Kooley High and Carlitta Durand at the Pour House

If you live around Raleigh, Kooley High is one of those groups that everyone seems to be familiar with through word of mouth or after seeing one of their many concert posters promoting their next gig around town.  They perform regularly around the Triangle, yet, somehow, I had yet to see one of their shows until now.  After procuring a pair of tickets to their show at the Pour House on Friday, May 28, I was pumped to finally see them live.

It was a good thing I was pumped because, rather than letting the unexpected downpour dampen my mood, I used it as a funny conversation starter when seeing other concert goers who had obviously suffered the same water soaked journey from their car to the venue.

The opening artists got the crowd warmed up by the time Carlitta Durand took the stage.  Her energy was positive, quirky, and contagious from the get go.  When she started singing, everyone was captivated by her soulful lyrics and smooth sound.  Her backup singers blended perfectly, and the band played with such energy and passion that almost seemed old school.  Undoubtedly, Carlitta performed a beautiful and moving set.



As Kooley High took to the stage, the crowd was ready and the energy was intense.  Kooley High did not disappoint and used the energy of the crowd to push it further.  Each individual of the group brought something fresh and new to their sound, while still managing to rhyme effortlessly as a group without one person overbearing the others.  Their set was tight and powerful.  For all of the people in attendance, it was a great way to spend their Friday night.

Great week to enjoy some rockabilly!

Even though you may not be able to catch the Rockabilly Hour every Sunday (GO PACK BASEBALL!), you sure can check out these great events going on this week!

This Thursday, 6/3: REVEREND HORTON HEAT with Cracker and the Legendary Shack Shakers at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro (I will also be celebrating my birthday there that night!)



Also, on Saturday, June 5 ROAD RASH, at Puckett's in Charlotte... the first annual car show with some great bands...



I will be there admiring the hot rods and the great music!

<3 always,

Laurie Lu

The Rockabilly Hour

Sundays, 2:00 - 4:00 PM

rockabilly@wknc.org

DJ Ones Five Music Facts from the past week

1. Arcade Fire has announced specifics for their upcoming album entitled The Suburbs. Earlier in the week, the band released a special 12'' single with two songs from the upcoming album. They have also announced a release date in early August. (via NME)

2. MIA has recently tweeted the phone number of a New York Times journalist who recently published an article that detailed the artist in an unflattering light. In response Lynn Hirschberg, the writer whose number was publicly released, responded saying, "She's a provocateur, and provocateurs want to be provocative." Hirschberg also stated that she found MIA's response, "not surprising." (via Guardian)

3. Due to Bono's recent back surgery, U2 had to cancel their upcoming tour and headlining of Glastonbury. It was then later released that the band that would be replacing U2 at the upcoming festival would be Gorillaz instead. (via BBC)

4. The New Pornographers' Kathryn Calder is set to release her own solo album on August 10th. Following fellow bandmates including Neko Case, Calder's first solo album is entitled Are You My Mother? (via Pitchfork)

5. David Byrne is suing the Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, alleging that the Talking Heads' song "Road to Nowhere" was used in an advertisement without permission or proper licensing. Byrne is seeking $1 million in damages. (via ABC)

5/25 Top Afterhours/RPM ablums on WKNC

1. GORILLAZ     Plastic Beach     (Virgin)

2. HOT CHIP     One Life Stand     (Astralwerks)

3. TORO Y MOI     Causers of This     (Carpark)

4. SUGAR AND GOLD     Get Wet!     (Antenna Farm)

5. FOUR TET     There is Love in You     (Domino)

6. BASSNECTAR     Cozza Frenzy     (Amorphous-Child's Play)

7. NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB     The Optimist     (The Numbers)

8. JAVELIN     No Mas     (Luaka Bop)

9. VARIOUS ARTISTS     Best of 80s Dance     (Capp)

10. SLEIGH BELLS     Treats     (Mom and Pop)

Kooley High says, "See you later." In-studio Interview

A few hours before Kooley High performs at the Pour House for their farewell Raleigh show, Foolery and Charlie Smarts wanted to come in and chat about their hip-hop legacy in North Carolina as well as their expectations for their futures in New York. The band plans to continue to make new music up north, but not before they have a great send-off tonight which will include classic Kooley High tracks mixed in with some new surprises.



