Category: Blog

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Miscellaneous

Hopscotch: How to Prepare

Ah, the sun’s blaring heat has begun to retreat indicating the decline of the Summer season. More importantly is that August is closing up to give way for September: the month of Hopscotch. 

Yes reader, you do have reason to feel a sense of urgency as this year’s Hopscotch is but two weekends away! That means you only have this coming weekend to prepare yourself. Allow me to bestow my knowledge from past Hopscotch experience on how to get the most out of your experience. I will break down these sacred preparations into a list of steps that go in chronological order.

  1. Ensure a wristband for yourself by either purchasing a ticket at http://hopscotchmusicfest.com/tickets/ OR volunteering for a ticket through http://hopscotchmusicfest.com/info/volunteer/
  2. Print out the schedule located at http://hopscotchmusicfest.com/schedule/
  3. Highlight all of the acts you are interested in (accept that you probably will not be able to see every show you highlight)
  4. Print out the Hopscotch map (http://hopscotchmusicfest.com/info/map/) and determine the most efficient way to get to all of the shows you highlighted
  5. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes (you will be walking/running from venue to venue)
  6. Pack a water bottle  
  7. Sleep as much as you can

Following these steps are crucial to ensure that you make it to Hopscotch and can confidently go between venues without having to waste precious time trying to google directions or pass out from dehydration/sleep deprivation/bad footwear choice. These tickets ain’t cheap and these bands are following a strict schedule. You have a lot to lose from being under-prepared and your Hopscotch experience is entirely in your hands. Prepare diligently and have an awesome time at Hopscotch this year!

-Farah Hamouda

Categories
Miscellaneous

Hopscotch: A Retrospective

The Hopscotch music festival first began taking over downtown Raleigh for a weekend in September 2010. Despite living in Raleigh at the time, I was not in attendance, nor did I know about the festival. This can easily be chalked up to the very severe divide between North Raleigh and the area encapsulating Downtown Raleigh and the NC State campus. As someone who grew up in North Raleigh, these really are two truly different worlds. However, I was also 14 at the time of the inaugural festival and I really probably didn’t know who Panda Bear or Megafaun were. I was much more inclined to the bands that played Warped Tour.  

Looking back over the lineups in my very early 20s is quite the weird treat as one can see just how ahead of the curve Hopscotch was in many instances and also just how much the festival and Downtown Raleigh have changed. From the inaugural year, we see Future Islands headlining the Berkeley Cafe, which is weird to think about in general. First, the Berkeley Cafe is place that still operates as a dining establishment, but not a live music venue. Secondly, this band headlined one of the smaller places in all of the venues in 2010 and in seven years time are now headlining City Plaza as the triumphant local heroes. This will be a theme throughout the festival’s history. Next on the docket are some of the venues used for performances such as the Busy Bee, Tir Na Nog, and Five Star, which WKNC had an event at the latter to my surprise. Now the festival has greatly expanded, featuring some very unique and large venues such as CAM and the basement of the Raleigh Convention Center.

2011 came and was still another year I didn’t know about, but the festival seems to be getting a bit bigger year by year with The Flaming Lips headlining and a great undercard of some now huge names like Oneohtrix Point Never and Toro y Moi residing fairly low in the lineup to where now they’d be near the top of most lineups.

2012 is an absolutely insane lineup and arguably one of the best well rounded lineups in the festival’s history. The top of the lineup sees a 90’s music fan’s dream with the Jesus and Mary Chain, Yo La Tengo, and Built to Spill, but it also has wide appeal for everyone else. The metal selection for 2012 is top notch featuring Sunn 0))), and from what I have heard, they played Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, which I just can’t even imagine. From there they invited local stalwarts Corrosion of Conformity and Valient Thorr to rock Raleigh’s face off. Let’s not forget Nails near the middle of the lineup, who would easily be near the top half of the lineup in 2017. This lineup even had some of the best hip-hop of the moment with Danny Brown and Death Grips.

