Category: Blog

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Giveaways for the week of 8/5 – 8/11

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.

Thursday, August 8 – Clockwork Kids with Revolutionary Sweethearts and No Eyes @ Kings

Thursday, August 8 – Landing with Alpha Cop @ Pinhook

Friday, August 9 – El-P and Killer Mike with Kool A.D. @ Cats*

Friday, August 9 – Blanko Basnet with Speedy Ortiz and Organos @ Pinhook*

Saturday, August 10 – New Town Drunks record release with Crystal Bright and The Silver Hands, and Beloved Binge @ Pinhook

Categories
Band/Artist Profile Local Music

August’s Local Artist of the Month: The Love Language

The Love Language

When you discuss Raleigh music or even North Carolina in general, it is impossible to avoid The Love Language.  They have become a staple of Raleigh music.  Now that they have continued to receive national attention from the likes of Pitchfork and Paste Magazine, they are representing Raleigh to the rest of the world, and they can’t offer a better representation of us.

The Love Language started as the bedroom recording project of Stuart McLamb after a rough breakup and being kicked out of his previous band, The Capulets.  The pop-smart songwriter and multi-instrumentalist set out to make music as a therapeutic excursion in 2008.  The demos made their way around and eventually ended up in the hands of The Rosebuds who invited him along to help kick off their Life Like tour.  Like that, The Love Language became a full-fledged band.

In March 2009, they released their self-titled debut to rave reviews.  They began to grow as their live shows became more renowned with performances at SXSW and Monolith Festival in addition to supporting tours for Cursive and The Rural Alberta Advantage.  Following these highly praised performances, The Love Language was signed to Merge Records.  Their second album Libraries was released in July of 2010 on Merge to even more widespread acclaim.

It has now been three years since The Love Language’s last release and despite its positive reception; those years have not been easy.  With a rotating cast of band members and an on again off again touring schedule, people began to wonder what would happen to The Love Language, but McLamb proved on his latest effort, Ruby Red, that The Love Language is still alive and kicking

Over the past 3 years, Stuart has been carefully crafting the songs for his third album, Ruby Red.  He again teamed up with BJ Burton for what turned into a long road to perfection.   Although the band has still maintained its infectious breed of emotionally-fueled pop, its latest effort is much more sonically experimental as it explores much larger spaces.  This time around they enlisted over 20 other musicians to fully flesh out the songs and fill every corner, and it shines through on this record.  Each song seems meticulously thought out and very carefully put together.  With the release of this new record and a string of strong tour dates ahead, The Love Language boldly state that they are here to stay.
Ruby Red
http://www.thelovelanguage.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thelovelanguage

 
You can check out their new music video for the song “Calm Down” featuring some WKNC DJs over at Pitchfork.TV.

 
Check out The Love Language’s upcoming tour dates here:
Aug 27 Nashville, TN – Stone Fox
Aug 28 St. Louis, MO – Firebird
Aug 29 Chicago, IL – Schuba’s
Aug 30 St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
Aug 31 Kansas City, MO — Czar Bar w/ Schwervon
Sep 01 Omaha, NE — O’Leaver’s
Sep 02 Denver, CO – Hi Dive
Sep 03 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
Sep 04 Boise, ID Neurolux ^
Sep 05 Portland, OR – MusicFest NW
Sep 06 Eugene, OR – Cozmic Pizza %
Sep 08 Seattle, WA – Neumos %
Sep 10 San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw w/ Bleeding Rainbow
Sep 11 Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Bar
Sep 12 San Diego, CA — Soda Bar ^
Sep 13 Scottsdale, AZ – Pub Rock w/ Soft Metals
Sep 14 Tucson, AZ — Club Congress
Sep 16 Austin, TX – Mohawk – Inside ^
Sep 17 Dallas, TX – Club Dada
Sep 18 Houston, TX – Mango’s
Sep 19 New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
Sep 20 Atlanta, GA — Masquerade w/ Man Man
# w/ Eternal Summers
* w/ The Critters
% w/ The Dodos
^ w/ On An On

Categories
Weekly Charts

Top 10 Afterhours Albums for 7/29

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

2 HERMITUDE    "HyperParadise"    (Elefant Traks)

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

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

5  MAJOR LAZER    ”Free The Universe”    (Secretly Canadian)

6 GAUDI    ”In Between Times”    (Six Degrees)

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

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

9 JON HOPKINS    ”Immunity”    (Domino)

10 CONGO NATTY    "Jungle Revolution"    (Big Dada)

Categories
New Album Review

New Music Monday — July 29, 2013

Happy Music Monday!
Check out our new music suggestions and tune in to 88.1 this week to hear the best in daytime rock!

Matias Aguayo “The Visitor”

Very strange and yet compelling house electro that takes on tropical and latin influences. Some songs are a lil too repetitive and annoying but nevertheless the album’s pretty decent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzBMF3sV–g

About Group “Between the Walls”

Soulful melancholia and just weeeird weird electronic blues-inspired songs all made by Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip. Definitely sounds NOTHING like Hot Chip (except the vocals), so don’t expect that.

Smith Westerns “Soft Will”

This is a total pop jammer that you can’t resist. Very summery and Girls-sounding. A much more mature album from a band that everyone thought would quickly burn out. Still got the 1970s glam rock on lock though.

