Surfer Blood returned to Raleigh Sunday night at a packed Kings Barcade. They came through town last July for deja FEST, playing outside Lincoln Theatre during the day. While I definitely enjoyed both shows, I think this one was much better.

This time around I think they had a stage presence that wasn’t nearly as strong as before. John Paul Pitts (lead vocals/guitar) hopped down into the crowd and meandered through to sing a few of the songs. The rest of the band looked like they were either ultimately consumed by their instrument (like drummer Tyler Schwarz) or just having a lot of fun. Overall, the band exuded a confidence and comfort I didn’t necessarily see last year. They played all my favorites and sing-a-longs as well as a couple unreleased songs. If you are a Surfer Blood fan, you’ll love it — they remain true to their sound without letting it get stale.

The crowd was another significant part of the show: stage dives, crowd surfing, broken glass, discarded limes from tequila shots, chanting and clapping. Everyone had a great time, and hopefully Surfer Blood will be back for round three soon.

In commemoration of the 20-year anniversary of Nirvana’s famous album Nevermind, artists including Telekinesis, Surfer Blood, and Jeff the Brotherhood have each recorded an individual song off of the classic album. Starting Tuesday, July 19 Newermind will be available for free download on SPIN magazine’s Facebook page.

The track listing is

1. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Meat Puppets
2. “In Bloom” by Butch Walker
3. “Come As You Are” by Midnight Juggernauts
4. “Breed” by Titus Andronicus
5. “Lithium” by The Vaselines
6. “Polly” by Amanda Palmer
7. “Territorial Pissings”  by Surfer Blood
8. “Drain You” by Foxy Shazam
9. “Lounge Act” Jessica Lea Mayfield
10. “Stay Away” by Charles Bradley and the Menahan Street Band
11. “On A Plain” by Telekinesis
12. “Something In The Way” by Jeff the Brotherhood
13. “Endless, Nameless” by EMA

The mini-festival, which will hit Raleigh July 22 and 23, will be bringing some huge names in both Local and nationwide artists to the area. Working alongside the fine people at Hopscotch Music Festival,  the free two-day event will bring the likes of Hooray for Earth, Free Energy, Wye Oak, Surfer Blood, and much more.

 

The events kick off on Friday starting at 6pm with acts playing venues including Kings, The Pour House, Tir Na Nog, Slim’s, and Neptunes. Saturday acts play from 1pm to 11pm with outside of Lincoln Theatre with the after party taking place inside the venue.

 

 

For more information visit hopscotchmusicfest.com

To state the obvious, we here at WKNC love music. A lot. We also love live music. A lot. Most, if not all, of us attend many concerts and music festivals each year. What follows are lists of some of WKNC’s deejays’ favorite shows of the year. They range from national to local acts, regular shows to festivals. Some (myself included) went to so many it was hard to narrow it down to five, so we listed ten. Some lists are in numerical order, others are not. Caribou, Future Islands, and the inaugural Hopscotch Music Festival were some of the most common favorites, among dozens of other acts. Check it out:

Synthesiser Patel (Daytime/Afterhours)

- Chromeo/A-Trak/Kid Sister/Theophilus London @ Congress Theater (Chicago)

- The National/Owen Pallett @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

- Metric @ Lollapalooza

- of Montreal @ Cat’s Cradle

- Born Ruffians/Winter Gloves @ Local 506

DJ Mensch (Daytime)

1. The National @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

2. Minus The Bear @ Lincoln Theatre

3. Max Indian @ Hopscotch Music Festival

4. Broken Social Scene @ Hopscotch Music Festival

5. The Rosebuds @ Hopscotch Music Festival

May Day (Daytime)

1. Broken Social Scene @ Hopscotch Music Festival

2. Camera Obscura @ Duke Gardens

3. Surfer Blood @ Cat’s Cradle

4. Yeasayer/Javelin @ Cat’s Cradle

5. OK  Go @ Lincoln Theatre

DJ Mollypop (Daytime)

1. Paul McCartney @ Sprint Center (Kansas City)

2. The Weepies @ Lincoln Theatre

3. Phoenix @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre

4. Crooked Still @ Casbah

5. The New Pornographers/Dodos/The Duchess and the Duke @ Memorial Hall (UNC-CH)

The Noobhammer (Chainsaw)

1. Scale The Summit/Devin Townsend Project/Cynic/Between the Buried and Me @ The Fillmore Charlotte

2. Sons of Liberty/Iced Earth @ 9:30 Club (Washington, D.C.)

3. Powerglove/Firewind @ Volume 11

4. Valient Thorr/Between the Buried and Me/Mastodon @ Lincoln Theatre

5. Boris @ Cat’s Cradle

Iris G (Daytime)

- Mumford & Sons @ 9:30 Club (Washington, D.C.)

