Category: Blog

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Blog

Ranking Songs From Animal Crossing New Horizons

Howdy y’all! I hope your first week of classes has gone well! In honor of the amount of Animal Crossing I played over break, I wanted to put together a ranking of some of the songs from the game.

I love finding new soundtracks to games or movies to study to as background noise, and quite a few of the songs from Animal Crossing have made it to my studying playlist.

Welcome Horizons

Coming in first is Welcome Horizons, which is the theme for New Horizons. Ultra relaxing. Makes you feel like you are laying on the beach soaking up the sun. Also makes me feel nostalgic and reminds me of the beginning of the pandemic. 

Aloha K.K.

This is what I have playing in the third floor room which I turned into my bedroom. The tropical-beachy feel makes it *perfect* for my beach themed bedroom. 

K.K. Ska

K.K. Ska is so much fun. Sounds like MarioKart music.

Stale Cupcakes

This is what I have playing in the main living room in my home! Despite the name, it is relaxing and very pleasant to have as you bumble around your house.

Visitor Arriving

I love this little tune! It plays when my brother comes to visit me on my island. Reminds me of playing ACNH together when we are both home. 

Chased by Wasps

I shake a lot of trees and encounter a lot of wasps. I’ve learned to love the little song that plays as they chase you around until you either catch them or get stung.

Museum (Bug, Fossil, Art, and Fish exhibits)

The museum is my favorite part of my entire island. Formerly known as museum maddie when I DJ-ed, I feel as if this is super self explanatory. With the new 2.0 updates, there are so many new critters to donate to the museum!

DoDo Airlines

Elevator-esque. 

K.K. Rock

Wishing that this was more of a classic rock situation. 

K.K. Swing

Has the potential to be nice, but makes me mildly uncomfortable.

K.K. Synth

I don’t really get it. I tried to, but it doesn’t reach the full potential of a song that is named “K.K. Synth” could have. 

K.K. Folk

Could be the background music of a horror movie. My least favorite of all of the tracks I have so far to play from at my house. 

Categories
Blog Concert Review

Concert Review: Machine Girl (1/8)

Machine Girl at Cat's Cradle
Machine Girl performing at Cat's Cradle on 1/8/22

In concerts, especially indoor ones, it’s pretty hard to make out what a singer is actually saying. The combination of overblown acoustics with the instruments that hit the exact registers as the vocals makes it so that, even in songs that rely heavily on songwriting, the live experience is mostly about the vibe. Studio versions of Mountain Goats songs that are restrained and contemplative roar to life when John Darnielle is ten feet away from you.

For Machine Girl, it’s all about the vibes, and the vibes are immaculate. The combination of live drummer Sean Kelly who sounded straight out of a metal show and frontman Matt Stephenson who continued that spontaneity with the controlled precision of someone whose set revolves around pounding electronic beats. Every strut, leap, and individual howl was scripted spontaneity, a balancing act that’s very hard to achieve and intoxicating when done right. A guitar came out and immediately fit right into the soundscapes being sculpted, and the ending where Stephenson leapt onto a speaker set high above the crowd felt so right, the perfect way to cap off a wild night.

As the show went off the chain, the energy of the crowd rose to the occasion. The pit was wild; during the most hype moments everyone just started sprinting in circles like a running of the bulls. The absolute climax of the show involved someone climbing into the rafters and later being told over the PA system that they could have broken $20,000 worth of equipment, which sums up the vibe at the time better than I ever could.

The opening acts fit this manic metaltronic energy to a tee. I arrived part way through No Parking’s set, a bouncy house set with a healthy amount of screaming. While it was early on and people weren’t as hyped, the fun beats and especially the engaging stage presence kept everyone swaying and anticipating what was to come. And my favorite part of the show might have actually been the second act, Austin’s Johnnascus. Their first song involved walking onstage with bandages on their head and slowly peeling them off, and this hard-hitting dial-to-11 brand of trap was one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve had at a concert. Towards the end of the set I found myself thinking “how is Machine Girl going to top this?”, and I don’t think they did, instead taking a different approach that ended up being just as satisfying.

