Category: Local Music

General coverage of local music happenings

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Local Music

Local Musical Chairs Compilation

If 2009 was the year of Hear Here, then 2010 could very well be the year of Musical Chairs.  Carrboro based recording studio Nightsound Studios is releasing a compilation album in a similar vein that Flying Tiger Sound pulled off at this same time last year.  The project is to be titled The Musical Chairs Compilation.  The kicker is that the bands are covering other local bands and have to choose the band they are covering at random.  The compilation is being released for free with all donations going to the production of the free CDs and a local concert, and all concert proceeds will benefit a charity. You can read more about it here.

Bands on the project include:
Birds and Arrows
Butterflies
Erie Choir
I Was Totally Destroying It
Lizzy Ross Band
Luego
New Town Drunks
North Elementary
Pneurotics
Puritan Rodeo
Soft Company
Swaso
Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores and Pecosa

IWTDI has already announced that they are covering a North Elementary track while Puritan Rodeo is covering one of their’s.  I will post more information as I know it.

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DJ Highlights Local Music

Local Beat recap 6/25/10

The Local Beat last Friday was the first full three hour program since February and my first evening back behind the board in a month after throat surgery.  I felt a little rusty behind the microphone but my guests to the show triumphed to make the three hours fly by with great conversation and some really cool new songs that had never been played before.

While waiting for the Trekky guys to come in, David Mueller of Birds of Avalon came by to drop off the pre-release of the Heads On Sticks album entitled Mocking Bird.  Heads On Sticks is David’s solo project that he has been working with off and on for the better part of four years.  In fact, his Marsupial’s EP was one of the first local albums I ever came across and really pushed me into the local music scene here.  We debuted his first new track in two years, a song called “Two Clicks.” David will be back on the Local Beat on the 9th to talk more about the album, so be sure to listen in then!

Will Hackney and Martin Anderson, the owners and masterminds behind Trekky Records, dropped by a little late after being stuck in traffic to pump up the third annual TrkFest, which happened Saturday, June 26 at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC.  We spent the majority of an hour and a half talking about the day-long festival, the differences between this year and the previous two years, playing music from bands signed to Trekky, and other bands involved with the show.  Will and Martin are also in numerous bands in the area themselves and two of the busiest guys I know, so I had to ask them about their time management and how they run their business.  In all, we had a fascinating insight into a remarkable record label and the guys behind the scenes.

Local favorites Bombadil stopped by for the last hour of the show to debut some brand new material and play live for the first time in a year.  As many of you know, Bombadil had to take a break last summer as pianist Stewart Robinson went back to school and Daniel Michalak had to take time to recover from a serious health problem, while James Phillips moved to Oregon and Bryan Rahija went to work in Washington D.C.  However, the band has still made time to write music and admitted that they now have enough new material for an entire album.  We discussed the difficulties with being so far apart and still trying to be a band and the frustrations with not being able to tour.  We also touched on their most recent album, Tarpits and Canyonlands, which was released last summer.  The band was unable to promote the record despite raving reviews, and I had to ask them how that made them feel.  Despite the down turn in events, the group seemed exceptionally positive and upbeat for the future and even played two brand new songs for us, which you can download through our Local Beat ReverbNation page (you can listen to them in the music player to the left).
Bombadil on the Local Beat 6/25/10

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Local Music Music News and Interviews

Local Beat Mini Exclusive: Brooks Wood Band

Quantcast

Many of you may have thought you had heard the last of the Brooks Wood Band after they called it quits awhile back  in 2008 when Brooks Wood decided to move up to NYC to try the solo thing.  However, the band is putting out a brand new album titled Good Timing, which the group has been working on for the better part of the last two years.  Local Music Director Nicole Kligerman sat down with the group to talk about the new album, hear some live songs, and chat about the album release party/reunion show tomorrow evening at the Pour House.  Full Proof and Jordan Lee are also playing the show, which begins at 10 p.m.  The show is $5 in advance and $7 at the door.

Take a listen to the interview and be sure to check out the show:
Local Beat Mini Exclusive: Brooks Wood Band 5/25/10

Also, be sure to download the two live songs the band played in the Local Beat ReverbNation page.

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Concert Preview Local Music

It’s the first of the month, so wake up, cash your checks and get toTir na nOg!

