Category: Blog

Top Charts 6/21

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date June 21, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	ASTRAGAL	Pure Cashmere	The Nothing Song
2	FOOTBALL ETC	Visions [EP]	Self-Released
3	PAPERCUTS	Past Life Regression	Slumberland
4	SASAMI	SQUEEZE	Domino
5	SKY FERREIRA	“Don’t Forget” [Single]	UMG
6	SOUND OF CERES	Emerald Sea	Joyful Noise
7	SUNFLOWER BEAN	Headful Of Sugar	Mom+Pop
8	VERO	Unsoothing Interior	PNKSLM
9	PARK HYE JIN	Before I Die	Ninja Tune
10	BAKERS EDDY	Love Boredom Bicycles	Ivy League
11	BIG ORANGE	“Love’s Not Enough” [Single]	Self-Released
12	CARRTOONS	HOMEGROWN	Wichita
13	CARTEL MADRAS	The Serpent And The Tiger [EP]	Sub Pop
14	CONWAY THE MACHINE	God Don’t Make Mistakes	Shady/Interscope
15	FLY ANAKIN	Frank	Lex
16	FREDDIE GIBBS	“Vice Lord Poetry” [Single]	EMPIRE
17	GUERILLA TOSS	Famously Alive	Sub Pop
18	HAVIAH MIGHTY	Stock Exchange	Self-Released
19	IDK	“Taco” [Single]	Warner
20	KHI INFINITE	Take What You Need	Artist Partner Group
21	KIPP STONE	Faygo Baby	Self-Released
22	NEWMAN	“FAMINE” [Single]	Ten Steps Ahead
23	POST ANIMAL	Love Gibberish	Self-Released
24	PUP	The Unraveling Of PupTheBand	Rise/BMG
25	RAAVI	“Lazy Susan” [Single]	Self-Released
26	REDVEIL	learn 2 swim	Self-Released
27	SAM HENSHAW	“Untidy Soul” [Single]	Merlin
28	SEA POWER	Everything Was Forever	Golden Chariot
29	SILAS SHORT	Drawing [EP]	Stones Throw
30	SOCCER MOMMY	“Shotgun” [Single]	Loma Vista/Concord

Daytime Adds

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	DYKERITZ	Twin Flame Reunion	Self-Released
2	RIVER WHYLESS	Monoflora	Soundly
3	SAUCER	Binge	Self-Released
4	QUELLE CHRIS	Deathfame	Mello
5	ACTION BRONSON	Cocodrillo Turbo	Loma Vista/Concord
6	BUMMER	Dead Horse	Thrill Jockey

Tags NACC Weekly Charts, Top Charts, WKNC 88.1

Chainsaw Charts 6/21

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date June 21, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	CRYPTOPSY	Divine Council	EVP
2	KUBLAI KHAN	“Resentment” [Single]	Rise
3	GULCH	“2019 Promo” [Single]	Creator Destructor
4	DEATH	Leprosy	Combat
5	LIVING WRECKAGE	“Endless War” [Single]	M-Theory
6	LORNA SHORE	And I Return To Nothingness [EP]	Century Media
7	QUIESCENT MANTIS	“Shake The Cage” [Single]	Wave Transform
8	INCLINATION	A Glimpse Through The Lense [EP]	Pure Noise
9	CALLOUS DAOBOYS, THE	“A Brief Article Regarding Time Loops” [Single]	MNRK
10	FROMJOY	It Lingers	Self-Released

Chainsaw Adds

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	BUMMER	Dead Horse	Thrill Jockey
2	LORNA SHORE	“Sun//Eater” [Single]	Century Media
3	TALLAH	“The Impressionist” [Single]	Earache

Tags Chainsaw Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Music News and Interviews

Wallows “Pleaser” Song Review

Post author By Mitali Joshi
Post date June 18, 2022

“Pleaser” is not a new song, nor is it underground.

Yet, there is something so perfect about this song that has resonated with me ever since I first heard it.

