Category: Blog

Categories
DJ Highlights

DJ Tips from DJ Butter

(DJ butter in the stu)

This is my third semester working for WKNC, and it’s been AMAZING. The best part of my week is ploppin’ down in the studio, playing my music, and getting on air. It’s honestly such a great feeling to share my favorite music with Raleigh. To anyone who’s considering being a DJ at WKNC: DO IT. You for sure won’t regret it, and there are tons of opportunities for paid positions too!

At the beginning, I had major imposter syndrome every time I came to do my shift. I was so scared that I was going to mess up somehow (which I did do many times in various ways). Here are some things I wish I could tell myself when I first started:

1. RELAX. Take a deep breath before you start speaking on air. It’s okay to be nervous at first, but the more you calm down, the less you’ll stutter.

2. That being said, it’s OKAY TO MESS UP. I mean, don’t say something that’ll get us fined, but if you fumble over your words or accidentally say the wrong song title, I assure you the world will not collapse and burn.

3. When you first start, write your script down. We learned this in DJ training, but a young, naïve DJ butter thought she could just go in headfirst and ended up failing miserably. Eventually, you’ll be comfortable enough to improv, but it’s always good to keep using a script if you want to!

4. Don’t be intimidated by all the technology. You’ll learn it with time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’re unsure, either from whoever’s in the office or by getting in touch with your trainer!

5. Plan ahead and know your playlist well, especially if you know your songs have a lot of curse words in them. Editing them out will take longer than you think it does.

6. The more you put into it, the better it’ll be. When you’re excited about the music you play, people can tell! One of the best feelings is having someone call in and tell you they like your set.

7. Have a friend or two listen in to your set. They can tell you if you’re too quiet or if anything sounded awkward so you can know how to improve next time. It also helps to know that someone kind is listening!

8. Draw something on the whiteboard, leave a song in the song sharing jar, and introduce the next DJ!

I hope this helps, DJs! Special shoutout to one of my favorite DJs, Midsize Joe, for helping brainstorm this advice, you rock.

– DJ butter

Categories
Playlists

September 2020 Sample Platter

Sampling is the recontextualization of a preexisting work in a new composition. While this practice is utilized across genres, it has become a cornerstone of the hip-hop tradition. Since its inception, producers have been sampling soul records, funk records, world music and even cartoons to create head-bobbing beats. Drawing from numerous styles and time periods, here is a sample platter of some of the spiciest samples in hip-hop music!

  1. Late Nights & Heartbreak by Hannah Williams & the Affirmations: Courtesy of producer No I.D., this song was sampled in the titular track of Jay-Z’s 4:44. It’s the perfect backdrop for Jay-Z’s intimate confession of infidelity in his relationship with Beyoncé.

  2. Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding: This soul ballad is wonderfully composed – it slowly builds in tempo, volume and urgency, and ends with Otis showing off his chops in a fiery finish. His vocal riffs were chopped up by Kanye West to create “Otis”, which features one of my favorite beats of all time.

  3. Bam Bam by Sister Nancy: Hailed as a Jamaican dancehall classic, this song is perhaps the most frequently sampled song in all of popular music. It has been recontextualized more than a hundred times by the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lauryn Hill. Read the full story here!

  4. Why Can’t We Live Together by Timmy Thomas: If you were around in 2015 and 2016, you’ll remember how inescapable Drake’s “Hotline Bling” was. The song was everywhere, and for good reason – it’s an earworm. The bossa nova-style groove comes from Timmy Thomas’ 1972 track Why Can’t Live Together.

  5. One Step Ahead by Aretha Franklin: Ayatollah chopped up this soul classic to create the beat for “Ms. Fat Booty” by Mos Def.

  6. Whores in this House by DJ Frank Ski: Based on the title alone, I’m sure you can guess which song this was sampled in. That’s right – the iconic vocal line appears in Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP”, aka Ben Shapiro’s favorite song.

  7. Pots ‘N’ Pans by Anthony King and John Matthews: An obscure early electronic song sampled by Don Cannon in Pusha T’s “Numbers on the Boards”. The result is one of the most head-bobbing hip-hop tracks in recent memory.

  8. What Will Santa Claus Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’) by Louis Prima: This Christmas tune was sampled in Kanye and Kid Cudi’s 2018 project Kids See Ghosts. “4th Dimension” is now a contender for my favorite holiday song.

I hope this sample platter has given you an eclectic taste of hip-hop source material. What are some of your favorite samples?

