Category: Blog

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Music News and Interviews

DJ Ones Five Music Facts from the past week

1. Bloc Party’s front man Kele Okereke has admitted that he is unsure about the band’s future as he gets ready to release his debut album The Boxer. The band is currently on a year long break and plans for the band to reunite are currently uncertain. (via NME)

2. Bryce Dessner of The National has revealed that the band will be appearing on the next album by Sufjan Stevens. Stevens is currently recording his upcoming album in Brooklyn. Dessner added, “It’s going to be incredible. It’s going to probably blow people’s minds.” (via Exclaim!)

3. Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney has revealed plans for her first solo album. The album, which has yet to be named, will be released sometime this fall, and she is planning to complete a brief tour following the release. (via Pitchfork)

4. The Strokes played their first show in four years when they took the stage in London last week. Playing 18 songs, the band did not release any new material. The Strokes plan to hit the festival circuit in the summer. (via NME)

5. Jack White recently took the stage with Conan O’Brien, playing an intimate show to 300 people at White’s Third Man Record Studios in Nashville. The two played everything including White Stripes’ classic Seven “Nation Army,” Radiohead’s “Creep,” and many more. (via Spin)

Categories
Miscellaneous

Best in the Triangle 2010!

WKNC 88.1 FM is back on top with the release of Independent Weekly’s 2010 Best in the Triangle Reader’s Choice poll. WKNC earned the title of Best College Radio Station after the category was divided into college and commercial categories this year. The station was a finalist for Best Radio Station in 2009 and won top honors in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. WKNC’s DJ Ones was also named a finalist for Best Radio DJ, one of four WKNC DJs to honored in the last five years.

Independent Weekly’s Greg Lowenhagen stopped by the WKNC studio Thursday afternoon to present General Manager Tommy Anderson with the station’s award and talk about Independent Weekly’s Hopscotch Music Festival September 9-11 in Raleigh.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Barenaked Ladies and Ben Kweller, Oh My!

All this week WKNC is giving away tickets for Barenaked Ladies with Ben Kweller and Angel Taylor for their show July 3 at the new Raleigh Amphitheatre.  Just be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it, and you could win tickets for you and a friend!

Categories
Weekly Charts

5/31 Afterhours Weekly Chart Toppers

ARTIST     Album     (Song)

1. GORILLAZ Plastic Beach     (Virgin)

2. BASSNECTAR Time Stretch     (Amorphous)

3. HOT CHIP One Life Stand     (Astralwerks)

4. RUSKO O.M.G.! (Mad Decent)

5. SLEIGH BELLS Treats     (Mom and Pop)

6. TORO Y MOI Causers of This     (Carpark)

7. JAVELIN No Mas     (Luaka Bop)

8. SUGAR AND GOLD Get Wet!     (Antenna Farm)

9. VARIOUS ARTISTS     Bustin’ Loose     (T&A)

10. CROOKERS Tons of Friends

Categories
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