Category: New Album Review

The newest albums, EPs and singles on the air at WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2

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New Album Review

“Gift Horse” by IDLES

Cover for "Gift Horse" by IDLES

The first time I ever drove on the highway, I listened to an IDLES song.

Gripping the steering wheel with bloodless knuckles, my vision blurring from the sheer force of my skin-prickling anxiety, I barreled down the highway with the lyrics to “Never Fight a Man With a Perm” rattling around in the empty space where my brain was supposed to be.

Cover for “Joy as an Act of Resistance” by IDLES

IDLES, formed in Bristol in 2009, make music specifically for the situation I outlined above. Grimy, manic and thudding, IDLES is delightfully raucous.

“Tank” but with a bit of “G”

Back in October, they announced their upcoming album “TANGK,” which is set to come out Feb 14.

According to the band, the word “Tangk” is pronounced like “‘tank’ with a whiff of the ‘g'” and serves as an “onomatopoeic reference” to the band’s “lashing” guitars.

While the word may sit strangely in one’s mouth, it’s clear that “TANGK” is one of the band’s most ambitious projects yet.

As a preview, IDLES released “DANCER” on Oct 18.

Two months later in December, the band put out “GRACE.”

Most recently (Jan 15, to be exact), IDLES released another single from “TANGK,” “GIFT HORSE.”

Cover for “TANGK” by IDLES

The second song to appear on the album, “GIFT HORSE” is classic IDLES.

More fast-paced than “GRACE” and rougher around the edges than “DANCER,” “GIFT HORSE” — while not particularly striking on its own — is a fairly solid track to bolster the runtime of an album.

According to the band, “TANGK” will consist of 11 tracks and focuses on empowerment, trauma and community. I look forward to being able to listen through the whole thing come February.

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New Album Review

“5 TRACK EP” by Inflicter

Inflicter's EP cover art.
Inflicter's "5 TRACK EP" cover art.
5 TRACK EP | Inflicter

I was going to write about some Chicago hardcore (hc) punk band, but I stumbled across this short little EP instead. Inflicter is from the UK and makes quick, ripping-loud, noisy, thrashy hc music. This kind of music makes my ears pop like they were clogged up from a bad cold. 

The sparse smattering of vocals drew me into this album. It feels like spoken word mixed with Egg punk mixed with classic punk vocals. In “Denied” the vocals are echoey and what I would describe as flavorful. They sound like a bubble ready to pop with lots of hatred about to spill out of it. Super cool and unique to put simply. 

Inflicter has another EP, “7 SONG DEMO”, that I have yet to listen to all of. The vocals are a little more clear. This band is angry (as are tons of hc bands) and they’re doing their best to voice their social frustrations in a cool way through their own sounds within the hardcore genre. 

This band feels extremely new, so there isn’t too much easy to find information about them except for one article that dove into their “7 SONG DEMO” and some of the local bands in the UK they appreciate and find inspiration from. 

Their music is currently on Bandcamp, and I hope to be listening to more of their sounds change over the next couple years as they grow and become more in-tune with themselves.

Pickle your eggs and cauliflower!

Ben

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Band/Artist Profile New Album Review

“Swatta” by Chepang: Nepalese-American Grindcore

Chepang's album art for "Swatta" depicting a vicious boar, chicken and snake.
Chepang's album art for "Swatta"

Chepang is not a new band. They’ve been inhabiting Queens, NYC for about eight years now. The band members left Nepal and subsequently formed Chepang in 2016, and since then they have been grinding away and making their sounds known to the world.

Continue reading ““Swatta” by Chepang: Nepalese-American Grindcore”
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New Album Review

Three 2023 Albums to Put on Your End of Year List to Look Cooler

The album covers for Fake Opulent, Supernovae, and Iris.

It is now past Thanksgiving. The year is now officially coming to a close, which means that it is also album of the year and Spotify Wrapped season. You, the article reader, may not have realized this until now and are now panicking. You’ve been slacking on the new music. You don’t have something on your best-of topster that none of your friends have heard of. You don’t have the music guy clout, but you need it. You need it.

Worry not, reader: I’ve been looking for this stuff all year. Here’s a few cool releases that I’ve found and pretend you found yourself.

Continue reading “Three 2023 Albums to Put on Your End of Year List to Look Cooler”
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Miscellaneous New Album Review

“Pig City” by Pig City

"Pig City" album cover by Pig City
"Pig City" album cover by Pig City. Hardcore crust band from Arizona.

Something within me *clicks* with Pig City’s newest release “Pig City”. It’s inspired me to deviate from the normal way I write my album reviews. I’ve done a few odd approaches the past couple months on album reviews, but I aim to make this one my strangest. 

