Category: Blog

Categories
New Album Review

“The Age of Adz” deviates from norm

88.1 WKNC’s Pick of the Week 10/28
By WKNC DJ Margot

Sufjan Stevens has been silent for the last five years. His last album, Illinoise, was released early in the summer of 2005 and consisted of his usual, brilliantly haunting pop that is anything but normal.

The Age of Adz, released in early October of this year, follows a different path for Stevens. Instead of the orchestral arrangements we have come to know and love from his older albums, Age of Adz is brimming with electronic sounds and synthesizers.

For many Stevens followers, such as myself, this album instilled shock and anger. Stevens already took the originality that we loved and threw it to the ground. Everything has changed.

Stevens is no longer following his quest to create an album for each of the 50 states. Shocked fans discovered that the states mission was only an advertising scheme.

Listening to the new album, there is hardly a hint of Stevens’s famous banjo. This news hurts.

But, by giving The Age of Adz a chance and a good listen, fans are able to see Stevens as the artist he represents. He is no longer a one-sound musician, but a genuine talent who has more to offer the world.

For those who have not experienced any music by Stevens, this is the time. Stevens covers a full spectrum of sound. The Age of Adz gives listeners a taste of the future for music.

Brass instruments mixed with electronic, constant beeps followed by trills and Stevens’s known harmonies alongside auto-tuned tracks – this combination of sounds, both old and new, shows the expanse and brilliance of the artist that is Sufjan Stevens.

For fans who are like me, take a deep breath, plug-in and listen to The Age of Adz with an open mind. Stevens is still there, under all of that new sound. We first fell in love with him for his originality. Now we can fall in love with him all over again.

Instead of following Stevens through the past and present of Michigan and Illinoise, let him guide you into the future with The Age of Adz.

We expected great things and he followed through with something greater than we could have imagined.

If you are still looking for the old Stevens, listen to the first track, “Futile Devices,” which falls closely in line with Stevens’s 2004 album, Seven Swans. The best example of his combination of sounds is, “I Want to Be Well,” which is featured toward the end of the album.

With Stevens, nothing can go wrong.

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week is published every Friday in the print edition of Technician, as well as online at technicianonline.com and wknc.org.

Categories
New Album Review

Blind Guardian sails to the edge of time

88.1 WKNC’s Pick of the Week 10/22
By Jonathan Newman, WKNC Chainsaw Music Director

How does one define epic? I believe, in my humble opinion, that if you were to look up the word epic in the dictionary you would see a picture of Blind Guardian’s latest magnum opus, At The Edge of Time.

This album is pure magic. From the opening strings and orchestra, to the closing guitar riff, this album is absolutely flawless. All of the songs on the album are based off of fantasy stories, and it really shines through in the lyrics.

The opening song, “Sacred Worlds,” was originally in the video game Sacred 2, where you had to find the band’s instruments in a quest. They extended the song with a full orchestra intro and outro, adding more depth and character to the song. This song immediately sets the tone for the whole album and gives you an idea for what you have in store.

The next song on the album that really shines is “Tanelorn (Into The Void),” based off the series of books Eternal Champion. The song is fast, having more speed metal akin to their earlier work. The guitars drive you forward, leading you to a catchy chorus you can’t help but sing along to.

One of my personal favorites, “Curse My Name,” is based off of John Milton’s novel, The Tenure of Kings and Magistrate, where a king is killed for not fulfilling his duties. It is an epic ballad where you will sing along to every word, and even raise your fist in the air, screaming the chorus at the top of your lungs. It is one of the best tracks on the album and quite possibly the best out of their entire 20 year discography, ranking second only to “The Bard’s Song (In The Forest)”, a crowd favorite.

Another stand out track, released as a single earlier this year, was “A Voice In The Dark.” This song is a combination of all things that makes Blind Guardian special. It is a fast, speed metal type song with a catchy chorus that cannot help but make you smile as you listen to it. Try as you might to resist, you will have trouble not singing along to the chorus every time it rolls around.

