Category: Blog

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Playlists

Friday Favorites (6/26)

This week’s Friday Favorites segment will highlight some of my favorite songs by talented Black artists from the mid-1900s. Often these artists had to fight to break into mainstream music and were working against discrimination and racism. Despite their struggle, these artists all created amazing music. 

Grandma’s Hands – Bill Withers

Most of us know of the talent and impact of Bill Withers as a musician. He is an incredible songwriter, and this song in particular echoes familial love and gratitude. Its emotional lyrics pair with a cool R&B beat to create a memorable track. 

Mama Said – The Shirelles 

This is a really excellent song by this successful group which defined female vocal groups and helped influence the popular blend of pop and rock with R&B. This song is fun and upbeat with beautiful vocals and harmonies. 

You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 

One of my favorite Black musicians is Smokey Robinson. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles created some of the most gorgeous music of the era, ranging from love songs to Christmas albums. The group is incredibly influential to R&B and this song is so beautiful. 

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – The Temptations 

The Temptations were one of the most influential Motown acts of all time. Their vocals are extremely memorable and influential still today, and this song is a perfect example of why the group is remembered as one of the best of the 1960s. 

Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes 

This song is one of the best from The Marvelettes, a pop-influenced Motown girl group with gorgeous lead vocals and upbeat lyrics and song themes. This one is one of the most well-known by the group and has been covered by many artists since. 

As always, you can check out this week’s Favorites and all the songs from the past weeks on this playlist on WKNC’s Spotify. Hope you enjoyed! 

– Miranda 

Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 6/23

Artist Record Label
1 EARTHGANG Mirrorland Dreamville/Interscope
2 TUAMIE Emergency Raps, Vol. 5 Mutant Academy
3 ASAP FERG Floor Seats RCA
4 SUPA BWE Just Say Thank You Freddy Got Magic/Empire
5 TOBI LOU Live On Ice Empire
6 YOUNG RJ AND MEGA RAN 2HANDSUP Ne’Astra
7 YOUNG THUG So Much Fun 300/Atlantic
8 SOLANGE When I Get Home Saint Records/Columbia
9 CASHINOVA Big Dragon Stophouse
10 KASH DOLL Stacked Republic

Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 6/23

Artist Record Label
1 CARIBOU Suddenly Merge
2 LONE Not Seeing Is A Flower [EP] Ancient Astronauts
3 YVES TUMOR Heaven To A Tortured Mind Warp
4 GRIMES Miss Anthropocene 4AD/Beggars Group
5 JAMES MASSIAH Natural Born Killers (Ride for Me) [EP] Levels
6 COWGIRL CLUE Icebreaker Vada Vada
7 JESSY LANZA “Lick In Heaven” [Single] Hyperdub
8 CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS La Vita Nuova [EP] Because/Capitol
9 INDIA JORDAN DNT STP MY LUV [EP] Local Action
10 BUSCABULLA Regresa Ribbon

Categories
Non-Music News

Black Owned Restaurants to Support

Father’s day was last weekend, so I hope you treated the father’s in your life to some good food. The best way to do this: buy from one of these black owned restaurants in the area. I’ll list a few here, along with a short description of what kind of food they serve. A longer list, containing more locations in North Carolina, is linked below.

Bestow Baked Goods located at 4208 Lassiter Rd, Holly Springs, NC 27540 – Since Bestow is known to make desserts for a special occasion be sure to place an order for that special father in your life. Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, breakfast and pies: all your desert needs can be met here.

Boss of Vegan located at 2161 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC 27603 – If you’re looking for a vegan burger look no further. If anyone in the family enjoys eating vegan this is a great spot to order from.

Chick-N-Que located at 420 S. Main St., Rolesville, NC 27571 – This restaurant serves 100% N.C.-raised ostrich burgers, I’ve never had one myself but I sure want to try…but if you aren’t ready for it they also have a large variety of other chicken dishes to choose from. And they have a food track that goes around town.

