WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student RadioMusic news, interviews, features and giveaways
Tune in for a special edition of “Saturday Night Soul and R&B” with special guest Reigndrop Lopes. Reigndrop is the sister of the late Lisa"Left-eye" Lopes, of the biggest selling female group of all time, TLC.
Tune in as we talk to Reigndrop about Lisa and also find out about her new solo Hip-Rock project. Find out more about Reigndrop here.
Tomorrow morning on Americana Blues & Co we will start the show off with an interview with Thomas Moorefield of Sleepless Nights, a tribute band for Gram Parsons.
Sleepless Nights is playing alongside local act Lynn Blakey, of Tres Chicas fame, and headlining is Joe Swank and the Zen Pirates at the Local 506 on Thursday May 28th at 9pm. We will be doing giveaways for the show, including some merchandise and a handful of tickets, but come prepared with you Gram Parsons trivia knowledge as you might need it (hint)
In addition to pumping up this amazing concert we will talk about Sleepless Nights performing in Nashville on September 19th at the “GP3” event. “GP3” stands for Gram Parsons Petition Party, which is an event to draw attention to the ongoing petition drive to have Gram inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Check it out! WKNC is always giving away tickets to great shows around the Triangle area and this summer is no exception! Here are the shows that WKNC is giving away tickets for during the rest of May:
The Old Ceremony @ Cat’s Cradle – Saturday, May 23rd
Isis with Pelican and Tombs @ Cat’s Cradle – Friday, May 29th
Josh Ritter with The Proclivities and David Shultz & The Skyline @ Cat’s Cradle – Saturday, May 30th
Kennebec with Love Colt @ The Pour House – Saturday, May 30th
Be sure to listen in for your chance to win tickets!! And don’t forget to check out WKNC’s Rock Report for a complete list of local shows around the Triangle!
The Decemberists are coming to Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium June 4th and 88.1 has your chance to win tickets. Cat’s Cradle is presenting the show so you know it’s going to rock. Also on the giveaway menu:
The Kingsbury Manx has a brand new music video for their song “Well, Whatever” off of their latest release “Ascenseur Ouvert!" I can’t embed it for some reason so check it out on Odessa Records website here.
I’m definitely digging this.
Screaming Females will be playing this Sunday at the Nightlight with Bellafea and Caltrop, but first they’ll be coming into the WKNC studio to talk about their new record Power Move, their DIY ethic, and their time on the road for the last month. Be sure to tune in at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 17.
Screaming Females interview
by Spaceman Spiff
This past Thursday was a busy day for Prabir and the Substitutes! After being stuck in traffic, the band dropped by the 5 o’clock Shadow for an in-studio interview with Mikey P and me. Then, the band headed to Tir Na Nog where they completely rocked out WKNC’s weekly Local Beer Local Band Night with Chapel Hill natives Embarrassing Fruits.
Considering their hectic touring schedule, I was excited to have such a relaxed discussion with the band about their music. Prabir and the Substitutes are a pop-rock group from Richmond, Virginia with a knack for melody and harmony and a keen appreciation for the joys of playing music. Appropriately enough, we discussed the trials and tribulations of touring and the many ways the band keeps their lives enjoyable (everything from maintaining an amusing website to smashing their instruments after their shows). We also spun some great tracks off of their new EP “Hello.”
Check out the interview below!
Prabir and the Substitutes interview
In today’s digital world, it’s great to see a band that cares so much about the physical release of an album. I love having something I can hold in my hands when I buy my music—the thrill of driving to my local record store, thumbing through the collection, talking with the clerk as I pay, peeling off that damn sticky tape before prying open the cover, admiring the pictures in the liner notes—owning the physical CD gives me more of a connection with the artist.
In the 1960s, the single was the primary means by which an artist released their music before bands like the Beatles and the Beach Boys demonstrated the artistic importance of the album. In 2007, Prabir and the Substitutes demonstrated their respect for the physical release of an album by intending for the duplicate copy included with their EP, Share, to be given to a friend. The group might not save the physical album from certain doom, but they’re putting up a valiant fight.
This 13-year-old video of Daft Punk performing without costumes in Furthur, Wisconsin has been circulating the internet. Wikipedia makes the following statement about the video:
… a rare bootlegged video featuring the duo in Wisconsin matches the verified identity of Thomas Bangalter. Less clearly seen, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo is to Bangalter’s right and is mostly cut off from the camera. Comparing the artwork packaging of Homework to the video footage, one can verify that the album’s liner note photo was taken during this event.
So, why does Daft Punk wear costumes now?
Daft Punk have said that they donned their robot masks to easily merge the characteristics of humans and machines. However, Bangalter later stated that the costumes were initially the result of shyness. ‘But then it became exciting from the audiences’ point of view. It’s the idea of being an average guy with some kind of superpower.’ When asked on whether the duo expressed themselves differently within the robotic suits, Bangalter stated ‘No, we don’t need to. It’s not about having inhibitions. It’s more like an advanced version of glam, where it’s definitely not you.’
More about Daft Punk’s approach to managing fame is in the Wikipedia article.
The Carolinas are finally getting their time to shine with the Second Annual Carolina Music Awards. This award show allows you, the fans to choose North and South Carolina based nominees and winners. The show will take place on August 8th at the Progress Energy Center in downtown Raleigh. There will be weekly updates on Saturday Night Soul and R&B where I’ll let you guys know the latest news and nominees and we’ll also have late breaking updates from the Director of the Carolina Music Awards, Omar. Nominations end May 29th, so don’t delay! Nominate your favorite local Rock, Hip-Hop, Country, R&B artist or DJ now! Head on over to:
www.carolinamusicawardsnetwork.com.
The “New Artist Spotlight” of the week is Seattle’s own Che Blaq. The singer/writer/producer has brought a new innovative sound to the genre of R&B by combining the sounds of Electro-pop, Hip-Hop, and Vintage Soul to the world of music. Check out an interview and new music from Che Saturday, May 16 from 8 to 11 p.m. on Saturday Night Soul and R&B.
Hear Che Blaq’s music on his Myspace