Author: WKNC Admin

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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.

Categories
DJ Highlights

Post Turkey, 11/28, on Mystery Roach: Exploring a Record Collection

This Saturday, 11/28/2009, on Mystery Roach, Andrew, a Raleigh local, will be visiting to share the story about (and the music in) his windfall of a record collection.

In a nutshell, a friend from work prematurely lost her husband about two years ago.  (He suddenly died when they were traveling abroad.)  She was recently cleaning out her garage and wanted to know if he knew anyone who would be interested in her husband’s old stereo equipment.

Andrew said he would be. But he came away with more than just equipment.

“When I went to get it,” he says, “I asked about the piles of records, and she offered them to me.  A collection of  soul, funk, Motown, jazz, etc. A lot of stuff I hadn’t gotten to know in depth before.”

Andrew’s been poring over his new collection, and on Saturday we’ll hear about what he’s learned–some stuff he wasn’t familiar with before, and some “known unknowns” from favorite popular artists.

This weekend Andrew will share highlights from the collection.

Listen for:  Curtis Mayfield, the Impressions, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, Nina Simone, James Brown, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, The Chambers Brothers, Bill Withers, Etta James…

A great soundtrack to turn that turkey carcass into stock.

Talk to you then.

-La Barba Rossa

Categories
Concert Review

Concert Report: Amanda Palmer

Normally, as Sweet Annie Rich, I’m known for handpicking sweet Americana tunes to play on Saturday mornings. The thing is, I have other musical interests too, and jump at the chance to see live acts that I know will be amazing.

Take, for instance, Amanda Palmer. I’ve been a fan of Ms. Palmer since I was a freshman here at NC State via The Dresden Dolls. The Dolls’ first two albums were powerful to me and great ways to help my transition from high school to college. When Amanda recorded a solo album, I was all over it. It’s just an added bonus that this album was produced by well-loved local Ben Folds.

I saw Amanda Palmer solo last March at the Arts Center in Carrboro. As an intense fan it was huge for me, even though she was completely alone and having to carry the weight of the show without the backing group she’d started the tour with. I could barely speak to her after the show, I was in such awe. This time around the atmosphere was electric and lively.

Nervous Cabaret was both the opening and backing band, and they injected the craziest energy you could imagine into the show. All I have to say is, if you weren’t at this concert last Friday night, you missed out.

Oh yeah, and I managed to snag a spot on the stage. Not in front of the stage. I was sitting on the edge of the stage. I’ve never been more excited in my young life.

Nervous Cabaret’s sound is so hard to describe, which might be what I loved about them. It’s rock, it’s blues, it’s eldritch and dancehall all at once. Frontman Elyas Khan has a voice that will send chills up your spine.

The night was also full of snark and jokes. I love it when musicians interact so much with one another and with their audience at the same time. This show had moments that can never be truly re-created even in fevered retelling.

One thing I love about Amanda’s live shows is that she throws all of her energy into what she’s doing. She goes from lady behind a piano to a wild force of nature.

At one point, she read from her book collaboration with Neil Gaiman, Who Killed Amanda Palmer? Even in this reading she kept the audience engaged and I don’t think there was a reaction that was off beat.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself that night. It was completely worth losing my voice as I screamed out the words to every song. It was worth getting next to no sleep just to stay after and get an autograph, a picture, and a little time to just talk to this artist whom I’ve never grown tired of.

Punk cabaret forever.

Categories
New Album Review

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 11/24

Debut ‘Album’ not redefinition of rock
Album – Girls
True Panther Sounds
4.5/5 stars
By DJ Goof

San Francisco’s Girls combines the dreamy, surf-rock of the Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys with modern day lo-fi indie pop. The band’s debut album, titled “Album,” consists of relatively simply arranged songs that are quick to grow on you. The album paints a portrait of the young, free-spirited allure of San Francisco with lyrics touching on love, longing and drug addictions. Band member JR White’s production on the album creates an expanding departed atmosphere that is pulled back to earth by lead singer Christopher Owens’ direct lyrics. Owens’ lyrics roughly touch on his sad, incredible childhood.

