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Categories
Classic Album Review

“Over the Edge” by Wipers Album Review

Over the Edge album cover by Wipers
"Over the Edge" album cover by Wipers

ALBUM: “Over the Edge” by Wipers

RELEASE YEAR: 1983

LABEL: Brain Eater / Trap

RATING: 8/10

BEST TRACKS: “Doom Town”, “Romeo”, “No One Wants an Alien”

FCC: None

THE BAND

Kurt Cobain has deliberately name-dropped Wipers as his and Nirvana’s inspiration for their sound (as stated by this Rolling Stones article). I am not the biggest Nirvana fan, but Kurt Cobain’s legendary status in pop culture history helps his comment carry a bit more weight. 

Wipers was a Seattle based punk band that formed in late 1978 (so says their tiny bio). The founding members were Greg Sage, Dave Koupal and Sam Henry, but the latter two members weren’t a part of the band for the creation of “Over the Edge”.  

“Over the Edge” has Greg Sage on vocals, writing and guitar. There is no credit given to any other band members, so let’s get into this release. 

THE TRACKS

The title track, “Over the Edge”, of course is a great song, but to me the highlight track of this album is “Doom Town”. The longer periods of instrumentals in this song highlight Sage’s ability to bring the right amount of noise and vocals to his music. This song is not happy. “Doom Town” puts hundreds of pounds of pressure on our ears with the inescapable feeling of being trapped in a dead city, and I love how well it conveys this feeling. 

“Romeo” is one of the band’s more popular tracks, and rightfully so. Stumbling about in the hazy dark, you burst into an adrenaline fueled sprint. You don’t know why, but you’re searching for something. This foggy rush is my best interpretation of “Romeo”. I have no clue what we are searching for in this track, but I have to keep looking. 

No one wants to feel ostracized, but at some point we all feel this barrier from a social circle keeping us out. “No One Wants an Alien” expresses this feeling beautifully. Sage knows outcasts and uses his stage to shove them into the light like so many punk rockers, metalheads, and really all musicians. Sage takes the weird, new sounds (for 1983) and fuses them to create a twang-y, punk anthem that is this track. 

FINALE

I keep returning to this album and Wipers in general to hear the roots of punk. With this album I can gain a broader perspective of the journey music makes just to reach our ears. Greg Sage’s ability to let his dreams be heard is remarkable and I will continue to appreciate his writing as I sink into his sounds. 

Keep eatin’

-DJ chef

Categories
Music Education

Hip-Hop’s Forgotten Punk Roots

When looking at the start of hip-hop, some genres you may think of that played a role in its sound are genres like soul, funk, jazz and even disco. However, one genre that played a large role in the start of hip-hop that has been somewhat forgotten is punk rock.

When looking at the start of these two genres merging we must first look to New York at that time. New York during the 70s saw a massive punk rock movement. This took place in places like CBGB’s with bands starting there like The Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads. But also around that same time in 1974 DJ Kool Herc had created hip-hop in the Bronx. With the creation of hip-hop one of the things that came along with it (as well as being a massive part of the movement) was graffiti art.

Many of these graffiti artists started to gain some traction and a new young scene of artists was starting to take over. Some members of this movement were artists like Keith Haring, Futura 2000, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Fab Five Freddy. The most important man for the merging of hip-hop and punk is Fab Five Freddy and he almost deserves an article all for himself.

Fab Five Freddy was a massive hip-hop fan who grew up in Brooklyn and would become a regular of a downtown art scene for graffiti artists. When mingling with this crowd he would introduce artists like Keith Haring to new Hip-Hop DJ’s like Afrika Bambaataa where he would start to DJ parties for Haring. In Bambaataa’s words he stated that the downtown punk scene would be on of the first areas that really embraced hip-hop. More DJ’s would start to DJ downtown like Grandmaster Flash and NYU punk kids started to love it.

Around this time Fab Five Freddy would meet Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie and introduce them to this new genre starting up. After seeing Grandmaster Flash DJ and groups like Funky Four Plus One perform Blondie loved it. They loved it so much they decided to make the song “Rapture” in 1981 where Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash were forever immortalized with the line ” Fab Five Freddy told me everybody’s fly, DJ spinnin’ I said my my, Flash is fast Flash is cool”. Rapture was a massive hit and was actually the first ever song with a rap verse to go number one (The video also had a young Jean-Michel Basquiat act as Grandmaster Flash on turntables). This song was also apart of one of the songs that got me into Hip-Hop “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” when Grandmaster Flash used his shoutout for the intro. Debbie Harry would also host SNL in 1981 and the musical guest she picked to play was Funky Four Plus One (the group they first saw rap) which became the first hip-op act to perform on national television.

