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Concert Review

Show Review: Wavves with King Tuff and Jacuzzi Boys

The energy at the Cat’s Cradle on Monday night was electrifying.  We were heartbroken to have unfortunately missed the opening set by Jacuzzi Boys, a trio whose most recent self-titled release dropped this past September, but we were hyped to arrive to catch King Tuff in all his rough and tuffness.  His band’s sound is nostalgic, their influences ranging from glam rock to psychedelic garage. The crowd reached a wide range of ages, from middle school skater bros to cool dads. Towards the stage, throngs of trill bros jammed and moshed out. Even old Old Gary on drums seemed to be having a good time. King Tuffy ended his set with “Bad Thing,” off his eponymous release, a song the crowd chanted and screamed along with him. King Tuff’s persona is out of this world: totes rad, bro. He is bad to the bone.

Rock on, man! King Tuff’s scuzzy performance was loaded with killer riffs and bad ‘tudes.

Why are some people so easy to idolize?  Nathan Williams, the frontman of Wavves, attracts fervent devotees.  His casual, fuck-off charisma is magnetic.  Many of the teenagers in attendance at Monday night’s show knew all of his lyrics, chanting along to his songs while joyfully working themselves into a writhing, moshing mass.

Wavves had the crowd in a frenzy; we stood back where the moshing was less intense

Perhaps Williams is so popular because his music fills the pop-punk void left when Blink-182 and Green Day became more self-serious: his songs are anthems for kids yearning for catchy, angry, Endless Summer rock ‘n roll.  As Wavves’ mangy bass player announced the song “King of the Beach,” a trio of high schoolers shoved past me as they raced to the front row.  We stood back and basked in the crowd’s energy, and we couldn’t help but dance and try to sing along.

 

by e baby and Spaceman Spiff

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Concert Review

Show Review: Saint Rich with WOOL

WOOL is one of the most promising new bands in the Triangle, and it was a pleasure to be wrapped up in their sound on Sunday night at the Pinhook.  Frontman Troy Hancock writes gorgeous, glowing dream pop gems, his romantic vocal melodies enveloped by a sound womb of guitars and brilliant, wiry bass lines.  These are earnest pop songs wrapped in a blanket of noise.

WOOL played a mesmerizing set

Troy expressed their excitement for opening for Saint Rich before launching into a short, mesmerizing set.  Songs such as Mountains and Bulletin Air broiled into enchanting, slow-burning climaxes.  Our station has been enamored with the Bulletin Air single released in January, and I cannot wait until they officially press these songs.   Their EP release show is on Friday, October 25 at Kings with The Human Eyes and See Gulls, and I’ll surely be there.

Saint Rich had swagger and songs to boot

Saint Rich followed shortly after a hushed pep talk with Mac McCaughan, who co-leads Merge Records (might I add that Mac’s band Superchunk has an amazing new album?).  Saint Rich announced that Sunday night’s show was their first in their record label’s hometown, and they did not disappoint.  These guys made playing rock and roll look effortlessly easy.  The band nailed a roaring set of country rock, and their triumphant guitar leads of Steve Marion and swaggering vox by Christian Peslak had my toes tapping.

The Pinhook has the nicest bathroom graffiti!
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Music News and Interviews

Hopscotch Interview: WAUMISS

WKNC interview with WAUMISS during the 2013 Hopscotch Music Festival. Check out the interview and on our iTunes podcast!

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Local Music Music News and Interviews

October’s Local Artist of the Month: Schooner

Schooner have been one of North Carolina’s sleeper bands for far too long. Their 2007 full length debut Hold On Too Tight warranted heavy acclaim from critics and showcased the band’s sporadic indie pop stylings. Many would have imagined that Schooner would swiftly snowball into the state’s next powerhouse, however, songwriter Reid Johnson took some time off to re-evaluate his musical career and thus the band slowly began to dissipate from its original lineup. After receiving a lineup overhaul, Duck Kee Sessions in 2010 propelled the band to the national spotlight.

The band’s original lineup fell to the wayside, but this new roster clearly displayed a newly invigorated vision of Schooner. They were touted as one of Paste Magazine’s “Best of What’s Next” and even made their way down to South-By-Southwest after the heavy acclaim from Duck Kee. But with the release of Neighborhood Veins, the band’s latest full length, they’re prepared to bask in the spotlight that they’ve so patiently waited for.

Neighborhood Veins marks the first national release from local label PotLuck Records and it’s an excellent display of Schooner’s brilliance. It’s a collection of songs that range from fuzzed out pop gems to bleary-eyed folk-infused madness. By now Reid Johnson and the new lineup for Schooner have found their groove, they acknowledge their musical past while still looking boldly forward to the future. Neighborhood Veins’ closing track is a sprawling 12-minute adventure, something that one could have hardly imagined upon first glance from a band like Schooner.

After their bold step forward, you can expect Schooner to finally take their place as a North Carolina powerhouse amongst our brimming indie rock scene. That’s precisely why we’ve chosen Schooner as our Local Artist of the Month for October. You can check out their latest video for “Trap” below.  If you missed their interview and live performance, you can check it out and on our iTunes podcast!

http://schoonermusic.com
http://facebook.com/schoonermusic
http://twitter.com/schoonermusic