-Erie

Categories
Playlists

Four Songs for the New Year

Black background with gold fireworks. Text on bottom of the image reads in yellow, glowing cursive "new year blank slate"

It’s 2022. Did you know? 

The passage of time has been difficult to process, especially during the pandemic. At the end of last year I found myself desperate for a blank slate, wanting to escape everything that the last two years have had to offer. Unfortunately, we live on Earth, where magic doesn’t exist, so that isn’t possible. But what is possible, is using music to process your emotions. Here are four songs that have helped me process we’re in another brand new year with the same old problems. I recommend listening to these in order for the full effect.

“I Want You To Love Me” by Fiona Apple

This may seem like an odd choice, but the lyrics are perfect for a new year during the pandemic. The desperation for love feels like a desperation for peace, calm and acceptance. The love Apple craves in this song is the peace I crave in my life. 

“And I know when I go / All my particles disband and disperse / And I’ll be back in the pulse / And I know none of this’ll matter / In the long run / But I know a sound is still a sound / Around no one” 

“This Year” by The Mountain Goats

This is a more obvious choice, and has been my anthem for the last couple of years. John Darnielle’s desperation to push through feels accurate and apt for what we are going through, despite having been released in 2005. 

“I am gonna make it through this year, if it kills me”

“New Year” by ADDIE

A more obscure pick, but probably the most apt. The first verse sums it up perfectly. ADDIE’s vocals are the soothing calm you need to make you feel like everything is going to be okay.

“New year and everything’s the same / Maybe I just don’t have the capacity for change / New year and I’m still feeling stuck / New year is bringing back the ache of growing up”

“New Year’s Day” by Taylor Swift

This track is a more optimistic view of a New Year, and is especially fitting if you have a significant other you’re going into this year with. It’s more a love song than anything else, but still feels right for the new year.

“Hold onto the memories they will hold onto you”

If you want to listen to these songs in order like I recommended, I made a Spotify playlist just for you.

Happy (Belated) New Year,

Caitlin

Categories
Blog Music News and Interviews

Track Review: “Menace” by Rezz

"Menace" by Rezz
"Menace" by Rezz promotional cover

The context that a song is first heard in, where the melody imprints itself on your brain, is critical to what the listener takes away from it. YouTuber Nathan Zed has an excellent video on this, and I’ve definitely noticed this effect when revisiting songs I would listen to a lot at a specific point in time. “White Roses” by Charli XCX will teleport me back to my freshman year dorm with its blend of introspection adventure, and songs I don’t even really listen to can be fun just by how they work in the context you heard them. “My Wife & 2 Dogs” by Quinn XCII isn’t a song I particularly enjoy but what I did enjoy was the trip to the lake with my friends when I first heard it and it’s a fun, bouncy pop song, perfect for that experience.

“Menace”, a bonus track off Rezz’s excellent album “Spiral” that was dropped several months after its release date, needs the right context to really be appreciated. I follow Rezz on Instagram and her feed is filled with pictures of her strobe-filled arena performances, and I don’t see this hitting as hard as some of her other songs in that context. There’s no specific part I can point to as “the one”, a perfect hook that meets the crowd’s energy at its summit with a catchy riff or a resounding stomp. The drop doesn’t really distinguish itself from the rest of the song, it adds a kick on every beat but it doesn’t do a lot to really heighten the intensity.

But if you’re not at an arena or a club, but rather trying to grind out a paper at some outrageously late hour, definitely give this a shot for your study playlist. The metronomic synths and squelchy soundscapes are both fun and invigorating, a steady march that makes you want to be productive. It’s not just good for study playlists either, there’s a subtle 80s influence in the bridge that toes the line of cheesy power ballads but stays true to its dubstep roots. 