Another group that would fall in love with the new genre and embrace it was punk rock group The Clash. The Clash came to New York around this time and started to love hip-hop so when they did a 8-night run of shows in New York they chose Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to open for them. Apparently the fans did not enjoy it and Joe Strummer would have come out and get angry at the crowd. The Clash would also release a Hip-Hop/disco inspired song called “The Magnificent Seven” which gained significant play from Hip-Hop DJ’s at the time and actually predated Blondie’s “Rapture”.

This merge of the two genres would cause many significant artists to start their careers. For example Beastie Boys first started out as a punk group and would then move to hip-hop. Chuck D of Public Enemy stated that The Clash song “Magnificent Seven” heavily inspired him to take a more punk rap approach to Hip-Hop. Groups like Rage Against the Machine would also dawn a punk rap image.

Punk and hip-hop together made perfect sense due to both genres having an underground feel and both having an anti-establishment outlook. Many artists for generations after would take on the punk rap aesthetic and the merge would even remain to this day with many new artists having a very punk rap feel like JPEGMafia, Denzel Curry, Playboi Carti, Death Grips and many more.

Categories
Playlists

A Farmers Market Playlist

Tomatoes and squash at the North Carolina State Farmers Market. Photo by chucka_nc. Provided by Creative Commons License.

What’s better than listening to your favorite comforting tunes in the heat of the Summer? Listening to your favorites and eating fresh produce from the North Carolina State Farmers Market, of course. 

I have cultivated a few tracks that can take you through the stalls and smells of fresh veggies and fruits. If you want to listen along, you can check out the playlist on Spotify.

“Kibun” by Fishmans

This song brings the beat and happiness that is the farmers market straight to your ears. It is a bit more electronic and twang-y than the rest of the tracks, but it brings a smile to my face like I am sorting through a vendor’s prized blueberries. 

“Starman” by Seu Jorge

Another funky track, but this cover brings a homely sound to David Bowie’s “Starman”. Seu Jorge’s ability to capture the essence of Bowie with an acoustic guitar is beautiful, and I think it creates that comforting hum of people moving through the produce stalls. 

“Lazy River” by Chet Atkins and Les Paul

The simplicity of the movement in this song makes me feel like I am floating on a syrupy, summer breeze. I can lose myself in the smells the wind gives me at the farmers market, and “Lazy River” brings those emotions to my head immediately. 

“The Bug Collector” by Haley Henderickx

A bit slower of a track, but Henderickx creates a wonderful feeling of digging through the dirt with a hot sun baking the cold wet dirt into your skin. I love the way this song adds the trumpet with a slow build into the melody.

“Homegrown Tomatoes” by Blue Dogs

Okay, so this song is pretty ridiculous and very country, but I think this playlist would be missing out if I didn’t include it. There sure ain’t nothin’ better than ice cold, homegrown ‘maters.

“Pet Carrot” by Palehound

I just started listening to Palehound, and I love the way Kempner’s vocals descend while her instrument tempo increases in this track. The mix of slow and fast adds a nice dizzying effect, which I can kind of relate to trying to pick the perfect carrots for a stew.

“Lighthouse” by Adrianne Lenker

The uptempo guitar chords and always gorgeous vocals by Adrianne Lenker bring companionship to this playlist. The love sung about in this track adds a feeling of personal comfort for me. It’s almost as if I have someone with me wandering around the stalls gasping at all the delicious peppers to choose from. 

I hope y’all enjoy the tunes and can appreciate some delicious produce this summer.

Keep eatin’ 

-DJ chef

Categories
New Album Review

MJ Lenderman “Boat Songs” Album Review

In my last blog post about local music I would be listening to this summer, I briefly mentioned that I was listening to MJ Lenderman’s new album “Boat Songs.” In the two weeks that have passed, I have been listening to the album more and more. It’s the perfect melancholic summer time album that I desperately needed, and I couldn’t stop myself from constantly listening to it. I am a huge fan of his self-titled album from 2019 and his work in and with Wednesday as their lead guitar player. 

