Category: Blog

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New Album Review

[Afterhours] End of Summer Album Roundup

There is one more week until the end of my favorite season of the year. Here are some of the best Afterhours albums from this season:

Porter Robinson – “Worlds”

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This NC artist takes a very different approach compared to his last album. A very light electro sound that was made to go against the grain of current EDM. Lots of indie & pop influence will be found.

Amp Live – “Headphone Concerto”

Some of the best production this year. A beautiful mix of live instruments with synthesizers. This album is broken up into three distinct parts. Many cool guest vocalist and several hiphop songs.

ODESZA – “In Return”

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Dope beatz from ODESZA with Deep Percussion and high synth melodies. More downtempo-chill songs but a nice variety from song to song. A very well put together album. I dig the positive vibes I get from the songs. It’s nice because downtempo songs are usually darker, sometimes even somber.

Chet Faker – “Built On Glass”

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Some of my favorite male vocals I have heard released this year. The instrumentals are as smooth as this man’s voice. This album draws a lot from Flume, Chet was even featured on the song “Left Alone,” but this record is a bit jazzier.

Tensnake – “Glow”

A top notch house producer who keeps getting better. By house, I mean the older Chicago style house. Tensnake also throws in some post-dub and many great guest vocalists. 

Slow Magic – “How To Run Away”

Light, midtempo, and catchy. Wordless vocals and guitar riffs chopped up into an ethereal swirl. Very vibrant synths and percussion.

Hippie Sabotage – “The Sunny Album”

This album is super chill, but NOT boring. The producers do a good job of keeping things interesting while still keeping the chill vibes and avoiding heavy drops with crazy wubs. Common theme here is big bass with unique drum beats and overall chill vibes.

Lone – “Reality Testing”

Jungle and house album with cool jazz influence. No lyrics, just smooth synths.

Mndsgn – “Yawn Zen”

This album favors murky, underwater sounds dripping with syrupy chimes. What really brings it all together is the trippy jazz undertones. No song is longer than 3 minutes and there are no vocals.

by Muta &  YeägerMeister

Categories
Miscellaneous

Latest Local Music!

Man it’s a great time to be living in the 919 and just in North Carolina in general. After catching up from the summertime transitions, I have come to find many local jewels in the muddy mess that is the beginning of the year. There is a TON of great local NC music! Check out WKNC’s most recent local adds below, share them with a friend, or play them all for your family. So go get that mason jar full of Cheerwine and fill your brains with the latest in local NC music!

David Childers “Serpents of Reformation” (This guy will be at our FOTL on 9/19, spread the word & bring your friends because he is literally one of the most influential songwriters from the state!)

Being such a great songwriter, Childers does not let up any of those talents in this latest album. Although Childers can be a little religious with some of his music, it is clear in “Serpents of Reformation” that David is looking to branch out and appeal to a wider audience. Experimenting with his traditional folk sound a little bit, David Childers has deep roots to NC that will just never fade away…There is a reason the Avett Brothers ALWAYS cover his songs.

Museum Mouth “Alex I am Nothing”

This album has been played frequently over our airwaves the past few weeks and that is because it is awesome, beautiful, and emotional in all the best ways possible. Museum Mouth gets in your face with their fuzzy punk feel, combining very honest and heartfelt lyrics that make you want to scream (possibly cry) along with them.

Circuit Frost “Keepers From 2014”

Hailing out of our very own Raleigh, NC, Circuit Frost seems to have a lot of potential with their smooth indie melodies. With not a whole lot of material out yet, this band is definitely one to keep on your radars. 

Hiss Golden Messenger “Lateness of Dancers" 

This is the fifth album by the local talent M.C. Taylor. Recorded in a tin roof, the songs of this album seem to smoothly flow easily into one another, and capture the peaceful setting that it was recorded in. Taylor harmonizes perfectly with Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (Mountain Man) on a lot of the songs in the album which just makes it just that much better. If you missed out on his latest performance at the Cat’s Cradle then I feel bad for ya son.

Old Hours "Even in the Sun”

This is a wonderful indie folk group from Durham, NC. Old Hours creates music that is very soothing, but still full of shouts and some electric guitars. The band is made up of duo Anna Carlson & Nathaniel Walberer who are able to harmonize perfectly to put your mind racing through the trees and clouds above.

So those are some of the highlights folks! I hope you enjoy them and can spread the knowledge to your beautiful friends of the Triangle or to those far beyond the Triangle. Help us show the world the overflowing amount of musical talent that North Carolina has to offer!

Categories
Concert Review Local Music

Local Band Local Beer- Chit Nasty, Fields of Mars, and Dapper Conspiracy

Chit Nasty

Fields of Mars

Dapper Conspiracy

Categories
Music News and Interviews

The Charming Youngsters will be back. Their show as a part of the Spazzscotch III Day Party is one of their last shows for the next little bit. After a successful crowdfunding campaign for their next album, they will be heading into the woods to record their promising new album. Their kickstarter campaign affords them the ability to try some new things on this record that they would otherwise be unable to do. It also gives them the ability to release their new album in new ways, possibly even on vinyl.

