Welcome to the WKNC Blog!

In an effort to reach out to our online community and encourage interaction with our listeners we have carved out an Internet outpost where WKNC listeners can come to find all of the newest and most up-to-date information about all of our music formats.  The past semester we have been busy at WKNC creating this new and exciting addition to our website and radio station.  Many members of our staff have given much of their time to the creation of this blog, and it is our hope that it thrives and excels as much as WKNC does.

On the blog, readers can expect to see music reviews, concert reviews, podcasts, and other generally cool and interesting stuff, posted entirely by WKNC staff members.  Additionally the blog will give listeners a heads up when we're doing on-air giveaways or having a live band in the studio.

We encourage each and every reader to contribute to posts by adding comments with their wordpress accounts. To subscribe to our full blog RSS feed please click the 'Subscribe' link at the top right of the blog main page, or subscribe to individual blog sections by clicking their titles on the blog main page.

All of us here at WKNC look forward to better serving our listening audience and the triangle music scene by providing a fresh, concise, and preeminent source for music and station news.  With 2009 upon us, we hope to continue setting trends in the college radio community and wish you all a happy new year!

Signed,
WKNC Staff

Colossus on Cannibalism

Raleigh metal act Colossus is back in the studio to record a new EP, as yet unnamed.   The album is being recorded outside Chapel Hill at Warrior Sound Studio.  According to guitarist Nicky Nixon the album will have five songs that "address a number of topics, including humans eating human corpses, human corpses reanimating and attempting to eat living humans, fish eating whale carcasses, and yet another song about cannibalism."

No word on when the EP is set to release, but you can catch Colossus live at Tir Na Nog January 22nd, as part of WKNC's Local Beer Local Band night along side Durham band Tooth.

WKNC Presents an Animal Collective Listening Party

Come one, come all to the Pour House on January 5th for an Animal Collective listening party hosted by WKNC & Schoolkids Records.  Animal Collective's new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, is set to be relased on vinyl (including an mp3 download of the album) January 6th and on CD January 20th.  However, if you want to listen and buy it before it hits the shelves, Schoolkids will be on location selling vinyl copies during the show.

WKNC will also be presenting three fresh local bands:
Old Bricks
Mr. Goodtimes
& an as yet un-named band consisting of two members of The Cumberland County Mean Gang

WKNC will also be giving away two prize packages from Domino Records to two lucky attendees.  Come on out and make it a night!

Live Electronic Music Every Monday Night in Downtown Raleigh

Every Monday night until March, The Big Easy is hosting Rumble Sessions - Fine Electronic Music. The music starts at 10 pm, 21+ only.

Check GruvGlu for a detailed schedule.

Goodnight Raleigh: The Afterhours Ten Year Reunion Show

John Morris, of popular local blog Goodnight, Raleigh! wrote up a fantastic piece on WKNC's annual Afterhours Reunion Show hosted by Afterhours' founders Rob Rousseau, Ben Thomas, and Steve Brown.  read on:

On Monday night, three former WKNC DJs got together for an Afterhours reunion show lasting from 6PM until 1AM. Pictured above from left to right are Rob Rousseau, Ben Thomas, and Steve Brown. For the past ten years, Ben and Steve have got together shortly before the beginning of the new year for the show. Rob participated in the set for the first time this year, although he has made guest appearances on past shows.



The Roots of Electronic Music on WKNC

Afterhours officially got its start as a nightly format in early 1997. It was named for the initial time it started, 12AM. Not long after it began, the show as well as the electronic dance music scene in general started to gain in popularity. It then moved to the 8PM to midnight slot, where it has been ever since. Prior to the beginning of Afterhours, electronic music on the station consisted of a few scattered shows here and there, mostly without a slot title. Rob called in to one of these shows, hosted by Dave Brock, and began his stint shortly thereafter in 1996.



Around the same time, Steve had been getting more and more interested in bringing electronica to the station. After hearing a show syndicated via newsgroups and cassette tape titled “The Digital Dream” out of Bath, England, he was inspired to start a program on WKNC that focused exclusively on this relatively new form of music.

 

During the first reunion show in 1998, Ben (above) called in and was invited to the studio. He then pursued an interest in being a DJ. His first slot was referred to as the PSA shift, as it was at 4AM and the first 30 minutes consisted of playing a recorded program before he got to select some of his own tracks for airplay. Shortly thereafter, he continued the show in the more primetime hours for a while after graduation.



The Reunion Show and the Future

Ben and Steve prepare for the show for almost a year prior to it. It’s always between Christmas and the New Year, which is more convenient when juggling a family and a full time job.

