Categories
New Album Review

The Grapes return to the music scene with the release of “Low”

There has always been a lot of mystery surrounding The Grapes. They certainly don’t go out of their way to advertise their presence in the music scene. When I first discovered them in the summer of 2012, I had to spend hours scouring the internet for information on this band. The most I could ever find besides their two (known) releases on their bandcamp page was a few music videos, and a live video from a performance at The Cave. The mysteriousness behind the music that I instantly fell in love with only added to their ultra-lofi/DIY image.

If you haven’t heard The Grapes before, I highly encourage you to check out their first two releases.. It was long thought that the band broke up for good in 2012, and having hardly any activity since a reunion show in the summer of 2013, it definitely solidified the rumor amongst their fans. However, the band quietly released a brand new album on September 1st, 2014.

With this latest album, featuring 11 brand new tracks, The Grapes take their music in a new direction. Instead of their usual two piece, nitty-gritty, loud and erratic lofi gold, this album is considerably slower, less noisy, and much more sophisticated musically. Lyrically, we follow the same well spoken (or sung) narrator as he lives his life in college, but still deals with all the same self-loathing and girl related issues he dealt with in high school. The Grapes always offer humor at the foreground of their lyrics, with dark emotional torment sitting right behind. This can be best found in tracks like “Teen Girl Song” and “Frat Boys”.

With the release of this album, the band also welcomes Chris Palmour to join the original members, Jeremy and Brett. I’m very excited to see where the band goes with the release of this album. I can only hope that it includes some shows this fall, but of course, they’ll probably be so secret I won’t even know about them.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

While she may not be the most celebrated local artist in recent memory, Laura Reed may undoubtedly be one of the most successful. While she’s been recently calling Nashville her home, she recently returned to the Triangle and celebrated the release of her latest album The Awakening. But for the past three years, Reed has been working with a group of ridiculously well-known producers like Paul Worley (Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum) and Shannon Sanders (Robert Randolph, John Legend, India.Arie) who have helped translate her raw talent into a pristinely polished piece of music.

Bringing a soulful, blues-inspired take on the standard singer-songwriter antics, Laura Reed crafts an intensely passionate sound that feels as broad as it does personal. Throughout the hour Laura spoke at length about her songwriting process, the way working with producers can shape your musical output, and the reasoning for returning to your roots.

Laura performed two tracks from her latest record The Awakening, along with an older track called “Wanna Show You.” Listen to her full interview and performance.

Categories
Festival Coverage

Artist Profile: The Nervous Ticks (RVA)

The Nervous Ticks are one of the most inventive rock n’ roll bands you’ll find on this coast of the United States. Hailing from Richmond Virginia the three piece consists of guitarist and songwriter Chaz Tick, washtub drummer Kyle Flannagan and backup vocalist/mean maracas/bleep blooping keyboardist Liza Jane. 

Originally the bedroom tape project of Chaz the three have created a live band so energetic its frightening–in the best way possible. After growing up in Virginia I had heard about the band a fair amount, seeing the name pop up on social media and fliers occasionally, but had never seen the band until their killer set at last year’s Phuzz Phest (the one of two that wasn’t in the middle of a skate park). 

With the ever increasing popularity of the very fluid enigma that is “garage rock” due to quality record labels such as Burger Records and now well known artists such as Ty Segall it can feel like you’ve heard all the variation possible within the limits of the genre. The Nervous Ticks don’t conform to a formulaic approach, unusual rhythm tones and changes as well as interesting keyboard additions make for captivating tunes. Highly recommended. 

Catch the Nervous Ticks at 11:00 p.m. at the Hive on Friday. 

–Virginia Werewoolf

Categories
Festival Coverage

Where’s the (Day) Party At?

As Hopscotch draws closer so do all the awesome free day parties. This year there are over 40 official day parties (I counted 45 one time and 46 another so I have no idea how many there actually are).

With so much happening in such a small amount of time it can be a little intimidating trying to figure out which parties to hit. Lucky for you I sat down with my good friend google maps and plotted where the parties are each day and what the walking times are between venues!

WEDNESDAY

There are only three day parities on Wednesday, and they are all about a five minute walk from one another.  This will make it super to chill at all of them!

  • Lincolin Theatre: 126 E Cabarrus St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Kings: 14 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • The Pour House: 224 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601

THURSDAY

The number of shows doubles on Thursday. Five of the shows are within a five minute walk from each other yet again. The outlier party is at school kids records which is a 55 minute walk from downtown… I would suggest using a car.

