Music-makers have been hard at work putting out new music, and I”ve been hard at work listening to it.
Here are some highlights from this month:
Tears For the Dying
Based in Athens, Georgia, Tears for the Dying produces music in the vein of deathrock, post-punk and dark punk.
With a corpse-cold sound and the richly plaintive vocals of Adria Stembridge at their disposal, Tears For the Dying puts out consistent bangers.
The band’s latest release, “Heterochromia,” is straight up arctic.
Cover for “Heterochromia” by Tears for the Dying
Compared to other releases, the band’s deathrock style appears restrained, creating a vacuous and frigid atmosphere. The song’s lyrics only compound this effect.
I’ll rip you apart from everything you love
Slithering from beneath black waters
The rotting carcass splits and sprouts
Fertile ground of rot and death
Efflorescence of drifting mist
Tears for the Dying, “Heterochromia”
What is the driving force behind such tortured and melancholic lyrics?
Adria Stembridge, frontwoman and founder of the band, draws inspiration from her experience growing up trans and autistic in the American south.
Subjugation, alienation and victimization — and the inner darkness stemming from these influences — contribute to the band’s vivid sound.
While this isn’t my favorite song by the band (that award belongs to “Go Die” from their 2021 album “Epitaph“), it’s a solid track.
Their sound ranges from nostalgic and idyllic shoegaze to vigorous post-hardcore, and I look forward to seeing them when they make their way to Cat’s Cradle next month.
Cover for “Fortress” by Modern Color
Modern Color’s newest single, “Fortress,” definitely embodies more of the band’s emo and shoegaze sound. It’s a warm and summery track with more upbeat energy than some of the band’s other releases, such as “Pale.”
I definitely prefer the band’s earlier music, especially their 2020 album “From The Leaves of Your Garden,” and hope they continue to experiment with the post-hardcore aspect of their style.
Buzz Kull
Buzz Kull is the musical project of Sydney-based artist Marc Dwyer.
I’ve played Buzz Kull on air several times before. His sprawling darkwave and EBM beats are transfixing.
Cover for “A Place (That’s Meant To Be)” by Buzz Kull
There’s an attractive bluntness to his work, a gothic apathy that commands focus to a more emotional and complex synth and drum machine arrangement.
Buzz Kull’s most recent single, “A Place (That’s Meant To Be),” is strongly electronic. Highly danceable, this EBM track is both fast-moving and languid, with staccato beats overlaid by ringing tones of brass.
It’s the kind of music you can lose yourself in on the dancefloor, best enjoyed amid the smoke-scented bustle of the goth club.
Bunker Punks' release "Screaming Death" album art.
Hello. It’s another week of me exploring the local Raleigh music business, and it has been brought to my attention there’s a label here doing great things with local punk and hardcore bands, Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes.
They were founded in 2018 and have just a few releases under their belt, but with the music they’ve helped get out into the world so far, I’d say they have a lot of promise. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find too much about their business and founders except that they’re friends (according to Discogs).
The Music:
In terms of releases and artists, they’ve got some notable and exciting bands working with them. For example, Scarecrow, a Charlotte native band that I talked about in a previous article about local hardcore bands, is signed on with Bunker Punks.
Bunker Punks released a split album, “Screaming Death”, two weeks ago on October 6. Scarecrow has four new killer tracks, one of which, “Sixth Mass Extinction”, absolutely scrambles my brain everytime I listen to it. It’s got a lot of chaotic energy and anger coming out from all the ways you could wish.
Another band that has a release on Bunker Punks is Bloody Flag. Their only release is a self-titled EP with sounds like slicing the head off an enemy and… (I don’t think I can finish this thought without it getting too graphic). I am very excited to hear more from this band, as this album rips. My favorite track of theirs right now is “Sabbatic Goat Devotion“.
Vittna has a 7” self titled EP also released through Bunker Punks. They are another Raleigh hardcore punk band I’d love to see more from. This EP was released in 2018 during the first year of Bunker Punks existence. Favorite track of this release is “Mundane Genocide“.
While Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes is young, they have already scouted much amazing local talent, and hopefully they’ll continue to grow and keep fostering the sounds they have going. Looking into these record companies’ histories has been a fun way to connect with the culture of the surrounding area. Also, it’s a great way to discover local sounds you might not know exist.
