WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student Radio
# Artist Record Label
1 KEDR LIVANSKIY Your Need 2MR
2 18 CARAT AFFAIR “Spent Passions 2” Self-Released
3 DEATON CHRIS ANTHONY “1999 She” [Single] Self-Released
4 DEVATA DAUN P"ye Luis" [EP] Pytch
5 TOURIST Everyday Monday
6 APHEX TWIN “Collapse” [EP] Warp
7 YVES TUMOR Safe In The Hands Of Love Warp
8 LAURENCE GUY “Making Music Is Bad For Your Self Esteeem” [EP ]Studio Barnhus
9 BLOOD ORANGE Angel’s Pulse Domino
10 THE SAMPS Breakfast Gloriette
Back in the day there used to be these memes called, “Just Girly Things,” and they would just state things that are considered “girly.”
For example:
^^^^^^^ Cringey, I know.
There are various memes out there that make fun of “Just Girly Things” that are very amusing to look at. One of my favorite themes are the ones regarding metal. Here are some ~~Just Metal Things~~ that all of us metalheads can relate to.
When the breakdown gets slower and heavier
Isn’t this the best feeling? When a song does this I automatically throw my hands up and punch the air. Kinda like this:
When the start a mosh is called
“ALRIGHT LEFT TO RIGHT, FRONT TO BACK. NO ONE STANDS STILL,” or “MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE,” or just a casual “2 STEP.”
When you want to get ready and look metal af but you don’t want to put makeup on
I go through this every single day.
When the two shades of black you’re wearing match
This is a miracle when this happens.
When the song has a good “blegh” or guttural
Okay, I know I said that when the breakdown gets slower and heavier is the best feeling, but a good “blegh” or guttural during a breakdown is nasty as hell.
Here are some of my favorite “Just Metal Meme”
Yep, that’s simply poetic! Love it!!
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
Okay, I know I say this a lot, BUT this show was amazing. The lineup for this tour was absolutely genius and all the bands played a killer show!! This was a show that I have been looking forward to for a while! I have seen all the bands that were on the bill (Year of the Knife, Sanction, Terror, Counterparts, and Stick to Your Guns) before so I was prepared for the chaos that was yet to come.
The first band to start off the night was Year of the Knife and right when their set started, a pit broke out. Everyone was 2 stepping, kicking, and swinging the entire time. YOTK set the bar for what the rest of the night had in store for us.
Sanction hit the stage next and… WOW!!! Sanction never fails to impress me any time I see them. The pit started to get more rowdy once Sanction started playing. I love the stage performance that they have because they all just jam out and the singer is in the audience’s faces the entire time. People were running up to the front and jumping over people trying to grab the mic and sing. They also did a NCHC mosh call and that is when I got kicked in the kneecap and now I have a purple/green bruise. That’s so metal.
Terror came on and I hung out in the back during their set because I recently seen Terror in Charlotte with Hatebreed. Terror was the most traditional hardcore band on the lineup and people went off during their set! Terror always brings explosive energy while on stage. Their riffs are killer, and they are always jamming with the audience, pushing us to do more chaotic stuff.
Counterparts was the second to last band to play and I have never seen them before! I was really happy that I finally got to see them and WOW!!! They were SO GOOD!!!! The crowd went crazy for them!!!! You can tell that Counterparts loves what they are doing because you could see how much fun they were having throughout their entire set.
Stick to Your Guns finally hit the stage and they were jamming! They had a cool light show and they were very interactive with the crowd! The last time I saw Stick to Your Guns was in Carrboro and the crowd went wild! A handful of people left after Terror but the people who stayed for Stick to Your Guns were going off!! People were jumping off the stage, jumping onto the stage, and moshing everywhere.
