Category: Blog

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Band/Artist Profile

Pre-Phuzz Artist Highlight: Judy Barnes

I’ll be honest; prior to the Phuzz Phest lineup announcement I knew nothing about Judy Barnes. I’m still unsure of her musical background, but I have come to accept the fact that it doesn’t matter. The songs that Phuzz Phest put up of Judy Barnes from soundcloud captivated me like no music has recently. Barnes is able to blend beautiful piano melodies with jaw dropping vocals to create a sound of her own. Being a native a Winston-Salem, I feel like Barnes will be one of the best up and coming local acts to go see. Barnes will be playing at Krankies on April 6th at 9:00 pm; and even though I have to make the trek back to Raleigh that night, she is making a strong case on why I should stick around in Winston just a little longer. 

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Band/Artist Profile

Pre-Phuzz Artist Highlight: The Sweets

Phuzz Phest is a stellar festival for not only seeing North Carolina artists, but also getting a taste for the local Winston-Salem music scene. With attendees coming from all around the area and the state, Phuzz Phest is a great opportunity for some of these bands to perform.

The Sweets, a four-piece local group, are one of those bands with such an opportunity. Their blend of lo-fi psychedelic garage pop has been a real pleasure to listen to so far online, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their live act holds up.

The Sweets were formed in December of 2012 by Zach and Justin, two brothers from the home of Phuzz Phest, Winston-Salem. With the aid of two more members, Danner and another Justin, they’ve released a few EPs and a couple of split cassettes, and are currently working on releasing their first 7” record on their label, Bleeding Gold Records.

The Sweets will be performing at Krankie’s at 7PM on Sunday, April 6th.

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Concert Preview

Local Band Local Beer // APRIL 2014

This month’s Local Band Local Beer, presented by WKNC 88.1 FM, Younger Brother Productions, and Tir na nOg, will feature brews from Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. 

Band Schedule

April 3 // Crowdsource, TheFacesBlur, Justin Cross

April 10 // Kenny Roby, Texoma, The Bourbons

April 17 // Bronzed Chorus, NO EYES, Goodbye, Titan

April 24 // David B. Dollar, The Vineyard, LIBRARIES

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Ages 18 + // 9:30 pm // Free Show

Be sure to tune into WKNC 88.1 FM at 5pm every Thursday to hear an interview with the bands before their set!

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Band/Artist Profile

Pre-Phuzz Artist Highlight: Diarrhea Planet

I’ve told a lot of people about Nashville’s Diarrhea Planet. Most people shudder at the name, assuming they’re a shock-value powerviolence band. Others simply don’t want to pay any mind to a band not willing to take themselves seriously.

Take a chance on them, however, and you’ll find an act that takes their live show very seriously. The six-piece brings a kind of energy like no other, creating a sound and spirit frequently likened to Andrew W.K. if he was a bit sloppier. These guys have shared bills with the likes of Titus Andronicus and played Jay-Z’s Made In America Festival. They have an uncanny ability to unite a crowd in drunken unison in their anthemic hit “Ghost with a Boner.” They also have four guitarists.

Diarrhea Planet headline The Garage Sunday night at 11:40. You’re probably going to want to read up on some lyrics if you’re going to sing along, though.

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Concert Preview

Merge 25 Festival

Merge Records invites you to North Carolina to help celebrate their 25th Anniversary at Merge 25, a music festival featuring Wye Oak, The Clientele, Destroyer, Caribou, Lambchop (performing Nixon), Neutral Milk Hotel, The Rock*A*Teens, Ex Hex, Bob Mould, The Mountain Goats, Superchunk, The Love Language and many more. 

Tickets for the individual Merge 25 shows at the Cat’s Cradle & the outdoor party in Carrboro have already gone on sale Wednesday, March 26 at 11am EST — via the Cat’s Cradle website.

Full show line-ups & more information about other Merge 25 Festivities coming soon! 

Wednesday, July 23 at Baldwin Auditorium
Lambchop performs Nixonwith more Merge artists to be announced soon! – individual tickets available April 22 through Duke Performances

Thursday, July 24 at Cat’s Cradle
Superchunk, The Rock*A*Teens, The Clientele & more! 

Friday, July 25 at Cat’s Cradle
Destroyer, Wye Oak, The Mountain Goats & more!

Saturday, July 26 Outdoor party in Carrboro, NC
Neutral Milk Hotel, Caribou, Bob Mould, Ex Hex, The Love Language & more! 

There are a limited number of tickets available for the Thursday and Friday shows at the Cat’s Cradle, while a larger number are available for the outdoor show. Tickets to the Baldwin Auditorium show will go on sale Tuesday, April 22 through Duke Performances.

Categories
New Album Review

New Music

Burnt Ones // “Gift”

This album is full of fuzzy dreamy catchy and whatever other good vibe adjectives that you can possibly think of. Gift is sure to have a least one track on it that will appeal to any and all listeners out there.

Honeymilk // “Lean on the Sun" 

Coming out of Stockholm, Honeymilk contains a solid indie rock feel with their whining guitars and fuzzy vocals. Kinda sound like YUCK…but with lots of good flavors.

PINS // "Girls Like Us" 

Solid girl punk rock. Not too crazy, but still consisting of all female vocals and in your face guitar riffs. PINS is on the rise and rightfully so.

Mainland // "Shiner EP" 

Although this EP only has a total of four tracks, it is quite the head turner. Full of catchy rock melodies, this New York band is full of passion and definitely pushing their way into the music scene of today.

Desert Noises // "27 Ways" 

Absolutely fantastic group. Giving off a good foot stomping indie folk/rock feel, Desert Noises combines lots of tambourines and clapping to make their music simply infectious. 

