Category: Blog

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Miscellaneous

Best Rom-Coms for February

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and you know what that means! It’s time to buy a box of chocolates, get comfy in bed, and shamelessly watch romantic comedies until your stomach hurts. Whether you’re doing it alone, with a special someone, or with a whole group of friends, here’s ten of my all-time favorite rom-com’s to get you through V-Day!

1. Bridget Jones’s Diary

Number one on the list is always and forever going to be “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” This movie never fails to make me laugh, especially since Bridget and I share so many of the same qualities. Loosely based off of “Pride and Prejudice,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary” follows a clumsy “spinster” as she stumbles through boyfriends. It’s also a great Christmas movie too!

2. The Photograph

LaKeith Stanfield and Issa Rae are fantastic in “The Photograph.” After Mae finds a photograph from her estranged mother’s life following her death, she falls for a journalist, Michael, who is investigating it. It’s deeply heartfelt and is a must-watch for Valentine’s Day.

3. 10 Things I Hate About You

This movie is a cinematic masterpiece and an absolute classic. Similar to “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” the plot roughly follows Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) pays borderline-criminal Patrick (Heath Ledger) to date abrasive, terrifying Kat Stratford so he can go out with her sister, Bianca. This movie is filled with lots of drama, bad jokes, and the best Y2K wardrobe.

4. Always Be My Maybe

“Always Be My Maybe” is one of those delicious Netflix Originals that you just can’t stay away from. Ali Wong plays Sasha Tran, a successful restaurant owner who moves back to San Francisco and reconnects with her childhood best friend, Marcus Kim (Randall Park). Even though she’s engaged, her feelings for Marcus still linger.

5. The Big Sick

Based on actual events, comedian Kumail Nanjiani tells the story of how he met his wife, Emily, and how their relationship was upended by Kumail’s parents and a mysterious illness that puts Emily in a coma. Though the plotline sounds a bit on the serious side, it’s ridiculously funny and definitely worth a watch.

6. The Princess Bride

“The Princess Bride” was one of my favorites growing up. Just like the kid from the beginning, it was my go-to sick day movie. This epic follows Buttercup and Westley on their journey to be together amidst evil kings, pirates, giants, and Rats of Unusual Sizes.

7. How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days

This movie is guaranteed to give you some laughs. Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) is a writer for a women’s beauty magazine, unfulfilled with her shallow work. In order to get a promotion, she comes up with an article about “what not to do when dating.” To have content to write about, she starts “dating” Benjamin Barry and intentionally acts completely insane.

8. Love, Simon

“Love, Simon” is more of a tearjerker than a comedy, but it’s so good I just had to include it. Sure, it might be a little cheesy, but you can’t help being touched by Simon’s story. As he’s trying to find the anonymous online boy he’s crushin’ on, Simon finds himself being blackmailed by someone at school who threatens to out him.

9. Twilight

Last but not least, I present to you the best movie ever made, the first “Twilight.” It’s so bad that it’s objectively good. While it’s meant to be a drama, you know that if you’ve seen “Twilight” it leans much more towards comedy. Always worth re-watching if you’re feeling lonely or sad on Valentine’s Day.

– DJ Butter

Categories
Playlists

Friday Favorites

Written By Miranda

Road Of The Lonely Ones – Madlib

Madlib is known for his production work on major albums with MF DOOM, Freddie Gibbs, and more. His newest project with fellow producer Four Set, “Sound Ancestors,” just released and so far this is my favorite track from the new album.

2hrs – Tobi Lou

This phenomenal and emotional single from Tobi Lou encapsulates a lot of the loneliness, frustration, and exhaustion we can all relate to.

MLK Dr – Smino

A gorgeous, colorful music video pairs so well with this smooth new track from Smino in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Good Vibes (Za) – Wale

A groovy track perfect to relax you or get you dancing, with realness in the lyrics that adds a great depth.

