WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student Radio2/7/2012
For this week’s Eye on the Triangle, Will Allen interviews some members of Vote Against, a group campaigning against Proposition 1, up for vote this spring. Contributor Mark Herring has some thoughts on the always-controversial Charles Darwin as well as the war in Afghanistan. Deondre Jones has some thoughts about our fast paced way of life. As always, we’ve got one eye on the arts, weather, news, and current events around campus.
Tonight on The Local Beat we are introducing two bands who have just recently arrived to our airwaves. At 5 p.m. we are greeting Jeff Shields, who has a wonderful electronica solo act called Kleptonaut. Kleptonaut released its newest album, The Golden Age of Space Travel, in November 2011, and it is full of beautifully synthesized instrumentals and wonderfully produced special effects. Jeff is also quite a character with a great sense of humor so there is no doubt he will be an entertaining guest.
At 6 p.m. we are bringing on some old Local Beat guests under a new guise: Alpha Cop. Perhaps you have heard this new psychedelic indie math rock group on our airwaves for the past couple of weeks but now is your chance to meet them. A group of veteran musicians from very diverse backgounds, Alpha Cop blends psychedelic rock with progressive math vibes to create a wholly unique and interesting sound. We will be chatting about the band and their new EP This One’s For Luck.
As always, the fun starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.! Be sure to follow the Local Beat on Twitter or Facebook and download tons of free local music on our ReverbNation page!
Double Barrel Benefit 9 – WKNC’s 9th annual Double Barrel Benefit features two nights of music from local bands, and WKNC’s General Manager spoke with us to explain some of the details.
Occupy Raleigh Interview – In an interview with a local member of the movement to speak about the goals and future of the movement.
Brother Ross – A preacher who spends some time on the NC State campus has attracted some attention lately, and Jake has some thoughts on the controversial speaker.
Krispy Kreme Challenge – With the annual race coming up, we bring you the coverage from last year’s challenge, in addition to a live discussion with a real live K2C runner!
Poet’s Corner – Dave brings a segment featuring some poetry from a student right here at NC State.
Eye On the Arts – In this premier segment, new contributor Rebecca brings us a summary of what’s going on in the arts community around Raleigh.
Holidays of the Week – Did you know that every day of the year is a holiday? Dave explains what they are for the coming week.
Double Barrel Benefit 9 is coming up this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3 and 4, and oh my is it going to be something wonderful. Filled with an eclectic mix of local talent spanned across two nights, The Pour House is going to be housing one of the finest locally-grown lineups of the year, including The Kingsbury Manx, The Future Kings of Nowhere, Organos, MAKE and more. Night Two in particular boats some of the Triangle’s most exciting and swiftly rising bands, especially Gross Ghost.
Gross Ghost is a four-piece band based out of Chapel Hill with a mesmerizing sound. While the instrumentation is usually full of driving rhythms that are tinged with surf-punk vibes, the vocal melodies are infectious and perfectly contrast the fast-paced frenetic indie-punk soundscape. Gross Ghost took the state by storm last year with two incredible EP’s, Lip City and Wicked Game, leaving fans anxiously awaiting their upcoming LP Brer Rabbit, which is to be released early this year.
Gross Ghost’s Grip Tapes label mate Heads on Sticks will also be playing Double Barrel Benefit on Saturday night, along with Naked Gods and The Kingsbury Manx. Tickets for one night are $10 in advance while tickets for both nights are $15 in advance. Under 21 is subject to a $5 cover charge.
Alternative Service Break – One group of students will be spending their spring break a little differently this year, Mark has the story.
Too Black Too Fast – The African American Cultural Center is hosting a new exhibit of this title, focused on the history of the African American jockeys that made the sport of horseracing what it is today.
Libertarianism – One of our new contributors, Will, holds an in depth discussion with an economics professor at NC State about Libertarianism and Ron Paul.
Occupy Raleigh Viewpoint – Contributor Mark offers his thoughts on the future of the movement born in Zucati Park.
Joy Division‘s Unknown Pleasures has one of the most iconic album covers of all time, and throughout the years individuals of all merchandising types have been able to capitalize on Peter Saville’s design. However, with the release of the new Mickey Mouse shirt that takes inspiration from the iconic album cover, one can’t help but ask, “Why?”
Firstly, it’s easy to see why this is such a great idea. Working on the pure novelty of it, music nerds of all shapes and sizes might be brought into the idea of having the altered album cover on their chest. It’s subtle enough to show Mickey’s legendary profile yet still have the essence of that original cover. Combine the love of Joy Division with Mickey Mouse and it’s easy to see why one could fall for this in a heartbeat.