Lasting between six and seven hours, there is a lot of music to play. The sets are arranged and selected ahead of time, so they can concentrate on discussing the music amongst themselves and listeners of the show. They had 10 copies of the entire set to give away during the show, and several of the people calling in have been listening to the reunion show for the past few years.

They plan to continue on with the tradition and host the show again next year at around the same time. You can enjoy the legacy they started by tuning in to 88.1 or the web stream Monday - Thursday from 8PM until 12AM.

If you’d like to be a part of their mailing list to be informed of news and information on future shows and electronic music, contact us and we will forward your information to them.

Vote for Curse Your Name

Local metal act, Curse Your Name, has been nominated for Rock On Request Magazine's unsigned band of 2008.   You can vote for them by clicking here.   Right now they are in third place out of four.

An Intrusion of Roaches

Deep in the realm of interesting but somewhat useless information is a list of the correct names for groups of animals. Google it some time. The images these names bring to the mind's eye makes the time wasted well worth it. A group of barracudas is a battery, a group of ferrets a business, and a group of weasels a gang. Most important to us is a group of roaches: an intrusion.

An intrusion. Perfect. For decades, these songs have been lurking behind pop rock's radio facade, out of sight and out of mind. Now, on Saturday mornings, the Mystery Roaches intrude. They crawl up your walls. They sample your scraps. These songs hide under your wall hangings and swing on your nose hairs while you sleep. There might be one sucking on your toothbrush at this very moment.

This entry marks the first of what will be a weekly post about Mystery Roach, WKNC's weekly look at progressive, fusion, psychedelic, and garage rock from the 1960s and 1970s. Posts will be short, and they won't follow any particular format; they might contain thoughts on a song, album or artist I found or became obsessed with that week. They might contain the text with comments of a call or email from a listener that week. They might contain a story of how I almost spilled split pea soup on my computer as I was putting the show together (which just happened as I was typing this, a cautionary tale to anyone who tries to be thrifty with a ham bone).

You just never know.

Listen to Mystery Roach Saturday mornings from 8:00 to 10:00 am, and check the WKNC blog weekly for posts about the show.

Cheers.

-La Barba Rossa

Cookie Monster of Death

Many people refer to the vocal style used in death metal as “Cookie Monster vocals.” As a metalhead, I don’t usually use this term, but I am aware of the similarities between the voices of death-metal-ers like Chris Barnes (Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under) and the ravenous blue Muppet.

Although I haven’t watched “Sesame Street” in many years, I do remember Cookie Monster…and I believe there may be other links between Cookie Monster and Death Metal music.

Both Cookie Monster and death metal bands are obsessed with particular subjects. But instead of incessantly blathering about cookies, death metal bands tend to stick to their lyrical guns (knives, ice picks, etc.) and write sinister and disturbing music about destruction, mutilation, and of course, death.

This got me to thinking: are cookies evil? Maybe not, but, I know firsthand that they can definitely be used for evil.

When I was a kid, every winter my mom would buy those assorted butter cookies that come in a big blue tin. I always thought it wasn’t much of an assortment because four out of the five varieties tasted exactly the same (though they did come in different shapes).

The only cookies in the tin that I could tolerate were the chocolate chip ones; they were better than the taste-alike ones, but were poor representatives of the chocolate chip cookie ilk. My sister, on the other hand, liked the cookies, and chocolate chip were her favorite, too – they were always the first to go. Just like when we got Neapolitan ice cream: the chocolate portion always disappeared first.

Anyway, one early winter afternoon, I came home to find the first cookie tin of the season sitting on our kitchen table and I had an idea. I grabbed the tin and ran up to my room, emptied its contents onto my bed, and waited for my sister to get home. When she arrived, I snuck back downstairs with the empty tin under my shirt. I caught a glimpse of my sister reclining on the living room couch as I ran into the kitchen.

I placed the cookie tin on the stove and turned the burner on high. After about a minute I figured that the tin was hot enough and I removed it from the flame with potholders and put it on the kitchen table where I had first found it.

I strolled into living room with a satisfied smile on my face and informed my sister that there was a tin of cookies in the kitchen. She immediately headed for them, as I knew she would. Seconds later, I heard a scream and the sound of a hot aluminum hitting dirty linoleum.

Why did I do it? Well, because I was a kid and it seemed hilarious at the time. But…were there any underlying factors at play? Did I do it because my mind had been corrupted by years of listening to death metal?