- Ratatat @ MeetFactory (Prague)

Audity (Daytime)

- Active Child @ Hopscotch Music Festival

- Cassis Orange @ Duke Coffeehouse

- Veelee @ Duke Coffeehouse

- Old Bricks @ Kings

- Deerhunter @ Cat’s Cradle

Sarahnade (Daytime/Post Rock Block)

1. Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ RBC Center

2. Local Natives/The Union Line @ The Grey Eagle (Asheville)

3. Phoenix @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre

4. The New Pornographers/Dodos/The Duchess and the Duke @ Memorial Hall (UNC-CH)

5. The Temper Trap/The Kissaway Trail @ Cat’s Cradle

6. This Machine Kills Cancer benefit

DJ Ones (Daytime)

1. Phoenix @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre

2. The New Pornographers @ Memorial Hall (UNC-CH)

3. Broken Social Scene @ Hopscotch Music Festival

4. The Big Pink @ Cat’s Cradle

5. Sharon Van Etten @ Hopscotch Music Festival

DJ Hammerhead (Chainsaw)

1. Municipal Waste/Double Negative/Zeus @ The Milestone (Charlotte)

2. Overkill/Forbidden/Gama Bomb/Evile/Bonded By Blood @ Volume 11

3. D.R.I./Final Curse @ Amos’ Southend (Charlotte)

4. Nemesis/Chainsawdamy/Avalon Steel @ Tremont Music Hall (Charlotte)

5. Exmortus/Vektor/Final Curse @ Charlotte’s Underground (Charlotte)

The Blog Lady (Blog Editor/Staff Photographer)

1. The Avett Brothers @ Asheville Civic Center Arena

2. Lost In The Trees @ Cat’s Cradle

3. Mandolin Orange @ Troika Music Festival

4. The Rosebuds @ Hopscotch Music Festival

5. Chatham County Line @ Troika Music Festival

DJ Vice (Daytime)

1. Benji Hughes/The Old Ceremony @ Cat’s Cradle

2. Passion Pit @ The Fillmore Charlotte

3. The Avett Brothers @ Asheville Civic Center Arena

Just John (Daytime)

1. Caribou/Phantogram @ Governor’s Island (New York City)

2. Beach House @ Cat’s Cradle

3. Every Future Islands show

4. Joanna Newsom @ Carolina Theatre

5. Ponytail @ Siren Music Festival

The Cosmic Cowboy (The Church of Bluegrass and the Truer Sound)

1. John Prine @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

2. Joanna Newsom @ The National (Richmond) and Variety Playhouse (Atlanta)

3. Cedric Watson and the Bijou Creole/Red Stick Ramblers @ Reynolds Industries Theater (Duke)

4. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy @ Borque’s Social Club (Scot, LA)

5. Charlie Louvin @ Borque’s Social Club (Scot, LA)

DJ Elly May (Daytime)

1. Delta Spirit @ Cat’s Cradle

2. The Rosebuds/Megafaun @ The Pour House

3. Holy Ghost Tent Revival @ The Pour House

4. Minus The Bear @ Lincoln Theatre

5. Turbo Fruits @ Local 506

Lucretia (Chainsaw)

1. Eyehategod/Nachtmystium/Withered/Haarp/Stripmines @ Volume 11

2. Kreator/Voivod/Nachtmystium @ Jaxx (West Springfield, VA)

3. Slang/World Burns To Death/Devour/Stripmines @ Slims

4. Immolation/Vader/Abigail Williams/Lecherous Nocturne @ Volume 11

5. High On Fire/Torche/Kylesa @ Cat’s Cradle

6. Atakke/Parasytic/Devour @ Slims

7. Pentagram/Cough/The Gates of Slumber/Windham @ The Hat Factory (Richmond)

8. Alice In Chains @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

9. Hate Eternal/Cannabis Corpse/Malebolgia @ Volume 11

10. Glass Casket/Wrath & Rapture/Malebolgia @ Johnny & Junes (Winston-Salem)

Agent Orange (Daytime)

