Category: Blog

Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 10/13

Kash Doll - Stacked Album Cover
ArtistRecordLabel
1KASH DOLLStackedRepublic 
2654AR“Sum Bout U (ft. FKA Twigs)” [Single]Columbia
3RICO NASTY“IPHONE” [Single]Sugar Trap
4SLOWTHAI AND DENZEL CURRY“Psycho” [Single]This Is Forever
5MAXOLil Big ManDef Jam
6LEIKELI47“Zoom” [Single]Hardcover LLC
7XAVIER WULF“Kid Cudi (Remix)” [Single]The Hollow Squad
8COOKIEE KAWAIIClub Soda, Vol. 2The Cookiee Jar/EMPIRE
9BLACK NOI$E“Mutha Magick (ft. bbymutha)” [Single]Tan Cressida
10KNXWLEDGE1988 (Ninety Eighty Eight)Stones Throw
Categories
New Album Review

Six Feet Under – Nightmares of the Decomposed (2020)

Six Feet Under - Nightmares of the Decomposed Album Cover

Have I mentioned that I love Chris Barnes and Six Feet Under?! You know that I certainly have, Butcher Crew! And Nightmares of the Decomposed is no exception. It was released on October 2, 2020 by Metal Blade Records. This record is Six Feet Under’s 17th full-length album, and as usual, it marks a difference in vocal style and musical composition. 

First, Chris Barnes’ vocals continue to evolve (or, devolve) from the early days of ‘95s The Haunted, where his gutterals were legendary; to mid-career material like Undead (2012) and Unborn (2013), where he utilized a strangely darker vocal sound – not as gravely, but more psychotic sounding – to Nightmares of the Decomposed where we find Barnes’ vocals a creepy combination of gutteral and nearly out-of-control rasp. I like it! You can tell it’s Barnes, and at the same time you’re like, what the hell is going on?! And we can’t forget his patented squEEEEEEl!!! 

Secondly, the band. Jeff Hughell (Asylum, Vile, Braindrill) has been on bass since 2012, “Lord Marco” Pitruzzella (Vile, Braindrill, Vital Remains, The Faceless) has been on drums since 2013, Ray Suhy has been a guitarist since 2015, and Jack Owen (Cannibal Corpse, Decide) joins in on guitars for this record. We haven’t seen the Barnes/Owen combination since the early days of Cannibal Corpse, and you can tell by the writing of both music and lyrics that having these two back together is a very good thing. 

And finally, Six Feet Under have returned to a more classic sound, musically. Most of the songs on Nightmares of the Decomposed are slow to mid-tempo, groovy bops (and you already know that I like that!) with the legendary Jack Owen-style riffs. Great examples of this tone are “Migraine” and “The Noose.” They just ooze along, leaking bodily fluids, as the vocals tell a horrifying story. Then, there’s another style, here, like on “Blood of the Zombie” and “Self Imposed Death Sentence.” The rhythm progressions are layered, while harmonies (yes, harmonies!) and melodies (what?!!) fill out the song with a thick beating. And finally, the faster songs – “Amputator” and “Without Your Life” – are great examples of the technical skill of the band. The latter, in fact, combines all three elements – ooze, layered beatings, and technical pulverizing for one excellent song! As Barnes says in “Labyrinth of Insanity,” enjoy the ride! 

Track Listing:

  1. Amputator
  2. Zodiac
  3. The Rotting
  4. Death Will Follow 
  5. Migraine 
  6. The Noose 
  7. Blood of the Zombie 
  8. Self Imposed Death Sentence 
  9. Dead Girls Don’t Scream
  10. Drink Blood Get High 
  11. Labyrinth of Insanity 
  12. Without Your Life 

Favorite Songs: Amputator; The Rotting; The Noose; Without Your Life

Rating: 8.5/10 – a strong offering from Six Feet Under! 

What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album of the Week: Death – Spiritual Healing (1990)

Death - Spiritual Healing Album Cover

30 years ago the best Death album (in my opinion) and one of the greatest Death Metal albums of all time (again, IMO) was unleashed onto the world! Spiritual Healing was originally released on Combat Records in February of 1990, and was reissued (with bonus material) on Relapse Records in November 2012. 

It was Death’s third studio album, following Scream Bloody Gore (1987) and Leprosy (1988). The lyrical content was a huge leap forward for Chuck Schuldiner (vocals; guitars); leaving behind the typical Death Metal topics for the more political themes of abortion, the ramifications of drug use, eugenics, and televangelism, etc. Schuldiner had an all-star line up on this record with Terry Butler on bass (Obituary; Massacre; Six Feet Under), James Murphy on lead and rhythm guitar (Obituary; Testament; Disincarnate), and Bill Andrews on drums (Massacre). 

