-Andrew Evans
Categories
WKNC’s FAKING NEWS
Category: Blog
Yesterday I made a quick trip down to Cat’s Cradle to catch the Turnover and Men I Trust show. Despite the cold and the rain, there was a huge turnout!
The opener was an artist named Renata Zeigeur. Having heard nothing by her prior, her set proved to be the unexpected highlight of my night. As her record label writes, her music was “both wonderfully dreamy and strange”. One song especially stood out to me, a new single called “Whack-A-Mole”. As a daytime DJ for the station, it would’ve fit right into one of my sets. Overall her set was a phenomenal, and I plan on introducing her music into the WKNC daytime rotation.
Next up was Men I Trust. I was super excited to see them live for the very first time. I actually found out about them while listening to WKNC…Tailwhip came on the radio in my car, and ever since then I’ve been a fan. With the recent release of their 2019 album, Oncle Jazz, I knew we’d be in for a treat getting to hear lots of new music. My favorite song they performed was “All Night” off of Oncle Jazz. They were amazing live, and I hope I can see them again some time soon.
Finally, the main act. I had seen Turnover at Cat’s Cradle a few years ago, but that didn’t make me any less excited to see them again. They opened the show with “Still in Motion” from their new album Altogether. Although people sing along with every song, at every show, (this one included), the crowd goes insane when they play songs from their older albums. I survived the mosh pit for “New Scream” another year. I was happy because they also played “Pure Devotion”, one of my favorite songs off their 2017 album, Good Nature. I always think it’s funny how the crowd can go from moshing to one song to standing completely still for the next one, and the whole time the members of the band stay completely chill and act as if nothing changed.
This concert had quite the lineup, and I’m glad I was able to go! Every act was great, and if you haven’t heard any of their music you should definitely check all the artists out. If you’re too lazy to look them up yourself, don’t worry, because I’ll be playing them all on WKNC daytime hours.
-miss monet
Categories
Let’s Talk Music: Genres
Music genres have gone from helping categorize music to confusing the life out of most people, including myself. Sub genres seem to be bigger than ever these days and I find it’s sometimes hard to keep up. What I find most interesting about genres is that they are meant to help you understand what something will sound like before you listen, but with so much variety in music these days it really isn’t that straight forward anymore.
Now don’t get me wrong, I definitely think this is a good thing, but it makes me question the necessity and accuracy of the role that genres play in music today. Indie isn’t the only genre that’s become hard to define and has A LOT of variety within the genre, every genre has aspects of that now. I don’t think any genre is really that straight forward anymore.
I just think this is worth thinking about a little when listening to new music or when creating. It seems there are no limits anymore so artists are free to do as they please, even within a specific genre, and I think that’s a great thing.
I see a lot of similarities between this and the way music changed in the twentieth century. Not to get all nerdy-music on anyone, but there was that whole ‘freedom of the dissonance’ movement that was meant to change people’s concept on music and challenge what was the norm, and I think that idea never really went away and is making a huge comeback these days. No one let’s genre hold them back and bands sometimes even experiment with multiple genres at once, whether it be in a song, album or through their career.
So I guess I’m just posing a few questions for thought, what is the role that genres should play (if any)? Are they really that necessary, and if so why? Should we have so many sub genres? And does it matter to define music when it stops fitting into these genres? Do you think people should be more conscious of the genre they are in?
Definitely let me know if you have any thoughts, or if you think this really doesn’t matter.
– DJ Psyched
Categories
Songs to fit the vibe
Music really hits differently based on your mood, so I’d talk about some songs to fit an uplifting vibe. I’ve made about a hundred different playlists for pick-me-up songs, from ‘Hype Music’ to ‘I love these songs with everything in me’. It’s like one of those youtube compilation videos you watch that have oddly specific titles but somehow fit your mood just right, anyhow without further or do here are some of my favorite pick-me-up tunes
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Natural Supersoul by Superfood
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If any song could make me feel like the coolest thing it would be this song, the vibe is so mellow it makes you kinda grove along, but the lyrics really always get me feelin like a Nat-ur-al Sup-er-soul
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Younger by A Great Big World
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Nothing quite like a throwback song to make you remember the good old times of childhood life
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Hanna’s Theme by The Chemical Brothers
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This song has no lyrics, it’s just really nice humming, call me crazy but I find this song so peaceful and relaxing I used to listen to it every night while falling asleep
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One Day by Matisyahu
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This song is just beautiful, and I think the message is really powerful
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Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club
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I’ve never made a good vibes playlist without this one, it’s a must to me, if you ever feel like things never workout this is the song to put on, because it’s a nice reminder that something good can work
What are some of your top good vibes songs?
