Category: Blog

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DJ Highlights

Due to NC State Baseball, No Local Beat 2/19/10

As will become a recurring theme from here on out, there will be no Local Beat this Friday evening, February 19th.  Barring weather and field conditions the NC State Baseball team will be playing La Salle here on campus at Doak Field at Dail Park.  The game is scheduled to begin at 3pm, with broadcast starting at 2:30pm right here on 88.1 WKNC.  Typically, games last around 3-4 hours.  If the game does end earlier then feel free to listen in to local music up until 8pm, but the Local Beat will not be broadcasted.

This is the first game of the regular season for our men’s team, and throughout the spring many Local Beats will either be short or bumped.  However, be on the lookout for our brand new Local Beat “Mini Exclusives” which will hopefully start popping up here on the WKNC Blog.  Our first one was posted this past Saturday about the Love Hangover at the Pour House.  Feel free to check it out!

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DJ Highlights

Local Beat recap 2/12/10

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Last Friday on the Local Beat was one of the first full programs I have had in a while.  Several different members from a variety of bands from across the Triangle came in to chat with me.  As always, all songs performed live on the show are available for listening and download off of the Local Beat ReverbNation page and widget to the left.  We added 5 new songs this week, two by Schooner and three by Wembley.  Sorry for taking so long to post this, schoolwork got in the way once again.

Reid Johnson from Schooner came in at 5 p.m. to talk about the band’s brand new release, the Duck Kee Sessions EP.  All proceeds from the album go to benefit CyTunes.org which in effect goes to benefit cancer research.   CyTunes is the only place where you can download the album.  In addition to the CyTunes we talked about the release show for the EP this Friday at the Pinhook in Durham.  Veelee, the Erie Choir, and the Popular Kids are also performing.  This release show is unique in that instead of selling hard copies of the album, local musicians and artists have donated artwork that comes with a downloadable copy of the Duck Kee Sessions EP.  For more listen in below and check out the artwork as well at the bottom of the post:
Schooner on the Local Beat 2/12/10

Three members of Wembley came in at 6 p.m. to chat with me about their newest release, Keywords for Robots EP, which the band put out late in 2009.   I got a little upset with them for not promoting the album and sending it to me, all in good gesture of course.  The band members provided an insightful view into their lives as hobby-only musicians and I had a lot of fun sitting down with them for the hour.  You can listen to that conversation below:
Wembley on the Local Beat 2/12/10

I had two members each of Annuals, Bright Young Things, and Gray Young to come in and talk about their show this Friday night in downtown Raleigh at the Pour House.   The fellas were a little shy and all seven of us had to share four microphones, but we did manage to play brand new songs by all of the bands, including the entire brand new EPs by both Annuals and Bright Young Things while chatting about the recording process. Listen below:
Annuals, Bright Young Things, & Gray Young on the Local Beat 2/12/10

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Music News and Interviews

Giveaways, giveaways, giveaways!

Be sure to tune in for your chance to win tickets to  these great local shows happening through the rest of the month!

Wednesday, February 17
The Urban Sophisticates w/ Kaze, Inflowential, & The Beast @ Cat’s Cradle

Thursday, February 18
Carlitta Durand w/ M1 Platoon, Jocelyn Ellis, Thee Tom Hardy & Jabee @ The Pour House

Friday, February 19
Annuals w/ Gray Young & Bright Young Things @ The Pour House

***In excitement for this show WKNC will also be giving away Annuals CD’s and T-Shirts! WKNC DJ’s will be playing song clips and when announced, be the correct caller with the right song title to win some awesome swag!***

SWASO w/ Violet Vectors and The Lovely Lovelies & The Guns of el Borracho @ Cat’s Cradle

Wednesday, February 24
The Clientele w/ Vetiver @ Cat’s Cradle

Thursday, February 25
State Radio w/ Big D and The Kids Table & Cobalt and the Hired Guns @ Cat’s Cradle

Don’t forget to check out the Rock Report for a complete listing of great shows happening in your area!

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Music News and Interviews

Bull City material online for free download

If you listen to the Local Beat, you might recall me complaining several weeks ago that Durham rock band Bull City seems to have dropped off the map.  While this is true, it isn’t without cause – members of the band have been finishing school, welcoming new little ones to their family, or in John Kurtz’s case, moved out of the area to New York City .

However, to add to this weekend’s already insane amount of fantastic local shows Bull City is putting on a show at the Pinhook with fellow locals The Dynamite Brothers. The show is just $5 and starts at 10 p.m. This might be the last time for another long while before you can see Bull City rock out on stage.

Additionally, the band just put free downloads of its Guns and Butter EP, a Sessions @ KNC live recording, and some new songs up on their bandcamp page.  Check it out and download away.

