Categories
Miscellaneous

CD Collection of a Recently Inherited Car

I recently was loaned/given a car by my family to bring to campus this semester since I’d be living driving distance away from campus. This car was previously owned by my sister, who inherited it from my dad, who had it after my mom. Essentially, everyone in my immediate family has owned this car before I have, thus meaning there’s random things that belong to everyone scattered around my car. Particularly, in the center console there are thirteen CDs that belong to individuals in my family. Let’s take a look at those CDs.

Albums

  • “River of Dreams” — Billy Joel (two copies)
  • “Whitney” — Whitney Houston
  • “Best Shots” — Pat Benatar
  • “21” — Adele
  • “Hell Freezes Over” — Eagles
  • “25” — Adele
  • “Daydream” — Mariah Carey

Best Of’s

  • “20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of ABBA” — ABBA
  • “The Essential Bruce Springsteen” — Bruce Springsteen
  • “Greatest Hits” — Elton John

Mixtapes

  • Tune Time 2013
    • One of my mom’s old coworkers would make mixtapes every year for the best/most popular songs of the year. 2013 included the likes of “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers, “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, and “Feel This Moment” by Christina Aguilera and Pitbull.
  • My Mom’s Favorite Songs
    • My dad used to love making mixtapes back when CDs were still culturally very relevant. This particular burned disc is 12 of my mom’s favorite songs including: “Last Dance” by Donna Summer, “Brandy” by Looking Glass, and “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.

So, clearly my family has taste (although I’m fairly certain most of these are my mom’s, they were enjoyed by all). Next time I drive I’ll pop in one of these at random and see what they have to offer. 

Until next time,

Caitlin

Categories
Playlists

A Playlist For The End of The Day

At the end of some days, all I want to do is invite my friend Josh over to talk and hang out while we listen to music. These evenings are some of my favorites: relaxing, pure, and full of laughter. The two of us made a very long playlist for these sort of get togethers, so I’ve decided to make a shorter version to share with you all. What’s better than decompressing musically with one of your best friends? Nothing. Check it out below:

  1. “Ur2yung” by Machinedrum
  2. “Spookie Coochie” by DOECHII
  3. “It’s Possible” by Piero Piccioni, Catherine Howe
  4. “Clementine” by Elliott Smith
  5. “Friday (Strip Club)” by SpaceGhostPurrp
  6. “Bobby James” by N.E.R.D
  7. “Beautiful” by Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, Uncle Charlie Wilson
  8. “Go2DaMoon” by Playboi Carti, Kanye West
  9. “Sour Times” by Portishead
  10. “Short Circuit” by Daft Punk
  11. “What More Can I Say” by The Notations
  12. “LA” by Boy Harsher

Click here to listen to the playlist on Spotify.

It’s an eclectic playlist to say the least, but that means there may be something for everyone. I hope you find what you didn’t even know you were looking for.

Here’s to good music and good friends,

Silya Bennai

Categories
Blog Miscellaneous Music Education

The Power of the Playlist

I’ve been doing some spring cleaning this October, and have been reorganizing the way I listen to my Apple Music library. And it hit me that the way I, and most people my age, organize songs into a genre or mood based playlist that we can carry around in our pockets would not have been possible 15 years ago. Playlists as not just a way of listening but as an art form are so ubiquitous now that they’re just a fact of life, a noun that we all use. Both Google search trends and mentions of the word in books actually peaked in the late 2000s to early 2010s, right around the time Spotify was really entering the public consciousness. So despite the fact that we’re using playlists more than ever, we think about the fact that we use them less, you just throw one together without considering what the alternative might be.

This massive trend has completely reshaped how the music industry presents itself to the listener, with a varying degree of subtlety. The biggest albums of the year now see a 20+ song tracklist as a bare minimum, with more songs meaning a guaranteed increase in streams regardless of the average quality of the record. Even with records that stay around my personal sweet spot of 10-15 songs, I find myself listening through once, seeing which songs really stand  out to me, and then extracting those to a playlist whose theme fits the music of that artist, something I explored as well in my review of latest album by TORRES.

