Sorry for sending this blog in late, but some tests and Food Analysis and Statistical Quality Control labs have had me bogged down all week.  I do still pretend to be a student sometimes.

Tonight on the Local Beat however I am tossing all of that to the side for a fantastic lineup which I know everyone of you will be interested to listen in on.

Last time Reid Johnson tried to come on the Local Beat he got stuck in traffic and we had to settle for a quick phone interview.  Hopefully that won’t happen tonight as he and the rest of Schooner are coming on to chat about their most recent release, the Duck Kee Sessions EP, which will be sold only from CyTunes.org.  Schooner has been making the rounds of public radio in support for the album and I am more than happy to be one of the last stops on their radio tour before the release party next Friday, Feb 19th, at the Pinhook in Durham.  Veelee and the Erie Choir are playing as well and The Popular Kids will be doing standup.  Tune in at 5 p.m. to hear more about CyTunes, artwork at the show, and the album.

At 6 p.m. local favorites Wembley will be stopping in to play some live music off of their recent output, Keywords for Robots EP, which is  a fantastic record and gaining some support throughout the state.  If you havn’t heard the new EP since it’s release back in 2009, you are going to want to listen in and drag yourself out of your box to hear these great tunes.

For the last hour of the show a whos-who of local musicians will be sitting in with me.  Mike Robinson and Adam Baker from Annuals and Dan Grinder and Chas from Gray Young, and maybe some members from Bright Young Things will be dropping by to chat about their show at the Pour House next Friday.  All of these bands are releasing or have released new material so far in 2010 so we will check in with them to see what lies in progress for the upcoming year.

Finally, since I could not fit The Love Hangover onto the program in time, I will be sitting down with Caitlin Cary and Matt Douglas (of the Proclivities) for an informal pre-recorded Local Beat “Mini Exclusive” which will not be aired on WKNC but will be podcasted on the Blog instead.  We are going to try and get The Love Hangover creator, Richard Alwyn, to call in from NYC and chat about the show on Monday and hopefully coerce Caitlin and Matt to sing love songs to me.  With any luck this will be posted on the WKNC Blog sometime tomorrow.

WKNC listeners and supporters,

We hope you have already bought your Double Barrel Benefit tickets; we’ve sold a bunch already. Physical 2-day passes are available at Schoolkids Records on Hillsborough Street here in Raleigh, and you can order your tickets online here.

We have a few exciting announcements as we get closer to the exciting two-night event.

1) Double Barrel Benefit 7 shirts are in, and they are awesome! Kudos to Kirsten Southwell for the design and Aardvark Screenprinting for making it work on a shirt.  You can get yours for $12 at the shows.  But, of course, supplies are limited!

Double Barrel 7 shirt -- could be yours for $12!

2) We’re happy to report that the one and only Magic Mike Casey will be on hand for both nights, doing a little magic on stage and working the crowd.  If you didn’t know, he is truly a wizard and will perform the kind of up-close wonders that will absolutely convince you he’s performing magic rather than tricks.  He will take the stage before the first act of each night and be on hand, so be sure to look for him.

3)  We’re very grateful to both Holly Aiken and Aardvark Screenprinting for their help with some special items: WKNC Stitch bags.  You’ve probably seen the storefront on the corner of Wilmington and Hargett Streets in downtown Raleigh, or you’ve seen someone around with one of her stylish vinyl bags.  We’re lucky enough to have a limited run of WKNC clutches and tote bags with a design relevant to the 7th annual Double Barrel Benefit.  We’ll be holding a silent auction for these items each of the two nights, so you need to get in the door to see these for yourself. (Below are the bag types we will be auctioning, but you’ll have to be there to see them in person!)

Holly Aiken Large Clutch Wallet. Limited edition WKNC clutch wallets on hand Friday and Saturday night!

Holly Aiken single strap tote bag. Limited edition WKNC tote bags on hand Friday and Saturday night!

4) We have a stockpile of really awesome swag that we’re dying to give away, so we’ll be conducting a raffle each night to give some of it away.  Our raffle tickets will be ($1 apiece) numbered PBR temporary tattoos!  Here are the items we’ll be be giving away for each night:

FRIDAY:

BLAKROC self-titled vinyl

Hear Here Local Music Compilation CD

Arctic Monkeys "Fluorescent Adolescent" 7"

Polvo "In Prism" vinyl

Avett Brothers "Emotionalism" SIGNED CD

Happy Hollows "Spells" CD

SATURDAY:

Andrew Bird "Noble Beast" SIGNED CD

The Raveonettes "In & Out of Control" SIGNED CD

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson "Relator / I Don't Know What to Do" 7"

James Husband "A Parallax I" vinyl

Hear Here Local Music Compilation CD

2 tickets to see My Morning Jacket at Koka Booth Amphitheatre on April 30th

Headlights "wildlife" vinyl

We hope you’re as excited about these developments as we are. Rain, sleet, snow, shine, whatever: the show will go on, and we hope we’ll see you at The Pour House Friday and Saturday night.  Remember: doors at 8, show at 9!