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Weekly Charts

WKNC 88.1 FM Charts: 4.1.14

Top 5 Adds:            

1            MAC DEMARCO            Salad Days            Captured Tracks           

2            WHITE HINTERLAND            Baby            Dead Oceans           

3            CLOUD NOTHINGS            Here And Nowhere Else            Mom And Pop           

4            BEATY HEART            Mixed Feelings            Nusic Sounds           

5            ODONIS ODONIS            Hard Boiled Soft Boiled            BUZZ

 

Radio 200:

Rank            Artist            Recording            Label            User Supplied Version

1            TYCHO            Awake            Ghostly           

2            PURE X            Angel            Fat Possum           

3            NOTHING            Guilty Of Everything            Relapse           

4            CASKET GIRLS            True Love Kills The Fairy Tale            Graveface           

5            WAR ON DRUGS            Lost In The Dream            Secretly Canadian           

6            TACOCAT            NVM            Hardly Art           

7            FUTURE ISLANDS            Singles            4AD           

8            REAL ESTATE            Atlas            Domino           

9            BLACK LIPS            Underneath The Rainbow            Vice           

10            HABIBI            Habibi            Burger           

11            DUM DUM GIRLS            Too True            SUB POP           

12            ETERNAL SUMMERS            The Drop Beneath            Kanine           

13            BEAR HANDS            Distraction            Cantora           

14            GARDENS AND VILLA            Dunes            Secretly Canadian           

15            OWLS            Two            Polyvinyl           

16            MARISSA NADLER            July            Sacred Bones           

17            LYLA FOY            Mirrors The Sky            SUB POP           

18            MOGWAI            Rave Tapes            SUB POP           

19            THE MEN            Tomorrow’s Hits            Sacred Bones           

20            PERFECT PUSSY            Say Yes To Love            Captured Tracks           

21            AGES AND AGES            Divisionary            Partisan           

22            DESERT NOISES            27 Ways            SQE           

23            EAGULLS            Eagulls            Partisan           

24            BURNT ONES            Gift            Castle Face           

25            TEMPLES            Sun Structures            Fat Possum           

26            SOLIDS            Blame Confusion            Fat Possum           

27            KEVIN DREW            Darlings            Arts And Crafts           

28            COATHANGERS            Suck My Shirt            Suicide Squeeze           

29            AXXA/ABRAXAS            Axxa/Abraxas            Captured Tracks           

30            UME            Monuments            Dangerbird

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Pre-Phuzz Artist Highlight: The Tills

“Yeah, we love strokin’ it.”

After coming up to the band after their set at King’s Barcade for Zack Mexico’s Album Release Show to tell them I really liked the song with the upstroke part, that’s the comment I received. Essentially, this band is a bunch of bastards that make some great, sunny 60’s tunes.

What sets them apart from the pack is their ability to execute. Lead singer Harry Harrison has an impeccable belt and this real loose way of strumming chords (probably due to all that masturbation) that pairs well with lead guitarist’ Jesse Meyers deliberate style. Tom and Josh keep the feeling loose but the groove tight on the rhythm side of things. I saw The Tills again at Nice Price Books with Jenny Besetzt, and even though that band now has a machine of a drummer (the dude from The Bronzed Chorus), I remember thinking they held their own when it came to drummer awesomeness.

If you like Harlem, or the amazing new Harlem-derivative Las Rosas, this band will be very appealing. Catch ‘em 9pm Friday at Krankies Coffee during Phuzz Phest.

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Band/Artist Profile

Pre-Phuzz Artist Highlight: Brain F≠

Pre-Phuzz Artist Highlight: Brain F≠

Charlotte’s Brain F≠’s first impression is usually, “How am I supposed to say that out loud?” The answer to that question, oddly, is Brain Flannel. However, upon listening to their release Empty Set, you won’t care about putting the punk band’s name into words as their white-knuckle riffs take hold. They bring the spirit of a poppy garage rock song, then get it into enough bar brawls until it’s a punk’d up mess that knows how to have fun. If you’re looking to spice up your Phuzz Phest schedule with a something to get the blood flowing during the middle of your weekend, look no further. Brain F≠ will take the stage on Saturday, April 5 at 9PM at Krankie’s Coffee. You should probably be ready to get rowdy.

Categories
Festival Coverage

Pre-Phuzz: Non-Music Coolness

This year’s Phuzz Phest in Winston-Salem is obviously exploding at the seams with high tier artists of all kind, but they didn’t stop there.

 Phuzz has decided to follow suit after some other festivals from North Carolina and elsewhere by including some great programming during the daytime that runs a cool-weird gamut. 

Similar to Hopscotch in years past, this year’s Phest will include an alley cat style bike race.

For those unfamiliar with this kind of bike race here’s what wikipedia has to say. 

From personal experience at the Hepcat and others around Raleigh I can say it is of the utmost of all fun. Little to no experience is necessary to participate and even succeed in these camaraderie building events. This race in particular looks cheap and inviting. Plus– there’s prizes, what else matters? The race will begin at Krankies Coffee on Saturday at noon.

Speaking of coffee, also in conjunction with the musical festivities this coming weekend is a “Coffee Conference” on Sunday also held at Krankie’s beginning at noon and all I have to say is– 

free espresso shots until four! If you’re trying to get hyped for the evens later in the night, that’s what you’ll need. There will also be tables from coffee roasters and brewers from Carrborro, Raleigh, and Athens, GA as well as a keynote speaker and a live broadcast from KNC! Come stop by! We’ll be jittery.