WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student Radio
This is the Noobhammer, and I bring you a gift from the universe! It is my interview with the Scumdog who lives in Antarctica. I am of course talking about the one and only Oderus Urungus of GWAR! Listen to us talk about bloody pits, Doctor Who, and whores.
-Noobhammer
So Monotonix played at Kings last Thursday. I had no idea what to expect. I’ve heard that it is a good show and that they are “crazy” but man oh man… my buddies did a horrible job preparing me.
I was sad to leave the battles at Tir Na nOg (we had Shards, RBT, Squall and Thieves) but I could hear Kings beckoning me so I finally departed. Kings was packed. I grabbed a beer and stood in the middle of the floor, a good spot to watch the band play on stage. But they didn’t play on stage. Monotonix clears a space on the ground and begins. I can’t see a thing and move to sit on the bar where I finally get a look at the insanity.
PBR cans (most with PLENTY of beer left in them) are flying everywhere. The band is crowdsurfing, the audience is crowdsurfing. There is beer in my hair and I’m amazed watching Monotonix literally play ON TOP OF the crowd. A few held up one band member and a few people held up his drum to play. (Did I mention that they are hardly wearing clothes?) I get scared as the band moves in my direction.. the bar. I have to scoot over so they can set up right next to me and a roommate. I’m a bit close for comfort but I was not about to give up my sweet spot. The singer grabs a dollar out of the tip jar, puts it somewhere…. unmentionable… and then throws the dollar down. The band seriously played everywhere but on stage.
(picture from when they played at the old Kings… I didn’t have my camera this night… glad I didn’t. Who knows what Monotonix would do to it if they got a hold of it???)
Thanks Monotonix. I had a great time.
In assistance with New Raleigh, this week WKNC and Tir Na nOg are proud to present The Big Picture, Gray Young, and Fan Mondine.
Remember all those promises I made to you the first week of the new year? Such as “more emphasis on beer”? Well we are kicking off the Brewer Series. The brewer series is a way that we can focus on the great craft beer that is created in North Carolina. On the second Thursday of each month a NC brewery is going to release a limited series or their seasonal draft. We are also working to feature other local businesses within our community. This month’s feature: Fullsteam Brewery’s Raleigh release of First Frost featuring hand-picked NC persimmons plus confections from South Durham Confection Company that will complement the brews. As always, this is a FREE SHOW!! 21+
The Big Picture
One of the newer local bands, The Big Picture is absolutely a band to be reckoned with! The band “Started up about two years ago between the Tunnell brothers (Johnny and Joah) The Big Picture remained completely unknown until [around May 2010]. Adding some new members to the band, Heather Tunnell, Nick Radford (Annuals), Leah Gibson (Lost in the Trees), and Alec Ferrell.” – DJ Caid
Gray Young
“Raleigh’s Gray Young (who, for the record, use vocals, but in a largely textural way) makes its anthems say a lot in very little time, and such careful editing and composition amps the intensity.” -The Independent
Fan Modine
Their myspace page says that their music sounds like “a train leaving a station." I like these guys.
Can’t wait for Thursday. I’m going to drink yummy First Frost and chow down on delicious savory biscuits from South Durham Confection Company and devour a $5 cheeseburger from the pub. I get mine medium rare with all vegetables possible, including carrots, and goat cheese. Thanks New Raleigh, Fullsteam, and Tir Na nOg! See you soon!
**No interview this Thursday due to a Women’s Basketball game. GO PACK!
1. Among the biggest news of the week included The White Stripes finally calling it quits. The band released an official statement on their website discussing that they will not be recording any new material, or planning any future tours. The content they have yet to be released will be distributed on Third Man Records, Jack White’s record label. (via whitestripes.com)
2. Hot Chip’s lead singer Alexis Taylor has announced details on the second album of his side project. The side project, which is named About Group, will release their sophomore album called Start and Complete in April. (via NME)
3. Death From Above 1979 have unveiled new information about the band’s reunion. After surprising information came out that the duo would be playing several festivals in the near future, drummer Sebastian Grainger has expanded upon the reasons for the reunion. He stated, “Jesse and I have decided that what we can do together should not be denied. Together again, as was always the intention, as a collaboration. The collision of two different worlds.” (via deathfromabove1979.com)
4. The Ravonettes have lifted the veil about their new album. Their follow-up to 2009’s In and Out of Control is titled Raven in the Grave, and will also get an early April release. (via ClashMusic)
5. The cast of Glee has recorded a mash-up between the king of pop himself Michael Jackson, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The mash-up between tracks Thriller and Heads Will Roll will be aired first after the Super Bowl on Sunday February 6. (via NME)
This Saturday, Feb. 5 marks another glazed filled, four mile run for the charity event benefiting the NC Children’s Hospital. The Krispy Kreme Challenge will host 7,500 runners this year, some of which will feature our very own WKNC deejays. In order to get pumped for the event, we’ve posted below a few of our playlists for the run.