Dig through the trash of the past to find local delights!
I don’t often talk about it, but jazz is vitally important to me. While my affinity for other genres is often transient and ever-changing, my love of jazz remains constant.
Jazz feels like home to me. It’s pure jubilation and pure comfort.
Produced by jazz artist Christian Scott, “Ruler Rebel” pays homage to Scott’s native New Orleans.
Cover for “Diaspora” by Christian Scott
The multifaceted, deeply contemplative and tactile album presents a “re-evaluation of the social political realities of the world through sound.”
The album itself is relatively short as jazz albums go, with its eight tracks adding up to around 35 minutes.
Though a quick listen, the album is unignorable in its impact. An expert craftsman, Scott weaves the ebullience of hip-hop into the jazz tapestry to establish an accessible narrative voice.
Stretch Music
Christian Scott dons many hats — a jazz trumpeter, a producer, a composer, a multi-instrumentalist — in his pursuit of musical innovation.
A staunch experimentalist, Scott’s shirks the confinement of the “jazz” label in favor of something more elastic: stretch music.
Cover for “Stretch Music” by Christian Scott
Stretch music pays respect to jazz traditions while also exploring the fusion of the genre with other stylistic frameworks. While also the name of Scott’s 2015 album, the term expands to encapsulate his novel approach to music.
In “Ruler Rebel,” the marriage of jazz and hip-hop stands as a prime example of this. The music is distinctly jazz, but the warmth of its hip-hop slant cultivates a menagerie of vibrant moods and tones.
Final Thoughts
“Ruler Rebel” strikes listeners right between the ribs.
The album’s opening track, “Ruler Rebel,” is a magnificent vehicle for the butter-smoothness of Scott’s trumpeteering, which stands out amid a dreamlike chorus of musical conversation.
The song is both vibrant and agonizing, beautiful like shards of glass. It’s remix is even more striking (and is one of my all-time favorite songs).
Cover for “Ruler Rebel [X. aTunde Adjuah Remix]” by Christian Scott
Another track on the album, “Rise Again [Allmos Remix],” has a strong hip-hop influence with its rhythmic backing beat.
“Phases” introduces female vocals provided by rising vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles, creating a sense of wispy ephemerality.
As a whole, the album represents a multitude of voices. Unflinchingly unpretentious, “Ruler Rebel” presents itself in steadfast allegiance with the common person and in opposition to musical classism.
My excitement is immeasurable, and it’s all because I get to see one of my favorite bands of this year next week. Screaming Females will be in Durham on October 27 playing at Motorco Music Hall. They’ll be joined by Lip Critic as the opener.
Screaming Females hails from New Brunswick, NJ and they’ve been releasing music since their first album, “Baby Teeth“, in 2006. I think I started seriously listening to this band two years ago when I was making a funky, crunchy DJ set, and I haven’t been able to get enough of their sounds since.
Earlier this year, Screaming Females released their newest album “Desire Pathway”, which I have enjoyed so much over the past few months. The album’s well produced and now contains some of my favorite tracks they’ve made.
It opens with “Brass Bell“, a magnetic track featuring the lead singer’s, Marissa Paternoster, amazing voice and some of their most addictive guitar sounds from Paternoster as well.
Lately I’ve been listening to “Let Me Into Your Heart” on constant loop. It starts a little slower, but pucks up the pace, transforming into a rock n’ roll giant wall of sound.
I don’t know too much about Lip Critic, but their EP, “Kill Lip Critic“, is noisy and will be a perfect thing to get hot and sweaty to. The opening track destructs and builds momentum beautifully.
While y’all can probably see I’m brimming with excitement her, that doesn’t mean you can’t be too. As of writing this, there are tickets available to purchase for the show in Durham, which is only the first stop of a long Fall tour.
Welcome one, welcome all to my glorious writings about North Carolina’s State Fair. I will regale thee with tales of scrumptious foods, boisterous bands and even look longingly at puppy treats.