Pomegranate – Kota the Friend

My favorite track from Kota the Friend’s newest release, “Lyrics to GO, Vol. 2.” A simple and short song with beautiful vocals and visual descriptions.

To listen to this week’s Friday Favorites and every song from the past weeks, check out my playlist on WKNC’s Spotify.

Categories
New Album Review

Gatecreeper – An Unexpected Reality (2021)

Gatecreeper An Unexpected Reality

Gatecreeper is a Death Metal band out of Arizona that quickly became one of my favorites. They formed in 2013, so they have done a lot of work in a relatively short amount of time. I would categorize the band as Death/Doom Metal, for the most part, with hook-riffs and some vocal components of Grindcore/Hardcore.  

They are signed with Relapse Records, on which they’ve released two full length records: Sonoran Depravation(2016) and Deserted (2019). This year (2021) they surprised us with an EP release, An Unexpected Reality, on Closed Casket Activities. 

Gatecreeper is:

Chase “Hellahammer” Mason – vocals

Eric “The Dark Cowboy” Wagner – guitars 

Sean “Hell Mammoth” Mears – bass

Matt “Thunder Rage” Arrebollo – drums

Israel Garza – guitars 

An Unexpected Reality is a banger, where the first seven songs are heavily influenced by the Grindcore and Hardcore genres, connected together by feedback, to seem as though they’re one song; and the last song, “Emptiness,” stands alone, completely different from the first, in a dark, doomy Death Metal posture. The first seven are 6:45 in length, combined; while, the last song is 11:06 on its own. This record is full of great riffs and powerful vocals, regardless of the style of any song. I love it!

Tracks:

Starved – 1:03

Sick of Being Sober – :58

Rusted Gold – :56

Imposter Syndrome – 1:07

Amputation – :31

Depraved Not Deprived – 1:11

Superspreader – :59

Emptiness – 11:06 

Favorite Songs: The first seven, and Emptiness! LOL  

Rating: 9/10!! 

Categories
Playlists

2020: The Music That Connected Us in a Disconnected World

2020 was a year of pure isolation, distress, and chaos. Throughout this year of disconnect, we all remained connected through the power of music. Here are my top ten songs from this year!

10. Obsession by The Cairos: Let’s just say that I played this song on repeat during a three hour long road trip. Am I proud? Absolutely. For me, this song has two moods. Either break something or scream the words in a dark basement with five of my closest friends. 

9. The Zone . Leave Me Alone by Lorine Chia, J. Kelr: I play this song and immediately I am on a rollercoaster of emotions. When it begins, I feel like I am in a neon lite club. Then, I am on a hammock on a beach! All I have to say is three minutes and fifteen seconds. You will thank me later. 

8. Pools by Glass Animals: This song, along with any Glass Animals song, will always and forever be my favorite. Every single member of this group was definitely an alien in their past-life. I had the honor of seeing this group (pre COVID-19) at Okeechobee Music Festival. To sum it up, the best experience of my entire life. This song has many different interpretations on its meaning, so let me know what you think it’s about! 

7. We Left (Night Version) by RÜFÜS DU SOL: Sound and color. These magicians use the inspiration of our beautiful world and translate it into mesmerizing sounds. I plan on doing an entire blog post surrounding RÜFÜS DU SOL, so definitely check them out! Fun fact: This is one of the first songs they ever created as a group!

6. Intrinsic by Odd Mob: If I were traveling through hyperspace, this song would be blasting in my space craft. Words to describe this masterpiece: weird, alluring, and memorable. This song is a rollercoaster that only goes up. Definitely give it a listen!

5. Another Sky – The Magician Remix by Scenic, The Magician: This song makes me feel like I am in the opening scene of a movie. Specifically, in a 1961 Lincoln Continental driving down a highway at 3:30 in the morning. Very cliche of me. I know. Can’t complain though, because it is true. 