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Music News and Interviews

WKNC chart toppers at Schoolkids Records

The next time you’re in Schoolkids Records on Hillsborough Street, be on the lookout for the current top Daytime albums played on WKNC!  Interspersed among the CD racks of Schoolkids are homemade WKNC placecards that feature thoughtfully-written reviews by staff of our top-played records.

Part of the magic of browsing the local record store is the thrill of the search: thumbing through the record collection and discovering a true gem.  We hope that by offering our picks at Schoolkids we can have a more intimate dialogue with our listeners and with other fellow music lovers and that our relationship with Schoolkids can help us to further spread our passion for the many fantastic albums we sing along and dance to.

As the weeks go by, we expect to include among our recommendations the many genres of music we play on our station including picks from our fantastic local music scene, hip hop, afterhours, chainsaw, and music from our station’s many specialty shows.  Check this blog each week for a post from our music directors about the current chart topper,  and let us know what you think!

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Music News and Interviews

Annuals giveaways this week!

In a night of all Raleigh-based music, Annuals, Gray Young and Bright Young Things will take the stage this Friday, February 19 at The Pour House. In anticipation of the show, WKNC will be giving away lots of Annuals gear.

We have Annuals’ new EP, “Big Zeus” up for grabs in the studio, as well as t-shirts, as pictured below:

Stay tuned to WKNC for your chance to win Annuals music and attire!

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Concert Preview

WKNC presents Benji Hughes with Skullbuckle

On March 12 at the Pour House Music Hall, WKNC will bring two great acts to the stage: Benji Hughes and Skullbuckle. This show will not be one to miss, especially since Benji Hughes, hailing from Charlotte, has not played in the Raleigh area in quite some time. Tickets are $8 and you will not want to miss this show.

We also have Benji Hughes and Skullbuckle shirts to giveaway, so stay tuned for your chance to win!

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Concert Preview Local Music

Local Beer Local Band 2/18

This thursday, Febuary 18, is another installment of Tir Na Nog and WKNC’s Local Beer Local Band night. The show is Free and doors open at 10 p.m. Thursday night’s line-up consists of a solo performace from Stuart of The Love Language followed by The Proclivities and finishing off the night will be North Elementary.

As always, Tir Na Nog will have a fine selection of local beers on tap. For more information about this show and future Local Beer Local Band nights, check out www.Tnnirishpub.com.

Hope to see you there!

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Local Music Non-Music News

Local Beat fan pages

Are you a fan of the Local Beat on 88.1 WKNC?  If so, feel free to head on over to the following two websites to show your love:

  • The Local Beat ReverbNation page is the home to all live songs aired on the Local Beat.  All songs are free to listen to and download and new ones are being added each week.  We are currently working on adding live songs from older interviews and new songs are being updated as often as possible!  Join the mailing list for special updates and also, feel free to add widgets and playlists to your blog or home page!

  • The Local Beat Facebook Fan Page is brand new.  Show your support for the show to all of your social networking friends and check out the page for upcoming photos, videos, and blog updates.  (Also, while you are on Facebook, feel free to become a fan of the Local Lunch and Eye On The Triangle.)

Categories
New Album Review

DEADMAU5 “At Play Vol.2”

Debuting on DJ Mags hallowed annual Top 100 DJ poll at #11 – beating the likes of the legendary DJ’s Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox, Deadmau5 pronounced Dead Mouse is riding the crest of a very ion-demand musical wave.

Now with Deadmau5 floating high on the A list circuit, getting splashed on the covers of magazine and packing it out at the world’s largest clubs, Deadmau5 at Play is a timely reminder of a talent discovered and music that was well ahead of its time.

The unmixed LP features club favorites.  Also included in the package are Deadmau5s collaborations with Play Records found and owner, Melleefresh.

Tracks like Afterhours, which charted at number one on the Beatports Top 100 and nominated for best dance track at the JUNO awards (Canada equivalent of the Grammys) sit alongside old school favorites like Cocktail Queen and Hey Baby making this a true collector’s treat!

International electro-house dance diva and world renowned club bunny, Melleny Melody aka Melleefresh launched Play Records in 1996 with partner in crime, DJ Spydabrown. Over the years, Play Records has become one of Canada’s foremost labels for electro house and an internationally recognized purveyor of “new, fresh and bangin’ vibes for the dance floor.”

Melleefresh vs. Deadmau5 began to collaborate on remixes of Melleefresh’s hit Beautiful Rich and Horny. After a great UK response from the vinyl remixes (not to mention a notorious YouTube video of four girls lip synching the song in their car across the English countryside), Melleefresh and Deadmau5 began working on new original material that consists of what can be joyfully described as dirty mix of filthy, trashed-out, and downright sexy electro-house.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnEUfeiSKt0&feature=fvw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ2fEg-wkGk