Category: Blog

Categories
DJ Highlights

DJ Psyched on Pack Disco

 

This year I was given the amazing opportunity to be one of the DJ’s at the Pack Disco (alongside DJ Casey and DJ Charlie M.A.C). I was pretty nervous about it since this would be the longest and largest live DJing event I’ve ever done, but I was also really excited because of that. I decided to do throwback pop since it’s a genre that really gets people dancing and singing their hearts out, it puts most people into a state of nostalgia. I learned from the last time I DJ’d a silent disco (for the honors village) that you really have to read the crowd because they’ll definitely show you what they want. So I played some more classic throwback songs like R.Kelly’s Ignition, but since I noticed this crowd was so open and excited I also got away with playing stuff like Call Me Maybe and What Makes You Beautiful (it was amazing to watch people’s face when they realized what song was playing). 

There were definitely more highlights from that night too. After the show some of the other people who were involved in running the event told me that they thought it was funny that I played Mr. Telephone Man because they hadn’t heard it in ages, I hadn’t either, weirdly enough halfway through the event it just came into my head and I decided to throw it in and I’m glad I did. But of course there were some highlights that I had hoped would go well and they did, but they kind of exceeded my expectations, this crowd was amazing. I knew Bohemian Rhapsody would do well, that song is a classic, but I did not expect people to pull out their phones and start a huge hugging-swaying circle. It was beautiful. I also noticed a dance circle form at some point, though I can’t remember the track’s playing at the time, it was really fun watching people get really into the community spirit and start to interact more. My absolute favorite things were the moments when I would look into the crowd and make eye contact with someone on my channel and we would either nod and smile or point and each other and shout ayeeee. It was amazing interacting with so many people solely on the basis of music.

The whole event itself was an amazing and unforgettable time and I’m so glad to have DJ’d with the people I did. We talked before and after the event and it was all positive vibes going around. We wished each other good luck before, and had more of a team spirit going during the disco then a competition. After the event ended you could see the excitement on all of our faces, it was a successful event and we couldn’t have been more happy have been a part of it. The whole time we felt the community vibe. People kept trying to give requests (though we couldn’t take them for safety purposes) and we had several people come up trying to give high fives and fist bumps. I don’t know about my fellow DJs, but with all that excitement built up I didn’t sleep til after 4am. It was totally worth it. Thank you to the IRC for choosing us!

– DJ Psyched

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album Highlight: Highway to Hell – AC/DC

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The title track to this record is a rock-‘n’-roll / hard rock anthem! It’s opening riff is recognizable instantly! And stadiums, arenas, and ballparks around the world play this great song! Highway to Hell, unlike AC/DC’s previous five albums (and one LP), was produced by “Mutt” Lang, a legendary producer even at this early stage in his career. It was recorded at Chalk Farm, North London in March 1979, and released July 27, 1979. Mutt and the band changed just about everything the band was doing up to that point. AC/DC had been touring all over Australia and Europe by this time, but their evolution (even Bon Scott’s vocals) transformed into something they had never even thought about. Imagine, Mutt giving Scott vocal lessons!! Or Angus (Young) guitar lessons! Yet, that’s what happened, and it formed one of the greatest records of all time. Atlantic Records hated the album name, and the album cover released in Australia (the worldwide released cover, with addition of flames and a bass guitar neck) was no different (see Australian album cover above)!

The record had a less than serious theme: Love Hungry Man, Girls Got Rhythm, Beating Around the Bush, Touch Too Much, Walk All Over You, Get It Hot, and Shot Down In Flames are all metaphors (or otherwise insinuating) sex. The three remaining songs are stand alone themes: Highway to Hell, believe it or not, is about the band’s life on the road. If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) is a titled borrowed from the band’s previous live record and it speaks to the fact that AC/DC will always give you everything that they have when they play live. And Night Prowler became quite controversial quickly! The serial killer, Richard Ramirez, nick-named “The Night Stalker,” was a huge AC/DC fan, and the song and the maniac will forever be intertwined. The band says that this song, too, is about sex, but that doesn’t explain the lyric, “…And you don’t feel the steel till it’s hanging out your back!”

