Category: Blog

Weekly Charts

WKNC 88.1 FM Charts // 3.18.14

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 19, 2014

Top 5 Adds:

Rank Artist Recording Label User Supplied Version

1 WAR ON DRUGS Lost In The Dream Secretly Canadian

2 PERFECT PUSSY Say Yes To Love Captured Tracks

3 KEVIN DREW Darlings Arts And Crafts

4 INCAN ABRAHAM Tolerance White Iris

5 TRIN TRAN Far Reaches [EP] Castle Face

Radio 200:

1 ANGEL OLSEN Burn Your Fire For No Witness Jagjaguwar

2 NOTHING Guilty Of Everything Relapse

3 BE FOREST Earthbeat We Were Never Being Boring

4 DUM DUM GIRLS Too True SUB POP

5 SPEEDY ORTIZ Real Hair [EP] Carpark

6 TACOCAT NVM Hardly Art

7 ETERNAL SUMMERS The Drop Beneath Kanine

8 REAL ESTATE Atlas Domino

9 STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS Wig Out At Jagbags Matador

10 BLACK LIPS Underneath The Rainbow Vice

11 BEAR HANDS Distraction Cantora

12 HABIBI Habibi Burger

13 MOGWAI Rave Tapes SUB POP

14 GARDENS AND VILLA Dunes Secretly Canadian

15 THE MEN Tomorrow’s Hits Sacred Bones

16 MARISSA NADLER July Sacred Bones

17 THUMPERS Galore SUB POP

18 WARPAINT Warpaint Rough Trade

19 CEO Wonderland Modular

20 CIBO MATTO Hotel Valentine Chimera

21 AVA LUNA Electric Balloon Western Vinyl

22 AGES AND AGES Divisionary Partisan

23 EAGULLS Eagulls Partisan

24 JUAN WAUTERS N.A.P. North American Poetry Captured Tracks

25 AXXA/ABRAXAS Axxa/Abraxas Captured Tracks

26 SOLIDS Blame Confusion Fat Possum

27 TRUST Joyland Arts And Crafts

28 MODE MODERNE Occult Delight Light Organ

29 UME Monuments Dangerbird

30 TEMPLES Sun Structures Fat Possum

Tags charts

Concert Preview

Fridays on the Lawn returns March 21st featuring TOW3RS & The White Cascade

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 18, 2014

We are back again for the Spring semester to bring FREE music, food, and prizes as part of Fridays on the Lawn! This Friday, March 21, 2014 our first edition of Fridays on the Lawn will take place at 5 PM on Harris Field in front of Witherspoon Student Center on the corner of Dan Allen Drive and Cates Avenue. Parking is available in Dan Allen Deck and all spots marked “C” at and after 5 PM.

This week we have TOW3RS and The White Cascade!

TOW3RS is the local one-man project of Derek Torres who consistently delivers a highly energetic and engaging performance.

His sound can be described as a super eclectic mix of psychedelic sounds with folk inspirations.

TOW3RS performed at our first night of Double Barrel Benefit 11 at Cat’s Cradle just last month.

You can also watch TOW3RS perform the song “The Situation” in our online video series, The Lounge.

The White Cascade is a local band from Raleigh. They performed for WKNC just last month as part of our weekly Local Band Local Beer.

The band describes themselves as having an ambient, dream-pop, experimental, shoe-gaze sound. They provide a great post rock show.

Tags fridays on the lawn, The White Cascade, Tow3rs

Festival Coverage

WKNC at SXSW // Future Islands

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 16, 2014

Our very own Double Barrel Benefit artist and North Carolina natives, Future Islands, had a string of great performances at this year’s SXSW. This is one of WKNC’s favorite local bands and they made us so proud down in Austin.

