Category: Blog

New Album Review

Smerz- “Believer”

Post author By gfscaff
Post date March 5, 2021

ALBUM: “Believer” by Smerz

RELEASE YEAR: 2021

LABEL: XL Recordings

RATING: 10/10

BEST TRACKS: “I don’t talk that much,” “Flashing” and “The favourite”

FCC: CLEAN

The new Smerz album, “Believer,” dropped this February and with it came many music videos! This is very exciting and made me want to switch things up from our typical album review format. The videos perfectly visualize the album and truly expand the listening (and now viewing) experience. So, why just stick to reviewing the songs, when I could rate my favorites in order?

With that being said, here are my favorite music videos from the “Believer” album (from least favorite to favorite). Enjoy 🙂

“Hva hvis”

Technically, this belongs to the “I don’t talk that much” video, but it feels very separate to me. It’s so calm and serene. I wish I was there right about now.

“Believer”

This video is very ethereal and reminds me of a childhood fairytale. It’s very classical and very beautiful. I especially love the emphasis on nature that seems to continue throughout the entire album’s videos.

“Grand Piano”

I LOVE this video. It perfectly encompasses their Copenhagen background and style. It’s simple and very natural, just a bunch of people running around in the grass and their sweet little white puppy dog chasing them around aimlessly. I love it.

“I don’t talk that much”

This is my favorite song on the album. It’s so fast and I love how they juxtaposed this with the classical dancing and all white dress. Catharina Stoltenberg wears the same white dress in the Believer video, so there’s some continuity here too. This was super close to being my number 1 and I’m still torn!!

“Flashing” (WARNING- There are flashing lights in this video)

Number 1 on my list! “Flashing” is so fun. The entire video is set in the driver’s seat of a car as Henriette Motzfeldt, one of the two in the duo that is Smerz, sits and sings. There are so many cool, small details such as the light from the cigarette she smokes when the light flashes to dark. I also love, love, love this song so much.

I hope you check out the album and its videos and enjoy as much as I did.

XOXO,

Gab

Tags Afterhours, Electronic, Gab, smerz

Music News and Interviews

Black Dresses Are Back?

Post author By Delusional Melodrama
Post date March 3, 2021

Canadian Noise Pop duo Black Dresses released the album Peaceful As Hell early last year, their most bold and entrancing album yet, and almost immediately thereafter broke up the band. Citing a wave of harassment and privacy violations occurring after one of their songs became a TikTok hit, they announced an end to the band for the sake of their mental health. It was sad, but not surprising. Fan’s demands upon creator’s personal lives are at a fever pitch, and it’s understandable that some artists wouldn’t want in. Two albums, that’s all we get and it’s more than we deserve.

Last Tuesday, the band put out the following statement on Twitter, “We’re no longer a band, unfortunately. Regardless we’ve decided to keep releasing music.” The surprise announcement was accompanied by a new album, titled Forever In Your Heart. They gave no follow-up explanation, but have spent the last couple of days aggressively retweeting fan art.

Well, that all seems clear enough, and I don’t think anyone is complaining about more Black Dresses. The album was also likely created in their post-breakup period, meaning there’s possibly more to come. There are multiple quasi-references to the invasive pressure of fan culture, and some songs that feel tailor-made to this, the eleventh month of quarantine, including one about living in a concrete bubble that feels especially prescient. The album is possibly their best yet, I’ll spare you a full review and just recommend you check it out for yourself on Bandcamp. It’s full of hyper-pop meets thrash ragers that are as infectious as they are miserable. Black Dresses are infectious misery, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Tags Black Dresses, Forever in Your Heart, music news, Peaceful as Hell

Classic Album Review

Classic Album Review: Zentropy

Post author By Miranda
Post date March 3, 2021

Written by Miranda

Frankie Cosmos, also known as Greta Kline; a well-loved indie artist, has been making incredible music since “Zentropy”, her first studio album. Not only is this album well-done for a 19-year-old independent artist (at the time), it remains one of my favorite works. “Zentropy” helped set the stage for future success for Kline in subsequent years and helped establish her within the indie pop scene.