Nah. I think the real reason is something that crazy blue Muppet knows all too well…those butter cookies are evil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWac5UT80no&feature=related

David Menconi on Afterhours Reunion Show

Just a special thanks to David Menconi, who helped promote the Afterhours Reunion Show on his N&O blog, On The Beat.  And just in case you were wondering, the show is tonight from 6pm-midnight.  Be sure to tune in to WKNC and kick back to the best Afterhours reunion show yet!

The Beast with Natalie Stewart of Floetry January 23, 2009

The Beast will be at The Brewery with Yo Majesty, Natalie Stewart Of Floetry on January 23, 2009

Armed with keys, bass, drums, and an emcee, The Beast makes revolutionary music - revolutionary in its genre-defying compositions, imaginative lyrics and political content. Tapping into the rich wellsprings of a conscious musical tradition, one could think they were listening to Bob Marley, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Gill Scott Heron or Public Enemy, at any point during a Beast performance. Infusing the best in jazz composition and improvisation with Hip-Hop poetry and soulful grooves, The Beast is North Carolina's own independent revolution. Beautifully rebellious and refreshingly conscious, The Beast creates music to engage/enrage one's mentality, and impassion all bodies to get up and move.

Hailing from the city of Durham, The Beast started as a chance encounter between Pierce Freelon (of local hip hop duo Language Arts and the Blackademics blog) and his old high school friend, drummer Stephen Coffman. In deciding to hold a casual jam session with local bass phenom Pete Kimosh and award-winning jazz composer Eric Hirsh, they had no clue what journey was in store for them. The musical connection and spontaneous creation that day were so powerful that one year later, entire pieces of music and lyrics remain unchanged from their original, improvised form.

Kooley High's "One Day" Trailer

"One Day," the soon to be released documentary movie about Raleigh-Durham Hip-Hop act Kooley High (directed by Napoleon Wright for Becauseus Films) is set to come out soon. The release date is January 24th at the Galaxy Cinema. Here is the official trailer:


"One Day" Movie Preview from Kooley High on Vimeo.

WKNC Underground alum, DJ Ill Digitz, will be spinning at 7pm when doors open.

Give the Gift of Music

The Raleigh News & Observer recommends filling your loved one's stockings with awesome local tunes this year. If you can only choose one, I recommend Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies' EP-1.

Q-Unique - Between Heaven and Hell

Q-Unique’s long history in the hip-hop music world includes revitalizing the legendary Rock Steady Crew, fronting the rap rock group Stillwell with Fieldy of Korn, membership with hip hop super group the Arsonists, and his own critically acclaimed solo album "Vengeance is Mine." In 2008, Q-Unique is putting out his best work to date : Between Heaven and Hell. A true hip hop album in a time of watered down commercial fluff.

Win Tickets to See Cowboy Mouth

Tune in to win tickets to see Cowboy Mouth at the Lincoln Theatre on December 28, 2008.

John Darnielle, Bon Iver, & Alina Simone In USAToday Top 100

Perhaps its time to stop placing Bon Iver and Alina Simone in the Local category, but its not time to stop giving them any attention.   And hey, we can still call John Darnielle our own right?  All three cracked the top 100 of USATodays Pop Candy 2008 People of the Year poll, compiled by Whitney Matheson.

The purpose of USAToday's Pop Candy is to "unwrap pop culture's hip and hidden secrets."  No secret to us or our listeners though, these three can all claim some citizenship to WKNC and the Triangle.

Bon Iver (aka Justin Vernon) comes from DeYarmond Edison, transplanted band from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Vernon left the band a year after moving to Raleigh, and Megafaun was born of the remaining members (Brad and Phil Cook, and Joe Westerlund).  We are still thanking Justin for that, and also for his latest release For Emma, Forever Ago which has scorched the airwaves all over America in the past year (I still listen to "Blindsided" about once a day).  Matheson put the band at #88 on her list with the kind words:

"The band, led by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, transfixed fans of all ages with a winning debut, For Emma, Forever Ago, and must-see live performances. "

Look for Bon Iver's Blood Bank EP to hit the shelves January 20th (if you havnt already gotten an illegal copy that seems to have found its way to every wanna-be pirate website on the net- just google it).