The first performance was at The Spotify House

Next was their performance at the Spin Magazine day party

Tags future islands, local, sxsw, sxsw 2014

Festival Coverage

WKNC at SXSW // Part 2

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 15, 2014

Hospitality performing at the Merge Records showcase at The Parish

The Orwells at the Spin Magazine day party

Temples at the Spin Magazine day party

Warpaint held it down through their technical difficulties and delivered an amazing set

Cloud Nothings killing it at the Spin Magazine day party

Closing out the north stage at the Spin Magazine day party was Against Me!

Tags against me!, Cloud Nothings, hospitality, merge records, sxsw, sxsw 2014, temples, the orwells, warpaint

Festival Coverage

WKNC at SXSW 2014 // Part 1

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 14, 2014

Some of our WKNC family is currently down in Austin for this year’s SXSW. Here are some highlights from their experience so far:

The Black Lips playing at Mellow Johnny’s for the KEXP day party

EX HEX performing at the Pitchfork day party

Betsy Wright of Ex Hex with our General Manager, Cest la Bri

Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz

Perfect Pussy performing at the Pitchfork day party.

Cashmere Cat taking the stage after Perfect Pussy’s performance

Coachwhips at the Pitchfork day party at French Legation

Cest la Bri with John Dwyer of Coachwhips and Thee Oh Sees.

La Luz takes the stage at the Gypsy Lounge

Tags Cashmere Cat, coachwhips, ex hex, john dwyer, la luz, perfect pussy, speedy ortiz, sxsw, sxsw 2014, the black lips, thee oh sees

Band/Artist Profile Local Music

Estrangers

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 11, 2014

Estrangers is a five-piece hailing from Winston-Salem, NC consisting of Philip Pledger on vocals and guitar, Mike Wallace on Guitar, David-Todd Murray on keyboards, Nathan H. Bedsole on bass, and Drew Braden on drums. The fuzz-pop quintet formed in the summer of 2011. By November, they had released their debut effort Black Ballroom and had opened for Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Titus Andronicus. Their bright, washed-out pop was reminiscent of older days. After a period of indecision and a few lineup changes, they were back with their follow-up Sunmelt EP. This effort found them exploring more into a psychedelic side of their lo-fi pop sound.

Their latest LP, Season of 1000 Colors, was released last summer as their first release of their newly founded label Phuzz Records. This album really finds Estrangers nailing down their sound. Season features more polished production then their last two outings, but still maintains their earnest, fuzzy pysch-pop tunes. The album is a melodic wash of bright pop comprised of huge melodies, complimented by fuzzy guitars and synths grounded by thundering drums and bass. Through and through, their first full-length is a brilliant album that picks you up on the first listen and has enough layers to keep bringing you back.

Philip Pledger not only serves as the singer and guitarist of Estrangers but also as the founder and co-director of Phuzz Phest. Phuzz Phest is an annual music festival that is now in its 4^th year that takes place in downtown Winston-Salem. The festival works to bring some of the best local acts as well as some great local acts in for a weekend long festival. This year during the first weekend in April, Phuzz Phest brings No Age, Kool Keith, Jessica Lea Mayfield, White Fence, Diarrhea Planet, Mount Moriah, Ex Hex, The Love Language and over 40 more incredible acts to Winston-Salem for an insane weekend that will now also feature a coffee conference and afterparties. Check out their website for the full schedule and more information.

With Phuzz Phest right around the corner, Estrangers is hitting the road again with some new songs before they return home to play Phuzz Phest. Tune in to WKNC at 7pm on Wednesday March 12^th to hear an interview with the band before their show at Kings that night!

Check out their video for “Cape Fear" here!

3/12 Kings Barcade (Raleigh) with Eston & The Outs, Flash Car

3/13 The Gold Bar (Baltimore) with Infinite Honey, Joy Classic

3/14 The Gutter (Brooklyn) with IYEZ

4/04 Phuzz Phest (Winston-Salem)

Tags DJ DiGiorno, estrangers, Local Artist of the Month, phuzz phest, Phuzz Phest 2014, phuzz records, winston-salem

Music News and Interviews

Vampire Weekend and Ray LaMontagne giveaways

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 10, 2014

WKNC has not one but two “win-them-before-you-can-buy-them” giveaways going on this week thanks to our friends at Live Nation.