The record was certified 7X platinum by RIAA in 2006. Tracks from this album are featured in eight movies, as a soundtrack for a video game, and as a theme song for the WWE SummerSlam (1998). The record peaked at #17 on the US Too 100. And it is the second highest selling AC/DC album of all time (right behind Back In Black, released a year later).

Within months of the release of Highway to Hell, Bon Scott literally drank himself to death, dying of alcohol poisoning on Feb. 18/19, 1980. AC/DC remained Angus Young – lead guitar; Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals; Phil Rudd – drums; and Cliff Williams – Bass guitar, backing vocals with the addition of Brian Johnson taking up vocals soon after the tragedy.

Favorite songs: Highway to Hell; Girls Got Rhythm; Beating Around the Bush

Rating: 10/10!!!

Stay Metal,

THE SAW 

Categories
Concert Review

Whack World takes over at UNC-CH’s Memorial Hall

It was an average Friday the 13th when my friends told me there were extra tickets to see Tierra Whack that night in Chapel Hill. I had seen Whack a few weeks prior in New York, but I was way in the back of a huge crowd and barely got to see her brightly colored ensemble from there. Needless to say, I was excited to see her again in a much smaller setting. I could not believe that UNC got someone so talented and trailblazing as she is. If you’re unfamiliar, Tierra Whack is a Philadelphia born rapper and singer who is a pro at freestyling, being weird and creating endless microscopic worlds within her songs. I definitely think the side of the rap world that’s occupied by women benefits from a fresh alternative like Whack who doesn’t take herself too seriously. 

As we packed into the theatre at Memorial Hall, I was happy to finally sit down and enjoy a concert in the comfort of a chair. The opener was ZenSoFly, a Raleigh based rapper with electronic production. By the time she finished her set I was quite literally itching to see Tierra. She finally arrives on stage via Razor scooter and I scream. She jumps into her performance of CLONES and when she’s finished she questions why the hell everyone was sitting down. Whack tells us to get up and commands the security guards to let us through to the pit area where you can stand directly in front of the stage. Everyone and their mother rushes the stage, my friend and I get split up, but I make it to the pit. Then she starts another song immediately and I just remember jumping up and down for about 2 hours straight after that, blowing out my vocal cords screaming the lyrics and climbing on the side of the stage to dance. 

Like something I’d always dreamed, she performed the entire 15 minutes of her debut album, Whack World, a piece of work that was hailed amongst the best albums of 2018 by Complex and Pitchfork. That 15 minutes felt like forever because Tierra Whack is so amazing at creating fun, dark and well rounded soundscapes in her lyrics and production. The show was sprinkled with Whack’s silly personality as she frequently conversed with the audience, handed out microphones for the crowd to sing along, stole keys, wallets and caught the numerous pairs of panties that were thrown at her. After her encore performance of “Mumbo Jumbo,” (a song chosen by a crowd member) she signed shoes for about 20 minutes and then disappeared into the darkness of backstage. I was sore for several days after, it was the most rambunctious, chaotic and enthralling show I’d ever been to.

-cellar door xx

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band Highlight // Wild Party

 

When I was a young freshmen here at state I stumbled upon this band called Wild Party. The first song I heard of theirs was ‘Life’s too Short’,  I was instantly hooked. The track (and that whole album) remains to be one of my absolute favorite listens to come back to. So one day, when went back to listen, I became extremely excited to find that they were back with some new tracks. In March they released the track ‘Recipe’ and in April we got ‘Getaway’. The artwork is very similar for the two tracks which makes me think an album may be coming our way. And I couldn’t be more hopeful because these two new tracks absolutely lived up to the last release. The tracks both sound a bit different from their old stuff, but they still have that solid Wild Party energy behind them. 

The first track ‘Recipe’ is an absolute bop. The lyrics are empowering and always leave me feeling uplifted. ‘Never gonna hit the brakes too slow, even if we make mistakes we know’ always puts me in a good mood and makes me want to work harder. The chorus will definitely stick with you too. Wild Party has always been good at having a smooth but interesting texture and strong instrumentation that really highlights the energy behind the lyrics. Getaway has a very similar vibe but the lyrics are a lot more critical in the meaning. ‘What’s with all our friends, They just talk and spend, All their time workin’, Like they’re mannequins’. Wild Party has always been one to sneak messages like this into their uplifting pop-rock-indie kind of music, and that’s what keeps me coming back.

