Category: Blog

Categories
Playlists

Comforting Music

Something that I’ve realized while being under quarantine inside my house is the need for hours of self-care, including music that helps relax and comfort me. This blog posts includes some of my favorite comforting albums and songs as well as a playlist to help keep you well during times of concern and anxiety. 

Oncle Jazz – Men I Trust (2019)

This album is the epitome of relaxation with soothing melodies and calmness that is perfect to keep you feeling light even when things are difficult. I particularly like this album because it remains upbeat and cheerful in its lyrics which is perfect when paired with the soothing beats found throughout the album. 

Duke Ellington & John Coltrane – Duke Ellington, John Coltrane (1963) 

I am not a fan of jazz, however, this album could put me to sleep with its relaxing saxophone and piano notes. My favorites from this album are In A Sentimental Mood and My Little Brown Book, two tracks I listen to quite often while focusing on work. 

Carrie & Lowell – Sufjan Stevens (2015)

Most of Sufjan Stevens’ albums include relaxing tracks, but Carrie & Lowell is likely the most melancholic. Although this album is sad, its beauty overshadows the grimness of the topic (the loss of Stevens’ mother and his childhood as the focus of the album). Can’t recommend this album enough. 

This Is All Yours – alt-J (2014)

I’m a big alt-J fan, especially since seeing them live and seeing how amazingly well their music transfers to an in-person experience. This album has some of the more relaxing, less tonal electronic and more instrument- and vocal-based tracks of their discography. All are beautifully made and have vocals which are sure to comfort you.

Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes (2008) 

The vocals and soft guitar strumming on this album help it remain one of my favorite comforting albums. Something about it is so inspiring, like warmth in the middle of a cold winter. 

You can find my favorites from all of these albums as well as other comforting tracks from artists like Keaton Henson, Beach House, and Elliot Smith on the Spotify playlist linked here. Hope you enjoyed this blog post!

– Miranda 

Categories
Playlists

Covid-19 Playlists: The Viral Infection

What’s going on Butcher Crew?! I hope you are all safe and well during these times. The only pain you should endure is in the Butcher Shop! But have no fear, The Saw is here to make sure your self-quarantine is filled with some beatings. Dr. Saw is here to prescribe you some metal.

I will have the songs divided into the segments of the Butcher Shop: Diamond Cuts, Death Row Cell Block, Meat Grinder, Slot Drain, Chopping Block, and Meat Locker. In the playlist, however, they will not be divided into different playlist, but go down in preceding order from Diamond Cuts to Death Row and so on.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy your time indoors with some killer cuts.

The Viral Infection – A Covid-19 Playlist

Diamond Cuts:

·      The Champ is Coming – Upon A Burning Body

·      I.H.E. – Miss May I

·      Apnea – Currents

·      Pissed Off – Fit For A King

Death Row Cell Block:

·      The Grand Conjuration – Opeth

·      Legend of a Banished Man – Amon Amarth

·      Pull the Plug – Death

·      Rime of the Ancient Mariner (2015 Remaster) – Iron Maiden

The Meat Grinder:

·      God Forgives… – Never Ending Game

·      Nail in the Coffin – Bent Life

·      Capital Punishment – Detain

·      Boomslang – Kublai Khan

Slot Drain:

·      In Lust We Trust – I Am

·      Suffocate – Traitors

·      Never Homesick – Bodysnatcher

·      Kill or Be Killed – Spite

The Chopping Block:

·      Wrong One to Fuck With – Dying Fetus

·      Kill or Become – Cannibal Corpse

·      The Geocide – Cattle Decapitation

·      Childchewer – Infant Annihilator

The Meat Locker:

·      Elitist Ones – Whitechapel

·      Love Me to Death – Suicide Silence

·      Slaves Beyond Death – Thy Art Is Murder

·      Agony – Slaughter To Prevail

Stay Metal,

THE SAW 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Fit For A King

Fit For A King (FFAK) were one of the bands that I found randomly. I was going to go see Chelsea Grin in Greensboro one year and FFAK were on tour with them! I started listening to them when I discovered that they would be on tour. They have that traditional metalcore sound: Growls, screams, clean vocals, and anathematic chorus’ and riffs.

