WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student Radio
Artist Record Label
1 COWGIRL CLUE Icebreaker Vada Vada
2 JAMES MASSIAH Natural Born Killers (Ride for Me) [EP] Levels
3 BESHKEN Aisle Of Palm Self-Released
4 BLOOD ORANGE Angel’s Pulse Domino
5 CARIBOU Suddenly Merge
6 SASSY 009 KILL SASSY 009 Luft
7 YEULE Serotonin II Bayonet
8 FOUR TET Anna Painting [EP] Text
9 FINN, INDIA JORDAN H.U.R.L/F.U.R.L [EP] Local Action
10 SONNIKU, LIZ, SOPHIE “Sweat (Sophie Remix)” [Single] Bella Union
Artist Record Label
1 ROSE CITY BAND Summerlong Thrill Jockey
2 DAKOTA THEIM Somewhere Under The Sun Self-Released
3 TAMBINO Summerlong Self-Released
4 SCHOOL OF X Destiny [EP] Tambourhinoceros
5 MOMMAT wo Of Me Danger Collective
6 EMILY ROCKARTS Little Flower Self-Released
7 MINI TREES Slip Away [EP] Self-Released
8 LADY LEGS Off Days Communicating Vessels
9 PEACH PIT You And Your Friends Columbia
10 JAUNT All In One Self-Released
11 STRFKR Future Past Life Polyvinyl
12 SIMEN LYNGROTH Muse Self-Released
13JR JR August And Everything Prior [EP] Love Is EZ
14 JERRY PAPER Abracadabra Stones Throw
15 CHRISTINE RENNER “Tonight” [EP] Self-Released
16 WHY BONNIE Voice Box [EP] Fat Possum
17 RELIANT TOM Play & Rewind Diversion
18 VARSITY The Basement Takes Run For Cover
19 GREEN BUZZARD Amidst The Clutter And Mess I Oh You
20 CLIFFFS Panic Attack State Fair/We Know Better
21 JEFF ROSENSTOCK NO DREAM Polyvinyl
22 REFLECTORS, THE First Impression Burger
23 2ND GRADE Hit To Hit Double Double Whammy
24 JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD Magick Songs Dine Alone
25 ALEXANDRA SAVIOR The Archer 30th Century
26 YELLOW DAYS “Love Is Everywhere” b/w “Treat You Right” [Single] RCA
27 BASEMENT REVOLVER Wax And Digital [EP] Sonic Unyon
28 PIP BLOM Boat Heavenly/PIAS
29 ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER Sideways To New Italy Sub Pop
30 HEY CHELS Everything Goes Self-Released
TOP ADDS
1 ARLO PARKS “Black Dog” b/w “Eugene” [Single] Transgressive/PIAS
2 IGGY T AND THE CRAZYMAKERS Just Can’t Get Enough Underground Sun
3 BABA ALI This House [EP]3 0th Century
4 EX NORWEGIAN Hue Spotting Beyond Before
5 LISABEL Work of art Self-Released
6 PIKES Camp Self-Released
7 MUZZ Muzz Matador/Beggars
8 CAPE HENL OPEN “Bad Moves” [Single] Self-Released
9 HIGH WAISTED Sick Of Saying Sorry Self-Released
10 GHOSTLY KISSES Never Let Me Go [EP] Akira
‘Welcome back to Música de Indie, I’m DJ Psyched and in this show where we go over my favorite spanish indie tunes from the past couple of weeks. To start things off today we’re talking about Ángel, the song, not my leopard gecko. So be sure to keep it locked.’
Ángel by Angelica Garcia – I clicked on this song so fast when I saw the title, I am a sucker for anything with the name Ángel (because that is the name of my beautiful gecko), and I’m so glad I did because this track is absolutely beautiful. The singer’s voice is so smooth and soothing, and with the backing orchestra instruments and harmonies, this track is about mesmerizing. I couldn’t quite find the lyrics to translate this time, but the song is slow enough that someone in the learning phase of the language, such as myself, can really enjoy the track and sing along after a few listens. The singer does say a part of the hook in english ‘Even when you hide it I can always see the real you’ and based on how the music sounds it seems the singer is singing words of affirmation, or a confession, to someone they love. This song also apparently comes from the TV show ‘Vida’.