2013 was the first year Hopscotch came into my world. I wouldn’t necessarily say the festival as a whole, but mainly I just remember seeing Earl Sweatshirt on Lincoln Theatre’s website and really wanting to go, but not knowing what Hopscotch was. Towards the bottom of this line-up, one might see a once-small band called Sylvan Esso, funny in retrospect considering they played the Hopscotch main stage

to a huge audience this past year. This festival is a breaking ground for so many artists in the North Carolina region and for bands at large. Just look at 2010 with Best Coast, Washed Out and the War on Drugs all just playing Tir na Nog. A great little spot back in the day, but super small. The good people behind Hopscotch really do know how to book bands on the rise better than most festivals out there.

2014 may be the most infamous year of Hopscotch, mainly because of a certain artist named Sun Kil Moon calling the audience at Lincoln Theatre a bunch of hillbillies, or something along those lines. Aside from this rather obnoxious incident, featured another well rounded year for the festival with the likes of mega indie star St. Vincent taking on City Plaza, legendary punk band Death playing a very rare show, and De La Soul bringing their fresh, upbeat blend of 90s hip-hop nostalgia to the City Plaza on a Thursday night for the first time. This year can also lay claim to being one of the danciest line-ups in the festival’s history with the likes of Jamie XX, Lunice and the Range.  

2015 was a pivotal year for me as it was the first year I really knew about the festival in its fullest and thus my first year in attendance and it was a great time. There really is nothing like running from one venue to another to catch a set in the middle of September. This festival really does a great job of curating artists that very few other festivals would even touch. Raleigh saw the likes of Dwight Yoakam and X in one night along with industrial metal pioneers Godflesh. Then there are the artists on the brink of success such as Goldlink who you can’t escape right now.

2015 was my first year, but definitely not my last. I knew I had to return in 2016, especially with the festival’s best lineup in its entire history. Well that is at least in my opinion. How could this not be the best year with the likes of Vince Staples, Anderson .Paak, and Young Thug in one night! Let’s not forget Converge, rising indie/funk act Sneaks, and apparently a wall of death at Twin Peaks (at least that’s what I have heard). This was a year to not forget and 2017 is shaping up to be quite the grand year. I can’t wait to reflect on this years iteration in seven years and see what local is headlining or indie act is at the top of the world. If I was a betting man, I would definitely throw out some predictions, but I’m not that smart!

Stay tuned for more coverage from WKNC and we will see y’all at Wristband City this year!

-Jamie Halla, General Manager

Categories
Miscellaneous

Best Venues To Camp Out for Hip-Hop During Hopscotch

Many seasoned Hopscotch-goers, festival attendees and planning-freaks in general may anticipate seeing all of their favorite acts in this year’s Hopscotch line-up. Luckily, all this takes is hours of research, plenty of running around in the hot sun, and if you’re blessed enough to be unfamiliar with downtown Raleigh, you can burn through tons of GPS data usage trying to find your next spot.

What’s the point of all this sarcasm?

Some people just wanna camp out at a venue and chill there for the whole damn day.

Perhaps even specifically those who LOVE Hip-Hop.

If you’re one of these people, here’s the best venue each day of Hopscotch for your lethargic, Hip-Hop needs:

Thursday, September 7th: Lincoln Theatre

Hip-Hop fans rejoice, for the first day of Hopscotch has an amazing line-up to kick things off, found at none other than Lincoln Theatre. Local emcee/producer/figurehead in NC Hip-Hop P.A.T. Junior will be getting the party started at 9:30pm. He’s known for both amazing production and lyricism, and is sure to kick off a vibe you won’t want to miss. Following P.A.T. is an artist who’s always done it dope, but even more so recently due to “North Cack”-fame, Durham’s own G Yamazawa. Take this from the Underground Director of WKNC: this guy puts on a show. Come witness the flow. BARS.

Then, Oddisee and Good Compny hits the stage. This is a great example of Hip-Hop meets live-band (think The Roots). It’ll touch your soul, man. Finally, riding the wave of success from her July 2016 tape Telefone, Chicago’s own Noname will be closing the night out, which is icing on the cake to a great first night of Hip-Hop at Hopscotch.

For those who haven’t been before, Lincoln Theatre will be a cool spot. It’s certainly one of the larger venues in Raleigh and has a wide variety of seating to view the act, both standing and seating. It’s got a hipster-type ambience, and plenty of good beer specials. Additionally, there are quite a few restaurants within walking distance of the venue, for those who will be have dinner before they pick their venue for the night.

This is the spot for Hip-hop on Thursday!!