1. Broken Social Scene @ Hopscotch Music Festival

2. Yeasayer/Javelin @ Cat’s Cradle

3. Caribou/Toro Y Moi @ Cat’s Cradle

4. Annuals/The Light Pines @ Tir Na Nog

5. Ra Ra Riot/Givers @ Cat’s Cradle

Riff Raff (Daytime)

- Hopscotch Music Festival

- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ Cat’s Cradle

- Veelee/Lonnie Walker/Future Islands @ Kings

- Beach House/Washed Out @ Cat’s Cradle

- Ludacris @ Reynolds Coliseum

DJ Kligz (Daytime/Local Lunch)

1. Hopscotch Music Festival

2. Future Islands/Lonnie Walker/Veelee/NAPS @ Kings

3. Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival

4. Beach House @ Cat’s Cradle

5. Caribou/Veelee @ Cat’s Cradle

Chuck (Daytime)

1. LCD Soundsystem @ Pitchfork Music Festival

2. Massive Attack/Jonsi @ MoogFest

3. The National @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

4. Wilco @ Durham Performing Arts Center

5. Caltrop/US Christmas/The Curtains of Night @ Nightlight

6. Titus Andronicus/Spider Bags @ Local 506

7. Deerhunter/Schooner @ Cat’s Cradle

8. Deakin @ Hopscotch Music Festival

9. GWAR @ Lincoln Theatre

10. These Are Powers/Lemonade/MNDR @ The Pinhook

What were your favorite shows and/or music festivals of the year?

Another year is practically in the books, and with it comes time to recapture our favorite moments in music from the past year. I sought to get a large number of Daytime deejays to give us their favorite albums of the past year. And what a year it was! Below is the collection of great albums as decided by a great deal of Daytime deejays. See you next year!

Just John

1. Joanna Newsom – Have One on Me
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
3. Future Islands – In Evening Air
4. Caribou – Swim
5. Sharon Van Etten – Epic

May Day

1. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
3. Vampire Weekend- Contra
4. Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
5. Twin Shadow – Forget

DJ Elly May

1. Bob Dylan – The Original Mono Recordings
2. The Black Angels – Phosphene Dream
3. Dark Dark Dark – Wild Go
4. Spoon – Transference
5. Jimi Hendrix – Valleys of Neptune

LOLCait

1. Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues
2. Various Artists – Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: The Songs of John Prine
3. John Prine – In Person & On Stage
4. Megafaun – Heretofore
5. Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt

N!cole

1. Cotton Jones – Tall Hours in the Glowstream
2. Y La Bamba – Lupon
3. Breathe Owl Breathe – Magic Central
4. Casiokids – Topp Stemning På Lokal Bar
5. Harlem – Hippies

DJ Jacoblivion

1. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
2. The National – High Violet
3. Ratatat – LP4
4. Bassnectar – Timestretch
5. Jaga Jazzist – One-Armed Bandit

SarahNade

1. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
2. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
3. The Black Keys – Brothers
4. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
5. Yeasayer – Odd Blood

Anastassia

1. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
2. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
3. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles II
4. Warpaint – The Fool
5. Phantogram – Eyelid Movies

Professor X

1. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
2. Owen Pallett – Heartland
3. The Books – The Way Out
4. Beach House – Teen Dream
5. Yeasayer – Odd Blood

Hurricane Julia

1. Peggy Sue – Fossils and Other Phantoms
2. Tallest Man on Earth – Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird
3. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
4. Bonnie “Prince” Billy and the Cairo Gang – Wonder Show of the World
5. Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas – Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas

DJ Ones

1. The National – High Violet
2. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
3. The Black Keys – Brothers
4. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
5. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More

Agent Orange

1. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
2. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
3. Caribou – Swim
4. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
5. Twin Shadow – Forget

DJ Mensch

1. The National – High Violet
2. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
3. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
4. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
5. Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard

DJ Ray

1. Beach House – Teen Dream
2. Joanna Newsom – Have One on Me
3. Sharon Van Etten – Epic
4. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
5. Julian Lynch – Mare

Hot Tamale

1. Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt
2. The Black Keys – Brothers
3. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
4. The National – High Violet
5. Blair – Die Young

The DONoftime

1. Tame Impala – Inner Speaker
2. Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo
3. MGMT – Congratulations
4. Spoon – Transference
5. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

Mollypop

1. Crooked Still – Some Strange Country
2. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
3. Steeldrivers – Reckless
4. Chatham County Line – Wildwood
5. Darren Hanlon – I Will Love You At All