Did you go to the Pure Noise tour? What did you think about it? Who was your favorite?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
# Artist Record Label
1 THY ART IS MURDER Human Target Nuclear Blast
2 SLIPKNOT We Are Not Your Kind [Advance Tracks] Roadrunner
3 TYRANNOTOPHIA Distant Unique Leader
4 MENTAL CRUELTY Inferis Unique Leader
5 THIRTEENTH Street Disciple [EP] Self-Released
6 OF MICE AND MEN “Earth & Sky” [Single] Rise
7 FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE Veleno Nuclear Blast
8 AURAS Binary Garden Entertainment One
9 DISTINGUISHER Hell From Here SSR
10 EVEREST The Only Way Out Is Up [EP] Self-Released
You may remember the prolific singer-songwriter, Max Gowan, from WKNC’s Double Barrel Benefit earlier this year. The Raleigh native turned Virginia-resident gives us a look into his most recent album release, Bygones, which is set to produce its first music video later this month. Gowan is promoting this release through WKNC by generously giving us a teaser trailer for the project. The music video for “7th Day” by Max Gowan can be promo’d above and further questions about Gowan and his artistry can be read below.
Music Video Questions:
First and foremost….. please give credit to the creators! Who helped you create this video? This video was made by Lake Park Productions which is a group of my friends Cary, Nathan, and Coleman, and probably some other folks who I haven’t met yet. They are awesome and I couldn’t be happier with the work they do.
With what concept did you approach the videographers when starting this video? I wasn’t sure what I wanted for the video when I went to my friend Cary’s team to see if they were interested. We talked about it and I told them the song was generally about a sense of unease and dread that I sometimes get that can be pretty consuming. They thought it would be cool to build a miniature town out of household toys and stuff they found and build tension throughout the video until the town ultimately floods. I was like “yeah, that’s perfect.”
To what degree does psychedelia inspire this music video? I guess a lot of people would consider the song itself to be fairly psychedelic, because it’s focused on building textures in kind of an abstract way, so I think they tried to make the video reflect that. I like things that evoke emotion without being overly direct.
To whom does this video pay homage? Who are your inspirations, if you have any? I know very little about film and movies but I’m sure the team that made this video had inspiration from lots of places. They were shooting in a style called “Macro” I believe, and I’m sure there are lots of filmmakers and directors covering new ground with that technique. I know it’s not similar at all, but for some reason, the video sometimes makes me think of Wallace and Gromit which I grew up on, I loved that claymation stuff.
I like the contrast between glowing and iridescent imagery inside the structures and for your profile’s color scheme. The contrast between their vibrancy and the mundanity of the tiny town must have been intentional. Can you elaborate on that a little bit more for me? I didn’t know that was going to be done until I saw the finished video for the first time. I love it! I’m sure the filmmakers could speak better about it than me, but my reading is that everything in the video is an inanimate object, except for the shots of me playing guitar. So it’s almost like they’re making the play-pretend world seem very grounded in reality, but the actual footage of the real world seem more like a daydream. It’s a cool subversion.
Why did you select this song to be the featured single/music video off of Bygones? It was the first song I ever made for the album and I think I chose it for the single because I thought it had the most immediate appeal. I’m happy with how the guitar interludes turned out. Those sections have two guitar parts layered together that probably shouldn’t work but for some reason they did!
Common themes between your two music videos, “7th Day” and the video for “Couch” are time-passing (the flood in 7th Day and the train in Couch), light leaks, close-ups of your guitar, and photo-negative images of your scenery. What’s the carryover between the two videos? How are they related if at all? Why do you like those motifs? Cary and his team also made the video for Couch, so I think those might be markings of their style. But I advocated for a lot of those choices too because I think I’m usually very conscious of the passage of time and of how things can seem surreal. I’m probably a little too focused on it, I guess that’s why I make music about it.
Ultimately, that small town is destroyed by water and the lights go out, why? That part to me is like…the extreme logical conclusion of any irrational fear or delusion. The idea that it could consume you. It doesn’t usually happen but I feel like it’s a fear that most people probably share.