Friday, September 8th: Red Hat Amphitheater

It’s no secret who is hosting the biggest names this year. Red Hat Amphitheater is the venue that will give you the most Hip-Hop on Friday. When I say the most, I mean the most. The night opens with Busdriver, an underground-rap hero hailing from Los Angeles, at 5:20. He’s a seasoned artist, so he’s gonna bring the juice. Keeping the night going is NC’s own Rapsody, who’s accolades include a huge amount of work with NC-producer 9th Wonder, landing the only feature on Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning To Pimp a Butterfly, and recently being signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. Yeah, you probably wouldn’t wanna miss that. And of course, the grande finale of the night: Run the Jewels. It has been said that they put on some of the best live performances ever. Like, ever.

Red Hat Amphitheater is a staple in Raleigh live music, known for housing some of the biggest acts that come to the 919. Their parking is ultra-convenient, so for those who may stress about that like me, this is your relief. AND for local beer lover, they feature brews from Lone Rider, Carolina Brewery and many others. With all types of seating that has great views of the stage, this is your best bet on Friday to catch all kinds of Hip-Hop vibes.

Saturday, September 9th: City Plaza

City Plaza’s got the good stuff on Saturday. Kicking off the night is Electronic-Rock/Indie Rock band Body Games, who’ve got many LP’s to pull from and an amazing live set. They’ve also got ties to Hip-Hop through their dope collaboration with WELL$ (perhaps we’ll get a surprise performance of their track “WMN”?). This will be a great transition into ILOVEMAKONNEN, who’s infectious super-hit “Tuesday” track from 2014 is a staple in any college-party playlist. Keeping the Atlanta-vibes going, the biggest act of the night is legendary emcee Big Boi. With a handful of hits from his Outkast days and a handful of hits from his solo records, Big Boi never disappoints live. Don’t miss!

Raleigh’s City Plaza is right in the heart of the city, which will be a unique outdoor spot for the performances on Saturday. This will be a great way to experience music in Hopscotch differently than other, indoor venues downtown. So let the outdoor city life spice up your Hopscotch weekend experience! 

Side note: Not to disregard everything I’ve said above, but it is important to note that Solange is performing at Red Hat Amphitheater on Saturday at 9 o’clock, just in case Solange is must-see for you as it is many others. Good luck choosing between the 2 amazing line-ups at each venue…. ah the struggles of festival planning! 

Sunday, September 10th: Red Hat Amphitheater

After 3 days of heavy festivities all through downtown Raleigh, Red Hat Amphitheater is the only venue hosting any sort of major music activities for Hopscotch. Come on out to the venue to see a line-up of amazing Indie music, including Cloud Nothings, Mount Moriah and Angel Olsen. Close out the festival with an awesome Sunday of music!

Thank you to all Hopscotch-goers and enjoy Hopscotch 2017!

Categories
Weekly Charts

WKNC 88.1 FM Radio 200/Indie Rock Charts 8/22/17

1 DOWNTOWN BOYS – Cost Of Living – Sub Pop
2 STRANGE RELATIONS – Editorial You – Tiny Engines
3 SEE THROUGH DRESSES – Horse of the Other World – Tiny Engines
4 RATBOYS – GN – Topshelf
5 THE DISTRICTS – Popular Manipulations – Fat Possum
6 BRIANA MARELA – Call It Love – Jagjaguwar
7 AVEY TARE – Eucalyptus – Domino
8 ALDOUS HARDING – Party – 4AD
9 PALM – Shadow Expert [EP] – Carpark
10 LAND OF TALK – Life After Youth – Saddle Creek
11 WAXAHATCHEE – Out in the Storm – Merge
12 JEN CLOHER – Jen Cloher – Milk!/Marathon Artists
13 NAOMI PUNK – Yellow – Captured Tracks
14 EMA – Exile In The Outer Ring – City Slang
15 GIRL RAY – Earl Grey – Moshi Moshi
16 FRANKIE ROSE – Cage Tropical – Slumberland
17 HONEY JOY – Honey Joy – Infinity Cat
18 SOCCER MOMMY – Collection – Fat Possum
19 JAPANESE BREAKFAST – Soft Sounds From Another Planet – Dead Oceans
20 GROWL – Won’t You – Austin Town Hall
21 KEVIN MORBY – City Music – Dead Oceans
22 DASHER – Sodium – Jagjaguwar
23 KATIE VON SCHLEICHER – Shitty Hits – Ba Da Bing
24 CHAIN AND THE GANG – Best of Crime Rock – In the Red
25 LILY AND HORN HORSE – Next To Me – Ramp Local
26 VALLEY QUEEN – Destroyer [EP] – Self-Released
27 REDUCTION PLAN – Somewhere – Maladjusted
28 SEXTILE – Albeit Living – Felte
29 UMM – Double Worshipper – Majestic Litter
30 THIS IS THE KIT – Moonshine Freeze – Rough Trade

