Categories
Weekly Charts

Top Ten Afterhours Albums for 11/04

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

2  ULTRAISTA    ”Ultraista: Remixes”    (Temporary Residence)

3  SLOW MAGIC    ”Triangle”    (LebensStrasse)

4 MODERAT    ”II”    (Mute)

5 MINDELIXIR    ”Lunology”    (Outside)          <- LOCAL

6  MACHINEDRUM    ”Vapor City”    (Ninja Tune)

7 ALLUXE    “Nomad”    (Electronic Creatives)

8 BOTANY    ”Lava Diviner (Truestory)”    (Western Vinyl)

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

10 Dameron    ”Bronx Showdown”    (Self-Release)          <- LOCAL    

Categories
New Album Review

New Local Music

Eston Dickinson – Knave of the Heart

Some solid indie-pop tunes from this Raleigh-based band. There’s a bit of a doo-wop feel to some of the vocal melodies and they’ve got a nice swing to them. A few catchy as hell tracks hidden within this album!

Peter Lamb & The Wolves – Humble Pie

An incredible jazz album from this Raleigh band. Recorded live at Humble Pie, this recording perfectly captures the whimsical energy abound at this band’s shows. Some wonderful swing oriented jazz songs with some powerful, soulful vocals to round out the mix. Incredible stuff regardless of your affinity for jazz music.

This EP comes from one of the state’s most widely acclaimed bands in recent years. While they’ve not made too many waves in the Triangle, this family band of sorts (husband/wife vocal combo with brothers/brother in-laws on rhythm) was signed to Columbia last year but still puts out some wonderful folk-rock music.

 

Toon & The Real Laww – You Know The Name/End The Beginning

A double EP from this Durham-based hip-hop duo that showcases their varying styles. Toon boasts a playful punchline-rap approach that occasionally delves deeper into his personal life in an unapologetic manner. The Real Laww on the other hand delivers a booming demeanor that exudes confidence atop party ready beats.

The new solo project from Annuals bassist Mike Robinson, this is an awesome display of some sincere indie rock music. Relatively straight-forward in its approach, FPP’s music speaks for itself with deep vocals and lush instrumentation.

Like a wine drunk Ghostt Bllonde, Bridges gets into some deeply personal territory while creating some fantastic shoegaze leaning indie rock. The songs are raw and visceral, they feel like knee jerk emotional reactions that display a sense of urgency that simply can’t be faked. Great stuff. 

 

Schooner’s newest LP is filled with catchy melody driven indie rock that you’ll constantly try to get out of your head. But give it up, it’s probably not going to happen. There’s a bit of a folk croon that guides these songs along, but there’s a guttural sort of intensity in the instrumentation that creates a perfect dichotomy between the two musical realms.

LOCAL ARTIST OF THE MONTH

 

Mipso – Dark Holler Pop

A fantastic new album from this bluegrass/folk group. Dark Holler Pop finds Mipso with a far more defined and mature sound, one that’s likely resulted from their recording the album with Andrew Marlin of Mandolin Orange. It stands in the center of the intersection of contemporary poppy folk music and traditional bluegrass roots music.

Categories
Concert Preview

Carolina Grown Preview: Nov. 1, 2013

As we come upon another week, we’re preparing for another two full hours of fantastic local music with Carolina Grown! This week is an awesome one, as I’ll be joined by one of my favorite local acts Gross Ghost as they talk about their brand new album Public Housing that was released this week on Odessa Records. I’ve also got local community members Corbie Hill and Chris DeFusco joining me to talk about their First Friday event “Let Feedback Ring.”