Fit For A King is one of the newer metalcore bands that I really enjoy. They have a good combination of soft sounds with heavier sounds and breakdowns. FFAK has a lot of catchy songs and their stage show is awesome! I have seen them a couple of times in Greensboro and also at Warped Tour. Their bass player will run around, jump around, and just do crazy stuff while on stage. It is very entertaining! I met the band during one of their runs through Greensboro, and they’re some really great guys.

The members that form Fit For A King are Ryan Kirby (vocalist), Jared Easterling (drums), Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary (bass), Bobby Lynge (guitarist), and Daniel Gailey (guitarist). FFAK is an American metalcore band founded in Tyler, Texas in 2007 by their drummer, Easterling and others who are not in the band today. The band performed locally, and in 2009 they decided to tour full-time. With a few member changes, in July 2012, FFAK signed to Solid State Records and has released their remaining albums with this label.

They released two independent EP’s: Fit for a king (2008) and Awaken the Vesper (2009). They released one independent album in 2011 titled Descendants. Once they signed with Solid State Records, the band released 5 full-lengths: Creation/Destruction (2013), Descendants – Redux (2013), Slave to Nothing (2014), Deathgrip (2016), and Dark Skies (2018).

Favorite songs: Backbreaker, Pissed Off, Stacking Bodies, and Slave to Nothing.

Have you seen Fit For A King? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Ratboys – Printer’s Devil

ALBUM REVIEW: Ratboys – Printer’s Devil

BEST TRACKS: Printer’s Devil, I Go Out at Night, Look To

FCC clean

Printer’s devil is an old term for an apprentice at a printing establishment. Printer’s devils would do simple tasks such as mix basins of ink. There are many supposed origins for the term. My favorite theory is that a mischievous devil, Titivillus, haunts every print shop and performs mischief such as removing lines of type and misspelling words. The printing apprentice was blamed for these things, and called the printer’s devil by association. Printer’s Devil is also the name of Ratboy’s most recent release and the last (and best) song on the album. This Chicago indie band is back on the scene, attempting to break our hearts again with another wistful, nostalgic album.

On Printer’s Devil, Ratboys banishes any last remaining essence of twang or folk from their style to produce a through and through alt-pop album. Julia Steiner’s voice is childlike and whimsical, which brings a level of warmth even to Ratboys’ most grungy, fuzzy songs. However, most songs on Printer’s Devil are on the softer side, which suits Steiner’s voice better. While she has a wonderful voice, Steiner is definitely not a screamer. While this album features some electrifying riffs, you won’t find anything too intense here. In accordance to Ratboys’ past style, Printer’s Devil is still rather laid-back, despite having lost elements of post-country and twang.

This album was recorded in Steiner’s empty childhood home, which might have added some ache to Steiner’s voice, especially since a prominent theme on this album is the revisitation of childhood memories as an adult. While listening to this album,  I can’t help but recall memories of my own childhood and wondering what all those places from my memories look like now. Though Printer’s Devil is less novel than Ratboys’ previous release, GN, it’s still worth a run-through. Excite your ears with some new sounds. I’d recommend this album to fans of Charly Bliss, Cayetana, and  Weakened Friends.

-Safia

Categories
Playlists

Friday Favorites (3/20)

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well and staying indoors(!!) and healthy during this crazy time. One of the best ways to take control of your own self-care and occupy your time well is to listen to new music. Hopefully my Friday Favorites for this week inspire you to find some new tracks to check out. 

9 to 5 (ft. Freddie Gibbs & Tedy Andreas) – Adam Snow 

I am a really avid follower of Freddie Gibbs and adore his music, which led me to finding this recent release. I like Andreas’ voice and the beat created by Snow. Definitely a must-listen especially if you like rap or R&B. 

We Got Love (ft. Ms. Lauryn Hill) – Teyana Taylor 

I was a Teyana fan back in middle school, and this song is so cute. Lauryn Hill is also one of my absolute favorite artists of all time, so this song is instantly good to me. Lauryn Hill’s verses on this song are so melodic and lovely. 

I Wanna Ride – Porches

This track is my favorite from the new Porches album, I think it’s a pretty sweet song about ~young love~ with a cool beat. “I wanna ride with you/ wherever you are.” It’s also a bit different from the typically sound we usually get from Porches, which is probably why I like it. 

Je disparais dans tes bras – Christine and the Queens 

This one is nice because it somehow meets in the middle of electronic and pop in an appealing way that is actually pretty underrated. Very unique in its sound, and the French adds an elegance to the track. 

