Category: Blog

Categories
Local Music Music News and Interviews

September’s Local Artist of the Month: Loamlands

While Loamlands may be a name that is new to us, Kym Register and Will Hackney are seasoned veterans of the Triangle music scene. Kym and Will were half of Midtown Dickens, the post-folk quartet that stole the hearts of everyone in the Triangle and had even begun garnering national attention from the likes of NPR. Midtown Dickens began as a DIY duo between Kym and Catherine Edgerton. Soon it began to grow into much more as Will and Jonathan Henderson joined the line-up. Midtown Dickens released three full-lengths that spanned an impressive eight year career. But as 2012 came to a close, the quartet began to see themselves going in different directions. In February, Midtown Dickens announced their indefinite hiatus and Loamlands was born.

The new duo immediately set to work constructing their debut EP Some Kind of Light due out September 24th on Trekky Records. In July, the duo set to work to record the EP with Brad Cook from Megafaun on the bass and Kyle Keegan from Lost in the Trees behind the drums. These five songs pull from a lot of the great talent surrounding them in this musical hotspot, but when put together create something entirely new. This EP is a promising glimpse at what is in store for this experienced duo. Be sure to tune into The Local Beat on September 20th for our exclusive Local Artist of the Month interview and live performance from Loamlands.

Check out their upcoming tour dates:
September 7th, The Pour House Music Hall, Trekky Records & Team Clermont present DAY-DREAM: Hopscotch Day Party
September 20th, The Pinhook, Loamlands EP Release with Hiss Golden Messenger and Miles Cooper Seaton

Listen to our Loamlands interview.

Categories
Playlists

Playlist: A Guide to Hopscotch 2013

Hopscotch Music Festival is quickly approaching. If you haven’t had time to check out all of the bands yet, I have made a comprehensive Spotify playlist that includes a couple of songs from each of the Hopscotch artists that are currently on Spotify to help you out. Check out the playlist to help you decide which artists you absolutely must see at this year’s festival. As always, tune in to 88.1 WKNC Raleigh to hear these artists as well as other great artists all day. We’ll see you there!!!!!

Check out the playlist here!

Categories
Concert Preview

Oak City 7 Final Free Concert of the Season this Thursday, August 29

Oak City 7, Downtown Raleigh’s free concert series at City Plaza will be serving up their final installment of the summer this Thursday, August 29. Events take place from 5pm to 10:30pm on Thursdays, beginning the Thursday after Memorial Day and ending the Thursday before Labor Day.

The line-up will include Matt Phillips & The Philharmonic at 6:25pm, Catie King at 7:25pm, Rosco Bandana at 8:20pm, and Captain & The Keels at 9:15pm.

Some food trucks you can expect to see from 5:00pm – 10:30pm include The Humble Pig, Baguettaboutit, Sarge’s Chef on Wheels, Tarheel Creamery, Foster’s on the Fly, and Baton Rouge Cuisine.

Other onsite vendors that will be there from 5:00pm – 10:30pm include House of Swank, Bordeaux Lane Studios, The Record Swap, Carolina Railhawks, Safe Ride, and Carolina Hurricanes.

Categories
Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Day Party Highlight: ORIENTATION IN SPACE IV

On Thursday, September 5th, the first day of Hopscotch, Raleigh’s Diggup Tapes, Asheville’s Apothecary, and Greensboro’s Bitheart Studios are taking over King’s and Neptune’s for a blowout featuring acts pulled from all corners of North Carolina. The schedule is as follows:

 

KINGS BARCADE:

Moss of Aura (4:30 pm)

Oulipo (3:30 pm)

The Bronzed Chorus (2:30 pm)

Zack Mexico (1:00 pm)

 

Neptune’s Parlor:

Casual Curious (6:00 pm)

Savage Knights (5:00 pm)

Alligator Indian (4:00 pm)

Heralding (3:00 pm)

 

The event is free thanks to Lone Rider Beer, whose locally-crafted microbrews will be on tap, and Nice Price Books. For more information, you can check out the event page here.