Lil’ History:
Here’s a teeny bit of the purpose of North Carolina’s State Fair:
“…the State Fair has become a traditional fall-time event that aims to educate all North Carolinians about the importance of agriculture to our heritage and our economy”
Not only does it educate us about the state’s agricultural history, but it promotes community involvement with it too. With many interactive exhibits like watching livestock prize shows, learning about the agri-business throughout the years in history exhibits and witnessing prize crops being showcased, any fair-goer can experience the amount of wealthy pride exuding from contestants and farmers alike.
What’s a WKNC music blog writer supposed to enjoy about agriculture? Well, local food and business influence the ways people think, especially budding and current local musicians. In a far-fetched way that somehow connects in my mind, I can see the way local bands are influenced by their surroundings.
Look at Wednesday and Indigo de Souza, two of the biggest North Carolinian names in music (we’re going to forget about DaBaby), but both arose with unique sounds and flavors originating from NC’s country, modern, hippie town of Asheville thanks to the special culture brewed there.
Back to the State Fair:
There is tons to do there. The State Fair’s got everything set up for ten whole days of running from nine in the morning until eleven or twelve at night every single day. The daily schedule shifts and flows from day-to-day and going one day would result in a different experience compared to the next.
Food:
So, let us set the scene: it was a glorious Friday afternoon, the second day of the fair, and as it was around lunch time, I decided the first thing I must do is find sustenance. It’s not easy to find food at the fair. No, sorry, let me rephrase that, it’s not easy to choose which of the hundreds of in-your-face smells to let fill your tummy.
I walked around a ton before landing at my first meal, andI saw beautiful smiling faces captivated by comfort foods shoved in a fryer, then on a stick, then into their mouths. Exorbitant amounts of food sailed around and around, passing through grills, hands, more hands, then mouths. It’s a beautiful scene of what we all happily share together, a need for delightful nourishment.
My first purchase of the day was an unmemorable country ham sandwich. Now usually, I go for vegetarian options wherever and whenever I can, but I had a strong urge to get a delightful salty piece of chewy meat down my gullet.
It was okay. The biscuit was crumbly and nothing more than a competent vehicle for the country ham to reach my mouth. The ham itself wasn’t even stereotypically salty. Tougher than horse hide, I had to chew too much to get small bites down my throat.
Up next was a true delight; a Fair food, no, a street food that has become internationally significant to many people, falafel. I went to the “Neomonde” stand to get my falafel pita wrap. These fried chickpea balls of golden, crispy goodness warmed my heart as it was paired with pickled red onions, a topping incomparable to pickles or relish on a burger or hotdog.
Falafel pita wrap from Neomonde. Photo and bite taken by author.
The only downside to this pita wrap was how surprisingly filling it was for me. I intended to eat a lot more food during my walk-abouts and general enjoyment of fellow fair goers, but my stomach was full so I did my best to digest…
Music:
…And listen to live music of course. During my stay of about five hours at the Fair, I was able to see two performances at the “Live and Local Music Stage”, which can be easily located on the map to the fairgrounds.
The first performance I saw was Teens in Trouble, a local Raleigh band full of folks living in the area. Their lead singer, Lizzie Killian, presented the very small audience with lovely vocals and lively atmosphere. I wish there were more folks around to enjoy the woozy, melodic vibes emanating from Teens in Trouble.
Teens in Trouble performing at NC State Fair. Photo by author.
They played one of Killian’s solo tracks, “I Wonder What You’re Doing Now” off their EP released last year. It’s a sweet, acoustic track that is perfect for the Fall. Teens in Trouble has a new release coming out early next year that we can all look forward to.
After Teens in Trouble, was Christian James, a Raleigh native who appeared on WKNC’s “The Lounge”, which is a great way to see recorded performances of artists that come into our radio station to give us a taste of their sounds.
On the stage at the Fair, James performed “Junie B. Jones” and a few of his other tracks that I unfortunately didn’t get the names of. I really enjoyed James’ energy they provided on stage. With a limited number of people in the audience, he brought smiles to the few who were enjoying the show, including myself. They were a very charismatic group of characters on the stage and it was fun to watch the show unfold.
Home Chef Competition:
It was quite toasty sitting out there in the sunlight, drinking up all I could of the wonderful live music, but I needed to escape the heat, so I walked right next door to the Got to Be NC Pavillion to enjoy some shade. There were tons of local vendors selling everything from popped rice biscuits to local water. Everything had to do with food here, and I felt like I was in heaven.