ADDS
1 WIDOWSPEAK – Expect The Best – Captured Tracks
2 SOAR – Dark/Gold – Father/Daughter
3 BIRDS – Everything All At Once Greenway
4 A GIANT DOG – Toy – Merge
5 BABY IN VAIN – More Nothing – Partisan
6 SO MANY WIZARDS – Heavy Vision – Lolipop
7 HIGH FUNCTIONING FLESH – Culture Cut – Dais

Categories
Festival Coverage

A Cheapskate’s Guide to Hopscotch

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If you are anything like me, there is a good chance you will be balling on a budget during Hopscotch. Here is the ultimate guide to getting your pennies worth at the festival! 

TICKETS

The cheapest ticket option is to buy a general admission ticket ASAP. I highly suggest signing up for Hopscotch’s emails too, so you can know when tickets first go on sale and so that you can get an early bird special. The first early bird special is $125, the second is $149, and the third is $175. Unfortunately, all of those have sold out, so you can either buy a general admission wristband for $199 or buy a day wristband. Thursday’s wristband costs $85, Friday and Saturday’s cost $99, and Sunday’s cost $45. Who needs a VIP wristband anyway? You’ll be too busy running around downtown Raleigh trying to find the next act to enjoy the perks of an expensive VIP wristband.

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

Hopscotch has partnered with the Sheraton in downtown Raleigh to provide discounted housing during Hopscotch. The Sheraton overlooks the City Plaza, so if you’re not feeling the crowds, you could easily go back to your room and open your window to listen to the bands playing below you! Cheaper housing options would be to stay at a friend’s house in Raleigh or stay in an Airbnb. Airbnb has a deal similar to Uber; if you refer a friend, you and the friend get $40 off any Airbnb! Grab a friend and stay at a hip, trendy place in downtown for a low cost and a convenient location.

PARKING
Parking prices, especially during Hopscotch, tend to be a bit outrageous downtown. To avoid high parking costs, you can take the completely free, open to the public, Wolfprowl bus if you are staying near NC State. You can even park your car around NC State (we have free parking after 5pm!) and take the Wolfprowl from there! The Wolfprowl runs Friday and Saturday nights during the fall and spring semesters from 10pm-3am. It is a continuous loop with service approximately every 35 mins. You could also take a Lyft. Use WKNC’s Lyft code, WKNC50, to get a free $50 in rides. If you are up to the challenge, you could also walk or bike downtown. There are plenty of bike racks downtown, and it could actually be super convenient to have a bike with you to get from venue to venue quicker. I saw a lot of people doing this last year and thought the idea was brilliant.

FOOD
Honestly, the best option is to eat before you come. Carb-load on all your favorite foods to fuel up for the night, and get at least a little protein so you can maintain your stamina. If you get hungry during the night, you can always buy a snack or something small to tide you over. Purchasing little snacks is going to be a lot cheaper than a full meal in busy downtown. At the end of the night, there may even be some free food on Hillsborough Street; last year it was pizza.

There you have it, I hope these tips and tricks make your Hopscotch experience as cost-efficient as possible, and remove a little financial worry so you can have the time of your life rocking to some incredible artists!

Categories
Music News and Interviews

WKNC Upcoming Giveaways!

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Tune into WKNC this week for a chance to win tickets for some great shows! Tonight during our Underground hours, there will be a Kid Cudi giveaway for his Oct. 11 show at the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh. Also this week, we will be giving away tickets to see Sextile at the Pinhook in Durham on Aug. 30. And finally, we have just received some giveaway tickets to see Bon Iver at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Nov.13! Those will be given out over the next couple of weeks, so keep that radio dial turned to 88.1!