Climb That Mountain – Sufjan Stevens, Lowell Brams  

This song is a comforting instrumental made by Sufjan Stevens along with his stepfather, Lowell Brams (referenced in his absolutely fantastic album Carrie & Lowell – which I highly recommend). The singles that the two have been releasing have me extremely excited for the release of their collaborative album. 

If you’re interested, you can find all of my Friday Favorites since I began writing them for WKNC on a playlist at this link. 

– Miranda 

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Basement Revolver – Wax and Digital

ALBUM REVIEW: Basement Revolver – Wax and Digital

BEST TRACKS: Master’s Degree, Concussion pt. 2

FCC Violations: Concussion pt. 2, Have I Been Deceived

Basement Revolver’s newest, second ever album, Wax and Digital, is delicate and simple shoegaze. There’s nothing overworked about it. long-time fans of Basement Revolver fell in love with the band when they made a splash in the Ontario indie music scene, cultivating their fuzzy, reverberating sound and vocalist Chrissy Hurn’s angelic voice. Hurn is still out to impress with her talented singing for this new album, but the band has taken a different approach this time around, opting to put intensity in the backseat for favor of a more dream pop approach. As opposed to Basement Revolver’s first album, Wax and Digital is an album for the more mellow music listeners out there.

Wax and Digital sounds a lot different from Basement Revolver’s hit debut album Heavy Eyes. This new release tones down the intense percussion, high-pitched feedback, and wailing vocals in favor of more humble drums and lighter, softer vocals. Though Wax and Digital is largely floaty and shimmering, there is no lack of gritty riffs. Guitarists Chrissy Hurn and Jonathan Malström, and Bassist Nimal Agalawatte work together to add scant elements of fuzz, chaos, and power to an otherwise tame dream pop album.

Wax and Digital is definitely an emotionally charged album, but the lyrics come off as vague. I would have loved to see more vulnerability coming from this album, perhaps in the form of more specific lyrics or concrete diction. Lines like “I can’t bear the thought of ever losing you” (track 1, Wax and Digital) and “I don’t want to let you go tonight” (track 5, Romantic and Heart) feel trite and generic, as though the artist is shy and holding back. Not all music needs to be gut-wrenching and painful (indeed, it shouldn’t), but when you’re writing sad songs you might as well go all the way. Regardless, if you’re in the mood for some easy listening, give this record a spin, especially if you’re into bands like Palehound, Tacocat, or Chastity Belt.

-Safia Rizwan 

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: King Adora – Vibrate You

ALBUM REVIEW: King Adora – Vibrate You

BEST TRACKS: Suffocate, Bionic, Big Isn’t Beautiful

FCC Violations: Bionic, Aceface

Vibrate You is the album that propelled British glam rock band King Adora to number 30 on the UK Albums Chart. The album received a lot of criticism for the third track, ‘Big Isn’t Beautiful,’ which seems to glorify anorexia and bulimia with lyrics such as “I’m gonna shed me some skin, get me real, real slim. I want to feel my bones on your bones.” but others see the song as satire, pointing out that the song is from the perspective of someone suffering from an eating disorder, who is blind to the harm that they are causing themselves, as evident in the lyrics “I love myself too much to see, it haunts by dreams” Musically and lyrically, I think that ‘Big Isn’t Beautiful’ is the best track on the album, simply because it comes from such a twisted place in the artist’s mind.

This album is spotted with clever rhymes that make the songs memorable and catchy, my favorite being the lines “I got the wind on my back, Like the good Frank Black, I gots to get me some speed, Like the Lord Lou Reed.” From the 2nd track ‘Bionic’. The way Maxi Browne sings these lines with stress and emphasis makes them all the more brilliant. Browne’s vocal versatility is iconic, ranging from scratchy growls and full-throated screams to feminine, high-pitched vibrato. His vocals are a match made in heaven with Dan Dabrowski’s intense, thrashing drumming style, and Martyn Nelson’s fuzzy, hardcore guitar riffs.

Vibrate You encompases everything that I like to see in music. This album is dark, intense, sexually deviant, vulnerable, and raw. It’s definitely one of my top albums. You won’t be able to find this album on spotify or bandcamp, but all of the songs are on youtube in pretty good quality. I recommend this album if you like bands like Silverchair, Nirvana, or Pearl Jam.

