Category: Blog

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Giveaways for the week of 10/21-10/27

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, Oct. 21st – Crocodiles with Royal Bangs @ Cat’s

Monday, Oct. 21st – Wild Belle with Snowmine @ Kings

Tuesday, Oct. 22nd – Flux Pavilion with Skism and Roksonix @ Lincoln Theatre

Tuesday, Oct. 22nd – Of Montreal with Surface to Air Missive @ Cat’s

Wednesday, October 23rd – Barton Carroll with Wood Ear @ the Pinhook

Thursday, Oct. 24th – Megan Jean and the KFB with Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands @ The Pinhook

Friday, Oct 25th – Father John Misty “Solo”  with Kate Berlant @ Cat’s

Friday, Oct 25th – Crystal Antlers and The Lovers @ The Pinhook

Friday, Oct 25th – Wool EP release with The Human Eyes and See Gulls @ Kings

Saturday, Oct 26th – The English Beat with The Archbishops of Blount Street @ Cat’s

Saturday, Oct 26th – Marissa Anderson with Ezekiel Graves @ The Pinhook (6 PM)

Saturady, Oct 26th – Cat’s presents: Neko Case with Karen Elson @ DPAC

Sunday, Oct 27th – Midnight Plus One with War on Women @ The Pinhook

 

 

Categories
Concert Preview

Fridays on the Lawn announced for Oct. 18 and 25, Nov. 8

WKNC presents Fridays on the Lawn, our part of our free outdoor concert series. We’re throwing it into fall gear by having three dates, Friday, October 18th, 25th and November 8th. This event is free and open to the public, so we hope to see you there!

This week, we will have Jonny Alright and Virgins Family Band playing at Tucker Beach. October 25th will feature a solo set from Mount Moriah’s Heather McEntire followed by Loamlands also at Tucker Beach, and the final date for this semester will be on November 8th featuring Ghostt Bllonde and Naked Gods at West Amphitheater (behind the Bragaw building).

From Indy Week, August 27, 2013 by Grayson Currin on Johnny Alright:

“Full of invective and excitement, come-ons and comedowns, parties and pouting, Jonny Alright Sings and Plays His Songs is one of the year’s most exciting surprises. Recorded with a strange cast of locals that includes Filthybird singer Renee Haran and Greensboro funk siren Robin Doby, Alright sings and plays his songs as a mercurial and charismatic frontman. A rock ‘n’ roll chameleon, Jonny Alright suggests Paul McCartney’s melodic maneuverability on "Wrecking Ball” and Lou Reed’s stilted soul on “Glory.” Mostly, though, he crackles with the primitive blues spirit of Jack White and Dex Romweber, reinvigorating old ideas with his own new worries. “I’m moving like a cheetah, man,” he howls at one point, his restlessness presented like a talisman. Keep up if you can. Grayson Currin"

From The Bottom String, written by Local Music Director and host of Carolina Grown, Grant Golden on Virgins Family Band’s album, Honeylion:

“Honeylion is as strong a statement that any band can wish to make with a debut, they’ve crafted a sound that’s entirely unique and filled with melodic masterpieces. Tracks like the album’s opener, "Moon Breath” display the dynamic breadth displayed within this 8-track album. Powerful rhythms drive these tunes, and they’re capable of changing direction on a dime and delivering a brand new addictive melody that’s filled with adventurous originality. The best part about Honeylion though is that it always leaves you guessing, Virgins Family Band combine elements from jazz and pop music in a way that creates an inviting yet still complex soundscape that’s filled with gorgeous musical moments that create for an invigorating listening experience. The entire album is packed with fantastic musical endeavors, from the croons of “Eyes Like Troubled Dreams” to the shiver-inducing shouts that close the album in “Lily Molusco”, Virgins Family Band display a mastery of dynamics and pacing.“

Come out to Concert on the Lawn at TUCKER BEACH for a FREE evening of local music, free food, prizes, and giveaways!

Add our Facebook events for updates:

10/18: Virgins Family Band and Jonny Alright 5-7 P.M. at Tucker Beach

10/25: Loamlands and solo set from Mount Moriah’s Heather McEntire from 5-7 P.M. at Tucker Beach

11/08: Naked Gods and Ghostt Bllonde from 5-7 P.M. at West Amphitheater

Tucker Beach: On Cates Avenue between Dan Allen Drive and Pullen Drive.

West Amphitheater: Behind the Bragaw building, which is located on Dan Allen Drive between Hillsborough Street and Western Boulevard.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Interview: Jackson Scott

Jackson Scott is an Asheville based artist who just exploded onto the scene. His record Melbourne started to make the rounds and was picked up by outlets such as Pitchfork and NPR. The exposure he was getting attracted many different record labels. He eventually had to take his record down at which point it was released officially by Fat Possum records. The album received great reviews from many different sources. Jackson Scott stopped by the studio before his show at Cat’s Cradle with Unknown Mortal Orchestra to talk about his accelerated rise to fame, the Asheville music scene, and his new album. Check out the interview and on our iTunes podcast!

