Category: Blog

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Miscellaneous

Local Favorites on NPR Music’s Best of 2010

It’s December, which means the Best of 2010 album lists are already coming out all around you. If you’re like me, this means going back through iTunes and Last.fm to see what was really listened to the most or has made that special impression on you since January. Being Local Music Director, I listen to much more local music than anything else and am finding that quite a few local albums have made their way into my list for this year.

The folks over at NPR Music have already put out their top 50 favorites of 2010 and the list includes most of the important albums released since January. I was excited to see North Carolina’s own Carolina Chocolate Drops on the list with their spring release “Genuine Negro Jig” alongside bands such as Arcade Fire, The National, and Sharon Van Etten.

Alongside the fifty chosen by NPR Music’s staff, music lovers everywhere are getting the chance to vote for their very own top albums of 2010. The results of the poll will be revealed during All Songs Considered on Dec. 14 and Carolina Chocolate Drops, Future Islands, and Lost In The Trees are all nominees. You can vote through the link below and listen on Dec. 14 for the results!


NPR Music: What Are Your Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2010.
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Music News and Interviews

It’s not about getting gifts… its about GIVEAWAYS.

‘tis the season!

WKNC is true to the holiday spirit– here are this week’s giveaways:

12/7: Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band @ Casbah

12/8: Buckshot Bluegrass Show @ Pour House

12/8: Jukebox the Ghost @ Casbah

12/9: Dance Revolution Party @ Lincoln Theatre

12/9 Stroke It Noel Night 1 @ Cat’s Cradle (2 night Big Star tribute show)

12/10: Stroke It Noel Night 2 @ Cat’s Cradle
12/11: Carolina Chocolate Drops @ Lincoln Theatre

12/11: Gene Ween (of WEEN) @ Cat’s Cradle

12/11: Kooley High @ Pour House
12/12: Relient K @ Cat’s Cradle

Remember, you have to listen to win!

Happy Holidays from WKNC!

Categories
Miscellaneous

WKNC “Dodges” the Competition

On Monday, Dec. 6, a team of WKNC  DJs competed in a dodgeball tournament put on by N.C. State’s Campus Rec.

This event began with pool play and then end in a single elimination tournament. DJs SarahNade, Mollypop, Shorty Shorts, Tommyboy, Major Tom and Bunch made the competition sweat.

The first round went to the opposing team, but WKNC came back strong in Round 2, tying with one player left on each team after two minutes. The Revolution kept improving by eliminating each of the opposing team’s players in under two minutes during Round 3, forcing a sudden death elimination with two players on each team. Tommyboy and Major Tom stepped up their game and headed the team, but sadly, we lost after a fierce curveball-to-lower abs-shot by Tommyboy.

Campus Rec will be holding different games and activities during the week to help students take some exam stress away.

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Music News and Interviews

DJ Ones Five Music Facts from the past week

1. Arcade Fire have been nominated for a Grammy for Album of the Year with their latest release “The Suburbs.” In response to the nomination member Win Butler stated, “We are very proud of the record we made and feel incredibly blessed that so many people have gotten it! For those of you who don’t understand how gambling works, if something is 100 to 1 odds and you put down 10 dollars, you win 1000 dollars… I’m just saying.” (via Stereogum)

2. Actor Michael Cera is now playing in the new Sub Pop band Mister Heavenly. The actor, known for his roles in Juno and Arrested Development is now the bass player for Mister Heavenly. However, this does not make him an official member of the band as indicated by a Sub Pop representative who said, “As of right now he is not an official member, just playing with the guys on this tour.” (via NME)

3. The Joy Formidable have given information about their debut full length. The album titled “The Big Roar” is due to be released in the UK on Jan. 24 and in the US a couple of months later on March 15. (via NME)

4. Bright Eyes is set to return with a new album titled “The People’s Key” on Feb. 15. This will be the band’s first since their 2007 release “Cassagada.” (via Pitchfork)

5. Wolf Parade are to go on indefinite hiatus. In a statement by singer Spencer Krug during their recent show in Toronto he announced, “This is the last show we’ll play for a long time.” The band has since said they will play just a few shows in 2011. (via Spinner)

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Concert Preview Local Music

Dec. 9 LBLB = Hardcore!!

WKNC and Tir Na nOg are presenting Double Negative, Devour, and Nine Fingered Thug this week for Local Band Local Beer Night. The show is FREE, 21 and up, and starts at 10 p.m.  DELICIOUS local beers are on tap, though for some reason listening to hardcore always makes me want to drink PBR.  I cannot explain this. Then I want to smash the can…

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Concert Review

Minus The Bear packs Lincoln Theatre

On Tuesday, Nov. 30, I had the privilege of going to see Minus The Bear at Lincoln Theatre.  I arrived late but still managed to catch the second half of their opener, Tim Kasher.

The feeling I got from a lot of people around me was that Tim Kasher’s performance was not as good as was expected.  It was a rather low energy performance; although, I thought the sound was good and the his supporting band played tightly.

Excitement for Minus The Bear was palpable.  As soon as their banner was raised at the back of the stage, people began screaming and stomping the floor.  It made the entire theatre seem to pump with energy.  Since the theatre was nearly full, this excitement quickly turned into wildness as a large guy in front of me jumped around and then right into my digital camera (hence the lack of photos for this blog).  It was worth it, though, and as the house lights dimmed and the stage lights went up there was an explosion of cheering.

