Categories
Music News and Interviews

Local acts nominated for Pitchfork Readers’ Poll and Grammy’s

It’s that time of year again.

Year-end best-of lists will be popping up all over the internet and magazines this month, with varying opinions on who had the best record, song, music video, live show, etc. etc.

The music-related website Pitchfork, however, is offering music fans the opportunity to pick their favorites in their annual Readers’ Poll. And a few local acts have made their longlist of nominees in a couple of categories. Chapel Hill country-rock band band Spider Bags are nominated for Best New Artist.

Raleigh’s own experimental folk group Megafaun’s fantastic second record, Gather, Form & Fly, is nominated for Most Underrated Album.

Chapel Hill guitar heroes Polvo are up for Best Reunion/Comeback.

And last, but certainly not least, Greenville ex-pats Future Islands, who also recently signed to Thrill Jockey, are up for Best Hope For 2010. So take a few minutes off from whatever you’re doing to waste time at work and head over to 2k9survey.pitchfork.com and help support some fantastic, home-grown music.

And while we’re on the subject of nominations, North Carolina hip-hop and soul group The Foreign Exchange have been nominated for a Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track “Daykeeper” off of their recently released sophomore effort Leave It All Behind. Durham-via-Mali kora player Mamadou Diabaté is also up for Best Traditional World Music Album for his record Douga Mansa.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

DJ Ones’ Five Music Facts from the past week

1. Fleet Foxes have announced that its second album will be released sometime during the second half of 2010. Although few information has been given on any name, member Robert Peckfold described the sound as being “less poppy.” He continued, “There are definitely super-upbeat songs that are being worked on for the new record. But as a whole, it’s probably a little bit less upbeat.” (via Pitchfork)

2. Continuing on upcoming album releases, a spokesperson from Arcade Fire has announced that the band will be releasing a new single early next year with a new album coming out some time in the second half of the year. Although the band is expecting the album to be out sometime in second half of next year there is no definite date for the new album’s release. The upcoming record is being produced by Markus Dravs, the same producer that worked on their last full-length “Neon Bible.” (via NME)

3. Pavement’s Scott Kannberg has announced that if the Pavement’s upcoming reunion tour goes well. He said, “I think it is inevitable that we’ll make some more music.” He also mentioned that Pavement is also likely going to add more dates to the upcoming tour due to the high demand for tickets. (via The Age)

4. Hot Chip has announced a comeback single entitled “One Life Stand.” This will also be the title track of their fourth album. The single is set for a early February release. Following the release of its next album the band is planning on touring the UK. (via NME)

5. To finish out the common theme of 2010 releases this week, Cat Power has announced that she is currently working on her follow-up to her 2006 album, “The Greatest.” When she described what her writing process for this new album she added, “It’s just me this time.” Cat Power plans on doing a couple of shows in Australia in December and January. (via Pitchfork)

Categories
Local Music

A Postcard from Bombadil

WKNC received a post card this week from local band Bombadil (who also just released a new music video). Since we’re assuming not every BombiFan got one, we wanted to share ours with you. You’ll probably want to click on the image to get a closer look.

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT14 Windhover 11/30/09

A lot has happened since our last Eye on the Triangle episode, and as promised, we have some updates!

The Board of Trustees – yup, you guessed it – approved the recommendations of the University’s Tuition and Fees Conference Committee, also approving the new student centers fee, not to exceed $290 of that lone fee for the next 25 to 30 years (read about the fee here, and you can also check out Technician and the campaign for more info). The Rally Against Talley protesters didn’t show, but instead sent a statement, which was probably a little less effective. I interviewed Student Body President and Board of Trustees member Jim Ceresnak after the Thursday meeting, and we updated WKNC listeners at 7 p.m. that night about the results. The only change from the initial recommendations was the Athletics fee increase changed from $9 to $8.50, with the education and technology fee going from an $8 increase to an $8.50 increase, a decision members voted for at the prodding of Ceresnak and Student Senate President Kelli Rogers. Next up: Board of Governors in January.

The final Fridays on the Lawn – on-campus concert series – of the semester, featuring Kooley High and the Beast, was a success, despite the sudden change of location due to some leaks in the Talley Student Center, which caused the Wolves’ Den, the original location of the event, to be closed off from use unexpectedly.

And if you followed the live Twitter updates @WKNC881, you know the TechnicianDaily Tarheel football game definitely stayed in line with N.C. State and UNC’s football history, at least for the past three years. Technician beat the DTH in flag football 40-0, followed by the – albeit less of a margin – Wolfpack victory of 28-27 versus the Tarheels.

