Category: Blog

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Classic Album Review

Album of the Week: AC/DC – Back in Black

On July 25, 1980, one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) Hard Rock records was released onto the world; Back In Black (Atlantic Records). It Mark’s the 7th studio album (6th international album) by Australia’s AC/DC. It was recorded in April and May of that year at Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas. The record was produced by the legendary John “Mutt" Lange, and is the band’s first album to feature Brian Johnson (Geordie) on vocals.

Following the breakthrough record, Highway to Hell, AC/DC was prepared to hit the studio again to record their next record. However, in February of 1980 Bon Scott was found dead of alcohol poisoning. Rather than disband, the remaining members – Angus Young (lead guitar), Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), Cliff Williams (bass and backing vocals) and Phil Rudd (drums) – decided (on March 29) to hire Johnson and continue on. None of Scott’s lyrics were used on Back in Black, because the band did not want it to seem they were profiting off his death. The album’s all black cover was a sign of morning for Scott.

Back in Black is, literally, an unprecedented album. It has sold more than 50 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums in music history. Typical of the era, over half the songs on the record concern sex, written in innuendos, metaphors, and/or double entendres:

“Shoot to Thrill”; “What do You do for Money Honey”; “Given the Dog a Bone”; Let Me put My Love Into You”; “You Shook Me All Night Long” ; “Shake a Leg.”

One of the best songs offered is about drinkin’!! – “Have a Drink on Me”

“Hell’s Bells” is a reference to all the storms passing over the island during recording. The title track is a celebratory bop of the bands return, and “Rock ‘N’ Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” is purely self-explanatory.

Favorite Songs: Given the Dog a Bone; Have a Drink on Me; Back in Black

Rating: 10/10!!

*Special Note* In 2014 Malcolm Young was diagnosed with Dementia and, on November 18, 2017 died from the disease at the age of 64.

What is your favorite song off of Back in Black?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Playlists

Friday Favorites (5/1)

Hi everyone, hope you’re all doing well despite everything going on these days! Here are some of the songs that have been inspiring for me 

Nightrider (ft. Yussef Dayes & Freddie Gibbs) – Tom Misch 

I love the jazziness of this song paired with verses of two artists I really like. Both Yussef Dayes and Freddie Gibbs have some of the most unique voices in hip-hop right now. I love this track and find it such a good one to drive around to. 

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – (I Love You Baby) – Ms. Lauryn Hill 

This is one of my favorite songs of all time and also one of the best versions of this song there is. It’s a sweet, mushy love song but Lauryn brings a cool beat and gorgeous vocals to really set it over the top. 

Hngover – AG Club 

This new album from AG Club is really interesting, but this song in particular stood out to me. This song reminds me of a Chance song, but has a little more of an indie influence. I really liked it and recommend the album if you haven’t heard it yet. 

Poison (ft. Take A Daytrip, Obongjayar, Santi) – Octavian 

I’ve previously reviewed an Obongjayar for the blog, and I think was one of the best up-and-coming British rappers. This song reminds me of an EDM track and easily got stuck in my head. I really like it and think it’s a unique mix of British rap, electronic, and pop music. 

Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games – of Montreal 

This was the song that first introduced me to of Montreal and I’ve gotten back into listening to their older music lately. I highly recommend it. This song and album really reminds me of something by Talking Heads and I just love the chill vibe it gives off. 

Hope you guys are having another great week while social distancing, and I’m wishing everyone good luck on their finals! Check out these songs and more on my Friday Favorites playlist on the WKNC Spotify account! 

– Miranda 

Categories
Playlists

Heavy Metal Holiblaze

^^ I just think this meme is funny so I wanted to share it.

What’s going on Butcher Crew?! It’s ya girl, your Master Butcher, The Saw and I am back with another fun playlist for you to jam out to this month! Two important holidays have passed and we should keep the celebration alive by jamming a holiday themed playlist! This playlist will have some Christian metal bands to contribute to the Easter portion (e.g. For Today). The other set of bands will contribute to the other holiday this month that most of you have already guessed. If you need a hint, one of the bands in this playlist is called Cannabis Corpse. So, sit back, relax and enjoy these fresh tunes!

