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Concert Review

Murdoc’s Local Music Photo Blog: May

Ok so it is June… but it isn’t my fault that May kicked ass. I mean seriously. I graduated from NC State, saw my family, and went to some of the best local shows I have been to in a while.

I had planed to attend several big shows in the weeks following graduation, however, I was sadly only able to make it to 3 shows featuring 8 bands. But what great shows they were.

Click on any picture to go to the full Gallery

May 15th: Cat’s Cradle: Hey Euphony, Whole Wheat Bread, MC Chris

This show was a mystery for me going in, because I was not familiar with any of the acts; also, I had never been to Cat’s Cradle before.

Now on to reason I was interested in the show- Whole Wheat Bread

May 20th: Cat’s Cradle: Maylene and The Sons of Disaster, Clutch

I had looked forward to this concert for months because Clutch has been one of my favorite bands for the last few years. Native to Maryland and with more than 10 albums to their credit, Clutch passes through the Triangle roughly once a year; and unfortunately does not allow photography at their shows. This year’s show, while fun, was a bit of a disappointment from previous times I had seen them. The mosh pit broke out fast, but disappeared just as quickly as it had started, the lead singer didn’t have much to say to the crowd, and it was difficult to see the band due to an unusually tall audience. I dare to say metal/hard rockers Maylene and The Sons of Disaster put on a better, higher energy performance.

May 27th: The Pour House: Black Skies, Caltrop , Colossus

This show featured some of the best Raleigh has to offer in hard rock and metal, and I hate myself for not realizing what pocket I had put my camera in. It wasn’t until Colossus took that stage that I realized that I hadn’t left my camera at home.

Black Skies is from Chapel Hill and was celebrating the vinyl release of Hexagon (5/26/09).  I look forward to seeing more this band in the future because I’m not entirely sure about how much I enjoyed the performance. Part of it was the stage presence of the band, part of it was the annoying buzz that was feeding into the mix from a bad cable. However, I do encourage people to check out their music none the less.

Caltrop, also from Chapel Hill, is the embodiment of local music history with members having been part of Hazerai, Pegasus, El Sucio, The Ladderback, and Valient Thorr. Caltrop produces a hard rock jam band feel that just oozes potential. The band’s LP, World Class, lives up to  its’ title fully.

So in 3 weeks time, I saw 4 local bands and 4 non-local, nationally touring bands. Beleive me, the local bands certainly held their ground and put forth some great acts; and not all of the national acts were that great. Going to these shows made me think about the nature of concerts, and to a certain extent, music itself. Perhaps the biggest difference between great music/concerts/bands and everything else, is the experience one walks away with. A show by a great act makes the audience walk away pumped up,  or full of memories and opinions of what they just experienced; a show by a not so great act does not. Part of why this is, is the reason people go to the show in the first place, and part of it is the showmanship of the band. When I went to see Hey Euphony, Whole Wheat Bread and Clutch, I walked away feeling as though I had experienced something. However, if I hadn’t stayed for Colossus, and had simply gone home after seeing Black Skies, I may not have felt the same way.

Part of what causes this differentiation in experience lies on the individual at the show, and the other part lies on the shoulders of the band. Colossus, Whole Wheat Bread, Hey Euphony, and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster showed up to perform; not to simply play a gig, but to rock out and have an awesome time. Now this isn’t to say that the other bands didn’t; perhaps the crowd just wasn’t into it, or came to see someone else.

It is for this reason that I ask everyone that goes to support local music, to be active at it. Don’t just go to a show to have a couple beers, hang out, or just b.s. around: Go to the show to have an experince. Get into the music, the people on stage, and the people around you. For the love god, dance, hand bang, jump around, or whatever else comes to mind. Just don’t stand there with a stick up your butt and bounce your head like a bobble head doll. One thing that bands like Colossus, Red Collar, and other local bands excel at, is bringing the audeince to the edge of thier comfortable “chill” zone and pushing them into having an awesome time.

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Music News and Interviews

Sad News for Triangle Music: Bombadil Taking A Break

One of WKNC’s longtime favorite local acts Bombadil is taking a break from touring indefinitely due to the health issues of band members.  They released this today:

Today we arrive with some bad news. As many of you have become aware, Daniel has been dealing with severe tendonitis in his hands since 2007. Things have gotten progressively worse and have reached a point where he cannot brush his teeth without feeling pain, much less perform with the rest of the band. As such we feel it’s best to cancel all of the remaining shows on our schedule.