Pig City is a queer hardcore crust band hailing from Arizona and releasing music through To Live A Lie Records right here in Raleigh. The album is definitely FCC explicit so cover your ears if you dislike curse words. This album was released on September 15, 2023.

Each track is followed by a block of text that relates to the subject matter and energy of the songs above it. It might help to listen to the music while you read if that is something you can do.

Track 1: “Modern Life I”

We’ve made it easy to reduce things down to our specific little categories, but I feel critics have forgotten how to expand upon the meaning of a piece of worthy art. We shelve it away into musty cabinets on bookshelves becoming overladen with garbage. It makes your blood boil, doesn’t it? F*** your bookshelf. Break it. Burn it. Listen to this drum beat. Listen to these screams. Scream along with Pig City. “Where you gonna go?” (last line of “Modern Life I”).

Track 2: “Belly Of The Beast”

I’m taking apart my room. Shred it. Piece by piece and examining every micrometer because I wanna find out why nothing is where it was supposed to be. Books were in places, but they didn’t fit there. Tear out the pages, glue them in different orders. Make it into the right kind of meaningful pattern. Burn this one, trash that one. Put them into place. 

Track 3: “Nuclear Wasted”

On my roof now. It’s night. The cold gusts clip my ears and draws blood from my body. Drink a beer. Share it with critters running over numb legs. I can’t see my hands. Can’t feel them, but I see the moon and she calls out to take another sip and…

Track 4: “Bash Back”

Awake. My head hurts. The world is upside down. It’s always been like this. Hasn’t it? Prolly gonna puke. My leg’s caught in the power line running from my house to the street. I’m hanging from the roof. Rip the leg free. Fall to the ground. It hurts, but not as much as my head. Spinning, standing and spinning. Beer can. It’s half full on the dirt covered sidewalk. I crush it under my boot. Metal succumbed to me. To my weight. I’m bigger than anything around me. I can do what I need to.

Track 5: “Dead On The Table”

There’s a corpse rolled up the living room rug. Not gonna deal with that now. Bloated and blue – it’s not mine or anybody’s. Figment of the draining hangover. Not going to deal with it, I said. I want coffee. The strongest there is. All that acid and bitters draining from pot to cup to mouth and… now I can focus on the corpse in my living room. 

Track 6: “Modern Life II”

You’d think this would fast track my day. A body in the living room. A hangover and falling from the roof. The day is slow. Nothing moves. Me, my coffee, a corpse. All of us act as if we’ve got all the time in the world to sit still. Sure, I’ve got work this morning. I’ll get there when I get there. Bossman can’t believe the things I’ve been through. Boss – Corpse. They are one in the same. A dead man whipping away at our backs to make us efficient. I finish my coffee and shower. 

Track 7: “Solitary Ideation”

Hot showers are for suckers. Cold beams of water open eyes better than any coffee, Redbull or Monster Energy. In a shower, it’s just me and the droning of water against tub or against shower curtain or against body. A fshthh, kftdd, or bmbbmmm kind of sound, respectively. You can think up thousands of things in a shower. Like what to do with a body or how much effort I need to put into cleaning my destroyed room.

Thoughts wash away. It’s nice, empty isolation. Bare-nakedness keeps me raw and vulnerable to only myself. I’m not going to do a thing about the body, about my job, about my room. Leave it all as a masterpiece. Keep on living.

###

I know I didn’t actually talk about Pig City’s skills or literal sounds, but the point of this article was to explain their energy, effort, and artistry by using it as inspiration to create.

Yard bird tastes like fried toad,

Ben

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New Album Review

“Club Hits” by R.M.F.C. New Album

Rock Music Fan Club's album cover for "Club Hits"
Rock Music Fan Club's album cover for "Club Hits"

Rock Music Fan Club is a project originating from an Australian bedroom by an artist named Buz Clatworthy. Their most recent release, “Club Hits” was release on Nov 3, 2023. It is a full length album with a run-time of just under thirty minutes. 

In terms of sound, “Club Hits” spreads its noise into an array of folky-twang, punk, and egg punk all wrapped up in a nice warm pot with a bit of water and salt to let the flavors and sounds in this album come alive. 

Buz Clatworthy “writes, performs and records all of the groups output himself in his bedroom”, as it states on Discogs, and began in 2018 thanks to encouragement from a friend listening to Clatworthy’s demo. R.M.F.C (Rock Music Fan Club abbreviated) has played with notable egg punk bands like Snooper and Alien Nosejob when performing live in the past.

Without Further Ado: “Club Hits”

Below is a snippet of some words and sentences that each of these songs inspired me to write while listening to the music. To me that is the best way to communicate the emotions and sounds that I feel when listening to an album. 