This is all to say that I can’t recommend “Menace” for every situation. It’s not the perfect club banger or if you’re looking for something with a strong hook. But if you like a danceable slow burn or something to vibe to alone, well have I got a song for you.

-Erie

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Best of Phoebe Bridgers (Deep Cuts)

Phoebe bridgers with a purple background, performing, with a guitar in hand and smiling.
Photo originally by David Lee (davidjlee on Flickr), used under the Creative Commons license.

My very first blog for WKNC was about the very best of Phoebe Bridgers, in which I included my then-favorite pieces of her work. However, since the creation of that post I’ve delved deeper into the Phoebe-verse, she’s come out with new music and I’ve become a better writer. So without further ado, I’m going to declare what’s worth listening to outside of “Motion Sickness” and her other larger hits. 

“Georgia” Daft Star Live Performance

Everything about this performance is perfect to me. Her vocals, the guitar, and of course the haunting lyrics of “Georgia.” This performance is from 2014, before her footing in the music industry had been fully secured, (the studio version of this song didn’t come out until 2015) and that’s why I think I love it so much. It’s raw– you can tell it’s coming straight from her soul and one nearly never gets to hear Bridgers belt the way she does here. I love her whisper-singing as well, but this performance has wedged a permanent place in my heart. The belting of “If I fix you / Will you hate me?” is one of my favorite moments in music ever. Bridgers knocked this performance out of the park and it’s by far my favorite thing she’s ever done. 

“Waiting Room” from “Lost Ark Studio Compilation, Vol. 8”

Speaking of Bridgers’ raw emotional moments early in her career, let’s talk about “Waiting Room.” She wrote this song when she was 16, and has since expressed embarrassment by just how genuine this song is, saying: “it’s super sincere, and I meant everything. But it’s so emotionally raw, and I’m… pining for someone. And I think the fact that I’m complaining so much in the song is, especially in retrospect, like, dude, you’re fine.” Personally, I love it, teenage angst and pining is rarely packaged so beautifully. I love it when Bridgers’ vocals shine as they do in the bridge. In the bridge, she laments repeatedly, surrendering the fight to love this person, “know it’s for the better.” Bridgers repeats this phrase 36 times in a row. If you believe in the idea of “right person, wrong time,” listen to this song. It’ll tear your heart in two.

“Dylan Thomas” from “Better Oblivion Community Center”

If you haven’t caught on by now, I love it when Bridgers branches out of her niche. This song is from a collaboration album with Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes), titled “Better Oblivion Community Center.” It’s an indie rock track that’s fun despite its grim lyrics and certainly worth the listen even if you’re not a fan of Bridgers’ normal stuff. There’s a lyric in one of the final verses that references Phoebe’s ghost artwork (done by Angela Deane) that has stayed fairly consistent throughout her career: “They say you’ve gotta fake it / At least until you make it / That ghost is just a kid in a sheet.” Bridgers and Oberst are a magical duo, and this song is tangible proof of that. 

“Me & My Dog” from “boygenius”

boygenius is a trio that consists of Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker and of course, Phoebe Bridgers. This track displays the best of all three of them, and is impeccable lyrically. My favorite two lyrics are: “I had a fever / Until I met you / Now you make me cool” and “I wanna be emaciated / I wanna hear one song without thinking of you.” Between the harmonies, the song’s relatively short length and again, the beautiful lyricism, this is a deep cut you won’t regret listening to. 

Other honorable mentions include: “That Funny Feeling,” “7 O’Clock News / Silent Night” and “Steamroller.” If you haven’t already read my original “Best of Phoebe Bridgers” blog, check it out, you may discover something new or find a new appreciation for her work.

