Category: Blog

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Vampire Weekend and Ray LaMontagne giveaways

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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.

Categories
Concert Review

March Madness…Music Festival?

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 5th on April 10th 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.

Categories
Miscellaneous

All Hail The Mighty Arcade!

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.   

Categories
Concert Preview

Local Band Local Beer // March 6, 2014

This week’s LBLB, presented by Younger Brother Productions, WKNC 88.1 FM, and Tir na nOg,  will feature:

Clockwork Kids

Bridges

Numans. 

Show starts at 9:30 at Tir na nOg Irish Pub in downtown Raleigh and as always this is a FREE event! 

Be sure to tune into WKNC at 5pm to hear DJ Kataclysm interview the bands before their set!

Categories
Weekly Charts

WKNC 88.1 FM Charts : 3.4.14

Top 5 Adds:            

Rank            Artist            Recording            Label            User Supplied Version

1            REAL ESTATE            Atlas            Domino           

2            AVA LUNA            Electric Balloon            Western Vinyl           

3            TRUST            Joyland            Arts And Crafts           

4            BLACK LIPS            Underneath The Rainbow            Vice           

5            THE MEN            Tomorrow’s Hits            Sacred Bones           

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            POW!            Hi-Tech Boom            Castle Face           

5            SPEEDY ORTIZ            Real Hair [EP]            Carpark           

6            DUM DUM GIRLS            Too True            SUB POP           

7            STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS            Wig Out At Jagbags            Matador           

8            WARPAINT            Warpaint            Rough Trade           

9            HABIBI            Habibi            Burger           

10            BLEEDING RAINBOW            Interrupt            Kanine           

11            ETERNAL SUMMERS            The Drop Beneath            Kanine           

12            CIBO MATTO            Hotel Valentine            Chimera           

13            MOGWAI            Rave Tapes            SUB POP           

14            BEAR HANDS            Distraction            Cantora           

15            TACOCAT            NVM            Hardly Art           

16            GARDENS AND VILLA            Dunes            Secretly Canadian           

17            MARISSA NADLER            July            Sacred Bones           

18            YELLOW OSTRICH            Cosmos            Barsuk           

19            TOY            Join The Dots            Heavenly           

20            THUMPERS            Galore            SUB POP           

21            CEO            Wonderland            Modular           

22            SOLIDS            Blame Confusion            Fat Possum           

23            AGES AND AGES            Divisionary            Partisan            Visionary

24            MODE MODERNE            Occult Delight            Light Organ           

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

26            TEMPLES            Sun Structures            Fat Possum           

27            EAGULLS            Eagulls            Partisan           

28            COM TRUISE            Wave 1            Ghostly           

29            BIKE FOR THREE!            So Much Forever            Fake Four           

30            UME            Monuments            Dangerbird

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Interview with Greg Abate

WKNC interviewed multi-saxophonist Greg Abate to discuss his career and most recent project with saxophonist Phil Woods, The Greg Abate Quintet featuring Phil Woods. Greg shared valuable information about his upbringing in music in the northeastern United States, his experiences performing internationally with feature bands including the Ray Charles Orchestra, and his time teaching students in Rhode Island. The main feature of the interview was Greg’s insight into his collaboration with Phil Woods. He even gives listeners a preview of his upcoming project which will also feature Phil Woods. 

Listen to the live interview here!

Categories
New Album Review

New Music

Nothing // “Guilty of Everything”

Hailing out of Philly, the band Nothing puts their rock music right in your face. Loud, but still structured very well to show all of their talent. Definitely worth a listen.

Bear Hands // “Distraction”

Confession time boys and girls; I LOVE BEAR HANDS. This album is absolutely amazing; upbeat, catchy and full of those wonderful Bear Hand lyrics. I’m not sure how many people are aware of this band, but after this album they definitely will be. 

Sacco // “Sacco”

Overall, Sacco is a soothing soft rock album/band that nobody can really complain about. Even though they do not really push the envelope for something new in the indie music world, they really contribute to the talent that exists in the music world today. 