Listen to part of the interview here:

Part 1: Introductions Deck1-2010-05-28_11-26-12-381_1

Part 2: A Changing Environment Deck1-2010-05-28_11-35-16-631_1

Local Beer Local Band for June 3

WKNC and Tir Na Nog Irish Pub kick June off right with a triple billed Local Beer Local Band - Tomahawks, Monologue Bombs and Filthybird. Even if you haven't caught a show by Chapel Hill's the Tomahawks yet, you've heard from them. Two of the band's members - Nick Jaeger and Jeff Crawford - are part of Max Indian, who headlined the first night of WKNC's Double Barrel Benefit 7 and played one of our 2009-2010 Fridays on the Lawn shows. Cameron Lee and Matt Damron of Bright Young Things (also of FOTL fame) make up two more of the Tomahawks. Fifth member Charles Cleaver has worked with Luego and a few other local bands. Feel free to comment below with other band connections - the point is, these guys are some of the superstars of the North Carolina indie scene.

The Monologue Bombs call Raleigh home. Led by pianist/singer Scott Phillips, the solo act turned into a full band in November.  Filthybird represents Greensboro with what "the Folks from the Pinhook" call "kind of a cosmic americana western eastern totem spirit animal." What more can you ask for in a FREE local music showcase? Local Beer Local Band kicks off around 10 p.m. each Thursday at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub, with draft specials on North Carolina beer (may I recommend the Shotgun Betty?).

On Deck:

6/10- Goodbye Titan, The White Cascade, Starmount
6/17- Colossus, White Tiger, The Bed of Roses
6/24- Embarrassing Fruits, Whatever Brains

Arcade Fire Finally Releases New Single and New Album Details

The 12'' single which was previously teased very briefly by Arcade Fire has finally been released to the world. The two songs which are entitled "The Suburbs" and "Month of May" have been highly anticipated, and the unexpected release of these two new tracks already has music press buzzing about the possibilities of the next full length, which is expected sometime later this year. The two tracks have some questioning whether or not the next LP from the band could possibly be a concept album about a dystopian universe.



Since the news has been released, the single has popped up in a Glasgow, Scotland, record store, only with a white label that has basic track info. The picture taken by Chris Ward, the man who found the single in Glasgow is below:



Hear the tracks for yourself:

"Month of May"

[youtube width="425" height="25"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23X24Ei7J2w

"The Suburbs"

[youtube width="425" height="25"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jG9lqa8Uvw&feature=player_embedded

**Update**



Since the story broke yesterday afternoon, the band has also announced plans for their upcoming album which will be entitled "The Suburbs." The album is set to release August 3rd. Will and Win Butler spoke on NPR earlier about the meaning behind their next full length's title, claiming that is was inspired by their upbringing in Houston.

James Ethan Clark on WKNC: A retrospective

Recently,  the very talented James Ethan Clark was on the radio show for a little Q&A session AND a live performance!



Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to say that the man tore it up on the microphone.  The song "Anna Mae" was a soulful, impassioned, flurry of emotion complete with solid vocals and steady guitar riffs.  "Forbidden Fruit" weaves a tale of unattainable yet irresistible love accompanied with a harmonica solo or two.   However, that's just one humble deejay's opinion, as the recordings really speak for themselves.  Help yourself to a listen or two below in the player and the embedded video.  In addition to the songs you can hear below, be sure to check out the full recording of the interview in case you missed it or wanted to hear it all again.  Also, be sure to check out the awesome photos posted nonchalantly around this post.

"Forbidden Fruit"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Ss5hozgyA

Interview Segments:   (Part 1)Part 1: Interview (Part 2)Part 2: Interview (Part 3)Part 3: Interview

James and I

Free Energy in Studio Next Tuesday 6/1 4pm EST

I, DJ Ones, will have the privilege of interviewing Free Energy next Tuesday at 4pm right here on 88.1 FM. Remember you can always stream the interview live on WKNC.org/listen. The band will come in before their show at Local 506 alongside Jukebox The Ghost, and another KNC favorite Minature Tigers.