This approach to listening to music has its pros and cons. For one, I don’t really get a chance to have an album and all of its quirks really grow on me unless it’s already an album I really liked being revisited and becoming an album I love. “Suck It And See” from Arctic Monkeys is an album that transcended the way I’ll often leave the album behind; it went from being a cover I would see when the few songs I had from it played off my Arctic Monkeys playlist to being one of my favorites of the last decade. But the reason I went back and got to connect with the album is because Arctic Monkeys have been my favorite artist since sophomore year of high school, and I can only imagine how many albums that, had I been willing to give them another chance, would have become an integral part of my memories the way my favorite albums have.

On the flip side, I find playlists make for a more consistent listening experience on a day to day basis, especially when I just want to get something done and music isn’t my main focus at the time. Very few albums have zero filler, but all those hours spent perfectly sculpting a playlist late at night pay off when you’re doing homework and don’t need to switch through five windows to find the music player to skip a mediocre track. Your personal playlist is ideally nothing but battle-tested songs that will always come through. There’s a level of artistry involved too; building smaller playlists and carefully choosing which songs make the cut lets me engage with music in a way I wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

Playlists have also become a way of discovering music that’s very interesting to think about. Discover Weekly on Spotify is a lot of people’s go to for finding new songs they would probably like, but all streaming services have pre-made playlists that fit specific moods to draw from as well. Finding new music has less of a barrier in front of it than ever before, a new song is no longer an individual financial investment, like buying a record or downloading an individual iTunes track. On the contrary, if you’re paying for Spotify Premium, you want to get the most out of your monthly subscription and listen to as much as possible.

Being able to look at a homepage of a streaming service and seeing an algorithmically curated “for you” section in some ways lets individual listeners have more power over how they listen to music, but in other ways little has changed from when record companies started to dominate the industry. Algorithmically generated is key here, platforms can get you listening to a lot of music in a very narrow breadth within a wider genre or subgenre without ever having to leave one’s auditory comfort zone. Also many of those genre playlists on Spotify have their slots bought and paid for by record companies to promote their new material anyways, making music discovery in some ways no more organic than in the past, just with a new coat of paint.

Pros and cons aside, playlists aren’t going anywhere. Spotify has more than 30 million new listeners worldwide since 2020 and it’s not alone in this wider industry trend. As someone who grew up in the streaming era, I’ve never known life without them and I’m always looking for the next song to really tie the whole playlist together. I just have to make sure I know why my listening habits are the way they are, and to never listen to an album on shuffle.

-Erie

Categories
Blog Miscellaneous Playlists

dj mozzie’s itchiest picks #1

Howdy y’all! Formerly known as museum maddie on the exhibition, I’ve done some rebranding after some soul searching and now bring to you dj mozzie and my itchiest picks! I’m not currently doing a set this semester but still wanted to share the music I love and hope you’ll love too. I’ve been trying to discover music that sits with me for a while, and I’ve put together the 12 songs that have made me feel warm and fuzzy as of late. I’ve been in sort of a transition period with my taste in music. During the exhibition, I was into more bedroom pop and indie rock. Fall usually reminds me of the stomp-and-holler-Mumford-and-Sons-or-The-Lumineers-type-music, but it feels a bit tired out for me.

I’ve put together a little fall playlist meant to be listened to during this time of transition, change, and (most importantly) Halloween. These songs are homely and buttery, perfect for the colder temperatures. Playlist #1 of many. Nothing says fall to me like classic rock. I started this playlist off with Season of the Witch by Donovan, which I played for a Halloween set when I was doing the exhibition. This song reminds me of warm apple cider and spices. I snuck in So Far Away by Carole King, which is definitely a personal favorite of mine. Carole’s voice is so unique, and this song matches the changing colors of the leaves. I leave you with dj mozzie’s itching picks!