Categories
Non-Music News

Oak City Move 18: Carolina Jubilee

Sara sits down with Zach from the Carolina Jubilee.

Listen to Episode 18 Here.

Categories
Concert Preview

Hopscotch Kick Off (Part 2)

As September inches closer by the day, the city of Raleigh starts to prepare itself for that one magical weekend of the month known as Hopscotch Music Festival. This weekend, happening Sept. 7-10, takes over downtown Raleigh as music fans from just about everywhere descend upon the city’s many venues, some even makeshift just for the festival. We here at WKNC look forward to the festival every single year and would like to share with you some of our most anticipated acts for this year in our special Hopscotch kickoff! 

iLoveMakonnen

When the good people at Hopscotch casually incorporated ILOVEMAKONNEN into this year’s lineup, I think I literally screamed. I fell in love with Makonnen a few years back after I got my wisdom teeth taken out during winter break – I spent the entire week investigating his discography and making my friends listen to his extremely underrated song “In The Bity” while they drove me to the mall to buy Christmas presents. Pain killers (prescribed!!)  were definitely involved but it was my wisdom teeth so whatever. 

Makonnen gained major popularity in 2014 with his song “Tuesday” featuring Drake and his song “I Don’t Sell Molly No More,” both on debut self-titled album. He remained in the spotlight the following year with a feature on the summer track “I Like Tuh” with Carnage. These are just some of Makonnen’s popular hits, and while they are sick songs, they have nothing on his wildly unique and extensive mixtape discography. From Drink More Water (1-6) to 3 Suns, he blends genre lines between rap, pop, r&b, and more. What I love most about Makonnen’s deep cuts are the bold instrument experimentation – his material goes from tracks with heavy bass beats to songs with only vocals and (really loud) melodic keyboard. Even though the production quality is noticeably average, it is in a way that makes his music accessible and charming. 

If you haven’t gotten into ILOVEMAKONNEN outside of his super popular radio singles, I clearly recommend starting with the mixtapes and working your way through. I not only suggest listening to the songs mentioned earlier, but also give “Piano Class,” “Swerve,” and basically all of Drink More Water 2 a listen. In the first listen, these songs sound pretty weird – but trust me, it’ll be all you want to listen to. 

iLoveMakonnen will take the City Plaza stage Saturday night at 6:30 opening for fellow Atlanta MC Big Boi.  

 – Emily Ehling, General Manager Emeritus

Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast delivers me to a time of not stressing about classes, rather a sentimental montage of summer nights spent with good pals. I’m most excited to see Japanese Breakfast this Hopscotching season because of the liminal feelings she produces through her newest album, Soft Sounds from Another Planet. This album is exactly what I’d want to hear if music was coming from outside of this world. Pop meets melancholy in this synth driven album that is sweet to the ears. Currently my favorite tune off her new album is “Road Head” which pairs well with the creepy crawly visuals shown in the music video. Michelle Zauner, aka Japanese Breakfast, spoke how the song was about someone not believing in her music career and goals, and her attempt at a last ditch effort to keep things alive in a doomed relationship. Not many songs can make you smile at the same time you question your own sadness like this one can. Keep listening to WKNC 88.1 for more Hopscotch coverage and insight.

Japanese Breakfast will be performing at Neptunes Saturday night at 12:30 a.m. 

– Katelyn Auger, Promotions Director

Rapsody

Ooowee! Rapsody is back in Raleigh, for Hopscotch. It’s been a minute since this Wolfpack alumna has been back to Raleigh. We last saw Rap at Packapalooza in 2015, sharing the stage with Nappy Roots, but since then she’s been making waves with major artists and producers. During her time at NC State, Marlanna Evans of Snow Hill, NC began her musical career as a part of Kooley High and was also a founding member of H2O, (The Hip-Hop Organization) at NC State in 2004. Since then she’s broken out into her own career as a successful artist with 3 studio albums and several mixtapes, all featuring both established and up-and-coming artists, as well as being signed to Jay-Z’s renown label Roc Nation in 2016. From her numerous accolades, it quickly becomes apparent that Rap isn’t stagnant. Her flow, lyrics, and use of her voice are all weapons in the arsenal she brings not only to her own music, but to other talented artists such as Ab-Soul on Do What Thou Wilt, former Hopscotch attendee Anderson .Paak’s Malibu, and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly which gained her a Grammy nomination. This year Rap is back and ready to take over – oooWee!