Free Energy is one of the fastest rising bands in the nation right now. Since the release of their debut album Stuck on Nothing, the band has gone from receiving high praise from Pitchfork, Uncut, and Spin, and they have been named one of the best new bands of 2010 by Rolling Stone.

After hearing their music on WKNC, make sure you check out their live interview before what is sure to be an excellent show at Local 506. Oh and if you haven't heard them before, you could always listen to one of my favorite songs, "Bang Pop," below:

[youtube width="425" height="25"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fx-QfVxxRE

Kooley High on WKNC this Friday

Join Special K and the Sajhammer this Friday at 11 a.m. as they will be talking to local hip-hop band, Kooley High. The band plans to discuss their upcoming performance with Carlitta Durand at the Pour House, May 28.



During the show, Kooley High will also be giving away tickets to their show. Be sure to tweet questions you'd like the WKNC deejays to ask the band. Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online.

Sessions@KNC: Boylion

Photographs taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Photo by Katie Hill

Boylion (Robert Finck) is a champ.  I mean, come on.  He plays a classical guitar, which sounds amazing only because it's falling apart.  He's got connections with upright bass players all over the state.  He's a connoisseur of jorts.   On top of all that, he's one of the most dynamic performers to set foot in the Caldwell Lounge.  Alongside bassist Nate Goldsmith, Finck's expressions progress from whispers to a roar.

From the arhythmic declarations of "I Can Only Build Coffins" to the new, unreleased track "October," this session is dense with personality and emotion.  Do yourself a favor by listening to "Leafless Weeks" below and importing each of the songs into your iTunes library (free mp3's at the bottom, duh)!

Boylion's next listed show is at The Station in Carrboro, on June 17th.  Also, read more about his debut LP, BOYLION, here.

The Olive-Skinned Sirens.mp3

Photo by Katie Hill

Boylion.mp3

October.mp3

Lost on Your Sea.mp3

I Can Only Build Coffins_Roots of Hickory Elm and Ash

Leafless Weeks.mp3

As I Circled 'Round.mp3

N.C. State Baseball Advances to the ACC Tournament

For all of you baseball fans out there, stay tuned to WKNC this week for the three NCSU Baseball ACC Championship games.  The Wolfpack will take on Clemson Wednesday night; airtime on WKNC will begin at 8 p.m. For NCSU vs. Georgia Tech tune into WKNC Friday evening at 8 p.m. Saturday's game when NCSU faces Virginia Tech will also air at 8 p.m.  Go Wolfpack!

For more information about Wolfpack Baseball, check out their website.

This Week's Giveaways

This week on WKNC we are giving away tickets to a myriad of fun goodness:



5/28 Carlitta Durand and Kooley High at The Pour House



5/29 North Elementary at Slim's



Robin Hood, with Russel Crowe and Cate Blanchett



Sex and the City 2!!! With Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Kattrall

Keep listening for these exciting giveaways and more!!!!

Aquatic Americana and Counting to Ocho

Friday night I had the privilege of seeing three great acts at the Pour House. The night started off with a solo show by BJ Barham of American Aquarium. He played some of his own material as well as stripped down versions of songs by the band. One gentleman in the balcony took the opportunity between songs to heckle, and BJ quickly turned the tables. Several minutes of hilarious banter ensued and by the end of it, BJ had clearly conquered the room. Besides hilarity, the music was great, even if some of the lyrics were a bit worn.

Luego took the stage after BJ and played tunes from both their Taped-Together Stories album as well as their forthcoming Ocho album. The performance lacked some of the energy I had seen in previous Luego shows, but the sound was amazing and the new songs had just as much confidence and southern swagger as the older songs.

During Luego, I also had the tremendous privilege of meeting Caitlin Cary. Caitlin was formerly a member of Whiskeytown with Ryan Adams and has now teamed up with The Proclivities front-man Matt Douglas to form Small Ponds. She still puts out great Americana, and she's even sweeter in person than the thoughtfully romantic lyrics she belts out on-stage. Douglas still croons and swoons with the greatness of The Proclivities, but the new depth added by Caitlin and her violin made for an amazing ending to my Friday night.