Veelee photo by Christian Quick

When you listen to Carrboro duo Veelee, you hear music inspired by a wide range of sources. For band mates Matt Park and Ginger Wagg, elements of music from bands such as Young People, Low, Lungfish, Stereolab and Pram went into creating Veelee’s unique sound. Also, according to Matt, Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 hit “Dream” has also served as a major influence on the way he and Ginger create music — everything happening in the song goes hand in hand its unchanging baseline.

Ginger, a first-time drummer, describes her percussion style as “simple and straightforward.” Veelee is the first band in which she has been a member. However, it seems doubtful the band’s success comes from beginner’s luck. Hard copies of its EP “Three Sides,” which came out  in May 2009, are sold out. The release received local acclaim from sources such as the Independent Weekly.

Until recently, Veelee had performed primarily in Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Durham.

“We’ve gotten to play with all sorts of fantastic local bands. [Artists in the Triangle] are really supportive of one another,” Park and Wagg said. “They are very welcoming and inclusive.”

However, the band just embarked on its first tour, along with Raleigh’s Gross Ghost, which it said was a great success.

Now that they’re back in town, Veelee will play at The Pour House Friday, February 5, during night one of Double Barrel Benefit 7. Friday’s set also includes The Light Pines, Bellafea and Max Indian.

For the complete Double Barrel schedule and ticket information, click here.

One of the first local bands I was ever introduced to and also one of the most influential in our area, Bellafea has been gradually building quite a following since their first split 7″ with Des Ark back in 2005.

Though often overlooked by local indie pop groups with a more comfortable sound, once you see this threesome live you will forever be forced to compare every live show to the raw energy, hardcore attitude, and head-bobbing punch you in the mouth feel that they electrify your ears with.  No North Carolina band rocks harder, plays louder, and gets in your face as Bellafea does.

It is strange that such force comes from such a petite lady.  You might have seen Heather McEntire playing solo from time to time sitting in a chair strumming her acoustic without a microphone or amplifier, her voice barely breaking a whisper as she is surrounded by an attentive audience, entranced by her angelic voice.  Perhaps you have heard her from her side projects Un Deux Trois or Mount Moriah as the sweet sounding front lady of the two soft folky pop groups that has everyone’s ears buzzing.

But with Bellafea the shy placid persona falls off her and is replaced by an alter-ego of sorts, a powerful and inflamed diva whose personal demons come out in the form of a woman possessed, obliterating her guitar while bursting into her lyrics with a post hardcore attitude.  Along side Heather is Eddie Sanchez (also in Fin Fang Foom and Death Came Down the Mountain) whose blistering and electrifying bass playing ignites the crowd.   Always jumping, banging, and seemingly tearing his bass apart, he is the fire that ignites the group and transcends them into the local punk gods that they are.  Add on to that Nathan Buchanan’s crushing drums and pounding beats and you have a remarkable live act that sends your mind into a whirlwind of loud music madness that is sure to get your head rocking and your feet moving.  They are not a band you want to miss live.

Bellafea will take the stage for night one of Double Barrel Benefit 7 on Friday, February 5 at The Pour House along with The Light Pines, Veelee,, and Max Indian.

For the complete Double Barrel schedule and ticket information, click here.

Carter Gaj of The Light Pines keeps hopes high with song and clapping as the band travels through desert terrain. (photo credit, Kate Thompson)

Go ahead and set every clock in arm’s reach thirteen minutes fast.  This is the necessary preparation for the first night of Double Barrel Benefit 7.  Thirteen minutes will allot for an extra two minutes to get out the door, seven minutes to figure out that the best parking place is in the City of Raleigh parking deck on Wilmington Street, and four minutes to grab a sweet spot for the first band –Chapel Hill’s The Light Pines.  The six-piece will kick off Friday night at The Pour House and will serve both as  the opening band of the night and the first performance of the two day mini-mecca of local music.  It could, perhaps, be thought of as intimidating, being first in two senses, rather though, it should be deemed cherished.  Especially after last year’s opening act, Lonnie Walker, took the opportunity to ramp their buzz in the following year and create quite a stir in the local music scene.

