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Local Music Music News and Interviews

Interviews with Kid Future, The Light Pines this Thursday

Here on NC State’s campus, the atmosphere is pretty dreary right now, with exams looming overhead like ash from Eyjafjallajokull. (Too soon?)  This being the week before dead week, we’re all accepting caffeine intravenously and stuffing our gourds with useless information that we’ll remember just long enough to take the test (before it’s gone again, forever!)

But this Thursday offers a healthy reprieve from end-of-semester perils, with another great free Local Beer Local Band show featuring Kid Future and The Light Pines.

And what’s even better is that I’ll be interviewing both on Thursday evening from 7 to 8pm.

Kid Future has promised an in-studio performance, and The Light Pines may very well do the same, so be sure to tune in on 88.1 FM or at wknc.org/listen.

And I’d better see you out at Tir Na Nog with a local beer in your hand on Thursday night!

Categories
Concert Review

Roman Candle puts on a great show in Carrboro

by Travis Hargett

Since taking over one of the local lunch shows with DJ Megan, Roman Candle has become a weekly favorite. I’m not sure there’s a song on Oh Tall Tree in the Ear that we haven’t played at least once, so when i saw the DJ pass for the show at the Cat’s Cradle last week, I snagged it.

Unfortunately we didn’t make it for either of the openers (The Parson Red Heads and Ravenna Colt), but the Roman Candle set was great. After months of listening to a bands cd it’s always great to hear them live. When we walked in they had just kicked it off with “That’s why modern radio is A-OK”… it’s probably their most popular and it was pretty good live. The next two songs “A heartbeat” and “Sonnet 46” were both backed up with some guys from The Old Ceremony. Other than that, they played through most of Oh Tall Tree in the Ear and it sounded like they played some older stuff I wasn’t too familiar with. Best of all, it was over by 11:40 p.m. – gotta love a weekday show.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Interview with Dondria: audio clips and wrap up

So So Def’s newest artist R&B singing sensation Dondria was a recent guest on “Saturday Night Soul and R&B”.In the compelling interview, Dondria discusses her rise to fame via youtube, her new albumDondria Vs. Phatfffat, new single “You’re The One”, her love for Chipotle and much more.

In case you missed it, check out the interview below and leave your thoughts.

To find about more about Dondria and to hear her music visit here or follow her on Twitter.

Dondria interview

“Saturday Night Soul and R&B” with host Mir.I.am airs weekly from 9 to 11 p.m.

Categories
Concert Preview Local Music

Local Beer Local Band Thursday featuring The Light Pines and Kid Future

The semester is winding down here at NC State, and what better of a time to celebrate then this Thursday at Tir Na Nog and WKNCs Local Beer Local Band night? This week’s lineup is first-rate, with performances from Kid Future and The Light Pines. If you are having a hard time convincing yourself that this show is free, I don’t blame you. Stay tuned to wknc Thursday at 7 p.m. for interviews with the bands.

The show starts at 10 p.m., 21 and up.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Giveaways for the rest of April — check It!

Check it – Check it – Check it out!

WKNC has tickets to great shows for YOU! Here are the shows happing during the rest of April that we are giving away tickets to:

Thursday, April 22

Shakori Hills Grassroots Music Festival (April 22 to 25)
**Be sure to tune into WKNC for an interview with The Honeycutters on Friday, April 23 from11 a.m. to 12 p.m. w/ DJ Kligz as the last of WKNC Shakori Interview series**

Friday, April 23

The Old Ceremony w/ Benji Hughes @ Cat’s Cradle

The Old Ceremony photo by Scott Simontacchi

Sunday, April 25

Frightened Rabbit w/ Maps & Atlases, Bad Veins @ Cat’s Cradle

Monday, April 26

Quasi w/ Let’s Wrestle @ Cat’s Cradle

Wednesday, April 28

Clipse w/ XY & Ninjasonik @ Cat’s Cradle

Friday, April 30

Kaki King w/ An Horse @ Cat’s Cradle

As always, be sure to check out The Rock Report for a complete list of local shows. Tune into WKNC 88.1 FM for your chance to win tickets or stream us online.

Rock on!

Categories
Non-Music News

WKNC takes the music to the Taste of NC State

WKNC had the privilege of providing music for the Taste of NC State event which took place on campus this past Friday.  The event was planned as an opportunity for student organizations from across campus to celebrate diversity through food, promotional activities, and shared entertainment in the form of performances by Acapology, Fusion, as well as a hula-hoop contest.   Mother Nature brought some breezes but cooperated overall.

The music played by WKNC at the event was a selection of tunes compiled by some of the station’s DJs and kept the atmosphere fun with dancy beats and sunshiney sounds.  Along with music, the WKNC cornhole boards were also out.  Students stopping by could win tickets or the local music compilation Hear Here if they were brave enough to take on one of our DJs, and all stoppers-by had a chance to hear about their campus’ student-run radio station.