Superchunk schools audience on the power of Rock and Roll

by Jacob and Spaceman Spiff



On Friday evening, the paragons of the independent age of music, Superchunk, played a night for the fans at the stage they helped build at the Cat’s Cradle.  The show was a warm-up for the summer music festival season and an east coast tour in the fall that will coincide with the release of their first full length album in nine years Majesty Shredding.   Fears that the show would highlight a laid back set from Superchunk stemming from the inclusion of Ryan Gustafson on the bill were quickly alleviated by Gustafson’s inclusion of friends from the Drughorse Collective to add a full band sound to his twangy pop.  Gustafson's set was fantastic, the crowd was dancing and bobbing heads in approval as he performed his catchy songs with heartfelt conviction.

Superchunk took the stage at 10:00 p.m. brimming with intensity, vitality and volume.  Mac McCaughan owned the stage with moves that would put most Guitar Hero avatars to shame, Laura Balance is still a master of control with the bass, Jon Wurster’s drums told the packed house when to dance and when to jump, and—self-deprecating humor aside—Jim Wilbur’s guitar knew the potpourri of songs spanning the bands 20+ career better than anyone in the room.  What really set the show apart was that the majority of the set wasn’t forged to promote an album or conform to the bands comfort zones, but it was instead fueled and filled with requests taken by the band over email from the previous week.  It was a thrill to hear "Slack Motherfucker," "Precision Auto," and "Water Wings" in the same evening, and fans responded with great fervor.

As the night wore on, the magnetic energy in the room became tangible.  Superchunk was good enough to preview two songs from their new album Digging For Something and Everything at Once.  John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, who will be a guest on Majesty Shredding, came out to lend backup vocals to "Digging For Something" and was in the envious position of getting to dance around on stage with Superchunk.  An easy highlight of the evening, the fast and furious "Everything at Once" may be giving fans’ favorite songs a run for their money.  The only downside of the night was that it took the tech crew at the Cradle the first three songs of Superchunk’s set to blend the audio levels properly, but this may be a testament to the band's rowdy enthusiasm. For an hour and a half they rocked hard, and we were all mesmerized.

Superchunk's setlist:

1. Tower

2. For Tension

3. Skip Steps 1&3

4. Learned To Surf

5. Digging For Something (ft. John Darnielle)

6. Ribbon

7. Sidewalk

8. I Guess I Remembered It Wrong

9. Florida's On Fire

10. Water Wings

11. European Medicine

12. Package Thief

13. Everything At Once

14. Precision Auto

Encore:

15. On The Mouth

16. From The Curve

17. Slack Motherfucker

Encore 2:

18. Hyper Enough (ft. John Darnielle)

19. Throwing Things

Local Beer Local Band for May 27

Feel free to start celebrating Memorial Day a little early with WKNC and Tir Na Nog's Local Beer Local Band. Spider Bags, who you may have seen at WKNC's Double Barrel Benefit 7, and Whatever Brains take the stage this Thursday, May 27. Independent Weekly had a great article on Spider Bags back in September 2009 if you want to know more about them.

Interview with R&B sensation Case audio and wrap up

On Saturday, 5/22, Mir.I.am had the opportunity to speak with multi-platinum R&B legend Case.  In the engaging interview, Case revealed the reason behind his 8 year absence from music, the benefits and disadvantages of going independent, the shooting accident that almost ended his life, and much more.

In the twenty minute interview, Case also describes how involved he was in the writing and production of his latest album The Rose Experience and how he's already working on the album's follow up.

Most known for hit singles "Touch Me Tease Me", "Missing You", and "Happily Ever After", some would classify Case's signature sound as romantic soul with a touch of hip-hop.

Find out more about Case here and on twitter.

Check out clips of the interview below in case you missed it.
CASEEDIT1

caseedit2

caseedit3

"Real RnB Radio" formerly known as "Saturday Night Soul and R&B" airs every Saturday night from 9-11pm.

Local Beat recap: 5/21/10

This past Friday on the Local Beat Russell Baggett of the recently revived Honored Guests was my honorary guest as we discussed the recent hiatus of the band and their comeback in recent months.  The Honored Guests just recently released a free online EP via Vinyl Records which you can download here.  In addition the band is currently finishing up recording it's "newest" album, a project that began about 4 years ago, and it should hit the streets in the fall.  Russell and I chatted about all of these things and more, while leaking some of the newest tracks from the upcoming full length.  Take a listen below:
The Honored Guests on the Local Beat 5/21/10

You can catch the Honored Guests June 26th at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill where they will be playing with local group Pros and Cons.

