WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student Radio
Artist Record Label
1 VARIALS In Darkness Fearless
2 CATTLE DECAPITATION “Bring Back The Plague” [Single] Metal Blade
3 KUBLAI KHAN Absolute Rise
4 KNOCKED LOOSE A Different Shade Of Blue Pure Noise
5 VALLEYS Fearless Tragic Hero
6 INVOKE Invoking Chaos [EP] Arduous Path
7 GIDEON Out of Control Equal Vision
8 OBITUARY “A Dying World” [Single] Relapse
9 FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY “Shepherd” [Single] Human Warfare
10 AFTER THE BURIAL Evergreen Sumerian
Ugh. How refreshing is it to have high hopes for a local band and then have them be awesome? Thank you, Case Sensitive, for being freaking good. I’m thoroughly impressed and I’ll tell you why.
Let’s appreciate the simplicity of Twins, starting with first impressions. Perfect album cover. It’s representative of the album in that it depicts two human beings could maybe be twins. We see two figures, we know the album is called Twins, and it all makes sense. The art is well done and not too flashy. The cover looks great and does what it needs to do without trying too hard – it’s perfect!
Now, if we’re talking simplicity and local bands we usually can’t talk about their sound. There is something about the local scene that just makes (mostly) everyone produce a pile of sound that gets pushed into set of mics and trying to make a loud entrance. Sometimes this works out and we get our yelled at in a beautiful way (Pie Face Girls for example, duh) but sometimes local bands need to relax. Take a beat, please. I’m tired. I want something smooth that sounds organic – enter Twins. Wowie! Sierra? Mary? Those vocals? Is that you I’m bopping to in the car? I guess it is. Kelnan? On guitar? Please and thank you.
The thing about this killer trio is that they work well together. The flow is seamless and they just seem to exist together in the most organic way. Making music is hard, but the best tunes come from groups who make it seem easy, like Case Sensitive in Twins.
xoxo
your trusty music librarian
You know that feeling when you hear a song you relate to and you’re just like YES. Well, I’ve had a lot of those moments with songs that remind me of college. I’ve talked about my playlists that I make every semester, but my favorite thing about them is that I now have a few anthems that really define my college experience. You can judge them for yourself from the playlist linked below, but this is my college experience explained through music…
Sober by FIDLAR
Art School Wannabe by Sorority Noise
Hollow Life by Coast Modern
I’m Just A Kid by Simple Plan
Fine, Great by Modern Baseball
Laugh Til I Cry by The Front Bottoms
Sweet Disaster by DREAMERS
Life’s To Short by Wild Party
Something Good Can Work by Two Doors Cinema Club
My Good Grades by Cecil Frena
This Is Home by Cavetown
What would your list look like?
https://open.spotify.com/user/1218329188/playlist/7eg26Brb82AVtKnsDkn2bH?si=kTLT55seRpaDNMBwRpt0ng
– DJ Psyched
Rap music is littered with lyrics about death, violence and bloodshed. A lot of people think this is one of the worst things about rap music. I think those people lack perspective. Whether you’re rapping about carrying the weight of death in your own community or if you’re rapping about perpetuating violence yourself; rap music’s subject matter is sometimes scary, especially because it is often sourced from real life experiences. Here are some creepy sounding songs that talk about some terrifying aspects of the black experience.
Casket Pretty – Noname
Pet Cemetery – Tierra Whack
Thieves in the Night – Black Star
The Devil’s Shoestring – MF DOOM
Rage – Rico Nasty
Heaven’s Little Bastard – Bbymutha
Suicidal Thoughts – Notorious B.I.G.
Flowers and Rope – Princess Nokia
The Art of Peer Pressure – Kendrick Lamar
Goth Kid – Princess Nokia
Sandwitches – Tyler The Creator
Freestyle 4 – Kanye West
Deathwish – Comethazine
Dark Night Dummo – Trippie Redd
Elm Street – Jimmy Wopo
Bad Guy – 21 Savage
Faucet – Earl Sweatshirt
Bobby Bitch – Bobby Shmurda
Nuketown – SKI MASK THE SLUMP GOD
FlatBed Freestyle – Playboi Carti
Paranoia – Chance The Rapper
-cellardoor xx
Before I start this discussion I want to make it clear that I’m not biased and have both headphones and earbuds, three of each actually, and I’m not much of an audiophile either, just someone who likes talking music. The argument I have today is simple, both have pros and cons, but which one is better?
