Category: Blog

Categories
Non-Music News

Student Body President debate

Student Media hosted a Student Government debate on Thursday night, March 25, in the Talley Ballroom at 7:30 p.m. Saja Hindi and I served as moderators, and we heard from the following candidates:

Student Body Treasurer

Buddy Bryson

Kyle O’Donnell

Student Senate President

Michael Robinson

Stephen Kouba

Sarah Center

Student Body President

Scott Goldsmith

Matt Gromlich

Kelly Hook

Zach Lego

Ches McDowell

Matt Woodward

Study body elections will take place Tuesday, April 6. Vote online at vote.ncsu.edu.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

The Old Ceremony to hold poster contest

The Old Ceremony will be playing at Cat’s Cradle on April 23. Instead of hiring one of the many talented poster designers in the area, however, they are giving fans, designers, and people who may just be in the mood for some poster-making the chance to design the official poster for the show.

The winner of the contest will, in addition to having their design put up all over the Triangle, win two tickets to the show.

Things that must be included in the design are:
The Old Ceremony
Doors @ 8:30 Show @ 9:30
$10 Advance $12 Day of show
Friday, April 23

You can drop the design off in person at Cat’s Cradle, email a downloadable file to costellothomasj@gmail.com, or mail it to:

The Old Ceremony Poster Contest
Cat’s Cradle
300 E. Main St.
Carrboro, NC 27510

The deadline is this coming Thursday, April 1, so get those designs in and may the best poster win.

Categories
Playlists

Now Playing: 3/26/10

Here is a compilation of the latest new music we have received in the past week.

Free Energy- Stuck on Nothing

Sounding closer to Thin Lizzy and Cheap Trick, Free Energy emits a fun, upbeat, guitar heavy album.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7OE3W0VSZs

Drive-by Truckers– The Big To-Do

Probably the best southern rock album you’ll listen to this year. Imagine Dinosaur Jr. with a country slant –if you haven’t listened to one of their other nine excellent albums. Get out your lighters y’all.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un9jmeLNBqY

Love is All– Two Thousand and Ten Injuries

High energy Swedish pop. Eccentric album with a collage of traditional and not so traditional rock instruments, i.e. saxophone. The female vocals can get annoying at times but the excellent clash of sounds make up for that.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl1PqiluWic

Arctic Monkeys– My Propeller (single)

Solid B-sides that play of of the similar down tempo beats from Humbug. Although they don’t do anything revolutionary for the band, they are still quite enjoyable for the fans.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5vZovv8cPk

She & Him– Volume Two

Pop favorite Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward are at it again with another charming album. This time it’s more she than him. Really sweet and endearing, although after the first few tracks you start to lose your sugar high.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ3cTwI9bIw
Slow Club– Yeah So

This UK indie-duo has sweet lyrics, simple guitar melodies and interesting harmonies. They take turns with lead vocals and never disappoint. Every song is interesting, up-beat and give you that feeling of: I want more more more.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2dZSHToVGc

Pavement – Quarantine the Past: The Best of Pavement

Well, hot damn.  Listening to this compilation, it’s remarkable to hear how genius Pavement’s music is–their low-fi aesthetic perfectly melds with Stephen Malkmus’s lazy, idiosyncratic wordplay .  This compilation is absolutely essential–it’s sequencing is flawless and the track choice balances their singles with album gems.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoMdkyeZOqE

Jason Collett – Rat A Tat Tat

More good stuff from the Arts & Crafts Label.  Collet’s tunes are impassioned with twang and swagger and his music walks the line between alt-country, 60s pop, and the more soulful dispositions of indie rock.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsQP_1U-sDg

One For The Team– Ghosts

Catchy, unpretentious, and unabashedly fun power pop.  It sounds like Mates of State with punk grit or the New Pornographers playing Something Corporate.  Lots of crunchy guitars and incessant harmonies.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_16ziKaaWc

Josiah Wolf– Jetlag

I really like this album! Here we have the solo album from the drummer of WHY? Seeing as I am not a huge fan of WHY? I was somewhat skeptical, however  I was totally wrong. I am really into this folky Paul Simon-esque experience.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjZHiYmbYGg&feature=related

Goldfrapp– Head First

You know I love this. Rocket might be the catchiest song ever. Think Xanadu meets David Bowie, a mixture of ‘80s glam rock and ’70s disco.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjcTUmipxZY&feature=related

Drink Up Buttercup– Born and Thrown on a Hook

Psychedelic mixture of the Beatles and Man Man. A weird pop experience for sure.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRaLxVaD5Ic

Let’s Wrestle- In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s

Scrappy British punk music. They are on Merge Records and have been getting a lot of press.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc5HnZP5v6s

Dum Dum Girls– I Will Be

This is sort of a mixture between ’60s girl pop and shoegaze buzz garage rock. Sort of falling the trend of most of the bands out right now, but this one is surprisingly good.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwck4XOp1vQ

Black Tambourine– Black Tambourine

This band has pretty much influenced every popular band out right now. Shoegaze pop that resembles A Sunny Day in Glasgow, but a lot darker.

