Thee Oh Sees may have started as the name John Dwyer used to release some of his experimental home recordings, but since those humble beginnings TOS has evolved into so much more. Hooks drawing from punk, garage, and psychedelic influences will grab you by the ear and refuse to let go.
Perhaps one of their most defining features is how much material they have recorded. Their album Mutilator Defeated At Last was released last May and is their 16th studio album.
On a personal note, the first request I ever took while DJing on WKNC was for Thee Oh Sees. I was unfamiliar with them at the time but I have become an avid listener since then. The song was “If I Stay Too Long” off of 2011’s Castlemania. I can’t wait for their performance this Friday – it’s sure to be Phuzzy.
Although she is barely 22, Greta Kline (aka Frankie Cosmos) has both the aura and the experience of a fully experienced musician. She has released over a couple dozen low-fi DIY projects on Bandcamp in addition to an EP and now two proper LPs. Her newly released album, Next Thing is a big step forward both lyrically and sonically, with some of Kline’s best lyrics to date and fantastic full band arrangements that do justice to her songwriting ability.
Instead of mixing old songs with new, Frankie Cosmos played almost every track from the new LP before moving on to older material. She ended the initial section with my favorite Next Thing track, “Embody” before playing an Of Montreal cover and then running through highlights from Zentropy and the entirety of the Fit Me In EP.
Eskimeaux, the bedroom pop project of Kline’s longtime friend and touring band member Gabrielle Smith, performed before Frankie Cosmos. The band played lots of new material from an upcoming EP release. Their set was just as good as the headliner’s, as the new songs carry an immediacy that goes over very well in a live setting. Anna McLellan opened up the night accompanied by jazz-influenced piano.
This was one of the best shows I’ve been to in recent memory. Frankie Cosmos and Eskimeaux are two of my favorite artists in the scene right now and seeing them perform together was amazing. All the performances were solid and these artists have lots of great music still left to put out.
6th Street in Austin, TX is the city’s main drag, with countless bars and quick food spots. Every single one of those bars has the ability to turn itself into a live music venue. During SXSW, a sizable portion of 6th is cut off from traffic, giving festival goers the ability to walk the streets freely. It’s wild, fun, and everything a festival goer would need to tell great stories when they get home. However, as Music Week comes to a close on Friday and Saturday, it turns into an open market for hopeful rappers, this year more than last.
About a million people descend onto Austin, TX for SXSW each year, so it’s a no-brainer for unsigned or unknown artists to gather their entourage and make themselves known to potential followers. Most of those bars on 6th Street are available for booking unofficial SXSW showcases, which many artists take advantage of.
That’s not the problem. I actually commend that type of persistence in artists.
The problem is there was a surprising amount of rappers who weren’t even booked for the unofficial shows, out on 6th, with their whole neighborhood flexing on everyone who walked by. They were either handing out free CDs, doing a little cypher, or standing around with big signs emblazoned with their stage names and pictures. What the f#*k are y’all doing? Seriously.
CDs are a dead medium, and 99.9% of people who get one handed to them throw them on the street when they get out of sight (the streets are literally covered in CDs). Not to mention, who is even carrying around a Discman anymore? If you’re handing out free CDs at an event like SX, you’re expecting drunk people from out of town to care about your music enough to bring it home with them and play it in their car. Probably not gonna happen fam. However, if you were lucky, click on this Noisey link. Maybe they reviewed one of your mixtapes.
On two occasions I walked past a crew not handing out CDs, but standing around with signs for a rapper. I was trying to read the social media handle associated with the artist they were promoting and got, “Yo whatchu starin’ at son?” Now I’m not a writer for Rolling Stone, or an A&R at Universal, but my title as the Urban Music Director at a well-known college radio station is definitely not something to shrug at. Actually, at a SX panel session about promoting music on college campuses, Frank DeCicco, Senior Director of College Marketing at Sony Music Entertainment, and Todd Goodwin, Vice President of College & Lifestyle Marketing at Universal Music Group, said that college stations are still the number 1… I’ll say it again, NUMBER 1 outlet that consumers use to find out about new artists. So the mean mugging street team literally told one of the very few people who could help them on 6th Street, not to stare at their advertisement. Sigh.
To the artists on 6th Street: All of this nonsense displays a below average hustle game. Pressing CDs in bulk is expensive. The only reason an artist should be pressing CDs is for promotional use, to be distributed to actual media outlets, and possibly selling them at your shows. Also, printing can get up to a few hundred dollars for large signs and posters that will end up being torn down by city sanitation hours after you leave. None of these promotional materials will translate into revenue for your brand.