– DJ Psyched

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Mexico City Blondes – Blush

Blush by Mexico City Blondes album cover

BEST TRACKS: Reasons Why, Addio

FCC clean

Mexico City Blondes are not actually from Mexico City. They are from Santa Barbara, California. Also, only ½ of the duo is blonde, but we’ll let this false representation slide because their music is so good. Mexico City Blondes met in 2014 on Craigslist when vocalist Allie Thompson replied to an ad posted by instrumentalist Greg Doscher stating that he was searching for someone with similar interest in lo-fi downtempo music to collaborate with. They instantly clicked and began working. Their first single, Fade, with a little bit of luck, became a breakout hit after being spread around by word of mouth and getting picked up by multiple music blogs. Fade even made it to the top spot on Hype Machine more than once. Five years later, the duo has finally released their long-awaited debut album Blush.

Hot out of a studio built in Doscher’s garage, Blush is fresh, mellow, and psychedelic. This album is a harmonious blend of electronic drums kits, dreamy synths, trip-hop vocals, and sprinklings of synthetic sounds. Thompson’s unique voice elevates this album to a level above the rest. Her wispy voice will carry you into an alternate reality where it’s eternally dusk outside and mysterious pink flower petals are carried in the breeze. Thompson’s sleek vocals go hand in hand in hand with the album’s silky texture. Every song on this album is hazy and atmospheric, ideal for going on a solo hike early in the morning or swimming in the pool at night.

My favorite track on this album is Addio. The chills that hit every time the chorus comes in are indescribable. The deliciously slow, jazzy guitar solo on this track at the bridge is the cherry on top.

If you like Glass Animals or WILLOW, I recommend this album to you.

-Safia Rizwan

Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 9/17

Artist Record Label
1 TORO Y MOI Outer Peace Carpark
2 LONE “Abraxas” [Single] Ancient Astronauts
3 KAYTRANADA Nothin Like U/Chances [EP] RCA
4 TOURIST Everyday Monday
5 GEORGE CLANTON Slide 100% Electronica
6 DORIAN CONCEPT The Nature Of Imitation Brainfeeder
7 KEDR LIVANSKIY Your Need 2MR
8 CHANNEL TRES Black Moses [EP] Godmode
9 LAURENCE GUY Making Music Is Bad For Your Self Esteeem [EP] Studio Barnhus
10 HOUSE OF FEELINGS New Lows Joyful Noise

Categories
Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 9/17

Artist Record Label
1 JAY SOM Anak Ko Polyvinyl
2 OH ROSE While My Father Sleeps Park The Van
3 CEREMONY In The Spirit World Now Relapse
4 CHK CHK CHK (!!!) Wallop Warp
5 BODYWASH Comforter Luminelle
6 ROYAL TRUX Pink Stuff [EP] Fat Possum
7 REPTALIENS Valis Captured Tracks
8 KOOLEY HIGH Monogamy Mass Appeal
9 ROYAL CANOE Waver Paper Bag
10 TRUTH CLUB Not An Exit Tiny Engines
11 A BEACON SCHOOL Cola Grind Select/House Arrest
12 BELLS ATLAS The Mystic Tender Loving Empire
13 DUDE YORK Falling Hardly Art
14 GAUCHE A People’s History Of Gauche Merge
15 THIN LIPS Carrot Milk [EP] Lame-O
16 WEYES BLOOD Titanic Rising Sub Pop
17 SARAH BETHE NELSON Weird Glow Burger
18 IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE Doko Mien Merge
19 DILLY DALLY Heaven Partisan
20 PHANTASTIC FERNITURE Phantastic Ferniture Polyvinyl
21 PALEHOUND Black Friday Polyvinyl
22 CHAI Punk Burger
23 OH SEES Face Stabber Castle Face
24 JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD Magick Songs Dine Alone
25 MONEY FOR ROPE Picture Us Cheersqaud
26 BLESSED Salt Pirates Blend
27 SASAMI Sasami Domino
28 PIP BLOM Boat Heavenly/PIAS
29 BABE RAINBOW, THE Today 30th Century
30 METZ Covers [EP] Sub Pop