[youtube width=“425” height=“25”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wva074MGZi8

Categories
Music News and Interviews

DJ Ones’ Five Music Facts from the past week

1. Black Lips have released details about their follow-up to 2009’s “200 Million Thousand.” The album, which has yet to be titled, is set to release sometime during the summer. In talking about the next album, guitarist Ian Saint Pé stated, “I’m already digging what we’ve got. I’ve read reviews where people say we haven’t changed, but, man, the wheel ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” (via Billboard)

2. The New Pornographers have announced a new single, and a large, upcoming, North American tour in support of their next album entitled “Together.” The single, is called “The Crash Years,” and the band is planning to make a stop at Memorial Hall, on the campus of UNC, June 25. (via Pitchfork)

3. Saturday Night Live actor Fred Armisen has joined Joanna Newsom during her current tour. Armisen who helps open the show as German drumming expert Jens Hennemann, has joined Newsom during her shows in Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. (via Pitchfork)

4. Concert promoter Live Nation has started testing new digital wristbands that would allow concert-goers the ability to purchase concessions and work as the ticket for a show or festival. The technology, which is used to help fight against touting, uses smart chip technology to track the audience. John Probyn from Live Nation UK states, “Your ticket won’t be a paper ticket, it’ll be a wristband unique to you.” (via NME)

5. Beck has been joined by Liars, St. Vincent, and Sergio Dias of Os Mutantes to record INXS’s 1987 album, “Kicks.” The fourth album in Beck’s project to cover entire records in one day, was recorded in approximately 12 hours. The song “Guns from the Sky” is available to listen to now. (via NME)

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Local Beat Mini Exclusive: Drughorse One EP

You may or may not have heard of the local music collective that calls itself Drughorse. If you haven’t, this may be due to the fact it is not one group, but rather a collaborative of several different local bands. Mount Moriah, The Love Language, Twelve Thousand Armies, Josh Moore, The Tomahawks, plus others all claim to be a part of this mysterious and secret gang of musicians. However, it seems the veil is slowly being lifted as a Drughorse EP is hits the streets tonight at the Local 506 in the form of an EP called Drughorse One.  Only three bands are presented on the EP, The Light Pines, Max Indian, and Ryan Gustafson.  It makes for an excellent Local Beat Mini Exclusive.

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Carter Gaj of Max Indian and Tom Simpson of the Light Pines came in to chat with me about this new six-song EP as well as the Drughorse “Cartel.” The guys played four covers of songs by 4 different Drughorse associated bands, which are free to download at the Local Beat ReverbNation page and you can listen to them to the right in the music player. Album artwork, the recording of the EP, and details to certain songs were all topics of conversation. I also spent a great deal trying to pry and gather details about this mysterious musical franchise from the fellas but didn’t find out very much – just that it seems to be a bunch of amazing musicians who hang out and share bands with each other. It is a seemingly exclusive club and begs interest and intrigue to all outsiders. The new EP is absolutely fabulous and will leave you begging for the new Drughorse related albums set to be released this coming year.

Take a listen to the interview:
Local Beat Mini Exclusive: Drughorse One

Be sure to head out to the Local 506 tonight. Doors are opening around 9 p.m. and it only costs $7!

Categories
Weekly Charts

WKNC’s top 30 Daytime albums from the past week

Here are the top 30 albums played during our Daytime format over the past week, compiled by Daytime Music Director John Hubbard:

1. JJ – No. 3
2. Javelin  -No Más
3. Morning Benders- Big Echo
4. Strange Boys – Be Brave
5. Quasi – American Gong
6. Shearwater – The Golden Archipelago
7. Aloha – Home Acres
8. Fang Island – Fang Island
9. Gospel Gossip – Drift
10. Gigi – Maintenant
11. Efterklang –  Magic Chairs
12. Golden Triangle – Double Jointer
13. Dark Dark Dark – Bright Bright Bright
14. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
15. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
16. Hot Chip – One Life Stand
17. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks
18. Spoon – Transference
19. Beach House – Teen Dream
20. Shout Out Louds – Work
21. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor
22. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
23. Yeasayer – Odd Blood
24. Oh No Ono – Eggs
25. Four Tet – There Is Love In You
26. Splinters – Kick
27. Xiu Xiu – Dear God, I Hate Myself
28. Happy Birthday – Happy Birthday
29. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
30. Surfer Blood – Astro Coast

Categories
DJ Highlights

Local Beat preview 3/26/10

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The Local Beat will be back tomorrow night for the first time in a month!  The show will be short, however, as our NC State Baseball team begins a three game series against Miami starting at 6:30 p.m., broadcasting beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Durham native Brett Harris will be joining me for the only hour of the show to chat about a new album that he is preparing to release.

Be sure to tune in at 5:00 p.m. for the Local Beat and Brett Harris!