NEWS
Our fabulous newscasters have once again brought you the news of the week. Below are the articles used in this week’s newscast:
World
UN rebuke ‘forced’ new Iran plans
Swiss voters back ban on minarets
UAE stocks plunge as government refuses to back Dubai World’s debt
National
Obama issues order for more troops in Afghanistan
Senate debate on health care bill opens with heated rhetoric
Stocks close higher, extend month’s big gains
Local
Raleigh mayor has grand plans
Ex-N.C. State chancellor not headed to New Mexico
Reptile rules, texting ban in 50-plus new N.C. laws
Sprint launches 4G in Triangle

SPORTS

After the last football game of the season, a win against the Tarheels (and my last game as a student …well, hopefully), Coop, Derek and Tyler Everett had a some positives to talk about. They also gave listeners an update on the basketball season and expectations.

VIP/HEAR THIS
This week’s VIP was an extended Hear This segment, with some clips from readings and music from Windhover, N.C. State’s literary magazine’s, Open Mic Night. You can hear the following clips, with intros from the Windhover editor, Helen Dear.

Kelly Reid- first section of “Charlie”
Amanda Garner- “The Sight of the Sea”
Kevin Ghiold- “The Living Dead”
William Tolbert
Celeste Doaks- “House in Vegas” and “A Harley Dream”
Christopher Rinehart- songs performed with the hammered dulcimer
Jason Hunnicutt- “Music Box” song
The Gonzo Symphonic- section of  “A suite, but it’s all just one big song”
Lisa Simorelli- “Empty Calories” and “He writes, I Write”

COMMUNITY CANVAS

Mike Alston talked to some of the actors of the the Burning Coal Theatre about their latest production and even had them perform a small part for EOT listeners.

From Burning Coal’s mission statement: We emphasize works that are felt and experienced viscerally, unlike more traditional, linear plays where audiences are most often asked to observe without participating. Using the best local, national and international artists available, we produce explosive re-examinations of overlooked classics, modern and contemporary plays that address issues and themes poignant in our community.


WOLFPACKER OF THE WEEK

And don’t forget to check out this online exclusive (we ran out of time somehow!) Wolfpacker of the Week. Jacob Downey sat down with Alyssa Hopkins, a graduate student. Hopkins used to play ultimate frisbee for NCSU and talks about that as well her research work in Antarctica. Check it out!

Thanks for listening to another episode of EOT! If you have suggestions for topics, ideas, an opinion about anything we’ve run (or haven’t and should!) or even just a news tip, send it to us at publicaffairs@wknc.org. And don’t forget to check out our last episode of the semester before our short hiatus during winter break, with some news review from 2009!

Listen to episode 14.

Categories
New Album Review

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 12/3

The Devin Townsend Project
Album – Addicted
5/5 stars
By Johnathan Newman

Devin Townsend is a god in the world of music.

He has had a music career spanning 24 albums, first beginning with his vocal work for Steve Vai on his “Sex and Religion” album in 1993. He has released albums under his own name, as well as with his band Strapping Young Lad. Having disbanded both bands, he took some time off to discover his roots and sober up. During this period of soul-searching, he wrote 60 or so songs, each with four distinct styles of music. He decided to create a four album series, under the moniker of the Devin Townsend Project, and came back with the very deep and very heavy “Ki” album, which was the first album, and also set the stage for what was to come. Six moths later, he released “Addicted,” which is a return to form of sorts, with more accessible songs.

“Addicted” starts out with a simple but heavy riff and the lines “Hey! You’re awake,” possibly an allusion that his last album put some people to sleep, which keeps in with the tongue-in-cheek lyrics you normally find in his songs. But under these normally silly lyrics, there is a deeper message of the pain and power drugs and alcohol had on him. The songs on this album may be heavier, but they also have a poppy feel to them as well, a very pop-metal album if you will, which is probably why these heavier lyrics could not be taken as seriously. But it’s hard to miss the point when you hear a slow riff, with Devin wailing “I don’t want to save my soul now. I don’t want to lose control. And even if it takes a lifetime to learn … I’ll learn.” It’s very melancholic, showing us he’ll try to write sober music, but it still is catchy. But really, the crown jewels of the album are the last three songs, “The Way Home!” “Numbered!” and “Awake!”

My favorite track, and quite possibly one of the catchiest and most beautiful songs ever written, “The Way Home!” starts off soft with a whisper, slowly building power and rescinding into a powerful and moving track about wasting time being high. “Numbered!” opens with vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen singing slowly and beautifully about how we are numbered over a heavy guitar riff, with the song building then suddenly dropping off to a cappella of herself. This leaves us with the track “Awake!” which opens with the same opening line as the first song. The song sends us on a trip of all of his musical styles, until finally climaxing the whole album into a slow descent into tranquility after a heavy section very reminiscent of “Strapping Young Lad,” making this seriously one of the best albums of 2009 and one of the best Devin Townsend albums to be put alongside “Ocean Machine: Biomech” and “Accelerated Evolution.” This album will have you addicted.