The last song to make mention of is “Wheel of Time,” based off of the Wheel of Time fantasy series written by Robert Jordan. This song is very much akin to the band’s last epic song, “And Then There Was Silence.” It is bombastic with its huge chorus where the lead vocalist, Hansi Kursch, vocals are layered upon each other.

It is a fantastic way to close an album, and one that will force you to play the CD again, and again.

All of the songs on here are beautiful and composed perfectly. The orchestra added to the songs con-tribute depth that one rarely finds in CDs these days.

This band has been together for over twenty years and have grown immensely; evolving from a speed metal band, to something that defies genres. I recommend this album for anyone who loves power metal, prog metal or even just music in general.

It is a fantastic album and one I think that will be very hard to top. I will be listening to this album until I reach the edge of time.

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week is published every Friday in the print edition of Technician, as well as online at technicianonline.com and wknc.org.

Categories
Concert Preview Local Music

2nd Thursday = Brewer Series at LBLB

Come to this week’s lblb/pound pound/## to catch Goodbye, Titan, Minor Stars, and Monsonia!

Lots of fun stuff to do this week thanks to WKNC and Tir Na nOg and New Raleigh. First of all there is the awesome line-up, second, there will be awesome delicious local beer. In particular Craggie Brewing Company from Asheville, NC will be there with THREE beers to choose from:

Burning Barrel- a bourbon chipotle porter

Antebellum Ale- an 1840s North Carolina beer recipe

Cask of the Battery Hill- an English style rye ale

Can’t wait to get my hands on all of these. There is a different brewery at the pub every month on the second Thursday so be sure to mark your calendars! Oh, and the music. Goodbye, Titan is always a great band to see live. I haven’t seen Minor Stars yet but they’ve gotten awesome reviews in the Independent and a lot of other places, so I’m absolutely excited for that one. And Monsonia I’ve heard once through the door at the Nightlight. We didn’t feel like paying to get in (so used to free shows at Tir Na nOg , I guess) so I stood outside to listen, and I can tell you right now that they kind of sound like Arcade Fire.

As always it starts at 10 p.m., 21 and up, and FREE. See you there, friends.

 

Categories
Concert Review

Papercuts Float Through Raleigh

This past Thursday served as the end of March (and, hopefully, the cold). It also served as the second show WKNC has presented at the still-pretty-newly-reopened Kings in downtown Raleigh (the first being this year’s Double Barrel Benefit).

UK-via-Italy act Banjo or Freakout opened the show with a set of airy songs not too far removed in style from Papercuts. Backed by a drummer and bassist/guitarist, main man Alessio Natalizia worked his way through a set of songs culled largely from his recently released, self-titled full-length debut. The first half of the set saw the trio playing songs full of interesting arrangements, with Natalizia’s echo-laden, airy vocals up front. Unfortunately, the remainder of the set saw the band work their way through a handful of interchangeable standard-indie-rock songs that lacked the charm of the first half. That said, it’ll be interesting to see where Natalizia takes Banjo or Freakout’s sound.

Jason Quever, the main force behind Papercuts, brought along a full band to flesh out his dreamy songs, reminiscent of a male-fronted Beach House meets The Clientele. Touring behind the release of new album Fading Brigade, one of the best releases of 2011 so far, Quever and his band brought the songs to life with the sort of laid-back energy found on the recordings. The small, but appreciative, crowd swayed along to the effortless grooves of songs like “Do What You Will” and “Chills,” cheering the band back out for a brief, but well-received, encore.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

We have Mumford & Sons tickets!

Live Nation will be presenting English folk-rock band and recent Grammy performers, Mumford & Sons to the Raleigh Ampitheatre for a June 8 performance. Tickets for Mumford & Sons at the Raleigh Ampitheatre go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. at LiveNation.com, but 88.1 has them now. When the WKNC deejay asks for it, be the correct caller at 919-860-0881 or 919-515-2400 and score a pair of tickets to the show!