Vampire Weekend will play Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater on June 12. Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 14 at 10 a.m.

Ray LaMontagne with special guests The Belle Brigade will be at Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on July 26. Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 14 at noon.

If you aren’t one of our lucky winners, pick up your tickets at LiveNation.com, via the Live Nation mobile app, the Belk Box Office at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre and Duke Energy Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

Tags giveaways, live nation, ray lamontagne, Red Hat Ampitheatre, vampire weekend

Concert Review

March Madness…Music Festival?

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 10, 2014

So if you were in the Triangle area for the first week of March, you might have noticed the overwhelming amount of concert choices that made many music lovers faced with the typical music festival question; who do I choose to see? For me, this week had been planned out well before Christmas, but even as the week approached more and more shows were being announced that made me question my initial decisions.

As things started to pan out, the big questions seemed to boil down to these options: On Tuesday night, either St. Vincent at the Haw River Ballroom or Palehound with Pie Face Girls at Nice Price Books; then on Wednesday either Future Islands with Wye Oak at the Haw River Ballroom or Shovels and Rope with Hurray for the Riff Raff at Cat’s Cradle. Of course, with my obsession with HFTRR, I chose to see them for the fourth time within the past year (and you better bet I will see them for a 5^th on April 10^th at the Local 506) over the crazily passionate Future Islands. Then, since my ears were still ringing by this point I unfortunately had to sit out the Wool with Sun Club and Wharves show at Nice Price on Thursday night, but the action was soon to rise again on Friday. On this day, I was faced with another difficult decision; either Houndmouth with Rayland Baxter at the Haw River Ballroom, Oberhofer with Small Black and Numans at the Local 506, OR Tow3rs with Lilac Shadows and Body Games at the Chapel Hill Underground. Since I had already bought tickets to see Rayland Baxter and was really interested in seeing Houndmouth since I missed them at the Newport Folk Festival this past summer, I decided to stick with this show…and boy was that a good choice. Not only did Rayland Baxter serenade the crowd and provide some comical commentary, but Houndmouth absolutely blew me away. Being a young band out of New Albany, Indiana, Houndmouth seems like a band that just truly enjoys playing for people and with one another.

So with all this being said, why did I feel led to share this with you? It is not because I was mad about all the bands that I didn’t get to see (even though I really would have loved to see all of them), or because I had to spend a lot of money on gas and risk failing two midterms, but because I want people to understand just how amazing the music scene of the Triangle is shaping out to be. Not only are we thankful to be the host of the wonderful Hopscotch Music Festival, but we also have plenty of concerts to choose from on a weekly basis. Although this first week of March seemed to be crazier than the college basketball tournaments, I am happy to say that this music madness is here to stay. Looking ahead to the future shows at all the Triangle venues, I can confidently say that the amount of music coming our way is on a steady flow. So I suggest to my fellow North Carolinians to kick back, enjoy the tunes, and be thankful that you are living in such a blooming musical hub.

Tags Clint Bowman, concerts, dj salinger, HFTRR, Houndmouth, March Madness, palehound, Rayland Baxter, shovels and rope, triangle

Miscellaneous

All Hail The Mighty Arcade!

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date March 7, 2014

For centuries, man has partaken in the art of gaming. The Romans dueled each other in brawling games of Tic-Tac-Toe, overthrew queens in Chess, and became dizzy over the red and black squares of Checkers. Most importantly, they marveled at the vicious fighting spectacles in the blood splattered walls of the Coliseum.

As WKNC staff members, we envied the ancient Romans and their entertainment. But now, WKNC staff, guests, friends, we can all rejoice in jubilation for the arcade machine has been rightfully restored to it’s fully functional capacity. The glorious sounds of Tetris blocks falling into place, Ash capturing Pikachu in his Pokeball, and Karts slipping from the dreadful slime of banana carcasses on the treacherous courses of MarioKart will fill the halls of North Carolina State University’s raucous music laboratory.