown.

1. You and Your Effects:  Astounding folk rock built upon banjos, violins, flutes, accordions and incredible lyrics.  DJ Chuck compares them to Bowerbirds, DeVotcka and Sufjan Stevens.  The band is made up of five kids all under the drinking age which says a lot when listening to the lyrics these guys write. Dealing with adult issues and putting a intense,almost orchertratal(?) sounds as the background makes You and Your Effects an instant favorite to new listeners. Don’t be fooled though, they also hop to upbeat, jamish twangy rock and roll turning that frown right upside down. Unfortunately the college students are out and about doing what college kids should do…traveling the world, so don’t expect to see them live anytime soon.

Keep your eyes peeled and your ears tuned in to WKNC. For now I highly suggest checking out the links to hear for yourself just how incredible the scene around us is becoming.

Today is Thursday and if you live in the Triangle you should know by now about Local Beer Local Band night every Thursday at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in downtown Raleigh.  WKNC & Tir Na Nog put the show on every Thursday,  free of charge, with local brewery specials on tap.  Tonights show includes Free Electric State and A Rooster For The Masses.  It is starting at 9pm.

However, going on in Chapel Hill is the Locally Grown Festival which features two local favorites The Love Languge and Lost in the Trees.  The show is going to take place at 150 E. Rosemary Street at Wallace Plaza.  This show is also free and kicks off at 7pm.

If you are a brave soul I suggest carpooling with some friends and hitting up both of these FREE shows back-to-back.  It could possibly be the cheapest and best music night of the summer!

WKNC has some new and exciting tickets to giveawathis coming week! Check out the shows going on July 19 to 25 for which WKNC will give away tickets:

Sunday, July 19:
Lost In The Trees playing @ Cat’s Cradle

Scream The Prayer Tour @ Lincoln Theatre

Wednesday, July 22:
Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers @ Lincoln Theatre

Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers

Dark Party (Eliot Lipp & Leo 123 w/Mux Mool) @ The Pour House

Eliot Lipp

Saturday, July 25:
Annuals & The Old Ceremony @ NC Museum of Art

Annuals

The Bleeding Hearts with The Dielectrics & Stonefox @ The Pour House

The Bleeding Hearts

In addition to these great shows, WKNC is also giving away tickets to following shows:

Robert Cray Band July 23 @ Koka Booth

Robert Cray

The Big Surprise Tour w/ Old Crow Medicine Show August 10 @ Koka Booth

Old Crow Medicine Show

Coldplay August 6 @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion

Coldplay

Be sure to listen in to WKNC 88.1 for your chance to win some of these great tickets! Also, be sure to check out The Rock Report for a complete list of local shows near you!

This week a few members from Bombadil are sharing their lists of the tunes that inspire them.

Bryan Rahija

Stayin’ Alive – The Bee Gees
Hymn 101 – Joe Pug
I Can See the Light – Paleface
Manteo – The Love Language
Last Bastion of Worthlessness – Des_Ark
Red Moon – The Walkmen
Oh You Pretty Things – David Bowie
Katoucha – Seydou Boro
Cut Your Hair – Pavement
ATliens-Outkast

James Phillips

Get The Fever Out – Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers
RoboCop- Kanye West
Blue Ridge Mountains – Fleet Foxes
I Pray for You To Die – Schooner
Clara Clairvoyant – Donovan
Badlands – Bruce Springsteen
Fireplace – Lost in the Trees
It’s a Man’s World – James Brown
The Sheriff – Wes Phillips
Hello – Sam Quinn + The Japan Ten

Fans should know that Bombadil has a new album,  Tarpits and Canyonlands, coming out July 17th!

Unfortunately bad news has been released about this local favorite. Click below to read more.

Sad News for Triangle Music

After what was probably the most eclectic Local Beat I’ve hosted last week (Lemming Malloy, Colossus, and Caltrop),  we’ve got a jam-packed lineup this week.

At 5:00, self-described rock orchestra Easy Company will be stopping by to play a few songs in studio and to talk about a show they’re putting on June 6th at the Halle Cultural Arts Theatre in Apex.  If you thought Lost in the Trees was a crowd with an 11-person band, these guys have 17 members!  Not sure how many are coming in for the interview and performance, but this is a situation where the throwaway line “crazier things have happened” may not necessarily apply.

Easy Company Show flyer, c/o the band's Myspace page

At 6:00, resident Wednesday Local Lunch DJ Cioffi will be interviewing Raleigh-based progressive/experimental band Pivot.  They’re playing the Brewery June 5th and will be by to talk about that.

Lastly, at 7:00, Friday Local Lunch DJ Mikey P will be interviewing Lonnie Walker about the new album, These Times Old Times, their release show/party at Schoolkids Records on Hillsborough Street and the Ahpeele warehouse on Capital Blvd.  They’re also going on tour with Brooklyn-based Motel Motel in June, so Mikey will ask him about that as well.

So as you can see, we’re cramming about as much as we possibly can into luxurious post-baseball 3-hour Local Beat this Friday, 5/29.  Be sure to tune in at 88.1 FM or wknc.org/listen.

I’m super excited about this week’s Trekky edition of  Local Beer Local Band Night (5/21), as we have the Double Barrel Benefit alumnus The Never and Lost in the Trees!  Local Beer Local Band Night is held every Thursday night (9:30) at Tir Na Nog in downtown Raleigh.  It’s FREEEEEE to get in and Tir Na Nog has some great local brews.  So come out and support your comunity!!!!