– DJ Psyched
Released on July 21, 1987, Appetite for Destruction (Geffen Records) hardly even raised an eyebrow. It was the debut album by Guns N’ Roses, and the band immediately hit the road in support of the record. “It’s So Easy" was the first single released, a month before the debut dropped. The single, “Welcome to the Jungle” followed the debut on October 3, 1987. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” came in August of `88, “Paradise City" in November of `88, and “Nightrain" in July of `89. With the radio play of the middle three singles, the video for “Welcome to the Jungle" on MTV, and relentless touring by the band, in`88 Appetite became a massive commercial success. It was #1 on the Billboard 200 and became the best selling debut album of all time (the 11th best selling album of all time with 30 million copies sold).
Guns N’ Roses changed what was acceptable as Hard Rock, though for the general public, the band members themselves were completely unacceptable. Axle Rose (vocals) and Tracii Guns (lead guitar) were the original founders and the band’s namesake. But with larger than life personalities and even larger egos, the two could not keep it together. Guns left to form L.A. Guns, with moderate success (especially from their first couple albums). He was replaced by Slash and the fire was set. Duff McKagan, Seven Adler, and Izzy Stradlin finalized the lineup.
As noted above, G N` R instituted an irreversible change in the music industry, especially in the dark alleys of the Hard Rock / Heavy Metal world. Their appearance was (originally) “Big Hair,” but their sound was something else altogether. The band’s live shows were only an extension of the vision of Appetite. For the `80’s, they were wild! While the record was totally put together, it wasn’t long until the band, individually and collectively, began to show cracks. The song, “Mr. Brownstone,” for example, was about the band’s problems with heroin. They were no strangers to the police (before and during their success) in every town, state, and country; being known for violence and public intoxication. G N’ R were the poster children for “Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll.”
The original album cover art was based on Robert Williams’ painting Appetite for Destruction. It featured a robotic rapist about to be punished by a metal avenger. Record stores refused to stock the album with this cover, so the label moved this depiction inside and replaced the cover art with the classic Celtic cross and skulls of the five band members. The original artwork was a representation of the band (the metal avenger) wrestling back the power of the people from the system (the robotic rapist).
The song listing for the record reads like a list of chart toppers:
1. Welcome to the Jungle
2. It’s So Easy
3. Nightrain
4. Out ta Get Me
5. Mr. Brownstone
6. Paradise City
7. My Michelle
8. Think About You
9. Sweet Child o’ Mine
10. You’re Crazy
11. Anything Goes
12. Rocket Queen
Album Rating: 10/10!!
Favorite Songs: Welcome to the Jungle; It’s So Easy; Anything Goes
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
BEST TRACKS: VHS Release, Red Marks, I Want to Wreck Your Car
FCC Violations: VHS Release, Smash-Hit, Slice of Paradise, You Don’t Have to Tell Me That You Love Me,
Recommended if you like: PUP, The Fratellis, The Front Bottoms
Thirsty Curses pummels the scene once again with a new, label debut album. Thirsty Curses is a local four-piece rock and roll band straight out of our own beloved city of Raleigh, NC. Their latest album, which is self-titled, was released last Friday! I had the privilege of listening to this album before it was released on streaming platforms and I was blow away by the raw energy and deep cutting lyrics encompassed in this release. I am so excited for you guys to finally be able to listen to it. There was also a record release show at School Kids Records last Friday and while I wasn’t able to make it (I had a Biochemistry test that I had to cram for ☹), I heard that it kicked ass and that the album was received phenomenally well. I wouldn’t have expected anything different from Thirsty Curses. They’ve been putting out good stuff since 2017.
There is some phenomenal songwriting on this album. In every song, the lyrics flow and swing together extremely harmoniously, creating a sense of continuity and balance that lets you just sink deep into the music. My favorite song on this album is track 1, VHS Release. Packed into this short, 2 minute 39 second song are several punky riffs, lighthearted drums, and some creative similes that outline heavy themes of being anxious and dissatisfied with your mediocre life, feeling lost about what to do next, and craving a clean start.
If you like drinking beer or if you’ve ever dressed up like a pirate for Halloween, you’ll probably like this album.
I feel hopeful whenever a local band comes out with an album this fresh and amazing. It shows that we don’t have to look far beyond our own backyards to find incredible talent. Fight the corporate machine, keep supporting local music.