4. Because You Move Me by Tinkler, Helsloot: If you are looking for the perfect bop your head and wiggle your toes beat, this is the one for you! Randomly play this song in front of your friends and every single one of them will be moving some part of their body. Tinkler is always one step ahead of the electronic music game. He combines various sounds and genres to create a “sound-driven journey”. 

3. Bunny by Tourist: Beautiful. Majestic. Unique. Lush. Emotional. All words and feelings that consume my soul while listening to this song. All I can say about this song is sparkles, sunlight, and serenity. 

2. Never Cage a Butterfly by tiedye ky: This song was released a few months ago in tiedye ky’s game changing album called “Baby Blue and the Super Moon”. This entire collection was such a dominating contribution to the 2020 evolution of electronic music. This song mixes the use of live instruments (specifically electric guitar) and synthesizers in unbelievable ways. If you are trying to get ahead of the electronic music scene, I highly recommend listening to this entire album! 

1. 2nd Street by Kaskade: I personally believe that Kaskade is one of the most innovative house artists of our time. With him being one of my favorite artists that I saw at Okeechobee Music Festival 2020, I decided to learn more about him, his music, and vision for the music scene. I also plan on doing a blog specifically for him so be on the lookout for it! In the meantime, enjoy this journey that this song puts your through. 

-Caitlin

Categories
Miscellaneous

The Saw’s Butcher Shop – Vinyl Edition

One of my favorite things in this world is my record player. It is a 1992 cassette, CD, and record player and it gives me those ‘90s and grunge vibes that I love, oh, so much. After reading DJ Butter and DJ Mango’s posts about their vinyl collection, I decided to hop onto the trend. 

I just went through all of my vinyls because I got an app called Discogs that lets you upload your vinyls and create a library. You can also add vinyls, CDs, and cassettes to a “Want list” and so I will be notified if/when there are some for sale. Discogs is also an online store so you can buy and sell your albums. I updated my library with this app and I listed out some of my favorite vinyls from my collection to share with my Butcher Crew! 

Tash Sultana – Flow State 

You already know how much I love this album, it’s one of my all-time favorites. I told myself that when I got a record player, that one of my first purchases would be this album on vinyl. I listen to it almost every day. 

Obituary – Inked in Blood 

I love me some groovy death metal and Obituary are the kings of groovy death metal. This vinyl is very special to me, not only because it’s one of my favorite albums and the cover is wicked, but because it is signed by all the band members! What a flex! 

Cattle Decapitation – Death Atlas

I was really excited when I found this gem at Sorry State Records in downtown Raleigh. These guys are badass and Death Atlas is such a masterpiece. It was one of my favorite albums of 2019! This album is an essential piece for my collection and I am happy that I found it. 

Death – Leprosy

This was the first vinyl I bought. I got it before I even had a record player because Death is such an influential band that I would have been a fool to not buy it. I hardly see Death records, so to see one of my favorite albums for sale, on vinyl, and in perfect condition, I had to secure the bag. 

Kiss – Alive II 

I have every Kiss record (that they made with their makeup on) on vinyl and they were all released on Casablanca (which is rare to see since Kiss records from them are not seen often). Alive II is my favorite because it’s a double record, it has pictures of the live stage and the individual members. 

Celtic Frost – To Mega Theron

I like some black metal, and Celtic Frost is one of the OG’s. They are so awesome and this is one of my favorite Celtic Frost albums and it is a classic black metal record. The artwork on the inside cover is awesome, too! 

Iron Maiden – Live After Death

One of my favorite Iron Maiden albums and my favorite Iron Maiden cover! This cover is so cool, I have it on a shirt. This album has my favorite song, “Hallow Be Thy Name” and to hear it on vinyl gives me chills. It is literally their best live record. 

Boundaries – Your Receding Warmth 

I literally just bought this vinyl and I cannot wait for it to get in because it is one of my favorite albums currently. I want to try and get all of my favorite albums on vinyl and I am so happy I get to add this to my collection. 