Spiritual Healing is a truly amazing record; with heavy riffs, winding progressions of melody, classic Death Metal double bass, incredible solos, and Chuck’s undeniable tortured rasp of a voice! There is not a single wasted song, space, or bar on this one, folks! Its simply a must have in your collection, classic! I have a favorite song, here, but every one is a masterpiece! What else can I say?! You’ve got to give it a listen to believe it. And if you’ve heard it, then you already know. 

The original Combat Records release in ’90 contained: 

  1. Living Monstrosity 
  2. Altering the Future
  3. Defensive Personalities 
  4. Within the Mind
  5. Spiritual Healing 
  6. Low Life
  7. Genetic Reconstruction 
  8. Killing Spree 

Favorite Song: (as the Butcher Crew already know) Low Life

Rating: 10/10! Simply the perfect album! 

What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album Review: Heaven on the Rocks by Ladada

Album Cover of Heaven on the Rocks

Recently a promoter sent WKNC (and I don’t use this term lightly) a boatload of vinyl records. However, our initial excitement quickly turned into confusion. Not one of these albums had been released within the past year. Furthermore, they were all from incredibly small bands. Almost nobody we asked was familiar with them, and if they were, it was a hazy memory hidden somewhere behind newer, more contemporary music. This is pretty unusual because nobody ever sends in vinyl records. They’re just too expensive to produce. But if they were going to do so, you would think it would be from a bigger band. We don’t even have a record player. And so, the vinyls sat on our shelf, resting, building up potential energy like a bowling ball preparing to roll down an alley. But little did I know that my ears would be bowling pins, hit by a strike of indie rock. Finally, one day when I was walking out of the studio, I decided to grab one of the vinyls, just to see if it was any good. I didn’t get a chance to listen to it until later that night. As I sat on my balcony, by chance I decided to play Float Away from the album. The song’s introductory harmonies first graced my ears as a cool fall breeze swept over my body. I sat down and in disbelief listened to the song get better and better as it went on. The harmonies eventually built up to a frenzy of drums and guitar riffs with echoed vocals that could not have fit the song more perfectly. I quickly listened to the rest of the album and found that “Heaven on the Rocks” is a great mix of garage punk and spacey, indie rock. With only 4,000 “Spotify Monthly Listeners,” it’s surprising that Ladada is still this small. However, you can hear the hard work put into “Heaven on the Rocks” and hopefully this band will start to get some of the recognition that they deserve. 

Hope you guys enjoy the music,
-DJ Chippypants <3

Categories
New Album Review

Album Review: “TURN OFF THE LIGHT” by Kim Petras

"TURN OFF THE LIGHT" album cover image

ALBUM: “TURN OFF THE LIGHT” by Kim Petras

RELEASE YEAR: 2019

LABEL: AWAL

RATING: 9/10

BEST TRACKS: “Wrong Turn,” “Death by Sex” and “Tell Me It’s A Nightmare,” “Close Your Eyes”

FCC: EXPLICIT

Although this album came out almost exactly a year ago, I felt like it was perfect to review this month. Kim Petras’ Halloween album, “TURN OFF THE LIGHT” is one of my absolute favorites. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, so when Kim dropped a continuation of “TURN OFF THE LIGHT VOL. 1,” I simply could not stop listening to it all of October and even more throughout the year :p

This year, I’ve found myself listening to it again. It’s so spooky and fun and perfectly narrates all of October, especially now that there are fewer Halloween festivities 🙁 Every song on the 17-song long album is soooo good. “Death By Sex”… just WOW. This song is spooky and sexy and just really makes you want to dance. It reminds me a lot of the typical Kim Petras sound we’re used to. The driving beat almost reminds me of “Icy” from her album “Clarity” but with a Halloween twist. “TRANSylvania” reminds me a bit of Daft Punk with its bass and spooky and electronic sound effects.

I was hoping there would be a volume 3 this year, but unfortunately it looks like there might not be (I’m guessing due to COVID-19) 🙁 BUT, we still have VOL. 1 and 2 to listen to this October and November and December and all the months 🙂

Hope you listen and enjoy as much as I do–

XOXO

Gab

Categories
Playlists

DJ Butter’s Heavy Rotation Playlist

DJ Butter's Heavy Rotation Playlist with a stick of butter
Image Usage: Butter PNG under Creative Commons http://www.pngall.com/?p=14273

Ever wonder what a WKNC DJ listens to when they’re not in the station? A lot of my music isn’t quite 88.1 worthy due to it being too well known, too old, or having way too many curse words to bleep out. If you’re like me, your music taste lacks any sense of consistency or organization, so this playlist is truly an “eclectic” mishmash of songs that are true masterpieces regardless of genre, artist, or decade.