DJ Kligz

1. The Tender Fruit - Flotsam and Krill
2. Future Islands – In Evening Air
3. Sharon Van Etten – Epic
4. Beach House – Teen Dream
5. Sleigh Bells – Treats

Lovely Lucia

1. The Love Language – Libraries
2. Future Islands – In Evening Air
3. Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt
4. Phantogram – Eyelid Movies
5. MGMT – Congratulations

Riff Raff

1. Future Islands – In Evening Air
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
3. The Morning Benders – Big Echo
4. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
5. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

Monsieur Mêmes

1. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
2. Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo
3. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
4. Bear Hands – Burning Bush Supper Club
5. Four Tet – There Is Love in You

Tommyboy

1. Future Islands – In Evening Air
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
3. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
4. Caribou – Swim
5. Four Tet – There is Love in You

Goof

1. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
2. LCD SoundSystem – This is Happening
3. Beach House – Teen Dream
4. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
5. Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt

Major Tom

1. Matt and Kim - Sidewalks
2. Suckers – Wild Smile
3. Future Islands – In Evening Air
4. Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner
5. Band of Horses – Infinite Arms

Synthesiser Patel

1. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening
2. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
3. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
4. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
5. Maximum Balloon – Maximum Balloon

AndyQ

1. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
2. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
3. Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt
4. Vampire Weekend – Contra
5. Broken Bells – Broken Bells

Chuck

1. Salem – King Night
2. Beach House – Teen Dream
3. The National – High Violet
4. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
5. Zola Jesus – Stridulum/Valusia

Jacob

1.  Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
2.  Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
3.  Free Electric State - Caress
4.  Various Artists – Scott Pilgrim VS the World
5.  Royal Baths – After Death

What are some of your favorite albums of 2010? Leave your comments in the comment section below.

This week we talk about Superchunk’s move to Warner Bros, Jack White’s new triple decker record, and we review new albums from Superchunk and Interpol. Remember to email us suggestions for articles and records at soundoff@wknc.org and follow us on twitter @wkncSoundOff

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Last week I had the chance to interview the guys from Hooray For Earth before they played at Cats Cradle in Carrboro alongside The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Surfer Blood (for a full run down of the show make sure to check out the post detailing the show here). We discussed their latest EP entitled Momo, future plans for a full length, how they all met each other, how they got the name Hooray for Earth, and much more. Below I have put the interview in its entirety so enjoy!

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by Tommyboy and Spaceman Spiff

Atmosphere is not the only thing that matters for a show, but few will argue against it’s utmost importance.  The atmosphere at the Cat’s Cradle on the 15^th was, forgive the term, awesome.  Laid back and congenial, the three bands on the bill obviously got along like good friends.  The Cradle was one of the last stops on their long tour together and the amicable vibe that evening was reinforced when each band mentioned the stop to be of personal significance.

The first to play was NYC-based Hooray For Earth (who had earlier in the day paid a visit to the WKNC studio for a live interview with our very own DJ Ones).  Several of their instruments appeared to be held together with duct tape, an eccentric detail that complimented the marvelously ramshackle nature of their music.  Their songs were slightly off-kilter and poppy and their set was high in energy.  Especially intense was the presence of two on-stage percussionists.

Following in rather quick succession, as opposed to the customary half-hour wait between bands, the much-lauded West Palm Beach, Florida, natives Surfer Blood took the stage.  The performance was prefaced with lead singer JP Pitts voicing the notion that “we’re all the same; you guys are just like us, and we are just like you.”  After plucking the opening notes of “Take It Easy,” Pitts slyly asked the audience, “Do you want the guitar on or off?”  His question was met with a few seconds of stunned silence.  Surely the musicians behind one of the best guitar albums of recent memory, Astro Coast, would want to thrill us with their riffs?  The response for “on” was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, and for the rest of their set Pitts ran around the stage taking power stances, holding his ax like a gun.  The energy of the evening built to the soaring one-two punch of “Swim” (for which all willing guests were invited onto the stage) and “Anchorage.”  With calm confidence, the band masterfully captured the rich and spacious sound of their album.