 

Categories
Weekly Charts

Top Ten Afterhours Albums for 8/27

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

2 RUXPIN    ”This Time We All Go Together”    (n5MD)

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

4  HECTIC ZENITHS    ”Hectic Zeniths”    (Self-Released)

5 HERMITUDE    ”HyperParadise”    (Elefant Traks)

6 MODERAT    ”II”    (Mute)

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

8 BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS    ”Legend Remixed”    (Tuff Gong-UME-Island)

9 PALENKE SOULTRIBE    ”Mar”    (Self-Released)

10 Dameron    "Bronx Showdown"    (Self-Release)

Categories
Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Day Party Highlight: Rock N’ Roll Pizza Party

Wakin on a Pretty DazeWKNC is sponsoring Rock N’ Roll Pizza Party, a Hopscotch Music Festival Day Party presented by Naked Gods that promises to be one of the best of this year’s festival.   The day party will take place from noon to 5 pm at Slim’s Downtown on Thursday, September 5th.  This day party features some of the best local acts as well as free pizza from Mellow Mushroom.  The schedule is as follows:

12:00 – Gray Young
Raleigh’s Gray Young creates huge driving instrumental rock. His breed of anthemic rock rivals that of some of the best post rock bands on the scene.   His crescendos and grandiose builds fill every corner of the venue as he fully immerses the entire crowd into his world.

1:00 – The Critters
This Asheville quartet delivers their infectious breed of psych pop-rock with an imperfect perfection that will be sure to have you dancing along.

2:00 – Invisible Hand
Born in Charlottesville, VA this creative band combines acid rock with power pop guitar hooks.  Their newest effort Lies, Lies, Lies is an impressive album that is due out soon.

3:00 – Naked Gods
Psychedelic pop rockers from Boone leave every audience instant fans of their band. Their perfected, high energy performance is always a worthwhile sight to see. They promise a stellar set including some new additions from their as of yet untitled album that they are currently working on.

4:00 – Lonnie Walker
Raleigh’s Lonnie Walker has been a WKNC favorite since their release of These Old Times in 2009.  Their intelligent breed of indie rock with a hint of post country embodies the city of Raleigh for me.  The fast-paced nature of the songs and the energy of their live performance will round out this day party perfectly.

https://www.facebook.com/events/560384460691582/?ref=2

Categories
Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Must-See: WOOL

“Like cries from a wolf at night, on acid.”

This is a personal artist spotlight on WOOL by Toast for Hopscotch.

While I find WOOL’s sound a little less animalistic than their proclamation, there is none the less a good case of the swampy-womps riddling their music. Headed by local fella, Troy Brian Hancock, this band came on the scene in 2011 and in January of 2012 released their latest album, “Bulletin Air” and apparently another on the way in the spring. Bright guitars by Zack Oden really launch the experience, backed by bassist/keyboardist Johnny Hobbs and drummer Raymond Finn. The album has a definitively optimistic but not too sunny sound, like moseying around with no real place to be on the first day of fall. It’s sway side to side, bob your head stuff, perfect for an easy night out without all the fuss and jump you may find at other shows. You may actually get through the set without someone spilling a beverage on or near you, which in my mind, is a feat in itself.

Favorite Track: “Bulletin Air” on Bulletin Air

Berkeley Cafe, Friday September 6th, 9PM

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT123 Wolfpack Welcome Week 8/20/13

New and archive stories about Packapalooza and Wolfpack Welcome Week.

Listen to episode 123.

Categories
Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Must-See: Swearin’

This is a personal artist spotlight on Swearin’ by Alternate Reality.

If I’m being completely honest, Swearin’ is the band that I am most excited about seeing at Hopscotch mostly because I’m going to unleash the pop-punk inside of me that hasn’t been around since I was in 8th grade listening to bands that wish they were as good as Swearin’.