-Safia

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Pintandwefall – Your Stories Baby

This garage rock revival band is comprised of four best friends from Helsinki, Finland that have dubbed themselves with spicegirl-style names Tough Pint, Cute Pint, Crazy Pint, and Dumb Pint. They are fun, creative, wear all black, and perform in Zorro masks. The quartet has been close friends since highschool and initially started the band to perform in their school’s band marathon. Over a decade later, the band is still comprised of the original four members, who have recently released their sixth studio album. Your Stories Baby is melodic, bright, and playful, with several slightly bizzare music videos to match.

Lead vocalist Dumb Pint has a soft, gentle voice, which is the focal point of the album. Dumb Pint’s voice is framed by Cute Pint’s lush 80s synth keyboard, Tough Pint’s delicate percussion, and Crazy Pint’s whimsical electric bass riffs. My favorite track on this album is track 1, Titanic. This song has an amazing energy flow and is the most upbeat song on the album. It serves as an opener that will draw you into the rest of the album. The second track, The Roof, is mellower, with simple, happy lyrics, and focuses heavely on sunny keyboard instrumental.

Pintandwefall is like if the Powerpuff girls formed a band to defeat evil with the sound waves that come out of their speakers. Themes on this album are far and wide, ranging from sweet and melancholic (track 3, Ah-Ah-Ah) to slightly comedic (track 8, Job Interview). As a small band from across the word, with only 8,700 listeners on Spotify, Pintandwefall doesn’t have a huge following in the United States, but I think they have potential, especially because they play their songs in english rather than Finnish. I recommend this band if you like Marina and the Diamonds, Sade, or Surf Curse.

-Safia Rizwan  

Categories
DJ Highlights

My Best Concert Experience

One of the best bands I’ve ever seen live was Cults. Cults is an indie pop/synthpop band from New York City which was formed in 2010 by Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin. Their track, Go Outside, helped them get on the map, and they have gained more popularity over the years with exposure from their appearance on the new Stephen King’s Carrie remake and the release of their most recent album, Offering, in 2017. I’ll go ahead and say that if you haven’t heard of the band or haven’t gotten a chance to listen to them, definitely look them up. 

Before Cults released the album Static, they were pretty underground. I’m not sure how I even discovered them, but regardless they quickly became one of my favorite bands. I’m sure I listened to Cults (their first album) over a hundred times. I really adore their sound and to this day I appreciate them as one of the most unique bands out there. In 2015, after a lot of begging, my parents took me to The Fillmore in Charlotte (on a school night!) to see Cults. The concert was memorable to me especially because it was one of the first times I’d ever seen a band live. Cults put so much energy into their performances and have a live sound that was very similar to their recordings. I loved the high energy and all the excitement in the room that night and it was such a good way to be introduced to the music scene. The highlight of the night was afterwards, my dad somehow helped me get backstage to meet the band. I had just gotten their album and shirt, and Madeline Follin signed my Static CD and chatted with me briefly. It was a really great experience for me as a young woman to meet such a cool, down-to-earth female musician. She really inspires me and I think it definitely helped make that concert even more memorable to me. 

If you haven’t checked out Cults yet, definitely do!

-Miranda 

Categories
Non-Music News

An Update from WKNC

Dear WKNC Audience,

It seems as though everywhere you look COVID-19 is impacting individuals and their livelihoods. Universities and schools across the nation are closing and transitioning to an online format, and NC State University is no different. Thus, as WKNC is a University entity, some changes have to be made to our current structure as well.

As of Tuesday, March 17, WKNC’s offices will be closed to the public until further notice. During this time staff will be working remotely and on-air DJs will be limited. Despite this, we will remain on-the-air 24/7/365 due to our ability to automate rotation. However, as our offices are closed, all pending Lounge sessions, on-air interviews, tours, merch pick-ups, and other in-person events are canceled. As far as merch goes, purchases from our swag store can still be made, but it is currently unknown when they will be able to ship out or be available for pick-up. Regarding DJs, while our request lines will still ring, it is unlikely that anyone will be in-studio to answer. Our Music Directors have worked hard to curate our playlists so the great music will continue to play, nonetheless. 

Please stay connected with us on social media (@wknc881 across all platforms) for updates on our situation, COVID-19, university regulations, staff productivity and more. 

As you are all remaining in your homes for an unspecified duration of time, tune into WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1 or HD-2 to pass the time and ease your mind. We’re not gone, we’re just a dial away. 

Stay safe, stay healthy, keep it locked.

-Laura Mooney, General Manager of WKNC 88.1