The album begins with an ode to the dreariness of school and ends with the sadness of a dog’s passing away. It’s strange, girlish, experimental, but simple. The beauty of this album is highlighted in its simplicity. A mixture of mediocre electric guitar and drum beats are all that makes up the melodies on the album, but sweet-sounding vocals entice the listener. Frankie Cosmos gives a solid look at the life of a nineteen-year-old girl. Issues of love flings, loss of pets, and disinterest in school make up most of the album. Her ability to use simple lyricism to convey these ideas gives an easy glimpse into her life and what is most important to her. The emotional depth of this album and its catchyness as an indie pop-adjacent style of album makes it one that is so easy to return to again and again. Even seven years after its release, I find the lyrics stuck inside my head while I go about my daily life – thinking of lyrics like “I’m the type of girl/Buses splash with rain” or “This is when I say my I love you.” Surprisingly (or not), “Zentropy” ended up gaining

Frankie Cosmos has come a long way since this first studio album, since creating three more albums and dozens of music videos. Her latest album was released in 2019, and she has teased fans throughout quarantine with Instagram performances of her music and hopefully a new album coming soon.

Tags WKNC 88.1, zentropy

Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 3/2

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 2, 2021

	Artist	Record	Label
1	ARLO PARKS	Collapsed In Sunbeams	Transgressive/PIAS
2	SHYGIRL	ALIAS [EP]	Because
3	CASHINOVA	Big Dragon	Stophouse
4	JORDANA	Something To Say To You	Grand Jury
5	POM POKO	Cheater	Bella Union/PIAS
6	STEVE LACY	The Lo-Fis	L-M
7	GOAT GIRL	On All Fours	Rough Trade/Beggars
8	KIWI JR	Cooler Returns	Sub Pop
9	MISS GRIT	Impostor [EP]	Self-Released
10	BILLY DEAN THOMAS	For Better Or Worse	Self-Released
11	BLACK COUNTRY NEW ROAD	For The First Time	Ninja Tune
12	BLU AND EXILE	Miles	Dirty Science
13	DEZRON DOUGLAS AND BRANDEE YOUNGER	Force Majeure	International Anthem
14	DON TOLIVER	After Party	WMG Atlantic
15	FAT TONY	Exotica	Carpark
16	GEORGE CLANTON AND NICK HEXUM	George Clanton And Nick Hexum	100% Electronica
17	NANCY	The Seven Foot Tall Post-Suicidal Feel Good Blues	B3SCI
18	NAVY BLUE	Song Of Sage: Post Panic!	Freedom Sounds
19	PARK HYE JIN	How Can I [EP]	Ninja Tune
20	PINK SIIFU AND FLY ANAKIN	FlySiifu’s	Lex
21	PRINCESS NOKIA	Everything Is Beautiful/Everything Sucks	Self-Released
22	SHAME	Drunk Tank Pink	Dead Oceans
23	TOBI	Elements Vol. 1	Same Plate/RCA
24	SERENA ISIOMA	Sensitive [EP]	AWAL
25	TY BRI	Sweet Lick	Self-Released
26	BUTCHER BROWN	#KingButch	Concord Jazz
27	CAKES DA KILLA, PROPER VILLAINS	Muvaland [EP]	Classic Company
28	CHERRY GLAZERR	“Rabbit Hole” [Single]	Secretly Canadian
29	GRIMES	Miss Anthropocene (Rave Edition)	4AD
30	DREAMWEAVER	Cloud9	MagicCrafters

TOP ADDS

	Artist	Record	Label
1	JULIEN BAKER	Little Oblivions	Matador/Beggars Group
2	GLITTERER	Life Is Not A Lesson	Anti-
3	CLOUD NOTHINGS	The Shadow I Remember	Carpark
4	BACHELOR	“Anything At All” [Single]	Polyvinyl
5	MIA JOY	“See Us” [Single]	Fire Talk
6	JUICE WEBSTER	“Wanna Be Held” [Single]	Self-Released
7	ALICE PHOEBE LOU	“dirty mouth” [Single]	Self-Released
8	FIELD MUSIC	“No Pressure” [Single]	Memphis
9	DENNIS ELLSWORTH	“Becuz Of You” [Single]	Pyramid Scheme
10	DAMEER	For We Are Distant [EP]	Majestic Casual

Tags Indie, Indie Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 3/2

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 2, 2021

	Artist	Record	Label
1	BRAND OF SACRIFICE	“Altered Eyes” [Single]	Blood Blast Distribution
2	ARCHITECTS	For Those That Wish To Exist	Epitaph
3	ASPHYX	Necroceros	Century Media
4	CANNIBAL CORPSE	“Inhumane Harvest” [Single]	Metal Blade
5	BODYSNARCHER	“Take Me To Hell” [Single]	Entertainment One
6	GATECREEPER	An Unexpected Reality	Closed Casket Activities
7	OF MICE AND MEN	Timeless [EP] [Advance Tracks]	Sharptone
8	WAGE WAR	“Surrounded” [Single]	Fearless
9	UPON A BURNING BODY	Built From War [EP]	Seek & Strike
10	BOUNDARIES	Your Receding Warmth	Unbeaten