If your curious about some gems that couldn’t make the radio cut (but are still absolutely fantastic), here are some key songs I’ve been listening to on repeat for the past couple weeks:

  • Travelling Riverside Blues (BBC Session) – Led Zeppelin
    This fall, I’ve been obsessed with Led Zeppelin. It is an unexplainable obsession, but an obsession nonetheless. This song, from their 1969 BBC Session, is a playful testimony to how well they can cover the blues.
  • Since Way Back (feat, PARTYNEXTDOOR) – Drake
    PARTY and Drake will always be an unstoppable Canadian duo, but this swoony track off “More Life” really outstrips the rest in my humble opinion.
  • Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
    How could I forget Neil Young? This song is such a lovely little track that reminds me of groupie life in the 70s. Though his voice has never been my favorite, somehow Neil Young’s music always makes me feel good.
  • coordinate – Travis Scott
    Travis has so many bangers that it’s impossible not to have at least one on my heavy rotation playlist. This song, off “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight” is possibly one of my favorite rap songs of all time.
  • (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man – Muddy Waters
    Muddy Waters will always have a special place in my heart. The blues is one of my favorite genres, and in my eyes, he is still the reigning king.
  • Feel It – 21 Savage & Metro Boomin
    Another great dark rap song, 21 Savage & Metro Boomin make an unstoppable team. I’m excited to listen to their newest album together, “Savage Mode II.”
  • Kind of Woman – Stevie Nicks
    Where would this playlist be without featuring the queen of witchcraft herself? This song is an absolute gem and speaks to the brilliancy of her solo work.
  • Love or Confusion – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
    If you decide to only listen to one Jimi Hendrix song in your entire life, let it be this one. The lyrics are fantastic and really show how the guitar god himself can be as poetic as he is metal.
  • The Birds, Pt. 2 – The Weeknd
    While The Weeknd’s new music isn’t exactly to my taste, “Trilogy” is a beautiful, woozy album filled with ballads that show off Abel Tesfaye’s true talent. This song is a deep cut that I’ve always appreciated.
  • 12.38 (feat. 21 Savage, Ink & Kadhja Bonet) – Childish Gambino
    Last but not least, we have my FAVORITE song off “3.15.20.” This track got me through the beginning of quarantine and continues to be on heavy repeat for me. 21 Savage’s part is simply divine.

– DJ Butter

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Slept On: Lady Wray

Album Cover for Lady Wray's "Queen Alone"
Cover for Lady Wray's 2016 "Queen Alone"

Nicole Wray got a taste of the spotlight at a young age: just after graduating high school in 1998, she was the first artist signed to Missy Elliot’s fledgling record label, The Goldmind. Before she knew it, her debut single “Make it Hot” was certified gold and she was touring with Aaliyah. But when Missy began adding new artists to her label, Nicole was overlooked, and her second album never saw the light of day. This would become a recurring theme for the next decade of Nicole’s career, with various labels expressing interest in her and then refusing to release her work. It seems we weren’t the first ones to sleep on her.

After several other artistic endeavors, Nicole has returned under a new stage name: Lady Wray. With this change in name comes a change in sound – she has abandoned the R&B style in favor of retro soul and doo-wop, though her church choir upbringing made rebranding quite easy. While her 2014 release Lady got her foot in the door, it was her 2016 follow-up Queen Alone, with its live instrumentation and impassioned vocal performances, that cemented her as a force to be reckoned within the soul soundscape. Highlights include the hit “Guilty”, written after her brother’s arrest, and “Make Me Over”, a track that finds her coyly asking her lover to take her shopping.

Against all odds, Lady Wray has navigated the fickle beast that is known as the music industry and developed a voice all her own. At this point, it is no longer a question of what she can do but what she can’t do. I recommend this artist to fans of Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Hannah Williams & the Affirmations.

– DJ Mango

Categories
Miscellaneous

Book Review: Logic’s “Supermarket”

Yellow words that say "Supermarket" on a red background.

Bobby Hall, more commonly known as the rapper Logic, isn’t just in the hip-hop game. Get this: he’s also a fiction writer.

Over the summer, I was perusing in Barnes and Noble when my eye was caught by a bright red book with the words “Supermarket” on the front. They were having a buy one, get one 50% off sale (and I was already buying a copy of “Practical Magic”), so I took a chance and bought it. It wasn’t until after I got home that I realized Logic was the author, which made me super excited to read it. I’m not an avid listener of his music, but I appreciate when musicians branch out into other forms of media. It’s a great way to get to know them as a person and as an artist.