Needless to say, this brings us great sadness. We tried to limit Daniel’s movements on stage, but it seems that even sitting in a chair and simply singing on stage was impeding his recovery. At the end of the day, we did not feel that it was in the artistic spirit of the band to continue and play shows without him.

It is not clear when we will be able to perform again–some doctors say that a 3 month break would suffice, while others forecast a 2-year recovery period. But in the meantime, we’ll be writing new songs and keeping you up to date of our activities. We see this merely as a road bump on the long road that is this band, and as soon as Daniel is able to perform music again, we’ll be visiting a town near you.

Our new record will still come out on July 7th, and you will be able to find it at a few select records stores, iTunes, eMusic, Amazon.com, and this very website. We are so excited to share it with the world and are exploring alternative ideas for some sort of release party. For now, we’ve put up two new songs on myspace: Oto the Bear and So Many Ways to Die. We are also now accepting pre-orders for the record. Pre-orders will ship from Bombadil HQ here in Durham on July 1.

We are so grateful for the support everyone has shown over the years. Without your ears and encouragement none of this would have been possible.  Stay in touch and look out for more updates on the horizon!

-Bryan, James, Daniel, and Stuart

WKNC wishes the best to the band, and their fans, and a speedy recovery to Daniel.  In the meantime, be sure to catch their new album on rotation on 88.1 around the clock.

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Weekly Charts

Last week’s top 30 albums

Here are the top 30 records at WKNC for last week, compiled by Daytime Music Director Jenna St. Pierre:

1. Technicolor Health by Harlem Shakes
2. Three Sides by Veelee
3. Eating Us by Black Moth Super Rainbow
4. Actor by St. Vincent
5. American Folklore by American Folklore
6. Ascenseur Ouvert by Kingsbury Manx
7. Kingdom Of Rust by Doves
8. Inside Your Guitar by It Hugs Back
9. Power Move by Screaming Females
10. Telekinesis by Telekinesis
11. Pretzelvania by Americans in France
12. Manners by Passion Pit
13. Walking On A Dream by Empire of the Sun
14. These Times Old Times by Lonnie Walker
15. Oh Tall Tree In The Ear by Roman Candle
16. Set Em Wild, Set Em Free by Akron/Family
17. The First Time by Embarrassing Fruits
18. To Lose My Life by White Lies
19. Fantasies by Metric
20. It’s Blitz by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
21. Welcome To Mali by Amadou and Mariam
22. The Love Language by The Love Language
23. Suckers [EP] by Suckers
24. Devotion Implosion by Gliss
25. Pilgrim by Red Collar
26. Jupiter by Starfucker
27. Seven Days Now by Xu Xu Fang
28. Bunny Gets Paid by Red Red Meat
29. Bromst by Dan Deacon
30. Hazards Of Love by Decemberists

Here are some new albums we’ve added to our library, which you can look forward to hearing:
Veckatimist by Grizzly Bear
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix

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Music News and Interviews

Reigndrop Lopes on “Saturday Night Soul and R&B” 5/30

Tune in for a special edition of “Saturday Night Soul and R&B” with special guest Reigndrop Lopes. Reigndrop is the sister of the late Lisa"Left-eye" Lopes, of the biggest selling female group of all time, TLC.

Tune in as we talk to Reigndrop about Lisa and also find out about her new solo Hip-Rock project. Find out more about Reigndrop here.

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Playlists

Americana Blues & Co. Playlist 5-30-09

As I am out of town on vacation this weekend (and possibly the next two) all of the songs I played on today’s show will not appear in the normal Playlist so I feel obligated to list the tracks here for all of my fantastic listeners.  Also, if there are tracks you want to hear on next week’s show feel free to pop me an email request at Caid@wknc.org!  I will be sure to get any tunes I can just for you and give you a shout out along the way.  Thanks for listening this morning and be sure to tune in next week from 10am-Noon as well!