The performance itself seemed short, but the band played for a little over an hour including the encore. Minus The Bear standards like “The Game Needed Me” were performed as well as some newer songs from their album “Omni.”  The guitarist put on a great show of bravado in the use of his pedal system, and the band as a whole really brought everything they had to the set.  I danced and even forgot for awhile that my camera was broken, but the fun had to end eventually and when it did, the entire crowd seemed to be exhausted.  It would have been nice to have seen a longer set, but I still had a great time and have gained a greater appreciation for Minus The Bear after seeing their live show.

Categories
Concert Review

Swell Kweller

Last night’s (Monday, November 29) Ben Kweller concert at the Cat’s Cradle was opened by Julia Nunes. She played most of her songs on a ukulele, but strummed her few chords so hard that it undermined the charm the instrument is supposed to have. She had the kind of vocal twangs that made “tonight” sound like “toe-night” and “right” like “wrought” – like a less pop/less active Kate Nash. Her music just isn’t my style. I failed to see the talent (which she called her self out on). Regardless, she had a large fan base in attendance of young girls and barely post-pubescent boys. People were really digging her. She talked a lot with an immature kind of humor, but did make me laugh a few times despite my disposition. My favorite song: a cover of “Build Me Up Buttercup.”

Ben Kweller…Ben Kweller is awesome. I made it out to this concert mainly out of nostalgia for how much I used to listen to him. He performed solo because as he said, “I just wanted to get out on the road without promoting a new album (of which he is in the process of finishing up), and play some oldies.” He laughed at “oldies,” and the crowd laughed with him. His performance was delightfully endearing.  He stopped in the middle of his first song (Commerce, TX) as he remembered he forgot to add an old friend to the guest list. He yelled the name into the microphone, and told the doorman to make sure this guy got in free (which he did, Ben saw him, there was a moment).  Ben also stopped talking in between songs when he saw his older son, Dorian.

He got Dorian up on stage, and let him walk around and lay by his feet as he played a heartwarming piano set (including Thirteen, In Other Words, Falling). I had a spot right at the stage, closest to the piano. My eyes may have welled up a little bit when he played “Thirteen.” It’s a beautiful song. He talked about how much he loves playing at Cat’s Cradle, and he mixed similar expressions into his lyrics a few times. He played crowd favorites, requests, and a few lesser-knowns.

Ben’s solo performance exposed his creative guitar play and position as a master pianist. The show was simple. One guy, playing one instrument at a time, could get pretty slow, but Ben pulled it off. Of all the shows I’ve been to at the Cradle, I have never heard/seen a crowd so quiet, attentive, respectful. Expect to see Ben Kweller back in North Carolina again soon after his new album drops. He’ll probably have a supporting crew, and it will be hella’ swell.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Best Coast, Coconut Records, and more Provide for Holiday Mix

Recently Anastassia brought to my attention that Target has released a free mixtape that includes a wide range of artists including a collaboration between Best Coast and Wavves, Coconut Records, Bishop Allen, Darker My Love, and more. The bands featured on the mixtape have recorded individual tracks, unique to the collection that Target has put on its website. The tracks are avaliable to download right here. To get an idea of the cheerful winter season vibes throughout, check out the Best Coast/Wavves track below.

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Concert Preview

The Pinhook’s Second Great Band Swap

This Thursday through Saturday, December 3-5, The Pinhook in Durham will be hosting The Great Band Swap—based on a 2007 concert.

The format: three nights, four local bands a night, and every artist must cover at least one song by one of the other three artists that night.

The Pinhook website (http://thepinhook.com/) provides the following line-ups and descriptions

Thursday, December 2 features the anthemic punk rock of Pink Flag, the soulful, old-school pop of Brett Harris, the classic-rock hooks of The Pneurotics, and the shambolic majesty of Dry Heathens. The WXDU deejay team.

Friday, December 3, local legend Billy Sugarfix leads the way with his whipsmart catalog of charming, confessional pop. Juan Huevos brings ebullient homemade hip-hop, and Durham duo Joy In Red squares off with Raleigh art-garage outfit Antibubbles. Deejay sets will be provided by WXYC.

Saturday, December 4 is the wildest bill, hitting most of the genre extremes in indie rock. Cassis Orange provides distilled electro-pop with a subtle Japanese edge. Mosadi Music is hard-edged, political hip-hop with searingly tight live instrumentation. HOG takes heavy-metal and stretches into psychedelic dirges and molten, fleet fingered hooks. And Embarrassing Fruitschannels the finest guitar rock of the past 20 years, mixed with lyrics about girls, partying, and small-town ennui. The WKNC crew will spin records.

As listed, after the performances local college radio stations WXDU (Duke University), WXYC (The University of North Carolina), and, of course, WKNC (North Carolina State University) will provide the music by deejaying.  I will be representing the station with my co-host and valiant General Manager of WKNC 88.1. It should prove to be a most interesting and entertaining local happening each night and overall, and may earn a status as an annual event.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Up and Coming: Adam Walton is looking for “Troubel”

That’s right, Troubel. I interviewed Adam a couple of weeks back, and if you missed out, here’s a little background information to fill you in. Adam has been creating music for the better part of his life, though is probably most well known for his participation in the group “Carolina Roadkill,” an eclectic assortment of instruments and amazing people that make folk fun. This summer Adam had the chance to develop his own tastes further through his new one man group, named Troubel, out in Boone. Using the mountains as his inspiration, an album was born, which is due to come out December 7. Full of banjo and guitar, happy yet powerful lyrics “The Mountains. The Broken.” is a side that I hadn’t seen in Adam before. Though we discussed the challenges of working alone, it appears that it has allowed him to branch out and create something different and refreshing, something we can all appreciate.  To take a listen of the new album, check out Troubel’s website.