Here are some of my favorite songs in this playlist:

·      Lamb of God – Redneck

·      Demon Hunter – On My Side

·      Becoming the Archetype – How Great Thou Art

·      Living Sacrifice – Flatline

·      August Burns Red – White Washed

·      As I Lay Dying – Nothing Left

·      Impending Doom – Murderer

·      For Today – Break The Cycle

·      Bong Rips For Jesus – Jesus Has Resin

·      Cannabis Corpse – The 420th Crusade

·      Cypress Hill – Hits From the Bong

·      Black Sabbath – Sweet Leaf

·      Weedeater – Wizard Fight

·      Bongzilla – Weedthumb

·      Six Feet Under – 4:20

·      Bongripper – Reefer Sutherland

Link to Spotify playlist

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Playlists

30-Song Challenge

Almost all of my friends have been bombarding their Instagram stories with daily updates to their 30-Day Song Challenge. I love this challenge and thought it would be cool to try to list them out myself for you guys to check out. Let’s get into it! 

1 – A song you like with a color in the title 

Off White by Global Dan 

2 – A song you like with a number in the title 

9 (ft. SZA) by WILLOW

3 – A song that reminds you of summertime 

Marathon by Tennis

4 – A song that reminds you of someone you’d rather forget 

Without U by corbin  

5 – A song that needs to be played loud 

All Day by Kanye West 

6 – A song that makes you want to dance 

BOOGIE by BROCKHAMPTON

7 – A song to drive to 

Rapp Snitch Knishes by MF DOOM

8 – A song about drugs or alcohol 

High (ft. Danny Brown) by Freddie Gibbs 

9 – A song that makes you happy 

Wavey (ft. Spooky Black) by Allan Kingdom 

10 – A song that makes you sad 

Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens 

11 – A song you never get tired of 

Sleepyhead by Passion Pit 

12 – A song from your preteen years 

19-2000 by Gorillaz

13 – A song you like from the 70’s 

Cecilia by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles  

14 – A song you’d love to be played at your wedding 

lovers’ carvings by Bibio

15 – A song you like that’s a cover by another artist 

Cut Your Bangs by Girlpool 

16 – A song that’s a classic favorite 

You and Me by Penny & the Quarters

17 – A song you’d sing a duet with someone on karaoke 

Time After Time by Iron & Wine 

18 – A song from the year you were born 

Orange Moon by Erykah Badu 

19 – A song that makes you think about life 

Liability by Lorde 

20 – A song that has many meanings to you 

This Is Home by Cavetown 

21 – A song you like with a person’s name in the title 

Bobby by (Sandy) Alex G 

22 – A song that moves you forward 

Sad Machine by Porter Robinson 

23 – A song you think everybody should listen to 

Mama by Annette Pointdexter & Pieces of Peace

24 – A song by a band you wish were still together 

Cemetery Drive by My Chemical Romance 

25 – A song you like by an artist no longer living 

Stay by Mac Miller

26 – A song that makes you want to fall in love 

Real Thing ft. SZA by A$AP Ferg 

27 – A song that breaks your heart 

You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are by Keaton Henson 

28 – A song written by an artist whose voice you love 

Tell Him by Lauryn Hill

29 – A song you remember from your childhood 

And She Was by Talking Heads

30 – A song that reminds you of yourself 

My Girls by Animal Collective 

I had a great time putting this list together and tried to include multiple genres and a variety of different artists. Hope you enjoyed, and would love to hear your 30 songs! 

– Miranda

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Elvis Depressedly – Depressedelica

ALBUM REVIEW: Elvis Depressedly – Depressedelica

BEST TRACKS: Who Can Be Loved In This World?, Let’s Break Up The Band, New Love In The Summertime

FCC violations: Who Can Be Loved In This World?, Let’s Break Up The Band

This experimental pop band hails from Asheville, North Carolina! You might have heard of Elvis Depressedly from their most popular song ‘Weird Honey’, from the album Holo Pleasures / California Dreamin’. This band is characterized by their soft, cloudy, sad boy hours aura.

Depressedelica sounds fuzzy, muted, and autotuned. It sounds like grittier, anxious dreampop. Like shoegaze if shoegaze was pushed down a flight of 20 stairs and then told that its dog was being held hostage. That’s okay because I always like my music burnt with a side of dinge. I prefer the less-autotuned, more acoustic-sounding tracks on the album such as ‘Who Can Be Loved In This World’ and ‘Let’s Break Up The Band’ because Mathew Lee Cothran ’s unfettred voice feels so genuine and vulnerable. These non-autotuned songs feel more heartfelt and personal to me than the more autotune-clounded songs on this album such as ‘Jane, Don’t You Know Me?’