Alina Simone claims to preside in Brooklyn, but we in North Carolina know better.  Her unique brand of alternative folk/indie/ukrainish-punk (whatever it is) can be heard many times live throughout the Triangle during any given year.  Lets all convince her to just move down permanently.  Matheson made her #83 on the list saying:

"It's true that I can't decipher what Simone sings on her latest record, Everyone is Crying Out to Me Beware. But the singer's emotions come through on this powerful tribute to Russian punk/folk musician Yanka Dyagileva. "

Not familiar with John Darnielle?  How about the Mountain Goats?  Thats what I thought.  Darnielle concieved the Durham based band in 1991 while in college in California.  Interestingly enough, he didn't make Matheson's list for his music, but rather for his book Master of Reality.  He is #79 on the list:

"While he's best known for his band, The Mountain Goats, this year the musician grabbed my attention with his book about Black Sabbath's Master of Reality. Instead of delivering a dry history of the record for Continuum's 33 1/3 series, he penned a moving, fictional account of a metal-loving teen trapped in a mental hospital. By the end, readers get a sense of why the music matters -- and feel an overwhelming urge to spin some Sabbath."

Matheson forgot to mention that Darnielle used to work as a psychiatric nurse.

As of today, there are still 50 more spots to go, and while I normally disregard polls such as this, its always nice to find those North Carolina gems getting some hard earned recgonition.  So congrats!

New Year's Eve Electronica at Berkeley Cafe

Berkeley Cafe is hosting a New Year's Eve party with electronica DJs.

$10 / 9pm - 3am / 18+

Drink Specials / Party Favors / Super Special Suprise Amenities

SsMaxx aka. Shade & Vertical

Shyguy & Tommy L

Numerik

Swiff

Hard Science

Jeremy Granger

CyTunes Grand Opening

You know the story.  Local music die hard, and WXYC alum,  Cy Rawls, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in June of 2008.  Unable to pay his mounting medical bills, bands and friends from all over North Carolina, Virginia, and the US pitched in to throw some of the most amazing concerts, film viewings, and even bake sales, with all benefits attributed to a fund which paid for Cy's medical bills.  Unfortunately, at just the age of 33, on October 3, 2008, Cy passed away at Duke Medical Center.

Thankfully, it did not end there.  Enter CyTunes, a nonprofit music download site that "features exclusive music from artists who have contributed tracks (both live and in-studio) to help raise money for cancer research in memory of Cy Rawls."  There are 44 bands and artists in all (as of today) which include:

All Night Cantwell, Gomez, and Jordan Chew Toy Cy Rawl's Sweet Militia Dirty Little Heaters Double Negative Ex-Monkeys Evil Weiner Experts Flute Flies Geezer Lake

Greenades Hammer No More The Fingers I Was Totally Destroying It Joby's Opinion Johnson, Eubank, Morrow, Pence Lesbian Afternoon Magic Babies Mercury Birds Nein North Elementary Ryan Pound

Povlo Razzle Red Collar Rosebuds Shake Some Action Sorry About Dresden Starmount Superchunk Tractor Hips Wes Phillips Josh Zaslow

ALL PROCEEDS from CyTunes go to Tisch Brain Tumor Center, where Cy was a patient.  Please support this amazing organization, the bands that contribute to it, and the memory of Cy Rawls.

For more information, feel free to read these excellent articles by the Independent Weekly, and this write-up by Pitchfork.

Independent Weekly's Top 40 of 2008

The Independent Weekly has chosen their top 40 tracks from the Triangle music scene from 2008.  The list features brief summaries of each band and their song, plus free downloads of all 40 chosen songs.  Very cool.  To access the list click here.

Some notable gems that even we at WKNC missed include Lois Deloatch's traditional piece of "Down By The Riverside," a fantastic jazzy/blues number,  Michael Holland's country tune "Ballad of Eric Rudolph," and Kooley High's hip-hop track "Kool With It" from the Summer Sessions.  Be on the lookout for these tunes to hit the Local Lunch & other WKNC formats in the near future.

A couple of songs I might have been able to survive without out that made the list include Bryce Clayton Eiman's static laced "The Black & The Black" and ambient/indie band Boyzone with their song "Six Hunkth," but its no secret I shy away from ambient/experimental tunes, and you gotta make everyone happy, right?  I am also a tad bit confused on how Oregeon folk singer David Karsten Daniels made the list.  I understand he plays the Triangle frequently, but would appreciate any knowledge on his relation to the Triangle.

Some notable exceptions include Greg Humphreys, Lonnie Walker, Tift Merritt, & Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies.  But alas, only room for 40, and I think the Indy always does a fantastic job with these sorts of lists.  By the way, does anyone consider Ryan Adams, Hotel Lights, or Roman Candle local anymore?  Just a thought...

Post-Rock. Is It Metal?