1. The Black Keys – 10 a.m. Automatic
2. Generationals – Faces in the Dark
3. I Was Totally Destroying It – Done Waiting
4. Kate Nash – Kiss That Grrrl
5. M. Ward – Never Had Nobody Like You
6. Rilo Kiley – Portions for Foxes
7. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way
8. Weezer – Ruling Me
9. Shout Out Louds – Fall Hard
1. Smith Westerns – Weekend
2. If These Trees Could Talk – What’s In the Ground Belongs to You
3. Kanye West – Get Em High (Ratatat Remix)
4. The Luyas – Too Beautiful To Work
5. The Light Pines – Bird Tribe
6. Washed Out – You and I
7. Kisses – Midnight Lover
8. Y La Bamba – November
9. King Mez & Commissioner Gordon – The Light
10. Future Islands – Walking Through That Door
Agent “Glazed and Confused” Orange:
1. Japandroids – Wet Hair
2. Digitalism – I Want I Want
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Y Control
4. Bloc Party – Flux
5. Queens of the Stone Age – Go With The Flow
1. Broken Social Scene – 7/4/ (Shoreline)
2. Minus the Bear – My Time
3. The Love Language – Heart to Tell
4. The Seatbelts – Tank!
5. Blink 182 – Feeling This
6. Mute Math – Chaos
7. Rancid – Red Hot Moon
8. Rise Against – Savior
9. The Temper Trap – Science of Fear
10. +44 – No It Isn’t
Hot Tamale:
1. Donnis – Gone
2. Joy Formidable – The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade
3. The Hood Internet – Two Weeks of Hip Hop (Dead Prez vs Grizzly Bear)
4. Sleigh Bells – Run The Heart
5. Drake – Best I Ever Had
6. The Who – Baba O’Riley
7. Girl Talk – Triple Double
8. The Killers – Mr. Brightside
9. Matt & Kim – Block After Block
10. Bloc Party – Ion Square
Riff Raff/Kate-tose-intolerant:
1.Outkast- Rosa Parks
2.Best Coast – Bratty B
3.Best Coast – Crazy For You
4.Best Coast – Summer Mood
5.The Beatles – Golden Slumbers
6.The Beatles – Carry That Weight
7.The Beatles – The End
homestretch:
8. Bassnectar- BBC Mixtape 2010
9. Paper Tiger- The Bully Plank
10. Blue Sky Black Death – Days Are Years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3E-a_IJpsw
In a press statement mentioned on the band’s website, Meg and Jack White will not be recording any future material nor will they be performing live. Part of the statement said, “The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.” Songs that have been already recorded will be released at future dates on Third Man Records. Included in the statement was a personal message directed towards fans describes, “The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. They expanded with, "The White Stripes belongs to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to.”
Seattle’s Che Blaq has brought a new innovative sound to the genre of R&B by combining the sounds of electro-pop, hip-hop, and vintage soul. What makes Che stand out amongst other upcoming R&B artists is his smooth, yet soulful and powerful voice, catchy and fresh melodies and edgy production.
Che’s debut album “Fearless” will be arriving in stores soon and promises to be filled with songs written, produced and arranged primarily by himself.
Aside from his solo endeavors, Che is one half of R&B duo, The ARq, along with Jay Dot, who recently released their second album “Untouchable 2.0”. He is also the CEO of HouseHold Entertainment/Island Hills Publishing.
To find out more about Che, visit facebook, twitter,myspace and Ourstage. Check out “Real RnB Radio’s” exclusive Q&A with the talented singer/songwriter and listen to some of his music below.
Q: How would you describe your sound?
A: Electro-pop-soul. It’s a complex mixture of ambient undertones, heavy rhythmic patterns, and bright synths. Really emotional epic stuff.
Q: Who are your primary musical influences?
A: Sade, Sting, Seal, Daft Punk, Placebo, Donny Hathaway… I don’t really have a traditional ear for music. I try to keep an open palette.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish through your music?
A: I want to give a voice to the so called “different”. The people that don’t really fit in. The ones that seem to always get picked last. We all have a story…
Q: What’s been the highlight of your career thus far?
A: Being able to create something that the world has given so much love to. Doing what you love to do for a living is truly a blessing.
Q: If you weren’t singing, what would be be doing?
A: I’d probably be a wrestling promoter…lol. I’m such a fan!