Tir na nOg and WKNC bring you Local Beer Local Band night!!  This week we are featuring Static Minds and A Tin Djinn!  Of course it is free, and of course the local brews are on special.  21+ people!

Static Minds

You know their song “Time Bomb” because you’ve heard it on the awesome local music compilation Hear Here.  Experts have been quoted saying, “Their live performances are an intense blast of sweat, volume, and freedom with lots of songs about high times, bad girls, and living it up no matter what life throws at you.” Nod your head to these guys this week!

A tin dijinn

I have a feeling these guys are hilarious. I’m having a look at their page right now (see link above) and, in short, there is Eliot, “enforcer of paisley;"  Gary, "the young zulu warrior;” and Clay,  the “Japan-crazed boogie tambourine mad man.”  Overall, the band feats delicious glam rock with an indie twist.

Hooray for local music and local beer.  Who wants to hear these bands with a Highland Gaelic pint?  I do!!!

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DJ Highlights Local Music

Local Beat preview: 6/25/10

It has been longer than a month since we have had a live Local Beat, and, since February, we haven’t had a full, three hour show (mostly due to NC State Baseball).  I have spent the past month recovering from throat surgery and also doing some summer traveling, but it is finally time to get back into the amazing local music scene here, and tonight’s show is going to be one for the ages.

We are dedicating the first two hours to Trekky Records and their kickass annual summer event TrkFest.  The event happens tomorrow, June 26, and this year there will be two stages of live music as well as the usual crafts, food, and beverages including:

    • Pants-off Dance-off
    • Coffee Sack Race
    • Cool Kids Yoga Session
    • Musical Chairs Cake Walk
    • Sprinklers and Water Things
    • Tour of Piedmont Biofuels
    • Free Haircuts
    • Shadow Puppets
    • Bliss Tent

I know I am going to get a haircut that I so desperately need and jam out to my favorite local musicians that include:

    • Hammer No More The Fingers
    • Ezekiel Graves

This is the 3rd annual TRKFest, and tonight, on the Local Beat, we will be chatting about all of the old and new things about the festival, the bands, and hearing some live music from some of the performers tomorrow.

At 7 p.m. my favorite local band Bombadil will be dropping by for what is the first time in well over a year.  As many of you may know, Bombadil has been on recent hiatus as some of the members have moved away and Daniel Michalak has been dealing with some health problems. With that said, this is their first interview as a group in quite some time, and one of the first since their Tarpits and Canyonlands hit the streets back in 2009  (If you remember, the album was my #1 album of the year).  The entire band is going to try to make it and and perhaps play their first live music together since last summer. It is seriously going to be awesome.

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Concert Review Local Music

6/17 LBLB Photos, and what to expect this Thursday, 6/24

Come down to WKNC and Tir Na Nog’s Local Beer Local Band Night on Thursday, June 24 to see Trekky Records’ Embarrassing Fruits, Charlotte natives Yardwork, and Raleigh’s Whatever Brains! The show is FREE! Starts at 9:30 p.m.  Plus, there are mighty yummy local beers on tap.  I think I will hit up Big Boss Diablo this Thursday…

EMBARRASSING FRUITS

“Over a breezy melody, lazily strummed chords and cymbal splashes, frontman Joe Norkus recounts fond memories of poolside dances and conversations about coffee with the girl he’s met on the corner. When lightning hits their town and Jesus Christ comes down for a visit, the people scatter—except for Norkus and his summer affection. Hell, they’re even making babies while the town burns.”
—Spencer Griffith, Independent Weekly

YARDWORK

Yardwork is a sick band hailing from Charlotte, NC.   Listening to them while I write this blog, I’d say they are wonderful, catchy and happy, songs to rock to.  A friend of mine is buddies with the band, so of course all of us are going to be there!

WHATEVER BRAINS
Whatever Brains is loud.  So loud and so awesome.  They have real talent turned up as high as the volume knob can go.  If they have T-Shirts for sale at the nOg, I recommend the hamburger one.