Dame’s Chicken and Waffles located at 1823 N. Harrison Ave., Cary, NC 27513 – A personal favorite of mine, you can never go wrong with their unique chicken and waffle dish. Dames is a one of kind experience, with their various waffle spread flavors and a menu full of various vegan and vegetarian options. Anyone in the family can find something to eat here, making it the perfect place to order from for a special occasion.

Joyce and Family Restaurant located at 129 S. Main St., Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 – This family offers some of the best home style country cooking in the area. Everything is made fresh and daily, they put their hearts and love into every dish. They also offer catering services.

As I said these are only a few of the great black owned restaurants in the area, links to find more are located below. If you order out anytime soon, these all make fantastic choices~

More Black Owned Restaurants:

Google Sheet of black owned restaurants 

 Black owned restaurants in Raleigh NC

Until next time

Let’s stay psyched and support the Black Lives Matter Movement,

DJ Psyched

Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 6/23

Artist Record Label
1 AVERSIONS CROWN Hell Will Come For Us All Nuclear Blast
2 BENIGHTED Obscene Repressed Season of Mist
3 JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED Pain Is Power Self-Released
4 END Splinters From An Ever-Changing Face Closed Casket Activities
5 VADER Solitude In Madness Nuclear Blast
6 MINDFORCE Swingin Chords Choppin LordsTriple B
7 SEED OF PAIN Flesh, Steel, Victory… Plead Your Case
8 CURRENTS The Way It Ends SharpTone
9 BEHEMOTH A Forest [EP] Metal Blade
10 UPON A BURNING BODY “Built from War” [Single] Seek & Strike

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Artist Highlight: Neon Dreams

 

After hearing the artists newest single ‘Sick of Feeling Useless’, released May 7th, I decided to look into the artists a bit more. I absolutely loved the anthem styled tune and it’s message. It seemed to me that this duo is full of heart and on a mission to spread truth and shed light on what it feels like to live in the modern world. It only took a quick visit to the artists Facebook page to see that that is definitely the kind of artists they are. 

The artist’s music can be described as blending elements of pop, rock, and hip hop. The theme of the music, as stated by the artists, is ‘I’m gonna do my best to make music for people to heal to’. The duo, from Nova Scotia, had a change of heart a few years ago on the kind of music they wanted to create. This was following a life changing retreat Kadillace went on, after which he said ‘they helped me understand who I am’. The singer, Frank Kadillac, said he didn’t want to make music that just made people feel sad or worse, so he decided to change the style and use his music to try and help people instead. Kadillac said music was an outlet he always used for healing, and it makes him feel good when people reach out and let them know that their music is having the same effect on them as it had on him.

You can definitely hear this in the track I mentioned above. The headbanging chorus ‘Sick of feeling useless’ is simple, but punches right in the relatable feelings. Anyone who relates to the sentiment will likely enjoy the artists other similarly themed music.

The duo is really rising right now, as their most recent album landed them a Juno nomination for Breakout Group of the Year. The artist also had their cinematic debut with the track ‘Shape of My Mind’ which played in the opening scene of the movie Dangerous Lies. The artist has also been featured in Spin magazine and is continuing to grow in popularity. I can’t wait to see what they come out with next.

Until next time

Let’s Stay Psyched about Music,

DJ Psyched

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Black Contributions to Music: Classical

As music listeners and lovers, we may forgot the importance behind the history of music. In lieu of the Black Lives Matter movement, I want to highlight some of the incredible influences by black musicians to music in general through this series. We will start by looking at some influential black composers and influences to classical music by black artists. 

  1. Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Saint-Georges was the first classical composer of African origin. He was also a violinist and conductor of a leading symphony orchestra in Paris. He’s most remembered for composing many string quartets and musical compositions for multiple operas. 

  1. George Bridgetower

Bridgetower was an Afro-European virtuoso violinist. He began as an extremely successful young musician who traveled across Europe performing. He was a protégé of Beethoven, but is often forgotten in history despite his talent, most likely because of his racial identity. He also created his own compositions. 

