Category: Blog

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Music News and Interviews

SO MANY GIVEAWAYS!!

This week at WKNC, it’s a veritable giveaway-a-palooza:

Barenaked Ladies w/Ben Kweller @ Raleigh Amphitheater on 7/31

Phoenix @ The Koka Booth Amphitheater on 6/11

Passion Pit @ The Fillmore in Charlotte on 6/11

Martha Ann Motel @ Slim’s on 6/11

The Light Pines @ Pour House on 6/11

Dirty Dozen Brass Band @ Cat’s Cradle on 6/12

Max Indian @ Pour House on 6/12

We’re also still giving away passes to Robin Hood, Sex and the City 2, and Killers at Crossroads 20,

as well as The Karate Kid advance screening at North Hills 14 Thursday night at 7 p.m.

Keep Listening to WKNC, and ya might just win something!!!!!

Categories
Music News and Interviews

DJ Ones interviews Free Energy

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/11882542[/vimeo]

Last Tuesday, June 1, I sat down with the guys from Free Energy who had fought their way through the terrible weather and traffic to make it to our studios on NC State campus to talk with us about a wide variety of topics. We discussed the process behind creating their debut album Stuck on Nothing, the role of LCD Soundsystem’s great James Murphy, their work with music videos, their current tour, and their plans for the future. If you missed on the live version of the interview you can listen to it in its entirety below!

Free Energy interview

Categories
Concert Review

Why I Love Bluegrass: Del McCoury Band

I received the privilege of attending a traditional bluegrass show last night.  I watched the Del McCoury Band perform at Lincoln Theatre Friday, June 4. This show reminded of why I enjoy bluegrass:

  • The way all of the men in the band dress. The coat and tie get me every time.

  • Each musician looks like he is completely enjoying himself.

  • Each instrument gets a solo—in every song!

  • Simple lyrics get the point across (yep, you’re in love… okay, you’re sad… oh, you’re drunk…) and complex instrumentals make every song into a masterpiece.

  • The adoration of fans from every walk of life.  This show was full of older folks who had probably followed Del McCoury since the 60s,  Southern men in camouflage hats,  hip 20-somethings new to the scene, and of course, me (DJ Mollypop) and my bluegrass companion, Rob.

Del McCoury just celebrated 50 years of making music, starting out as a Pennsylvanian banjo player and making it to Nashville decades later with his music-making sons. Del and his band have earned numerous awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Called “the best bluegrass band, period” by fellow musicians, this show epitomizes why I love bluegrass.  They played older originals like “Rain and Snow,” even older bluegrass tunes, such as “Bluegrass Breakdown” and “Get on Your Knees and Pray,” and covered a few famous songs by artists like Willie Nelson and Slim Whitman. Del and his band played songs “Hello Lonely” and “I Remember You” off their new album, Family Circle.

McCoury senior kept up a lively banter with the audience, whether it be to admit that he forgot the lyrics, or to take shouted requests. He introduced the members like a proud father (or father figure): Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Rob McCoury on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle, and Alan Bartram on bass.  These boys were all significantly younger than him, but I think even they sometimes had a hard time keeping up with 71 year old Del McCoury.

Inspiring to any musician, Jason Carter worked with a broken string in the last song of their two-song encore; he quickly re-tuned his violin to make up for the lost E string and finished off the song with the rest of the band impeccably.

Maybe it’s the suits, maybe it’s the smiles, maybe it’s just the twang, but the multiple standing ovations the Del McCoury Band received Friday night proves their place in bluegrass.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

DJ Ones interviews Of Montreal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBfgQvM7wtE&feature=channel

On Wednesday, June 2, before their performance in Carborro (which you can read all about here), I, DJ Ones, got the chance to sit down with bassist Davey Pierce from Of Montreal. In addition to speak about Of Montreal’s process behind creating a record, Davey gave us the scoop about their 2010 release. Davey also talked about the planning that goes in to creating the elaborate performances the band are known for and more. If you were late to listening to the interview, below it is posted in its entirety.

Of Montreal interview

Categories
Music News and Interviews

DJ Ones’ Five Music Facts from the past week

1. Following a handful of terrible news, Interpol has announced that they have a new bassist in David Pajo. The band has also announced their upcoming album will be called Interpol and is set to release sometime in September. (via Pitchfork)

2. Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun has revealed that he hasn’t spoken to his bandmate Nick Littlemore since last February. But Steele isn’t put off by not seeing Littlemore saying, “Once it (the tour) starts it becomes the norm. You’ve got to keep the show on the road. This is rock ‘n’ roll.” (via NME)

3. Portland Mayor Sam Adams has, among other things, a portrait of Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock. The singer, who is standing in front of a boar, dressed in lederhosen, and holding a guitar, recently stopped by the mayor’s office to see the portrait that Alexander Rokoff created in person and answer a few question with the artist about it. (via Pitchfork)

4. MGMT has released rather specific details on their new audio recording at live shows. The band will have special sections at live shows where fans will be allowed to record the band and they will be prohibited to record anywhere outside of this reserved area. The band is still prohibiting video recording. (via NME)

5. Belle and Sebastian has announced their first tour in quite some time. The band is planning on a short tour with about nine dates in the U.S. in the fall. The band is also close to finishing off their next album saying they were in “final stages of recording the new album.” (via Spinner)

Categories
Concert Preview Local Music

Local Beer Local Band—June 10 Edition!