Owens was born a follower of the Children of God cult. He spent most of his adolescent years alongside his mother and the cult drifting around foreign countries where he was exposed to prostitution while shielded from the outside world. Among an assortment of other rules, the children were only allowed to listen to music that was accepted by the cult’s elders. He was given his first guitar by Fleetwood Mac guitarist Jeremy Spencer, also a member of the cult, and performed songs on the streets to raise money. At the age of 16, Owens saved up enough to flee his situation and move to Austin, Texas where he fell in with its post-punk music scene. Eventually, he found himself in San Francisco where he met White and Girls was born.

The album opens with “Lust for Life.” Here, bee-bop background vocals lay the foundation for Owens’ playful delivery of “I wish I had a father / Maybe then I would have turned out right.” This leads into “Laura,” an upbeat pop song that eventually opens up into a spacey jam of lead guitar and ambient vocal effects.

“Hellhole Ratrace” is a slow, genuine tune about pushing forward. Owens sings, “I don’t want to cry my whole life through / I want to do some dancing too / So come on and dance with me.” As the song progresses, distorted guitars and high pitch synthesizers rumble in as a backdrop but Owens’ tone remains cool and casual. The slight tension between the two keeps the song in focus for its near seven-minute length.

“Summertime” is another one of the gems that make up “Album.” Here, JR’s production offers layering effects that continually transform the song’s otherwise simple arrangement.

“Album” is not a redefinition of rock by any means. Instead, it is a perfectly packaged collection of familiar sounds and sincere themes that is sure to squeeze its way into a few top 10 lists before the year’s end.

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
New Album Review

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 11/5

Mariah’s ‘Memoirs’ nearly perfect
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel – Mariah Carey
Island Records
4/5 stars
By Mir.I.am

For almost two decades, Mariah Carey has been a consistent force in R&B/Pop music, with worldwide sales of more than 200 million copies and more number ones than any other solo artist.

The success and record-breaking achievements have made some wonder if Carey is still motivated and capable of making good music.

With Carey’s latest effort, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel,” she once again proves she is able to adapt and remain relevant in an ever-changing industry, while staying true to herself.

Just 18 months ago, Carey released the underwhelming and underperforming “E=MC2,” but she has picked herself up again, delivering one her best albums.

“Memoirs,” written and produced exclusively by Carey, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, takes us on a musical journey through the ups and downs of love.

Together, the three manage to produce a cohesive blend of the urban pop mid-tempos and ballads we have come to expect from Carey.

The album starts out with the confrontational “Betcha Gon’ Know.” It’s an indication of the witty lyrical content and creative mid-tempo production heard on the album throughout.

Next is one of the two singles the album could have done without, the horn and bass riddled “Obsessed.”

Carey claims the childish song is not about rapper Eminem, and while it does deliver its fair share of funny lines — example: “See right through you like you’re bathing in Windex” — the small-mindedness of it takes away its punch.

Surprisingly the other song chosen as a single, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” falls flat, as Carey adds nothing of value to Foreigner’s ‘80s classic.

Moving on, “Candy Bling,” contains finger snaps and soft keys that will remind you of The-Dream’s “I Love Your Girl.”

Carey sings of a time when love was young and pure. The lyrics are simple and gimmicky, but wasn’t everything that way back then?

As “Memoirs” continues on, Carey shines with some of her best ballads since “Butterfly,” including “H.A.T.E.U” (Having A Typical Emotional Upset), “Angel’s Cry” and the stellar “Languishing.” It’s clear that Carey’s powerhouse vocals and range are still perfectly intact.

“The Impossible” sounds like a ‘90s throwback, courtesy Blackstreet or Jodeci. Somehow Carey is able to tackle the sensual slow groove as her whispery vocals ride smoothly over the seductive beat.

The album does begin to wane with the cluttered and uninspiring “More Than Just Friends” and over-produced “Ribbon,” while the standouts on “Memoirs” are the tales of love gone awry and the anger and bitterness that ensue. The modern doo-wop Motown inspired “It’s A Wrap,” sing-along “Standing O” and the bold “Up Out My Face” all contain clever punch lines which could have been delivered by your favorite rapper.

Although not as versatile as some of her previous work, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” is very personal and full of songs that will walk you through each phase of love.

Carey has once again proven that she is able to continuously evolve and transform, while never losing her core, which makes her imperfections perfect.

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.