Tags Metal, Metal Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 3/2

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 2, 2021

	Artist	Record	Label
1	JENEVIEVE	“Baby Powder” [Single]	JOYFACE
2	REEL PEOPLE	Dancing On The Moon [EP]	Self-Released
3	ZACARI	Run Wild Run Free	Top Dawg
4	OHAJIJ	East Manhattan Project	More Valid Decisions/Hustleward
5	D SAVAGE	Trust No One	UMG
6	CHIKA	“U Should” [Single]	CHIKA/Warner
7	CLOUDY NUEVE	Sober	Hella Clout
8	AESOP ROCK	“Pizza Alley” [Single]	Rhymesayers
9	MARMAR OSO	Love Don’t Cost A Thing	Free The Lost/EMPIRE
10	TOBI NWIGWE	THE PANDEMIC PROJECT	TOBE NWIGWE

Tags Hip Hip, Hip Hop Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 3/2

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 2, 2021

	Artist	Record	Label
1	PRINCE INNOCENCE	“Angelyne” [Single]	Self-Released
2	JAYDA G	Both Of Us/Are You Down [EP]	Ninja Tune
3	DREAMWEAVER	Cloud9	MagicCrafters
4	JESSIE WARE	What’s Your Pleasure?	Virgin EMI
5	TSHA	Flowers [EP]	Ninja Tune
6	BLUE HAWAII	Under 1 House [EP]	Arbutus
7	ELKKA	I.Miss.Raving/ Bleep+ [EP]	Local Action
8	SHYGIRL	ALIAS [EP]	Because
9	LOGIC1000	You’ve Got The Whole Night To Go [EP]	Therapy/Because
10	OKLOU	Galore	True Panther / TaP

Tags Electronic, Electronic Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Classic Album Review

The Saw’s Choice Cuts: Three Albums for Your Consumption

Post author By THE SAW
Post date March 1, 2021

How’s it going, Butcher Crew?! Today I have collected for you three albums that are heavy on my rotation lately. All three records were released during 2020, and all three were released by Unique Leader Records. Watch these three bands. And enjoy the madness of these three albums that made The Saw’s Choice Cuts. They will surely pound you into dust!

Where Only Gods May Tread (2020, Unique Leader Records) is the 5^th studio album from the British Brutal Death Metal band, Ingested. Now, I’m here to tell you, this band delivers the beat-downs in quick order! Jason Evans utilizes many different forms and types of vocal techniques – most notably, screams and gutterals in a more DeathCore fashion. In fact, IMO, Sam Yates and Sean Hines (guitars), Lyn Jeffs (drums), and Brad Fuller (bass) masterfully deliver the beatings in a sort of Brutal DeathCore/Technical Death Metal assault that will leave you gasping for air. Formed in 2006, Ingested have some miles on their carcasses! As an example of their crushing abilities, they’ve toured with the likes of Black Dahlia Murder, Carnifex, 3 Inches of Blood, Aborted, Disentomb, Enterprise Earth, I Declare War, Kublai Khan, Despised Icon, and Cryptopsy to name a few.

Favorite Songs: Follow the Deceiver; The Burden of Our Failures; Leap of the Faithless

Rating: 9/10! This one will beat your brains in, for a long time!

Revive The Throne (2020, Unique Leader Records) is the 7^th full length album from the German GrindCore/Brutal Death Metal band, Stillbirth. This band is as old as me, forming in 1999! Now, here is what I like about these butchers, they strongly incorporate the CORE (as in HardCore) aspect into their efforts. With multiple tempo changes, mid-riff (the GrindCore aspect), and crushing, gurgling gutterals, this record will give you whiplash. Lukas Swiaczney is the vicious vocal master, Dominik Konig also gutterals, and plays bass, Martin Grupe is banging, smoothly and quickly on drums, Jens Strack and Simon Sturmlinger slay the blistering dual guitars, and Lukas Kaminski is like a steam roller on the 2^nd bass. Double gutterals and double bass players?! You know the beatings are life threatening!

Favorite Songs: Degraded to Mutilation; Panem et Circenses; Dethrone the King

Rating: 8/10! Skull splitting frenzy!!