With all that money spent, an artist could invest in hiring a real publicist, a legitimate promotion campaign, and a music badge for SXSW. Those would provide more than enough outreach to media outlets and listeners. Going to sessions alone at SX gives you a year’s worth of networking. Seriously, everyone you need to meet is there.
With all this said, rappers please put more thought into who you let represent your work, and don’t waste your time at SX; make it count. There are too many opportunities abound to be posted on the block in a city that you’re not even from. Isn’t that the life you’re trying to get away from anyway?
However I did see one exception… the dude in the above picture. He had all of 6th Street going crazy by setting up a PA system and doing a show out in the middle of the street. Good for you bruh. Then again, I couldn’t find out who he was from anyone, so there’s a lesson to be learned in that too. If anyone knows who he is, email me at underground@wknc.org because he was dope.
WKNC’s Fridays on the Lawn concert series has been bringing local music to NC State’s campus for years, but it’s mostly been indie rock. To ignore a whole scene that’s been making major moves in the Triangle for the past couple years would be a shame. So this Friday, WKNC will hold its first FOTL focused on local hip-hop in a while. The lineup includes up-and-comer Freedom Infinite, the eclectic Vanilla the Hun and the crowd-pleasing Defacto Thezpian.
The three acts were chosen because of their diverse sounds. Freedom Infinite uses a trap rhyme scheme that holds up with traditional hip-hop sound. Vanilla the Hun is making music unlike anything else on the scene, with a fusion of funk, rock and hip-hop. The headliner, Defacto Thezpian, is one of the most charismatic underground rappers in the Triangle. He has a background in theater, which mixed with his smooth delivery, creates an experience for the audience rather than just an emcee spitting rhymes.
Fridays on the Lawn will be held on Harris Field in front of Witherspoon Student Center from 5–7 p.m. Admission will be free and food will be catered by Neomonde. Come and enjoy some nice weather and an opportunity to hear some extra dope local music.
DJ Iron Mic talked with Defacto Thezpian during Wednesday’s local rap lunch to preview his performance this Friday, April 8 for WKNC’s Fridays on the Lawn. Listen it to their interview to learn about some of Defacto’s other upcoming gigs, including Durham’s Art of Cool Fest, and his top four celebrity crushes.
The series began on March 26 at All Day Records in Carrboro with a DJ set by Oli Isaacs and promotional giveaways. On March 31, Carolina Soul will host a listening party of Moogfest artists.
Moogfest will take part in Schoolkids Records massive Record Store Day celebration on April 16 with in store promos and activations at the store’s locations in Raleigh and Durham. The series concludes back in Durham at Bull City Records on April 21 with a very special DJ set by Nick Sanborn of Made of Oak and Sylvan Esso as well as other area DJ’s.
At all locations, students will have the opportunity to purchase $99 student tickets with valid student ID.
Dates & Locations
3.26 – All Day Records – Carrboro, NC, 12-3pm
3.31 – Carolina Soul – Durham, NC, 5-8pm
4.16 – Schoolkids Records (Record Store Day Parties) – Durham & Raleigh, NC, 8am-8pm
4.21 – Bull City Records – Durham, NC, 6pm-8pm
About Moogfest
Moogfest is the synthesis of music, art, and technology. Since 2004, Moogfest has brought together artists, futurist thinkers, inventors, entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, scientists, and musicians. By day, Moogfest is a platform for conversation and experimentation. This mind-expanding conference attracts creative and technology enthusiasts for three days of participatory programming in Durham, North Carolina. By night, Moogfest presents cutting-edge music in venues throughout the city. Performing artists include early pioneers in electronic music, alongside pop and avant-garde experimentalists of today.