Through Wednesday’s rise in popularity, MJ Lenderman has been able to get recognition for his writing and his solo projects. The album is atmospheric, cathartic and an interesting blend of 90s indie rock, 60s and 70s Americana, and modern shoegaze. Through consistent lyrical themes of loss, anxiety and destruction, Lenderman continues to refine and polish his writing. The album feels like an emotional release for Lenderman as he sings about memories from his childhood and the joy and sadness he feels in his present life. 

Lenderman plays with contrast a lot on the record; it starts off with the punchy tune “Hangover Game” followed by the groovy song “You Have Bought Yourself a Boat.” The next two songs that immediately follow the fun introduction, “TLC Cagematch” and “Toontown,” are the saddest on the record.  

“TLC Cagematch” is a cleaner re-recorded version of the song from his more lo-fi 2021 EP “Knockin’.” Lenderman sings about pro wrestling and his discomfort watching the participants get thrown around over gorgeous steel guitar melodies and sweet back-up vocals from Karly Hartzman, the lead singer of Wednesday. 

The next song, “Toontown,” is a more slowcore-influenced track that allows Lenderman to expand on the album’s theme about trying and failing to achieve happiness, while thrilling bursts of noise in the latter half bring the already intense song to another level. The last verse ends by Lenderman singing, “Just some watered-down romeo clown / With his pants pulled down” followed by an emotional build up of swirling guitars and cymbal crashes. 

What I love about this record—and Lenderman’s writing on it—is its ability to capture the mundanity of life and the emotions that we might consider to be small, but actually end up consuming us. His writing is painfully honest and relatable, and he has a way of making casual events and images feel like devastation. Sounding defeated on “Under Control,” he sings “I had it under control, and then it snow balled, and rolled and rolled and rolled, and I don’t have control anymore.” These are very simple lyrics and something that many of us have felt before, but Lenderman does not hide from the fact that something this small can make you feel like your world is crashing down on you. 

The atmosphere of the record is really interesting, and—at times—it feels comforting, like Lenderman is talking to you like an old friend he’s updating on his life. Other times, the record sounds so lonely and distant. Lenderman celebrates his insecurities throughout the record. On the last song “Six Flags,” he eerily sings, “I’m not counting, no one’s counting, your mistakes” as the album draws to a close.

– Eilee

Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts (6/7)

#ArtistRecordLabel
1BODYSNATCHERBleed-AbideMNRK
2BLISTEREDThe Poison of Self Confinement6131
3HELSOTTWill And The WitchM-Theory
4GET THE SHOT“Deathbound” [Single]New Damage
5DECAPITATEDCancer CultureNuclear Blast
6RUNESPELLSentinels Of TimeIron Bonehead
7MUNCIPAL WASTE“High Speed Steel” [Single]Nuclear Blast
8SUNAMI“2022 Promotional Tape” [Single]DAZE
9BEGRIME EXEMIOUSRotting In The AftermathDark Descent
10FROMJOYIt LingersSelf-Released

Chainsaw Adds

#ArtistRecordLabel
1CALLOUS DAOBOYS, THE“A Brief Article Regarding Time Loops” [Single]MNRK
2DYING WISHFragments of a Bitter MemorySharptone
3SERLINGThe James Bevis ChroniclesGranite Tomb
4INCLINATION“A Glimpse Through the Lens” [Single]Pure Noise
5ALPHA WOLFA Quiet Place to DieSharptone
Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts (6/7)

#ArtistRecordLabel
1COL LAWTONJordi LOVE Groove [EP]Salted
2HVOBTOODifferent/PIAS
3FLUMEPalacesFuture Classic
4NEGGY GEMMY“Beep Beep” [Single]100% Electronica
5EMANCIPATOR, MURGE“Sea To Sky (illo Remix)” [Single]Loci
6POLICAMadnessMemphis Industries
7CONFIDENCE MANTILTHeavenly/PIAS
8HAAIBaby, We’re AscendingMute
9KY VOSSThe AfterPlay Alone
10PVA“Untethered” [Single]Ninja Tune
Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Ganser – Band Spotlight

Album cover of Ganser's 2020 album, Just Look At That Sky. Pictures a oman in sunglasses surrounded by a yellow border.