Nuklearth is the newest album (2020, Unique Leader Records) by the German band, Cytotoxin. Right from the start, I’ve got to say that this band is like the WhiteChapel of Technical/Brutal Death Metal (and you already know that I love some WhiteChapel!). But this record… what an incredible piece of work we have, here! The arrangement, style, and structure of the powerful music by Fonzo and Jason (guitars), Stocki (drums) and Vitalis (bass) is nothing but pure, “Chernobyl Death Metal” (as Cytotoxin, themselves, refer it), and Grimo’s vocal delivery is nearly perfect – brutal gutterals and growls (reminding me of Phil!). Cytotoxin formed in 2010 and Nuklearth is their fourth full length album.

Favorite Songs: Soul Harvester; Coast of Lies; Nuklearth

Rating: 10/10!! This record will bang for MANY years to come!!

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Tags The Saw, The Saw's Butcher Shop, WKNC 88.1

Playlists

Springtime Songs

Post author By toad maiden
Post date March 1, 2021

The weather is finally getting warmer here in NC, and all I want to do is sit on my porch with a nice book, a cup of tea, and some springy tunes. It’s hard to believe that daylight saving time is right around the corner! In honor of the longer, warmer days ahead, I’ve decided to put together a playlist filled with my favorite springtime songs. These tracks give me sitting-in-a-garden-feeling-the-sun-on-my-skin type vibes and I hope they do the same for you!

1. Peach Fuzz – Tyler, the Creator

One of my favorite singles from Tyler, this song just oozes sunny, spring vibes. Even just the title makes me want to go fruit picking!

2. Not Fade Away/Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad – The Grateful Dead

The Dead are the masters of all things jammy goodness, and this track is no exception. I love the beachy, lovestruck sound to this song.

3. Run to the Sun – N.E.R.D

The title “Run to the Sun” says it all. Pharrell’s signature funky style sticks out especially on this track from the N.E.R.D trio.

4. Tangerine – Led Zeppelin

“Tangerine” is actually the song I named my show after! I love the gentleness of it, and it’s one of my all-time favorite Zeppelin songs.

5. The Girl From Ipanema – Stan Getz & João Gilberto

The idea of starting off Spring without some Bossa Nova playing in the background is despicable. This Brazilian classic will for sure remind you of sunny days.

6. One Rainy Wish – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

One of Jimi Hendrix’s softer songs, this psychedelic ballad is filled with lyrics that seem to worship mother nature herself.

7. Hit Me Like That Snare – alt-J & Rejjie Snow

This is one of those songs that I just wish were longer. The bridge at 0:53 is absolutely fantastic.

8. Raspberry Jam – Allah-Las

Allah-Las are arguably the kings of modern surf rock. This song, off the soundtrack of “Self Discovery For Social Survival” is a great testament to that.

9. Sparks – The Who

Even though this track is just an instrumental, the upbeat, soft strumming reminds me of sunshiny afternoons.

10. Dancing Barefoot – Patti Smith Group

Patti Smith is an absolute icon. Period. “Dancing Barefoot” is one of her more pop-leaning songs, but it reminds me of spinning around in the middle of a bright, grassy field!

11. An Idea – IAMNOBODI

What a great little random track! Featuring Emmavie, Zacari, and Josh J., this song is the pinnacle of R&B perfection.

12. Ivy – Frank Ocean

It would be injustice not to include at least one Frank song on this playlist. Though it’s a bit melancholy, for some reason this track reminds me of the shift from Winter to Spring.

Happy Listening!

– DJ Butter

Tags Hip-Hop, Playlist, r&b, rock, Springtime

Band/Artist Profile

Band Profile: Flatbush Zombies

Post author By Miranda
Post date February 28, 2021

Written by Miranda

Flatbush Zombies, stylized Flatbush ZOMBiES, are a hip hop group active since 2010. They first became noticed within the East Coast rap scene in the 2010s with the release of multiple mixtapes; since then they have produced three albums. Their most recent work is their 2020 EP, “now, more than ever,” and new single “Afterlife,” which has quickly become a fan favorite. Members Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick Arc Elliott met in grade school and have been great friends and co-performers since.

Flatbush Zombies have also produced interesting media. Their NPR Tiny Desk Concert and YouTube music videos are very entertaining. The group continues to create music together and build upon their previous discography with new and exciting styles.

I recommend checking out their most recent EP, “now, more than ever,” which they created in response to the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020. Their song “Big Shrimp” from their first album is another favorite of mine. Give Flatbush Zombies a listen and let us know what you think.

Tags Band Highlight, Band Profile, flatbush zombies, Miranda