Chill Moody – November Funk $ave Dat Money – Lil Dicky feat. Fetty Wap Ready – Chaz French feat. Goldlink The Pessimist – Wale feat. J. Cole Shards – GRRL Antidote – Travis Scott Clearest Blue – CHVRCHES L$D – A$AP Rocky New Level – A$AP Ferg feat. Future The Waters – Anderson .Paak feat. BJ the Chicago Kid Who Dey Rockin Wit – Trae tha Truth feat. Yo Gotti Law – Yo Gotti feat. E-40 Top – Lil Uzi Vert Bounce – Flatbush Zombies Victory Laps – Doomstarks Ready or Not – Fugees Where U Been? – 2 Chainz feat. Cap 1 Live at the Barbecue – Main Source feat. Nas We Takin Over – DJ Khaled feat. T.I., Fat Joe, Akon, Lil Wayne, & Birdman N.Y. State of Mind – Nas Lonely Cities – Tigertown I Wanna Be Your Dog – The Stooges Changes – Charles Bradley 2 Phones – Kevin Gates The Seed 2.0 – The Roots feat. Cody Chestnut O.P.P. – Naughty by Nature Lights On – Big Grams ATLiens – Outkast Blow the Whistle – Too $hort Ready – Joey Bada$$ Knock Tha Hustle – Cozz feat. J. Cole Fire – Vince Staples Sanity – Boulevards Go – Domo Genesis Bust it Open – Scotty ATL feat. B.o.B. Boom Clap – Charli XCX Cherchez LaGhost – Ghostface Killah feat. U-God It G Ma (Remix) – Keith Ape feat. A$AP Ferg, Father, Wacka Flocka Flame, and Dumbfounded All The Way Up – Fat Joe feat. French Monatana Good Knight – Kirk Knight feat. Joey Bada$$, Flatbush Zombies, & Dizzy Wright Talib Kweli – Get By
1 GANGRENE – You Disgust Me – Mass Appeal 2 PROFESSOR TOON – Take Notes – Cardigan 3 LIZZO – Big Grrrl Small World – Self-Released 4 VINCE STAPLES – Summertime ‘06 – Def Jam 5 TORAE – Clap Shit Up – Internal Affairs 6 KING MAGNETIC – Timing Is Everything 7 JR AND PH7 – Noir 8 TROOF MUSIC – The Donation [EP] – Self-Released 9 CONSTANT DEVIANTS – Avant Garde – Six2Six 10 DENIRO FARRAR – Bow Down
1 LYCUS – Chasms – Relapse 2 BARONESS – Purple – Abraxan Hymns 3 FORCED ORDER – Turn The Knife – Revelation Records 4 KYLESA – Exhausting Fire – Season Of Mist 5 FOUNDATION – Turncoat -Jawk 6 CULT LEADER – Lightless Walk 7 GLOAM Hex – Of Nine Heads – Caligari 8 TWITCHING TONGUES – Disharmony – Metal Blade 9 DEAFHEAVEN – New Bermuda – Anti 10 EXPANDER – Laws Of Power
Top 3 Adds
1 FUTURE PRIMITIVE – Spring Break Demo – Self-Released 2 BLOODIEST Bloodiest – Relapse 3 MAGRUDERGRIND II – Relapse
1 MOTHERS – When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired – Grand Jury 2 RATBOYS – AOID – Topshelf 3 PINEGROVE – Cardinal – Run For Cover 4 DAY WAVE – Headcase/Hard To Read – Grand Jury 5 PORCHES – Pool – Domino 6 WILD NOTHING – Life Of Pause – Captured Tracks 7 JAWBREAKER REUNION – Haha And Then What – Miscreant 8 GAZEBOS – Die Alone – Hardly Art 9 DEAR TRACKS – Soft Dreams [EP] -Track And Field 10 LA SERA – Music For Listening To Music To – Polyvinyl 11 THAO AND THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN – A Man Alive – Ribbon 12 SUNFLOWER BEAN – Human Ceremony – Fat Possum 13 QUILT – Plaza – Mexican Summer 14 ADULT BOOKS – Running From The Blows – Lolipop 15 MASS GOTHIC – Mass Gothic – SUB POP 16 FLORIST – The Birds Outside Sang – Double Double Whammy 17 SLINGSHOT DAKOTA – Break – Topshelf 18 FEELS – Feels – Castle Face 19 EERIE WANDA – Hum – BBIB 20 CULLEN OMORI – New Misery – SUB POP 21 NADA SURF – You Know Who You Are – Barsuk 22 BASEMENT – Promise Everything – Run For Cover 23 SO PITTED – Neo – SUB POP 24 YUCK – Stranger Things – Mame 25 SOUND OF CERES – Nostalgia For Infinity – Joyful Noise 26 HOLY WAVE – Freaks Of Nurture – Reverberation Appreciation Society 27 YOUR FRIEND – Gumption – Domino 28 INTO IT. OVER IT. – Standards – Triple Crown 29 SKI LODGE – New Life – Old Flame 30 DONKEYS – Midnight Palms – Easy Sound
Top 5 Adds
1 SUN DAYS – Album – Run For Cover 2 KITTEN FOREVER – 7 Hearts – Atlas Chair 3 B BOYS – No Worry No Mind – Captured Tracks 4 GOLDEN DAZE – Golden Daze – Autumn Tone 5 SUMMER TWINS – Limbo – Burger