Pelican is a band from Chicago on the amazing Hydra Head Label run and founded by Aaron Turner, founder of ISIS. Other bands on the label roster include Boris, Jesu, Kayo Dot, Lustmord, Merzbow, Zozobra, and Cave In. Past bands include Cult of Luna, Sunn O))), and Neurosis. Many of these bands are ambient drone bands or post-rock bands. Other bands which are similar to these artists are ISIS, Explosions In The Sky, Mogwai, Anathema, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, Adai, Red Sparowes, Russian Circles, The Angelic Process, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, North, Godflesh, and Mountains Became Machines. All these bands are pretty heavy, when it comes to emotional and moving music, and have toured with metal bands. Many metal heads listen to these bands and enjoy them. So is Post-Rock really Indie Music? Or is it just another offshoot of Heavy Metal. I'm going to say Metal, due to the sheer fact that most of these bands have metal roots. ISIS was a doom band as well as Anathema. Justin Broadrick, founder of Jesu and Godflesh, was the original guitarist on Napalm Death's "Scum". It just seems to me that Post-Rock should have it's name changed. In this author's humble opinion, to Ambient Metal. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go work on my Instrumental Ambient Metal Avant Garde band, Renob Sinep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoB7Ymcq4iI

-Noobhammer

Downcycle to call it quits?

Local hard rock act, Downcycle, announced today that their lead singer Joe Verga is calling it quits in the band after a year and a half since the band reformed in May 2007, citing "personal issues."  The three original members, Barry Knain, Todd Parham and Sean Loepp plan on sticking around however, and looking for a new vocalist or "joining the circus."

This is their second vocalist in as many years, the first being Mike Bonavita.

In the meantime, its unlikely Barry, Todd, and Sean's side act, Headbelt, will be seeing the same drop off.

From Your Friendly Neighborhood Americana DJ

As the lovely host of Americana Blues & Company here at WKNC, I am frequently asked two questions when I try to explain my show to someone:

1. Wait, your DJ name is Sweet Annie Rich?  But that's not your real name...
2. What is Americana?

To answer the first question, I must say to you: Gram Parsons.  If you do not know who he was, look him up.  It will make answering the second question much, much, MUCH easier.

Secondly... Americana is a LOT of things.  It's not simply country or bluegrass or rockabilly or what-have-you.  It's an amalgamation of the genres born right here in America (hence "Americana"), and, to quote the late great Gram Parsons himself: it is Cosmic American Music.  It is where all of the purely American styles come together to create the true spirit of music.  It is pure and transcendent.

For a primer in Americana, here's a video which contains the old (a Gram Parsons song with Emmylou Harris, who is ubiquitous to the genre) meeting the new (Ryan Adams singing the part Gram used to sing) to keep this transcendent spirit alive and going:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ie8BDBSZs

GWAR Will Swallow Your Soul!!! (If You Have One...)

GWAR is coming to the House of Blues at Myrtle Beach on 12/13. We here at Chainsaw Rock have 5 tickets to give away and you can be one if you listen to the metal starting 12/4 going to 12-5.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWRKlNlRsgI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtiTZ2WS3Fg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jQzzaiP9l4

-Noobhammer

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 12/2/08

New album 'Heart On' lacks electricity
Kyle Robb
General Manager, WKNC 88.1 FM

Hailing from Palm Springs, Calif., Eagles of Death Metal is masterminded by high school friends Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme. Though Homme’s other band, Queens of the Stone Age, had already achieved widespread success prior to Eagles’ debut release of Peace, Love, and Death Metal in 2004, he has maintained a musical partnership with Hughes since 1998.

First and foremost: Eagles of Death Metal are not a death metal band. Perhaps best summarized as garage rock, Homme once described the band’s sound as “bluegrass slide guitar mixed with stripper drum beats and Canned Heat vocals.”

Their debut received favorable reviews and several tracks were featured on commercial spots and in the movie Thank You For Smoking. Their follow-up, Death by Sexy, was released in 2006 and featured contributions from Jack Black, Liam Lynch and Dave Grohl among others.

Heart On opens with the rhythmic clapping of "Anything ‘cept the Truth," which quickly descends into the treble drenched riffs of Hughes’ guitar. In addition to the opener, Eagles are at their high powered rocking best with upbeat tracks like "Wannabe in LA," "High Voltage," and "Secret Plans."

Of course, as with any other Eagles of Death Metal album, the release is latent with hilarious quips on the nuances of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. Tracks like ‘(I Used to Couldn’t Dance) Tight Pants’ and ‘Cheap Thrills’ highlight the band’s authentic brand of rock humor, but neither compare to the majestic ode to self abuse that is ‘Solo Flights.’