Muy Muy Chico by Juan Wauters – This track comes from the five track EP the artist recorded while traveling across South America. The artist said ‘some of these unreleased tracks are among my favorite ones from that time in my life’. I also could not find direct lyrics from this song, but thankfully someone on youtube explained that the track is a metaphor about height and how people complicate themselves when they focus on the fact that there are taller people around. He is really talking about worrying that others might be better than us. The guitar in this song is what hooked me in, the intro was very nostalgic feeling and the singing reminds me of folk style music. It’s a short but sweet track, reminding me vaguely of bedrooms’ song ‘nothing lasts’.
‘Thanks for tuning into 2k Indie online, I’m DJ Psyched and I ask that you keep it locked on the blog for all the sweet content to come. Thanks for reading, and until next time…’
Vamos a emocionarnos con la música,
DJ Psyched
‘I’m DJ Psyched and you’re reading 2k Indie online. In this show I highlight new Indie releases from the last few weeks or so. This week we’re starting the segment off with Black Dog by Arlo Parks. This track blew me away from first listen, so be sure to keep it locked as we explore some new Indie today.’
Black Dog by Arlo Parks – As I was saying, this track absolutely blew me away at first listen and it only got better and better upon each new listen. The artists mesmerizing vocals were definitely the first thing I noticed upon listening to the track, but upon further evaluation, I found that the meaning behind the track was also incredibly powerful. The track is about mental health and what it feels like to experience feelings of depression, and it’s done incredibly well. The lyrics seem to be reflecting both the person with these feelings thoughts and the thoughts of those close to them ‘I would do anything to get you out your room.’ The guitars are steady enough to keep the track softly flowing, and the drums’ upbeat mood contrasts in a way that makes this track one that’s easy to move along to, but also hold the mood of a more serious and mellow track. The artist’s track was named ‘tune of the week’ by BBCR1 and I couldn’t agree more. ‘This is an incredible moment for vulnerable music’ the artist said in a recent tweet ‘I’ve always put a piece of myself into songs which can be terrifying but to be given this platform and recognition is encouraging me to keep on doing so’. I for one can’t wait to hear more.
House by Baba Ali – This is another track that blew me away at first listen for its uniqueness. The song has a sound that is a bit hard to define. It’s genre bending roots feel like a cross between Pop, Funk, Dance and alternative/ indie. The bass is groovy and keeps the track feeling alive, fresh, and keeps my head bopping along. The track, from the EP ‘This House’, talks about what it feels like to be in a house that is not a home, because of how economic struggles can provide stressors and barriers to a smooth home life. This comes from the hands of ‘this rat race’, as the artist put it. ‘They keep cuttin’ the lights out, And everybody’s getting priced out, If it goes up anymore they won’t be anywhere where to go’. The track is easy to listen to because of it’s catchy chorus and instruments, but again, the meaning behind it digs deep in a very real and beautifully said way.
‘It’s funky with a hardened edge. It’s urgent and it’s fed up. I remember writing the lyrics on a roll of receipt paper at the end of a long bar shift staring out at a crowd of drunkards.” the artist said in an article by Elicit Magazine.
It is important to support black creators and let their voices be heard. Baba Ali’s Band Camp notes under the track ‘House’ that ‘100% of proceeds from sales will go to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Be sure to check it out, I highly recommend.
Let’s Stay Psyched about music,
DJ Psyched
Okay, can we first just appreciate how badass this album cover is? I am getting Pinhead vibes!!! On June 8, 2010, Whitechapel released this beating and 10 years later, I’m still jamming out to it! There is something about Whitechapel; they have a sound that is timeless. The connection that the band members have with one another is insane and you can feel it when they play together. The grooves and breakdowns on this album cannot be beat, and Bozeman’s vocals??? Untouchable.
A New Era of Corruption is the third studio album by Whitechapel and it was released through Metal Blade Records. In the United States, it sold just under 10,700 copies in the first week AND placed at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 chart. Guitarist Alex Wade stated, “I think this record truly represents where we are as musicians at this point in our career.” When looking at Whitechapel’s discography, the albums do represent where the band is at in their lives and it is cool to see how much they have grown both as men but also as musicians.
The name of the album is derived from a passage of the lyrics in their song “Possession,” which appeared on their second album, This Is Exile. A New Era of Corruption is the first Whitechapel album that does not have a title track. The concepts and lyrical themes of A New Era of Corruption travel into new boundaries where previous album did not. With The Somatic Defilement being a narrative of Jack the Ripper and This Is Exile containing political and anti-religious themes, A New Era of Corruption is not a concept album. It focuses on negative themes: the devolution of society, the corruption of society, and the death of Phil Bozeman’s mother.