Top Adds:

1 GUAXE Guaxe OAR
2 (SANDY) ALEX G House Of Sugar Domino
3 PARANOYDS, THE Carnage Bargain Suicide Squeeze
4 SURF CURSE Heaven Surrounds You Danger Collective
5 LONG BEARD Means To Me Double Double Whammy
6 WWOMAN Chuchi [EP] Self-Released
7 SQUID Town Centre [EP] Speedy Wunderground

Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 9/17

Artist Record Label
1 JPEGMAFIA Veteran Deathbomb Arc, Carolina Distribution
2 MIKE War in my Pen Lex
3 BROCKHAMPTON Ginger Question Everything/RCA
4 BUSDRIVER The Imperfect Cinema Big Dada, Mush Records, Fake Four Inc., Hellfyre Club, Anti-, Epitaph
5 EARL SWEATSHIRT Some Rap Songs Tan Cressida
6 DENZEL CURRY Zuu Loma Vista/Concord
7 OPEN MIKE EAGLE What Happens When I Try To Relax [EP] Auto Reverse
8 JID Dicaprio 2 Dreamville/Interscope
9 SK, THE NOVELIST Baggage Self-Released
10 KOOLEY HIGH Monogamy Mass Appeal

Categories
Miscellaneous

THE DEATH OF THE SKATEPARK PUNK

My first exposure to skate punk was probably the soundtrack of Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland. By the time those games were being released, skate punk was already on the decline. First, what is skate punk? Trying to define musical genres in words is stupid but here I go. Skate punk is just punk music by skaters, about skateboarding, that skateboarders listen to, while skating. Honestly, it doesn’t even have to be about skateboarding. It just has to motivate you to go out and risk life and limb in the pursuit of shredding. And it doesn’t hurt if it has that one-two skate punk rhythm.

In the 80’s, skate punk was super trendy. Everyone was skating, or at least, pretending that they could. The Bones Brigade was in its prime. Epitaph records was storming the scene, releasing killer album after album. Bad Religion’s How Could Hell Be Any Worse was a raging success that raked in a ton of money for the Epitaph label, enabling them to significantly improve their production quality. The new polished sounds of punk records attracted more people to listen to skate punk. Skate punk was a full-scale production now, not just some rinky dink operation out of some guy’s ratty basement. Skateboarding became a popular theme in music videos (the music video for Agent Orange – A Cry For Help In A World Gone Mad is literally the band performing inside a bowl while skateboarders do gravity-defying tricks in the background). The go-to source for the latest, most essential skate punk albums was Thrasher magazine’s skate rock compilations.

At some point, the skateboarding craze faded but the scene didn’t die away. There are new bands dropping skate punk albums all the time. Unfortunately, it’s really hard for these independent bands to gain any recognition when most people are satisfied with just listening to the skate punk OGs from the old days. So, if you want to find new music in this genre or in punk in general, you’ll have to dig a little deeper. It’s not hard though. All you really have to do it go to Bandcamp and type in ‘skate punk’. You never know what gems you will uncover when you go down the bandcamp rabbit hole.

The other day, I found a skate punk band called The Shidiots that really rips. They’re only available on bandcamp; you can listen here: https://theshidiots.bandcamp.com/

Could there be a skate punk revival in the future? God I hope so. We’ll have to see.

(cover art by Carliihde on Deviant Art)

-Safia Rizwan

Categories
Festival Coverage

WKNC Hopscotch Day Party Artist Feature: Through the Tallwoods

With Hopscotch right around the corner, and WKNC’s Day Party at Legends following closely in its wake– how better to promote both events than by give y’all a lil’ insight into our Day Party Line-up!

WKNC’s Day Party description is as follows.

This year has been full of milestones, and WKNC aims to celebrate them all. 2019 held Raleigh’s first ever Pride Festival, was the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and marks ten years of Hopscotch. With this in mind, WKNC’s Hopscotch Day Party aims to promote and celebrate LGBTQ+ affiliated artists from across the state to keep the Pride Party going all year long! Featuring Petrov, Emily Musolino, Juxton Roy, Through the Tallwoods, Black Bouquet, and To Julian, the party will be hosted on Saturday, September 7th at Legends Club. This event is all-ages and supported by the NC State GLBT Center.