  1. Season of the Witch by Donovan
  2. Flower Power by Greta Van Fleet
  3. Wish I Knew You by The Revivalists
  4. Elenore by The Turtles
  5. Witchy Woman by Eagles
  6. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult
  7. Spooky by Classics IV
  8. Love Potion No.9 by The Searchers
  9. Top Of The World by The Carpenters
  10. So Far Away by Carole King
  11. Who’ll Stop The Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival
  12. Tangerine by Led Zeppelin

<3 mozzie

Categories
Short Stories

Random Acts of Kindness: A One Direction Concert Gone Right

When I was a pre-teen, I, like millions of other people, was obsessed- and I don’t use that word lightly- with One Direction. I had posters and random branded merchandise (a toothbrush and toothpaste), I read fanfiction, the whole nine yards. My older sister was also very into them, and our obsessions fed off each other. From their first album all the way until their last, we were invested, although the sparkle did fade after some time.

By the time they were on their third tour titled “Where We Are Tour,” I had been wanting to go to one of their concerts for what felt like forever. As a Christmas gift, my parents got me and my sister lawn tickets at their Charlotte show at PNC Music Pavilion (then known as Verizon Wireless Amphitheater). We were ecstatic.

I had a soccer game earlier in the day, but after I came home and showered and got into my concert attire (a flannel, grey t-shirt, and jeans), I was ready to go. Upon arrival, my sister and I quickly realized that my soccer game had impeded us from getting there when doors opened, and that we’d be seated at the back of the lawn. 

My older sister and I at the Charlotte show of One Direction’s “Where We Are Tour” on September 28, 2014.

As disappointment crept up my throat, two middle aged women approached me and my sister, and told us that they had seated tickets that they were not going to use. At first skeptical, we further questioned them, and they explained that for some reason I no longer remember that they were leaving and no longer needed the seats. My sister, the older one, and thus in charge used her best judgement and decided that this was legit. We walked up to the guards scanning the seated tickets and they pointed us in the right direction: we were going to be astronomically closer than we had expected.

I don’t remember a single thing from that concert. The only fragment of a memory I have is that I cried during “What Makes You Beautiful.” Apparently, Harry Styles put on a banana costume. But what I will always remember is those two women making two teen girls’ dreams come true, and that for a while, it was the best night of my life.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I was a Niall girl.

Until next time,

Caitlin

Categories
New Album Review

New Album (EP) Review: “Red Hand Akimbo” by Paris Texas

ALBUM (EP): “Red Hand Akimbo” by Paris Texas

RELEASE YEAR: 2021

LABEL: Paris Texas LLC

RATING: 8.2/10

BEST TRACKS: “girls like drugs” and “BULLSEYE”

FCC: Explicit language

Paris Texas, the musical duo consisting of producer Louis Pastel and rapper Felix, brings a fullness and humor to alternative rap that’s proven exciting and inventive. The two met in community college in South Central, Los Angeles and have worked together officially as Paris Texas for over three years now, but their music tells a different story. “Red Hand Akimbo” is so tightly-crafted that you’d think these two had been working together for most of their lives. While their sound has remained consistently vibrant and interesting, “Red Hand Akimbo” sees Pastel and Felix pulling together a work far more cohesive than their previous project, “BOY ANONYMOUS.” Their new EP flows together seamlessly, even making use of comedic interludes that make me laugh a bit every time. The EP has only five tracks, but I still had trouble choosing my top two.

The second song on “Red Hand Akimbo” is pure fun. “girls like drugs” brings together rap and rock, layered with what reads as grunge inspiration (despite Paris Texas’ denial of any influence from the Seattle sound), which all makes for a unique and high-energy experience. If girls like drugs, then this track is the best medicine on the market.