Here’s a video of Lost in the Trees performing live at the Showroom in SC.

And here’s a video of the Never live at the Cradle!

WORD UP!

Wow, what a day.  We started off the Local Beat with an interview and in-studio performance by one of my favorite bands around, Bombadil.  They played previously unreleased “Kate and Kelsey” and were also kind enough to let us spin a few tracks off of their yet-to-be-released album, Tarpits and Canyonlands (see video below)
http://www.vimeo.com/3382352.

We talked about the imminent loss of Stuart, Daniel’s injured hand, the NC State Brickyard preachers, and how none of these things will stop the momentum that Bombadil has with new album to be released soon.

Lastly, they provided a hint as to their concert garb for the evening (see pictures below).  Check out the interview.

Bombadil performing in WKNC studio 4/10, c/o Mike Gray

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As Bombadil was leaving the studio, we were shuffling Double Barrel Benefit 6 band Lost in the Trees (2/13 of them, anyway) into the studio.  They also played a previously unreleased track called “A Church that Fits our Needs,” a stunningly beautiful song with, as we noted, a touch of folk.  We also talked about their upcoming date at the Shakori Hills Festival and some work the band is doing in schools (promoting rock, or pop, or whatever it should be called). Finally, we talked about the band’s next album, which should be released sometime this fall (check the Trekky Records website for more info).  They also spoke a little about the show that night at the Lincoln Theatre.

Check out the Lost in the Trees interview below.

Lost in the Trees performing in WKNC Studio 4/10, c/o Mike Gray

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The lineup for that show was as follows:

Lost in the Trees

Benji Hughes (who put on just about the drunkest, most hilarious act I’ve seen in a while)

Bombadil

Our last guest of the evening was Ryan Richardson of the Kingsbury Manx, who joined us by phone.  We talked about the band’s label, Odessa Records (owned and managed by band member Paul Finn).  Odessa was having its “label release” party at Cat’s Cradle that night, which included all 3 bands on the label:

Americans in France

Impossible Arms

Kingsbury Manx

Check out the interview below.

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Check out the pictures from the Lincoln Theatre show below and visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/not_a_photographer/ for more of the same.

Lost in the Trees at the Lincoln Theatre 4/10, c/o Mike Gray

Benji Hughes at the Lincoln Theatre 4/10, c/o Mike Gray

Benji Hughes napping on the Lincoln Theatre stage, c/o Mike Gray

Bombadil Harmonizing at the Lincoln Theatre 4/10, c/o Mike Gray

Bombadil performing "Cavaliers Har Hum" at the Lincoln Theatre 4/10, c/o Mike Gray

So I’ve been busy / lazy this week, and this post is about 24 hours overdue.

But either way, we have a hell of a show for you tonight:

At 5:00, Bombadil will be in studio, with instruments.

Lost in the Trees will be joining us after that.

At 6:15, we’ll have the Kingsbury Manx on for a phone interview.

And, as usual, we’ll be going over some of the (amazing) shows on tap for this weekend.

Tune in at 88.1 FM or online!

In addition to the Shakori Hills giveaways this week, we have other shows we’re giving free passes to that you might want to check out:

The Design w/ Sun Domingo playing @ Lincoln Theatre Thursday April 9th

The Design

Bombadil w/ Benji Hughes and Lost in the Trees playing @ Lincoln Theatre Friday April 10th

Bombadil

Urban Sophisticates w/ O Period playing @ Lincoln Theatre Saturday April 11th

Urban Sophisticates

Nappy Luv 7.5 Hosted by Amanda Diva featuring 9th Wonder playing @ Lincoln Theatre Sunday April 12th

Hosted by Amanda Diva

Break out your chain belts, leather vests, and peace symbols and join WKNC at the Shakori Hills Grassroots music festival on Saturday April 18th. We’ll be broadcasting live all day and to celebrate, we’re giving away 5 pairs of day passes for the festival this week. Make sure to tune in for your chances to win and don’t forget to check out the live interviews with some of the performing bands.

The Line Up:

Wednesday April 8th, DJ Chuck will be kickin’ it with Holy Ghost Tent Revivial from 1-3pm

Monday April 13th, DJ Special K will be hanging with the guys from Butterflies from 4-5pm

Interviews with Lost in the Trees, New Familars, and The Old Ceremony are TBA

If you’ve listened to WKNC with any frequency in the latter half of last year, you’ve undoubtedly heard Lost in the Trees. Lost in the Trees’ critically acclaimed sophomore album, “All Alone in an Empty House” has been a favorite among WKNC’s daytime DJs since it’s release in September.

On “All Alone in an Empty House,” Ari Picker, the principal member of the band, has perfected his unique form of orchestral folk. The record has some of the most beautiful music I’ve heard in a long time; it’s mostly intensely personal melancholy ballads with lush orchestral instrumentation. Listening to the record can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride, but anyone that has a soul will appreciate the immense beauty of their music.

Ari Picker is a classically trained musician and a talented songwriter and nowhere is this more clear than when he performs live. My introduction to Lost in the Trees was their performance on the first day of the Troika Music Festival in Durham last year. I was immediately struck by the intensity and emotion of the music; I knew they would be one of my favorite bands. This is not a show you’ll want to miss.

Lost in the Trees will be going on second behind Lonnie Walker this coming Friday, February 6th, for the sixth annual Double Barrel Benefit.  The house is sure to be packed early due to Lonnie Walker & also First Friday, so make sure you get a ticket and get in there to catch this fantastic 12 piece band for their entire set!