Category: Blog

Revisiting “Zeros” by Declan McKenna

Post author By Caitlin
Post date November 23, 2021

For several years, “What Do You Think About the Car?” by Declan McKenna was my favorite album of all time. So, in September of 2020, when he released his sophomore album, “Zeros” I was nervous to listen, and put it off an entire month. I wrote a song-by-song review in my notes app as I listened, but I’ll spare you that and share my overall takeaways:

“Okay so overall, a good album. Definitely more experimental with instruments and stuff, but the songs mostly follow the same layout where it starts off kinda normal and then by the end it’s either really instrument heavy/ or he’s screaming or both; which is fine but it kind of makes it sorta predictable. I'm also not a huge fan of releasing SO many singles before the album’s out but that’s just me. He definitely chose a PERFECT opener and closer. The songs definitely are all good on their own and I know I said they’re kind of repetitive but it doesn’t feel as cohesive as his first album was. Honestly, I think it’s a case of sophomore album syndrome (where the second album an artist puts out just doesn’t compare to the first). Also, none of the themes of the songs stuck out to me that much, but that could just be because I'm listening to it in a car with headphones turned all the way up as my dad blasts music on the radio so I couldn't hear the lyrics that well. this all sounds super negative but overall it’s a good album and definitely worth the listen.” — October 11, 2020

The following are my thoughts on this album one year later. I definitely appreciate this album a lot more for what it is now; I was expecting a part two to his first album and this wasn’t that, but it’s still a good album. However, some of what I said stands true. This album is ten songs long, but four of the songs were singles, that is entirely too many. Releasing 40% of the album months before the rest of it comes out is just not my preference as a listener.

My favorites on my first listen were “You Better Believe!!!” and “Emily,” but nowadays I’m more partial toward “Twice Your Size” and “Sagittarius A*.”

Overall, it’s solid indie-pop, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

Rating: 8/10

Tags declan mckenna, WKNC 88.1, Zeros

New Album Review

“Hyd” EP Review

Post author By Erie
Post date November 22, 2021

Pop is a genre that’s very hard to pin down because of just how broad that classification is. The term “pop” changes drastically across time periods and even geographic locations, and music classified as pop can often fall into other genres as well. Over the past few years record label PC Music has become known for pushing the boundaries of what pop can be, and they’ve found another winner here.

“Hyd” is the self-titled debut EP by Hayden Dunham under the Hyd moniker, but it’s not their first rodeo with PC Music. In 2015 they came through with the instantly iconic “Hey QT” under the name QT, a song that is very much in PC Music’s wheelhouse of hyperpop, the experimental and maximalist take on electropop that have defined so many of my DJ sets this semester. The song is bright and polished to a sheen, with extremely autotuned vocals dancing over bassy kicks, it’s a really fun song. I bring it up here because while it shares some similarities with the tracks on “Hyd”, their fundamental approach to constructing a song has changed a lot over the past six years.

Let me explain. The actual instruments and effects that appear on the EP are classic hyperpop, lots of off-kilter synths and rapid-fire hi-hats, but they are used in a much different way. For a project with these tricks up its sleeve, the most prominent element here is actually the quiet. From the sudden stops at the height of the chorus on “Skin 2 Skin” to adding a thoughtful, pensive tone to “No Shadow”, restraint plays a massive role in this pop record, two concepts that don’t often go together. Songs are structured around this too, taking their time in building themselves up and slowly widening the soundscape before kicking into overdrive in the final minute. There are verses and choruses, but the instrumental is doing its own thing, treating the entire song as one long exhale.

The long sections where the instrumentals step back mean that the vocals become the star of the show, and they certainly perform under the spotlight. Dunham is working with a lot of conflicting vocal styles that are often used simultaneously, yet don’t clash at all. “The light defines us” is delivered with a robotic cadence while also sounding emotional and filled with wonder, and they often switch between husky and whispering to soaring and passionate on a dime. Lyrically there’s actually quite a lot of repetition, with a drawn out bridge of the line “Away from the light” repeated seven times on “No Shadow” or the multiple choruses in a row in the back end of “The Look on Your Face”. But unlike songs where repetition feels like it prevents the song from advancing, here it’s used to create mantras that drive

On first listen, this might be a bit of a surprise from a PC Music release labeled as pop by streaming services. It’s a pretty slow paced and restrained project that, when presented with the opportunity to go big and overblown, takes the reflective route instead. But if your opinions of what a pop record has to be aren’t totally set in stone, this EP will fit the bill, packaging its complicated themes and unorthodox structures into an easily enjoyable and rewindable experience. And if that isn’t pop then I don’t know what is.