A few of Rapsody’s highlights include:  “OooWee” ft. Anderson Paak., “The Man”, “Hard to Choose”. Make sure you catch Rapsody at 6:30 p.m. opening for Run the Jewels at Red Hat Ampitheatre.  

– Ethan-Cole Evans, DJ E.Cole.I

Big Thief

Hey this is DJ Short Strides. One of the bands I am most excited to see at Hopscotch this year is the band Big Thief. If you are a fan of indie rock you will love this band. Big Thief has had quick success in that they came out with their stunning first album Masterpiece in 2016 and gained enough popularity to tour the US, the UK, and Australia. They recently put out a new album in June titled Capacity and its one of my favorite albums of 2017. I typically listen to all of their albums full through on repeat; however, my top five favorite songs (because I couldn’t narrow it down to just three) are “Velvet Ring”, “Shark Smile”, “Parallels”, “Mythological Beauty”, and “Animals”. Big Thief will be playing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7 at the City Plaza and you can guarantee I will be there.

– Annelise Thorn, Operations Manager

Preoccupations

Preoccupations is a Canadian indie rock band hailing from Calgary, Alberta with other genre associations such as post-punk, art rock, and noise rock. Their style mashes together a lo-fi aesthetic, technical guitar melodies, post-rock elements, and a lackadaisical singing style to create an interesting listening experience. 

They are one-half of the now-defunct indie band Women. Ex-Women members Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace joined with Scott Munro and David Christiansen in 2012 to form the originally, controversially named Viet Cong. Under this previous moniker, they self-released a debut Cassette EP (2013, reissued in 2014 on Mexican Summer) and released a self-titled album (2015) on the labels Jagjaguwar and Flemish Eye. They released their sophomore, self-titled full-length later in 2016 as Preoccupations. 

I picked one favorite song from each of their three releases. 
Favorite Tracks: “Unconscious Melody”, “Silhouettes”, and “Stimulation”.

 – Zach Mega, The Captain 

Thanks for reading and keep on listening to WKNC for more Hopscotch 2017 coverage! 

Categories
Weekly Charts

WKNC 88.1 FM Radio 200/Indie Rock Charts 8/15/17

1 SEE THROUGH DRESSES – Horse of the Other World – Tiny Engines
2 RATBOYS – GN – Topshelf
3 STRANGE RELATIONS – Editorial You – Tiny Engines
4 KATIE VON SCHLEICHER – Shitty Hits – Ba Da Bing
5 DOWNTOWN BOYS – Cost of Living – Sub Pop
6 WAXAHATCHEE – Out in the Storm – Merge
7 MARIKA HACKMAN – I’m Not Your Man – Sub Pop
8 PALM – Shadow Expert [EP] – Carpark
9 LILY AND HORN HORSE – Next To Me – Ramp Local
10 INSTITUTE – Subordination – Sacred Bones
11 PIXX – The Age of Anxiety – 4AD
12 (SANDY) ALEX G – Rocket – Domino
13 CHAIN AND THE GANG – Best of Crime Rock – In the Red
14 GUERILLA TOSS – GT Ultra – DFA
15 DASHER – Sodium – Jagjaguwar
16 BIG THIEF – Capacity – Saddle Creek
17 GIRLPOOL – Powerplant – Anti-
18 REDUCTION PLAN – Somewhere – Maladjusted
19 JAPANESE BREAKFAST – Soft Sounds From Another Planet – Dead Oceans
20 I.L.Y’S, THE – Bodyguard – Castle Face
21 SEXTILE – Albeit Living – Felte
22 KEVIN MORBY – City Music – Dead Oceans
23 HONEY JOY – Honey Joy – Infinity Cat
24 PALEHOUND – A Place I’ll Always Go – Polyvinyl
25 GIRL RAY – Earl Grey – Moshi Moshi
26 NAOMI PUNK – Yellow – Captured Tracks
27 US AND US ONLY – Full Flower – Topshelf
28 DISTRICTS, THE – Popular Manipulations – Fat Possum
29 AVEY TARE – Eucalyptus – Domino
30 EXHIBITION – Last Dance [EP] – Cult

