Category: Blog

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: The National – I Am Easy to Find

BEST TRACKS: Quiet Light, Hey Rosey, Hairpin Turns, Rylan

FCC clean

I Am Easy to Find scored a 7.6 on Pitchfork and was ranked as the #1 album of 2019 on Sophie’s Floorboard, edging out PUP’s Morbid Stuff for first place, so I just had to check it out. At 64 hours, this album is The National’s longest yet. I admire that this album takes its time. At no point do I feel like the album was hurried or short-changed.

This album is all about subtlety, featuring soft piano, whispering strings, and humble percussion. The emphasis is placed on the vocals and lyrics. Front man Matt Berninger’s baritone voice intertwined with multiple female vocalists, including Gail Ann Dorsey, David Bowie’s backup singer, brings this album in a certain divine direction. Despite all the outside voices, this album sounds undeniably like a National’s album. All monologuing takes place elegantly and compliments the music, rather than stealing away the spotlight.

I Am Easy to Find sounds like a slow drive through the snowy hills of the countryside. This album expertly captures the quiet weightlessness of being alone and the vulnerability of the human condition. I Am Easy to Find would fit perfectly as the soundtrack to a movie about struggling lovers and fates that never line up. In fact, The National released an artful, black and white short film that shares the name of the album, directed by Mike Mill (20th Century Women), and starring Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina).

In my heart of hearts, Morbid Stuff is still the #1 album of the year and that will never change. However, I Am Easy to Find is seriously amazing too, but in a different way, for a different audience, and I can certainly see why it receives all of the praise that it does. I recommend this album if you are in the process of finding self-love.

-Safia

Categories
Music News and Interviews

UNDERGROUND IS LOOKING FOR NEW MUSIC

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WKNC’s Underground genre is looking for new music to be added to the regular rotation! Send songs or playlists with your fav underground rap music and I’ll review it and (possibly) add!

—cellar door xx

Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 1/14

Artist Record Label
1 HOLLOW PROPHET “Disembodied Phenomena” [Single] Self-Released
2 DETACHMENT Gaslight Self-Released
3 BURY TOMORROW “The Grey (VIXI)” [Single] For Nations
4 KROSIS “Battles Are Won Within” [Single] Unique Leader
5 AS I LAY DYING Shaped By Fire Nuclear Blast
6 COUNTERPARTS Nothing Left To Love Pure Noise
7 VOYAGER Colours In The Sun Season Of Mist
8 INFANT ANNIHILATOR The Battle of Yaldabaoth Self-Released
9 DOMINANT FORCE Cosmic Denial [EP] Triple B
10 SILVERTOMB Edge Of Existence Long Branch

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: glass beach – the first glass beach album

BEST TRACKS: bedroom community, cold weather, yoshi’s island

FCC Violations: cold weather, glass beach, yoshi’s island

Recommended if you like: OK Go, Weezer, The Flaming Lips, the Undertale soundtrack

Los Angeles based band glass beach has debuted with their first album, aptly named, the first glass beach album. Art rock, bedroom pop, garage punk, call it what you will, but this album is definitely not your average, drearily air-headed indie record. I was mind blown that this band’s first ever album could be so phenomenal, but then I realized that glass beach’s lead singer and front man is J McClendon, the artistic genius behind Casio Dad. Then it all made sense.

At first glance, the first glass beach album exudes simple joy, and playful energy, yet the album is also refined and mature. Every element of every song is obviously very intentional. What makes this album so unique is its flawless blend of multiple genres. From the high school marching-band-esque horns and drums to the groovy video game electronic twinge to captivating keyboard melodies to the garage punk fuzz, this album by all means shouldn’t work, but it does. It’s unexpected yet magical, like a pickle dipped in peanut butter (don’t knock it till you try it).

I do think this album could stand to lose a few minutes. Most of the slow, instrumental-heavy tracks like planetarium and (forever?????????) don’t add any value to this otherwise stellar album, but rather are a speed bump to the album’s energy flow.

Regardless, this entire album is a 60 minute daydream you had when you fell asleep in the flowers under a huge oak tree. It feels like collapsing onto a twin bed piled up with cute Japanese plushies in a light pink bedroom. This album is sure to bring out your inner child and leave you with a huge smile on your face. If you love roller skating, the taste of peaches, or ever watched the anime Tsuritama and loved it, then this album was made for you.

-Safia

Categories
Miscellaneous

Does Metal Make People Violent?

There has been a lot of debates and conversations about whether or not metal music makes people violent, and/or makes individuals angry or sad. Now, I have been in the metal scene for about 6 years now and have been going to multiple shows every month and from my personal experience, people do not seem to be angry or violent.

