Category: Music News and Interviews

Music news, interviews, features and giveaways

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Music News and Interviews

WKNC’s first Lounge!

Today marks the launch of WKNC’s new and ongoing video series entitled The Lounge.

After having so many great artists from North Carolina and around the country stop by our studio we thought it would be a shame not to share their unique, intimate performances with the our listeners to repeat on their electronic devices over and over again.

This first episode features recently relocated american finger stylist Daniel Bachman, now currently residing in Chapel Hill. His ethereal Hopscotch 2013 performance at the Long View Center and day party collaboration with Pelt at the Raleigh Rose Garden caught our attention–but Bachman had long been catching the attention of others, read what Indy writer Grayson Currin had to say about his music.

You’ll be able to find his and other performances at WKNC’s youtube account. Be on the look out for our next session coming up with Asheville resident and Fat Possum artist Jackson Scott.

~enjoy~

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
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Music News and Interviews

Interview: WOOL

WOOL is very promising band from Raleigh on the cusp of releasing their first EP, Delta, this Friday, and they stopped by the After Work Special for an in-depth chat with DJ e baby and myself, Spaceman Spiff.  We discussed their songwriting process, the happenstance nature of musical discovery on the internet, and their myriad of creative influences.

The band brought their instruments and played gorgeous renditions of “Mountains” and “Stars.”  I’ve seen WOOL live several times in the past few months, and I was always struck by the beautiful noise they made: lovely dream pop songs, enveloped in hazy guitars, that build to rapturous crescendos.  The acoustic versions they played were intimate and confessional: the pop underbelly of the songs were brought to the foreground.  We played their recorded single “Bulletin Air,” and the band debuted their recorded version of “Delta.”  If the other two songs on the EP sound this great, we’re truly in for a gem.

WOOL’s EP Release Show is this Friday, October 25 at Kings Barcade with See Gulls and Derek Torres of T0W3RS.

Listen here.

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Music News and Interviews

Carolina Grown Podcast: Oct. 11 w/ Toon & The Real Laww

The second week of Carolina Grown was an absurd amount of fun to record, even if there was only one guest on for the show. I was joined in-studio by Professor Toon and The Real Laww of the fantastic hip-hop duo Toon & The Real Laww. The two were preparing for their big EP release show at Kings Barcade with the iconic Cesar Commanche opening up, so naturally we had quite a bit to cover during the hour that these guys were in the studio. While North Carolina is known best for its ever expanding indie rock scene, there are many other facets of this state’s music community that shine just as bright as the college rock crews that started up in Chapel Hill. Actually there’s quite a few more than even I knew! Which is why I chatted with Professor Toon and The Real Laww about what brought them to the state, what keeps them here, and where they think the scene is heading.

We delve into some of the duo’s first interactions with hip-hop, the planning that goes into their ridiculously energetic live shows, and their process behind writing and producing their own tracks. I’ve been addicted to hip-hop since my adolescent self stumbled upon OutKast, Eminem and Busta Rhymes, but even I had no idea about how deep some of hip-hop’s roots extend to North Carolina’s music scene. There’s a lot more than Petey Pablo raising and Little Brother’s total domination of the scene. Check out the full 45 minute interview and learn a bit about North Carolina’s hip-hop community and some of the past and future endeavors that are in store for Toon & The Real Laww.

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Music News and Interviews

Carolina Grown Podcast: Oct. 4 w/ Virgins Family Band & Johnno Potts of Shakori Hills

One of the things that I’ve been most excited for about Carolina Grown is finally rearing its head. While I love getting the chance to chat with local artists and community members every week, not everyone gets the chance to plop down by a radio or computer to soak in this music and conversation. Thus, you’ve got to bring the shows to the people! I’ll be archiving every episode of Carolina Grown so that listeners without a constant two-hour block on Fridays can have the same listening experience as those that do. While it’s taken a few weeks to get these archives up and running, they will begin to regularly go up the week after said show has aired.

The first episode of Carolina Grown is one that’s dear to my heart. One of my favorite local acts joined me for an hour filled with fun conversation and incredible live performances, not to mention I got to talk about my favorite festival on the planet for the second hour of the show. The show was Shakori themed, with Virgins Family Band taking over the first hour for some enriching conversation and some dazzling music. The band performed two tracks from their phenomenal album Honeylion and also shared a brand new, untitled track with all of the listeners.

During the second hour I was joined by Johnno Potts of Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. Throughout the hour I played tracks from Shakori performers and alumni, but most importantly we talked a lot about the inception of the festival, how its grown and all that it takes to put on such an immense festival on a 75-acre farmland. We recount some personal Shakori highlights, geek out about the stellar lineup for the fall festival, and have a whole lot of fun talking about the rich community that surrounds this grassroots event.

Be on the lookout for the rest of October’s shows within the next few days, but for now you can enjoy the very first episode of Carolina Grown at your own convenience!

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Music News and Interviews

Giveaways for the week of 10/21-10/27

Keep it tuned to WKNC all week long for your chance to win tickets to any of these great shows below! Just be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it, and you and a friend could be hitting up some of the coolest local acts around.