10am-11am
Emmylou Harris: In Rodanthe
The Duhks: Ships High In Transit
Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez: Sweet Tequila Blues
Soggy Bottom Boys: Man Of Constant Sorrow
Old Crow Medicine Show: Cocaine Habit
Flatlanders: Im Gonna Strangle You Shorty
Carolina Chocolate Drops: Dona Got A Ramblin Mind
Lauren Pritchard: Way Down In North Carolina
Nanci Griffith: Lookin For The Time
Codetalkers: Beggin
Carrie Rodriguez: Infinite Night
Eliza Lynn: Honey Suckle
The Waybacks: Nice To Be Alone
Josh Ritter: Harrisburg
Robin Ella: Down The Mountain
Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir: Dark Holler

11am-12pm
Donna The Buffalo: Way Back When
Ry Cooder: Suitcase In My Hand
Seth Walker: Miss Ann
Norah Jones: Crazy (Patsy Cline Cover)
Jill Barber: When I’m Making Love To You
Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
Taj Mahal: Statesboro Blues
BB King: The Thrill Is Gone (Roy Hawkins Cover)
Mad Tea Party: Polly Put The Kettle On
Cave Singers: Dancing On Our Graves
Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, & Lester Flatts: Pick Along
Calexico: Corona
Jolie Holland: Old Fashion Morphine
Holy Ghost Tent Revival: The End To…

Categories
DJ Highlights

Local Beat preview 5/29/09

After what was probably the most eclectic Local Beat I’ve hosted last week (Lemming Malloy, Colossus, and Caltrop),  we’ve got a jam-packed lineup this week.

At 5:00, self-described rock orchestra Easy Company will be stopping by to play a few songs in studio and to talk about a show they’re putting on June 6th at the Halle Cultural Arts Theatre in Apex.  If you thought Lost in the Trees was a crowd with an 11-person band, these guys have 17 members!  Not sure how many are coming in for the interview and performance, but this is a situation where the throwaway line “crazier things have happened” may not necessarily apply.

 

 

At 6:00, resident Wednesday Local Lunch DJ Cioffi will be interviewing Raleigh-based progressive/experimental band Pivot.  They’re playing the Brewery June 5th and will be by to talk about that.

Lastly, at 7:00, Friday Local Lunch DJ Mikey P will be interviewing Lonnie Walker about the new album, These Times Old Times, their release show/party at Schoolkids Records on Hillsborough Street and the Ahpeele warehouse on Capital Blvd.  They’re also going on tour with Brooklyn-based Motel Motel in June, so Mikey will ask him about that as well.

So as you can see, we’re cramming about as much as we possibly can into luxurious post-baseball 3-hour Local Beat this Friday, 5/29.  Be sure to tune in at 88.1 FM or wknc.org/listen.

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Concert Preview Local Music

5/28 – Local Beer Local Band Night – Left Outlet and The Names

Left Outlet and The Names will be rockin’ Tir Na Nog tonight (Thursday 5/28) for Local Beer Local Band Night!  Left Outlet is experimental prog rock and The Names are old school rock ‘n roll with a bluesy feel.  Don’t forget it’s FREEEE to get in, and Tir Na Nog has some delicious local beers on tap.  Come out and support your community!

Left Outlet will also be on the air at 5pm with me today to talk about their band and the show.

Here’s a video of Left Outlet playing “Prudence” live:

prudence live at the pour house

Categories
DJ Highlights

Sessions@KNC? Yeah, we’re back.

So we’re officially back up and running, with one new session under our belt.

On Sunday, May 3, Mikey P, Mike Gray, and Eric (myself) met up with Simple, the aptly named minimalist band from Carrboro, NC, outside Caldwell Hall on campus.  Although it took a while to reason our way into the building, the superior sonic characteristics of Caldwell Lounge would help make this session a fun one. We set up a bunch of microphones and hit the big red button as the band hammered out a short, simple and solid set.

I recently got word from Chip, the band’s guitarist and lead vocalist, that they plan on releasing five of the tracks late this summer as a live limited-release EP with fancy hand-painted covers or something artsy like that. Sounds awesome to me! So, if you’re lucky enough to catch Simple at a show late this summer, look out for their release of these songs.  Their next performance is at Nightlight in Chapel Hill on June 5th at 10 PM.

Below you can check out one of my favorite songs from the session: “The Conversation.”  It has a unique, ambitious, and more rockin’ feel; you’ll see what I mean if you’ve heard the rest of Simple’s music.