“Let Feedback Ring” will take over the first hour of Carolina Grown, I chat with Corbie, Chris and Matt, a representative from Legends Nightclub to get some details about the inception of this now monthly event. “Let Feedback Ring” has been Corbie’s brainchild for a few years, but at Hopscotch the name was used to promote a massive day party at Legends Nightclub that hosted 13 acts throughout the day. Now the two have teamed up with Legends to continue this wildly successful series, bringing Ghostt Bllonde, Le Weekend and Corbie’s band Alpha Cop to the Legends stage (and catwalk!) on Friday, Nov. 1. Throughout the hour we’ll hear music from some of the performers from the First Friday show as well as from the Hopscotch showcase while we chat about the group’s involvement in the community, how it all got together and where they plan to go from here.

Gross Ghost will be joining me throughout the second hour for a segment I’m incredibly excited about. Gross Ghost has been a longtime favorite of mine since they released their first EP Lip City a few years ago, now the band has just released their second full length record Public Housing and finds themselves swiftly picking up steam in the local scene. With a solidified lineup and a fresh approach to their straight-forward hook-heavy indie rock, Gross Ghost is ready to ascend to prominence on the heels of this incredible album that chronicles the highs and lows of broken relationships and life’s constant uncertainties. We’ll chat a bit about the writing process within Gross Ghost, the struggles of laying your emotions on the line and some of the ins and outs of being in a “buzz band.”

Categories
Weekly Charts

Top Ten Afterhours Albums for 10/28

1  SLOW MAGIC    ”Triangle”    (LebensStrasse)

2 IKONIKA    ”Aerotropolis”    (Hyperdub)

3  ULTRAISTA    ”Ultraista: Remixes”    (Temporary Residence)

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

5  MACHINEDRUM    ”Vapor City”    (Ninja Tune)

6 BOTANY    ”Lava Diviner (Truestory)”    (Western Vinyl)

7 GOLDROOM    “Embrace [EP]”    (Vitalic Noise)

Goldroom – Embrace Lyrics

8 MINDELIXIR    ”Lunology”    (Outside)           LOCAL

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

10 ALLUXE    “Nomad”    (Electronic Creatives)

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT129 People-First Tourism 10/22/13

In a few weeks, there are several elections taking place in Wake County. One particular contest is the Morrisville City Council. Last week we brought you an interview with candidate Steve Rao. This week, Michaela sat down with Vinnie Goel.

People-First Tourism

Dr. Duarte B. Morais, a professor in the College of Natural Resources has started a very special project that seeks to change the way we see tourism. Nick has the story.

Listen to all this, plus national and international news from Andrew and Sydney, weather with Nick, Ben with sports, and a community calendar.

Listen to all this, plus national and international news from Andrew and Sydney, weather with Nick, Ben with sports, and a community calendar.

Nick Savage and Andrew Eichen bring you another edition of “Eye on the Triangle,” live each Tuesday at 7 p.m. on WKNC 88.1 FM and wknc.org/listen and available as a downloadable podcast.

Listen to episode 129.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

WKNC’s first Lounge!

Today marks the launch of WKNC’s new and ongoing video series entitled The Lounge.

After having so many great artists from North Carolina and around the country stop by our studio we thought it would be a shame not to share their unique, intimate performances with the our listeners to repeat on their electronic devices over and over again.

This first episode features recently relocated american finger stylist Daniel Bachman, now currently residing in Chapel Hill. His ethereal Hopscotch 2013 performance at the Long View Center and day party collaboration with Pelt at the Raleigh Rose Garden caught our attention–but Bachman had long been catching the attention of others, read what Indy writer Grayson Currin had to say about his music.

You’ll be able to find his and other performances at WKNC’s youtube account. Be on the look out for our next session coming up with Asheville resident and Fat Possum artist Jackson Scott.

~enjoy~

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Interview: WOOL

WOOL is very promising band from Raleigh on the cusp of releasing their first EP, Delta, this Friday, and they stopped by the After Work Special for an in-depth chat with DJ e baby and myself, Spaceman Spiff.  We discussed their songwriting process, the happenstance nature of musical discovery on the internet, and their myriad of creative influences.