“I’ve been smokin’ cigarettes until my lungs bleed,” is the moody and heavy opener that sets the tone for the fourth track of the EP just for it to be turned around with an Assassin’s Creed reference in the next line. “BULLSEYE” is angry, loud, funny, and passionate. I can imagine a crowd jumping around at a Paris Texas show, screaming these lyrics, and sweating a little too much. The vocal distortion in the chorus is King Krule-esque with just enough pop in the background to keep the energy up. The last forty seconds drop the vocals completely and showcase that specific brand of lo-fi hip-hop study beats that somehow just works in this song.

Overall, the project is criminally short, coming in at just under thirteen minutes, but I swear it’s worth every second. I can’t wait to see what the duo puts out next, and perhaps they say it best themselves on “Epilogue,” the spoken final track of the EP: “And the only path these two will follow is up, and if it is up, then it shall remain stuck.”

Here’s to getting stuck on good music,

Silya Bennai

Categories
Concert Review

Jooselord Live Album Recording Video Recap

On Oct. 8, 2021, Jooselord recorded a live album at The Pour House with members of his collective Krawz Bonez.

WARNING: Explicit Content, shot by Brandon Whippo

The show featured local rappers Buddahbby, Godrick, Austin Royale, Nunafterhours, 3AMSOUND and Jovi Mosconi, with Jooselord headlining the event. Our very own WKNC alumnus, the legendary Iron Mic, was the DJ for the show and kept things running very smoothly on the turntables throughout the night.

It was truly a unique experience with the addition of a live band to the latter half of the show. Not only that, but Joose had The Pour House record his performance and press it to a vinyl that will be available for purchase in the near future. This was another great collaboration of local artists showcasing the talent that the Triangle has to offer.

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Iona Fyfe Artist Profile

There are many ways to discover new artists, some better than others. While we can debate our favorite ways, I think I speak for everyone when I say the absolute worst way to discover a new artist is to find out they had to go public with #metoo allegations in response to career backlash. These headlines almost always override the artist’s music and work for exclusive focus on their victimization by the industry. In an effort to counteract that trend, here is an unusual artist I discovered through this less than ideal pipeline: Iona Fyfe.

The most immediately recognizable thing about Iona Fyfe is that she’s a Scottish artist who often sings in… well that’s kind of the confusing part. The language (or dialect of English depending on your feelings about the United Kingdom as a political entity) is called Scots, and it’s a surprisingly well preserved cousin of our tongue spoken in the rural south of Scotland, where the Celtic languages of the North mixed with Old English. It’s a strange thing to our American ears, where even the most divergent dialects of our country are still fully intelligible. In the slowest, syrupiest songs in Iona Fyfe’s catalogues, you might just think she has a strong accent. In faster folk songs like “Guise of Tough,” the language barrier is far more jarring. Fyfe’s language uses words and sounds that feel intuitive and gel with the musical/poetic vocabulary of the English tradition, but to our ears it’s mostly nonsense.

However, the effect of Scots is still artistically compelling to English speakers. Since we are steeped in the same musical and poetic traditions, and we share several roots, grammatical transformations, and entire words or sentences. The music still makes emotional sense, communicating everything important and not a lick more. Coming away from the songs, I found myself understanding what the music meant, but not what it was about, which makes for a fascinating if unmooring listening experience.

Then there’s Fyfe’s English language work, which is more accessible if less compelling. Her 2019 ep, “Dark Turn of Mind,” is entirely in English, and built around a cover of previous blog topic Gillian Welch. While the ep isn’t as good as her Scots language music, it represents something unique about Fyfe, that her music is conversation with the Southern American folk tradition. This connection is partly musical, Appalachian folk is built off the musical framework of Celtic and English folk, and partly ethnic. Since the 90s, many white southerners have begun tying their cultural identity to the Celtic tradition, rather than to the Anglo-Saxon or American Nationalistic traditions. Analyzing this cultural shift is beyond my pay grade, though it was a constant feature of my upbringing. The only place I’ve ever been outside North Carolina and the surrounding states is Scotland to visit my brother studying abroad. The label of “Scots-Irish” is a fraught identity, but it’s good nonetheless to see Fyfe reciprocating a more wholesome vision of white Southern identity from across the pond, especially by covering our music from our cannon.