Get ready for it!  This Thursday, like each Thursday, WKNC and Tir na nOg Irish Pub bring you Local Beer Local Band night.  This Thursday we have Goodbye Titan, The White Cascade, and Starmount.  Hold the phone, this will be a good show!

As usual this show is FREE FREE FREE and there is an awesome selection of local beers which are all on special.  So special that this show, as are all LBLB shows, is 21 and up.  Sorry, kiddos.

You can expect some wonderful landscape music from Goodbye Titan.  The Independent would say that this band is good for “fans of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky.”  If that sounds like you, come on out!  If you wonder what that sounds like, you come on out too!

White Cascade is a trio of Matts—as in everyone is named Matt—and rock out with long, building, amazing tracks.

Starmount, as our DJ Caid put it, is “somewhere between country, ambient, experimental rock, and elevator music.”  All of these bands are mostly instrumental and tickle  your ears slowly and then build to strong  endings that leave with your eardrums completely rocked.

Don’t forget the local beers on tap.  Big Boss’s new brew Diablo was recently added to the Local Beer list!  Yum yum!  This will be  a very enjoyable show of homegrown bands and homegrown beers, so bring your friends!  WKNC will be there!

Coming soon!!!

> 6/17- Colossus, White Tiger, The Bed of Roses
> 6/24- Embarrassing Fruits, Whatever Brains, Yardwork

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Danzig Giveaway

Heavy metal band Danzig is coming to The Fillmore Charlotte on June 16 with Seventh Void.  Tickets are available at Livenation, and WKNC has a few pairs to give away as well.  Just be the correct caller when the WKNC DJ asks for it, and you could win tickets for you and a friend to rock out in Charlotte.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Phoenix is rising again…on WKNC giveaways!

Nous aimons Phoenix!  So, we’ve decided to make a few more tickets to their show at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre on June 11 available to win.  Just be the correct caller when the WKNC DJ asks for it, and you could win tickets for you and a friend to attend the show.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Still passionate for Passion Pit?

Well, if you are, WKNC has more tickets available for the Passion Pit show at The Fillmore Charlotte on June 11. Be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it between now and June 10th, and you could win tickets for you and a friend.

Categories
Concert Review

Of Montreal at it again

“Go with what you know”  can be a dangerous adage to follow when deciding what to spend your hard-earned money on in the ways of live music.  Seeing the same band, or the same types of bands, unwaveringly can make you bored, poorly-rounded, and generally not fun to be around.  Conversely, excessive experimentation and willy-nillyness in your show-going can lead to tired feet, confusion, and a real skinny wallet. Appropriate balance is key; of Montreal is your huckleberry.

Wednesday was the third time (for second time at the Cradle) I’ve seen the much-lauded Elephant Six troop from Athens. And, as always, they failed in every way possible to disappoint.

When you see of Montreal, you know you’re going to hear great music; you know you’re going to get a great live performance. What keeps you coming back, to quote my favorite political actor of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, are the “known unknowns.” The on-stage theatrics, the costume changes, the audience involvement: you know they’re all coming, you just don’t know how.

Kevin Barnes has a way about picking out great openers, too. (E.g., They tapped the now teen-infectious MGMT well before they worked their way into cute girls’ iPods and everyone else’s guilty conscience (don’t lie), as well as the oh-so-fabulous Sugar and Gold.) This time,the opener was the densely-populated (two divas, a bad-ass sax player, a helmet-wearing keys player, two exceedingly talented guitar players, and a drummer who somehow managed to keep up the rhythm) Noot d’Noot:

an Atlanta-based freak-funk hipswaying acid jazz group up to whom the crowd warmed quite well. Oh yeah, and a lead male vocalist (seen in the above with his hands in the air) who looked a whole lot like this guy:

Like I said, of Montreal failed miserably to disappoint. Alas, there was no coffin filled with shaving cream, no on-stage faux-hanging (both featured when I saw them last, in Durham), but there were plenty of gas mask-wearing bishops:
and, of course, the obligatory trash can-mounted feather blaster:

I’ll certainly see these guys (and gal) next time they pop up in the triangle.  It’s a safe way to spend your show-cash: you know what you’re gonna get, but there are sufficient “unknowns” to keep you coming back.

T.A.