-Erie

Tags EP Review, hyd, PC Music

Blog Miscellaneous Playlists

Song Recommendation Guide: Coffee Edition

Post author By museum maddie
Post date November 19, 2021

Howdy y’all! In my semester off during my freshman year, I spent my time working as a barista at a small stand-alone coffee shop. I had total control of the music at 6:30 a.m. in the morning – a total dream! Using my knowledge of coffee and music, I bring you the recommendation guide to translate your favorite drink into a new song to listen to.

Espresso Drink Song Recommendations

If you order an americano (shots of espresso + hot water), listen to Wet Dream by Wet Leg. Anybody who orders an americano is ready to start their day, and this upbeat song feels like a bright morning brisk walk around the neighborhood.

If you order a latte (shots of espresso + milk + optional flavor), listen to New Song by Maggie Rogers and Del Water Gap. Like a latte, this song is dependable and consistent for relaxing after those long days.

If you order a lavender honey latte (shots of espresso + milk + honey + lavender syrup), listen to Fall in Love with You. by Montell Fish. This song is warm, dreamy, and ultra-comforting, similar to this drink.

If you order a seasonal drink (pumpkin spice latte, peppermint mocha, etc.), listen to White WInter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. Chances are you start decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween, and nothing pairs better with a peppermint mocha than this buttery smooth Christmas-lite song.

If you order a cappuccino (espresso shots + splash of milk + foam), listen to Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens. Cappuccinos originated in Austria and were further developed in Italy. Mystery of Love was used in a movie that took place in Italy. Romanticize your cappuccino.

If you order a red eye (shots of espresso + brewed coffee), listen to As the World Caves In by Matt Maltese. This song is dramatic, emotional, and sultry. Also, are you doing okay?

If you order a dirty chai (shots of espresso + chai), listen to Coming Back by James Blake featuring SZA. Coming Back, which samples Lake Shore Drive by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah, is easy and mellow. SZA’s feature adds something equivalent to shots of espresso in a regular spiced chai.

Non-Espresso Drink Song Recommendations

If you order matcha in any capacity, listen to Je te laisserai des mots by Patrick Watson. Romanticize your walk to class, matcha in hand, with this beautiful French song. I highly advise reading what the lyrics mean if you don’t understand French (like me). So lovely.

If you order a frappuccino (blended beverage – Starbucks coined this term), listen to I Know A Place by MUNA. Frappuccinos are a staple in the Starbucks menu, and I Know A Place should be a staple in your current playlist if this is your drink.

If you order a brewed coffee, listen to You Needed Love, I Needed You by Angelo De Augustine. This song is melancholy, similar to sitting at your window on a rainy morning with a good old cup of joe.

If you order a London Fog (earl grey tea, water, vanilla syrup, steamed milk), listen to Love in the Time of Socialism by Yellow House. Sweet and comforting are just two similarities between a London Fog and Love in the Time of Socialism.

If you order a chai, listen to Clay Pigeons by Michael Cera. Michael Cera’s cover of Blaze Foley’s Clay Pigeons sounds like it should be smack dab in the middle of a coming of age movie. Enjoy your warm chai with this homely cover.

I hope you enjoy this song recommendation guide and feel inspired to try a new drink! Linked here is a Spotify playlist with all of these songs.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3P4XCWxUVrMBbBvnXUjpy7?si=7fae111cef3b4519

<3 dj mozzie

Tags dj mozzie, Playlist, song recommendations

New Album Review

Illuminati Hotties: “Let Me Do One More” Album Review

Post author By Delusional Melodrama
Post date November 18, 2021

Let Me Do One More Album Cover

Illuminati hotties first came to my attention through a genius stealth marketing campaign. Releasing an unannounced album on a blank Bandcamp page, the band was only promoted by two cryptic tweets from Lucy Dacus and the drummer for the band Pup. The music, now released as “FREE I.H This Is Not the One You’ve Been Waiting For,” after being deleted from record for several months. Now, it seems, we have the one we’ve been waiting for.

“Let Me Do One More” is, as you might guess based on her friends, a pop-punk singer-songwriter album. This particular genre mashup is suprisingly not explored all that well, but the Hotties make it feel natural, layering hooks on top of hooks until the songs get quite wordy and obtuse. On the faster songs, lyrics clash and bleed together fast enough that it often borders on free word association. The common refrain of “The DNC is playing dirty; I’m so sad I can’t do laundry,” is a good example, as it makes no sense on any level, but it sure does *feel* right.