The Multiple Cat “The Return of the Multiple Cat”

If you can think of the MOST Indie music sound that exists out there, it would be from this guy. Very cutesy indie pop from a dude who started Daytrotter. RIYL Belle and Sebastian and all those sweet voiced bands of the older( truer) indie day.s

Beach Day “Trip Trap Attack”

This band is basically a copy of the Shangri-Las (but not as good) but obviously in a more garage-pop setting. Its pretty good if you like going to beach.

Pacific UV “After the Dream You Are Awake”

Dreamy pop that is pretty generic but is very listenable and accessible.

Eleanor Friedberger “Personal Record”

An album chock full of lighthearted indie-pop. It is jam packed with clever wordplay and fleeting emotions.

Future Bible Heroes “Partygoing”

Think electronica-meets-disco. Songs include dance floor anthems and super-sad ballads.

OS Mutantes “Fool Metal Jack”

Their last album was a badass, Brazilian psychedelic mind-fuck. This one isn’t nearly as good but the best tracks are both gorgeous and cheerfully feisty.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Giveaways for the Week of 7/29 – 8/4

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.

Tuesday, July 30 – The Psychadelic Furs with Spacehog @ Cat’s Cradle

Wednesday, July 31 – Pink Flag with Wojcik, Eros and The Eschaton @ The Pinhook

Thursday, August 1 – Crystal Bowersox with Liz Longley @ Cat’s Cradle

Friday, August 2 – Estrangers with Onward Soldiers and Museum Mouth @ The Pinhook

Saturday, August 3 – Once and Future Kings record release with Wichita Falls and AK-87 @ Kings Barcade

Saturday, August 3 – Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers @ NCMA

Sunday, August 4 – The Melvins with Honky @ Cat’s Cradle

Categories
Concert Review

Show Review: Kurt Vile and The Violators with Swirlies

DJ e-baby recaps his experience below at the Kurt Vile show at Cat’s Cradle:

One could really tell the kids were home for summer. The crowd appeared more refined than one would expect. The Swirlies, an old school band formed in the 90’s, started the show.

They played with much gusto but little uniformity. The band members seemed to be on a different page including the small female vocalist who could barley handle her guitar. I have never been a fan of Mumford and Sons until they used it to cover up the sounds of the Swirlies leaving. I went to the bar and waited with the crowd for Kurt to emerge.

Kurt Vile took the stage and the air was palpable. Kurt was a vision in long dirty hair and torn jeans. He commanded attention. Kurt’s raspy coos and extended lo-fi riffs picked the crowd up after the Swirlies’ disappointing performance. Kurt and his band played a long show, pausing between ten-minute songs to pound Red Bull and mumble mysteriously into the mic. The show felt like a slow motion summer ride. It was sad when it finally winded down. Kurt ended things with “Baby’s Arms,” transfixing the crowd and stepping away into the night.

~ebaby

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Local Spotlight: The North Carolina Music Love Army

In solidarity with the Moral Monday peaceful protest movement, a new alliance,
The North Carolina Music Love Army, has emerged.  Comprised of many notable North Carolina-based musicians, the NCMLA was founded in late June of 2013 by artists Caitlin Cary (of Raleigh) and Jon Lindsay (of Charlotte). The two have assembled an all-star roster to create a recording compilation of original protest songs contributed by its members, with a forthcoming large-scale concert announcement to follow. The organization describes themselves as a united force composed of musicians set to battle against the regressive legislation of the current administration. All proceeds from NCMLA activity will go to the NAACP, Progress NC, and Planned Parenthood.

The following notable artists already have committed to the project: Stu Mclamb/The Love Language, Django Haskins/The Old Ceremony, Eddie Walker, BJ Barham/American Aquarium, Birds and Arrows, and many more.

For interviews, appearances, resource donation, further information, or to be involved contact: NCMusicLoveArmy@gmail.com, or Caitlin Cary: 919-389-9760

You can also follow the action on Facebook, Twitter, & Tumblr

 

Categories
Weekly Charts

Top 10 Afterhours Albums for 7/22

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

2  MAJOR LAZER    ”Free The Universe”    (Secretly Canadian)

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

4 PALENKE SOULTRIBE    ”Mar”    (Self-Released)

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

6  THOMAS BLONDET AND SECOND SKY    ”The Remixes”

7 GAUDI    ”In Between Times”    (Six Degrees)

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

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

10 JON HOPKINS    ”Immunity”    (Domino)

Categories
Weekly Charts

Top 10 Afterhours Albums for 7/15

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

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


3  MAJOR LAZER    ”Free The Universe”    (Secretly Canadian)

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

5 LETHERETTE    ”Letherette”    (Ninja Tune)

6 GAUDI    ”In Between Times”    (Six Degrees)

7  THOMAS BLONDET AND SECOND SKY    ”The Remixes”

8 PALENKE SOULTRIBE    "Mar"    (Self-Released)

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

10 JON HOPKINS    ”Immunity”    (Domino)

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT121 College of Sciences 7/9/13

Fastmed urgent care has many locations around North Carolina. Not only do they provide medical care, but they also run a program to keep our state’s athletes out of the hospital in the summer. Deondre’ has more on Fastmed and there Keep Cooler program.

N.C. State is ushering in a whole new college to unify our sciences. This college is bringing forth a plethora of new opportunities for our students and the public. Here is my interview with Dean Solomon of the new College of Sciences.

Our last story highlights an up and coming lawyer turned comedian who will be performing in Raleigh, Thursday night. Alex Barnett is also a contestant on the comedy world series with an interesting story to tell. Deondre’ has more.

Listen to episode 121.