 

  • The Hive: 225 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Kings: 14 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Pour House: 224 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Slim’s: 227 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • School Kids: 2237 Avent Ferry Rd #101, Raleigh, NC 27606
  • Tir na nog: 218 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601

FRIDAY

The number of day parties ramps up again Friday. As far as I can tell there are two main routes to take on Friday. The first with a car will include 7 minutes of transit time. This route hits the WKNC party at nice price and will be a nice change of pace from all the other Raleigh venues in downtown.

  • Raleigh Little Theatre: 301 Pogue Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-7267
  • Nice Price Books: 3106 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27607
  • Schoolkids Records: 2237 Avent Ferry Rd #101, Raleigh, NC 27606

The second route is a total of 19 minutes walking around downtown. Here’s the map!

  • Deep South the Bar: 430 S Dawson St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Crank Arm Brewing Company: 319 W Davie St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • CAM Raleigh: 409 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27603
  • Kings: 14 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Neptune’s Parlour: 14 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • The Hive: 225 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Slim’s: 227 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • The Pour House Music Hall: 224 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601

SATURDAY

Saturday features the most day parties. Not included in the map is the Schoolkids party. 

  • Prisma Video: 804 N West St, Raleigh, NC
  • The Architect Bar & Social House: 108 ½ E Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Deep South the Bar: 430 S Dawson St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • The Hive: 225 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Humble Pie: 317 S Harrington St, Raleigh, NC 27603
  • Kings: 14 W Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Legends Nightclub: 330 W Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Pearson street plaza lot
  • The Pour House Music Hall: 224 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Slim’s: 227 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Tír na nÓg Irish Pub: 218 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Warehouse district
  • Favetteville and Davie street
  • Schoolkids Records: 2237 Avent Ferry Rd #101, Raleigh, NC 27606

SUNDAY

Two day parties are happening on Sunday and it’ll only take you 3 minutes to walk from one to the other.

  • Slim’s: 227 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • The Pour House Music Hall: 224 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Categories
Festival Coverage

WKNC’s Hopscotch Schedule

You said you would listen to every band playing Hopscotch back in April when the lineup was released, but now the festival is a week away and you still have no idea what shows you’re hitting up. Not to worry though, WKNC has you covered!

Download our color coded schedule and key to determine what shows best suit your music taste. Although the bands are organized by genre, the key is designed to help you explore a wider range of music. An important part of Hopscotch is branching out from your typical music taste and discovering new artists that you may not have thought you would enjoy.

Each genre of music playing the festival (Electronic, Hip Hop, Experimental, Punk/Garage, Folk/Alt-Country, Metal, Indie/Rock) is divided up into two subgenres in our schedule, with three songs each that represent their overall style of music. Read the short description and listen to the three songs to determine if you would enjoy seeing shows from that specific list. We encourage you not to skip out on any of the genres you typically glance over because Hopscotch is known for drawing in the best of the best underground music. Once you’ve sampled them all, print out the schedule and start planning your route. 

Good luck!

WKNC Hopscotch Schedule

WKNC Hopscotch Key

Categories
Festival Coverage

Personal Hopscotch Itinerary 2014, aka “Where in the Hopscotch is DJ Trillian?”

Thursday:

I’m ready to kick off Thursday evening with the grooves and rhythms of Professor Toon & the Real Laww and then De La Soul at City Plaza. I may duck out a bit early to catch some contemporary Americana sounds from Wild Fur at Lincoln Theater. Later, I’ll make my way to one of my favorite spots in Raleigh, Tir na nOg Irish pub, to see what  quirky complexities Blanko Basnet has in store for the Hopscotch crowd. I’ll do my best to catch some of Marley Carroll’s electronic set at Kennedy Theater, then finish off my exhausting first night with the Vermonty free folk of MV & EE at the Hive.

Friday:

My Hopscotch night number two will be just as incredibly packed, starting with the stellar City Plaza line up of NC-natives Lonnie Walker, the ever-immaculate St. Vincent, and forever-rockin’ Spoon. This City Plaza line up is my most anticipated of the festival. From there, I’ll make my way to CAM Raleigh to see local music heroes GHOSTT BLLONDE.Next up is more of the complex rhythms I crave with Celestial Shore at Fletcher Opera Theater. Finally, I’ll make my way back to Tir na nOg to see Mapei, who is coming all the way from wonderful Sweden to rock Raleigh.