Ultimately, the album makes for a fun listen and contains solid tracks from top to bottom, but if you’re looking for that infectious toe-tapping crunchy rock anthem that stays in your head for days, then look elsewhere. There is not a single track on the album that can be identified as a weakened link to the album’s fluidity, but conversely, there is not a single track which differentiates itself as spectacular. This lack of electricity is what ultimately places Heart On behind its predecessors.

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.

Cynic-Traced In Air: A review which should be traced in air

Cynic has been around for many, many years. Fifteen years to be exact, and they have not lost a single ounce of musicianship with their aging. They are still as technical as their early nineties counterparts, Death and Atheist, yet they somehow found a way to break out of that death metal mold and become something quite unique. Their second cd, Traced In Air, has turned alot of heads due to its departure from Focus in terms of brutality. Yet what they have dropped in brutality, they more than make up for with melodic and amazingly brilliant song-writing. The songs have so many layers to them, that you cannot wish to comprehend them with only one listen. With this release, Cynic have shown the world what it truly means to be a progressive metal band. All the songs on the album pick you up off your feet and carry you where you can be lost in the music, only to thrown into a tornado of organized chaos which leaves you breathless just set you back down on your feet a few moments later. This sensation may sound displeasing, but it will have you wanting to go back and listen to it over and over again. It is a short cd, which is very agonizing due to nature of the songs which just leave you wanting more. Cynic is truly a one-of-a-kind band and you should definitely pick this cd up just so it will never leave your iPod, cd player, or whatever music player you use. It is that brilliant of an album, and I hope they don't wait another fifteen years to release another cd.

Cd Score:
[rating:5/5]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fhVLykF3nU

-Noobhammer

Future Kings of Nowhere on Hiatus

Popular local act, Future Kings of Nowhere has just announced their plans to go on hiatus for the first couple months of 2009.   According to the Future Kings of Nowhere's myspace page, the band is taking time off due to the constant stress and workload that their touring required and to get their creative processes back in order.  Below is taken from their myspace blog:

After our last 4 shows in December, The Future Kings of Nowhere will be going on hiatus. We have played a ton of shows over the past few years and have had a ton of fun, but I'm frankly a bit worn out. I'm stunned when I look back at all of my life goals that I've already accomplished in this band; playing at CBGBs, getting reviewed in magazines, opening for one of my musical heroes (twice!), getting radio play all over the country, being able to use the band to help promote some good causes, going on some long tours. Not to mention the incredible thrill of connecting with an audience while you all sing along with our songs. On the flipside, we've spent a ridiculous amount of time and money pursuing this, and I've let that pursuit do some real damage to some important friendships. Somewhere in the last year or so, this whole thing turned from fun into serious work. Everything has become opportunity cost and promotion. I know that anything good takes effort, and I'm not scared of putting my back into my music, but I never wanted to be a businessman. I got into this because I loved playing music and when I sang these songs it felt like it was going to save my life. I feel like there is something that I've lost about what it means to really truly love what you're doing, and I need to take a little while to figure out what I forgot.

We'll still be around though. I'll still be playing drums with Resist Not, Mike will be playing washboard with Midtown Dickens, and Jon will still be playing the coffee machine at 3 Cups. Thank you all...from the bottom of our hearts...for buying our albums and coming to our shows and singing along and telling your friends and giving us couches to sleep on and meals to eat while we were on the road. And hopefully, in a few months we'll be rested and ready to go again.

xoxo,
Shayne, Mike and Jon

Hopfully, this break is only a temporary one, and FKoN comes back even stronger than before.  In the meantime, their last four shows for 2008 might be the last for awhile, so be sure to check them out:

• December 4th: Tir na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh
  (LOCAL BEER LOCAL BAND NIGHT sponosored by WKNC & Big Boss Brewing Company.  FREE)


• December 5th: The Cave in Chapel Hill


• December 14: Nara Sushi in Richmond, Va


• December 15: Cat's Cradle in Carrboro
  (Trekky X-Mas Special)

Scott Avett's Artwork at the Envoy Gallery

Having some Avett Brothers withdrawal this time of the year?  Here is a nice remedy to curb that unwanted emptiness:

Scott Avett's artwork is now on display in an ongoing presentation at the Envoy Gallery in NYC.  The presentation is called "Sketches from the road, from home and from the life of a transient artist." Click to see these beautiful drawings here.