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Hopscotch Interview: Airstrip

Airstrip started towards the end 2011 when things ended between Matt Park’s girlfriend and bandmate Ginger Wagg. The two had formed a charming little duo by the name of Veelee that had all of the Triangle falling in love. The harsh turn of events inspired Airstrip’s debut album Willing which Matt describes as “nightmare pop”. Matt stopped by before his set at Hopscotch Music Festival to talk about his new band members and his debut album.  Check out the interview below and on our iTunes podcast!

Categories
Concert Preview Local Music

Carolina Grown Preview: Oct. 18

The third installment of Carolina Grown is coming up swiftly, and this week’s show is entirely themed around one of Raleigh’s most exciting community events of the fall. The Cooke Street Carnival is an annual neighborhood festival that takes place on Cooke Street that showcases some of the many excellent cultural elements that are abound in the city of Raleigh. Live music is a staple of the festival, but there’s much more to be offered at the event which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 19. I’ll be joined by festival organizer Jedidiah Gant along with some of the featured artists at this year’s festival including Prypyat, Hammer No More The Fingers, and Napoleon Wright II.

The event also teams up with a local non-profit organization to help raise funds and awareness for the group. This year the festival has paired up with Learning Together, an educational non-profit that works with developmentally disabled children. The head of the organization will be joining Jedidiah along with Jason Howard, the owner of the soon to be re-opened Quality Grocery.

Each year the festival follows a thematic structure and this year’s will boast a vibrant display of the Southern cookout aesthetic. For years now we’ve been interacting with our neighbors through community events such as this, but Cooke Street Carnival just does so on a much wider scale. It helps build a tighter community for Raleigh’s residents and allows everyone to connect on a personal level through delicious food, exciting events, and fantastic local music.

Some of the area’s finest food trucks will be out at the event along with local breweries and other assorted food vendors. Local artists and art vendors will line the streets as well, making for a truly carnival-esque experience for all of those in attendance. If you needed anything else to drive home this family-friendly laid back vibe, I’d say that the Pickle Eating contest does so perfectly.

Tune in on Friday from 5-7pm. I’ll speak with Jedidiah about the origins of the Cooke Street Carnival, some of his anticipated highlights, and where the festival can go from here. Throughout the show we’ll also have live performances and interviews from Prypyat, Napoleon Wright II, and Hammer No More The Fingers!

For more information on Cooke Street Carnival you can check out their website

Categories
Weekly Charts

Top Ten Afterhours Albums for 10/14

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

2  MACHINEDRUM    ”Vapor City”    (Ninja Tune)

3  SLOW MAGIC    "Triangle"    (LebensStrasse)

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

5 IKONIKA    ”Aerotropolis”    (Hyperdub)

6 Dameron    ”Bronx Showdown”    (Self-Release)    

7 HERMITUDE    ”HyperParadise”    (Elefant Traks)

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

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

10  ULTRAISTA    ”Ultraista: Remixes”    (Temporary Residence)

 

Categories
New Album Review

New Daytime Music

Love Inks //  Generation Club

Love Inks is driven by the dark and dreamy vocals of Sherry Leblanc. On top of that, the addition of catchy beats makes “Generation Club” an album that is very promising and full of potential.

 

Luray // The Wilder

Heavy in the banjo/folk roots with a bit of country twang, Luray puts herself up there with likes of a lots of female folk groups. Full of talent and potential, The Wilder is overall an impressive album

 

Gambles // Trust

This album has a slower folky feel to it, which I really dig. Matthew Daniel Siskin is very personal on this album and is able to captivate listeners through his beautiful vocals and lyrics.

 

Teen Daze // Glacier

Not sure why Teen Daze limits their vocals so much, but the track below is the only track on the album with words. The rest is simply calming and relaxing synths. The album is very hypnotizing, but I feel like Teen Daze has a lot more potential then they think.

 

Garage Voice // Amenin

Somehow combining garage rock with gospel music, Garage Voice is able to create a very unique sound of their own. With a fuzzy bass and church organs, Amenin is quite a different, but good album

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Tune in to win tickets to Mountain Oasis Festival!

WKNC is happy to announce that we have a pair of tickets to give away for this year’s Mountain Oasis Festival in Asheville, NC. The 3 day festival features over 50 artists including Nine Inch Nails, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Neutral Milk Hotel, Animal Collective, and many more. It is a celebration of contemporary electronic music and the creative use of technology and it will be hosting live music talks, seminars and panels by artists, interactive experiences for audiences, and many other events. For more details, visit www.mountainoasisfestival.com.

Stay tuned all week long for your chance to win! Just be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it to be entered into a drawing to win the pair of passes. The winner of the passes will be announced on October 20th.

 

Categories
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

Categories
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!