The Light Pines is a band of familiar faces.  It is the project of the bassist for The Love Language, Josh Pope.  The members have shifted since its incarnation over two years ago, but the current line-up is an assembly of long time locals, including Love Language members Kate Thompson on keyboard and vocals and Tom Simpson on drums, as well as three members from Max Indian: Carter Gaj on guitar and vocals, James Wallace on keyboard and vocals, and Ryan Gustafson on guitar and vocals.

The 24-track EP that was recorded in rehearsal spaces, bedrooms and living rooms across Raleigh was made available eight months ago (no official release yet).  It has started to circulate and create quite a stir, including earning them a spot at MusicFest NW in Portland, Oregon in which the band received an instant label offer post-performance. However, DBB wil be the band’s first Raleigh performance, and one of the very limited Triangle performances to date so far.  This is a video from a December performance at Chapel Hill’s Local 506.

The sound that The Light Pines creates is built on a foundation of lo-fi pop but it flares into realms of mysticism and fantasy that at times can feel eerie.  The collection of songs is like a maze of mirrors that serves as the entrance to a grand party hosted by Jay Gatsby.  In order to attend the party the guest must wind their way through the complex pathways of of twisted, tilted, and manipulated mirrors all while listening to infectious, slightly fuzzy, and undeniably catchy music.  Pope explained that the inspiration for the sound of The Light Pines came from the adolescent excitement of perhaps the best holiday of the year, Halloween,

“Do you remember what it was like being 8-years-old on Halloween?  Before you came to appreciate it is as an adult?  On that day, as a kid, there is so much excitement and mystery and this overall darkness to everything.  That’s what I want it to feel like when listening to the Light Pines,” Pope said.

Keep an ear to The Light Pines.  With The Love Language wrapping up recording at Flying Tiger Sound in the next month and half, The Light Pines are planning on recording for an official release and ramping up their show dates in the months to come in 2010.  Who knows, maybe the Triangle will see the best Halloween party to date, hosted by The Light Pines.

The Light Pines will take the stage for night one of Double Barrel Benefit 7 on Friday, February 5 at The Pour House followed by Veelee, Bellafea, and Max Indian.

For the complete Double Barrel schedule and ticket information, click here.

Max Indian

If you were to categorize bands based on how long they’ve been around, Max Indian would be a toddler, I guess.  To continue the metaphor, they would be a toddler who paints excellent watercolors, reads Machiavelli, and tutors eighth graders on the weekends.

The band’s sole release, “You Can Go Anywhere You Can Do Anything,” dropped in December of 2008 , and everyone who has had the good fortune of hearing it has been pining for more ever since.

After releasing the record — themselves,  mind you — the band beat a path around the triangle that included a live performance on The State of Things, a headlining night  during the Troika Music Festival , a headlining night at N.C .State’s Fridays on the Lawn Concert Series, and a number of  live shows that left a trail of satisfied and eager fans in its wake.

Solicit the opinion of anyone who has seen Max Indian, heard one of their songs, or even heard someone else talk about them, and the response is always the same. These exceedingly catchy, down to earth, warm, and rusty compositions will work their way into your inner ear, buy a nice piece of land,  and set up shop.  Don’t worry, though. The freshness doesn’t wear off, the melodies are top notch, and the lyrics will stick.

Max Indian will take the stage for night one of Double Barrel Benefit 7 on Friday, February 5 at The Pour House following The Light Pines,Veelee, and Bellafea. Say WHAT? If you miss this, well, I guess you think you have a good reason, but I would seriously question your priorities my friends.

For the complete Double Barrel schedule and ticket information, click here.

WKNC 88.1 FM will hold its annual Double Barrel Benefit Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6 at The Pour House Music Hall. The station’s seventh installment of the two-night concert will be feature Max Indian and Roman Candle.

The Light Pines open Friday’s show, followed by Veelee, Bellafea and Max Indian. Saturday’s line-up consists of The Tender Fruit, Midtown Dickens, Spider Bags and Roman Candle.

Both headliners performed on the North Carolina State University campus in the fall. Max Indian played with Double Barrel Benefit alumni Schooner at the station’s October Fridays on the Lawn concert series and Roman Candle played the Pack Howl concert and pep rally during November.

Tickets are on sale now through wknc.org and the-pour-house.com. Prices are $7 in advance and $9 at the door for each night and all proceeds benefit WKNC. Two-night passes are also available at Schoolkids in Raleigh. The event is 18+, with an additional surcharge for patrons under 21. Doors for each show open at 8 p.m. with music at 9 p.m.

Our amazing poster was designed by Kirsten Southwell of Bad Apple Design.

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.