Interview with R&B sensation Case 5/22 on "Real RnB Radio"

This saturday, May 22nd, from 9-11pm, multi-platinum R&B sensation Case will be calling in for an interview with Mir. I.am on "Real RnB Radio". 

Tune in as we discover the reason behind Case's 8 year absence from the music industry, the accident that nearly ended his life, his thoughts on current R&B music and much more.

Most known for classic R&B jams, "Touch Me, Tease Me", "Happily Ever After", "Faded Pictures" and the #1 single "Missing You", Case is now back with his forth album The Rose Experience.  Released last March, The Rose Experience, featuring smash single "Lovely", shows that Case been able to adapt and bring a current, fresh approach to his music, while remaining true to his signature sound.  

For more information on the R&B star, visit here and follow Case on twitter.

"Real RnB Radio", formerly known as "Saturday Night Soul and R&B" airs weekly from 9-11pm.

5/20 LBLB Photos

Photographs taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

Mount Moriah

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Brett Harris

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

DJ Ones' Five Music Facts from the past week

1. It has been discovered that there are two hidden tracks off of The Dead Weather's latest album "Sea of Cowards." The tracks are hidden on the limited edition split color vinyl and are located on the record's center label. (via Pitchfork)

2. Bonnie "Prince" Billy is releasing a free single through Adult Swim as apart of the Adult Swim Single Series; where each week one artist releases a free single to the public. The series is set to run for a total of 8 weeks. (via Pitchfork)

3. The Roots have enlisted the help of the women of Dirty Projectors with The Roots' upcoming album "How I Got Over." The album is set to release June 22nd. (via Pitchfork)

4. For the first time since the tragic death of their drummer !!! has announced details on their upcoming album, and they have released a new tract that accompanies the new release as well. The album entitled "Strange Weather, Isn't It?" is set to release August 24th. (via Pitchfork)

5. The National stormed the top of the Billboards charts with the release of their latest album "High Violet". The album opened at number 3 selling 51,000 copies.(via Pitchfork)

Local Beat preview 5/21/10

You might have to reach back into the far memory of your brain to remember the Honored Guests, a band from Chapel Hill, NC.  However after an almost 3 year hiatus from the local scene the band seems to be back in action with a fantastic new EP released by Vinyl Records: Into Nostalgia (download it for free here).  Not only that but the guys are also adding the finishing touches to another full length record that was halfway completed back in 2008.

Lead guitarist Russell Baggett is coming in to sit with me and chat about the record and play some tracks from the new EP as well as the unreleased full length which should hit the streets in the fall.

Immediately following the Local Beat NC State is taking on Duke in the last weekend of regular season baseball.  The game begins at 6:30 and broadcast should start around 6:25.  Pull on the Pack!

LBLB Preview: Mount Moriah and Brett Harris

In advance of their show tonight (Thursday), Heather McEntire of Mount Moriah and Brett Harris will be stopping by at 7pm.  I'll be asking them the tough questions about new music and such, so be sure to tune in at 88.1FM or wknc.org/listen.

Local Beat Video Exclusive: Shakori Hills

Shakori Hills 2010 with 88.1 WKNC from Wolf TV on Vimeo.

>

Last month, Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance was held on a 75 acre farmstead in Chatham County. Kate "Riff Raff" Rafferty, Tommy "Tommyboy" Anderson, and myself, Nicole "DJ Kligz" Kligerman, got the chance to drive to Shakori to see what it was all about. Well, to put it simply, we had the time of our lives. After setting up our official WKNC tent on Friday, Riff Raff, Tommyboy, and I ventured around the grounds to see what there was to do. Shakori supplied its guests with kid-friendly activities, workshops for musicians and dancers, arts and crafts, a healing arts area, several stages, a vast camping site, and a food area that included a delicious "Veggie Thing". While at the festival, Wolf TV videographer Jane Moon joined us to capture footage of the festival for the first ever Local Beat Video Exclusive, which includes interviews with Bowerbirds, Midtown Dickens, and festival-goers. This video has been posted on Wolf TV's site for quite a while and I thought it deserved a place here as well. Take a look!