This song was one that marked Wallows’ debut and made the band who they are today. Who would have thought back in 2017 that their debut single would be such a revolutionary moment for them in the years to follow?

The track is relatable in its entirety. About a guy who always finds himself biting his tongue and avoiding saying what’s on his mind to make sure other people are happy. Might sound familiar to those of us that are people-pleasers.

The upbeat percussion and the head-bopping chords of the electric guitar bring the whole piece together. It’s a simple song on its own with no embellishments with the drumming, guitar, or vocals, yet the way these instruments harmonize with one another creates a satisfying tune.

What makes this song scratch my brain is the slow intro that goes from talk-singing into full-fledged singing along with the drums and chord progression. It’s that unexpected increase in tempo that adds the cherry on top.

Not only are the instrumentals satisfying, but the lyrics are also quite impactful as well.

The lines that I love the most are from an early verse and then the chorus. The second verse of the song is where the tempo picks up and immediately gets you to start jamming along to the music. With the lines “Does it come as a surprise? | Language of averted eyes | Silence is what I do best | Still, I hear it all | Wasting time around my head | So I talk to myself instead”

The impact of the lines is just inexplicable. That feeling of that awkward interaction where you’d rather hold your breath and keep your opinions to yourself only to later regret it and let it rack your brain.

Out of the entire song, the one line that I always come back to is “Quite the people pleaser | If only I could please her”

Something about the lyricism of that line is truly genius to me. Being a people pleaser, albeit not knowing how to please the one person you really want to make happy.

Another Easter egg of sorts I like is the line “I don’t want to talk to you right now”. Although the song, “I Don’t Want to Talk” from their latest album wasn’t written till 5 years after “Pleaser”, I like to think that there is some connection between that line in “Pleaser” and the title track of their sophomore album.

People-pleaser or not, this song is one that is guaranteed to tickle the brains of you all that like listening to indie rock.

It’s a classic that captures such deep realities in a catchy melody.

Check out the lyric video which is supposedly directed by Wallows themselves on an iPhone 7, how archaic.

Tags alternative, Indie Rock, Pleaser, Wallows, WKNC 88.1

Classic Album Review

“Acquainted with Night” by Lael Neale Album Review

Post author By Ben
Post date June 17, 2022

"Acquainted with Night" by Lael Neale album cover.

ALBUM: “Acquainted with Night” by Lael Neale

RELEASE YEAR: 2021

LABEL: Sub Pop Records

RATING: 9/10

BEST TRACKS: “How Far Is It to the Grave”, “For No One Now”, “Some Sunny Day”

FCC: None

Lael Neale is a Virginia native and current L.A. resident. “Acquainted with Night” is her second album she has released, with “I’ll Be Your Man” being released back in 2015. She made all the music for “Acquainted with Night” in California and all of the videos in her hometown in Virginia, as stated on her Bandcamp page.

The album mainly consists of her airy, wispy vocals and the Omnichord, which she picked up to create “Acquainted with Night”. I would consider the tracks to fall into the lo-fi indie pop genre for the most part, as we can hear the crackle of the recording instruments often. All the tracks are filled with existential questioning and beautiful imagery.

Favorite Bits:

“How Far Is It to the Grave” is easily one of the most unique tracks on the album. The twinkling of Neale’s Omnichord brings me immediately into the light of the moon. The track is filled with the ponderings of an assortment of characters, who all question how much time they have left in their lives. In its eerie beauty, Neale responds, “It’s only a life dear friend, dear friend”.

In “For No One Now”, Neale leads us on a positive journey. Forget everything that makes you worry and take whatever you desire in life. This anthem shines bright in the lonely, sunny mornings. This song is hope and love jumbled together, which celebrates the best of days in all their glory.

My third favorite track is “Some Sunny Day”. The Omnichord’s ever-present hum of a few simple notes helps highlight Lale Neale’s vocals and lyricism. Also, a rare guitar appearance for this album is present, which adds a pleasant vibration. This track looks towards the future and holds the present in a melancholic state. Neale again looks to hope and destiny as her savior.

