Category: Band/Artist Profile

An in-depth look at bands and solo artists

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Band/Artist Profile

Hopscotch Profile: Leila Abdul-Rauf

Hailing from San Francisco, composer and general badass Leila Abdul-Rauf has been making and performing music, namely metal, for nearly her entire life. Her previous endeavors in the metal scene include the bands Saros and The Bastard Noise, and she remains active in Hammers of Misfortune, Vastum, and Ionophore.  While she is most widely known for her vocals, she is a true multi-instrumentalist, honing her abilities on the guitar, trumpet, piano, and synth, just to name a few.

But her latest solo album, Insomnia, is unlike her past work. She foregoes her signature doom  metal sound and instead opts for something more cerebral. There are no vocals, save for some haunting, ethereal wailing. Instead, the listener can relax and focus on the weaving of brass, piano for an unsettling, otherworldly sound.  It vaguely resembles Ionophore’s latest album Sinister Pools, or something Godspeed You! Black Emperor might think up after a handful of benzos. Drawing parallels between Insomnia and anything else proves difficult because Abdul-Rauf has created something poignant, introspective, and uniquely brilliant – an atmosphere all her own. It’s something personal and gorgeous without being pretentious. Definitely worth a listen.

 During Hopscotch, catch Leila Abdul-Rauf with Nathan A. Verrill at 11 PM on September 10th in Nash Hall.

 Listen to Insomnia HERE.

-DJ Case Sensitive 

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Band/Artist Profile

Hopscotch Artist Profile: Erykah Badu

Grammy Award winner Erykah Badu will headline Red Hat Amphitheater as a part of this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival. Badu is an R&B/soul artist, and all of her albums distinctly represent pop culture and human relationships from the time periods in which they were created. Her sound has morphed over time, but Badu has maintained her mellow storytelling style throughout her career. Her first album, Baduizm, has been her most popular. Baduizm is a relaxing listen, but it’s just as expressive as her subsequent releases. The album reflects on independence and love, with excellent vocals and instrumentation. Demonstrating her versatility, Badu has collaborated with André 3000, The Roots, Janelle Monáe, Lil Wayne, and Tyler, the Creator. Badu’s two New Amerykah albums possess the most variety in tempo and style, with some fully R&B songs and others more focused on electronic musicality and vocal experimentation. After rewriting Drake’s “Hotline Bling” in a track titled “Cel U Lar Device,” Badu recorded and released a full-length mixtape in late 2015. The album, But You Caint Use My Phone, fluidly blends Badu’s own vocal stylings and humor into a concise history of cell phone-themed songs.

Alongside her twenty years of musical releases, Badu is also an activist for people of color and women. She runs the charity Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development, which promotes the arts in inner-city areas. Most recently, Badu has committed to donating proceeds from her performances to test rape kits which were discovered in storage of the Detroit Police Department.

But You Caint Use My Phone is available on Spotify and iTunes. Erykah Badu performs at 8 pm on Friday, September 9 at Red Hat. The full Hopscotch schedule is available here.

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Band/Artist Profile

WKNC Artist Profile: Deniro Farrar

Born and raised in Charlotte, Deniro Farrar has become a major hip-hop heavy hitter within the past few years. With the success of Fayetteville’s J. Cole and Raleigh’s own King Mez getting a feature on Dr. Dre’s Compton, North Carolina is, undeniably, rapidly gaining momentum in the music scene. Blogs like Pitchfork and Vice are claiming that Charlotte is the next city to watch specifically for artists within the rap genre.

Deniro is debatably the posterboy for Charlotte’s developing rap scene and proclaimed the “Leader of Cult Rap,” derived from the way people religiously follow the music of the underground scene to keep up, as it is not mass-produced and regularly broadcast. Deniro doesn’t fail to deliver relatable down to earth lyrics accompanied by (you guessed it) a sick beat. Working with Ryan Hemsworth, Flosstradamus, skywlkr, Lunice and Black Sky Black Death to name a few, Deniro has crafted a unique sound all while gaining traction as an artist and putting North Carolina on the map.

– Emma Badorrek, WKNC Assistant Promotions Director

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB Artist Profile: Professor Toon

Growing up in low-income housing Baltimore, Maryland and a transplant to the Triangle area, Professor Toon has become a staple in the Durham music scene. Sharing the stage with De La Soul during the fifth annual Hopscotch Music Festival among other hip-hop heavy hitters such as Juicy J, Meek Mill, Project Pat and Run the Jewels. Toon uses his life experiences such as his abusive childhood and his relationships to fuel his lyrics and live performances. Being the “professor of things,” Professor Toon has worked relentlessly to make an impact on his fans in dirty DURM and beyond. Catch him at Double Barrel 13 on February 20th performing songs off of his new album Take Notes.