Visitors and volunteers alike seemed to have a great time at the event, and WKNC looks forward to many more great events like the Taste of NC State!
Categories
Non-Music News

EOT preview: 4/19

Make sure to catch this week’s episode of Eye on the Triangle, the only place you’ll get a recap of the week’s most important headlines you missed while you were busy wishing you were at Coachella. You’ll also want to call in during the inevitably vexed editorial (the number’s 860-0881 or 515-2400) as well as hear a first-hand recount of the police seizure of James Madison University’s riot photos.

On a lighter note, two local jewelry makers dish about their jobs, products and life in Raleigh, and in Hear This, EOT team members explore the third annual Record Store Day through the lens of one of the coolest independent record stores anywhere, Raleigh’s own Schoolkids Records. They talked to an employee and loyal music lovers to find out what all the fuss was about.

Tweet your comments at us @WKNCEOT or call in during the show.

Categories
New Album Review

Still Standing after three years

88.1 Pick of the Week
Still Standing
Monica

In the three years since Monica Arnold’s last album, The Makings of Me, R&B music has become increasingly watered down, and drifted further away from its soulful origins.  With her latest release, Still Standing, the Grammy award winner has helped to bring R&B back to its strong roots, where the focus is on vocal ability, meaningful lyrical content, and dynamic production.

We were first introduced to a 14-year-old Monica back in 1995, with the sassy, “Don’t Take It Personal” from her Debut album, Miss Thang. Since then, she has remained one the most consistent and powerful singers to emerged in the past 20 years. Still Standing chronicles the joys and sorrows of love, life and relationships and reminds us why Monica has been able to achieve such longevity in her career.

We begin the album with its title track, “Still Standing” featuring rapper Ludacris. The hard hitting anthem is a testament of Monica’s strength and resilience, despite life’s obstacles and trials. It’s one of the albums best and sets the tone for the emotional journey that is Still Standing.

Next up is, the Los Da Mystro produced piano driven, “One in A Lifetime”, where Monica stresses the importance of appreciating that rare love and recognizing it before its too late. “One In A Lifetime” is followed by, “Stay Or Go”. The Neyo penned tune has Monica demanding an answer from an indecisive lover as to whether or not he wants to be with her.  On both up-tempo tracks and throughout the album, Monica sings with an intensity and urgency that penetrates the soul.

Stand outs on the album include, the sample heavy, Missy Elliot produced “Everything”, which samples Deniece Williams R&B classic “Silly” and “If You Were My Man”, sampled from Evelyn “Champagne” King’s, “Betcha She Don’t Love You”. On the albums first single,” Everything” Monica proclaims how her love means the world to her and on the up-tempo “If You Were My Man”, she boast of how good her love is to prospective mate.

Although Still Standing is very strong, it does not go without its share of missteps, including the generic and gimmicky, “Super Man”, where Monica croons how she will be her mans Lois Lane. Never fear, Monica shines on the other slower songs, showcasing her vocal prowess on the sensual “Here I Am”, the inspiring “Believe In Me”, and the Jermaine Dupri helmed “Love All Over Me”, where Monica explains the feeling of being covered in love. On another gem, the  radio friendly mid-tempo urban pop “Mirror”, Monica relays how she has discovered that love and not material things makes life worth living.

Overall, Still Standing is a well balanced and cohesive collection of what we’ve come to expect from Monica, impassioned delivery and relatable music. What separates Monica from her female counterparts is her ability to tackle material with emotion, conviction and a sense of sincerity. Monica proves that she is able to remain current and relevant, while bringing a sense of maturity and timelessness to her music, which is why, in a fickle industry, she is Still Standing.

Quantcast

For more information on Monica visit here and follow her on twitter.

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

“Saturday Night Soul and R&B” with host Mir.I.am airs weekly from 9 to 11 p.m.

Categories
Podcasts

Orquesta GarDel

Categories
Festival Coverage

The Beast and Orquesta GarDel make sweet music in the WKNC studio

If you’ve been following along with us these past two Fridays, you’ll know that we’ve been participating in a small interview series featuring many of the talented acts at this spring’s Shakori Hills Grassroots Music Festival. Last week, DJ Mick and DJ Kligz sat down with Bowerbirds and the ever so comical Inflowential. On this particular Friday, I had the pleasure of interviewing two great local bands, The Beast and Orquesta GarDel.

As an avid local music lover, The Beast, of course, was no stranger to my earbuds. I last caught the band last at WKNC’s fall Fridays on the Lawn series where they opened for Kooley High. Obviously, I was going through a bit of a withdrawl, and with promises of on-air free-styling from Pierce Freelon, the Beast’s front-man, the interview was too hard to pass up. Orquesta GarDel was a newcomer to my music pallet. Based in strong Latino roots, GarDel plays classic and modern salsa music with a sound heavily influenced by the New York-Puerto Rico connection of the 1970s. Eric Hirsh, Beast’s keyboardist, is also a major part of GarDel, which has ultimately led to some interesting collaboration in the past. I won’t give away too much, but I experienced firsthand the powerful forces and talent when these two groups collide. Be sure to check out the whole interview including the free-style performance:

Part 1: The Beast. The Beast

Part 2: Orquesta GarDel.Orquesta GarDel.

Next Friday, tune in to DJ Kligz as she will be talking to The Honeycutters as they gear up for their performance at Shakori that weekend.