This album is awesome. I would definitely recommend it to anyone in search of heavier music. I am a Whitechapel fan so I may be a little bias, BUT this album is really, really good.
Favorite songs:
Single File Dehumanization
End of Flesh
Reprogrammed to hate
The Darkest Days of Man
Rating:
9/10
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
ALBUM REVIEW: The Transonics – Lost In Time
BEST TRACKS: Lost In Time, Love and a Blue Light, You’re So Pretty
FCC Clean
This 6-piece band from Columbia very aptly named their debut album, Lost In Time, as it sounds like a blast from the past, belonging to the early 80s but by some heavenly fluke was born in the year 2020 instead. The Transonics are a severely underrated band, with less than 1,000 listens on any given song on spotify. However, when fantastic yet obscure bands are in need of a spotlight, that’s when college radio really shines. With the release of Lost In Time, the transonics are starting to take college radios across the country by storm. This eleven song album soars from beginning to end. What really excites me about this album is that the Transonics are a female-fronted band and strong feminine energy courses through every song in both the vocals and the writing.
The Transonics sound like a mix of the fun and infectious powerpop of No Doubt and the grungy rock and roll of Foo Fighters, with a twinge of early 80s psychedelica. The thing that stood out to me most was that lead vocalist Patti Davis has an electrifying voice that sounds uncannily similar to Gwen Stefani. After a short, 30 second intro, Lost In Time opens with the dreamy title track ‘Lost In Time’ which contains glittering hooks and spacy lyrics about wishes and daydreams.
Lost In Time is reminiscent of simpler times, when the grilled cheese Uncrustables were still a part of school lunches. This album caught my attention because of the album cover, which looks like it came straight out of a Lisa Frank coloring book, and it kept me listening, enchanted, with its exhilarating energy and irresistible riffs. I recommend this album if you want something sweet and lively to boost your mood after a gloomy session of browsing social media, or if you’ve ever been obsessed with the Bratz movies.
Safia
This is Currents’ fifth release and second studio album, and all I can say is WOW! What a record! This style of metalcore has always been my favorite. This album has a great combination of growls and screams along with clean vocals. There are some songs on this album (A Flag to Wave and Poverty of Self) that are extremely heavy. The riffs in these songs are awesome. You also have songs like “Better Days” that has both screams and cleans in them. This song balances out both vocal techniques beautifully and the harmonies along with the music creates a beautiful song.
This album has more boasting lyrical content along with some beefy riffs. Currents style somewhat reminds me of Architects with their transitions. They have a very electric sound that they combined with technical progressive elements. The into track, “It Was Never There” builds incredible suspense. This was a great first taste of what the album has to offer. They then pick up the pace with “A Flag to Wave” and “Poverty of Self.” The choruses in their songs are really catchy and easily get you to bang your head. Tracks like “Monster” bring that crunchy heavy sound with bellowing vocals and screeching riffs. “Kill the Ache” is the poster child song for metalcore. It is a feel-good track that takes you on a journey. “Let Me Leave” is a more soft and melodic song that highlights Wile’s clean vocals. I love bands who have both a great growl and cleans.
You can easily see that Currents was having fun with this record and you can also tell that they put a lot of thought in their songs and how they would make the listener feel. I love albums like this because you can easily tell that the band has put in a lot of time, effort, and dedication for this record. Everything is 100% authentic and it helped create an amazing record.
Favorite songs:
The Way It Ends
Poverty of Self
A Flag to Wave
Rating:
8/10
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
My favorites: Scottie Beam, Something to Rap About, Skinny Suge
Listen if you like: Danny Brown, Vince Staples, Earl Sweatshirt
The Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs’ album, Alfredo, was released at the end of May. On Alfredo, the duo combines the proven production talent of The Alchemist and the gruff voice of underground rapper Gibbs. Daniel Alan Maman, stage name The Alchemist, is a producer and songwriter famous for creating soulful and rhythmic beats for rappers and his own instrumental albums. He’s created many collaborative projects, and Alfredo is his most recent success. Gibbs is most well-known for his 2000’s mixtapes and recent highly-rated albums; his rough voice and smooth lyricism makes him an iconic musician.