– Emma Badorrek, WKNC Assistant Promotions Director

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB Artist Profile: SkyBlew

Mario Farrow, aka SkyBlew, is one of the Triangle’s brightest rising hip-hop stars with a style all his own. The Chapel Hill rhyme spitter’s story started in Alabama where he grew up bouncing from foster home to foster home and surrounded by inner city violence. He used this strife to create a space for himself via rap lyricism that would help him rise above the turbulence mentally and physically. Drawing inspiration from cartoons like “Rocco’s Modern Life” and “Dragon Ball Z,” his music is inspirationally positive, and never glorifies the horrors of street violence.

To classify SkyBlew as “nerd-core” is the kind of box he doesn’t want people to put him in. His rhymes aren’t all nerd all the time, there’s more depth, more soul. Recently he started playing live with a jazz accompaniment that brings his whole brand together, so to watch him perform is almost like a mix of The Roots and De La Soul.

Featured by notable media outlets like MTV, HYPERFRESH, DJ Booth Magazine, 2DOPEBOYZ, and Afropunk, SkyBlew is on his way up and ready to stake his claim in a hip-hop environment that’s beginning to turn its head toward North Carolina. Recently he did a regional tour of the Southeast with video game rapper Mega Ran, and released an exceptional EP with Scottie Royal entitled The Royal Blew Reverie that is sure to keep the heads ringing well into 2016.

– Charles Morse, WKNC Underground Music Director

See SkyBlew on Night 2 of this year’s Double Barrel Benefit!

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB 13 Artist Profile: Earthly

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The Triangle may be known for its indie scene, but it’s home to an inventive electronic community as well. Part of this community is the DJ-duo Earthly, hailing from the Durham area. Earthly’s unique sample-based DJing makes their sound hard to classify; their newest release Days ranges from fun and exciting vibes on the track “Ice Cream” to more calm, consistent beats on “Daemon.” Their interesting mix of serene and playful sounds will either have you dancing or feeling like you’re playing a video game on a cloud.

With the increasing recognition of the Triangle electronic scene, Earthly is bound to have a popular year in 2016. The duo’s debut album got a 7.8 from Pitchfork last July, which I think is a pretty good sign that they are on to something big.

Bring your friends, wear a cool outfit, and come have fun with Earthly on night two of Double Barrel Benefit 13.

– Emily Ehling, WKNC Operations Manager

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB13 Artist Profile: Des Ark

​​Des Ark, a staple of the Triangle music scene for over a decade, will be headlining Night One of Double Barrel Benefit 13.

With the ability to captivate an audience with just an acoustic guitar, Aimeé Argote brings a high level of sincerity and intensity to every performance. Even with the immense power behind her full band sets, it’s not hard to identify and connect with her emotive lyrics.

To the delight of fans, Des Ark released their LP Everything Dies this fall on Graveface Records, reminding us all why we love this band. The record seems to find the perfect blend between delicate and striking, with a beautiful mastering of Argote’s folk melodies. Double Barrel 13 Night One marks Des Ark’s homecoming after a month-long, nationwide tour. Des Ark takes the stage Saturday, February 13, headlining Kings Barcade in Raleigh.

– Yvonne Chazal, WKNC Program Director

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB13 Artist Profile: Schooner

Long-time local favorites Schooner first formed in the early 2000’s from Reid Johnson’s four-track recordings. In 2004 they played the first ever Double Barrel Benefit. Since then they’ve released several records and gained quite a following throughout the Triangle. Self described as disheveled-pop-indie-psych-soul, Schooner’s music has the ability to transport you to another place.
The live energy when Schooner performs is amazing. It’s easy to see why they have been such a big part of the triangle music scene for so long. I can’t wait to see them play at Kings on Feb. 13!

– Matt Brown, WKNC General Manager

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB13 Artist Profile: Museum Mouth

Museum Mouth is no stranger to WKNC. With their heartfelt lyrics and indie punk feels, these Double Barrel veterans have garnered a supportive and loyal following here in the Triangle.

Coming out of NC coastal town Southport, Museum Mouth formed in 2009. They released their first EP I Am the Idiot Of The Jungle in 2010, followed quickly by full-length Tears in my Beer. This album, along with their later releases Sexy But Not Happy and Alex I Am Nothing received four-star reviews on PunkNews.org. The group gained their first big recognition winning mtvU’s Freshmen in 2012, getting the title track of SBNH aired on the channel. Since their start, Museum Mouth has only continued to grow and cultivate their sound. They also released a split EP last year with Double Barrel artist Naked Naps.

– Phian Tran, WKNC Local Band Local Beer Coordinator

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB13 Artist Profile: Naked Naps

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Originating at the beloved house show venue Mattress Fort and boasting a minimal two-piece sound, Naked Naps have exemplified the DIY rock scene in the Triangle for years. And they’re coming to Double Barrel hot off of their second full-length record. The duo have a unique talent for creating songs that feel sincerely emotional while simultaneously detached and cynical. Their music is bursting with energy but is also subtle and understated. The strong following their fantastic debut album generated is only getting bigger after their latest record and their split EP with fellow DBB artist Museum Mouth. With their new material ready to hit the stage for the first time, Naked Naps is the perfect band to kick things off at this year’s Double Barrel Benefit.   

– Alex Johnson, WKNC Local Music Director