The Other Bits:

Now, the rest of this album is also extremely enjoyable, but some tracks aren’t nearly as distinct and loveable as the three songs mentioned above. For example I lump “Sliding Doors & Warm Summer Roses”, “Third Floor Window” and “Let Me Live Down by the Side of the Road” into a ball of comfort. I like listening to these songs, but it’s hard for me to pick them apart from each other.

I didn’t want to include too many songs in my favorites section, but some honorable mentions are “Every Star Shivers in the Dark”, “Blue Vein” and the title track “Acquainted with Night”. Each of these songs are gorgeous, but don’t strike me the same as my picks above.

Conclusions:

Overall, this album is a great set of tunes to listen to in the morning or late in the evening as the sun is setting, especially for all you lo-fi lovers out there. I personally love to put on “Some Sunny Day” while I water my plants. This album reminds me why I like the lo-fi genre’s simplicity. It feels so welcoming and homely that I can snuggle up and enjoy hot coffee or tea and watch pretty white clouds float on by in peace.

Lael Neale released a new song earlier this year, “Hotline”, which you can check out on her Bandcamp, if you feel so inclined. I am excited to see where her career ends up next, and I hope my love of this album can inspire y’all to enjoy her music too.

Keep eatin’

DJ chef

Tags Album Review, chef, Lael Neale, WKNC 88.1

Band/Artist Profile Music News and Interviews

Her’s – A Band That Could Have Been

Post author By Mitali Joshi
Post date June 16, 2022

The UK indie-rock band, Her’s, was made up of two musicians Audun Laading and Stephen Fitzpatrick. Stephen was the lead singer and guitarist while Audun played the bass and sang background vocals.

They debuted with their first single “Dorothy” in 2016 and eventually in 2018 they released their debut album, “Invitation to Her’s”

You may have heard their song “What Once Was”.

It’s a song that I get emotional listening to know the tragedy that hit the band. The song is about the passing of a family member with the lyrics. “My friends put on their bravest faces | Their tails between their legs, something is out of place”

The fact that these lyrics apply to the band themselves and were written by them without knowing what was coming in the future is what hurts me, as a fan, the most.

With the releases of their singles and eventually a compilation album titled “Songs of Her’s”, the band grew a strong following and decided It was time to tour the States with their debut album.

It was during their U.S tour that disaster struck.

They had finished playing in Phoenix, Arizona – the third to last stop on the tour – and were on the highway driving up to California when their car got hit by a drunk driver.

The drunk truck driver was in the wrong lane and drove straight into them, causing both cars to go up in flames. Both members of Her’s along with their manager who was driving their car passed away. March 27, 2019.

Though it’s a little past the three-year anniversary of their passing, I thought it was important to highlight their work as artists and continue sharing their music with a new audience.

While their discography is short, you can hear their passion in each song.

The three songs I would recommend as an introduction to the band are “What Once Was”, “Speed Racer” and “Cool With You”.

All three of these songs are dream-pop and indie rock. “Speed Racer” sounds like it’s straight out of the 50s with the rock and roll sound but still maintains that distinct indie sound. “Cool With You” is more lo-fi and has a heavier bass to it that’s perfect for daydreaming. “What Once Was” is a bittersweet bedroom-pop track that balances the syncopation of the bass with electric guitar chords and drums.

They have a total of 23 songs, so if you want to become a Her’s fan it’s not difficult to get consumed.

If they had made it to 2022, I have no doubt they would have been one of the most popular indie bands of the decade.

You can check out Her’s discography on Spotify or YouTube.