Saturday:

With any and all energy I have remaining, I’ll be back out in full force on Saturday night. I’m anticipating the later shows Saturday, but will still check out City Plaza for Valient Thorr, Death, and Mastodon. I am eager for sassy girl pop from See Gulls at Deep South Bar followed by cool folk from Weyes Blood and then fun jams from Ava Luna as I camp out at Tir na nOg for a while. Closing out a fantastic three days, I’ll be at CAM Raleigh for soothing electronic melodies from How to Dress Well and Jamie XX.

Note: In between all these shows, you’re sure to spot me on a bicycle of sorts, since the most fun distance between two points is a bike ride.

See you there, Hopscotch’ers!

Categories
Festival Coverage

A Practical Guide to Hopscotch: Mistakes I’ve Made and How to Avoid Them

We’ve all made mistakes.  Sometimes you can laugh about them later, or they become a thing you try to keep on the DL forever.  Sometimes they keep you working hard but not smart. Sometimes they fill you with regret. At best, you can even learn from them.

Ideally, you want to learn from other people’s mistakes. Take mine, for example: in these last few days of self-reflection as I try my darndest to make this Hopscotch weekend the best one ever, it’s not hard to pinpoint a few instances where some decisions may not have been the most conducive to an enjoyable and/or festival experience.  

I’ll try to outline some of the basics to consider, lest they are not obvious for some people. Just take it from me, don’t learn the hard way.

 

1.  Wear well-worn, comfortable shoes.  I mean, we all know Hopscotch is kind of like fashion week for Raleigh, but don’t wear shoes you’ve recently acquired (even if they’re awesome and you really want to show them off) because who knows, maybe they’ll start giving you blisters after two hours of being on your feet. You do not want to spend any day/night of Hopscotch limping around while the back of your ankles are being rubbed raw by your cute new loafers. Don’t take the gamble, it’s not worth it.  Your shoes will end up a mess by the end of the night anyways.

2. Moisture+Friction=Blisters.  This might be a handy equation to keep in mind this weekend.  Also, socks absorb moisture (this is good).

3. Do not stay up all night  (unless it’s the last night, but still).  You know what is not fun?  Nodding at the bar. Dozing off at a show. Wishing you were in bed when you’re at an event you’ve anticipated for months.

4. The Buddy System.  Okay, so this one isn’t based on one of my own experiences, but it has happened to someone I know (who will remain anonymous).  People get drunk and things get lost.  Don’t end up incapacitated without any resources!  Stick with your buddies if you’ve been drinking a lot.  Also friends don’t let friends walk home alone when everything is spinning.

5. Stay hydrated.  Even if you’re not drinking, chances are if you’re Hopscotching you’ll be sweating.  A lot. Dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, irritability, and vomiting, all which make show-going and celebrating a lot less fun. Try to carry a water bottle.  Do not hesitate to ask for water at the bar.  I personally think that bars and restaurants should be required to provide free tap water (while this is not a law, I think most establishments already do this for liability reasons).  

6. Visualize how far apart venues are from each other relative to performance times.  I’ve missed a few shows in the past because I had neglected to consider something as lame (but evidently crucial) as travel time.  For example, it takes about 15 minutes to walk from the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts all the way to CAM, and that’s if you’re on a mission.  Consider that their shows start at the same time all night.

7.  Let your transactions be quick and dirty.  Closing out when you want to leave is a bummer, especially at a packed venue.  Carry cash and you can bounce whenever you feel like it, not 10 minutes later. Most merch is also cash only! 

8. Wear a book bag.  Maybe this is just me, But having a book bag makes it easier to carry a water bottle, merchandise, and even a jacket or umbrella.  They’re also harder to lose than a purse. Just don’t stuff it to the extent that it’s a burden on your shoulders.

9. Use *real* Ear plugs. One Hopscotch a few years ago I ran into a friend (whose anonymity I keep as a courtesy) on the street during the day.  At a day party, he had improvised ear plugs with toilet paper, which got stuck too deep in his ear.  Everything we tried to do to get it out made it worse.  CVS was closed and no where else sold tweezers.  Thankfully an insider at Jimmy Johns got access to their First-Aid kit and he was able to pull out the tissue.  While I’m not saying sticking toilet paper in your ears is better than nothing, you’ve got to protect your sense of hearing.  If you’re perpetually unprepared like me, shamelessly try to bum a pair off of anyone else you see wearing some.