Categories
Concert Review

Deerhunter puts on an interactive show at the Cradle

As Bradford Cox took the stage to set up his equipment Sunday night cheers roared from a packed house. Cox’s grins spread from ear to ear.  Deerhunter headlined the Cat’s Cradle Sunday night as a side show from their current tour with Spoon. They used this occasion to explore some new songs, play some older ones, and generally just have fun.

Deerhunter opened up with Cryptograms from their 2007 album of the same title.  This was followed by two new songs, one of which was sung by lead guitarist Lockett Pundt.  Overall, the band played well.  They fed off the excited crowds energy for uppers like Hazel St. and Nothing Ever Happened, then eventually winded down gracefully for Calvary Scars.

The highlight of the show was in the final song of the set.  Halfway through Agoraphobia, Cox grabbed a youngster from the audience and brought him on stage to play to tambourine with the band.  This began what would probably be one of the most memorable shows this fan will ever have.  From playing with the band, to being carried on Pundt’s shoulders to being paid a hundred bucks by Cox to pull down Pundt’s pants on stage, this kid did it all.

As we left the venue Cox waited by to door to thank each and everyone individually for coming to the show.  The final touch on an intimate, memorable performance.

Set list:

  • Cryptograms

  • New

  • New (sung by lead guitarist)

  • Never Stops

  • Hazel St.

  • Little Kids

  • New (Revival)

  • Nothing Ever Happened

  • Microcastle

  • Operation

  • Calvary Scars II/Aux Out

  • Cover Me > Agoraphobia

  • Encore: Fluorescent Grey

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT24 Sunshine Week 3/22/10

Eye on the Triangle returned this week after a week off for N.C. State’s spring break, but this week’s episode was shorter than usual, giving you a preview of what the EOT team had in store for you in the week ahead. Read below to find out more. This week’s EOT covered the international (elections in Iraq) and the national (Health care) before zeroing in on the N.C. State campus (sports, Student Government elections and the Save Technician effort). Read more below.

NEWS
Newscaster Evan Garris  gave us the rundown of this week’s news from Obama’s health care plan to a California senator’s arrest. For these stories and more, check out the links below.

Obama aims at health insurance companies
Anti-gay rights California senator leaves gay bar, arrested for drunk driving
Biden visits Gaza
Despite terror against citizens, 62% of Iraqis head to the polls
Soldiers in Nigeria quell sectarian violence

SPORTS
As always, Tyler Everett gave us a breakdown of what happened in N.C. State sports this week.

EDITORIAL

Correspondent Evan Garris gave his opinion on the passed Health Care Reform bill.

Here are some of the points Evan made in his editorial:
The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world that doesn’t provide health care to its citizens.
Roughly 45 million Americans do not have health insurance.
Medical bills cause half of all bankruptcies.  Three-quarters of those filings are from people with health insurance.
The U.S. spends about $2 trillion on health care in a year—more than any other nation in the world.
Cubans have a lower infant mortality rate than Americans, and according to the U.N. Human Development Report, a longer average lifespan.

Send us your own thoughts about the issue to publicaffairs@wknc.org.

VIP
The candidates running for positions within Student Government have been campaigning their way toward the Tuesday, April 6 election. Eye on the Triangle is gathering these candidates together for a panel Thursday in the Talley Ballroom. The event will be broadcast live on WKNC and Wolf-TV. Make sure to check back for the full podcast.

If you’ve been checking the local news, whether online, on television or on paper, you may have come across stories detailing the fall of NCSU’s student paper, Technician. The paper, which has lacked an editor-in-chief since February, has suffered from staffing loss, overworked editors and tensions with their adviser, and budget cuts that have escalated over the years. Technician has been the student paper of NCSU since 1920, but has been produced daily since 2001. Former editor-in-chief (now public affairs director for WKNC) Saja Hindi was charged with creating a committee to detail out recommendations to the Student Media Board for the future of the newspaper and its search for an editor. In an effort to solicit feedback from staff members, students and alumni, project  “Save Technician” was formed.

Vice President of the Society for Collegiate Journalists N.C. State chapter May Chung and member Lucia Moser discussed Sunshine Week, a week dedicated to increasing awareness about open records laws, and the activities the NCSU chapter is hosting.

As always, e-mail us with comments, suggestions and gripes to publicaffairs@wknc.org, and keep nominating your friends for Wolfpacker of the Week!

Listen to episode 24.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Colossus interview this Thursday, 3/25!

Two members of Raleigh’s metal mastermind Colossus will be in – and hopefully not pillaging – the studio this Thursday at 11 a.m. for an interview with yours truly.  And, yes,  that is 11 a.m. – a little shot of Chainsaw at lunch time never hurt anyone.  The band will be promoting their new EP, as well as their show at The Pour House Thursday night.

I have never seen Colossus live, but if you’re lucky enough to come out on Thursday (as I will be), I strongly recommend you bring a large bowl because when it’s all said and done, your face will probably melt off.