Until next time,

Caitlin

Categories
Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 1/18

Narrow Head
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1NARROW HEADSatisfactionRun For Cover
2PARQUET COURTSSympathy For LifeRough Trade
3CIVICFuture ForecastFlightless
4BLACK MARBLEFast IdolSacred Bones
5LAND OF TALKCalming Night Partner [EP]Saddle Creek
6JPEGMAFIALP!EQT
7TYLER THE CREATORCALL ME IF YOU GET LOSTColumbia
8BUTCHER BROWNEncore [EP]Concord Jazz
9LAVA LA RUEButter-fly [EP]Marathon
10LIILYTV Or Not TVFlush
11MARKEE STEELEVet & A Rook [EP]Thee Marquee
12EVIDENCEUnlearning Vol. 1Rhymesayers
13LITTLE SIMZSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAGE 101
14MCKINLEY DIXONFor My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like HerSpacebomb
15NATION OF LANGUAGEA Way ForwardPlay It Again Sam
16ZEBRA KATZLess Is MoorZFK
173AMSOUNDIt Gets Dark SometimesSelf-Released
18CAKES DA KILLA, PROPER VILLAINSMuvaland Vol. 2 [EP]Warner
19HIATUS KAIYOTEMood ValiantBrainfeeder/Ninja Tune
20ILLISMFamily Over EverythingThe CRWN
21NATIVESON 91Come Back DownInner Tribe
22PLANET GIZADon’t Throw Rocks At The Moon [EP]Self-Released
23SEEYOUSOONHZLIKEHELLSelf-Released
24SHYGIRL“Cleo” [Single]Because
25SPRINTS“Swimming” [Single]Nice Swan
26ST PANTHERThese Days [EP]Nice Life/How So
27TOM MISCH AND YUSSEF DAYESWhat Kinda MusicBlue Note
28WESLEY JOSEPHUltramarineEEVILTWINN/Transgressive
29BROCKHAMPTONROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINEQuestion Everything/RCA
30FREDDIE GIBBS AND MADLIBBandanaKeep Cool/RCA

Daytime Adds

#ArtistAlbumLabel
1SEEYOUSOONHZLIKEHELLSelf-Released
2VTSS“For Your Saftey” [Single]Technicolour
3FREDDIE GIBBS“Black Illuminati (feat. Jadakiss)” [Single]ESGN
4BLOODY KEEPs/tGrime Stone
5TAI MYSTIQUE“Toxic” [Single]M&I
6AUNT VICKILove In The DarkSelf-Released
7DIRTY ART CLUBFuture-Zine [EP]Self-Released
8TODD W EMMMERTYet Another Intrusive Parallel RealitySelf-Released
Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 1/19

machinedrum
#ArtistAlbumLabel
1MACHINEDRUMPsyconia [EP]Ninja Tune
2CFCFMemorylandSelf-Released
3FJAAKSYS03 [EP]Self-Released
4JULESDelta Ajax [EP]Happy Life
5JURALOVE“Pepa” [Single]Noire & Blanche
6PIXEL GRIPArenaFeeltrip
7SOFIA KOURTESISFresia Magdalena [EP]Technicolour
8LSDXOXODedicated 2 Disrespect [EP]XL
9AMON TOBINHow Do You LiveNomark
10NEGGY GEMMY“Utopia” [Single]100% Electronica
Categories
Blog Playlists

Artists To Watch In 2022

Lots of artists make incredible music while still flying under the radar. Some artists are well known in the underground/indie scene but haven’t found their way to commercial or mainstream success, at least not yet. Here are some of my favorite artists that I think exhibit enough potential to blow up this year.

Remi Wolf

A graduate of Thorton School of Music and a former contestant of American Idol, Wolf has nothing to prove with regards to her talent. I’ve been listening to her since the Fall of 2019, mere months after she started releasing music, and I immediately fell in love with her unique voice and her catchy songwriting. She manages to have such a carefree, youthful sound while making music that is very detailed and carefully thought out. I’ve been watching Remi Wolf grow more and more popular over the past few years, and would not be surprised if she becomes a mainstream act this year. 