Indeed it might be the sheer impulse buy that Disney is seeking, however, from looking at such a limited market, production could be seen as incredibly confusing. The market necessary for Disney to see this as a worthwhile investment is incredibly limited. Your average Joe won’t be shelling out the money for such a silly purchase. This is also going on the assumption that people who like Joy Division are Disney shoppers or would be willing to pay for some Disney-based product. Personally I couldn’t see the two matching up in perfect harmony. That’s not to say it won’t work, but the odds that this thing is successful seems incredibly low. Like most things, it will be the dollar vote of the consumer that decides the ultimate failure or success of this perplexing item.
It hasn’t taken too long for the boys from England to start working on their next album. The follow-up to last year’s Pala has already begun, and the trio is looking for inspiration in different places.
Friendly Fires is channeling the atmosphere of Stanley Kubrick’s classic The Shining for their next album. In a recent interview with 6Music, guitarist Edd Gibson stated, “I think we are trying to force on an element of the film The Shining, or the book The Shining, as a cultured gentleman who reads and doesn’t just watch films… We’re trying to alienate ourselves into a world of music alone and see what we come up with.”
The group is changing their location to Sweden, where a log cabin will provide a setting all too familiar among the musicians. Although their time will be short-lived, as their stay will be under two weeks, the group is trying to make the most of their time in their frozen living quarters.
What could this all possibly mean for the group? They won’t be trying to pull off any Bon Iver tricks any time soon, and any attempts to do so will be interesting. Despite the implication of channeling The Shining I highly doubt their next release would be able to pull off a longer, slow-paced sound. Hopefully, the next album won’t leave us wanting to murder our families. Additionally, listening to it won’t be able to make us communicate with each other telepathically (unfortunately). If the band can develop the telepathy The Shining gives its name to, the band will be able to craft an album more refreshing than Pala and if lucky, one better than their debut as well.
Last Friday on the Local Beat Jeff Crawford from Arbor Ridge Studios dropped by to chat about his newest project: Hymns From The Gathering Church. The new LP features 12 traditional hymnals performed by members of the Gathering Church (where Crawford is Music Director) and many well known local musicians. Phil Cook (Megafaun, Phil Cook & His Feat), Heather McEntire (Mount Moriah, Bellafea), Seth Kauffman (Floating Action), Mandolin Orange, Skylar Gudasz, Ryan Gustafson, Brett Harris, Nick Jaeger (The Tomahawks), Mark Simonsen (The Old Ceremony), and James Wallace all made contributions to the album.
Jeff and I chatted about many things, including the album, The Gathering Church, and his role in the local music scene. You can listen to that conversation here:
The release show is this Friday evening, Jan 27, at the Carrboro Arts Center. Tickets are $10 and the show begins at 8pm.
With the success of the previous 8 Double Barrel Benefits, WKNC is broadening its emphasis on all things local. This year, DBB will include a day party and market Saturday, February 4 from NOON to 5 p.m. at Tir na nOg Irish Pub, just two doors down from The Pour House. The event is free and all ages!
Raffles will be held for WKNC merch, concert tickets, and VIP passes to Hopscotch 2012! There is also a fantastic list of Triangle charities, artists, and businesses important to WKNC. Check out the following artists
This week on The Local Beat we only have one guest to welcome. At 6 p.m. Jeff Crawford of Arbor Ridge Studios is coming on to chat about a new project. In addition to being active in over five dozen bands (only a slight exaggeration) and heading popular local recording studio Arbor Ridge Studios, Jeff is also the music director at The Gathering Church in Durham. The Gathering Church has been meeting since 2009 at Creekside Elementary School and has become well known for its worship services with Jeff’s musical talents taking stage. In 2010 the church released Christmas Nights: Music From The Gathering Church to great fanfare. Now, just a little over a year later, a new album is being released: Hymns From The Gathering Church. The album features a plethora of well-known local artists performing their takes on traditional Christian hymns. Phil Cook (Megafaun), Heather McEntire (Mount Moriah), Seth Kauffman (Floating Action), Mandolin Orange, Skylar Gudasz, Ryan Gustafson, Brett Harris, Nick Jaeger (The Tomahawks), Mark Simonsen (The Old Ceremony), and James Wallace all contributed to the record.
Join Jeff and I on The Local Beat as we take a listen and chat about this new album.
As always, the fun starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.! Be sure to follow the Local Beat on Twitter or Facebook and download tons of free local music on our ReverbNation page!