Let me just say that “Supermarket” was one of the trippiest books I’ve ever read. I’m going to try to avoid spoilers the best I can, but just know that the novel is hard to describe fully without giving the entire plot twist away. The book takes place in a small Oregon town and centers around our main character, Flynn, a young tortured writer. After finally getting a publishing deal following months of post-breakup depression, he decides to take up a job at a supermarket in search of inspiration for the plot of his new book. There, he meets characters that inspire and disturb him; most specifically his coworker, Fred, a ridiculous and dark anarchist. While balancing anxiety, manic creativity, and love, Flynn’s mind is revealed to be more complicated than he originally thought.

The novel tackles topics like mental health and creative blocks, which made me wonder if the narrative of “Supermarket” reflects some of Logic’s own creative struggles. Overall, it’s a great balance between witty and dark. You can’t help but fall in love with Flynn and his earnestness. The way the book sequences events and ties up at the end is CRAZY. Think of a “Black Mirror” episode translated into 267 pages, and then you can kind of get the feeling. If I said anymore I would give too much away, but it’s definitely worth reading. The only thing I didn’t love about “Supermarket” was how it seemed a bit corny at times, especially during Flynn’s dialogue with his love interest, Mia. Other than that, I recommend it highly to anyone looking for a quick, interesting read.

– DJ Butter

Categories
Playlists

Chip’s Picks to Get You into the ~Fall Mood~

Album Cover of Deja Vu by Crosby Stills and Nash

It’s that time again, folks. Grab your scarf and sweater, get cozy around a fire, and get ready for the fall vibes to roll on in. In my opinion, fall is probably the most universally shared vibes throughout any time of the year. Everyone has their own memories associated with the different seasons. For me, winter is just the worst, spring is a time of rebirth and a finish line for the school year, and summer is always characterized by the summer camp I work at. However, when you ask anyone what comes to mind when they think of these times of year, I’m sure they are bound to have different answers. But if you were to look into the mind of a majority of people when they think about fall, you would see the state fair, football games, flannel clothing, falling leaves, campfires, and Halloween. This time of the year has the most universally shared ideas of what it should be like. And since it has such a common theme, then there must be a set of certain songs that are undoubtedly associated with this season. So finally, I would like to present to you, in no particular order, my list of songs that remind me of walking through the woods on a chilly October day while wearing flannel as my boots crunch the fallen leaves and the smell of a fire graces my senses. 

  • Touch of Grey- The Grateful Dead 
  • Ripple- The Grateful Dead
  • Brokedown Palace- The Grateful Dead 
  • Home- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros 
  • La Belle Fleur Sauvage- Lord Huron
  • Fool for Love- Lord Huron
  • Lullaby- Lord Huron
  • Teach Your Children- Crosby, Stills, and Nash
  • Uncle John’s Band- The Grateful Dead
  • It’s Getting Better- Cass Elliot
  • Cigarette Daydreams- Cage the Elephant
  • While You Wait for the Others- Grizzly Bear
  • Yet Again- Grizzly Bear
  • Amie- Pure Prairie League
  • I Need a Life- Born Ruffians 
  • City Looks Pretty- Courtney Barnett 
  • No, But Remember?- Brightside
  • Harvest Moon- Neil Young
  • Go Easy- Mac DeMarco
  • Gypsy- Fleetwood Mac
  • Rocky Mountain High- John Denver
  • Ventura Highway- America
  • Long Distance- The Districts
  • Ooh La La- Faces
  • Peace Train- Cat Stevens

Ok sorry that list was kind of long, hope you guys enjoy it, 
– DJ chippypants <3

Categories
Miscellaneous

31 of the Best Halloween Movies

It’s officially spooky season! Here in Raleigh, the leaves are changing colors, the 12-foot-tall Home Depot skeletons are making an appearance, and the air is crisp with the scent of fall. Amid the stress of a global pandemic and the impending doom of election season, a little bit of Halloween is what we all need right now (safely, of course). What better way to do celebrate than with the best spooky movies you can imagine?

To get you in the perfect spooky mood, here are 31 of my favorite Halloween films:

  1. Us (2019)
  2. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
  3. Beetlejuice (1988)
  4. Addams Family Values (1993)
  5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
  6. Coraline (2009)
  7. Corpse Bride (2005)
  8. Practical Magic (1998)
  9. Young Frankenstein (1974)
  10. The Shining (1980)
  11. The Conjuring (2013)
  12. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
  13. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
  14. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
  15. As Above So Below (2014)
  16. Gremlins (1984)
  17. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
  18. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
  19. Twilight (2008)
  20. Creep (2014)
  21. Warm Bodies (2013)
  22. The Babadook (2014)
  23. It Follows (2014)
  24. Carrie (1976)
  25. The Craft (1996)
  26. Donnie Darko (2001)
  27. Midsommar (2019)
  28. The Purge (2013)
  29. Poltergeist (1982)
  30. Hocus Pocus (1993)
  31. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Stay Spooky!

– DJ butter