I was drawn to this album because I’ve been feeling pretty low lately and wanted some music to wallow with. Depressedelica is perfect because even though I can’t make out the lyrics for half the songs unless I concentrate really hard, the music itself and Cothran’s quavering voice make this album effortlessly heartbreaking. I can, however, understand the lyrics of my favorite track on the album, Let’s Break Up The Band. This song is, obviously, about breaking up the band and moving onto life’s next adventure, but the underlying theme here is how lost you feel after trying so desperately hard to make something important work out and having it crumble apart in your hands anyway.  It resonates so deeply with me.

I reccomended this album to you if you like teen suicide, dandelion hands, Starry Cat, or any other bleak-mood band that sounds like the singer put a sock over the microphone.

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Morbid Angel

American Death metal derived from the state of Florida, a lot of great metal bands were involved in the death metal scene back in that day, and are still successful today! Bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, and Morbid Angel.

I have been listening to Morbid Angel for years, unlike my common theme of liking groovy death metal, this band does have some grooves and nice riffs, but their main theme is being very Satanic. This band references Satan and darkness in all of their songs, and their sound compliments the darkness of their lyrics. They are in a branch of death metal all on their own and have a very distinct sound within the metal genre. I had opportunities to see Morbid Angel, but I always had something school related get in the way of the show. Hopefully one day I will be able to see them!

Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida and formed in 1983 by guitarist and sole remaining original member, Trey Azagthoth. They are known as one of the most influential bands in the genre and important in the transition of death metal from its thrash metal roots. Morbid Angel was one of the first bands to incorporate guttural vocals, blast beats, multiple tempo changes, and an extremely dark atmosphere. They were also the first death metal band to experience mainstream success when MTV put their music video for “God of Emptiness” on heavy rotation in 1992. This song was also shown on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head. Their first four albums are considered classics of the death metal genre.

The band’s original lyrical themes with Vincent’s influence were about Satanism, occultism, and anti-Christian subject matter. Azagthoth later moved the lyrics towards talking about the ancient Sumerian gods.

Morbid Angel’s sound has heavily influenced the growth and development of death metal and black metal bands in South America, as well as the early black metal scene in Norway. Many bands have cited Morbid Angel as an influence including Immortal, Gorguts, Behemoth, Gojira, and Revocation, etc.

Current Members:

·      Trey Azagthoth – guitars

·      Steve Tucker – bass and vocals

·      Scott Fuller – drums

·      Dan Vadim Von – guitars

Discography:

·      Altars of Madness (1989)

·      Blessed Are the Sick (1991)

·      Covenant (1993)

·      Domination (1995)

·      Formulas Fatal to the Flesh (1998)

·      Gateways to Annihilation (2000)

·      Heretic (2003)

·      Illud Divinum Insanus (2011)

·      Kingdoms Disdained (2017)

Favorite songs:

Immortal Rights, Where The Slime Live, I am Morbid, God of Emptiness, Garden of Disdain, and Summoning Redemption.

Have you ever seen Morbid Angel live? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Playlists

Spotify’s Listening Together Playlists

One thing that I’ve struggled with during quarantine is how to stay connected to the world around me even though I’m stuck in my apartment. It’s hard to stay inside all the time, wondering about the outside world with almost all news and media being focused solely on the pandemic. 

That’s why I’ve been loving Spotify’s new “Listening Together” playlists. Musicians across different genres have curated playlists for staying at home. Each playlist has a theme and includes a short video by the musician who created it. I think Spotify took initiative to create something that can nudge individuals to stay at home and healthy while connecting all music listeners together. 

My favorite playlists right now are Normani’s Working Out Together playlist and Lil Yachty’s Gaming Together playlist. Working out at home is such a challenge for me especially because I am used to being able to put in headphones and have a jam session while at the gym. It’s much harder to get motivated when my bed is right next to my workout space, because it reminds me I’d much rather be sleeping. That’s why I think this playlist is awesome, it’s filled with upbeat pop and EDM that gives me the drive to complete a good workout. Plus, there’s something so cool about a playlist curated by a musician I love and am inspired by. Like, if Normani loves working out to these songs, I can too. I am also a really big fan of Lil Yachty’s gaming playlist. In his video he says his playlist is “kind of different, but trust the process.” I totally agree with that. I was surprised to see that he included a wide breadth of different genres and musicians. I adore the inclusion of so many Solange songs because (I have likely mentioned prior) she is one of my favorite artists in the world. There are also some surprises on the tracklist, like Ariel Pink and The Art Of Noise, which I never would’ve expected to be on a playlist made by Lil Yachty. I have been listening to this whole playlist nonstop while playing Minecraft and Sims, and I have to say that I now trust the process. 