Categories
Playlists

Top 10: Des Ark

Hey readers,

It’s your lucky day!

Aimée Argote, the powerful voice behind Des Ark is sharing the songs that have been inspiring her this week.

BRIAN WILSON -Our Prayer – Gee
CHROMATICS-Hannah’s Song
FILTHYBIRD -The Gospel Of Truth (As Judas Told It To Me)
LIZA KATE -Anclote
LUCINDA WILLIAMS -Fruits of My Labor
MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH -Idle Minds Speak In Binary
NINA SIMONE -Suzanne
NEIL YOUNG -Only Love Can Break Your Heart
PYGMY LUSH -Butch’s Dream
VAN MORRISON -Crazy Love

Aimée with be playing at TRKfest on June 13th.

Categories
Playlists

Four for the Summer

April showers brought the May flowers, and now the June sunshine and Dog Days of July are around the corner. Is it me or is everything better with lots of sunshine? With the official start of summer less than a month away, I’m excited about a lot, including the music … It’s gonna be a massive summer for electronic artists! As always, the global stage of electronic dance music pulses with life, and many ambitious forward-looking albums are on their way or were recently dropped—the sounds are futuristic, the grooves killer, the tunes huge. So what are some of the things that I will be listening to?

1. Kikomoto Allstars “House Music LP”

Dance music has a globe-spanning history, and right now few encompass that spirit more than Cam Farrar. Hailing from Melbourne, Farrar takes his moniker from Tadao Kikomoto, the guy at Japanese synth-giant Roland behind the TR909 and the TB-303. Of course these instruments landed in Chicago and helped to set new directions for the emerging house music sound, perhaps most famously in the case of the 303 whose growling baselines defined Acid house. (It ’s called acid because the 303 is a bass machine…get it?) This release is all original material, but also very much a tribute to the roots of electronic dance music. All the original instruments are used, and tracks such as “I’ll Make You Jack” and “Jack the House” conjure bygone days of nightlife as do “Can’t Stop the House” and “Warehouse Days.”

2. Louie Vega and Dj Pierre “Da Jungle EP”

This EP features nine different versions of “Da Jungle,” a colloboration that is itself special because Vega and Pierre are two pioneers of dance music. Vega is one half of the legendary duo Masters at Work, and a solo marvel for his soulful, Nuyorican flavored NYC house, fitting for the nephew of Hector Lavoe. Similarly, DJ Pierre is also a superstar of house music, a certified institution of Chicago House, responsible for bringing Wildpitch and Acid styles to that city’s house sound, and so to the world. Pierre’s Afro-Acid label grew out of a party in Chicago, and this collaboration is another remarkable track from what has quickly become one of my favorite labels in dance music.

3. Kris Menace “Idiosyncrasies 3-Disc” LP

Um, wow…just, wow. Kris Menace’s is my no doubt going to be my fav album of the summer. This one is a 3-CD release—two albums of original tracks and a third that’s a DJ mix. An embarrassment of riches, and almost too good to be true—this one is for anyone who likes airy and melodic synthesizers airy or dance music inflected by the eighties hold the cheese. Lots of that here, all spilling over tightly knitted beats, some of them in collaboration with others—Felix Da Housecat, Spooky, Alan Braxe, Fred Falke, Hexstatic all show up to lend different directions to these 26 tracks. The album certainly has a “sound”–one that after so many tracks remains surprisingly fresh, and non-repetitive.

4. DJ Hell “Teufelswerk” 2-Disc LP

I’ve been waiting for this record since I heard DJ Hell’s guest appearance on Tom Wax’s radio show in Berlin. There’s been a lot of hype around this one… It. Is. All. True. Hell’s third full-length artist record is brilliant. Dance music at its best. The double CD is split into Day and Night. “Day” is somber, melodic, and in places experimental–“Carte Blanche,” “Action (Interlude),” and the extended opening of “Germania” each sound like something out of Karlheinz Stockhausen; this dance music is one of ideas, extended languishing tracks filled with color and atmospheric subtlety. “Night” gets down to the brass tacks of the dancefloor. For this one, Hell enlists P. Diddy and Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music as vocalists as well as a number of other producers including Frankfurt’s Anthony Rother on “Bodyfarm.”