– DJ Mango

Categories
Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 9/29

Artist Record Label
1 TAPEWORMS Funtastic [Advance Tracks] Howlin’ Banana
2 HOLY MOTORS Horse [Advance Tracks] Wharf Cat
3 BARTEES STRANGE Live Forever [Advance Tracks] Memory
4 BULLY SUGAREGG Sub Pop
5 OSEES Protean Threat Castle Face
6 GIRL FRIDAY Androgynous Mary Hardly Art
7 RUN THE JEWELS RTJ4 Jewel Runners/RBC/BMG
8 TY BRI “Too Bad” [Single] Def Jam
9 KENT JAMZ In Search Of RCA
10 REMADumebi: The Remixes [EP] Mavin
11 CUPCAKKE “Discounts” [Single] Self-Released
12 MARMAR OSO Love Don’t Cost A Thing Free The Lost/EMPIRE
13 DEANTE HITCHCOCK BETTER RCA
14 AMINE Limbo Universal Republic
15 KASH DOLL Stacked Republic
16 JAYDA G Both Of Us/Are You Down [EP] Ninja Tune
17 DIVINE INTERFACE Seeking Arrangements 2MR
18 MACHINEDRUM “Kane Train” feat. Freddie Gibbs b/w “Ur2yung” [Single] Ninja Tune
19 CAMERON BUTLER Extraterrestial UFO Baby
20 LOMELDA Hannah Double Double Whammy
21 MIJA Desert Trash Never B Alone/Create
22 CHIKA “U Should” [Single] CHIKA/Warner
23 FEMDOT “94 Camry Music” [Single] Self-Released
24 ANGELA MUNOZ Introspection Linear Labs
25 SMINO “Baguetti” [Single] Interscope
26 LOX CHATTERBOX How To Live Forever Illuminati Killers
27 TUAMIE But You Don’t Hear Me Though Mutant Academy
28 RACOMA This Front Room Self-Released
29 TOBI LOU Live On Ice Empire
30 JAMES TILLMAN Vm2 [EP] Musella Creative

TOP ADDS

1 IDLES Ultra Mono Partisan
2 TUNE-YARDS “nowhere, man.” [Single] 4AD/Beggars Group
3 MILDLIFE Automatic Heavenly
4 MINT FIELD Sentimiento Mundial Felte
5 PILLOW QUEENS In Waiting Self-Released
6 VACATIONS Forever In Bloom No Fun
7 METZ Atlas Vending [Advance Tracks] Sub Pop
8 A CERTAIN RATIOACR Loco Mute
9 SIMILAR KIND “Nobody Loves You” [Single] Factory Underground
10 TILES “fomo” [Single] Part Time

Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 9/29

Artist Record Label
1 CUPCAKKE “Discounts” [Single] Self-Released
2 COOKIEE KAWAII Club Soda, Vol. 2 The Cookiee Jar / EMPIRE
3 KARI FAUX Lowkey Superstar Change Minds
4 654AR “Sum Bout U (ft. FKA Twigs)” [Single] Columbia
5 SMINO “Baguetti” [Single] Interscope
6 CHIKA “U Should” [Single] CHIKA/Warner
7 HOOK “Street People” [Single] GC
8 RICO NASTY “IPHONE” [Single] Sugar Trap
9 MALIIBU MIITCH “Let’s Be Honest” [Single] Phase One
10 SANGO Da Rocinha 4 [Advance Tracks] Soulection

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: The Acacia Strain

The Acacia Strain (TAS) is an American metalcore band originally from Chicopee, Massachusetts, that formed in 2001. They are currently signed to Rise Records and have 10 full-length albums. The band first started with high school friends Vincent Bennett, Christopher Daniele, and Ben Abert. They were in a band called Septic Orgasm and they wanted to take their band to the next level and make the music more technical. Their friend, Daniel “DL” Laskiewics was to play both bass and guitar, but he received a shoulder injury playing football, so the band got their friend Daniel Daponde from Blood Has Been Shed to play guitar for them. Daponde brought a heavier and technical sound to the band, so when DL returned, they asked Daponde to stay, thus creating a three-guitar lineup.

TAS has been categorized as metalcore, but I think they are predominately deathcore due to their heavy tuned guitars, their technicality, and the vocals that are used. The band has been noted to include influences from sludge metal, doom metal, death metal, and some punk rock style aesthetic. By having three guitar players, it gave a signature blend of hardcore punk, death metal, and doom metal to develop a bone crushing sound. The band sees their sound as “hardcore-influenced metal” which I can hear when listening to their music. They have some absolute skull crushing riffs and vocals, but when mixing in some 2 step riffs and other hardcore contributions, it makes for a very unique style of music. Also, when seeing TAS live, the majority of the crowd are hardcore kids. They love them some TAS!!!

When looking at the lyrics of TAS songs, they are written by their lead vocalist, Vincent Bennett, and they are generally centered around misanthropy, nihilism, misogynistic and sexually deviant imagery. He usually uses metaphors to help get his points across while keeping the songs’ overall meaning open for interpretation.