One thing I love about music is the constant stream of new ideas and art that musicians release to the world. There is so much to explore that it can be overwhelming, but when you find a band or artist that clicks, the wading through that stream feels worth it. That’s what makes me appreciate Ganser.

Ganser was formed in Chicago, Illinois and is still based there. Their music falls under the post-punk genre with heavy guitar, bass, and reflective vocals. Alicia Gaines (bass and vocals), Nadia Garofalo (keyboard and vocals), Brian Cundiff (drums) and Charlie Landsman (guitar) make up the band.

Each person brings their own distinct sound and perspective to Ganser, and all of their perspectives synthesize really well. Gaines and Garofalo’s vocals mix together in tracks like “Told You So” to create a healthy blend of airy-ness and down-to-earth sounds that are accompanied by thick guitar riffs and piercing drums. 

I have found their music to be an interesting variation to modern post-punk. Having two women be the front of the band adds a lot of character and distinctiveness from the rest of the punks out there.

I’ve been digging bands that have their bassists be lead vocals for the past few months, and Gaines does a great job of leading the songs and blending her instrument into the core of all the tracks. 

Right now their discography is limited, but that’s only because they are just getting started. Their first LP, “Odd Talk”, released in 2018, and it has some of their more accessible tracks if you’re not into the grime-y riffs that take root in their second LP. 

“Just Look At That Sky” was released two years ago, and I have found that this album represents what the band hopes to sound like for the foreseeable future. Gaines’ vocals mix with a more distinct blend of instrumental sounds that emphasize each of the member’s talents they bring along to the band. 

They are releasing a new album this year called “Nothing You Do Matters” as stated by their website. Ganser has released one track so far “People Watching”, and it makes me excited to listen to the whole project in a few months. 

Here is a list of some of my favorite tracks so you can get listening:

Also, here’s a cool interview with Alicia Gaines about “Just Look At That Sky”.

Keep eatin’

-DJ chef

Categories
Miscellaneous

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong – Book Review

On This Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Cover
Cover photograph by Sam Contis

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is a letter dedicated to Ocean Vuong’s mother, in which the speaker of the novel explores his intimate past, beauty in the aftermath of hate and desperation and cultural identity.

Ocean Vuong was born in Saigon, Vietnam and at the age of 2 came to America with his family to be raised in Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated from Brooklyn College with a BA in Nineteenth Century American Literature, and later graduated from NYU with a MFA in Poetry as stated by his website.

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” has an outstanding number of accolades attributed to Vuong and his words. This book is Vuong’s first published novel. He has two published poetry collections, “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” and “Time is a Mother”, both of which I now have a strong desire to read. 

SYNOPSIS

I am a big hater of novels and stories that are in a letter format. Books like “Dracula” and stories that have clippings of information usually take away from the personality a book can offer, but Ocean Vuong puts so much of his voice into this novel.

Little Dog, the narrator and speaker of the novel, is an immigrant from Vietnam who takes us through his family’s past, his own sense of love and what family means to him. The scars the narrator presents us are deep, but Vuong is able to explore their divots with a perspective of beauty and hope rather than solely pain and sorrow. 

Each word of this letter carries the emotion of someone who has lost so many people they have loved, hated and feared. The story weaves in and out of the present and past. Actually, the letter rarely focuses on a central time frame. Instead of being centered around a moment in space, it centralizes itself around the various feelings that stem from love. 

We read through neighborhood myths and stories of war crimes separated only by a few spaces. The novel flows impeccably. Vuong threads emotion throughout all the memories that resurface in the letter. 

Despite the unimportance of chronology in this book, it is a journey for Little Dog. He comes to terms with losses in his family, and he must learn the importance of loving people deeply. What makes this book so great is in attempting to write about it, I am utterly failing to convey the appropriate amount of grace and insight that can be gleaned from a single page.

TAKEAWAY

Good art makes you appreciate how other forms of art shape the way we experience the moments and people around us. “On This Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is a tremendous novel on its own, but adding its perspective to the multitude of words, eyes and lips that exist in the modern artist leaves me wanting more art and beauty to devour. 

I cannot wait to see where Ocean Vuong will take language in his writing, and I hope he provides the best inspiration for the future of voices and language.