Honorable Mentions:

  • AC/DC – Back in Black 
  • Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath 
  • Fleetwood Mac – Rumours 
  • Grim Reaper – See You In Hell 
  • Jimi Hendrix – The Essential Jimi Hendrix
  • Led Zeppelin – IV 
  • Michael Jackson – Thriller 
  • Prince – 1999
  • Quiet Riot – Condition Critical 
  • Rush – Exit… Stage Left 
  • Van Halen – 1984 
  • Saturday Night Fever (The Original Movie Sound Track) 

What are some of your favorite vinyls from your collection? 

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW  

Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 2/2/21

ArtistRecordLabel
1GATECREEPERAn Unexpected RealityClosed Casket Activities
2INGESTED Stinking Cesspool of Liquified Human Remnants (2020 Remaster) [EP]Unique Leader 
3THY ART IS MURDER“Killing Season” [Single]Nuclear Blast
4MALODOROUS “Gestation of Iniquity” [Single]Self-Released
5WAGE WAR“Surrounded” [Single]Fearless
6THERIONLeviathanNuclear Blast
7ASPHYXNecrocerosCentury Media
8TERRORSink to The Hell [EP]Good Fight
9WITHIN THE RUINSBlack HearteOne
10KILLER BE KILLEDReluctant HeroNuclear Blast
Categories
Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 2/2/21

NANCY
ArtistRecordLabel
1NANCYThe Seven Foot Tall Post-Suicidal Feel Good BluesB3SCI
2SHAMEDrunk Tank PinkDead Oceans
3JORDANASomething To Say To YouGrand Jury
4VIAGRA BOYSWelfare JazzYear0001
5LANDSHAPESContactBella Union/PIAS
6BLU AND EXILEMilesDirty Science
7BUTCHER BROWN#KingButchConcord Jazz
8CASHINOVABig DragonStophouse
9JOESEFDoes It Make You Feel Good [EP]AWAL
10PINK SIIFU AND FLY ANAKINFlySiifu’sLex
11TOBIElements Vol. 1Same Plate/RCA
12ZEBRA KATZLESS IS MOORSelf-Released
13BABE CLUBRemember This Feeling [EP]Self-Released
14CHERRY GLAZERR“Rabbit Hole” [Single]Secretly Canadian
15DEZRON DOUGLAS AND BRANDEE YOUNGERForce MajeureInternational Anthem
16FAT TONYExoticaCarpark
17FREDDIE GIBBS AND MADLIBBandana BeatsKeep Cool/RCA
18KARI FAUXLowkey SuperstarChange Minds
19PRINCESS NOKIAEverything Is Beautiful/Everything SucksSelf-Released
20SHYGIRLALIAS [EP]Because
21ST PANTHERThese Days [EP]Nice Life
22JESSIE WAREWhat’s Your Pleasure?Virgin EMI
23PLANET 1999DevotionPIAS
24TIGERS JAWI Won’t Care How You Remember Me [Advance Tracks]Hopeless
25SIMPS, THE“On Fye” [Single]Lex
26STEVE LACYN Side3qtr
27FELIXX“My Baby” [Single]Loud N Klear
28DON TOLIVERAfter PartyWMG Atlantic
29PARK HYE JINHow Can I [EP]Ninja Tune
30RICO NASTYNightmare Vacation [Advance Tracks]Sugar Trap

TOP ADDS

ArtistRecordLabel
1GOAT GIRLOn All FoursRough Trade/Beggars
2ARLO PARKSCollapsed In SunbeamsTransgressive/PIAS
3XIU XIU“A Bottle of Rum” [Single]Polyvinyl
4RHYEHomeLoma Vista
5PONYTV Baby [Advance Tracks]Take This To Heart
6TUNE-YARDS“hold yourself.” [Single]4AD/Beggars Group
7BILL JR JRHomebodyBush League
8JULIANA HATFIELD“Mouthful Of Blood” [Single]American Laundromat
9OBSESSIVES, THE“Lala” [Single]Memory
10SQUID“Narrator” [Single]Warp
Categories
Playlists