"While traveling constantly and moving as often as I do, I have learned that to occupy my time with learning and or creating is crucial to my well-being as an artist. It is important, like all things, that a balance is enforced and that I don't shut myself off entirely from my surroundings for there is so much to see around us. Never-the-less there are times where there is no way to turn but inward as well as there are times that the only way to grow or complete a task is to disappear and work. The drawings available through envoy gallery are products of that time disappearing. Each come from one of three scenarios, which are all, linked to my time with The Avett Brothers and our creative journey. One is self-portrait, my most loyal and accessible subject matter, second is the observational drawing which is a drawing of a person place or thing around me used as practice or just to kill time, and three are preliminary drawings that serve as research for the visual side of The Avett Brothers."                  -Scott Avett

And I must add, Scott Avett can certainly draw an excellent pair of testicles.

Emo Pillow Fights

Winston-Salem has proven to be the relative breeding ground of emo bands in North Carolina throughout the 2000's. And though this strange, somehow popular, and in most cases annoying musical genre that bases much of its sound around the fashion of japanese anime hairdos and post hardcore punk, tries to come off as tough and rugged, it has begun showing its softer side. In this case, popular W-S band Yearling has posted images of the band having a pillow fight (a presumed initiation of their most recent band mate) on their myspace page with the opportunity for their fans to write a humorous caption.  The winner gets a free copy of their new album, a t-shirt, and an autographed poster.  Needless to say, this contest is turning out more to be entertainment for heterosexual males such as myself, rather than the assumed reactions the band was hoping for.  The contest ends December 1st. This should be interesting...

Local Beat preview 11/21/08

Tonight on the Local Beat DJ Stevo and the Local Beat crew will be joined in studio by Chapel Hill indie group The Butterflies. The Butterflies are set to release their brand new debut album, Nothing's Personal, off of Chapel Hill based Trekky Records, tonight at the Duke Coffeehouse with Durham band, The Physics of Meaning. As always at the Duke Coffeehouse, doors open at 8:30 and the show starts at 9:30.

Listen in to the Local Beat every Friday from 5-8pm!




Related Links:
-The Butterflies
-The Physics of Meaning
-Trekky Records
-The Duke Coffeehouse

WKNC Documentary (1995)

A documentary made by former General Manager Alan Watkins which won first place in the Collegiate Crystal Awards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8KzMiihLxc

WKNC Program Spotlight: The Dance Dance Revolution

The fine folks at Goodnight Raleigh sat down with WKNC's DJ Kyle. Besides his duties as a program host, Kyle is the station's fearless leader (aka general manager) and regularly contributes to our 88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week feature in the Technician.

The best way to visualize the Dance Dance Revolution (Sundays at 8:00 P.M.) is to use an analogy Kyle mentioned when describing his show: If indie rock were fire and electro were ice, DDR would be the lukewarm water between the two...

Read more at Goodnight Raleigh.

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 11/18/08

'Dear Science' another triumph for TV On The Radio
Jon Gomes
DJ, WKNC 88.1 FM

TV On The Radio is a musical force to be reckoned with. Since the release of Young Liars EP in 2003, the experimental Brooklyn-based group has made three highly lauded albums. Their latest effort, Dear Science, follows up on 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain, which topped several critics’ lists. The new album sheds the density of its predecessor in favor of a more flavored, balanced sound.

The music on Dear Science is a confluence of funky synth hooks, visceral Afrobeat rhythms and sexy horns—all presented in a well-produced package. Atop this amalgamation, vocalist Tunde Adebimpe lays down impassioned lyrics, adding swagger to heavier tracks and depth to the slower ones. Falsetto accents and an infectious vocal melody underlie the opener “Halfway Home,” a smoldering surf-rock-inspired number that climaxes into chaos towards the coda. The album quickly shifts gears with the laid-back groove of “Crying,” and again with the frenetic “Dancing Choose.” In the latter, purring synths bolster insistent rap verses and brazen, horn-laden choruses.

Dear Science reverts to a more relaxed sound for the next few tracks. A swaying beat and layered strings lend themselves to the sublime mood of “Stork and Owl.” Rhythms tense up for “Golden Age,” which showcases TV On The Radio’s skill in weaving horns and strings into songs. However, the album’s true highlight lies in the next track, a poignant, string-driven ballad entitled “Family Tree.” Adebimpe’s layered vocals and poetic lyrics add to the song’s beauty—ethereal, but not in the typical ambient post-rock sense.

The warmth quickly melts away with the biting and angular “Red Dress.” Featuring incredibly funky chicken-scratch guitar and syncopated African-flavored beats, it is easily the most aggressive song on the album. The brassy, in-your-face chorus complements the snarled lyrics. Yet another musical transition occurs with the swoopy and airy “Love Dog.” The next song, “Shout Me Out,” is one of the most dynamic tracks on the album. Brooding, guitar-driven verses smolder before erupting into a triumphant, percussive movement halfway into the song.