  1. Florence Price

Florence Price was the first African-American woman to have her composition performed by a major symphony orchestra. Living in Arkansas with her husband, she faced much racial discrimination. The couple moved north after racial tension led to a lynching nearby, to Chicago, where Price completed her first compositions. Price’s music combines traditional European classical with melodies inspired by African-American folk music. Price and her work are often overlooked based on her race, so most of her music is not available online, though you can hear some of her compositions on YouTube. 

  1. Thomas Wiggins

Thomas Wiggins, known as “Blind Tom,” was one of the most well-known 19th century pianists and composers. He was a musical prodigy and was the highest paid pianist of the 19th century by the age of 10. He created over a hundred piano compositions. Despite his relevance during this time, he is relatively unknown today, especially compared to his white musical counterparts. 

  1. George Walker

Walker was an African-American musician who broke ground in the musical world, known for influencing the world of black classical music. He was the first African-American to win a Pulitzer Prize for music, first black graduate of his college, and first black musician to play New York’s Town Hall. He’s known for his beautiful and moving string compositions. 

Today, there is still obvious evidence of discrimination clouding the talent of black classical musicians. There’s still a blatant lack of representation within classical performances. Artists like Florence Price have reshaped the sound of American classical music despite the many obstacles; as listeners we must acknowledge their contributions and work against the institutional racial bias within music. Next time you are in the mood for classical music, remember the contributions of black musicians that shaped music today. 

– Miranda

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Black Contributions to Music: EDM

As a fan of EDM, I am constantly reminded of the under-representation of black EDM artists, despite the fact that EDM originated from gay black men. I wanted to write about the origins of EDM and recognize the influence of black artists, which constantly goes unrecognized based uninstitutional racial bias in the world of music. 

House music and dance music was first created in the gay club scenes of the 70’s and 80’s. This sound is credited to gay men, particularly gay men of color; the music was created for and by LGBTQ people of color. Frankie Knuckles, a gay black man from Chicago’s South Side, is known as the “Godfather of House Music.” EDM draws heavily upon these influences and the rise of the genre would not have been possible without the queer black musicians experimenting with dance music. EDM gained global recognition as a genre in the mid-2000s with the appearance of artists like Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia. The industry has only gained in popularity since then, but is still dominated by straight, white men. EDM still lacks LGBTQ and POC representation, despite its origins. On the topic, Adam Davenport, the first African-American EDM musician to chart on Billboard said this: “It’s interesting that EDM has been dominated by largely straight white DJs [and] producers from Europe, and yet the godfather of house music — to which electronic dance music is indebted — happens to be a gay Black man, also from Chicago, named Frankie Knuckles. Frankie passed away in 2014, but I’d like to think that his spirit is blessing my efforts.” Largely the history of EDM has been ignored by the artists who have risen to fame from the genre, like David Guetta, who was credited by an ABC special for bringing house music to America. 

Remember this the next time you hear a top-100 EDM song, likely produced by a straight, white artist. If you love the genre, remember its true history and consider it wouldn’t have been possible without the creativity of black individuals like Frankie Knuckles. Additionally, check out and celebrate black EDM artists like Green Velvet, Flying Lotus, and Black Coffee. 

– Miranda

Sources: I, II, III 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Wage War

What’s going on Butcher Crew?! It’s your Master Butcher, The Saw and I am here to highlight one of my favorite metalcore bands when I was in high school! I first saw Wage War at the 2016 Warped Tour! I was 17 at the time, and I primarily went to that Warped Tour to see Whitechapel (shocking right?). While I was waiting for Whitechapel to come on, Wage War was playing before them. I ended up staying for Wage War’s set and I am glad that I did! They blew me away with their energy, enthusiasm, and love of what they are doing.

After their set, I met the band at their merch booth and they are such nice guys! They are grateful for their fans, and you can tell that they genially mean that when you get the chance to talk to them. After Warped Tour, I started listening to more Wage War, and I have seen them countless times! They have one of the best live performances that I have ever seen!