“Spectrum”

The short snippets of punk and classic rock n’ roll guitar fuses together to create a wonderful playful hybrid of sounds that aren’t corny or uptight. It’s like Goldilocks says, “It’s just right”. 

“The Trap”

I don’t have too many flowery words for this track. I just like it. Simple as that. 

“Access”

Reminds me of a tame folky version of Sick Thoughts’ music they’ve been releasing recently; for example, “Hole in the Wall”. The jerky vocals put me on edge, but again the guitar quells my nerves and reassures me. 

“Frogs”

Like a walk in the hours after the rain has subsided in a quiet suburban night, this track puts my head at ease. The very relaxing rhythms and background noise is pleasant and delightful to my ears that usually want a harsh scream to take up residence. 

Conclusion

The rest of the album that I haven’t mentioned, is of course wonderful and each song deserves its own praises here, but that’s not feasible for me to write for a blog. This is a taste of “Club Hits”. I hope I’ve whetted y’all’s appetite, and if you decide to check out R.M.F.C.’s newest album, prepare to enjoy a delightful meal for your ears.

Egg rolls aren’t egg punk,

Ben

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New Album Review

Fall 2023: What’s New in Afterhours?

The album covers of Piracies Menu by Galactic Hole, Beef by Evaboy, and Again by Oneohtrix Point Never.

Fall, as it turns out, has been really good for music. Here at WKNC, we’ve been scouring those releases for what’s been the best, and then adding it because we know and understand that you, the masses, want nothing more than the best niche music. Here’s what we’ve found in the electronic sphere lately.

Continue reading “Fall 2023: What’s New in Afterhours?”
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New Album Review

Screaming Females “Desire Pathway” Album Review

Desire Pathway album cover for Screaming Females
"Desire Pathway" album cover for Screaming Females.

Screaming Females is one of my favorite rock bands hailing from the United States. They’ve been releasing consistent, good records since their first release, “Baby Teeth”,  in 2006. Screaming Females might not fit into the hardcore punk or punk genre all the time, but the band’s ability to stay true to what makes their sound unique and constantly entertaining is what keeps me listening.

The band is composed of Marissa Paternoster (vocals and guitar), Jarrett Doughtery (drums) and Mike Abbate (bass). They made their first appearance as a band in New Brunswick, NJ (according to Wikipedia). Screaming Females is currently releasing their records on the Don Giovann Record label. 

In terms of genre, they have floated around from album to album, but for the most part I’d say they stay true to the rock genre with heavy punk and indie influences. Paternoster’s lyrics and vocals are extremely punk that tend to talk about being displaced and having realistic perspectives on relationships and life. 

Some of their previous releases include “Baby Teeth”, self-released album in 2006, Ugly in 2012 and “Rose Mountain” in 2015. They have many more albums in their discography but these are the ones that keep me coming back and listening to their music. 

“Desire Pathway”

“Brass Bell”

The opening to this album is sublime. Paternoster’s infatuating guitar is backed up by heart-thumping bass and drums leading us to explosive riffs and vocals. 

“Ornament”

This track is a beauty because of how much Paternoster shreds her guitar. Doughtery’s drums create an awesome thump-thump-thump building us to another explosive chorus trying to get everything it can out of love. 

“Let Me Into Your Heart”

Opening drums and then Paternoster’s iconic vocals dive into the topic of trust and trying to win someone’s heart and soul. The lyric choices in this track make me love it because of the uniqueness in word choice and how descriptive and pleading the song becomes because of the lyrics. 

I absolutely love this band. The catchy lyrics and rhythms in this album are intoxicating, but also I can tell how much previous albums like “Ugly” and “Rose Mountain” success have positively influenced the sound. I find a lot of the choruses to be at the perfect repetitive level and all the lyrics (as always for Screaming Females) are full of double meanings and exactness.

If you’ve never taken time to listen to Screaming Females, I highly suggest you do because this band will be one of the greats, if it isn’t already.

Ben

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New Album Review

New Releases: Tears For the Dying, Modern Color and Buzz Kull

Photo by Evelyn Bertrand on Unsplash

Music-makers have been hard at work putting out new music, and I”ve been hard at work listening to it.

Here are some highlights from this month:

Tears For the Dying

Based in Athens, Georgia, Tears for the Dying produces music in the vein of deathrock, post-punk and dark punk.

With a corpse-cold sound and the richly plaintive vocals of Adria Stembridge at their disposal, Tears For the Dying puts out consistent bangers.

The band’s latest release, “Heterochromia,” is straight up arctic.

Cover for “Heterochromia” by Tears for the Dying

Compared to other releases, the band’s deathrock style appears restrained, creating a vacuous and frigid atmosphere. The song’s lyrics only compound this effect.