Best Spotify Playlists: Rock Edition

Though I’m an Apple Music user (my dad has a family plan, don’t just me), I still turn to Spotify for discovering new music. Not only are their curated playlists fantastic, but there’s also a strong contingency of users who make their own amazing public playlists. This is how I find music to play on WKNC! Here’s a list of my favorites:

1. Discover Weekly – Spotify

Discover Weekly is one of the best resources Spotify has to offer. Everyone’s is different based on the music they’ve been liking and listening to, so it’s a great way to find new music that sounds similar to the stuff you’ve been into. The only downside is that it’s hard to diversify your taste if you solely rely on Discover Weekly.

2. Psychedelic Rock – Spotify

If you’re looking to time travel a bit I would highly recommend this curated playlist from Spotify. This is a great playlist for anyone into early psychedelia. It includes classic psychedelic tracks from some of the best, such as The Who, Cream, and The Doors.

3. Beach Goth / Surf Rock – Martin Gutierrez Buitrago

If you’re looking for more of a surfy vibe, this playlist made by a Spotify user is the place to go. It’s heavy with songs from modern surf bands such as The Growlers, Allah-Las, and Babe Rainbow. Older groups are featured too, like Buffalo Springfield and The Yardbirds.

4. 60s & 70s Classic Rock Radio – awaterslideaway

This is another great playlist if you’re searching for a vintage sound. At a whopping 89 hours and 19 minutes long, you will never run out of fresh music with this playlist. It has pretty much every artist you can think of from the 60s and 70s, including hits and deep cuts.

5. Modern Psychedelia – Spotify

I was first drawn to this playlist by its cover, which has a picture of Khruangbin on it, but what I found inside what so much more. This playlist has tons of underground artists as well as popular ones, like Tame Impala, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, and Orions Belte.

6. surf rock instrumentals – Anthony Cianci

I cannot tell you how much I love this playlist. Though a lot of it is actually not instrumental, it has a very 50s pop vibe that’s irresistible. This playlist has led me to discover artists like The Ventures, The Lively Ones, and Santana.

7. Classic Rock BBQ – Matt Yaney

This playlist, which is just over 10 hours long, is another fantastic dive into classic rock. It has some of my favorite tracks on it from some of the most notable rock artists, including The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, and Fleetwood Mac.

– DJ Butter

Categories
Playlists

Playlist of the Week

New year, new show! This semester, I decided to branch off from Daytime Rock. The Tangerine Hour (which is on Fridays at 11:30am, and you should totally listen to) is my new show dedicated to deep cuts from the 60s and 70s. If you’ve read any of my blogs, you know that I’m a geek for that era, especially the music. I wanted to explore the songs and artists that didn’t quite make it out of the Age of Aquarius, but are fantastic nonetheless. It’s been SO FUN to dig into weird, obscure artists and explore songs that were relatively forgotten by the mainstream, even if they were released by popular artists. Here’s an inside look at some of the tracks I’ve played already and what you can expect to hear in the upcoming weeks!

1. Pretty Big Mouth – Count Five

Count Five was a band that peaked around 1966, as they were only able to release one album, “Psychotic Reaction,” before they broke up. Only one of their songs made it onto the charts. Despite their relative lack of notoriety, “Pretty Big Mouth” is a great song.

2. Paul – The Pyramids

The Pyramids were one of the last successful surf rock bands to emerge in the early 60s. Their one hit, “Penetration,” is heralded as a classic, but the rest of their discography was forgotten. “Paul” is a fantastic instrumental, especially if you’re into that California sunny surf vibe.