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

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Zappa Plays Zappa Ticket Giveaway on Mystery Roach!

If you missed the show in summer 2008, now is your chance to make up for it.  Zappa Plays Zappa is coming back to the Lincoln Theatre and WKNC has two pairs of tickets to give away!

Mystery Roach, your two-hour study of Prog, Fusion, Psychedelic, and Garage on Saturday mornings, will be holding an essay contest!

The rules are simple.  La Barba Rossa, host of Mystery Roach, will be accepting essay submissions from now until Tuesday January 5th.  Winners for the January 13th performance will be announced on Mystery Roach Saturday morning, January 9th.

Suggested entry length is about one page, but you can be a genre-bender, if you like—-write Prog-Prose.  One sentence?  Sure.  10 pages?  Why not?  You can submit essays via email, but snail mail is encouraged. (See below for mailing address.)  Extra points for mailing it. Extra points for artistic style in penmanship and envelope.  Imagine that?  Send a letter.

Essay topics  (Please stick to these, all others will be disqualified.):

  1. Why I want these tickets. (Option to include discussion of why your desires supersede all others’.)
  2. The best Zappa album/song/era is _________.  Explain.
  3. Zappa Plays Zappa, is (or is not) “meta."  Discuss.
  4. My first summer job, and its horrifying/hilarious consequences.

Email responses can be sent to: mysteryroach@wknc.org. It is preferred that you send it as a file attachment (pdf, doc, txt) but sending it in the body of an email is OK too.

Snail mail can be sent to:

WKNC 88.1 FM
ATTN: La Barba Rossa
Campus Box 8607
343 Witherspoon Student Center
Raleigh, NC 27695-8607

I look forward to reading your entries.

Cheers.

-La Barba Rossa

Categories
Music News and Interviews

December brings more ticket giveaways!

December means many things: cold weather, final exams, continuous holiday music pretty much everywhere, and new ticket giveaways!

Here’s what we have this week:

Ex-Monkeys @ The Pour House Wednesday, December 2

Viva Christmas feat. Los Straitjackets and El Vez @ Cats Cradle Wednesday December 2nd

American Aquarium @ The Pour House Saturday December 5th

Southern Culture on the Skids @ Cats Cradle December 5th

Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online for your chances to win!

Categories
Non-Music News

WKNC Spring DJ Training

WKNC 88.1 FM, the student-run radio station at North Carolina State University, offers volunteer on- and off-air positions to full-time N.C. State students with a 2.0 minimum grade point average. To qualify for an on-air position, you must first complete a five week WKNC training program and pass a written operator’s exam and demonstrative audio board test.

In the past, WKNC has opened its training program on a first-come, first-serve basis to NCSU students. This has had mixed results, as some students complete the program but for whatever reason never become part of the staff. To maximize the results of the WKNC training program and find students well-suited for success at the station, the general manager and program director have decided to implement a new application process for the Spring 2010 semester.

All students interested in WKNC must attend one of two initial interest meetings Wednesday, January 13, 2010 from 6-7 p.m. or Friday, January 15, 2010 from 6-7 p.m. Both will be held in the Student Senate Chambers on the second floor of Witherspoon Student Center. During the interest meeting, we will provide an overview of WKNC and its role on campus and in the community. We will also circulate an application for interested potential staff members.  Individuals interested in electronic, hip-hop, heavy metal and public affairs are particularly encouraged to attend the interest meeting and apply for a spot in the WKNC training program.

After the interest meetings, our general manager will contact you via email to notify you if you have been accepted into the WKNC training program. Decisions will be made by the general manager and program director, in consultation with the student board of directors. Discrimination based upon race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation is in violation of federal and state law and North Carolina State University policy, and will not be tolerated. WKNC will follow all Student Media, University, state and federal procedures, policies and laws regarding equal opportunity employment.

Our first training class is Wednesday, January 20 from 6-7 p.m. and will be held at that time for five consecutive weeks. Four weeks of in-studio training with a current DJ will begin the week of January 25.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Bombadil releases its first music video

Local band Bombadil has created its first music video for the song “So Many Ways to Die,” off the July album release Tarpits and Canyonlands. The video is comprised of public domain footage related to risk-taking and ways to die.

Check out the video here!

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Dropkick Murphys giveaway!

With humble beginnings performing in a basement of a barbershop in 1996, Dropkick Murphys soon catapulted into the punk world. Known for their vehement Irish and Boston pride, the band has become internationally known and quite accustomed to playing sold out shows.

Luckily for you, WKNC has your chance to see Dropkick Murphys at the Fillmore Charlotte on March 8 before they head home for their legendary St. Patrick’s Day weekend shows in Boston. When the deejay asks for it, be the correct caller to score a pair of tickets to the show. Tickets are also available for purchase at Livenation. Click the banner above for more details.

Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online.