Ever heard of the book, the Giver? You being the only thing in color reminds me a lot of that. I loved The Giver! That was probably my favorite book I read the whole year of 6th grade. I hadn’t at all thought about the connection there but you’re very right and I’m sure that subconsciously made me like this video even more.
Do you plan on releasing more music videos for this album? I would like to release more. I think I’d either want to do one for the song “Overpass” or the song “Knocking” but it will probably be a while before we can get anything going.
When can we expect this music video to come out and where can it be found once it is? I think our goal right now is late August or early September. It will be posted on my music YouTube channel and it will probably be premiering on some blogs as well. But YouTube is a safe bet.
The interview continued on to cover a variety of subjects. For further insight into Max Gowan as an artist and person, continue reading. The following Q-and-A does not directly pertain to the music video for “7th Day.”
Why is “Blue Kite” such a good song? It is my personal favorite! Haha, I’m glad you like that one. I’m really happy with how it turned out but for some reason it’s not one of my more popular tracks…I guess it’s a little slow and dark. I’ve never made something before that centered so heavily on piano and drums – that was a lot of fun to explore.
Do you have a favorite released track? I think my favorite released song of mine is probably this one called “Bad Breeze.” It came together really fast and just felt like the kind of song I’ve always wanted to make. I thought people would hate it at first because I could see how someone would think it’s goofy or weird, but I think it’s my most played song on Spotify which is a cool feeling!
Favorite and least favorite song that isn’t by you? I hate to throw people under the bus but I heard this song “Lover Is A Day” by Cuco and it drove me INSANE. It’s kind of like a standard Ultra Chill Dream Pop song but I just really didn’t like the rambling vocals and instrumentation. Then I looked and saw the song is 7 minutes long. It just kept doing the same thing the whole time…the audacity. I’m probably just an asshole though. I’m sure the dude is talented it’s just not my thing. My favorite song is probably “Helicopter” by Deerhunter. Probably a very uncool opinion among Deerhunter fans but it’s everything I love in music.
Who are your musical icons that you admire? I listened to a bunch of death metal in middle school and then got really into Elliott Smith and Deerhunter in high school. I think those two artists plus Spirit of the Beehive, Broken Social Scene, and Alex G are probably the most influential for my music. I’ve also been listening to a ton of Tierra Whack lately, she’s amazing.
What have you done since Double Barrel Benefit? Double Barrel Benefit was awesome, we were really glad we got to play! Since then I finished my last semester and graduated college. I worked a couple of different jobs this summer and am moving back to Raleigh and job searching there.
What goals do you have for yourself going forward? I think my goal is to find a job that I am satisfied with that also allows me some time for working on music. As far as music goes, I think it’s easy to get caught up in thinking “in five years I should have this many listeners and be playing in X size room” but the world doesn’t work like that. I’ll be happy if I can keep making albums that I enjoy more than my previous stuff.
Where can people listen to your music online? You can find it under my name on Spotify and Apple Music or you can go to maxgowan.bandcamp.com
Soup or salad with your sandwich? Salad! I could use the fiber.
# Artist Record Label
1 CHERRY GLAZERR “Daddi – Reggie Watts Remix” [Single] Secretly Canadian
2 BOY HARSHER Lesser Man Nude Club
3 GNORK Marble [EP] Church
4 LONE “Abraxas” [Single] Ancient Astronauts
5 BLOOD ORANGE Angel’s Pulse Domino
6 18 CARAT AFFAIR Spent Passions 2 Self-Released
7 HURLEE Beating For You [EP] Apparel
8 PEGGY GOU “Starry Night” [Single] Gudu
9 CHANNEL TRES Black Moses [EP] GODMODE
10 COWGIRL CLUE Icebreaker Vada Vada
What a melodic metal masterpiece! The fourth studio album from Carcass, Heartwork was recorded at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool on May 18 – June 21, 1993, and released by Earache Records on October 18th, 1993.