The band came by our table at Wristband City for Hopscotch to talk to us for a bit just before their show at Spazzscotch. We discussed their old album as well as their hopes for their new album along with the evolution that has brought them to where they are today. We talked about Spazz Fest and the Greenville scene that kicked off the band’s existence. Check out the interview above to here all that and more, and keep your eyes peeled for details about their new album.

Listen here.

Categories
Local Music Music News and Interviews

Phian interviewed the Chit Nasty Band last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh.

You can also hear three of their songs during the interview: Real Lady, Enough and Lil Bit.

Check out the Chit Nasty Band’s music on Reverb Nation, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Listen here.

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT146 Raleigh NeighborWoods 9/9/14

Eye on the Triangle is WKNC’s weekly public affairs programming, with news, interviews, opinion, weather, sports, arts, music, events, and issues that matter to NCSU, Raleigh, and the Triangle.  This week on EOT:

We have an interview brought to us by our contributor Dave through his work in Raleigh’s NeighorWoods program. Spoiler alert, they’re giving away trees.

Here in the Triangle, we may live in a warm region, but sports like ice hockey are still pretty popular, and NC State has its own team. Apparently that’s news to some people though. Have a listen to our highlight of the NC State ice hockey team.

As many students here probably know, NC State Dining puts on lots of events across campus throughout the semester featuring all sorts of different foods. With Peanut Day at Case and Clark dining halls right around the corner, our contributor Sara sat down with Lisa Eberhart, NC State’s registered dietitian, to find out more about the kinds of programs offered.

Nick Savage and the EOT crew bring you another edition of “Eye on the Triangle,” live each Tuesday at 7 p.m. on WKNC 88.1 FM and wknc.org/listen and available as a downloadable podcast.

Listen to episode 146.

Categories
Non-Music News

CMJ College Radio Award 2014 Nominations

WKNC has been nominated for three CMJ College Radio Awards for 2014!! This year, we’re up for Best Community Resource, Best Use of Limited Resources, and Biggest Champion of the Local Scene. Big thank you’s to everyone who nominated us, as well as to everyone who helped make this station what it is today!

Winners will be announced on College Day, October 24th, at CMJ’s Music Marathon in New York City.

Also, congratulations to last year’s WKNC General Manager Bri Aab for being nominated for three promoter awards after only four months at Team Clermont, as well as to ‘09-’11 Daytime Music Director John Hubbard, nominated for Promoter of the Year for his work at Terrorbird Media!

For more information on the nominations for this year, check out the official announcement here.

Categories
Local Music Music News and Interviews

Phian interviewed The Dapper Conspiracy last Thursday before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer.

You can also hear three songs during the interview: Thicker and Richer, Serious Business and He’s Not Here. The band also gives a little bit of background, setting the scene for each song.

Find out more about The Dapper Conspiracy on their website, listen to their music on Reverb Nation, like them on and Facebook.

Listen here.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Three of the local acts that played WKNC’s Double Barrel Benefit 11 in February of this year brought their talent to Hopscotch Music Festival two weekends ago.  One of these three was Durham-based folk duo Loamlands, comprised of Kym Register and Will Hackney of Midtown Dickens.  These two released their debut EP Some Kind of Light in the fall of last year after recording in just three days.  The two embarked on two consecutive tours this summer, first with indie pop artist Mirah and then with The Mountain Goats of Merge Records.  After traversing the country from Seattle right back to our very own Kings Barcade, the two are back at home and working on some exciting new material.

Loamlands joined me on Friday, September 5th, during WKNC’s live broadcast from Hopscotch’s Wristband City for an interview before their performance at Lincoln Theater later that night.  Check it out for adventurous stories from their tour(s) this summer, advice for new Hopscotch-goers, as well as Loamlands news!

You can check out Loamlands’ WKNC’s The Lounge session by clicking here, and you can check them out on their Tumblr blog here.

– dJ/dx

Listen to the interview.

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT145 NC State Rebranding 9/2/14

Eye on the Triangle is WKNC’s weekly public affairs programming, with news, interviews, opinion, weather, sports, arts, music, events, and issues that matter to NCSU, Raleigh, and the Triangle.  This week on EOT:

Contributor Michaela spoke with David McGowan of the American Petroleum Institute about energy regulations and how they may change in the near future.

NC State has been working on a brand refresh for our university, and the changes will soon be taking everyone here by storm. Have a listen to some of the changes you can expect.

We have another interview from Michaela, this time with Wayne Winegarden of the Pacific Research Institute regarding energy efficiency and North Carolina in particular.

Nick Savage and the EOT crew bring you another edition of “Eye on the Triangle,” live each Tuesday at 7 p.m. on WKNC 88.1 FM and wknc.org/listen and available as a downloadable podcast.

Listen to episode 145.