Kip Berman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart took the stage after a short break to play a solo rendition of “Contender” before his full band took their places behind him.  With his band poised to start, Berman shyly asked the crowd, “Are you ready to rock?”  The band proceeded to breeze through pop gem after glorious pop gem only to peak with the catchy fuzz of “Young Adult Friction” and their new single “Say No To Love.”  If Surfer Blood is a guitar band, then the Pains are certainly a drums band.  Kurt Feldman, who also fronts the equally fuzzed-out band The Depreciation Guild, plays enchanting beats to which many people in the audience were enthusiastically air drumming.  JP Pitts of Surfer Blood and Gary Benacquista of Hooray For Earth gleefully appeared at the right moments to dance onstage and add frantic shakes of their tambourines.

As if the aggregate experience of these acts was not enough, members of all three bands took the stage for the encore, abiding by the crowd’s fervent request for their rendition of Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” (see below for a video of a similarly energetic performance of the song in Orlando).  With everyone in the room grooving along to the song, it wasn’t clear who was enjoying themselves more: the musicians or the audience.  Quite simply, everyone was experiencing the joys of celebrating music together.

(Video source: Pitchfork)

Here are the top 30 albums played during our Daytime format over the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. JJ - No. 3
2. Javelin  -No Más
3. Morning Benders- Big Echo
4. Strange Boys – Be Brave
5. Quasi – American Gong
6. Shearwater – The Golden Archipelago
7. Aloha – Home Acres
8. Fang Island – Fang Island
9. Gospel Gossip – Drift
10. Gigi – Maintenant
11. Efterklang -  Magic Chairs
12. Golden Triangle – Double Jointer
13. Dark Dark Dark – Bright Bright Bright
14. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
15. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
16. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
17. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks
18. Spoon – Transference
19. Beach House – Teen Dream
20. Shout Out Louds – Work
21. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
22. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
23. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
24. Oh No Ono – Eggs
25. Four Tet – There Is Love In You
26. Splinters – Kick
27. Xiu Xiu – Dear God, I Hate Myself
28. Happy Birthday – Happy Birthday
29. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
30. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast

Here are the top 30 albums played in WKNC’S Daytime format over the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. Shearwater – The Golden Archipelago
2. Quasi – American Gong
3. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
4. Toro y Moi – Causers of This
5. Gigi - Maintenant
6. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
7. Efterklang - Magic Chairs
8. Javelin – No Mas
9. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
10. Golden Triangle - Double Jointer
11. Via Audio – Animalore
12. Angelo Spencer – Angelo Spencer Et Les Hauts Sommets
13. Gospel Gossip – Drift
14. Laarks - An Exaltation of Laarks
15. Donora – Donora
16. Dinosaur Feathers - Fantasy Memorial
17. Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
18. Shout Out Louds – Work
19. Beach House - Teen Dream
20. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
21. Titus Andronicus- The Monitor
22. Strange Boys – Be Brave
23. Pantha Du Prince – Black Noise
24. Happy Birthday - Happy Birthday
25. Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negro Jig
26. These New Puritans- Hidden
27. Electric President – The Violent Blue
28. Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt – I Love You! I Love You! I Love You And I’m In Love With You! Have An Awesome Day! Have The Best Day Of Your Life!
29. Solid Gold - Synchronize
30. Yeasayer -Odd Blood

Here are the top 30 albums played in WKNC’S Daytime format over the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
2. Toro y Moi- Causers of This
3. Javelin -No Mas
4. Local Natives- Gorilla Manor
5. Gigi- Maintenant
6. Surfer Blood-Astro Coast
7. Via Audio-Animalore
8. Oh No Ono- Eggs
9. Angelo Spencer- Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets
10. Golden Triangle- Double Jointer
11.Laarks- An Exaltation of Laarks
12.Beach House -Teen Dream
13. Gospel Gossip- Drift
14. Spoon-Transference
15. Joanna Newsom-Have One On Me
16. Efterklang- Magic Chairs
17. Hot Chip- One Life Stand
18. Soft Tags- Mathematical Monsters
19. Yeasayer- Odd Blood
20. Shout Out Louds-Work
21. Butterfly Bones- Pretty Feelings
22. Xiu Xiu- Dear God, I Hate Myself
23. Four Tet- There is Love in You
24. Field Music- Field Music (Measure)
25. Los Campesinos! -Romance is Boring
26. Vampire Weekend- Contra
27. Ernest Gonzales- Been Meaning to Tell You
28. Midlake-The Courage of Others
29.Ruby Suns -Fight Softly
30.Titus Andronicus- The Monitor

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 2/3
By Seth White

Surfer Blood might have crashed ashore a decade and a half too late. Their uncomplicated yet greatly appreciated guitar riffs scream mid 90’s rock with every energizing breath. The Florida foursome’s debut, Astro Coast, draws heavily on the fuzz of Built to Spill and the catchy choruses of Weezer, all while pushing forward with the Beach Boys’ vision of surf-rock.

