WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student Radio
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
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
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
This past Sunday I got to go to see the band Omni at Kings and it was a pretty amazing show. I (thought) I first heard the band a couple of weeks ago while I was at work. I’m the daytime music director here at WKNC so I get albums to listen to pretty frequently, but I definitely remember first getting their new album and listening to it. I immediately figured it would end up on air from the first listen because I really enjoyed it (and from what I saw online under their music video a lot of people feel that way too). The band is from Atlanta Georgia and they seem like really cool guys. After the show I spoke to the lead singer, just to tell him that I really liked his album, and he was super nice and chill about it all. Looking online they are categorized as ‘Alternative Indie’ and ‘Rock’. That’s pretty accurate, but there’s also a pretty classic and kind of old school style about them that really made them stand out to me. My favorite tracks off of the new record are ‘Sincerely Yours’ and ‘Skeleton Key’.
To get back to an earlier point, I thought this was my first time hearing the band but when listening to my Ultimate Indie playlist I realized I had their song ‘Wire’ in there. That track is amazing and I definitely recommend listening to it if you haven’t heard it yet. The show was also amazing and made me like the band and new album even more. The opening acts were Blacker Server and Moonland and they really helped set up the scene, it was quite the show the entire time and I’m really glad I was able to go.
– DJ Psyched
Another month is over and again some more real good music was released. This month I want to highlight three albums that I really enjoyed. In no particular order…
Networker by Omni
Networker is the third full length album by the band and it’s sound is very classical older-school indie rock. The thing that really made this album stand out to me was the guitar and bass work, the riffs are incredibly ear catching and the vocals just match so well that it feels like it was made for the genre. I would recommend Sincerely Yours, Courtesy Call and Skeleton Key first. These anthems have been on repeat since I first heard them.
Friends by Future Crib
Another album that really caught my attention for its guitar work. I think this album is exactly what I think when I hear ‘indie’ and I absolutely love it. I feel like this music would be so nice to listen to live. There isn’t much more to say then you should start with Astronaut, Pocket and Alone.
Heavy Lifter by Hovvdy
I was instantly hooked when I first heard the song Mr. Lee. I am a sucker for catchy intros, and the higher pitched vocals really fit the vibe this song has. I feel like I could sit outside and listen during the day or chilling in my bed at 3am and it would hit so different but so right both times. It’s hard to describe the sound this album has but it’s very indie and kind of dreamy feeling to me. I would also recommend So Brite and Cathedral.
– DJ Psyched
Ahh, this band…. After The Burial (ATB) is one of my favorite Djent bands. Their overall sound is technical and melodic. The vocals are strong and passionate. Overall 10/10 band.
The first time I saw them was back in 2016 for the Sumerian Records 10 Years in Black tour with Asking Alexandria, Born of Osiris, I See Stars, and (one of my all-time faves) Upon A Burning Body. I primarily went for Upon A Burning Body, but once ATB stepped on stage, I was in awe!!! Their stage presence is AWESOME and never they fail to put on a great show. Since then, I have seen ATB probably 5 times and they never get old. I remember one time I saw ATB, I was at Arizona Pete’s in Greensboro and I was in the front for their set, I was headbanging and jamming the entire time. Their guitarist, Trent, kept throwing guitar picks at me so I have tons of ATB picks now!
ATB is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are signed to Sumerian Records and have released six full-length albums: Forging a Future Self (2006), Rareform [Re-Issue] (2008), In Dreams (2010), Wolves Within (2013), Dig Deep (2016), and Evergreen (2019). To me, Dig Deep is probably one of their best albums, not because of the sound of the record (which is awesome) but the story behind the album. In 2015, founder and rhythm guitarist, Justin Lowe (RIP), was found dead. He was missing and a hiker found his body beneath a bridge. His car was found on the side of the bridge. Authorities believe that the cause of his death was with a fall.
This was a hard time for the band because they were working on their upcoming album, Dig Deep. The band said that they weren’t going to finish the album but with the love and support from their fans, they decided to finish it after all. There is so much emotion on this album and I am so proud of this band for sticking together and being there for one another. You can also hear the same emotion and aggression on their latest album, Evergreen, which their vocalist, Anthony Notarmaso, said to be a continuation of Dig Deep. One of my favorite songs off of Dig Deep is Laurentian Ghosts. The opening riff you hear is actually a mix done by Lowe and was added to the song. It gave me chills when I first heard it.
Overall, this band is great. I love what they stand for, their courage, and their fight to press on and continue to make music. Respect.
Favorite Songs: Lost In The Static, Behold The Crown, and Laurentian Ghosts
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
It’s almost that time of the year… exam season!! I know exams can be stressful, but metal makes everything better. It is hard for me to study without music (because I am a sleepy girl), and it’s hard to study with music sometimes because I just wanna dance and headbang.
I have a handful of metal songs that I listen to while I study. Even though I have to fight the urge to headbang and do my weird dances in the library, these songs are very helpful when trying to get work done. The majority of these songs are instrumental, which is very helpful for me while studying. Having songs without vocals seems to help me concentrate better. I hope these songs bring you good luck on whatever you are studying for. You got this, Butcher Crew!!!