Discography:

…And Life Is Very Long (2002)

3750 (2004)

The Dead Walk (2006)

Continent (2008)

Wormwood (2010)

Death Is the Only Mortal (2012)

Coma Witch (2014)

Gravebloom (2017)

It Comes In Waves (2019)

Slow Decay (2020)


Current Lineup:

Vincent Bennett (vocalist)

Kevin Boutot (drums)

Devin Shidaker (guitarist)

Griffin Landa (bass)

Tom “The Hammer” Smith, Jr. (guitarist)

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album of the Week: Tash Sultana – Flow State (2018)

Since the release of Tash Sultana’s first debut album, Flow State, that was released in 2018, it has been on heavy rotation for me. This is by far one of my favorite albums because it is some soothing, relaxing, and enchanting music. When listening to this album, I get very tropical, hippie girl vibes (I know… The Saw actually likes the hippie aesthetic. Who knew?). I remember when I first heard this album. I was at my friend’s apartment and he was telling me about this new album that was released, and he started playing Flow State. I instantly fell in love with Sultana’s voice, lyrical content, and the way in which they structure their songs. When listening to the songs in the order that they are on the album, it has a great transition from starting off mellow (like the song Big Smoke), and then kicking things up a notch (like the song Murder To The Mind), and then bringing things back down to a more mellow vibe (like Free Mind). Sultana did this on purpose because it gives the listener the impression of what a live show would be like. Brilliant!!! The cool thing about Tash Sultana is that they play all of the instruments themselves on the record and live!

Sultana released Flow State on August 31, 2018 on their own label, Lonely Land Records. They spent parts of 2017 and 2018 writing and recording the album, and was working with Matt Corby and Anderson Paak. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018, Flow State won the ARIA Award for Best Blues and Roots Album. At the J Awards of 2018, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.

So, why did Sultana name their album Flow State? In an interview with Indierocks, Sultana said that the term, flow state, is a term to refer to when you access a part of your mind known as your being, and when you find something you are passionate about. I think the title Flow State fits perfectly for Sultana’s line in music. When watching them play live, they completely loose themselves in the music. They embody the music and make it a part of them. It is absolutely beautiful.

Favorite Songs:

Big Smoke, Murder To The Mind, Seven, Pink Moon, and Blackbird.

Rating:

10/10!!!!

What are some of your favorite songs off of Flow State?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
New Album Review

EP Review: “Made in Heaven” Cecile Believe

Best Tracks: Living My Life Over, Pick Up The Phone, 7PM, Already Come

FCC Clean 

Cecile Believe dropped the 9 song-long EP, “Made in Heaven,” this May as her debut EP under the name “Cecile Believe.” Caila Thompson-Hannant– AKA Cecile Believe– previously released music under the name Mozart’s Sister, where she released 2 full length albums “Field of Love” and “Being” both with a strong dance-pop sound. “Made in Heaven” is SO different from Mozart’s Sister’s previous work. 

“Made in Heaven” has a much deeper, more morose and sophisticated production and sound. There are clear dream pop and PC music influences, but also something kind of slow and haunted. Her vocals and sound remind me a bit of Hannah Diamond and Caroline Polachek. Both her and Caroline share the wide range of vocals and both love to showcase their talent in their songs. Cecile Believe definitely does that here. The song “Made in Heaven” reminds me a lot of Caroline’s “Ocean of Tears” with their vocals and similar driving synth and beat.  

The EP ranges from all different genres and sounds. “Living My Life Over,” “Pick up the Phone,” and “7PM” ~all my favorites :-)~ have a strong dance pop beat along with Cecile’s ethereal vocals. On the other hand, the EP features BEAUTIFUL instrumentals like “Yellowjacket” and “7PM (Accretion Disk Edit)” that sound almost like ASMR and remind me a bit of SOPHIE’s bubble popping sounds. The last song on the EP, “Already Come” is completely acoustic, really showcasing her vocals along with her beautiful and simple lyrics. 

Overall, I’m really excited to see what’s coming next for Cecile Believe. Her newest remix to TOPS’ “Colder and Closer” is one of my favorites right now and also something I’d recommend. I hope there’s more to come soon and that maybe we’ll see a Caroline Polachek x Cecile Believe collab somewhere in the future ~fingers crossed~ !!!

Hope you guys listen and enjoy,

xoxo,

Gab <3

Categories
New Album Review

Album Review: Pedal Steel Guitar – Will Van Horn

I cannot stop listening to this EP. It only has five songs, but each one of them is full of merit.

Will Van Horn’s 2018 album is the perfect little collection of instrumental psychedelia. As his one and only release, “Pedal Steel Guitar” is fittingly named. Van Horn’s instrument of choice that dominates the sound of the EP is, in fact, the pedal steel guitar. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen one of these crazy things, but it is a horizontal type of steel instrument that looks almost like a keyboard from the side. However, on top, it resembles the neck of an electric guitar. It was originally invented in Hawaii in the 1800s but is now used primarily in country music. However, Van Horn takes the instrument to a whole new level by pairing it with the drums and fretless bass to create an ambiance of mystery and groove.