The year 2009 has undoubtedly been a fantastic one for music, from the techno tones and spaced out beats of Animal Collective’s “Merriwether Post Pavilion” to the satisfying and deep “Tarpits and Canyonlands” from Bombadil. We were moved by new albums by old favorites like in Yeah Yeah Yeahs “It’s Blitz” and we were introduced to new acts that leave us wanting more like in Florence and the Machine’s beautiful “Lungs.” After knowing the huge amount of great releases that this year has left us with, I asked the daytime DJs at WKNC to complete a job that’s a lot easier said than done. Below is a list of the top five albums as completed by many of the DJs you know and love. Enjoy!

DJ Danger Tape

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

1. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
2. Bowerbirds – Upper Air
3. M. Ward – Hold Time
4. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
5. Japandroids - Post-Nothing

Just John

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
2. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
3. A Sunny Day in Glasgow -Ashes Grammer
4. Yacht – See Mystery Lights
5. Here We Go Magic – Here We Go Magic

May Day

Bowerbirds - Upper Air

1. Bowerbirds – Upper Air
2. M. Ward- Hold Time
3. Discovery – LP
4. St. Vincent – Actor
5. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career/The Love Language - The Love Language

DJ Elly May

Luego - Taped-together Stories

1. Luego – Taped-together Stories
2. Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club – The Beautiful Untrue
3. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below
4. Lonnie Walker – These Times Old Times
5. Gossip – Music For Men

Hot Tamale

Florence + the Machine - Lungs

1. Florence and the Machine - Lungs
2. Passion Pit – Manners
3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Matt & Kim – Grand
5. Discovery - LP

DJ Kligz

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It’s Blitz
2. Florence and the Machine – Lungs
3. Dirty Projectors- Bitte Orca
4. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
5. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone

Riff Raff

Regina Spektor - Far

1. Regina Spektor – Far
2. Passion Pit – Manners
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- It’s Blitz
4. The Temper Trap – Conditions
5. You and Your Effects – Wire Sharks/Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone

Audity

Sonic Youth - The Eternal

1. Sonic Youth – The Eternal
2. U.S.E – Loveworld
3. Regina Spektor – Far
4. Metric – Fantasies
5. Veelee – Three Sides/Various Artists – Here Here Compilation

DJ Ones

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- It’s Blitz
2. Florence and the Machine – Lungs
3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Animal Collective – Merriwether Post Pavilion
5. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

DJ Matticus Rex

Do Make Say Think - Other Truths

1. Do Make Say Think – Other Truths
2. Pelican – What We All Come to Need
3. Bon Iver – Blood Bank
4. Caspian – Tertia
5. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

Chuck

The Antlers - Hospice

1. The Antlers – Hospice
2. Megafaun – Gather, Form & Fly
3. Various Artists – Dark Was The Night
4. Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light
5. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

Mick

Bombadil - Tarpits and Canyonlands

1. Bombadil – Tarpits & Canyonlands
2. Cotton Jones - Paranoid Cocoon
3. Megafaun – Gather, Form, & Fly
4. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
5. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below

DJ Ray

Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns

1. Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
2. Brazos – Phosphorescent Blues
3. Here We Go Magic – Here We Go Magic
4. Grouper – Cover the Windows and the Walls
5. The Low Anthem – Oh My God Charlie Darwin

Tommyboy

The King Khan and BBQ Show- Invisible Girl

1. The King Khan and BBQ Show – Invisible Girl
2. Megafaun - Gather Form and Fly
3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Telekinesis- Telekinesis
5. The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa

Spaceman Spiff

Bowerbirds - Upper Air

1. Bowerbirds - Upper Air
2. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
3. Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
4. Harlem Shakes – Technicolor Health
5. The Temper Trap- Conditions

Check out these awesome shows going on this week that WKNC is giving away tickets to:

Tuesday, October 27:

Pinback w/ Bellini @ Cat’s Cradle

Pinback

Thursday, October 29:
Calico Haunts w/ Mt. Moriah and Filthybird @ Nightlight

Calico Haunts photo by Anna Lee Harkins

Junior Boys w/ Woodhands @ Cat’s Cradle

Junior Boys

Friday, October 30:

Polynya w/ Veelee and Actual Persons Living or Dead @ Nightlight

Polynya

Why? w/ Au and Serengeti & Polyphonic @ Cat’s Cradle

Why? photo by Sarah Cass

Saturday, October 31:

Toubab Krewe w/ Floating Action @ Cat’s Cradle

Toubab Krewe photo by Dave Vann

Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band w/Funkuponya and Eymarel @ Lincoln Theatre

Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band photo by Katie

Be sure to tune into 88.1 WKNC for your chance to win tickets! Also, check out the Rock Report for a complete listing of local shows near you!