The albums most accessible tracks involve the strong hooks of both sing-a-long vocals, and catchy guitar licks that you’ll hear on songs like “Swim” (the albums first single), “Twin Peaks” and “Floating Vibes”. “Swim’s” chorus is probably the catchiest of the lot, or at least repeated enough to make it seem so. Aloud or in your head you will be chanting along to “Swim to reach the end” by the end of your first listen. The guitar work adds to the vocals by not trying to be overly fast or inventive, the riffs or slow and study enough to keep these songs afloat.

The band changes the tempo with “Take it Easy”. It is much more up beat and happier than most of the other tracks, almost as if they were trying to pull off a Vampire Weekend cover. Here the guitars trimmed back slightly to display the mix various drumming styles and reverb-filled melodies.

Two of the latter tracks, “Slow Jabroni” and “Anchorage”, break the power-pop mold of a three-minute time limit and are allowed to build to their full potential. “Slow Jobroni”, like the title suggest is much slower than any other song on the album. It crawls through its first three minutes before the epic guitars truly begin to kick.

“Anchorage” on the other hand jump-starts with heavy drums but then feels relatively drawn out. However, good things come to those who wait. The songs last minute gives it its full flavor, drowned out “oooh”s give way to a wonderfully fitting closing solo.

The album finishes with probably their strongest song. “Catholic Pagans”. This relatively short gem is comprised of great lyrics, a feedback ending, and pretty much everything that makes this band great.

For the most part Astro Coast does not fall in line with the much of what is considered “indie rock” today. It’s not an album that you need to clear your mind and your surroundings to grasp a hold of, and it doesn’t take multiple listens to finally “get it”. It is much too simple for that. This album will grab with the first note and kick you to your feet with the second. Needless to say it is a promising start from and up and coming band, and not bad for an album they recorded in their dorm room.

88.1 WKNC DJ Pick of the Week is published in every Tuesday print edition of the Technician, as well as online at technicianonline.com and wknc.org.

Here are the top 30 albums played in WKNC’S Daytime format over the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
2. Gigi – Maintenant
3. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
4. Via Audio – Animalore
5. Olof Arnalds – Vig o Vig
6. Oh No Ono – Eggs
7. Angelo Spencer – Angelo Spencer et Les Hauts Sommets
8. Toro y Moi – Causers of This
9. Soft Tags – Mathematical Monsters
10. Beach House – Teen Dream
11. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
12. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
13. Los Campesinos – Romance is Boring
14. Shout Out Louds – Work
15. Butterfly Bones – Pretty Feelings
16. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
17. Xiu Xiu – Dear God, I Hate Myself
18. Vampire Weekend – Contra
19. Four Tet - There is Love in You
20. Ernest Gonzales – Been Meaning to Tell You
21. Midlake  – The Courage of Others
22. Laarks – An Exultation of Laarks
23. Donora - Donora
24. Spoon – Transference
25. Final Fantasy – Heartland
26. Field Music – Field Music (Measure)
27. Golden Triangle – Golden Triangle
28. The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack
29. Fan Death – A Coin for Well
30. Ruby Suns – Fight Softly

Check out the top 30 albums played during the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. Soft Tags – Mathematical Monsters
2. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
3. Olof Arnalds – Vig o Vig
4. Oh No Ono – Eggs
5. Beach House  - Teen Dream
6. Spoon – Transference
7. Toro y Moi – Causers of This
8. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
9. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
10. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
11. Gigi – Maintenant
12. Vampire Weekend – Contra
13. Four Tet – There is Love in You
14. Animal Collective -Fall Be Kind
15. Cold Cave – Love Comes Close
16. The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack
17. Los Campesinos – Romance is Boring
18. Final Fantasy - Heartland
19. Postdata – Postdata
20. Midlake - The Courage of Others
21. Asobi Seksu – Rewolf
22. Fan Death – A Coin for Well
23. Magnetic Fields – Realism
24. Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM
25. Savages – Graveyard Cities
26. Allison Weiss – Was Right All Along
27. Smile Smile – Truth on Tape
28. Via Audio – Animalore
29. Jeff the Brotherhood – Heavy Days
30. Album Leaf – A Chorus of Storytellers