ADDS:

1 EMA – Exile In The Outer Ring – City Slang
2 TRAILER TRASH TRACYS – Althaea – Double Six
3 FRANKIE ROSE – Cage Tropical – Slumberland
4 KELLEY STOLTZ – Que Aura – Castle Face
5 THE YAWPERS – Boy In A Well – Bloodshot
6 SARAH JAFFE – Bad Baby – Kirtland

Categories
Concert Preview

Hopscotch Kick Off (Part 1)

As September inches closer by the day, the city of Raleigh starts to prepare itself for that one magical weekend of the month known as Hopscotch Music Festival. This weekend, happening Sept. 7-10, takes over downtown Raleigh as music fans from just about everywhere descend upon the city’s many venues, some even makeshift just for the festival. We here at WKNC look forward to the festival every single year and would like to share with you some of our most anticipated acts for this year in our special Hopscotch kickoff! 

Run the Jewels 

Over the past four years, Hip-Hop has been turned on it’s head by the genre’s super-duo Run the Jewels. Comprised of emcee Killer Mike and producer/emcee El-P, the pair have created an undeniable sound for themselves that originates in their self-titled debut, and has been reinvented twice over on their 2nd and 3rd LP’s. But even more exciting than their studio albums, is the sheer legendary live performance that Run the Jewels has put on for fans all over the country. It only makes sense that Hopscotch would want in on this action, and out of all the amazing acts on the festival’s line-up this year, I am most excited to see RTJ hit the stage.

My favorite tracks from each album include “Banana Clip feat. Big Boi” (Run the Jewels), “Love Again” (Run the Jewels 2), and “Legend Has It” (Run the Jewels 3).

Killer Mike has always been a staple lyricist in Hip-Hop, representing a unique spin on the Atlanta-sound. But after having El-P produce his 2011 album R.A.P. Music, and featuring on El-P’s album Cancer 4 Cure, the two realized the chemistry was perfect, and they toured together to promote these projects. This of course led to 2013’s first release under their new moniker, Run the Jewels. Ever since, they have put on unbelievable live performances, arguably thriving the most successfully at festivals (which is good news for Hopscotch goers).

As Underground Music Director, I have of course promoted every Run the Jewels project, and they continue to be in regular rotation at WKNC, because they encompass the ultimate “Hip-Hop” sound, yet they also reshape it. This year’s performance will be a special treat for me, as I have yet to see them live. The exciting part about seeing a duo is the way they transfer energy back and forth throughout their performance, and I can only assume they have mastered their craft over the last 4 years of touring together. To me, the show just might be, as Run the Jewels would put it, a “Christmas F**king Miracle!”

Run the Jewels will be performing Friday night at 8pm at Red Hat. 

 -John Wilson, Underground Music Director

Cherry Glazerr

Los Angeles’s Cherry Glazzerr is upbeat indie rock with garage rock, punk, and synth pop influences. The band features songwriter Clementine Creevy on guitar and vocals, Tabor Allen on drums, Sasami Ashworth on synth and formed in 2012 when Creevy was just fifteen years old. Their music is an honest display of self expression and offers a modern spirit of the rriot girl movement with frontwoman Clementine’s songwriting themes of feminism and empowerment which can especially be heard in their second album Apocalipstick which came out earlier this year.

Tracks like “Nurse Ratched” feature upbeat garage rock influenced guitar laced in synth, powerful drums, and  strong smooth vocals with socially charged lyrics “She’s a wild one in a land that’s supposed to be free”.

Other tracks have a more self reflective feel such as “Told You I’d Be With the Guys” a reflection of youthful friendships. As well as a more punk influenced sound as Clementine croons with the ferocity of Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill) “ I told you, I told you I’d be with the guys, but I know better now than to be with the guys”. Apocalipstick was recorded with the talent of Joe Chicarelli (White Stripes, The Shins, The Strokes) and Carlos de la Garza (Bleached, M83, Tegan and Sara) and released on Secretly Canadian! records.

They are a band not to miss at Hopscotch and will be closing out the Pour House at 12am with a energetic, head-banding, feel good, empowering set.