Old school fans of Carcass, at least initially, were not too pleased with the band’s departure from the format and sound of their first three records, but the song structure – a pure dissection and reanimating of traditional structure – is nothing short of genius. And vocalist/bassist Jeff Walker continues sprinkling his trademark lyrics taken straight from a medical dictionary. Michael Amott (Arche Enemy) and Bill Steer (Napalm Death) are incredible as they tear through some of the greatest riffs and leads ever intertwined into metal melodies. Ken Owen (Blackstar) is not outshined by the duo with his speed and groove on drums, while Walker’s base playing rounds out the sound wonderfully. Every track is blazingly fast, with break-neck tempo changes of melody and harmony. Walker uses a drier, harsher voice (than the over-modulated sound of earlier albums) which bring a borderline thrash, grindcore, death metal sound to every song.
In May of 2013, Heartwork was inducted into the Decibel Magazine Hall of Fame, the 100th album inducted (and the 2nd album to be inducted for Carcass – Necroticism). In 2017, Rolling Stone listed Heartwork at #51 of ‘The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time’.
It is difficult to name favorite songs from this record because, literally, all 10 songs are awesome! But, if I’m forced to pick a few at the top, for me:
Favorite Songs: Heartwork; Buried Dreams; No Love Lost
Rating: 10/10!!!
You read that right, y’all I went to a show that was in the back room of a barbershop in Winston-Salem. Now, the barbershop was cool as hell. They had leather couches, mirrors as walls; they also had some band shirts, and Harley Davidson shirts! The room that the bands were playing in was a decent size and it had some room for people to mosh and dance. There was no AC in the back room, though, so it was really hot. But other than that, the show was great! I wouldn’t mind going back to the Ardmore Barbershop to see a show!
The first band to perform was End Of Your Rope, a local band from Greensboro! Their riffs are undeniably headbanging worthy. This was my first time seeing them and I was impressed! I would love to see them again soon! Life’s Question was the second band to perform and people started moshing and dancing around a little bit more for them.
Bloodbather was next and besides Vatican, this was the band that I personally came to see. They stole the show that night. The singer was moshing, everyone in the band was headbanging, and the pit was rowdy as hell when they came on. Their energy and stage performance is a sight to see and their music tops it all off! One of my favorite bands to see live!
Typecaste was the second to last band and most of the crowd left, but the people who stayed were jamming their asses off! The guitarist was hitting people in the crowd and marching around with his guitar… it was so metal. I bought a shirt from them and it goes so hard 10/10 would recommend their merch.
And finally, Vatican took the stage! This was my second time seeing them! I saw them for the first time a couple of months ago in Greensboro! I was excited to see them again because I really like their music and they also put on a great show. They were on a time crunch because the show had to end by 10 pm and it was 9:40 pm by the time they got on… let’s just say for those 20 minutes, it was chaotic.
This show was really enjoyable because all the bands were good, the venue was great, and I got to catch up with some friends. It’s a Win-Win-Win for ya girl!
Have you seen Vatican or any of these bands before? What did you think?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
Favorite Songs: Catalog, Dialogue, A2, Xvanos
FCC Clean
As hilarious as it sounds, Froth was conceived from an ironic joke. An idea from two El Segundo, California friends Joo Joo Ashworth and Jeff Fribourg, who would release publicity photos and stories from the road into the ether without ever performing or recording anything tangible. An LP was in the works that would feature 20 minutes of nothing at all…silence, which would be pressed on vinyl with the help of a friend, curious to see how this mockery would pan out. Though there was the concept of a real band, in actuality there wasn’t one. At least not one that transcended into reality from the humorous minds of two buddies.