Local Beat Mini Exclusive: The Debonzo Brothers

This Friday in Raleigh at Slim's Downtown Distillery one of the newest bands from the Triangle is releasing their first recorded material.  The Debonzo Brothers are putting out their debut EP, Places, which was recorded earlier this year and finally completed just a little while ago.  You may think this was a quick process for a band that only played their first show last November, but all the members of the band (Keef & Jeff Debonzo, Grant Emerson, and Chris Hibbard) are all tried and true musicians from the area who have been playing live for quite a long time.

Places is getting it's debut release right here in this blog with almost all of the tracks from the EP being leaked in the interview below.  We chatted about the history of the band and the different members, including both of the actual Debonzo Brothers and their non-Debonzo bandmates.  We explored the sound and recording process of the EP and also pumped up the show Friday.  Take a listen below:
Local Beat Mini Exclusive: The Debonzo Brothers 5/19/10

You can catch the Debonzo Brothers this Friday at Slim's Downtown.  Fellow Raleighite Jason Adamo will also be sharing the stage and the doors open at 9pm.

This week's giveaways

This week on WKNC, we are giving away tickets to the following events:

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra at Cat's Cradle on Thursday, 5/20

Superchunk at Cat's Cradle on Friday, 5/21

The Small Ponds and Luego at the Pour House on Fri, 5/21

Murs at Cat's Cradle on Sun, 5/23

Make sure to listen for your chance to win!

Lost In The Trees plays to a captivated crowd

[gallery link="file"]

On Saturday night, little j and I ventured to the other side of the Triangle, Carrboro to catch local favorite Lost In The Trees in action at their CD Release Party at Cat's Cradle. The band has recently signed with record label Anti- to rerecord their album All Alone In An Empty House. little j and I gave up the chance to see Inflowential for free in downtown Raleigh and hoped that our decision would not let us down. We didn't have to worry about that because the show at the Cradle was a good time for both of us.

Local band The Strugglers started things off that night and we were both glad to have gotten to the show early enough to catch their performance. The Strugglers are local at heart, but are partly based in Washington D.C. for the time being, so catching them live in North Carolina is kind of tricky at the moment. The performance featured a nine-piece version of the band accompanied by a string quartet.

Old Bricks was next, giving a moving performance to the growing crowd at Cat's Cradle. Live, the band sounds a lot different than what you hear on the recordings available. The sound is fiercer and contains even more emotion, if that is even possible. Old Bricks ended the set with a brutal beat on drums by different members of the band, and WOW was it a great end.

Lost In The Trees was the final band of the night and the obvious one everyone was waiting for. Combining old favorites with a couple of new, jazz-inspired songs accompanied by a guest tenor saxophonist, the band sounded pristine in the dark room at Cat's Cradle. I think the only song I failed to hear was "Love On My Side", but the good thing about a band being local is that you're sure to catch them here again (Lost In The Trees is playing at TRKfest in Pittsboro on June 26.)

Over all, little j and I had a grand time going to Carrboro to catch some amazing local acts. Being caught in that freak thunderstorm after might be the only negative thing about Saturday night...

WKNC supports Artsplosure

This past weekend the promotions team at WKNC ran a table at Artsplosure.  The two day event at Moore Square in downtown Raleigh was celebrating its 31st year of free art and concerts, and WKNC was on hand to support the music on the North Carolina Stage.  One of three stages set up for the event, the North Carolina Stage featured music from a variety of genres including jazz, zydeco, hip-hop, and even mariachi.



WKNC gave out koozies and stickers and took donations in support of the Visual Art Exchange for copies of the local music compilation, Hear Here.  The event was a great success and helped show why Raleigh is such a great town for art and music.  Stay tuned to the promotions blog for where WKNC will be next!

Passion Pit Giveaway

Do you love Passion Pit?  So do we.  That's why all this week we're going to be giving away pairs of tickets to see Passion Pit on June 11 at The Fillmore Charlotte.  If you want to win tickets, listen in and be the first caller to correctly identify the Passion Pit song clip when the DJ asks for it.  Tickets for the show are also available at Live Nation.