The Troika Music Festival is a three-day music festival in Durham, NC and features several local bands. Attending is a great way to support the local scene!

Local bands on this year’s line-up include The Love Language, Bowerbirds, Dexter Romweber Duo, Birds of Avalon, The Moaners, Red Collar, Future Islands, Hamer No More The Fingers, Lonnie Walker, Embarrassing Fruits, Max Indian, and many more. For a complete list, check out the schedule!

New this year is “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, on Saturday, November 7, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., which features a unique market of art and handmade wears from local artists and crafters.

Come out to support the local music and arts scene November 5,6, & 7.

Beginning Sunday, October 18, the Cherry Bounce alternative music festival will return to downtown Raleigh. The main stage will be set up on Hargett St. in front of the Raleigh Times on Saturday, October 24.

Here is the schedule for the week-long event:

Sunday, October 18
Angie Aparo at Deep South

Monday, October 19
Brian Corum of Lonnie Walker at The Raleigh Times

Tuesday, October 20
Veelee, Naps, Americans in France and Gray Young at Slims, hosted by Music.MyNC.com

Wednesday, October 21
Mount Weather at The Busy Bee

Thursday, October 22
Gross Ghost, The Poles and Free Electric State at Tir Na Nog, hosted by WKNC

Friday, October 23
Rooster for the Masses, Colossus, The T’s and The Infamous Sugar at Berkley Cafe hosted by New Raleigh

Saturday, October 24
Peggy Sue, Schooner, Sky Larkin, Old Avenue, Fin Fang Foom, The Hood Internet and Man Man on the main stage on Hargett St.

Tonight on the Local Beat looks to be a good time with three fantastic interviews lined up.

At 5pm, Carrboro natives Veelee will be joining me to promote their show this evening at the Local 506 with Free Electric State and Embarrassing Fruits.  The show at the 506 tonight starts at 9:30pm and tickets are $7.  They will also be playing some tunes live on the air which you will not want to miss.

At 6pm Hailey Queen of the Coalition to Unchain Dogs will be joining us at WKNC alongside Sara Bell of Durham based folk rock band Regina Hexaphone to discuss tomorrow’s third annual Music For Fences in Durham Central Park. Regina Hexaphone will be playing alongside Rey Norteno, The Kinksmen, and Superchunk.  The show is from 4pm-10pm, $8 in advance and $10 at the door.  All proceeds from the show benefit the Coalition to Unchain Dogs, which is a non-profit organization set up to raise money to build fences for chained dogs.

The last hour of the show is dedicated to Midtown Dickens who are having an album release party for their new record Lanterns, tonight at the Duke Coffeehouse with Mount Moriah and Des Ark (the show starts at 9pm and is FREE).  Founding members of the band Kym Register and Catherine Edgerton are coming in to talk about the creation of Lanterns, gossip about their new band members, and recollect the past 2.5 years since their last album release.  We will also be performing live unreleased tracks from the album as a sneak preview of whats to come this evening in Durham.

So tune into the Local Beat this evening.  5pm-8pm every Friday!  If you don’t have a radio or are out of the area, listen online!

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.

Here are the top 30 records at WKNC for last week, compiled by Daytime Music Director Jenna St. Pierre:

1. Technicolor Health by Harlem Shakes
2. Three Sides by Veelee
3. Eating Us by Black Moth Super Rainbow
4. Actor by St. Vincent
5. American Folklore by American Folklore
6. Ascenseur Ouvert by Kingsbury Manx
7. Kingdom Of Rust by Doves
8. Inside Your Guitar by It Hugs Back
9. Power Move by Screaming Females
10. Telekinesis by Telekinesis
11. Pretzelvania by Americans in France
12. Manners by Passion Pit
13. Walking On A Dream by Empire of the Sun
14. These Times Old Times by Lonnie Walker
15. Oh Tall Tree In The Ear by Roman Candle
16. Set Em Wild, Set Em Free by Akron/Family
17. The First Time by Embarrassing Fruits
18. To Lose My Life by White Lies
19. Fantasies by Metric
20. It’s Blitz by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
21. Welcome To Mali by Amadou and Mariam
22. The Love Language by The Love Language
23. Suckers [EP] by Suckers
24. Devotion Implosion by Gliss
25. Pilgrim by Red Collar
26. Jupiter by Starfucker
27. Seven Days Now by Xu Xu Fang
28. Bunny Gets Paid by Red Red Meat
29. Bromst by Dan Deacon
30. Hazards Of Love by Decemberists

Here are some new albums we’ve added to our library, which you can look forward to hearing:
Veckatimist by Grizzly Bear
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix