We have a shortened program this Friday evening, Jan. 27, on The Local Beat as N.C. State Women’s Basketball is taking on ACC challenger Florida State at 6:30 p.m.

At 5 p.m, though, we are welcoming a new band to the show, the Evil Tenors. While you might not have heard of the group before, it is likely you know some of the band members: Nathan White (Nathan Oliver), John Harrison (North Elementary), Mas Sato (The Sames), Stuart Cullinan (Tennis and the Mennonites), and Roy Elturk (Oblisk). Delving into psychedelic and surf rock, the band has a unique, interesting sound and will be releasing an EP this spring. This will be the first time you can hear the band over the radio, so it will not be a show you want to miss.

Our basketball team is 13-7 overall and 3-4 in conference games. FSU is 11-10 overall and is also 3-4 in ACC play. Let’s cheer on our Wolfpack women tonight after The Local Beat!

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!

Last week on the Local Beat was a lot of fun, as we had two bands in the studio for 2.5 hours of good conversation. Maria Albani, bass player of Schooner, came in to chat about her new solo project Organos at 5 p.m which is having a debut album release for the brand new EP, Limbs, this Friday at the Pinhook in Durham (it is already getting airplay on Satellite Radio).  Organos is an interesting band in which Maria plays an assortment of unorthodox instruments such as spoons, glass, cardboard, boxes, shaker eggs, and sticks among other interesting sounds to create a unique yet immensely satisfying minimalist folk rock sound.  On the album Maria performed most of the parts herself but live Organos is a whole different animal.   A mini local super group of sorts, Organos live claims the likes of Reid Johnson (Schooner), Wes Phillips (solo, North Elementary, Rosebuds), Theresa Phillips (North Elementary), Nathan White (Nathan Oliver), and John Harris0n (Nathan Oliver, North Elementary), not to mention Maria herself.  In our conversation Maria, Theresa, and I chatted about the album, the band members, the show, and also her past bands which include Pleasant, Tennis and the Mennonites, Un Deux Trois, & The Pox Family Singers.  Listen to the podcast below:

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Organos is playing at the Pinhook this Friday, February 5 alongside Birds and Arrows and Ye Old Shoppe (with members of Wild Wild Geese).  The show is at 9:30 p.m., and you get a free copy of the album with price of admission!

At 6 p.m., local bluegrass favorites The Hotwires stepped in to chat about an assortment of different topics, but mostly to encourage our listeners to head to the Haiti Relief Benefit show at the Pour House Thursday, February 4th.   The Hotwires are playing in the middle of the show after Andy Bilinski, Roger Gupton, and the Debonzo Brothers, and before Chatham County Line, Filthybird, and A Rooster For The Masses.  The show is $12 and all proceeds are going to the Red Cross in support of Haiti Relief efforts.  The fellas and I spent quite a bit of time chatting about bluegrass as a genre, the history of bluegrass, as well as their upcoming album which is hopefully going to be released at some point this spring.   We even got a little touchy when talking about their old band name, No Strings Attached.  They also brought in some instruments and played some live tunes for me.  Check out the reverbnation player below to listen to the songs or listen to the entire podcast:

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I also interviewed Hank Smith for this past Monday’s Eye On the Triangle program here on WKNC about the benefit. You can listen to that segment here.

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Check out the colorful, vintage style of this new video from Nathan Oliver. “Playground Lies” is featured on the album Cloud Animals which was released in March 2009.

This Friday, October 23, indie trio Simple will release their new EP titled “WKNC Sessions Live.”  This is by no means a coincidence; we here at sessions@KNC recorded this very EP in the Caldwell Lounge back in May.

You should be pumped for a few reasons:

1. This thing rocks.

2. The show and CD are both FREE (but you’ll probably get a little nod toward a donation fund).

3. The songs on the CD are slightly different from what you heard online; they’ve been mastered and sound even better!

The show is at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill Friday at 10 p.m.  You’ll also see guest groups Nathan Oliver and Wild Wild Geese; two more bands with totally unique, cool sounds!

Also, Simple will be interviewed during The Local Beat on the same day at 5 p.m. on WKNC 88.1 FM.  Listen in!

Want easy access to your favorite local bands? Do you want free downloads of your favorite songs? Did you know all this is in the palm of your hand?

ReverbNation is a new company based out of Durham is allowing you, the listener, easy access to information and tunes from your local favorites.

Tracks from bands frequently played on WKNC such as A Rooster for the Masses, Bombadil, Hammer No More the Fingers, The Future Kings of Nowhere, I Was Totally Destroying It, and others are available through ReverbNation.

If you like what you hear from these bands on ReverbNation, don’t forget to check out the Local Lunch, Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m., only on the Revolution.

Ever wonder what were the hottest new tracks of college radio or what the DJs were spinning at WKNC? Wonder no more! Here are the latest, freshest, and most off-the-chain albums of the week.

Hey Kids, Play This New Music

Gray Matter, Assistant Daytime Music Director

Red Red Meat – Bunny Gets Paid
A re-release of a classic album. One of the best examples of experimental folk/blues ever.

Mirah – (a)spera
Mirah is a particularly weird singer/songwriter type. I like this album quite a lot.

Infantree – Tree-p
More experimental folk, this much more twangy. One of the singers sounds like a bluegrass singer which I would normally hate, but I kind of like this band.

Bonnie Prince Billy – Beware
Sounds like Bonnie Prince Billy, if you don’t know what Bonnie Prince Billy sounds like, listen to some Bonnie Prince Billy.

Mi Ami – Watersports
Good weird [expletive]. Extreme falsetto vocals with drum and bass rhythms.

Soft Tags – Winchester Mansion, and Projectors
Soft Tags sent us their two older albums, neither quite as good as their newest, but they have some worth hearing tracks.

New Music, Local Music, most importantly: Awesome Music

Mick, Local Music Director

There is so much good new local music I can barely contain myself. I’m not eloquent in describing this stuff, so the best way to do this is to listen the stuff yourself. You won’t regret a single second of it.

Red Collar – “Pilgrim”
I mean, what do you want me to say? It’s Red Collar’s album, at long last. If you don’t know, then put it in your CD player right now.

Benji Hughes - “A Love Extreme”
Not the traditional local; he’s from Charlotte. Some dancy, some poppy, eclectic as a whole. This is a double album, and it’s awesome and hilarious all at once. Lots of short, catchy tunes that you’ll be singing along with after one listen. I don’t really know how to describe it other than this so play the [expletive]!

Nathan Oliver – “Cloud Animals”
Some great new indie-pop from Nathan Oliver. Better than his last, a bit harder, and certainly more interesting  (this review brought to you by Gray Matter).

Embarrassing Fruits – “Community / Exploitation”
Hot damn, I really think this may be the best CD I’ve received as local music director. This album is like a reincarnation of Pavement, with the same slacker rock approach plus constant complaining about a girl. Every track is awesome. Really, really awesome.

Joe Romeo & The Orange County Volunteers – self-titled
Some combination of folk rock, surf rock, and Americana. Really great, twangy tunes that are heartfelt and simply beautiful. This guy knows how to write music. Play it!

Whew. As always, there is more on the horizon. For now, check these out and keep rockin the local stuff.