Fate seemed to intervene in 2012 when Fribourg, a music enthusiast, put together a small festival and one of the acts would have to cancel. Looking to fix the problem, Fribourg and Ashworth stepped in to give the newly dubbed Froth the chance to see some action. Assisted by bassist Jeremy Katz, who had only just bought a bass the previous week, and drummer Cameron Allen, Froth put on a disastrous performance but it was the start of something real and authentic.
Fribourg, who was the initial guitarist, had been replaced before Froth recorded its second record. Then that replacement was replaced by Nick Ventura in 2015 and the band then toured extensively across the US and the UK.
Now with their fourth release and second full-length, Froth’s Duress continues the quest of perfecting a sound that is not quite psychedelic and escapes just outside the realm of garage-rock. Though they have been said to be going more to the route of dream pop, I’m not really so sure. There is a lot to unpack with this band as there are many layers to comprehending the music, though it is still packaged in simplistic containment.
The opening track Laurel is a great introduction to the sound and feel of the album. Two guitars work in unison to create a montage of the satisfying arrangement, with weird stompbox effects and bends that kill.
Detail is abundant on the record, with every space and every second accounted for. There are some cool intros by varying electronic devices, whether that be by an omnichord or the keys, which are also used as cool segways into other parts of the songs.
Dialogue is an intriguing one. It has a more traditional rock vibe, with its elegant cleans and sharp dirty riffs that cut through with single notes and more killer bends. The main melody is echoed by the keys which eventually paves the way to an imaginative bridge that just plain jams with two-guitar harmonies that bring the song to an abrupt stop.
One thing that really got me into this band was checking out some of their performances on YouTube. Seeing them do their thing in a live setting makes you appreciate them so much more. Rather than having to soak in the music to get past the slight weirdness of it, seeing them play together instantly immerses you in a fascinating experience. These dudes just rock out. That’s it, nothing more and nothing less. Be sure to add this one to your library and give it a listen.
– Justin Capoccia
Favorite Songs: I’m Not Your Victim
FCC Violations: It Was To Be You, I Am Goddess
UGHHHH! I’m sorry I just can’t…but I guess I have to. Disclaimer: I know not much of electronic and I feel that my position would not give you a fair and balanced review of this album. With that being said, I’m going to give you one anyway.
LAL is a Toronto based electronic duo that has been said by cultural intermediaries to be artists that have been movers of the underground Toronto scene. The tandem has numerous releases under their belt with Dark Beings being their sixth full-length album. From what I gather, this album is one that features numerous other musicians within their community including musicians, producers, and even a design team. Pretty cool in its own right, it still isn’t enough for me to like it but I will always give credit to where credit is due. They’ve managed to stay relevant for almost two decades and that deserves praise no matter my opinion of the art itself.
Getting back to the album, I can dig the harmonizing vocals with Rosina Kazi taking the highs and Nicholas “Murr” Murray taking the lows. Other than that, I’m grasping at straws here. Have you ever seen that ‘99 teen movie She’s All That? There’s a part where Freddie Prinze Jr tries to get to know Rachel Leigh Cook’s character, aka the nerd and watches her partake in some kind of performance theater where there is a social lesson to be learned, no matter how obscure. Obviously, Prinze Jr. is cringing in his seat but gives it the benefit of the doubt. That’s kind of what this reminds me of. I get that there is a deeper meaning to the music but I can’t get on board.
I Am Not Your Victim did strike my fancy somewhat. I dug the way the lyrics were put over the music. It has a cool bass line but it’s probably coming from some kind of electronic device that’s not an electric bass.
I’m having conflicting ideas. LAL has managed to retain a following but I’d also label this music to be within a utilitarian market, meaning it’s in the background to the forefront of something else during a listener’s experience. You know, like if you go to a coffee shop for the purpose of gettin’ that caffeine fix but there’s also a band or solo artist playing that you had no idea would be there but you take it in nonetheless though it is not your focal point.
So here I am with my scattered but shameless take. Don’t take my word for it though. Check it out if you’re into this type of music. LAL is doing something right.
– Justin Capoccia