Local Beer Local Band for May 20

Looking for great local music? You never have to look further than Thursday nights at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Beer Local Band. This Thursday, May 20, WKNC and Tir Na Nog host Durham's Brett Harris, Mount Moriah from Chapel Hill and Raleighites Jack the Radio. As always, the fun starts at 10 p.m. and it's free.

The show poster isn't one of ours, but it's damn good.

5/13 LBLB Photos

Photographs taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

Wild Wild Geese

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Lake Inferior

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

No interview on the Local Beat this evening

It is a beautiful day for baseball and because of that there will be no Local Beat this Friday evening, May 14. The NC State Baseball team will be playing Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla. The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., with broadcast starting at 5:30 p.m. right here on 88.1 WKNC. I will be spinning some local music up until that point so feel free to call in with your requests! Typically, games last around 3 to 4 hours. If the game does end earlier then feel free to listen in to local music up until 8 p.m., but the Local Beat will not be broadcasted.

Josh Ritter at Carolina Theatre

I had the opportunity to acquire tickets to the Josh Ritter concert on Tuesday, May 11 at Carolina Theatre in Durham, NC through the amazing giveaways on WKNC.

We sat on the balcony level, which only somewhat took away from the concert's intimacy, something I have grown fond of in some of the Triangle's smaller venues. I knew the night would turn out well as I sat down and found the pre-show music to be Spoon's Transference. The opening was an adorable 3 person folk group called  Dawn Landes and the Hounds, which I found out to be Josh Ritter's wife's band. Their pieces were upbeat and about memories, love and lollipops. They were all too excited to show off their new toy, those awesome bells you can play with your feet! I, along with the rest of the full house, really enjoyed their music and the energy they exuded.

Interesting fact about Josh Ritter -- he went to Oberlin College (a school I applied to!), intending to major in neuroscience. Instead, he changed his major to American history through narrative folk music. He certainly practiced what he learned in that small Ohio liberal arts college at his show Tuesday night. Songs about war, radio, old men, and stories of the stars filled the air. Ritter and the Royal City Band kept the crowd pleased, whether it be with mournful ballads like "Folk Bloodbath", to more upbeat and borderline rock numbers, to the Josh Ritter I know and love with "To The Dogs or Whoever" and "Good Man." No matter the genre of choice, the crowd was extremely responsive to the 5 person band. My only complaint is with the band playing background music at parts-- clearly providing musical sounds not produced by any member of the band at that time.

Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band kept a consistent pace of music, usually allowing themselves one slow song and two upbeat folk or twanging southern rock. There was a different feel as Josh Kaufman, of The Hounds, recited Edgar Allen Poe's Annabel Lee to a background of contra bass and steel guitar as provided by The Royal City Band as a set up for the Josh Ritter song "Another New World". In between songs Ritter kept up a jovial banter for the audience-- discussing mustaches, Baby Spice, and his need to brush his hair.

As Ritter left the stage, the crowd of course demanded more. Ritter then played a three part encore consisting of a song dedicated to Matt Douglas of The Proclivities, a love song that included all members of The Hounds and The Royal City Band behind the musical couple, Josh Ritter and Dawn Landes, and of course, "Harrisburg".

All in all, Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band put on a great show. The crowd loved them, and all of the members of both bands seemed to rightfully enjoy themselves too.

Top 10 Afterhours/RPM albums on WKNC

 

#	Artist	Album	Label
#1	HOT CHIP	One Life Stand	Astralwerks
#2	GORILLAZ	Plastic Beach	Virgin
#3	NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB	The Optimist	The Numbers
#4	FOUR TET	There Is Love In You	Domino
#5	VARIOUS ARTISTS	Five Years Of Dirtybird	Dirtybird
#6	JAVELIN	No Más	Luaka Bop
#7	TOBACCO	Maniac Meat	Anticon
#8	SUGAR AND GOLD	Get Wet!	Antenna Farm
#9	FELIX CARTAL	Popular Music	Dim Mak
#10	JES	High Glow	Ultra

Artspace to hold annual fundraiser, Bowerbirds to sweeten the pot

Artspace, the downtown Raleigh-based visual arts center, will hold its 2nd annual Give and Take fundraiser tomorrow evening.  Artspace is a non-profit "creativity impresario," if you will, providing all ages with an accessible and welcoming outlet for artistic expression since 1986.