Let’s talk headphones. Headphones (like the ones above) are good for a more immersive experience and tend to drown out background noise better. I mean there’s definitely no shortage of noise canceling headphones. For making music and DJing they are definitely preferred because they tend to have a more full sounds and are more comfortable for long periods of use. Cons? Well they tend to be more expensive, I mean the price range is all over for both but, when you really get into things, headphones are more worth spending the extra buck. But they also are less portable. If you’re not planning to wear them the whole time you’re out they do take up more space in bags and they aren’t the best for hot weather because sweat really builds up, especially with larger headphones.
What about earbuds? Well… they definitely are preferred for working out and being portable. It is easier to find less expensive more quality ones too, they are good for hot weather and take up very little space in bags. But they also have a couple drawbacks. They don’t have the same immersive experience and it’s harder to drown out background noise. And they also can get pretty uncomfortable after a while of wearing.
So where does this leave my point? Well, I use both for different things and I would have to say that headphones win with DJing, making music, studying in a loud place and sound experience. Earphones are my go to in the gym, on hot days, in quieter places, and when I need to travel with a lot of things. Which wins for you?
– DJ Psyched
Leikeli47 (pronounced La-kay-lay) is a both Virginia and Brookyln raised rapper, singer and producer. Leikeli47 has never released her real name and wears a mask made of bandana, denim or other cloth material for all public appearances. Her “tom-boy” style of baggy pants, denim, hoodies, chains and butter colored Timbs mesh well with her waist length braids, eyelashes that are highlighted by her mask’s concealment of her other features and her lyrics about acrylic nails, men and braids (tuh’da flo). Leikeli47, when performing and in her music, effectively brings out the bad bitch in all of her listeners. Her lyrics exude confidence and attitude while simultaneously allowing her listeners into her life and black life which makes up for her concealed image. Her sophomore album, “Wash & Set” (2017) is the first in an upcoming trilogy, with “Acrylic” (2018) being the second in her “Beauty Series.” In this series she draws on black spaces such as nail salons and barbershops to relate to her listeners and to normalize these spaces. She is definitely a quickly up and coming rapper with an amazing flow, great lyrics and a mysterious image. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
My favorite tracks by her: Top Down, Don’t do it, Girl Blunt, CIAA, No Reload, Miss Me and Ho
-cellar door xxx
Theme songs/anthems are important when identifying horror movie villains. Who can forget Michael Myers theme song, or the Jaws’ anthem? These songs place a crucial role in creeping out the viewer and notifying us that our favorite villain is about to hit the scene.
What if their theme songs were metal tracks? How cool would that be? Below is a list of slashers and what I think their theme songs would be if you were to change them to metal.
Freddy Krueger: Hypocrisy – Let The Knife Do The Talking
Freddy’s glove is a bunch of knives, and it is his tool of choice for killing. So, it is only reasonable that we let his knives do the talking (get it?). I can already imagine Freddy dancing to this song while killing his victims.
Leatherface: Cannibal Corpse – Kill or Become
This song fits Leatherface because the chorus goes, “Fire up the chainsaw. Hack all their heads off.” Leatherface loves him some chainsaw, can you imagine seeing people screaming in terror with Leatherface running after them while this song plays? I think it is perfect.
Pennywise: Slipknot – The Heretic Anthem
This song has a lot going on in it and is very in your face and aggressive. It’s a lot like IT right here. Pennywise is always in the face of his victims and is always trying to terrify them. Slipknot gives me the same feeling sometimes when I see them live, but that is okay. I can see Pennywise doing his little dance to this song now.
Michael Myers: Cannibal Corpse – F***ed with a Knife
Like Freddy, Michael loves him a good butcher knife and that is always his choice of killing. So, it is only reasonable to have a Cannibal Corpse song that involves a knife to be Michael’s song. Just like Michael’s killings, the song is short, simple, and sweet. (:
Jason Voorhees: Spite – Kill or be Killed
The story of Jason Voorhees is pretty sad, not gonna lie. Jason got bullied at Crystal Lake and ended up drowning in the lake. His mother killed the counselors who she thought were responsible for her son’s death since they weren’t looking after the kids. So, in essence, Jason’s mother’s theme was kill or be killed, and she did both. Since Jason takes orders from his mom, in is only reasonable that this is also his theme song.
Ghostface: Capture – You Call That A Knife? This Is A Knife!
The list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t have a stereotypical slasher movie on the list. And the list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t have a stereotypical early 00’s metalcore on this list. Each very fitting.
Hannibal Lecter: Left Behind – Focus on the Flesh
Hannibal Lecter is a cannibal, so it is only fitting to have a song that focuses on the flesh (I love puns). I can already see Hannibal cooking up his victims while blasting this song in the background. I imagine the scene where is he cooking homeboy’s brain while TALKING TO HIM. Creepy right?
Pinhead: Behemoth – O Father! O Satan! O Sun!