The band brought their instruments and played gorgeous renditions of “Mountains” and “Stars.”  I’ve seen WOOL live several times in the past few months, and I was always struck by the beautiful noise they made: lovely dream pop songs, enveloped in hazy guitars, that build to rapturous crescendos.  The acoustic versions they played were intimate and confessional: the pop underbelly of the songs were brought to the foreground.  We played their recorded single “Bulletin Air,” and the band debuted their recorded version of “Delta.”  If the other two songs on the EP sound this great, we’re truly in for a gem.

WOOL’s EP Release Show is this Friday, October 25 at Kings Barcade with See Gulls and Derek Torres of T0W3RS.

Listen here.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Carolina Grown Podcast: Oct. 11 w/ Toon & The Real Laww

The second week of Carolina Grown was an absurd amount of fun to record, even if there was only one guest on for the show. I was joined in-studio by Professor Toon and The Real Laww of the fantastic hip-hop duo Toon & The Real Laww. The two were preparing for their big EP release show at Kings Barcade with the iconic Cesar Commanche opening up, so naturally we had quite a bit to cover during the hour that these guys were in the studio. While North Carolina is known best for its ever expanding indie rock scene, there are many other facets of this state’s music community that shine just as bright as the college rock crews that started up in Chapel Hill. Actually there’s quite a few more than even I knew! Which is why I chatted with Professor Toon and The Real Laww about what brought them to the state, what keeps them here, and where they think the scene is heading.

We delve into some of the duo’s first interactions with hip-hop, the planning that goes into their ridiculously energetic live shows, and their process behind writing and producing their own tracks. I’ve been addicted to hip-hop since my adolescent self stumbled upon OutKast, Eminem and Busta Rhymes, but even I had no idea about how deep some of hip-hop’s roots extend to North Carolina’s music scene. There’s a lot more than Petey Pablo raising and Little Brother’s total domination of the scene. Check out the full 45 minute interview and learn a bit about North Carolina’s hip-hop community and some of the past and future endeavors that are in store for Toon & The Real Laww.

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT128 The Voice 10/15/13

Supporting our nation’s wounded warriors is extremely important, but sometimes we are not sure what exactly to do. This week in Raleigh, a special conference is taking place to do just that. Michaela has more.

“The Voice” is a popular TV show highlighting untapped talent on national television. Sydney had the chance to speak with a Wolfpack graduate who is on the show this season.

Dave interviewed a professor right here at the College of Natural Resources about the varying nature and functions of fires. Here is the third in a series of their discussion.

Next month there are several elections taking place in Wake County. One particular contest is the Morrisville City Council, and in the first in a series of interviews, Michaela sat down with one of the candidates, Steve Rao.

Yet another student here at N.C. State is making strides in front of a national audience in a reality show. Desirae has the story of Justin LeBlanc on “Project Runway.”

Listen to all this, plus national and international news from Andrew and Sydney, weather with Katie, Ross with sports, weird science with Gene and a community calendar.

Nick Savage and Andrew Eichen bring you another edition of “Eye on the Triangle,” live each Tuesday at 7 p.m. on WKNC 88.1 FM and wknc.org/listen and available as a downloadable podcast.

Listen to episode 128.

Categories
Non-Music News

Local Band Local Beer Now 18+

WKNC is happy to announce that our weekly shows at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub in downtown Raleigh are now 18 and up. We hope that everyone will take advantage of this opportunity to check out Local Band Local Beer. Just make sure that you bring your ID to the show to prove that you are at least 18 years old. The doorman will hold on to it while you’re inside and give it back at the end of the night.

Just so students are aware, the Wolf Prowl nighttime bus route will take you downtown and then you hop on an R line connector and it drops you right in front of Tir Na nOg (see map). If you have never been there, it is the big blue dot on Blount Street between Hargett and Martin Streets. Just be sure to bring your student ID to ride the Wolf Prowl and then connect to the R line for free.

We hope to see an even bigger crowd now each Thursday!