Smooth and relaxed, “DLZ” stands out for its excellent lyrics. Adebimpe’s talent for writing is evident with lines, such as “This is beginning to feel like the long-winded blues of the never / Barely controlled locomotive consuming the picture and blowing the crows, the smoke.” Dear Science comes to a pleasant close with “Lover’s Day,” a galloping track that epitomizes the group’s composite sound. The song tapers to stripped vocals and horns over a driving drum beat, a contrast from the opening track.

As a whole, Dear Science has the hallmarks of a five-star album. Every track is distinct but consistent in quality. The lyrical work is novel and exploratory. And it simply sounds good—the production by band member Dave Sitek is stellar. The album’s only questionable aspect is flow and the frequent changes in mood between songs. Regardless, there is not a solid reason why Dear Science isn’t worthwhile. To understand the buzz about TV On The Radio, just listen to their latest release.

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.

State of State Encore: NCSU Linguistics

Join us tonight for a special encore edition of State of State. M.C. talks with Professor Walt Wolfram from the linguistics program at N.C. State. Tune in Mondays from 7-8 p.m. or subscribe to the weekly podcast. Be sure to send your show ideas to M.C. at stateofstate@wknc.org.

Local Beer Local Band

Join us Thursday night, November 13 for music from Buzzaround and Luego. It'll be a full moon.

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 11/10/08

Miniature Tigers' debut provides quick, yet infectious experience
Kyle Robb
General Manager, WKNC 88.1 FM

Despite being named as “one of the 25 best bands on Myspace” in December 2006 by Rolling Stone magazine, Miniature Tigers remain largely anonymous. But this Pheonix, Ariz., band, masterminded by singer/guitarist Charlie Brand and drummer Rick Schaier, have released an album of harmonious, catchy, indie-pop songs which threaten to permeate throughout the popular music scene much like Vampire Weekend and MGMT did earlier this year.

Miniature Tigers’ debut, Tell it to the Volcano, was released this September, and the band embarked on its first ever national tour in October.

Volcano opens with a track called "Cannibal Queen" which is reminiscent of Ben Kweller in style and delivery, maintaining a straight road towards a state of light, breezy, indie pop. Other standouts like the title track, "The Wolf," "Annie Oakley" and "Tchaikovsky & Solitude" represent a continuation of the style the album builds from its opener, and each track is as catchy as the Bubonic Plague.

Listening to Tell it to the Volcano in its entirety, Miniature Tigers sounds like a seasoned band, not one that’s just beginning to tour. All the pieces of the complex pop songs fit together just right, making them stick in your head after only one listen. The major flaw of the album lies not within the content, but with the sheer lack of quantity. The album has 11 tracks, none of which exceed three minutes and 31 seconds, bringing the total album length to a paltry 29:05. A short collection of two minute songs can serve to curb the musical ADHD which listeners can oftentimes suffer, but ultimately the brevity of the album leaves the consumer craving more content.

An excerpt from their website perhaps sums them up best: "Miniature Tigers combine influences ranging from The Beatles to The Beach Boys, from Pinkerton to Indiana Jones, creating infectious, pitch perfect indie-pop that boldly wears its heart on its sleeve. In the world of Miniature Tigers, songs of unrequited love and relationship anxiety are transformed with animal metaphors and translated into gripping adventure narratives populated by Vikings, swashbucklers, gunfighters, cannibals, undersea creatures and dinosaurs."

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.

State of State #3: Bright Young Things

M.C. talks with up-and-coming Raleigh band Bright Young Things. Four of the five members are current or former NCSU students. The program includes an interview with the band and live recording from their Nov. 7 show at The Pour House. Music in this podcast used with permission.

Tune in Mondays from 7-8 p.m. or subscribe to the weekly podcast. Bright Young Things will also be playing with Whistlestop at WKNC's Local Beer Local Band on Nov. 20.

http://www.wknc.org/blog/post/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/SOS111008.mp3

State of State #2: NCSU Linguistics Program

On the next "State of State," M.C. talks with Professor Walt Wolfram from the linguistics program at N.C. State. Tune in Mondays from 7-8 p.m. or subscribe to the weekly podcast.

http://www.wknc.org/blog/post/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/SOS110308.mp3

State of State #1: NCSU Women's Center

This week on "State of State" we feature the Women's Center at NCSU. October has been a big month with activities such as Chocolate Fest, Love your Body Day, and Take Back the Night. This program includes interviews with those involved in Men Against Rape and The Movement.

http://www.wknc.org/blog/post/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/SOS102708.mp3