“Listening Together” has helped me feel less alone while social distancing by reminding me that the artists I love are also going through the same thing. I’ve also been able to find some great new music through this already. I can’t wait for what comes next to this segment and I hope I’ve inspired you to give it a try! 

Looking for something else new? Check out WKNC’s Spotify account, and see if you can spot my Friday Favorites playlist! 

– Miranda

Categories
Miscellaneous

Earth Day 2020

To be quite honest, I woke up and didn’t know that today was Earth Day. Of course my Instagram timeline was saturated with Earth Day appreciation, so I’m hopping on that train too. Check out my best Earth Day Recommendations below!

Listen to Earth Crisis

One of my forever favorite hardcore bands and a true legend in the scene. This group has been together since 1989, minus a six-year separation from 2001-2007, and have released eight studio albums in that time. My personal favorite is their first full-length album from 1995, Destroy the Machines. This album, a torrential downpour of rage and revolution, focuses on calls to direct action against environmental destruction and animal consumption. The band both supports and embodies the vegan straight edge mentality and has inspired future generations of hardcore fans for the last two decades. So give this record a spin and read the lyrics if you’re not pre-disposed to metal music. See if anything resonates with you on this beloved Earth Day.

I recommend tracks 1(Forced March), 5 (The Discipline) and 7 (Inherit the Wasteland).

Other good nature-based songs (but perhaps not environmentally focused) are below:

  • Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris by Hayley Williams
  • Houseplants by Squid
  • Leaf by Title Fight
  • honestly the entire album A Healthy Earth by Peaer
  • Cities Under Water by Short Fictions

Repot Your Plants

We’ve all done it. After winter’s depressive spiral everyone flocks to Home Depot and other gardening stores to buy bucketfuls of succulents, ivies and other plant babies. For the first month or two you’ll love those things like your own children and feel really good about it but as the semester ramps up, the plants wither (much like your desire to look after them). If they haven’t completely shriveled, give those plants some TLC. You’re stuck at home with them so give those big leafy babies the space and nutrients they deserve. ProFlowers has some guidance.

Respect the Bees!

This is been common knowledge for several years now, but bees are dying at an alarming rate. We need these bees. This semester I took Horticulture Science 201: The World of Horticulture and was truly amazed by the vast impact that horticultural practices have on a long list of industries and daily functions. What you eat, the clothes on your back, the landscape you live in, the fields our athletes play on and even the materials we use to build our world all come back to horticulture. Do you know what comes before all of that? BEES! Pollination is a key component of plant propagation and without pollinators, that can’t happen naturally! Respect the bees today. If you see one fly by, blow it a kiss and thank it for its service. 

Here is a  bee-autiful fun fact for you. 

As reported by LiveScience.com, “The honeybees’ stingers can’t penetrate a hornet’s thick outer skin, so the bees swarm around an attacker instead, forming a spherical bee ball, and use their vibrating flight muscles to create heat. The mass of bees will heat the area up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius), enough to kill the hornet.”

Bees are amazzzzzzing.

Support a Local Farmer 

My roommates and I have recently reoriented our shopping cycles to match those of the NC Farmers’ Market. We happen to source meat, eggs, and dairy from a local farmer outside of that list of vendors, but are currently trying to get produce from the Farmers’ Market. Supporting a local farmer is not only more ethical, as it is likely that you could speak directly to the farmer and inquire about their environmental practices– but you may even be able to tour the farm with their permission! Eating local also contributes funds directly to the surrounding community, instead of grocery corporations. This practice makes my roommates and I feel better about our consumption, and I encourage others to explore this resource themselves.

How are you celebrating Earth Day? Reach out to WKNC on twitter (@wknc881) to tell us about your day.

Much love and healthy greens,

– Laura Mooney

Categories
Miscellaneous

The Best Video Game Soundtracks: Part 2

Video game soundtracks are one of the most underrated culturally significant forms of music. In my last post, I introduced some of my favorite video game soundtracks, but wanted to continue the series with a few more soundtracks that I really like and that still have an impact on me. 