Okay, Pinhead is my favorite because he has some GREAT one-liners: “I am pain,” “no tears, please. It’s a waste of good suffering,” and one of my all-time favorites “Burn? Oh, such a limited imagination!” I feel like Pinhead would love some black metal, I can see his quotes being lines of a black metal song. When Pinhead first met Kirsty Cotton, he was asked who he was. His response was, “explorers in the further region of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.” Hearing this line made me think of Behemoth and this song. I can already see Pinhead surrounded by chains with this song in the background. It’s beautiful.
Jigsaw: Whitechapel – The Saw Is The Law
Do I really need to explain this one?
What are some of your favorite slashers? What would their theme song be? Do you have a theme song?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
BONUS!!!! Here is a fun video that I found that has all of our favorite slashes as a boy band. It’s hilarious and you should totally check it out.
I have been to a lot of shows and even though I mosh, I mainly dance. My friends have described my dancing at a show as “club dancing” (shout out to Kevin), and it’s honestly straight facts. How I dance at any metal show is how I dance when I’m out with my friends. I have been asked why I dance the way I do at shows and my only answer is because “it’s fun” and I am a firm believer that some types of metal could be club music.
When listening to metal, if it has a good, catchy beat to it that anyone could dance to (primarily death metal and hardcore), it should be played at the club! The choppiness of the riffs and beat of the drums really emphasize this notion. The heaviness and the power of the band doesn’t take away from the aspect that the music is catchy as hell.
And I’m going to be honest, I 100% believe that people could throw their asses back to some death metal, I mean have you listened to Redneck Stomp by Obituary? I can see a grind train right now. The club would be lit as hell. I grew up having dance parties with my mom, and she would play Korn, Pantera and Rob Zombie, etc.; but she would also play TLC, Usher, Lil Jon, and Snoop Dogg. So I grew up dancing to both genres of music even though they are at opposite ends of the spectrum. My mom dances the same way I do at shows, so maybe its genetic? Was I born with it? Maybe its Maybelline, who knows.
Here are a lists of songs that I believe should be played in a club that people could “get down” to:
· Obituary – Redneck Stomp
· Debauchery – Murder Squad
· Six Feet Under – The Poison Hand
· Jungle Rot – Paralyzed Prey
· Torture Killer – A Funeral For The Masses
· Dying Fetus – Fixated on Devastation
· Debauchery – Death Metal Warmachine
· Six Feet Under – My Hatred
· Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plague
· Bent Life – Thanks For Nothing
· Bent Life – Cheat Death
· Boundaries – No Other Way
· Boundaries – Seizin’ the Demon
· Boundaries – Sour Mouth
· Left Behind – Focus on the Flesh
· Gideon – Cursed
· Gideon – No Love/No One
· Kublai Khan – The Hammer
· Kublai Khan – Self-Destruct
· Kublai Khan – High Hopes
· Korn – Word Up
· Korn – Y’all Want a Single
· Gatecreeper – From the Ashes
Want to listen to this playlist? Click here!!
What songs would you add to this metal club playlist?
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
BEST TRACKS: Maps to the Stars, River’s Edge, Opera
FCC violations: Hour of the Wolf, Opera
A year after Nick Rattigan released A Different Age on his solo project under the moniker Current Joys, Nevada-based alternative duo Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck returned to the front of the scene with a magical new release Heaven Surrounds You.
My first thought when I picked up this album and read the name was “wow, what a beautiful thought”’. Heaven surrounds you. I appreciated the assertive delivery of this message. The title of this album isn’t asking and it isn’t suggesting- it’s straight up telling you that the world is a beautiful place and you don’t have to wait until you die to find happiness. At least, that’s what I thought before listening to the album. As it turns out, this album is as self-deprecating and anguished as ever. I should have known. Surf Curse: feeling like a freak since 2013. But if it counts for anything, the last track, Jamie, closes out the album with this hopeful message: I love the people in my life. All my friends keep me alive.
Though I’m a big fan of the band’s traditional rough and visceral sound, I admit that Surf Curse cleaned up nicely with this Album. Heaven Surrounds You is Surf Curse’s most mature and polished album to date, more cinematic and sounding less like it was recorded in the basement and put together on Garageband 2.2. Saccharine violin on tracks on several tracks give the album a coming of age movie-like feel.
This is the perfect album for a road trip out west, with its sunny, lively guitar and dreamy vocals. The drums are modest yet toe-tapping, taking a back seat to the more melodic instruments on the album. Even the darker sounding tracks on this album, like Opera and Trust, have sweet, cinematic breakdowns and one-two rhythms that maintain the energy throughout.
I recommend giving this album a listen if you like Beach Fossils, the Frights, or Arcade Fire.
-Safia Rizwan