Q: Guilty Pleasures?
A: Krusteaz DIY chocolate chip cookies, anything Batman, and scary movies.
Q: Fave TV show/cartoon?
A: Fringe, Law & Order SVU, Spongebob, and Kid vs. Kat
Q: Celebrity crush?
A: Eva Mendes and Rosario Dawson…lol
Q: Biggest Pet Peeve?
A: Being late.
Q: Anything you’d like to add about yourself in two or less sentences?
A: If you see me online, scream at me. I’m a pretty easy going guy.
Look out for Fearless later this year.
Time for a metal show. There is nothing like cold weather and metal music. Don’t know why, but the mix is amazing. WKNC and Tir Na nOg are proud to present a loud night at the pub featuring Shards, RBT, Squall, and Thieves. The bands will be battling each other for metal glory. Don’t expect a set order… multiple bands will be on stage at once. Scream from those you love the most.
Don’t forget! $5 cheeseburgers at the pub and all local brews on special. 21 and up, FREE, and starts at 10 p.m.
See you there!
We have a few giveaways for this first week of February:
You can see Monotonix at King’s in Raleigh on Feb. 3. This Israeli garage rock band on Drag City Records has toured in the past with Dinosaur Jr. and Silver Jews.
Deerhoof is playing at King’s in downtown Raleigh on Feb. 6. They have been noted as influencing bands like Sleigh Bells, Dirty Projectors, Of Montreal, St. Vincent, and Sufjan Stevens.
If you’re a metal head, you could win tickets to Bull City Metal Fest featuring Caltrop, US Christmas, Colossus, In The Year of the Pig, and much more. This two day event will be at Casbah in Durham on the fourth and fifth of February.
If you’re looking for some more great shows, be sure to check out the rock report, and pay close attention to Double Barrel Benefit 8 this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5 at King’s.
Remember, you have to listen to win!
If one were to compile a canon of influential independent artists that have truly shaped the genre, Yo La Tengo would certainly have a spot on the list. At least that’s what I’ve been told. The New Jersey trio began their debut over twenty-five years ago. Now that’s something to contend with. I wasn’t even born. Sunday night marked the second night performance for the band at Cats Cradle and although it didn’t officially sell out (like the previous night), I still encountered parking issues and a crowded venue. I’d never seen Yo La Tengo perform, but I had spun their tracks modestly over the air in the past and was somewhat familiar with their discography. Needless to say, I had a lot of expectations.
My first surprise for the evening was the crowd itself. As someone who’s use to seeing Cats packed with a rowdy youthful bunch for shows of the likes of Caribou or Of Montreal, Tengo’s turnout was a lot more, well, experienced. Not that I’m complaining, but it certainly did speak to the years of influence and fan base the band has acquired. My second surprise of the night was right after frontman Ira Kaplan, drummer and wife of Ira, Gerogia Hubley, and bassist James McNew took the stage. A large game show wheel was carted to the front. Its pie slices were outfitted personally to fit song choices to be played by the band that night. A few selections included songs by their associated acts, Dump and the Condo Fucks. Another pie slice featured songs with people’s names in them. The band finally chose an overly eager man in the front row who convinced us he had been waiting at Cats all week for the show. His spin lasted a few moments before stopping on the choice for songs that started with the letter ’S’.
DJ Chuck also attended the show and commented that “Yo La Tengo have been around so long, and their catalog is so vast, that it’s hard to know every song of theirs. They did close out the set with a couple I did know however, those songs being the fan-favorite Sugarcube and Sudden Organ." He continued on to say, ” after a half-hour break, the band came back on for their second, wheel-less set. Running through a barage of songs that ranged from quiet and pretty to loud and full of feedback, the band closed the set with a 20-plus minute song that started out quiet and gradually built it’s way up to a noisy climax, with guitarist Ira Kaplan swinging his guitar around like a madman, inducing all kinds of feedback.“
The band came back out for a short encore consisting of Autumn Sweater, their cover of Daniel Johnston’s Speeding Motorcycle, and another cover which Chuck nor I didn’t catch the name of, but was a quiet, acoustic number.
I was pleasantly happy that Yo La Tengo pulled tracks from their most recent album release from September 2009, Popular Songs. It’s a great album which features the bluesy sexual rock and roll of Here To Fall, beautiful folk with More Stars Than There Are In Heaven and nostalgic instrumental with The Fireside. Yo La Tengo’s show proved to be just as versatile where their age was showing- in a good way. The trio seems to have adapted to the trends of music over the years, but they have never let it label or define them. Their performance had me on Sunday, (Ellos me tengan), and I think I can finally appreciate their role within this eclectic music genre.