Now, do some people tend to get angry? Yes, it is a part of human nature to get angry and I have seen it happen at shows (actual fist fights have broken out) but not because of the music. There were other factors involve such as alcohol and miscommunication. Mosh pits (and especially at hardcore shows) look like the people in the pit are fighting one another, but that is part of the culture and moshing etiquette.

There has been statistical data and research that has been done to prove that metal music doesn’t make people violent but, in fact, the exact opposite; happy. I wrote a research paper on this topic for my English class but I won’t go into much detail about the statistical data. The outcomes, however, showed that listening to metal and going to metal shows help individuals cope with things going on in their lives and is used as a stress reliever or decompressor.

Although the shows appear to be nothing but chaos, the feelings and emotions one feels is serenity. Listening to extreme music releases hormones in the brain which make that individual feel good. I know this from personal experience. The music does not make me angry, but it helps calm me down and relax. I think this can go for any type of music that you like because it is something that you can identify with.

For me, and the majority of my friends, metal is what we identify with and it speaks to us in a way that gives us the sense that we are not alone. The shows are welcoming and, for the most part, the people are friendly. There are exceptions, of course, but the community as a whole gives us the feeling of solidarity.

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Suicide Silence

Suicide Silence is a band that has gone through a lot of changes throughout the years: mainly, Mitch Lucker passing. But before we get into that, let’s look back at the history of Suicide Silence.

Suicide Silence is an American Deathcore band from Riverside, California. The band formed in 2002 and has released 5 albums and 1 EP in their discography: The Cleansing (2008), No Time To Bleed (2009), The Black Crown (2011), You Can’t Stop Me (2014), Sacred Words (2015), and Suicide Silence (2017). They have recently released a few singles in 2019: Feel Alive, Love Me To Death, and Meltdown. In 2009, they were awarded Revolver’s Golden God award for “Best New Talent.”

During the time the band was formed in 2002, it was a side project made up of musicians from other bands. After their demo, Death Awaits, they recorded a self-titled EP, and a few other songs. While on Century Media Records, in 2006, they recorded their first full-length album, The Cleansing. It was the bestselling debut albums in Century Media history. They then played at the Mayhem Festival and also went on tour with Parkway Drive, A Day to Remember, and The Acacia Strain.

The band then started to record No Time To Bleed and in April, they won Revolver’s Golden God award for “Most Innovative Band.” In 2011, the band started to record The Black Crown which was released July 12, 2011. This was the last record with Mitch Lucker on vocals.

Mitch Lucker passed away on November 1, 2012 due to a motorcycle crash. His passing was a huge shock to the metal community. That December, the band performed a memorial show in honor of Lucker and the money from the show went into an account for Lucker’s daughter, Kennedy, so she can use the money to go to school. At the memorial show, the friends of the band who were vocalists of other heavy bands, performed one song alongside the rest of the band. The show can be viewed on YouTube and the audio is out on Suicide Silence’s Spotify page. I thought this show was a cool way to honor Lucker because it was in a way that I believe he would enjoy; people jamming and moshing to his songs. It was great to see the metal community come together during this time.

Suicide Silence then brought Hernan “Eddie” Hermida into the band as vocalist and a lot of people were skeptic. Will the band sound the same? No. Like any other band, they too, must adapt and evolve. A lot of people were not a fan of the band’s new sound and they did voice their opinion about it when the band released their self-titled album in 2017. Since then, the band has not created another album, but has dropped live versions of songs and covers. In late 2019, they did release a few singles and stated that a new album is coming soon.

Did you get the chance to see Suicide Silence with Mitch Lucker?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Chart 1/7

Artist Record Label
1 ERIS DREW See You In Snow Needs
2 COWGIRL CLUE Icebreaker Vada Vada
3 DEATON CHRIS ANTHONY BO Y Self-Released
4 CHANNEL TRES Black Moses [EP] Godmode
5 LAURENCE GUY Making Music Is Bad For Your Self Esteeem [EP] Studio Barnhus
6 18 CARAT AFFAIR Spent Passions 2 Self-Released
7 YEULE Serotonin II Bayonet
8 GRACE IVES 2nd Dots Per Inch
9 FLOATING POINTS LesAlpx/Coorabell [EP] Ninja Tune
10 JACQUES GREENE Dawn Chorus Lucky Me

Categories
DJ Highlights

2020 Music Resolutions

New year’s resolutions have gained a pretty rough reputation in recent years. A lot of people think they’re a lame excuse for not trying new things all year round and some people see them as setting yourself up to fail. I think it just depends on how you look at them. It is a bit unrealistic to pledge to like 10 new things overnight, but I do like the idea of them. That’s not what this is about though, so to keep things simple I just want to talk about some music resolutions I have for the upcoming year.

Last year I pledged to listen to at least one new song a day, I started a playlist for this but eventually it got tedious and I fell behind, I abandoned the project a few days in. Prime example of a resolution that was a bit too ambitious and failed. I also always try to pledge to practicing music more and making more music, but that’s not specific enough for me. I will say in 2019 I did better than the last few years, but there is still a lot of work to do.