If you’re familiar with Khruangbin, Van Horn is actually featured throughout their discography, sneaked into several songs on each album. He emulates a similar but more bluesy sound with his solo work. I really enjoy the slow, moody touch he adds as well that contrasts his more funk-based work with Khruangbin.

My favorite song, which also happens to be the highlighted song of the album, is “Lost My Mind.” It was the song that also introduced me to the album. His guitar work is just genius on it, and I highly recommend taking a listen if you’re a nerd for that kind of sound (like me). It’s been almost two years since Van Horn released “Pedal Steel Guitar,” and I can only hope that there’s more on the way, considering it is his only solo discography.

Songs:

1. Lost My Mind
2. Alberto Balsalm
3. Pleasure Is All Mine
4. Plug Me In
5. Yekermo Sew

Tune In!

– DJ butter

Categories
Miscellaneous

Album Art Gems: Part Four

Here we are again! Get ready for this week’s installment of Album Art Gems. If you haven’t been keeping up, here are the links to the first, second, and third parts.

1. Presence – Led Zeppelin

Quite a different energy than their other album covers, “Presence” is often ignored in comparison to their more popular LPs (but “Tea for One” is actually my favorite song currently). However, I find this cover really endearing, especially when I researched the meaning behind it. The cover shows a suburban family observing a strange, unidentifiable object in the middle of the table. On the inside of their vinyl covers, there are even more images of happy suburban people holding, staring at, or touching the same object. According to the band, the object was supposed to represent the Led Zeppelin’s place in society, and how they had a powerful yet mysterious presence in the world.

2. IGOR – Tyler, the Creator

This series would be incomplete without mentioning Tyler, the Creator’s most recent album. It is such an amazing visualization for the content of the album. Tyler looks rough, lost, and almost scary his collage-like portrait, but is contrasted by a bright pink background. To me, this is a great representation of the broken-hearted lyrics of “IGOR” and how they’re juxtaposed with happy, upbeat rhythms.

3. Copulating Rhythm, Volume One – Blues Compilation

This is a tad bit NSFW, but it was recommended by our lovely supervisor, Jamie. “Copulating Rhythm” is a blues and jazz compilation featuring artists like Lil Johnson, Rosetta Howard, Bo Carter, and many more with a rare collection of huggin’ and lovin’ songs (for adult listeners is right). Nevertheless, the colors and design of this cover are exquisite. (Apologies for the very small picture)

4. Horses – Patti Smith

If you haven’t read “Just Kids” by Patti Smith, go to the bookstore and pick it up right now. It is a beautiful, poetic autobiography by Smith and the amazing connection she had with Robert Mapplethorpe, one of the most influential photographers of our time. The book describes the exact moment when this photo was taken as Smith was entering the world of rock and Mapplethorpe was blossoming in his creative work.

5. Are You Experienced – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

I know, I know, it’s bad to give Jimi two features in this series, but I just can’t help myself. This album was the trio’s first, and my personal favorite. “Foxy Lady,” “Love or Confusion,” AND “Third Stone From the Sun”?? It’s amazing how so much genius can be in one album. The typography on this cover alone represented an entire cultural movement and is recognized even today as a masterpiece of letterform art. The colors, the fisheye, WOW. I could geek out about this album forever.

– DJ butter

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Artist Spotlight: Cheap Time

Cheap Time Album Cover

Hey guys, I wanted to put a little bit of a spotlight on a band that I don’t believe many people have heard, although they more than deserve the recognition. Cheap Time, a punk garage rock band that started all the way back in 2006, is most likely not around anymore. In fact, they haven’t released anything since they were featured in the 2014 video game “Sunset Overdrive.” However, their music is timeless. With songs such as “Ginger Snap” and “Too Late,” it almost feels like you’re a teenager in some dry, dingy garage listening to your buddy’s band as they’re just getting started. Even though their music was made in the late 2000s, Cheap Time has a sound that belongs to the late 80s and early 90s, when garage punk first started picking up speed. 

I would have to say that my favorite album of theirs is, without a doubt, the self-titled “Cheap Time.” With short, fast paced songs like Back to School, Glitter and Gold, and Permanent Damage, the album fits right in in any playlist. However, Exit Smiles is a close second. Made in 2013, it is their last full album, not counting the work they did with Sunset Overdrive. The two best songs from here are 8:05 and Same Surprise. While “Exit Smiles” bears a sound that shows the growth of the band over its seven-year exhibition, it still holds that same teen angst, garage band feel that makes Cheap Time’s music so unique. Their ability to create a mental image with such ease is why I still listen to them today, and why I think you will too. 

Hope you guys enjoy the music, 

-chippypants