Tags alternative rock, dream pop, Her's, indie pop, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 6/14

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date June 14, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	FLY ANAKIN	Frank	Lex
2	AUDREY NUNA	a liquid breakfast DELUXE	Arista
3	EVIDENCE	Unlearning Vol. 1	Rhymesayers
4	HIATUS KAIYOTE	Mood Valiant	Brainfeeder/Ninja Tune
5	JPEGMAFIA	LP!	EQT
6	SAMM HENSHAW	Untidy Soul	Dorm Seven/AWAL
7	ANUSHKA	Yemaya	Tru Thoughts
8	DIZ	Ultra.Violet	Self-Released
9	ILLISM	Family Over Everything	The CRWN
10	INJURY RESERVE	By The Time I Get To Phoenix	Self-Released

Tags NACC Weekly Charts, Underground Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 6/14

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date June 14, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	LORNA SHORE	And I Return To Nothingness [EP]	Century Media
2	DYING WISH	Fragments of a Bitter Memory	Sharptone
3	ARCHSPIRE	Bleed The Future	Season Of Mist
4	KREATOR	“Strongest Of The Strong” [Single]	Nuclear Blast
5	DECAPITATED	Cancer Culture	Nuclear Blast
6	RUNESPELL	Sentinels Of Time	Iron Bonehead
7	MUNCIPAL WASTE	“High Speed Steel” [Single]	Nuclear Blast
8	ZEAL AND ARDOR	Zeal & Ardor	MVKA
9	BEGRIME EXEMIOUS	Rotting In The Aftermath	Dark Descent
10	FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY	Oh What The Future Holds	Nuclear Blast

Chainsaw Adds

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	GULCH	“2019 Promo” [Single]	Creator Destructor
2	CRYPTOPSY	Divine Council	EVP
3	LIVING WRECKAGE	“Endless War” [Single]	M-Theory
4	QUIESCENT MANTIS	“Shake The Cage” [Single]	Wave Transform

Tags Chainsaw Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 6/14

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date June 14, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	PHF	Purest Hell	Danger Collective
2	TIMKOVBIATCH	“ALERTNESS” [Single]	Self-Released
3	COL LAWTON	Jordi LOVE Groove [EP]	Salted
4	CLAUDIA BOUVETTE	The Paradise Club	Bonsound
5	NIKITCH AND KUNA MAZE	Back And Forth	Tru Thoughts
6	JUNGLE	“Good Times” b/w “Problemz” [Single]	Caiola/AWAL
7	JUST WONDERING	“idk, maybe” [Single]	Lower Third/PIAS
8	FINN AND I JORDAN	“All About Love” b/w “Big B” [Single]	Local Action
9	FLUME	Palaces	Future Classic
10	POLICA	Madness	Memphis Industries

Afterhours Adds

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	PHF	Purest Hell	Danger Collective
2	TIMKOVBIATCH	“ALERTNESS” [Single]	Self-Released
3	JUNGLE	“Good Times” b/w “Problemz” [Single]	Caiola/AWAL
4	FINN AND I JORDAN	“All About Love” b/w “Big B” [Single]	Local Action
5	CLAUDIA BOUVETTE	The Paradise Club	Bonsound
6	JUST WONDERING	“idk, maybe” [Single]	Lower Third/PIAS
7	NIKITCH AND KUNA MAZE	Back And Forth	Tru Thoughts

Tags Afterhours Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Top Charts 6/14

