PHUZZ PHEST NIGHT 1 HIGHLIGHTS
Mount Moriah, Ex-Cult, The Tills, Skullcollector, and Dark Prophet Tongueless Monk.
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Category: Blog
Written by DJ Cancel, host of the Arroz con Pollo show, which airs every Saturday from 5-6pm.
To begin, here is some background information. Calle 13 is composed of two artists both whom were born and raised in Puerto Rico. The main vocalist is Residente, born René Pérez Joglar, and Visitante, born Eduardo José Cabra Martinez, is the beat maker. Residente’s half-sister, Ileana Cabra Joglar, is also credited as a vocalist for the band. With a first album self-titled “Calle 13,” released in 2005, Calle 13 proved that fame does not come from main stream media. Calle 13 gained fame the old fashion way by making great music. Though songs like “Se vale to-to,” “¡Atrévete Te, Te!,” and singles like “Querido F.B.I” won the duo a main stream media ban for being excessively vulgar, it also brought them into the spotlight. This gave the audience a chance to really listen to the music. Since then, their music has built an impressive legacy with a documentary titled “Sin Mapa,” two Grammys, and 19 Latin Grammys, a record tied only by famous artist Juanes.
What does Calle 13 stand for? Political equality, keeping those in power in check, and giving power back to the people. What genre do they fit into? It depends on who you ask. Calle 13 calls it urban music. Most label it as hip hop, rock-rap, and even reggaeton. In all honesty, Calle 13 has created its very own genre. Their beats and flow change with every album they release; this brings me to their newest album.
Multi Viral, Calle 13’s fifth and newest album, is a masterpiece. It is an album that has been developing since the beginning of Calle 13’s career. Calle 13 had help from Tom Morello, Julian Assange, John Leguizamo, Silvio Rodríguez, and more in this album. The duo finally found a way to express their thoughts in an eloquent and beautiful way without the need of appealing to anything but what they stand for. Hints of this can be seen in previous albums with songs like “Pal Norte,” “Latinoamérica,” and “La Perla,” but Multi Viral truly has it all. It includes inspirational songs such as “El Aguante,” and “Respira el Momento,” focused on people’s individual power to persevere. It includes songs like, “Gato Que Avanza, Perro Que Ladra,” “MultiViral,” and “Adentro,” charged with social and political commentary about government surveillance, the greed of the wealthy, and much more.
Multi Viral is the greatest of all of Calle 13’s albums to date. Having followed their career myself, it is amazing to see how Calle 13 has matured and grown these past nine years. I recommend this album to everyone, no matter what language you speak. The beats, rhythm, and flow of the album will make you fall in love just as much, if not more, than the lyrics themselves. I will leave you with my favorite verse from the album translated into English from the song “Me Vieron Cruzar,” which means they saw me cross:
Pero estoy preparado para // But I am ready for
Los días salados // The salty days
Cualquiera que camine // Whoever walks
Se tiene que haber resbalado // Must have slipped
Cai con todo el peso // I fell with all my weight
Pero si es fuerte la caída más // But if the fall was strong
Impresionante será mi regreso // My return will be even more impressive
I’ll be honest; prior to the Phuzz Phest lineup announcement I knew nothing about Judy Barnes. I’m still unsure of her musical background, but I have come to accept the fact that it doesn’t matter. The songs that Phuzz Phest put up of Judy Barnes from soundcloud captivated me like no music has recently. Barnes is able to blend beautiful piano melodies with jaw dropping vocals to create a sound of her own. Being a native a Winston-Salem, I feel like Barnes will be one of the best up and coming local acts to go see. Barnes will be playing at Krankies on April 6th at 9:00 pm; and even though I have to make the trek back to Raleigh that night, she is making a strong case on why I should stick around in Winston just a little longer.
Phuzz Phest is a stellar festival for not only seeing North Carolina artists, but also getting a taste for the local Winston-Salem music scene. With attendees coming from all around the area and the state, Phuzz Phest is a great opportunity for some of these bands to perform.
The Sweets, a four-piece local group, are one of those bands with such an opportunity. Their blend of lo-fi psychedelic garage pop has been a real pleasure to listen to so far online, and I’m looking forward to seeing how their live act holds up.
The Sweets were formed in December of 2012 by Zach and Justin, two brothers from the home of Phuzz Phest, Winston-Salem. With the aid of two more members, Danner and another Justin, they’ve released a few EPs and a couple of split cassettes, and are currently working on releasing their first 7” record on their label, Bleeding Gold Records.
The Sweets will be performing at Krankie’s at 7PM on Sunday, April 6th.
This month’s Local Band Local Beer, presented by WKNC 88.1 FM, Younger Brother Productions, and Tir na nOg, will feature brews from Natty Greene’s Brewing Co.
Band Schedule
April 3 // Crowdsource, TheFacesBlur, Justin Cross
April 10 // Kenny Roby, Texoma, The Bourbons
April 17 // Bronzed Chorus, NO EYES, Goodbye, Titan
April 24 // David B. Dollar, The Vineyard, LIBRARIES
Ages 18 + // 9:30 pm // Free Show
Be sure to tune into WKNC 88.1 FM at 5pm every Thursday to hear an interview with the bands before their set!
I’ve told a lot of people about Nashville’s Diarrhea Planet. Most people shudder at the name, assuming they’re a shock-value powerviolence band. Others simply don’t want to pay any mind to a band not willing to take themselves seriously.
Take a chance on them, however, and you’ll find an act that takes their live show very seriously. The six-piece brings a kind of energy like no other, creating a sound and spirit frequently likened to Andrew W.K. if he was a bit sloppier. These guys have shared bills with the likes of Titus Andronicus and played Jay-Z’s Made In America Festival. They have an uncanny ability to unite a crowd in drunken unison in their anthemic hit “Ghost with a Boner.” They also have four guitarists.