Recommended tracks: “Sexy Villain,” “Liquor Store,” “Shawty,” “Quiet On Set,” “Photo ID”

Mike Dimes

When I first found the Texas rapper on a Spotify playlist, he had around 400,000 monthly listeners. At the time of writing this, he has 2,454,279 monthly listeners, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks 5,000,000 by the end of this year. He’s released various singles over the past year following his 2021 debut album, “DLOG,” and each single has been fantastic.

Dimes’ music mostly consists of bangers begging to be played at a party, but he’s also a gifted songwriter, showing lots of versatility with his clever lyrics. At only 21 years old, Mike Dimes shows lots of talent, and I’m anxiously waiting to see what he does in 2022.

Recommended tracks: “NO TRENDS,” “WISS,” “BACKROOM,” “MY STORY (DLOG)”

seeyousoon

This eight-member Florida hip-hop collective is the definition of an underrated gem. If I had to describe their sound, it’s a mix of Brockhampton, Tyler, The Creator, KAYTRANADA, and JPEGMAFIA. seeyousoon is a band with a dynamic and exciting sound that doesn’t let themselves be confined to the rules and expectations of hip-hop. And even though they take opportunities to experiment with their music, they still stay true to their sound, and they don’t let their experimentation take away from the quality of their music.

Seeing a rule-breaking yet accessible act always excites me, and I’m confident that seeyousoon has more incredible music up their sleeves. Hopefully, we get another album in 2022, but either way, I’m excited to see them grow and progress as a band.

Recommended tracks: “BEN AFFLECK,” “FIX YOUR FACE,” “STEAMY,” “MAGIC,”

Below is a Spotify Playlist where you can check out all of these artists.

Categories
Blog Miscellaneous

2022 Predictions: Music Edition

"BOY ANONYMOUS" by Paris Texas Album Cover

I am not necessarily qualified to give music predictions, but as a WKNC employee, I can pretend that I am. Therefore, listed below are my top music predictions heading into the rest of 2022. 

I predict that…

  • Rap/Hip-Hop songs will play a bigger role in general music charts.
  • A$AP Rocky and Rihanna will put out a single together.
  • Electronic music will begin its take over of traditionally indie local DIY scenes.
  • Grunge music will make an even bigger return.
  • Paris Texas will blow up.
  • Tik-Tok will continue to dictate music trends.
  • Ski Mask the Slump God will put out an incredibly divisive mix. 
  • We will see the rise of more female rappers. 
  • Boy Harsher will continue to move back their tour dates until the eventually cancel them all.*

*This one is not really a prediction but perhaps a personal expression of sadness.

I look forward to seeing how accurate (or inaccurate) this list may become in 2022.

Here’s to making semi-educated guesses,

Silya Bennai

Categories
Blog Miscellaneous Playlists

Spotify Wrapped 2021 Reflection

"Injury Reserve" by Injury Reserve Album Cover

I understand that some people only cared about Spotify Wrapped 2021 the day (and maybe day after) it dropped. That being said, I still care. Elliott Smith was my top artist but sixty-four of my Top 100 Songs on Spotify were rap. As the Assistant Underground Music Director, this makes sense. Which rap songs you may ask? I’m not going to list all of them, but here are some favorites:

  1. “Baby I’m Bleeding” by JPEGMAFIA
  2. “New Slaves” by Kanye West
  3. “Just How It Is”  by Young Thug
  4. “girls like drugs” by Paris Texas
  5. “EAST” by Earl Sweatshirt
  6. “Ghost (In the Shell)” by MAVI
  7. “Throw Dem Gunz” by Lil Ugly Mane
  8. “Campbell” by redveil
  9. “Primma Donna” by Vince Staples (feat. A$AP Rocky)
  10. “Please Forgive” by Powers Pleasant (feat. Denzel Curry, IDK, Zombie Juice & Zillakami)
  11. “Jailbreak the Tesla” Injury Reserve (feat. Aminé)

Here’s to rap music being the most transformative and flexible genre,


Silya Bennai