The album mainly reflects on the dealings of the Mafia and criminal activity. It features artists Tyler, the Creator, Benny the Butcher, and Rick Ross. The rhythms laid down by The Alchemist and paired with Gibbs’ fearless lyrics create a perfect complement. The album opens with 1985, a track full of references to pop culture including nods to Italian crime movies and the famous “Tiger King,” Joe Exotic. The song sets the stage for the rest of the album, filled with intricate beats and gritty rhyming. The album progresses, following a narrative of drug deals, guns, and women. Scottie Beam is a song that has so much relevance especially within the Black Lives Matter movement. He raps about the continuous violence faced by black Americans at the hands of police. “Yeah, the revolution is the genocide/Look, your execution will be televised.” This iconic line made it onto Gibbs’ merchandise, he sells shirts asserting “my execution might be televised,” with 100% of proceeds benefiting protest-related causes. Much of the album continues to hit on the experience of black Americans, the oppression at the hands of cops, Freddie’s childhood, drugs, and religion. Hw masters the art of romanticizing his own experiences, making them appeal to any listener. The album is one of Gibbs’ most successful yet, hitting the fourth on Billboard Charts’ top-selling albums of the week and the tracks from it becoming favorites among fans instantly.
– Miranda
As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to rally support across the world, I have aimed to shift my content focus onto the movement. Thus, for this week’s installment of my Friday Favorites segment, I have chosen songs by black artists that reflect the spirit of the movement and remind us what we’re fighting for.
Sandra’s Smile – Blood Orange
A really powerful, haunting ode to victims of police violence, specifically in reference to Sandra Bland and Trayvon Martin, and their families. Blood Orange vocalist Dev Hynes reflected on being “inconsolable” after Bland’s death and the track reflects this.
Alright – Kendrick Lamar
This song is one of the most memorable from the iconic album To Pimp A Butterfly. Beyond the surface of the track as a catchy rap song is Lamar’s reflection on the treatment of black Americans including police brutality and identity conflicts caused by mistreatment. The hook to the song repeats “We gon’ be alright,” asserting that despite suffering, we will survive through solidarity.
Mad (ft. Lil Wayne) – Solange
Solange has created a breadth of music relating to the experiences of a black woman in America, especially highlighted in this track. It reflects the injustices of the system combined with the inability of non-black individuals to understand these issues and the frustration felt by the black community.
Be Free – J. Cole
This song addresses the continued discrimination of black Americans, beginning with slavery and continuing with mass incarceration, police brutality, and oppression. Cole includes a chilling testimony by Dorian Johnson, who witnessed his friend being shot multiple times by police.
Freedom (ft. Kendrick Lamar) – Beyoncé
Beyoncé’s Lemonade was focused around the struggles and emotions of the black woman. This song specifically focuses on liberation. Even within the current movement, the struggles of black women are largely underrepresented. Beyoncé calls us to action in rallying behind the Black Lives Matter and actively working against oppression and injustice.
I hope you all were informed by this list. As usual, you can find all of my Friday Favorites at WKNC’s Spotify page, including this week’s new additions.
– Miranda
In this series, I try to highlight some of my favorite tunes I listened to this month. May was another month full of new releases, but here are just a few that I find myself going back to a lot.
Was It Something I Said (feat. Cavetown) by MyKey – I love how this song has a very old school sound to it. The music instantly comes out sounding very 60s(?) influenced, the guitars and violin make it a soothing trip back in time. The album art also reflects this ‘classic’ style. The song is definitely a heartbroken tune, and the music makes it feel incredibly authentic. The collaboration was brilliantly done, as the two artists’ voices mesh well together.
Dance Alone by Blanks – Blanks is an Indie pop artist and his music is incredibly catchy and fun to sing along to. The artist made a lyric video for youtube where he said ‘Got bored in quarantine so I wrote a song’. The song is the perfect tune to dance to if you ever feel a bit lonely during this time. The hook is catchy and fun; and the guitars, bass and drums really make the song hard not to dance along to.
Social Drinker by Ballyhoo! – It’s been a while since I’ve listened to this artist, but I was really excited after my first listen to this song. I find the lyrics are extremely relatable. The singer talks about social pressures often associated with drinking, and how hard growing out of this can be. The artist is over avoiding their problems and always turning to drinking. ‘Save me from myself’ is a lyric that reflects how the artist knows that they are responsible for themselves and what they choose to do, but that they understand their environment contributes to these choices. The song also reflects the struggles associated with growing up.
I would love to know what your favorite picks from May were, definitely let me know!
A full playlist to even more new tunes can be found here
– DJ Psyched