“Whatever Brains is, allegedly, a punk band gobbing guitar fuzz on songs paced like they were penned by a kid with ADHD and no meds.”  –Independent Weekly

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Local Music Music News and Interviews

Local Beat Mini Exclusive: A Benefit to Battle Multiple Sclerosis

This Thursday at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, five bands will be getting together to raise money in a show aptly named “A Benefit to Battle Multiple Sclerosis.” Zach Terry, Mark Simonson, Emily Bidgood, and Lee Bidgood all joined me at the station yesterday to talk about this local cause and concert, which will include sets from The Sundowners, Mt. Moriah, Whiskey Smugglers, Mandolin Orange, and Last Of The Great Sideshow Freaks.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease in which your body’s immune system eats away at the protective sheath that covers your nerves. This then interferes with your brain’s communication with the rest of the body. Ultimately MS can destroy the nerves themselves, which is irreversible. Symptoms of the disease vary widely, ranging from numbness or tingling in parts of your body to loss of vision, double vision, and even dizziness. People with severe cases may even lose the ability to walk or speak (Mayo Clinic).

During the interview, we talked about the show, where the proceeds from the concert will go, the inspiration and reasons behind putting on a Multiple Sclerosis benefit, and other ways people can get involved.

On this Mini Exclusive, you will find two songs performed in studio by Whiskey Smugglers along with a never before released track from Mark Simonson.

Take a listen:

Mini Exclusive: A Battle To Benefit MS

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Concert Preview Local Music

Annuals to headline on-campus benefit show

[Wednesday June 23, 6-9pm, Harris Field at NCSU.]

“Rock Can Roll,” the newest installment in the recent campaign of free on-campus concerts , will feature Raleigh’s own Annuals and their Terpsikhore Records comrades, What Laura Says .

Attendees are encouraged to bring in-kind (or cash) donations to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

The show is free and open to the public and will take place here, on Harris Field at NC State (in front of Witherspoon Student Center at the corner of Dan Allen Drive and Cates Avenue).

There will be (a limited supply of) pizza and t-shirt giveaways throughout the show. So come out, bring a blanket,  bring a donation, and enjoy the free awesome live music!

Many thanks to our friends at the Union Activities Board and Student Government for making this concert possible.

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Concert Preview Local Music

LBLB!!! June 17th!!

Ok folks, one of this week’s bands is my favorite local live act, hands down.

Get ready for Colossus!!

COLOSSUS
“Colossus oozes talent like a Viking lets blood on a battlefield”- THE INDEPENDENT

Yeah, it really is something like that.  Colossus is the kind of band I wish I could be.  They are FULL of energy and your face will be melted.  Every time I’ve seen them, I practically throw out my neck from rocking out and have the insatiable urge to smash my beer can.  You cannot miss this!

WHITE TIGER & THE BED OF ROSES

White Tiger and The Bed of Roses hold their own with rockin’ riffs and lyrics.  Face-melting will begin with them.  This will be my first time seeing these guys, but I’ve already heard from multiple show-goer friends of mine that these guys are wicked awesome.

Remember, Tir na nOg and WKNC’s Local Beer Local Band Night is ALWAYS FREE and 21+.  The show starts at 10pm.  There is a stellar selection of delicious local beers on tap (as always) which will be on special.  So grab a Shotgun Betty, or whatever else pleasures your pallet, and get ready to seriously rock out!

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Concert Preview Local Music

Local Beer Local Band—June 10 Edition!

Get ready for it!  This Thursday, like each Thursday, WKNC and Tir na nOg Irish Pub bring you Local Beer Local Band night.  This Thursday we have Goodbye Titan, The White Cascade, and Starmount.  Hold the phone, this will be a good show!

As usual this show is FREE FREE FREE and there is an awesome selection of local beers which are all on special.  So special that this show, as are all LBLB shows, is 21 and up.  Sorry, kiddos.

You can expect some wonderful landscape music from Goodbye Titan.  The Independent would say that this band is good for “fans of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky.”  If that sounds like you, come on out!  If you wonder what that sounds like, you come on out too!

White Cascade is a trio of Matts—as in everyone is named Matt—and rock out with long, building, amazing tracks.

Starmount, as our DJ Caid put it, is “somewhere between country, ambient, experimental rock, and elevator music.”  All of these bands are mostly instrumental and tickle  your ears slowly and then build to strong  endings that leave with your eardrums completely rocked.

Don’t forget the local beers on tap.  Big Boss’s new brew Diablo was recently added to the Local Beer list!  Yum yum!  This will be  a very enjoyable show of homegrown bands and homegrown beers, so bring your friends!  WKNC will be there!

Coming soon!!!

> 6/17- Colossus, White Tiger, The Bed of Roses
> 6/24- Embarrassing Fruits, Whatever Brains, Yardwork