Diarrhea Planet headline The Garage Sunday night at 11:40. You’re probably going to want to read up on some lyrics if you’re going to sing along, though.
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Merge 25 Festival
Merge Records invites you to North Carolina to help celebrate their 25th Anniversary at Merge 25, a music festival featuring Wye Oak, The Clientele, Destroyer, Caribou, Lambchop (performing Nixon), Neutral Milk Hotel, The Rock*A*Teens, Ex Hex, Bob Mould, The Mountain Goats, Superchunk, The Love Language and many more.
Tickets for the individual Merge 25 shows at the Cat’s Cradle & the outdoor party in Carrboro have already gone on sale Wednesday, March 26 at 11am EST — via the Cat’s Cradle website.
Full show line-ups & more information about other Merge 25 Festivities coming soon!
Wednesday, July 23 at Baldwin Auditorium
Lambchop performs Nixon with more Merge artists to be announced soon! – individual tickets available April 22 through Duke Performances
Thursday, July 24 at Cat’s Cradle
Superchunk, The Rock*A*Teens, The Clientele & more!
Friday, July 25 at Cat’s Cradle
Destroyer, Wye Oak, The Mountain Goats & more!
Saturday, July 26 Outdoor party in Carrboro, NC
Neutral Milk Hotel, Caribou, Bob Mould, Ex Hex, The Love Language & more!
There are a limited number of tickets available for the Thursday and Friday shows at the Cat’s Cradle, while a larger number are available for the outdoor show. Tickets to the Baldwin Auditorium show will go on sale Tuesday, April 22 through Duke Performances.
Categories
New Music
Burnt Ones // “Gift”
This album is full of fuzzy dreamy catchy and whatever other good vibe adjectives that you can possibly think of. Gift is sure to have a least one track on it that will appeal to any and all listeners out there.
Honeymilk // “Lean on the Sun”
Coming out of Stockholm, Honeymilk contains a solid indie rock feel with their whining guitars and fuzzy vocals. Kinda sound like YUCK…but with lots of good flavors.
PINS // “Girls Like Us”
Solid girl punk rock. Not too crazy, but still consisting of all female vocals and in your face guitar riffs. PINS is on the rise and rightfully so.
Mainland // “Shiner EP”
Although this EP only has a total of four tracks, it is quite the head turner. Full of catchy rock melodies, this New York band is full of passion and definitely pushing their way into the music scene of today.
Desert Noises // “27 Ways”
Absolutely fantastic group. Giving off a good foot stomping indie folk/rock feel, Desert Noises combines lots of tambourines and clapping to make their music simply infectious.
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WKNC 88.1 FM Charts: 4.1.14
Top 5 Adds:
1 MAC DEMARCO Salad Days Captured Tracks
2 WHITE HINTERLAND Baby Dead Oceans
3 CLOUD NOTHINGS Here And Nowhere Else Mom And Pop
4 BEATY HEART Mixed Feelings Nusic Sounds
5 ODONIS ODONIS Hard Boiled Soft Boiled BUZZ
Radio 200:
Rank Artist Recording Label User Supplied Version
1 TYCHO Awake Ghostly
2 PURE X Angel Fat Possum
3 NOTHING Guilty Of Everything Relapse
4 CASKET GIRLS True Love Kills The Fairy Tale Graveface
5 WAR ON DRUGS Lost In The Dream Secretly Canadian
6 TACOCAT NVM Hardly Art
7 FUTURE ISLANDS Singles 4AD
8 REAL ESTATE Atlas Domino
9 BLACK LIPS Underneath The Rainbow Vice
10 HABIBI Habibi Burger
11 DUM DUM GIRLS Too True SUB POP
12 ETERNAL SUMMERS The Drop Beneath Kanine
13 BEAR HANDS Distraction Cantora
14 GARDENS AND VILLA Dunes Secretly Canadian
15 OWLS Two Polyvinyl
16 MARISSA NADLER July Sacred Bones
17 LYLA FOY Mirrors The Sky SUB POP
18 MOGWAI Rave Tapes SUB POP
19 THE MEN Tomorrow’s Hits Sacred Bones
20 PERFECT PUSSY Say Yes To Love Captured Tracks
21 AGES AND AGES Divisionary Partisan
22 DESERT NOISES 27 Ways SQE
23 EAGULLS Eagulls Partisan
24 BURNT ONES Gift Castle Face
25 TEMPLES Sun Structures Fat Possum
26 SOLIDS Blame Confusion Fat Possum
27 KEVIN DREW Darlings Arts And Crafts
28 COATHANGERS Suck My Shirt Suicide Squeeze
29 AXXA/ABRAXAS Axxa/Abraxas Captured Tracks
30 UME Monuments Dangerbird
“Yeah, we love strokin’ it.”
After coming up to the band after their set at King’s Barcade for Zack Mexico’s Album Release Show to tell them I really liked the song with the upstroke part, that’s the comment I received. Essentially, this band is a bunch of bastards that make some great, sunny 60’s tunes.
What sets them apart from the pack is their ability to execute. Lead singer Harry Harrison has an impeccable belt and this real loose way of strumming chords (probably due to all that masturbation) that pairs well with lead guitarist’ Jesse Meyers deliberate style. Tom and Josh keep the feeling loose but the groove tight on the rhythm side of things. I saw The Tills again at Nice Price Books with Jenny Besetzt, and even though that band now has a machine of a drummer (the dude from The Bronzed Chorus), I remember thinking they held their own when it came to drummer awesomeness.
If you like Harlem, or the amazing new Harlem-derivative Las Rosas, this band will be very appealing. Catch ‘em 9pm Friday at Krankies Coffee during Phuzz Phest.