-Safia
Categories
Daytime Charts 11/12
Artist Record Label
1 PEACH PYRAMID Bright Blue Oscar St
2 CHASTITY BELT Chastity Belt Hardly Art
3 (SANDY) ALEX G House Of Sugar Domino
4 BARRIE Happy To Be Here (Ext) [EP] Winspear
5 NEW PORNOGRAPHERS In the Morse Code Of Brake Lights Concord
6 MANNEQUIN PUSSY Patience Epitaph
7 BABE RAINBOW, THE Today 30th Century
8 TURNOVER Altogether Run For Cover
9 FRANKIE COSMOS Close It Quietly Sub Pop
10 CRUMB Jinx Self-Released
11 ERTHLINGS Indigo [EP] Future Classic
12 BODYWASH Comforter Luminelle
13 GREAT GRANDPA Four Of Arrows Double Double Whammy
14 JULIA SHAPIRO Perfect Version Hardly Art
15 SARAH BETHE NELSON Weird Glow Burger
16 A BEACON SCHOOL Cola Grind Select/House Arrest
17 FRENCH VANILLA How Am I Not Myself? Danger Collective
18 SURF CURSE Heaven Surrounds You Danger Collective
19 CLAUD Sideline Star [EP] The Orchard
20 GRINGO STAR Controlled Burn Baby Robot
21 NIGHT SINS Portrait In Silver Funeral Party
22 NATHAN BAJAR Playroom In Real Life
23 SNAIL MAIL Habit [EP] Matador
24 PINEGROVE Marigold [Advance Tracks] Rough Trade/Beggars
25 B BOYS Dudu Captured Tracks
26 GREBES House Creatures Broken Circles
27 BOY SCOUTS Free Company Anti-
28 PALEHOUND Black Friday Polyvinyl
29 DIASPOURA Demonstrations Self-Released
30 PEAER A Healthy Earth Tiny Engines
TOP ADDS
1 CHASTITY BELT Chastity Belt Hardly Art
2 GREAT GRANDPA Four Of Arrows Double Double Whammy
3 TURNOVER Altogether Run For Cover
4 RICHARD SHIRK Arcadia Self-Released
5 WILCO Ode To Joy dBpm
6 BASEMENT REVOLVER Wax And Digital [EP] Sonic Unyon
7 BEGINNER’S MIND, THE Ego Death 13 ‘O’ Clock
8 LANDON ELLIOTT Domino American Paradox
9 GEOWULF My Resignation PIAS
10 DESERT SESSIONS Vol. 11 & 12 Matador/Beggars
Categories
Underground Charts 11/12
Artist Record Label
1 DENZEL CURRY Zuu Loma Vista/Concord
2 SK, THE NOVELIST Baggage Self-Released
3 NONAME Room 25 Self-Released
4 MIKE War in my Pen 10k, Lex
5 RICO NASTY Anger Management Atlantic
6 BONES LivingSucks Self-Released
7 TIERRA WHACK “Unemployed” [Single] Self-Released
8 BUDDY Harlan & Alondra Star Trak Entertainment, RCA, Interscope, I Am Other
9 BROCKHAMPTON Ginger Question Everything/RCA
10 BIG L The Big Picture Rawkus, Columbia, Sony Entertainment, Priority
Categories
Afterhours Charts 11/12
Artist Record Label
1 KAYTRANADA Nothin Like U/Chances [EP] RCA
2 TORO Y MOI Soul Trash Carpark
3 KEDR LIVANSKIY Your Need 2MR
4 MALL GRAB How the Dogs Chill, Vol. 1 [EP] Looking For Trouble
5 ROBYN “Beach2k20 (Yaeji Remix)” [Single] Konichiwa
6 18 CARAT AFFAIR Spent Passions 2 Self-Released
7 CARIBOU “Home” [Single] Merge
8 GRACE IVES 2nd Dots Per Inch
9 SLAYYYTER Slayyyter Slayyyter
10 HUSH HUSH Thinkin Bout You [EP] Self-Released
Categories
Chainsaw Charts 11/12
Artist Record Label
1 DESPISED ICON Purgatory Nuclear Blast
2 I DECLARE WAR Downcast [EP] Self-Released
3 COUNTERPARTS Nothing Left To Love Pure Noise
4 CATTLE DECAPITATION “One Day Closer to the End of the World” [Single] Metal Blade
5 VAMACHARA Hereafter [EP] Closed Casket Activities
6 SHAME SPIRAL “A Remanufactured Fear” [Single] Self-Released
7 EDGE OF PARADISE Universe Frontiers
8 CREEPING DEATH Wretched Illusions e One
9 JINJER Macro Napalm
10 THY ART IS MURDER Human Target Nuclear Blast