I encourage you to check out the Iona Fyfe discography. If you aren’t a folk person, it will probably remain a minor curiosity to you, but it’s a gimmick that’s worth your time. I wish her the best on her post-Covid career, and hope to see her extend her relationship to American in the coming years, because God knows her nations relationship to Europe is strained right now

Categories
Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 10/19

#ArtistAlbumLabel
1ILLUMINATI HOTTIESLet Me Do One MoreSnack Shack Tracks/Hopeless
2LITTLE SIMZSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAGE 101
3SHYGIRLALIAS [EP]Because
4STRANDEDMidnight SunDouble Phantom
5LAVA LA RUEButter-fly [EP]Marathon
6FLYING LOTUSYasukeWarp
7INJURY RESERVEBy The Time I Get To PhoenixSelf-Released
8TYLER THE CREATORCALL ME IF YOU GET LOSTColumbia
9FILM SCHOOLWe Weren’t HereSonic Ritual
10JIMMY EDGARCheetah BendInnovative Leisure
11AMYL AND THE SNIFFERSComfort To MeATO
12EVIDENCEUnlearning Vol. 1Rhymesayers
13DEAFHEAVENInfinite GraniteSargent House
14HOVVDYTrue LoveGrand Jury
15NEAR BEERSleeping Is For SuckersSelf-Released
16TIACORINEThe Saga of 34CorineSouth Coast
17WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKSEnjoy The ViewBig Scary Monsters
18TOBIElements Vol. 1Same Plate/RCA
19DAWN RICHARDSecond LineMerge
20JAPANESE BREAKFASTJubileeDead Oceans/Secretly Group
21LALA LALAI Want The Door To OpenHardly Art
22MACHINEDRUMPsyconia [EP]Ninja Tune
23SPELLLINGThe Turning WheelSacred Bones
24GUSTAFAudio Drag For Ego SnobsRoyal Mountain
25ONE STEP CLOSERThis Place You KnowRun For Cover
26SNAIL MAIL“Valentine” [Single]Matador
27SPUD CANNONGood Kids Make Bad ApplesGood Eye
28LOWHEY WHATSub Pop
29INDIGO DE SOUZAAny Shape You TakeSaddle Creek
30GREENTEA PENGMan MadeEMI

Daytime Adds

#ArtistAlbumLabel
1GUSTAFAudio Drag For Ego SnobsRoyal Mountain
2HOVVDYTrue LoveGrand Jury
3PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTINGBright MagicPIAS
4IDLES“The Beachland Ballroom” [Single]Partisan
5BLACK COUNTRY NEW ROAD“Chaos Space Marine” [Single]Ninja Tune
6AUDIOBOOKSAstro ToughHeavenly/PIAS
7NYLON SMILE“Only You Know” [Single]Self-Released
8LALA LALAI Want The Door To OpenHardly Art
9WOMBOKeesh Mountain [EP]Fire Talk
10NEAR BEERSleeping Is For SuckersSelf-Released
Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 10/19

#ArtistAlbumLabel
1AMON TOBINHow Do You LiveNomark
2KEDR LIVANSKIYLiminal Soul2MR
3DUTCHIAN SOULLove Talk [EP]Salted
4ARCA“Born Yesterday” [Single]XL
5CORBUBad Trip Reports Vol. 1 (Original Soundtrack)Trash Casual
6MACHINEDRUMPsyconia [EP]Ninja Tune
7WAVESHAPERMainframeSelf-Released
8AURORA“Cure For Me” [Single]Glassnote
9SHYGIRLALIAS [EP]Because
10FJAAKSYS03 [EP]Self-Released