This will be a series up until the Day Party, so the questions will be the same, but we can guarantee that every artist will add their own personal flare to each answer.

Through the Tallwoods is an up-and-coming punk act that is managed by the same king of the scene that organizes Juxton Roy. His name, if you’re unaware, is Jonas Chisholm! Both Jonas and Juxton will be at our upcoming Hopscotch Day Party with Through the Tallwoods tagging along as well! Will you be there??

  1. Give us a lil rundown of how your band got formed! When/where/how/why! 

    Austin and I (Taylor) met from a craigslist post I put up in the summer of
    2017. His energetic and technical bass playing had me hooked the first
    time we went through “Wake Up Early.” At the time, we were playing
    with a different drummer in his garage in Cary. About a year later, that
    drummer left to pursue his other artistic interests and our (long) search
    for a new drummer began. Through Instagram, we were able to connect
    with our current drummer, CJ Sierra, in October of 2018. His adaptive
    playing and quick, ready-to-learn attitude fit with our unconventional
    song structures perfectly. Since then we’ve had the opportunity to play
    alongside some of our favorite local bands like propersleep, Paperback,
    and Juxton Roy – who we’re looking forward to seeing right after our
    acoustic set at Legends this Saturday!

  2. What can an audience member expect from one of your shows? 

    Hopefully to connect to some of our lyrics; we fall under the emo genre
    a lot because we talk about some sad shit. You also get to hear Austin
    scream real loud – his mic check will scare you (or your money back).
    CJ will surprise you with his snare work and rhythm changes. He seems
    like a reserved, quiet guy till you see him moving around the kit. We also
    like talking to people at our shows, so we hope everyone feels welcome
    to do so.

  3. Do you see performance as a task or an endeavor? In that vein, what part about performing is most challenging or liberating? 

    Austin: I like performing. When skilled performers do their job well it’s
    awesome to watch. Seeing all of our practice, hard work, and planning
    come together is very satisfying.
    Taylor: It’s definitely a little out of my comfort zone – I’ve been more
    reserved most of my life. But I agree with Austin; the anxiety of preforming
    is overcome by the satisfaction of pulling off a show well.

  4. What does Pride mean to you? How do you embody those meanings in your music? In your everyday life? 

    Pride is a matter of acceptance for others and yourself. It’s a marked time
    to celebrate what makes us different, but also what makes us the same. We
    all deserve love; and love, in all its healthy forms, should be celebrated. Our
    music talks about the ways we’ve learned to distinguish the difference
    between love and simple want. It talks about the ways we’ve learned to
    move on from difficult situations, how we’ve grown to respect ourselves
    more, and to take pride in the people we’re becoming.

  5. What are you most excited about during Hopscotch?  

    Austin: Kissisippi! I’ve been a fan for a while now and I’m excited to see
    them play live.
    Taylor: I love Kississippi as well! Zoë is such a sweet, talented human
    being. I’m stoked that the headliner this year is Sleater-Kinney! I have a soft
    spot for Riot Grrl rock and Carrie Brownstein. She’s badass.

  6. For the tenth anniversary of Hopscotch, what would you ten years ago think about you now?  

    Austin: I always really wanted to play music, so I think 14 year old me
    would be proud that I’m playing shows and putting out an album now; it’s
    been a long time coming.
    Taylor: Honestly, at 15 I was still religious and wrestling with the guilt I felt
    over my feelings about girls. I would hardly believe that the sappy poems
    and guitar riffs I was writing in my room alone would be part of something
    cool like this 10 years later.

  7. Please list some fun facts about your band!  

    WE LIKE TREES A LOT – we go hiking pretty often.
    Austin has broken the same arm 3 times but still kicks ass on bass
    CJ is one of the creators of local label 85 Split Records, and he also drums in
    another band called “Student Health”
    One time Taylor ate a live goldfish for $20

You can learn more about Through the Tallwoods by visiting their Facebook page or Instagram (@throughthetallwoods) and, of course, by attending WKNC’s Hopscotch Day Party. It will be held at Legends Club on Saturday, September 7th and begins at noon! 

Literally be there or you will make baby deer cry!

https://throughthetallwoods.bandcamp.com/