Its the album’s ballads that really shine though. While high-energy pop numbers are what hook you in, the album takes you to sad emo boy hours pretty early in the tracklist. Normally the “emotional tracks” on any given pop-punk album are the worst part, but this is where that key endorsement from Lucy Dacus begins to make sense. Frontwoman Sarah Tudzin may be able to light things up with her energy, but you can tell melancholic indie chick is her true form, and so her ballads never fail to tug at my heartstrings.

There’s very little more to analyze about Illuminati Hotties, everything that’s great about them is right there on the surface. The band wears their hearts on their sleeves, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Tags Illuminati Hotties, Let Me Do One More

Playlists

bone chill: A Playlist

Post author By Caitlin
Post date November 17, 2021

It’s getting cold outside. Not freezing cold, but enough to wear a couple pairs of socks and layer up on shirts. Thus, out with fall music and in with winter (even though it’s not technically winter for over a month). These fifteen songs are ones that just feel chilly without the need for an abundance of acoustic guitar. They’re the ones that make you feel colder just by listening to them. A perfect mix of shoe-gaze and regular old indie-rock to float you through these months.

“Subterranean Homesick Alien” — Radiohead
“November” — Azure Ray
“I Couldn’t Love You” — Cursive
“O Contest Winner” — Frankie Cosmos
“gray light” — Soccer Mommy
“Mary Of Silence” — Mazzy Star
“Need 2” — Pinegrove
“Under Wraps” — Her’s
“Potions” — Day Wave
“Medicine” — Gus Dapperton
“Bad Role Models, Old Idols Exhumed (psst, teenagers, put your clothes back o)” — Car Seat Headrest
“Wasted On The Senate Floor” — Emperor X
“Falling in Loves too Mean” — Hether
“Blown a Wish” — my bloody valentine
“Bleachers” — Emily Yacina

As usual, I’ve put these fifteen tracks on a Spotify playlist for convenient streaming.

Happy listening,

Caitlin

Tags winter playlist, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 11/16

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date November 17, 2021

#	Artist	Album	Label
1	JPEGMAFIA	LP!	EQT
2	LAVA LA RUE	Butter-fly [EP]	Marathon
3	INJURY RESERVE	By The Time I Get To Phoenix	Self-Released
4	LITTLE SIMZ	Sometimes I Might Be Introvert	AGE 101
5	PARQUET COURTS	Sympathy For Life	Rough Trade
6	GUSTAF	Audio Drag For Ego Snobs	Royal Mountain
7	ILLUMINATI HOTTIES	Let Me Do One More	Snack Shack Tracks/Hopeless
8	NYLON SMILE	Waiting For Oblivion	Citrus City
9	ZEBRA KATZ	Less Is Moor	ZFK
10	AMERICAN AQUARIUM	Slappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers, Vol. 1	Thirty Tigers
11	GENESIS OWUSU	Smiling With No Teeth	House Anxiety/Ourness
12	FILM SCHOOL	We Weren’t Here	Sonic Ritual
13	ILLISM	Family Over Everything	The CRWN
14	MCKINLEY DIXON	For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her	Spacebomb
15	SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE	“The Door Is Open” b/w “The Door Is Closed” [Single]	Saddle Creek
16	ALICE PHOEBE LOU	Glow	Self-Released
17	BICEP	Isles (Deluxe)	Ninja Tune
18	BLACK COUNTRY NEW ROAD	“Chaos Space Marine” [Single]	Ninja Tune
19	BLACK MARBLE	Fast Idol	Sacred Bones
20	CHURCH GIRLS	Still Blooms	Anchor Eighty Four
21	DEAFHEAVEN	Infinite Granite	Sargent House
22	KEDR LIVANSKIY	Liminal Soul	2MR
23	MACHINEDRUM	Psyconia [EP]	Ninja Tune
24	FJAAK	SYS03 [EP]	Self-Released
25	JEWELER	Tiny Circles	Self-Released
26	JIMMY EDGAR	Cheetah Bend	Innovative Leisure
27	JULES	Delta Ajax [EP]	Happy Life
28	LALA LALA	I Want The Door To Open	Hardly Art
29	NATION OF LANGUAGE	A Way Forward	Play It Again Sam
30	PRETTY EMBERS	Under	Self-Released

Daytime Adds

#	Artist	Album	Label
1	NATION OF LANGUAGE	A Way Forward	Play It Again Sam
2	WOOZE	Get Me To A Nunnery [EP]	Young Poet
3	MARY VEILS, THE	Somewhere Over The Rowhome [EP]	PNKSLM
4	SPIRITUALIZED	“Always Together With You” [Single]	Fat Possum
5	MEDIOCRE	Microdose Singles	Dangerbird
6	NYLON SMILE	Waiting For Oblivion	Citrus City
7	LA BONTE	Don’t Let This Define Me	Self-Released
8	TOUCHY	“Secret Melody” b/w “Tout Petit La Planète” [Single]	Dangerbird
9	RUBBER BAND GUN	Cashes Out	Earth Libraries
10	PAPERCUTS	Baxter’s Bliss	Psychic Friends

Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 11/16

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date November 17, 2021

#	Artist	Album	Label
1	BLOODY KEEP	Bloody Horror [EP]	Grime Stone
2	ZETAR	Devouring Darkness	Spirit Coffin
3	ANDREW WK	God Is Partying	Napalm
4	ANNIHILUS	Follow a Song From the Sky	Federal Prisoner
5	MASTIFF	Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth	Entertainment One
6	BLACK WOUND	Unending Labyrinth	Dry Cough
7	MALIGNAMENT	Hypocrisis Absolution	Primitive Reaction
8	IXTLAHUAC	Teyacanilitztli Nahualli	Nuclear War Now!
9	DESTRUCTION	Live Attack	Napalm
10	PISTOLS AT DAWN	Nocturnal Youth	JFL

Weekly Charts

Afterhours 11/16

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date November 17, 2021

#	Artist	Album	Label
1	BICEP	Isles (Deluxe)	Ninja Tune
2	JULES	Delta Ajax [EP]	Happy Life
3	KEDR LIVANSKIY	Liminal Soul	2MR
4	BLUE HAWAII	Under 1 House [EP]	Arbutus
5	DREAMWEAVER	Cloud9	MagicCrafters
6	FJAAK	SYS03 [EP]	Self-Released
7	SHYGIRL	SIREN (Basement Jaxx Remixes) [EP]	Because
8	ROSS FROM FRIENDS	Tread	Brainfeeder
9	LOGIC1000	In The Sweetness Of You [EP]	Therapy/Because
10	MACHINEDRUM	Psyconia [EP]	Ninja Tune

Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 11/16

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date November 17, 2021

#	Artist	Album	Label
1	JPEGMAFIA	LP!	EQT
2	LAVA LA RUE	Butter-fly [EP]	Marathon
3	LITTLE SIMZ	Sometimes I Might Be Introvert	AGE 101
4	INJURY RESERVE	By The Time I Get To Phoenix	Self-Released
5	MCKINLEY DIXON	For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her	Spacebomb
6	GENESIS OWUSU	Smiling With No Teeth	House Anxiety/Ourness
7	EVIDENCE	Unlearning Vol. 1	Rhymesayers
8	ANUSHKA	Yemaya	Tru Thoughts
9	ZEBRA KATZ	Less Is Moor	ZFK
10	ILLISM	Family Over Everything	The CRWN

New Album Review

“a touch of the beat…” by Aly and AJ review

Post author By Caitlin
Post date November 16, 2021

ALBUM: “a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out into the sun” by Aly & AJ

RELEASE YEAR: 2021

LABEL: Aly & AJ Music

RATING: 9.5/10

BEST TRACKS: “Pretty Places” “Slow Dancing” “Personal Cathedrals” “Listen!!!”

FCC: Clean

“a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out into the sun” could not be a more apt title for this mellow pop comeback-album by Aly & AJ. With a long, Fiona Apple-esque title, songwriting assistance from Sky Ferreira, production by Yves Rothman and an 80s synthpop aura, the influences on this record are tangible but never redundant or gaudy. The upbeat tracks make you want to run through a meadow on a cool 70 degree day and the more melancholic tracks are more a warm hug than a pity party.

There were never “Oh my gosh this is so good I could cry” moments but I think that’s what makes this album special. There are no high-highs and thus there are no low-lows; it’s not mountains and valleys, it’s a steady force, an old reliable. It doesn’t feel bound in time either, it’s definitely an album I could revisit years from now and feel similarly about.

The lyricism has the vagueness that makes a pop album. However, I like the honesty that comes with specificity in lyrics, which is why I love folk music, and pop/indie music that leans folk. This album lacks some of that personality that I look for a record, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that the vagueness works against the quality of the album as a whole.

Released in May of 2021, this 12 track album clocks in at just over 47 minutes. If you’re in need of a pick-me-up as we’re on the cusp of winter and as the days get shorter, it is impossible to listen to “a touch of the beat…” without feeling at least an iota happier. As my dear friend, Deethony Jaythony says about his favorite feel-good albums, this LP is a “glimmer of happiness in an uncaring void.”

Be sure to listen to this album on Spotify, or wherever you choose to consume your music.

Happy listening,

Caitlin

Tags aly & aj, New Album Review, Pop, WKNC 88.1