Keep eatin’

-DJ chef

Categories
Miscellaneous

Remastered: Covers that transformed the original song

WKNC 88.1 blog

Kacey Musgraves’ cover of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley

Musgraves recorded her rendition live at Spotify House for Spotify Sessions 2016. Her live version is stripped down and authentic to her country roots, something the song had certainly not seen before. Her use of minor chords and harmonica align with the anger and sadness of the lyrics, giving the song a more sinister sound than the original.

The Civil Wars’ cover of “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson

The alternative country duo recorded their version of the classic “Billie Jean” in 2011. Complete with a constant fingerpicking guitar and raspy harmonies, this cover could not be more different than Jackson’s original upbeat tune. The Civil Wars’ Joy Williams and John Paul White alternate solos and ad-libs, giving new life to the lyrics and presenting a refreshing view of “Billie Jean” as a duet. Their risky decision to totally revamp a beloved Michael Jackson super-hit paid off.

Cake’s cover of “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 iconic disco hit sounds different here. Cake’s alternative rock version with electric guitar changes everything. Vocalist John McCrea’s blunt tone and F-bombs give the breakup song a wonderful, bitter feel. It’s a must-listen.

Nirvana’s cover of “The Man Who Sold The World” by David Bowie

Nirvana performed a version of the Bowie song for their MTV Unplugged album in 1994. The whole album is a masterpiece and features covers and originals, but this one takes the cake. Kurt Cobain’s vocals are melancholy and chilling, perfectly matching the lyrics. The crowd erupts at the end of the recording as Cobain credits Bowie.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Wet Leg “Chaise Longue” Song Review 

I just recently discovered the band Wet Leg a week ago and the concept behind them is still a bit confusing to me. Not only their song’s names but their identity as a band and their music.

The name of their band itself is actually British slang that means a self-pitying person, though I’m not sure if that has any connection to the duo.

Wet Leg really epitomizes what an indie band is. Their song “Chaise Longue” like most of their music is indie-rock and post-punk and it’s far from mainstream. 

A chaise longue is apparently a type of lounge chair and takes a central part of this song. It was a chair given to one of the band members by her grandpa and she wrote the song while sitting on it.

While typically I write about artists I am a huge fan of,  I wanted to try something new out for a change and listen to something more outside my comfort zone. 

The song itself is honestly pretty good and I might have misjudged how odd their live performance of this song compares to their pre-recorded version. The instrumental intro of “Chaise Longue” is catchy and sounds like a typical drum and electric guitar composure found in most indie-rock songs and the instrumentals of this entire song are fairly upbeat and infectious. Instrumental-wise I can most certainly see the appeal of their style of music.

An aspect of this song that makes me feel conflicted is the verses of their music. It is a lot more of speak-singing than actual singing and the smoothness of speak-singing is more difficult to reflect in a live performance than it is in a recording. I enjoy the recording more than the live version of this song and that is something I rarely say about most music. 

The lyrics are full of innuendos and underlying jokes that are amusing at times and tie in well with the fresh melody of the song.

A few lines that I found quite unique were from the first verse “Mommy, daddy, look at me | I went to school and I got a degree | All my friends call it “the big D” | I went to school and I got the big D | I got the big D”. Of course, these lyrics are clearly not talking about a grade. The duo often uses what we call tongue-in-cheek lyrics that they write in an ironic manner and it does come off that way. 

Another set of lyrics that follow this mocking serious manner of songwriting is seen later in their song. “Is your muffin buttered? | Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?” I find this line amusing because it is a dialogue said by a character from the 2004 hit movie “Mean Girls”. 

Followed by the repetitive chorus of “On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue, on the chaise longue | All day long, on the chaise longue.” The repetitiveness of the chorus causes this song to inadvertently be likable and is meant to be listened to in a chill, playful way. 

A similar setup to these lyrics makes a tie in with this movie quote after the chorus sings “Is your mother worried? | Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?” This was my favorite line of the entire song.

Personally, I wouldn’t listen to this song or other Wet Leg songs if I was actively listening to music. I would prefer to have it on in the background if I’m doing homework or lost in thought.

Suppose it’s good to step outside of your comfort zone sometimes, I might leave this song review as a fan after all. 

If you’re interested, check out the “Chaise Longue” music video.