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date June 14, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	FLY ANAKIN	Frank	Lex
2	VERO	Unsoothing Interior	PNKSLM
3	AUDREY NUNA	a liquid breakfast DELUXE	Arista
4	EVIDENCE	Unlearning Vol. 1	Rhymesayers
5	HIATUS KAIYOTE	Mood Valiant	Brainfeeder/Ninja Tune
6	JPEGMAFIA	LP!	EQT
7	THE CURLS	Smothered and Covered	Truth Zone
8	LAVA LA RUE	“For You” [Single]	Marathon Artists
9	MCKINLEY DIXON	For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her	Self-Released
10	PUP	The Unraveling Of PupTheBand	Rise/BMG
11	SAM HENSHAW	“Untidy Soul” [Single]	Merlin
12	ANUSHKA	Yemaya	Tru Thoughts
13	DIZ	Ultra.Violet	Self-Released
14	ILLISM	Family Over Everything	The CRWN
15	INJURY RESERVE	By The Time I Get To Phoenix	Self-Released
16	JYROSCOPE AND MONTANA MACKS	Happy Medium [EP]	Self-Released
17	LITTLE SIMZ	Sometimes I Might Be Introvert	AGE 101
18	TYLER THE CREATOR	CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST	Columbia
19	VINCE STAPLES	Ramona Park Broke My Heart	Blacksmith/Motown
20	BREANNA	Epiphany	Self-Released
21	FKA TWIGS	CAPRISONGS	Young/Atlantic
22	FLYING LOTUS	“Black Gold / Between Memories” [Single]	Warp
23	GENESIS OWUSU	“Waiting On Ya” (Jono Ma Remix) [Single]	House Anxiety/Ourness
24	GIRLPOOL	Forgiveness	Anti-
25	GREENTEA PENG	“Your Mind” [Single]	AMF/EMI
26	MILAN RING	I’m Feeling Hopeful	Astral People/PIAS
27	MOONCHILD	Starfruit	Tru Thoughts
28	NEWMAN	“FAMINE” [Single]	Ten Steps Ahead
29	REDVEIL	learn 2 swim	Self-Released
30	ROBERT GLASPER	Black Radio III	Loma Vista/Concord

Tags NACC Weekly Charts, Top Charts, WKNC 88.1

Music News and Interviews

Hojean “Pose For Me” Song Review

Post author By Mitali Joshi
Post date June 13, 2022

We’re back with another banger by Hojean.

When it comes to Hojean’s music I never know what to expect. The beat is always fresh and comes out of the left-field while still keeping that same R&B traditional Hojean flair to it.

I have to say it, “Pose For Me” might be one of my new favorite songs of Hojean’s. It starts off with this retro 80s-funk groove and has disco-pop undertones to it combined with Hojean’s soft vocals.

The best part of the song has to be its chorus, it’s a vibe unlike any other with an infectious, almost beach-y, tune from a synth that makes you feel like you’re floating in the clouds. Levitating.

After hearing this song at least ten times while writing this post, it’s hard to tell what music component of this track I enjoy the best. Whether it’s the verses, the chorus, or the bridge each part is innovative and adds a new element to the song that catches the listener by surprise.

“Pose For Me” is a song you can enjoy without the obligation to pay attention to the song. It’s one you can simply listen to for the vibes.

For this track, Hojean keeps the lyrics simple. There’s a lot of rhyming that’s almost poetic yet it has that satisfying bounce to it. The harmonizing of the background vocals allows this song to be danceable and utterly relaxing at the same time. I can’t say it’s revolutionary, however, I’ve never heard a musician try to combine such different genres of music into one strong song as Hojean has with “Pose For Me.”

The lyrics of this song are a lot different compared to Hojean’s past singles. While he primarily writes about love, this song is very introspective. He writes about the joy of dressing up for no reason and posing in a mirror just for fun.

With the lyrics, “Runnin’ out of my mind | In and out of my head | These thoughts won’t leave and | I don’t wanna stay here | In another party with no one near so | Maybe I should go home | And dance with my reflection alone,” he writes about feeling out of place and anxious thoughts that he might never be able to change.

Seeing this side of Hojean is quite interesting and is a refreshing perspective from his past music. I love when artists show different aspects of their personalities and add depth to their work.

I personally would love to see more songs like Pose For Me from Hojean in the future. Bringing more of himself into his music and showing a new side of himself.

Just in time for the summer, Hojean might have written the best song to listen to while lazing around in the pool.

Perhaps the song of the summer, dare I say?

Check out the lyric video for “Pose For Me” on YouTube.

Tags Hojean, Indie, r&b, Underground, WKNC 88.1