For fans of: Speedy Ortiz, Diet Cig, Screaming Females  

-Mariam Marand, Local Music Director

Pie Face Girls

Raleigh based trio Pie Face Girls is comprised of Dani Hoffpauir on lead vocals and guitar, Tiffany Huff on bass and Klay Misenheimer on drums. Kicking off the high-energy lineup at Pour House on Saturday, they are sure to cause a stir. Their music is politically motivated with goals aligned against the patriarchy, the “alt-right” and any of their sympathizers. Join these warriors as they tear Trump a new one whilst infecting onlookers with the urge to aggressively move their bodies in solidarity. Their sound is very pop-punk and energizing, some of my favorite songs are “Get On The Floor”, “Dude Yr Girlfriend Sux” and their Peaches cover of “Fuck the Pain Away” (found of their Bandcamp). The Pour House is THE venue to attend Saturday of Hopscotch, with Pie Face Girls getting things started at 9PM and Cherry Glazerr ending the night at midnight.

-Farah Hamouda, DJ sPaRr0vV

serpentwithfeet

I have already seen serpentwithfeet open for Perfume Genius at Cat’s Cradle, but his performance was transformative for me; Josiah Wise, the artist behind the enigmatic music project, weaves together R&B and gospel, creating songs that sound like prayers. Wise is able to piece together the experience of queer love and heartbreak in both a theatrical and intimate way for his listeners. I’m excited to see what he brings to the stage for Hopscotch, since his stage presence demands to be felt, and I couldn’t get enough of his voice. One of the songs I’m most excited to hear (again) is “four ethers” ,an orchestral masterpiece filled with runs of Wise’s voice. During his actual performances, he tend to improvise a lot of his runs, making every show a unique experience.

serpentwithfeet will be performing Saturday night at Nash Hall, 12 p.m. 

-Cas Saroza, Program Director 

Madame Gandhi

You probably heard about the woman who free-bled at the London Marathon, right? She’s also a really neat musician and activist named Madame Gandhi, and she’s playing Hopscotch! Although it was tough to choose with the lineup this year, I’m probably most excited to see Madame Gandhi because I’ve been following her for a couple of years now, and she’s inspired me the whole time. She went on a world tour drumming for M.I.A. while simultaneously attending Harvard Business School through 2015, and she released her first EP, Voices, in late 2016. Additionally, she works with Thinx, a company which makes period underwear, and AfriPads, which produces reusable menstrual pads for people who do not have such products readily accessible. If you’re interested in activism, electronic music, hip-hop, and/or lyrics that *really make you think*, give Voices a listen! The EP is more relaxed than most music that I listen to, but I really enjoy the arrangements throughout it. I’m eager to see what her music is like live and to hear what she has to say. She plays on Friday, September 8, at 11:30pm at Nash Hall. Top tracks include “The Future is Female” and “Yellow Sea,” but they’re definitely all worth checking out!

-Ciera Cipriani, The Fuzz

The Make-Up

When Hopscotch 2017’s lineup came out, there are obviously going to be bands that everyone more or less knows. Then there are those bands that one must discover before the festival. For me, that band was The Make-Up. For many, this band might be one of those bands everyone knows, if you’re of a certain age. The Make-Up released their first album Destination: Love- Live! at Cold Rice the year I was born on the infamous punk/hardcore label Dischord Records. Funny enough, this album isn’t exactly what one might think of when they hear the words punk/hardcore. This album was released on Dischord given the band’s interesting history. Frontman Ian Svenonius and multiple other members of the Make-Up made up 80’s notorious DC hardcore band The Nation of Ulysses. Politically, both bands share a very similar message. Sonically, they are in two different playing fields. The Make-Up will be a band to witness this September at Hopscotch as politics are their bread and butter, right next to making a unique blend of funky, gospel tinged post-punk. They wear their communist, leftist leanings well on their sleeves and are sure to have a few things to say about the current political landscape plaguing America right now. Rest assured, they will still sound amazing with their special live show that calls for audience participation and takes many cues from gospel performances. Be sure to familiarize yourself with this band as they take the City Plaza stage Friday night right before local legends Future Islands.

 -Jamie Halla, General Manager

Make sure you check back in with us on Friday for Part 2 and throughout the next couple of weeks for more coverage!