10. Check the weather. I’m looking at you, 2012.

-DJ Acorn

Categories
Festival Coverage

Artist Profile: Priests

image

If you’ve been to Hopscotch before, you know that sometimes the best shows are the ones you weren’t planning to go to. The bands whose names your eyes skipped over when perusing the schedule, simply due to unfamiliarity.

Washington DC’s Priests probably don’t care if you have no idea who they are. In the 80’s, DC gave rise to a legendary punk scene – but that doesn’t matter because Priests’ members (vocalist Katie Alice Greer and hip-name band mates Daniele Daniele and G. L. Jaguar) weren’t born yet.

Priests are a relatively new band, with only a few releases since 2012, most notably a full length release this summer, ominously titled Bodies and Control and Money and Power. While punk bands are a dime a dozen these days, and at times the genre can seem played out, Priests have gained some well-deserved attention for their energetic live shows and their politically charged lyrics.

Bodies clocks in at less than 20 minutes but it doesn’t let up once. That’s the same kind of overt energy and in-your-face attitude that you can expect from a Priests live show. Greer takes the stage like a woman possessed (is there an exorcism joke in here somewhere?) while her band mates contort and exhort their respective instruments with an eerily focused intensity. Punk done well is a visceral, raw, crazy experience, and Priests will surely deliver when they play at Deep South on Friday.

-Meggs Benedict

Categories
Weekly Charts

WKNC 88.1 FM CHARTS August 26, 2014

WKNC Radio 200

Rank—Artist—Recording—Label

WKNC TOP 5 ADDS:
1-TY SEGALL-Manipulator-Drag City
2-MERCHANDISE-After The End-4AD
3-MUSEUM MOUTH-Alex I Am Nothing-Self Aware
4-NEW PORNOGRAPHERS-Brill Bruisers-Matador
5-RENTALS-Lost In Alphaville-Polyvinyl

WKNC TOP 30:
1-BEAR IN HEAVEN-Time Is Over One Day Old-Hometapes-Dead Oceans
2-WHITE FENCE-For The Recently Found Innocent-Drag City
3-JENNY LEWIS-Voyager-warner
4-AMAZING SNAKEHEADS-Amphetamine Ballads-Domino
5-TWIN PEAKS-Wild Onion-Grand Jury
6-FIELD MOUSE-Hold Still Life-Topshelf
7-JOYCE MANOR-Never Hungover Again-Epitaph
8-MIREL WAGNER-When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day-SUB POP
9-HONEYBLOOD-Honeyblood-Fat Cat
10-PROPER ORNAMENTS-Wooden Head-Slumberland
11-RUBBLEBUCKET-Survival Sounds-Communion
12-ALVVAYS-Alvvays-Polyvinyl
13-ADEBISI SHANK-This Is The Third Album Of A Band Called Adebisi- Shank-Sargent House
14-MATT KIVEL-Days Of Being Wild-Woodsist
15-SPIDER BAGS-Frozen Letter-Merge
16-FLOATING ACTION-Body Questions-New West
17-DAVID KILGOUR AND THE HEAVY EIGHTS-End Times Undone-Merge
18-NAOMI PUNK-Television Man-Captured Tracks
19-COACHWHIPS-Get Yer Body Next Ta Mine-Castle Face
20-HOLLOW BOYS-Believe In Nothing-Modern Radio
21-EDJEDJ-Easy Sound
22-WYTCHES-Annabel Dream Reader-Partisan
23-EPHEMERALS-Nothin Is Easy-Jalapeno
24-ROSEBUDS-Sand + Silence-Western Vinyl
25-HOORAY FOR EARTH-Racy-Smalltown Supersound
26-HALEY BONAR-Last War-Graveface
27-WING DAM-Shifter Bliss-Friends
28-TOTAL CONTROL-Typical System-Iron Lung
29-GULP-Season Sun-Everloving
30-SPOON-They Want My Soul-Loma Vista

Categories
Concert Review

Local Band Local Beer- Coytah, Eric and Erica, and Star Studies

Star Studies

Eric and Erica

Coytah

AUGUST 20

Coytah, Eric and Erica, and Star Studies at Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog. Come hang out this Thursday for Octopus Jones, North Elementary, and Deep Ecology. It’s a FREE show, and an opportunity to hear what North Carolina sounds like.