3. Eddie’s Rush – Ultimate Spinach

Ultimate Spinach is a weird band. Their psychedelic song, “Mind Flowers,” is usually what people remember them for, but in 1969 they transitioned to performing the blues and garage rock, as such was the trend. “Eddie’s Rush” is another great instrumental from their last album.

4. Psycho Daisies (Single B-Side) – The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds are one of my favorite bands, simply because their history is fascinating. Three of the greatest guitar players of all time, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page, passed through the band at some point or another. “Psycho Daisies” is off “Roger the Engineer,” the only album that featured Beck as the sole guitarist.

5. Path Through the Forest – The Factory

The Factory is another band that didn’t quite make it out of the 70s, but “Path Through the Forest” is a superb psychedelic rock ballad.

6. Ease Back – The Meters

The Meters were possibly one of the best funk bands to walk this earth. Their work served as the foundation for the birth of hip-hop in the 80s! “Ease Back” is from their self-titled album, “The Meters,” released in 1969.

7. Soul Sanction – Booker T. & the M.G.’s

Another classic funk band, Booker T. & The M.G.’s showed the world how powerful Southern soul could be. With Booker T. Washington’s cutting organ lines, “Soul Sanction” is absolutely unreal.

8. Let Me Ride – Ginger Baker’s Air Force

Ginger Baker was most known for his role as the drummer in Cream, but god, do I wish he had done more with Ginger Baker’s Air Force. Branching off of the classic rock sound, Baker aimed to combine funk, soul, blues, and African music in his new project. Unfortunately, they only ended up releasing one album, “Do What You Like.”

9. Paranoia – Yesterday’s Children

Another band lost in the explosion of music in the late 60s was Yesterday’s Children. Combining heavy metal, glam rock, and that signature garage sound, they’re a true hidden gem.

Like what you see? Make sure to tune in to the Tangerine Hour every Friday!

– DJ Butter

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Anticipated Albums 2021

Written By Miranda

2021 has already been blessed with some great new music content by prominent artists, and we all have plenty to look forward to in music this year. January 2021 notably saw the release of Madlib’s “Dirtknock,” Jazmine Sullivan’s “Heaux Tales” (which you can read my review), and Lo Village’s “Lost In America” so far. We’re all looking forward to more content from our favorite artists. These are the most anticipated albums likely to be released this year. 

Noname’s “Factory Baby”

Noname teased the release of this album in 2020 but ended up pushing the release date back and will instead likely be released during this year. As fans, we’re all hopeful to see her next project after “Room 25.” 

Lorde, TBA

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly four years since the release of Lorde’s last project, “Melodrama.” The pop singer has been discussing the release of new music since 2019 and is likely to release her newest album this year. 

slowthai, “TYRON” 

slowthai’s singles from his new album have left fans excited for what’s to come. The album “TYRON” is coming February 12th. The album is sure to be interesting, with features from rappers including Skepta and A$AP Rocky. 

Kendrick Lamar 

It’s been three years since Lamar’s last release with the film Black Panther and his Pulitzer-winning “DAMN.” He has appeared on a few features but fans are anxious to hear the next project, hopefully coming in 2021. 

Frank Ocean, TBA

Fans of Frank Ocean have been waiting for new content from the visionary, who hasn’t released an album since 2016. Initially, Frank Ocean planned to release a new 7” but scrapped the idea, so we’re hoping to see this content make its way onto a release this year. 

Ani Defranco, “Revolutionary Love” 

Feminist icon Ani Defranco’s newest project, “Revolutionary Love,” will be released this Friday, January 29th. Defranco says the album will vocalize the world’s deepest frustrations and tensions through an alchemy of folk and soul. 

Adele, TBA

Fans of Adele have waited nearly five years for a new project from the beloved pop singer. In 2020 the singer stated she was still working on her newest album and teased its possible release for 2021. 

Which albums are you most excited to see release this year? Let us know on social media! 
Sources: I, II