I’ll rip you apart from everything you love

Slithering from beneath black waters

The rotting carcass splits and sprouts

Fertile ground of rot and death

Efflorescence of drifting mist

Tears for the Dying, “Heterochromia”

What is the driving force behind such tortured and melancholic lyrics?

Adria Stembridge, frontwoman and founder of the band, draws inspiration from her experience growing up trans and autistic in the American south.

Subjugation, alienation and victimization — and the inner darkness stemming from these influences — contribute to the band’s vivid sound.

While this isn’t my favorite song by the band (that award belongs to “Go Die” from their 2021 album “Epitaph“), it’s a solid track.

Modern Color

Modern Color is a beloved band of mine.

Their sound ranges from nostalgic and idyllic shoegaze to vigorous post-hardcore, and I look forward to seeing them when they make their way to Cat’s Cradle next month.

Cover for “Fortress” by Modern Color

Modern Color’s newest single, “Fortress,” definitely embodies more of the band’s emo and shoegaze sound. It’s a warm and summery track with more upbeat energy than some of the band’s other releases, such as “Pale.”

I definitely prefer the band’s earlier music, especially their 2020 album “From The Leaves of Your Garden,” and hope they continue to experiment with the post-hardcore aspect of their style.

Buzz Kull

Buzz Kull is the musical project of Sydney-based artist Marc Dwyer.

I’ve played Buzz Kull on air several times before. His sprawling darkwave and EBM beats are transfixing.

Cover for “A Place (That’s Meant To Be)” by Buzz Kull

There’s an attractive bluntness to his work, a gothic apathy that commands focus to a more emotional and complex synth and drum machine arrangement.

Buzz Kull’s most recent single, “A Place (That’s Meant To Be),” is strongly electronic. Highly danceable, this EBM track is both fast-moving and languid, with staccato beats overlaid by ringing tones of brass.

It’s the kind of music you can lose yourself in on the dancefloor, best enjoyed amid the smoke-scented bustle of the goth club.

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New Album Review

Corker’s “Falser Truths” Album Review

Corker's album art for "Falser Truths"
Corker's album art for "Falser Truths".

Out of the abyss of the midwestern United States called Ohio comes Corker with their first full length release, “Falser Truths”. This new punk band has all the classic 80’s punk sounds you could feverishly desire. With sounds influenced by The Clash, The Cure, Wipers and more, Corker brings us fresh perspective with great ingenuity in this album. 

Cincinnati, Ohio natives, Corker, released “Falser Truths” on Sep 1, 2023, which was recorded through Future Shock Recordings, a Cincinnati based record company. Members of the band include: Luke Corvette (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Cole Gilfilen (Guitar, Synth, Vocals), Ryan Sennett (Bass, Synth) and Alex Easterday (Drums, Percussion).

“Falser Truths” is Corker’s first full-length release, but their second major release overall. They debuted with “A Bell That Seems to Mourn”, an EP, in 2021 (also on Future Shock Recordings). This EP was said to have met popularity (on their Bandcamp page). 

Sounds of “Falser Truths”:

“The Cold Air”

A breeze chills your lower back and opens up your senses to the incoming new experiences. This track opens “Falser Truths” beautifully. I think it does a great job of introducing us to the potential of Corker’s sounds and what we are to experience through their perspectives of punk-rock.

“Lice”

A little bit of an up tempo track compared to “The Cold Air” with a strong drum beat and jolty vocals with a speedy guitar. “Lice” isn’t what I’d call hardcore punk, but it’s a step in that direction. This track does feel like a good one to dance to at a concert though. 

“A Fitting Compensation”

Moodier tunes flow in from the West, East and all over. “A Fitting Compensation” brings us some of the darker, slower sounds through the intro instrumentals. Then, we are very lucky to experience some classic heart-stopping punk vocals and lyricism with a “brain eating” desire woven in. 

“Sour Candy”

With the air of a long good-bye, “Sour Candy” is the best final track I could hope for on a release like this. It is seven minutes long, making it the lengthiest track on the album. There’s a whole lot of diversity in sound on this album, and with this track, Corker is able to finish showing off their range. A little spoken word with catchy beats to back it up begins this track on a low-key note, but builds and builds into a rhythmic delight that I loved for every second.

Final Thoughts about “Falser Truths”

Hey, these are pretty fun. Corker is able to show off their talent range within the punk genre, and they show off a little bit of their history knowledge in punk with their sound variations too. “Falser Truths” takes us on a journey of beginnings and histories within the whole thirty-five minutes of the album. I enjoyed hearing this perspective of punk from Corker and I hope to be hearing more from them in the future.

check out the North Carolina State fair!

Ben