Monday, Oct. 21st – Crocodiles with Royal Bangs @ Cat’s

Monday, Oct. 21st – Wild Belle with Snowmine @ Kings

Tuesday, Oct. 22nd – Flux Pavilion with Skism and Roksonix @ Lincoln Theatre

Tuesday, Oct. 22nd – Of Montreal with Surface to Air Missive @ Cat’s

Wednesday, October 23rd – Barton Carroll with Wood Ear @ the Pinhook

Thursday, Oct. 24th – Megan Jean and the KFB with Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands @ The Pinhook

Friday, Oct 25th – Father John Misty “Solo”  with Kate Berlant @ Cat’s

Friday, Oct 25th – Crystal Antlers and The Lovers @ The Pinhook

Friday, Oct 25th – Wool EP release with The Human Eyes and See Gulls @ Kings

Saturday, Oct 26th – The English Beat with The Archbishops of Blount Street @ Cat’s

Saturday, Oct 26th – Marissa Anderson with Ezekiel Graves @ The Pinhook (6 PM)

Saturady, Oct 26th – Cat’s presents: Neko Case with Karen Elson @ DPAC

Sunday, Oct 27th – Midnight Plus One with War on Women @ The Pinhook

 

 

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Music News and Interviews

Interview: Jackson Scott

Jackson Scott is an Asheville based artist who just exploded onto the scene. His record Melbourne started to make the rounds and was picked up by outlets such as Pitchfork and NPR. The exposure he was getting attracted many different record labels. He eventually had to take his record down at which point it was released officially by Fat Possum records. The album received great reviews from many different sources. Jackson Scott stopped by the studio before his show at Cat’s Cradle with Unknown Mortal Orchestra to talk about his accelerated rise to fame, the Asheville music scene, and his new album. Check out the interview and on our iTunes podcast!

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Music News and Interviews

Hopscotch Interview: Airstrip

Airstrip started towards the end 2011 when things ended between Matt Park’s girlfriend and bandmate Ginger Wagg. The two had formed a charming little duo by the name of Veelee that had all of the Triangle falling in love. The harsh turn of events inspired Airstrip’s debut album Willing which Matt describes as “nightmare pop”. Matt stopped by before his set at Hopscotch Music Festival to talk about his new band members and his debut album.  Check out the interview below and on our iTunes podcast!

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Music News and Interviews

Tune in to win tickets to Mountain Oasis Festival!

WKNC is happy to announce that we have a pair of tickets to give away for this year’s Mountain Oasis Festival in Asheville, NC. The 3 day festival features over 50 artists including Nine Inch Nails, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Neutral Milk Hotel, Animal Collective, and many more. It is a celebration of contemporary electronic music and the creative use of technology and it will be hosting live music talks, seminars and panels by artists, interactive experiences for audiences, and many other events. For more details, visit www.mountainoasisfestival.com.

Stay tuned all week long for your chance to win! Just be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it to be entered into a drawing to win the pair of passes. The winner of the passes will be announced on October 20th.

 

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Music News and Interviews

Hopscotch Interview: WAUMISS

WKNC interview with WAUMISS during the 2013 Hopscotch Music Festival. Check out the interview and on our iTunes podcast!

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Local Music Music News and Interviews

October’s Local Artist of the Month: Schooner

Schooner have been one of North Carolina’s sleeper bands for far too long. Their 2007 full length debut Hold On Too Tight warranted heavy acclaim from critics and showcased the band’s sporadic indie pop stylings. Many would have imagined that Schooner would swiftly snowball into the state’s next powerhouse, however, songwriter Reid Johnson took some time off to re-evaluate his musical career and thus the band slowly began to dissipate from its original lineup. After receiving a lineup overhaul, Duck Kee Sessions in 2010 propelled the band to the national spotlight.

The band’s original lineup fell to the wayside, but this new roster clearly displayed a newly invigorated vision of Schooner. They were touted as one of Paste Magazine’s “Best of What’s Next” and even made their way down to South-By-Southwest after the heavy acclaim from Duck Kee. But with the release of Neighborhood Veins, the band’s latest full length, they’re prepared to bask in the spotlight that they’ve so patiently waited for.

Neighborhood Veins marks the first national release from local label PotLuck Records and it’s an excellent display of Schooner’s brilliance. It’s a collection of songs that range from fuzzed out pop gems to bleary-eyed folk-infused madness. By now Reid Johnson and the new lineup for Schooner have found their groove, they acknowledge their musical past while still looking boldly forward to the future. Neighborhood Veins’ closing track is a sprawling 12-minute adventure, something that one could have hardly imagined upon first glance from a band like Schooner.

After their bold step forward, you can expect Schooner to finally take their place as a North Carolina powerhouse amongst our brimming indie rock scene. That’s precisely why we’ve chosen Schooner as our Local Artist of the Month for October. You can check out their latest video for “Trap” below.  If you missed their interview and live performance, you can check it out and on our iTunes podcast!

http://schoonermusic.com
http://facebook.com/schoonermusic
http://twitter.com/schoonermusic