This year I thought things through a little more.

  1. Play music at least one day on the weekends – far more realistic with my school and work schedule then daily practice.

  2. Listen to more new music once a week to make my DJ sets – also more realistic and i’ll have to do it anyways, once I choose a show day I’ll choose a listening day.

  3. Content making: Podcasts about music – thanks to my job at WKNC this is totally realistic and I’m very excited for it, I’ve been coming up with ideas and contacting potential guests all break, setting myself up to get it done.

  4. Work on recording music after I feel my practicing is suffice.

I think by setting only a few goals and not doing them all at once is really going to help maintain things. I also have thought into them more this year to make sure I was planning and preparing well. Do you have any music resolutions or resolutions in general? And what are you doing to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success?

– DJ Psyched

Categories
Short Stories

DJ Club

 

‘The First Rule about DJ Club is you don’t talk about DJ Club’ Tim Denton said.

Tim was my best friend and we started this group together. After co-hosting our first show together we realized it was the only thing that made us feel alive, we didn’t expect it to take off like it did.

‘The Second Rule about DJ Club is you don’t talk about DJ Club’ he added. ‘Third Rule: if someone doesn’t want to do another radio break their shift is over. Fourth Rule: only two DJ’s at a time. Fifth Rule: one shift at a time fellas. Sixth Rule: no forgetting your headphones. Seventh Rule: Shifts will go on as long as they have to. And the Eight and Final Rule: if this is your first time at DJ Club, you have to DJ.’

We always started with the rules, but every week we had more members, so we knew no one followed rules one and two. This was only a smart part of what we did though; the larger operation was Project Radiostation.

__

‘No one cares about the local scene’ Tyler said to me the first time we met ‘It’s all top 40 these days, no one cares about what their music means or how it’s made, and I just want to know what it’s like to be on the other side. Pass me the mic.’

This was the first time we DJ’d together, he told me he had to experience it, that it would set us both free from the hold of popular music. Now we did it every week, and we were leaders of the pack.

__

I lived with Tim because my old place was outside of a large music venue, there was only so much Top 40 music I could listen to before deciding living in Tim’s broken down shack would be better.

I am Jack’s complete lack of tolerance.

That’s how we got here. The newest DJ Club, in Witherspoon, March 13th 2020.

‘Who’s first’ Tim said through his large smile.

-DJ Psyched 

Categories
Short Stories

A WKNC Story

Benjamin was a Daytime DJ who’d been working at the station for nearly three years, since he was a freshman. Jillian was a Chainsaw DJ who had finished her DJ training course a few weeks ago. I’ll spare you the details, the two fell in love. I can’t spare you the cliche, they’re love was deemed unacceptable.

‘Did you hear about Ben and Jill?’ Jillian heard someone whisper as she walked into the station. She didn’t understand the taboo. Where she came from, it didn’t matter what kind of music you listen to.

She brushed off the comments and headed into the station. Today was her first shift and she wanted to make sure she was ready, the last thing she needed was to be distracted during her on air break. 

She signed the operating log, logged into spinitron, hooked up her laptop and made sure everything was ready and running. The last thing was plugging in her headphones, but as she turned to plug them in she all-of-a-sudden couldn’t find them. She heard some giggling and when she looked up to the window she saw her headphones being thrown into the air.

‘What are you doing?’ she said once she walked into the DJ lounge where her headphones were being thrown around.

‘What are you doing?’ some girl she’d never met before replied ‘I heard you’re talking to a Daytime, that true?’

‘How is that any of your business? I don’t even know who you are’ Jill said as she eyed the other girl, she had short black hair and wore a torn white t-shirt with old blue jeans.

‘My names Beth and I’m a Daytime. Don’t you realize how much of a traiter you are? What kind of DJ doesn’t stand by their genre’ the girl, apparently Beth, replied.

‘Indie music is cool, I don’t see a problem being alright with both’ Jill said.

‘Well everyone else does. If you love Indie so much why don’t you just join daytime?’ Beth said, seeming genuinely confused. Her ignorance and close mindedness made Jill not like the girl.

‘Who cares what I DJ, isn’t that my choice? What kind of person only listens to one genre of music anyways?’ Jill said as she snatched her headphones from Beth.

Beth stood quickly at the motion but Jill didn’t back down. They stared at each other for a moment before Beth broke the silence, she picked up her bag and rolled her eyes as she said, ‘Whatever, I have class anyways’.

Jill stood there stunned. She knew the semester would be a long one if her relationship wasn’t accepted, but she worked too hard to get where she was just to quit. In that moment she made a promise to herself, she was going to change the way people thought of genres. She didn’t know how, but she knew she had to.

– DJ Psyched