A talented chef from Asheville was on a large stage in the center of the arena making a delicious smelling meal of pulled pork and coleslaw to a few lucky volunteers. I stayed and watched for a bit, but my attention was dragged away by the illustrious Home Chef Competition happening just in the entryway of the arena.
On the day I was there, the competition was based on doggie birthday cakes. What I witnessed had to have been the most lavish puppy treats and creations I’ve ever seen. One contestant presented the judges with a charcuterie board of homemade dog treats including a pet friendly martini, fresh strawberries, cucumbers and assorted doggie baked goods. Even the judges were drooling over it.
Another contestant submitted a cartoonish looking burger the size of a bowling ball meant for one or two lucky pets to enjoy. I’m not even sure a dog the size of Cujo could have eaten that thing in one sitting.
Walkin’ ‘Round Again:
I got my fill rather suddenly of doggie desserts when my stomach started to rumble again. It was time to eat more food. Immediately outside the arena I found myself hankering for something sweet. I stumbled upon Tropical Delights, a fruit smoothie stand, which appeased my needs very efficiently. The well proportioned plastic cup held so much sugary sweetness in just the perfect amount to be devoured during another walk-about.
Volcano Fruit Smoothie from Tropical Delights. Photo by author.
This time, on my adventure into the chaotic masses, throngs of people had made their way to the fairgrounds and were trampling over the burning asphalt.
With my drink in hand I walked through smelly live animal exhibits featuring beautiful looking swine, cattle and peafowls taking up residence in cages; I traipsed into the beautiful gardens influenced by local fauna at the “Flower & Garden Show”; my feet took me past hundreds of screaming children wanting to get another go at the rickety rides I wouldn’t condemn anyone to spend a single minute on.
Bonsai tree competitor at the “Flower & Garden Show”. Photo by author.
There is no end of adventuring at the State Fair. There is no emptying the pool of wealth to be had there. There is no limit of excitement that can be obtained there.
And of course I’ve left out quite a number of things I experienced here. I had no more room to make this blog post into a readable and coherent experience for the people soaking up these words instead of experiencing the fair for themselves.
If you’ve never been to the North Carolina State Fair, then I recommend you take a chance and find yourself some time to visit, eat, and learn, or something along those cheesy lines.
Enjoy your meals, even if you spend $50 on 4 things at a fair…
October is proving to be a great month for live shows.
In the aftermath of midterms week, I’ve been keeping an eye out for the local musical happenings. The latter half of this month promises an awesome assortment of live shows, some of which I may attend myself.
Among them is an upcoming performance by Xiu Xiu on October 19 at Kings.
What is Xiu Xiu?
Named after the 1998 Chinese drama film “Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl“, Xiu Xiu is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart.
Xiu Xiu band member Jamie Stewart in Aarhus Denmark 2017, uploaded by Hreinn Gudlaugsson, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
The band’s sound is esoteric and bleak, unspooling into sprawls of distortion. There’s a heavy air of pessimism and melancholy throughout, though with a more industrial (think Throbbing Gristle) than gothic slant.
Xiu Xiu hit the airwaves in 2002 with the release of “Knife Play,” an 11-track album of experimental desolation.
Stewart’s vocals are consistently plaintive, his lyrics blunt and sobering. The instrumental arrangement oscillates between rhythmically restrained — receding into the background amid simple drum beats — and wholly unleashed.
Jamie Stewart de Xiu Xiu, Adventures in Modern Music 2004, uploaded by Seth Tisue, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0
Xiu Xiu’s second album, the 2003 release “A Promise,” also contributed to the band’s acclaim.
Produced in the aftermath of the death of Stewart’s father, “A Promise” can be interpreted as a depiction of personal despair.
Xiu Xiu went on to release 11 more studio albums as well as three cover albums, two compilations and two EPs.
Their most recent release, the 2023 album “Ignore Grief,” will likely feature in their upcoming performance.
While I haven’t had the chance to peruse the entire album, what I’ve listened to thus far has been nothing short of chilling.
There’s a dark, borderline obsessive cynicism in this album; an ice-cold horror slant that rings perfect for the bittersweetness of October.