Wage War is an American metalcore band from Ocala, Florida that formed in 2010. Before their name was Wage War, they went under the name Empires. In 2013 they changed the band name to Wage War and signed to Fearless Records in 2015. The guys in Wage War have been on numerous tours, including playing on the entirety of Warped tour in 2016, A Day to Remember’s Self Help Festival in 2017. The band has also opened up for bands such as August Burns Red, Chelsea Grin, I Prevail, For Today, and Of Mice & Men.

On March 18, 2019, Wage War lost all of their MySpace content form 2016 and earlier from their Empires era (except for their EP, The Fall of Kings). It was reported that over 50 million songs and 12 years’ worth of content were permanently lost with no backup.

The band has released 3 studio albums. Their first album, Blueprints, is my absolute favorite. They had that metalcore sound that I think is the best . Their songs had fantastic riffs that complimented the clean vocals and growls beautifully. Their first record was heavy and groovy, two of my favorite things! Their second album was also really good! There are softer songs, here, on their sophomore album but overall, it was also a great record. I wasn’t a big fan of their third album simply because it didn’t have that edge that the first two albums had. It seemed like on their latest album they were going for a more “hard rock,” rather than metalcore, sound; perhaps, to reach more potential fans outside the extreme genre. The album sounds awesome, but it’s not my cup of tea. I love seeing bands evolve and try different things in their music, and nearly all bands intentionally evolve and grow. Sometimes a band’s newest fans love the “new" sound, often their original fans wont make the jump with them. Concerning Wage War, I will stick with the first two albums.

Discography:

The Fall of Kings (Empires) (EP) (2011)

Blueprints (2015)

Deadweight (2017)

Pressure (2019)


Members:

Briton Bond (lead vocalist)

Seth Blake (lead guitar)

Cody Quistad (rhythm guitar, clean vocals)

Chris Gaylord (bass)

Stephen Kluesener (drums)


Favorite Songs:

The River, Spineless, Alive, Stitch, Gravity, and Johnny Cash.

What are your favorite Wage War songs? Have you seen them live? What do you think of their change in direction?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW  

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM PLAY BY PLAY: SEBii – VVV

ALBUM PLAY BY PLAY: SEBii – VVV

BEST TRACKS: Racing, MeMe, Data Looting

FCC Dirty

Arguably, the most notable element separating SEBii from his contemporaries is the pitch of his voice, which he addresses in the first song on this album, Bingo. SEBii claims that despite what people think, his vocals aren’t pitch-bended and that it comes from practice. I appreciate that these bars are self-aware, original, and personal. I think he sounds better singing with a thinner, lower, strained pitch. When he sings quieter, his voice gets really soft, losing any grit and intonation, and everything he sings blends into an unappetizing mush.

Track two is MeMe. SEBii does a good job varying his pitch between soft and gritty in this song, which keeps it interesting. I love the way he says “I be looking super clean”.  I love the raspy whisper of the outro, yet another pitch change. The bars, the flow and the beat is all here. This track is my second favorite on the album.

Moving on to the next track, Winter. Despite it being one of SEBii’s most popular songs I was underwhelmed. It has a solid beat, but this song has no notable lyrics, and sebii maintains a very soft pitch throughout the entire song, which gets monotonous and melds everything into a bland mass. This song is lacking intensity.

The next track is BahBahBah. Even the mystic strings couldn’t save this track. Again, the vocals are monotonous, lacking intonation and inflection.

Racing is the top track for me on the album. The intro has impeccable buildup, leading to a satisfying beat drop. We get to hear both the deeper, rougher side as well as the soft side of SEBii’s unique voice on this song, the variation of which keeps the listener invested. As far as instrumental goes, the sparking piano trills are charming.

Data Looting: This one is pretty catchy. Despite it sounding slightly repetitive, I’m not mad at it. At times though, the lyrics sound rushed and crammed into the bars.

The last track VVV is a cute outro.  I can’t get past the soft, high pitched voice though, it sounds like there’s a mosquito in my ear it gets on my nerves.

I respect that SEBii is unapologetically himself, unashamedly making anime and pokemon references, and owning his unique voice. I wonder what he sounds like when he’s just having a normal conversation.

Safia