Doki Doki Literature Club 

If you’re unfamiliar with this game, I will go ahead and say that you should check the trigger warnings associated with it that may affect you. This part RPG, part horror game has such a bubbly soundtrack, created by game producer Dan Salvato. The song Your Reality and its instrumental version has stuck with me through the years and I find myself singing it still to this day. 

Fire Emblem: Three Houses 

I love all the piano instrumentals that come out of my favorite Nintendo games, especially Fire Emblem: Three Houses which came out last year. The entire soundtrack is a great complement to the game, with tracks that vary in intensity and are perfect for me to study to. I especially love the detailed piano composition the game provides, and how warm and home-like the main tracks are. 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 

I love Skyrim and think it truly set the tone for open-world video game soundtracks. It was the first of its time to experiment heavily with deep orchestral notes and choir vocals (yes, they used an actual 30-person choir to create parts of the soundtrack). Listening to this over again reminds me of all the great times I had playing the game, and gets me immersed right back into that world. 

Grand Theft Auto V 

GTA V has one of the longest and most diverse soundtracks. I love that the game includes so many genres and a variety of artists. I thoroughly enjoy at least 90% of the songs and artists featured, with some of my favorites included like Phantogram, Little Dragon, and Wavves. The game also helped me discover some new music from different genres, which increased exponentially how much I enjoyed playing the game. Definitely recommend playing it or giving the soundtrack a listen. 

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! 

– Miranda 

Categories
DJ Highlights

Favorite Music Videos of April ‘20

I already did a list of my favorite tracks released (so far) in April last week, and we already have enough amazing new releases for another post. Not to be biased, because I definitely am, but this month has been my absolute favorite for releases this year (well so far). That being said I’ve continued updating my playlist with music released this month and while doing so I noticed something really cool, not only have a lot of my favorite musicians dropped tracks this month, but the vast majority have dropped videos with them as well. So this list is going to be a review of my favorite videos and tracks of the month so far, I highly recommend you check them out!

  1. ‘The Key to Life on Earth’ by Declan McKenna

As implied by the song title ‘The Key to Life on Earth’ focuses on what people value most in life, the unimportant trivialities. He showcasts this theme in the video by having two characters, one being the artist himself and one a look alike version of himself, who live mundanely together and seem to be in a feud over every boring event they do together. There seems to be a lot of focus on materialism as well, but I can’t explain why they are dressed in roach costumes in the end… so if you know please let me know.

  1. ‘Everyone blooms’ by The Front Bottoms

This video is full of blooming, both metaphorically and literally, and is insanely visually pleasing. The song is a sweet blend of the idea that we all grow and change at our own rate, and that there is no time frame for it, while also having undertones that acknowledge a relationship. The video shows a lot of faces on their own, but ends with two of these ‘blooming flower people’ dancing together. The message that comes across is one of self growth and what it’s like to bloom with another person, the beauty of what it’s like when those two things happen at the same time. The song is full of similar themes and it’s incredibly uplifting and thoughtful, really shedding light on the growth of the band.

  1. ‘XS’ by Rina Sawayama

I’ve talked about Rina a lot recently in anticipation for the release of her record SAWAYAMA, and I was very pleased to see she dropped a video for this track. I never really stopped to think too much about what this song meant, as it’s music and vocals are just extremely enticing on their own, but the meaning is made very clear in this video. Rina, much like Declan’s video, is mocking materialism, though to a much greater extent. ‘Rina water’ is the perfect way to symbolize the unnecessary and ridiculous things people long for, and I loved that she turned out to be a robot who got the life force sucked out of her in order to make this product. It’s a fun and original way of spreading her message that we sell ourselves, our energy, and our humanity when all we chase is more. 

Some ‘Honorable Mentions’ worth checking out: Level of Concern by Twenty One Pilots, My Friend by Hayley Williams, and Aries (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia) by the Gorillaz. 

I’m really excited to see what the rest of the month has in store for us music-wise. I recently realized that I don’t watch a lot of music videos anymore, but after viewing these releases I’ve started to really appreciate them more, so I’m going to be doing a lot more watching in the future. Until next time…

Let’s stay psyched about music,

– DJ Psyched

Playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6CHgt25jDtqy9eyIHKKP3n?si=XClaGgbJRHaGVXHkRHfmLw