Cataldo // “Gilded Oldies”

This is a beautifully constructed album. Cataldo has been gaining a steady following in recent years, and this album will definitely not halt that trend. Using diverse instruments and heartfelt lyrics, Gilded Oldies is an impressive album.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Giveaways for the Week of 3/3 – 3/9

Keep it tuned to WKNC all week long for your chance to win tickets to any of these great shows below! Just be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it, and you and a friend could be hitting up some of the coolest local acts around.

Monday, March 3 – Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks with Purling Hiss @ Cat’s Cradle
Tuesday, March 4 – mewithoutYou with Touche Amore @ Cat’s Cradle
Tuesday, March 4 – Yellow Ostrich with Pattern Is Movement @ Kings Barcade
Wednesday, March 5 – Shovels & Rope with Hurray For The Riff Raff @ Cat’s Cradle
Wednesday, March 5 – Future Islands with Wye Oak @ Haw River Ballroom
Thursday, March 6 – TEEN with New Madrid and Blanko Basnet @ Kings Barcade
Friday, March 7 – Oberhofer with Small Black @ Local 506
Friday, March 7 – No Eyes with Jenny Besetzt and Naked Naps @ Kings Barcade
Friday, March 7 – Ex Hex with heather McEntire @ Pinhook
Friday, March 7 – Tanya Morgan with Tab One and Scienze @ Cat’s Back Room
Saturday, March 8 – Grandchildren with Motor Skills and Jazz Tapes @ Kings Barcade
Sunday, March 9 – Great Good Fine Ok with Iggy Cosky @ Kings Barcade
Sunday, March 9 – Ringo Deathstarr with Purple @ Pinhook
Sunday, March 9 – The Pains of Being Pure At Heart with Eternal Summers @ Cat’s Cradle
Categories
Concert Preview Local Music

Local Band Local Beer // 2.27.14

Younger Brother Productions, WKNC 88.1 FM, and Tir na Nog Irish Pub present Local Band Local Beer featuring Ellis Dyson and the Shambles, Debonzo Brothers, and Cousins this Thursday, February 27, 2014.

The show starts at 9:30 pm and as always, admission is free!

18 and up. 

Be sure to tune into WKNC at 5pm to hear DJ Kataclysm interview the bands before their set. 

Categories
New Album Review

New Local Music

Lost in the Trees // “Past Life”

Of course, Lost in the Trees exude excellence on their latest album.Past Life is a bit of a departure from their usual styling, instead of intricately composed classical instrumentation the band has leaned more towards their art-rock influences. A fantastic album that deserves hella spins!

RIYL: Radiohead, Blonde Redhead

Lilac Shadows // “No Dark/No Light”

Lilac Shadows have blown my expectations out of the water with this one. Delving much deeper into the psych-rock realm, No Dark/No Light is filled with exploratory indie rock jams that are as catchy as they are expansive.

RIYL: Deerhunter

Amigo // “Might Could”

Some simplistic yet enjoyable honky-tonk infused rock music. This Charlotte based group has a sound that’s got enough contemporary grit and traditional twang to draw in folks of all ages. Some wonderful stuff on this album!

RIYL: Drive-By Truckers

Curtis Eller’s American Circus // “How To Make It In Hollywood”

Ah, the zany folk rock antics of Curtis Eller are back once again. Eller’s got a brilliant mixture of traditionalism and innovation, providing a compelling twist to what could easily be a static genre. Eller’s songs provide enriching stories and immersive lyricism filled with just enough quirk to make it a riotous occasion.

RIYL: Off the wall carnival-esque antics. Srsly.

Naked Naps // “Ok, Bye”

A much needed dose of lo-fi high-energy punk rock for the local scene. Naked Naps combine early 90s indie rock sentiments with an almost twee-punk styling, all washed over with sweltering instrumentation.

RIYL: Whatever Brains