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Giveaways are a lot like hot cakes…

They are delicious and they are going FAST! (only you don’t have to pay for them… )

This week at WKNC we have some amazing giveaways we are pretty excited about. We’ve also got something AMAZING coming next week, so stay tuned (literally). Or become our friend on facebook to find out NOW.

4/6 Black Lips @ Cat’s Cradle

Bronzed Chorus @ Pinhook

4/7 Destroyer @ Cat’s Cradle

Surf City @ Kings

Movie: Hanna @ Mission Valley Cinema

4/8 Fridays on the Lawn: Midtown Dickens and Butterflies @ Harris Field (Just kidding, you can’t win tickets… its FREE for everyone!)

 

4/9 Dr. Dog @ Cat’s Cradle

 

Rotting Christ (Chainsaw) @ Volume 11

4/13 The Greenhornes @ Kings

 

Remember, you have to listen to win!

Categories
Concert Preview Local Music

April 7 Local Beer Local Band

Welcome to April friends! To kick off the month, and hopefully the warmer weather, WKNC and Tir Na nOg are happy to bring you North Elementary and Organos! Music starts at 10 p.m., 21 and up, FREE, and it is the cool thing to do.

Both of these bands are local music favorites and I have not seen them enough.  I am also super excited because they are putting out a 7" Split together. Will this show be a preview of the awesomeness ahead? Guess you’ll have to show up to find out! Waiting to hear back to see if these two bands will talk to me LIVE ON AIR from 7-8 p.m. this Thursday.

ALSO there are very yummy burgers at the pub as well as yummy yummy beers.  Drink it upppp

 

I will see you at the pub.

Categories
Concert Preview

Hammer No More The Fingers To Play Area Record Stores

Durham trio Hammer No More The Fingers are set to release their new album, Black Shark, on April 5. To celebrate the release, the band will play three in-store shows at local record stores. The band will play at CD Alley in Chapel Hill at 3 p.m., Bull City Records in Durham at 5 p.m., and Schoolkids Records in Raleigh at 7 p.m. The shows are free, so get out and support some local music and businesses.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Local Beat Mini Exclusive: The Huguenots

The Huguenots have been getting airplay on WKNC for nearly four years now, but the group has yet to release anything official but some spare demos. That is until April 8, when the group is putting out their first LP. The Huguenots are known for the super poppy and upbeat music they seem to craft effortlessly and their enjoyable live shows, but finally, the band will release some tangible music. Founding member York Howie came in to represent the band and share a couple unheard tracks from the upcoming album. It had been awhile since I interviewed the Huguenots, so we caught up and took a look back at where it all began at UNC Asheville. York was a wonderful guest and gave us an insightful look into the recording of the album and told us how it all came together.

The Huguenots: Local Beat Mini Exclusive

You can catch the Huguenots at their album release show at the Local 506 on April 8 where they are playing with the Tomahawks. Tickets are $6

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Local Beat Mini Exclusive: A Rooster For The Masses

It has been quite some time since A Rooster for the Masses put out a new album, but the popular local group is doing just that on April 15 at Kings Barcade when they release their third and newest LP No One Is Ready. Still upbeat with a touch of disco and an air of reggae, ARFTM has certainly kept the same vibe with this record as their past discs, and that is a wonderful thing.  Founding member Adam Eckhardt and myself shared a brief 30 minute conversation where he reflected on the history of the band and its current state as well as the new album. We also listened to several new tracks including “No One Is Ready,” “Make Much Sense,” “At The Gates,” and “Die By Day.” Give it a listen below:

A Rooster For The Masses: Local Beat Mini Exclusive

The doors open at 9 p.m. and the show starts at 10 p.m. Greensboro-based Decoration Ghost and Raleigh favorites River City Ransom are also playing. Tickets are $6 online and $8 at the door.