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Weekly Charts

Top Ten Afterhours Albums for 10/08

1 VARIOUS ARTISTS    ”Verve Remixed: The First Ladies”    (Verve)

2  GOLD PANDA    ”Half Of Where You Live”    (Ghostly)

3  MACHINEDRUM    "Vapor City"    (Ninja Tune)

4  ULTRAISTA    "Ultraista: Remixes"    (Temporary Residence)

5 ETIENNE DE CRECY    ”Beats N Cubes Vol 2″    (Win)

6 Dameron    ”Bronx Showdown”    (Self-Release)    

7 HERMITUDE    ”HyperParadise”    (Elefant Traks)

8 Pretty Lights    ”Color Map of the Sun”    (8 Minutes 20 Seconds)

9 MODERAT    ”II”    (Mute)

10  IKONIKA    "Aerotropolis"    (Hyperdub)

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Concert Review

Show Review: Unknown Mortal Orchestra with Jackson Scott

Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Yesterday I capped off a great weekend by trekking out to Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro to see a band I’ve been obsessed with for a while – Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

The opener, Jackson Scott, was a young, up-and-coming noisy rock act from Asheville. I had never heard of the band, and like many others at the Cradle I was in for a surprise. During their first song, I spied more than a few stunned faces in the audience – people weren’t sure what to make of the sudden assault on their ears by this trio of energetic, shaggy-haired kids. Faces obscured by their long bangs, they redefined LOUD and played the heck out of their respective instruments. Guitarist and lead singer, Jackson Scott himself, crooned indiscernibly over it all. Despite the somewhat jarring mid-song tempo changes and wealth of discordant sounds, I managed to get pretty into the music, although this is not a band I probably would have listened to otherwise.

After Jackson Scott’s angsty take on noise, we were in for a more danceable jam session in the form of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. While you may know them for their irresistibly catchy hooks and fuzzy low-fi funk beats, what you probably don’t know is that UMO are also pretty great at just jamming for the sake of jamming. I think it’s really cool when a live show delivers something distinctly different; something that you can’t get from just listening to a band’s albums (like Sam Herring’s legendary theatrics at Future Islands shows, for example), and these guys did just that. Between the crazy-intense drum solos and lead singer & guitarist Ruban Nielson experimenting with feedback on three different guitars (not even touching the strings? – mind blown), there were a lot of instrumental excursions that you won’t hear on their albums. Although the band seemed to enjoy immersing themselves and the audience in these more sprawling versions of their songs, they still supplied those unearthly, infectious tunes we were all expecting. Between discovering a new band, and hearing a familiar one play unfamiliar sounds, this was a great show – I hope to see y’all out there next time!

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Concert Preview

Carolina Grown Preview: Oct. 11

For the second week of Carolina Grown we’ll be highlighting one of the most promising acts in the state’s hip-hop scene. Toon & The Real Laww, a hip-hop duo from Durham, will be on the air for the first hour promoting their EP Release Show at Kings Barcade on Oct. 11. The two recently released a Double EP entitled You Know The Name/End The Beginning that features tracks from Toon and The Real Laww respectively. Though the two are billed as a duo, they thrive in their own aural niches. The two create their own beats (mostly), and have carved out their own separate hubs that are capable of stand alone excellence, but together they mesh brilliantly and seamlessly.

Toon & The Real Laww is comprised of Professor Toon and The Real Laww, two rappers that vary in approach but convey similar thematic properties in their music. While Toon & The Real Laww are capable of busting out some impressive lyrical wordplay, delivering witty punchlines with pinpoint precision, the true focal point of these MCs is the personality on display. Toon delves deep into his motivation for making it in the rap game and his humble, albeit sometimes chaotic beginnings. Laww’s military background is an ever-looming presence on his raps, his production style lays a booming foundation for his powerful vocal presence and makes for a powerful listening experience. The two may not always collaborate on their tracks, but when they do the chemistry is palpable and beckons the listener to foray deeper into their psyches. Toon & The Real Laww perform at Kings on Oct. 11 along with Cesar Commanche, SkyBlew and Cosmo.

The second hour will be filled with a wide variety of new and old local music from the WKNC library. Though I’ll be off at Shakori Hills soaking in the grassroots goodness, I’ll be leaving you in good musical hands.

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Music News and Interviews

Giveaways for the week of 10/7 – 10/13

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.

Friday, January 31st 2014 – Live Nation presents: The Pixies with Cults @ Durham Performing Arts

Monday, October 7th – Wavves with King Tuff and Jacuzzi Boys @ Cat’s

Afraid of Heights

Tuesday, October 8th – Junip with Barbarossa @ Cat’s

Wednesday, October 9th – Baths with Groundislava and Time Wharp @ Kings

Obsidian

Wednesday, October 9th – Lake with Ser Onda @ Pinhook

Circular Doorway

Thursday, October 10th – Richard Buckner @ Pinhook

Surrounded

Friday, October 11th – Toon and the Real Laww with Cesar Comanche @ King’s

a mixtape vol 3

Friday, October 11th – Colleen Green with The Memories and White Fang @ Pinhook

Sock it To Me

Saturday, October 12th – Eleanor Friedberger @ Cat’s

Saturday, October 12th – Cat’s presents: The Helio Sequence and Menomena @ Kings

Keep Your Eyes Ahead

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Music News and Interviews

Hopscotch Interview: Cy Dune

WKNC interview with Cy Dune during the 2013 Hopscotch Music Festival. Check out the interview below and on our iTunes podcast!

Listen here.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Interview: The Dodos

The Dodos played Kings Barcade on October 4, accompanied by Dustin Wong and Raleigh natives First Person Plural, in support of the recent release of their fifth studio album, Carrier (Polyvinyl Record Co.). Before the show, I spoke with drummer and multi-percussionist Logan Kroeber of The Dodos.  The band is no stranger to the triangle, having opened for New Pornographers, Drive-By Truckers and Guided By Voices in recent years. We discussed what influenced the new album’s songwriting and instrumentation changes, collaborations, favorite songs and the critically-acclaimed sport of hacky sack.  Check out the interview below and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes!

Listen here.