Study Vibes Playlist
· Obituary – Redneck Stomp
· Death – Voice of the Soul
· Wretched – The Stellar Sunset of Evolution Pt. 2 (The Rise)
· Sylosis – Where The Sky Ends
· Rings of Saturn – The Heavens Have Fallen
· The Faceless – (Instru)mental Illness
· Rivers of Nihil – Terrestria II: Thrive
· Decrepit Birth – Sea of Memories
· Obscura – A Transcendental Serenade
· Revocation – Enter the Hall
· Fallujah – Chemical Cave
· Dark Matter Secret – Emergence of Time
· Cannibal Corpse – From Skin to Liquid
· Currents – My Disguise
· Polyphia – G.O.A.T.
Happy Stu(dying)!!!
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
BEST TRACKS: I Believe you, Problems, Whatever I Want, Trimmer
FCC violations: Porch
Recommended if you like bands like Microwave, Culture Abuse, or Turnover.
This album is nothing short of cathartic. Big Blue is, without doubt, the best album that has come across my desk this year. Dead Soft is a three-piece grunge-punk band from Vancouver. They have been silently lurking in the shadows of Canadian underground music since 2011 but in recent years, a mist of excitement started to amass around Dead Soft. People started noticing Dead Soft for the energy and depth they brought to the table.
After three years of culminating and refining, Dead Soft has come out and seized the entire scene by its throat with their first full length debut.
Being the die-hard for fuzz that I am, I instantly fell in love with this album as soon as I heard the whiny feedback kick in at the beginning of track 1, I Believe You. The intoxicating, fuzz-drenched rise-and-fall intensity carries throughout the entire album. Vocals range from full-throated yelling to soft and flowing. Big Blue isn’t just all about loud noise. The choruses hit hard with bold, melodic hooks. No two songs on this album sound the same, which is the sign of hard work poured into an album. Surprise breakdowns and crashing of drums will keep you on your toes.
Dead Soft writes melancholic yet optimistic lyrics. From the deeply raw and emotional outpour that exudes from words so passionately sung, you can easily tell that these songs were written from the heart. The feral way vocalist Nathaniel Epp screams “into a black hole” on track 3, Step Out, will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. Overall, this album is powerful, and I can’t get enough of it. I think I have a crush.
I will definitely be keeping an eye on this band. I hope to see them continue to make strides and I’m excitedly awaiting their next release.
-Safia
Artist Record Label
1 THIRSTY CURSES All Shook Up Self-Released
2 CHASTITY BELT Chastity Belt Hardly Art
3 (SANDY) ALEX G House Of Sugar Domino
4 PEACH PYRAMID Bright Blue Oscar St
5 BARRIE Happy To Be Here (Ext) [EP] Winspear
6 NEW PORNOGRAPHERS In the Morse Code Of Brake Lights Concord
7 METZ Automat Sub Pop
8 BABE RAINBOW, THE Today 30th Century
9 BEAST Ens Thrill Jockey
10 KATE TEAGUE Kate Teague [EP] Muscle Beach
11 ZACK MEXICO The Page The Pope and The Hanged Man Self-Released
12 NATHAN BAJAR Playroom In Real Life
13 MENZINGERS, THE Hello Exile Epitaph
14 PURPLE MOUNTAINS Purple Mountains Drag City
15 TRUTH CLUB Not An Exit Tiny Engines
16 MARIKA HACKMAN Any Human Friend [EP] Sub Pop
17 LALA LALA Sleepyhead (Reissue) Hardly Art
18 FRANKIE COSMOS Close It Quietly Sub Pop
19 OH SEES Face Stabber Castle Face
20 JAY SOM Anak Ko Polyvinyl
21 PENELOPE ISLES Until The Tide Creeps In Bella Union/PIAS
22 GAUCHE A People’s History Of Gauche Merge
23 SURF CURSE Heaven Surrounds You Danger Collective
24 GUAXE Guaxe OAR
25 FRANK ZAPPA Apostrophe (’) Rykodisc
26 LEVITATION ROOM Headspace Greenway
27 HAYBABY They Get There Tiny Engines
28 PEAER A Healthy Earth Tiny Engines
29 SARAH BETHE NELSON Weird Glow Burger
30 ERTHLINGS Indigo [EP] Future Classic
TOP ADDS:
1 YOUNG SINCLAIRS Out Of The Box Requiem Pour Un Twister
2 MEN I TRUST Oncle Jazz Self-Released
3 GASPAR SANZ Meanderthal [EP] Helium
4 POPPY JEAN CRAWFORD Poppy Jean Crawford [EP] 30th Century
5 GEOFFROY 1952 (Nineteen Fifty-Two) Bonsound
6 QUIET HOUNDS Everything Else Is Noise Self-Released
7 CLAUDE Sideline Star Self-Released
8 CRITICALS, THE Mimosa Hygiene [EP] Self-Released
9 SEAN HENRY A Jump From The High Dive Double Double Whammy
10 SOFA CITY SWEETHEART Super(b) Exitos Self-Released
Artist Record Label
1 ROBYN “Beach2k20 (Yaeji Remix)” [Single] Konichiwa
2 RAW TAKES Car Radio Self-Released
3 PROSPA Control The Party [EP] Propsa
4 HUSH HUSH Thinkin Bout You [EP] Self-Released
5 SAMPS, THE Breakfast Gloriette
6 DEATON CHRIS ANTHONY “Das Right” [Single] Self-Released
7 BESHKEN Aisle Of Palm Self-Released
8 DEMUJA “Arrested” [Single] Self-Released
9 TOURIST Everyday Monday
10 TORO Y MOI Soul Trash Carpark