WKNC 88.1 FM - North Carolina State University Student RadioThe N.C. State women’s basketball team will take on Wake Forest for the third time this season in round one of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. WKNC will have all the action on 88.1, beginning with a 2:45 p.m. pre-game.
For sports-free WKNC, log on to wknc.org/listen.
Our trusty team of engineers is once again working to tame our renegade transmitter. We will be experiencing signal outages from now until the basketball game begins at 2:45 p.m. We apologize for the inconvenience.
According to indie web-publication Pitchfork, due to the tumult of our current economic situation, Touch and Go Records, the label that brought the world Shellac, Polvo, Blonde Redhead, Pinback, Naked Raygun, the Jesus Lizard, TV on the Radio, and Slint has announced that they will no longer be releasing new music. It, however appears that Pitchfork may have made this up.
The official news from Touch and Go is that they will no longer be manufacturing and distributing records for other labels. This is still a big deal in the indie music industry. For a long time Touch and Go has been the go-to distributer for fairly priced and honest distribution of independent music. Touch and Go did manufacturing and distribution for over 20 prominent indie labels, including Chapel Hill based Merge records. The implications of this are pretty dire for independent music. Merge, Thrill Jockey, Kill Rock Stars and about 20 other labels are going to have to find an alternative means of manufacturing and distribution, possibly effecting thier costs and quality. In this already bad economic climate this is a pretty serious hit to independent music.
Bored on your Spring Break? The boss giving you hell at work? We have the remedy with more great shows and chances to win tickets! Tune in during the week for the following shows at Cat’s Cradle!
Ben Kweller & The Watson Twins playing @ Cats Cradle on March 1st
Tapes ‘n Tapes playing @ Cats Cradle on March 2nd
Tape ‘n Tapes
Black Lips playing @ Cats Cradle on March 4th
Black Lips
Music Tapes playing @ Cats Cradle on March 5th
Matt & Kim aims for the sweet spot with ’Grand’
Jon Gomes
Matt & Kim, in all its lackadaisical glory, is an indulgence. The bubbly Brooklyn duo is the musical equivalent of Cinnamon Toast Crunch–sweet, sugary and perfect for those late Saturday mornings after you’ve slept for ten hours.
Just spin its self-titled debut from 2006 and listen for yourself. The album has the haphazard energy of a second grader after a bag of Sour Patch Kids. There’s an air of excitement and mild chaos, but the music isn’t in your face. On their latest release Grand, Matt and Kim have maintained their pop sensibilities while exploring new dynamics.
The opener, “Daylight,” encapsulates the album’s carefree mood. A triumphant piano riff cascades over a jaunty marching rhythm while synthesizers drone and wail in the background. The carpe diem lyrics evoke memories of summer, with lines like “Open hydrant, rolled down windows / This car might make a good old boat / And float down Grand Street in daylight.” The track is the perfect anthem for sunny afternoons and captures the positive vibes of Grand.
The album’s upbeat energy is channeled into the next track, “Cutdown.” A buzzing bassline underlies gentle synth strings that launch into a beautiful, drum-heavy crescendo at the end of the track. As quickly as it built up, the momentum slows down a bit with the wistful and slow “Good Ol Fashioned Nightmare.” This shift in dynamics makes Grand sound more varied and mature than its predecessor. Matt & Kim delve into slower, more relaxed moods throughout the album in tracks like “Turn This Boat Around” and the outro remix of “Daylight.”
Of note is the impressive production quality–clean and loud. In particular, the drums have a powerful presence that lends itself to the album’s energy. The rhythms on Grand sound huge, especially in “I Wanna” and “Don’t Slow Down.” Both are unrelentingly upbeat tracks driven by Kim’s lively percussion and Matt’s frenetic synth work. As with The Black Keys or Death From Above 1979, it is hard to believe that all the music comes from only two people.
The drums drop out completely for “Turn This Boat Around,” which is carried completely on vocals and simple keyboard parts. The calmness quickly turns into madness with “Cinders,” a short instrumental that spirals upward into synth-and-drums euphoria. Grand closes with an interesting, stripped-down mix of “Daylight,” which nicely ties back to the beginning of the album. The entire album is only a scant 29 minutes long–just like the weekend, because you’ll wish it lasted longer.
Full of energy and free of care, Grand revels in its youthfulness. Pop music is meant to be fun music, and this album convincingly validates that claim. The next time you find yourself in the middle of a bright, sunny Saturday afternoon, put this record on. You won’t regret it.
88.1 WKNC DJ Pick of the Week is published in every Tuesday print edition of the Technician, as well as online at technicianonline.com and wknc.org.
The N.C. State baseball team will take on Hofstra University in a double header today beginning at 2 p.m. Threats of rain prompted the change, but Saturday and Sunday’s games remain as scheduled for 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. Please note Sunday’s game will be available exclusively at GoPack.com, since WKNC will be airing the final regular season game of Wolfpack Women’s Basketball. For complete baseball and women’s basketball schedules, visit GoPack.com.
Today’s Local Beat will air between games this evening. Non-sports fans are encouraged to listen to WKNC’s sports-free Internet stream at wknc.org/listen.
WKNC has joined the tweeting fun and can now be found at http://twitter.com/WKNC881. Follow us for real time updates about new music, interviews, giveaways, DJ changes, and anything else we might have on our mind!
Local band The Milagro Saints will be coming in to the studio during Americana, Blues & Company this Saturday, February 28, to talk about music, Hillsborough Street Renaissance, and hopefully that awesome Muppet Movie-esque car of theirs. Be sure to tune in at 11 AM on the 28th for this interview!
If you dig good music, good performance, good art, or if you have a pulse, you’d do well to check out WKNC’s Local Lunch Wednesday, 2/25, through Friday, 2/27. Right at the top of the 12:00 hour on each day, we’re airing each piece of a three-part serial of vocal enactment on top of The Never’s masterful album “Antarctica." This is merely a precursor to the event of interest, a theatrical performance of the concept album, released in 2006.
From the band’s website:
The Never has been touring for the last 3 years promoting “Antarctica, A Storybook Record,” a concept album and fully illustrated 50-page storybook. They are currently working to finish their new record to be released on Trekky Records in March, 2009. This event will be a culmination of both works. The Never is dedicated to the betterment of community through arts and music and has performed at schools/universities, libraries, theaters, and outdoor festivals over the last few years in order to achieve that.
Missed today’s part 1? You’re in luck: the performance will be aired in its entirety on the Local Beat Friday, which usually runs from 5:00-8:00. We will be preceded by NC State baseball, though, so tune in a little before 6:00 to catch the complete piece.
Where can you learn more, you ask? Head over to the Never’s website for more information. And, of course, keep it locked on the Local Lunch and the Local Beat.
Our trusty team of engineers is once again working to tame our renegade transmitter. We will be experiencing signal outages from now until the baseball game begins at 4 p.m. We apologize for the inconvenience.