It’s no surprise that their most recent self titled album is so excellent. Allison Crutchfield, the co-founder of the band along with her bandmate Kyle Gilbride, was a part of a 90s pop-punk band PS Elliot with her twin sister Katie Crutchfield, also known as Waxahatchee. This band was a cult favorite however they disbanded in 2011 and this allowed both sisters to pursue their own projects.

Swearin’ has the same punk sensibilities as PS Elliot with a lot more fuzz and excellent guitar hooks that make moshing and head banging almost irresistible. Between these fast paced punk songs, Allison and Kyle slow and sad lo-fi songs that fit perfectly with the pace of the album. In general, this album brings all the best nostalgia of pop-punk in the early 2000s but revitalizes and rethinks punk in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re back in 2003. It allows for seriousness and fun, making this album come together perfectly.

 

Favorite Track: “Here to Hear” on Swearin’ 

Playing: Friday, September 6 at 10:30 at The Pour House Music Hall.

 

Categories
Concert Preview

Kings Barcade will celebrate 3rd anniversary of new locationwith “blowout weekend”!

The “new” version of Kings opened on Aug. 28, 2010 at 14 W. martin St after a nearly three year absence following the demise of the original Kings building.  In honor of the 3rd anniversary of the opening, a very special weekend of shows has been planned for Fri 8/23, Sat 8/24 & Sun 8/25

The Friday lineup of Birds of Avalon, The Lollipops and Tonk is a fantastic representation of the diversity and strength of local bands that Kings has always been supportive of and been proud to have play our room.  The show includes two bands that contain three of the four Kings owners (Birds and Tonk). Unfortunately, Polvo is not playing live at the present time or all of the owners could have taken a turn on the stage.  Having not played Kings since November of 2011, Kings is excited to welcome the return of Birds of Avalon who are working on their 4th LP and will be joined by ex Love Language and Toddler Missy Thangs. Amazingly, in addition to her role as Birds’ guitarist, Cheetie Kumar has recently opened Garland – the restaurant (currently just a take out window) that is underneath Kings.

Tonk, who include a wealth or Raleigh’s best musical talent, are set to release their debut record of authentic sounding country tunes in the Fall.  The Lollipops, Raleigh’s up and coming popsters, are also working on their debut release. Their two minute pop anthems are extremely engaging!

The Saturday night linup features the Olympic Ass Kicking Team reprising their amazing performance as ELO at last year’s Great Cover Up along with the fantastic Wusses.  Each year during Kings annual benefit bash, the Great Cover up, there tends to be one or two bands that deliver an unforgettable set and OAKT was said band in 2012.  If you missed them last year for the incredible (and difficult) performance of ELO hits, then you have another chance!  Sharing the bill with them are Chapel Hill’s soft rock heroes, The Wusses.  The Wusses also got their start via the Great Cover Up at the old Kings doing amazing sets as the Little River Band and Three Dog Night before adding more like minded band’s songs into an amazing set of 70’s smooth standards!

Sunday night will move away from our local talent and feature Alex Bleeker and the Freaks.  Real Estate band members enjoy putting out solo records and playing on each other’s albums.  R.E. Bassist Alex Bleeker is no exception. His new record’s collection of “freaks” includes members of Woods, Big Trouble, Real Estate (of course) and Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso & Mountain Man among others.  His songs have a way of veering into Grateful Dead jammy territory yet retaining a pop song format.  We think that he’ll provide a great conclusion to the weekend.   Matt Northrup will open the show.
Kings is proud to have returned to Raleigh’s music community in 2010 and been able to continue to bring an array of bands and artists to the capital city.  Looking back through the acts who have graced the Kings stage these first three years will reveal a diverse and interesting lineup of national and international acts.  We were honestly surprised at the number and variety.  For reference we have attached them here in alphabetical order.  Booking started with the owners, but the addition of Michael Perros as “Duke of Booking” has increased the overall number and diversity of national touring acts while still having plenty local shows to help nurture our very vibrant music community.