Tomrrow (Thursday, May 13) will be the 2nd installment of their initiative to provide scholarships to the Artspace Summer Arts Program to area children.  Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase artwork and donate to the cause. The findraiser starts at 7pm, and local favorites the  Bowerbirds are set to perform at 9pm; tickets are available at Artspace (201 East Davie Street), by phone at 919.821.2787, and at the door. Full details are available here.

SoundOff6 Broken Social Scene- Forgiveness Rock Record

This week's rather short episode of SoundOff instead of talking news (weird scheduling of this week's show) we talk about some of the latest things we've been listening to. This week we review the latest from Broken Social Scene, Forgiveness Rock Record.

http://interviews.wknc.org/soundoff06.mp3

Nashville needs your help

Many of you may have heard about the recent flooding in Nashville, Tennessee due to torrential rains.  While the rains have come and gone, the water still hasn't.  I visit Nashville frequently to see friends and can't help thinking now, seeing pictures of flooded streets, how I was just there last in October.  Fortunately, my friends are fine; however, many individuals and businesses in Nashville are not.  Places I saw just six months ago are now awash with muddy floodwater.  The Grand Ole Opry has had to relocate temporarily, and Vanderbilt University has had to postpone their exams.



Nashville is Music City, USA, and it is disheartening to think what might be lost if they don't receive the help they so desperately need.  Clean-up will undoubtedly take time, but it is important that we remember our neighbors to the west and do what we can so they can get back to making music and everyday life as soon as possible.  If you're looking for ways to help, you can contact Hands On Nashville or the Middle Tennessee Red Cross.  Nashvillest also has information on their website about ways to help as well as resources for victims in case someone you know or love was affected.

WKNC at PBaRt

Friday night, WKNC promotions team members headed out to DesignBox Gallery in downtown Raleigh in order to provide a presence at the PBaRt Show and Concert, part of Raleigh's First Friday.  The event was a partnership between Pabst Blue Ribbon and Paul Friedrich, during which local music and other art were showcased.  Kellie Ann Grubbs, Monologue Bombs, and Lake Inferior all took turns putting on amazing performances while artists created new works and the WKNC team got the word out about our great programming and support for local creativity.

WKNC koozies were especially popular during the evening, but the promotions team also gave away t-shirts, stickers, and Hear Here compilation CDs with all proceeds going to the Visual Art Exchange.  Everyone had a great time and the event seemed to be a great success.

Catch the WKNC promotions team out and about again downtown next weekend, May 15 and 16 at Artsplosure in Moore Square!

Beach House bring dreamy sound to Cradle

This past Saturday, WKNC DJ's made the trek to Cat's Cradle to experience the breathtaking and moving music of Beach House. After waiting in traffic for an hour, possibly parking illegally, and missing all but thirty seconds of Washed Out's set, we made it in and were ready to be swept away by the mesmerizing music of Baltimore's Beach House.

After much anticipation, vocalist/organist Victoria Legrand and mulit-intrumentalist Alex Scally took the stage and reeled the audience in with “Walk in the Park.” The duo smoothly transitioned from song to song, playing many songs off their recent release, “Teen Dream,” but also keeping the crowd pleased with favorites like “Gila” off of their 2008 album Devotion. The sold out crowd swayed to “Silver Soul” and “Lover of Mine”, but the excitement really heightened when the first notes of “Zebra” kicked in. During the song, lead singer Victoria Legrand, fittingly dressed in black and white, wafted her hands emulating a “black and white horse.”

Adding to the ethereal atmosphere of the dreamy set was the fog emanating from the stage, pastel colored pom poms dangling from the ceiling, and what can only be described as giant, rotating diamonds covered in multi-colored foil which hypnotized the audience and added to the cavernous vibe of the music. As the show wound down, Legrand jokingly asked the audience if they were depressed, and without response, dramatically commenced “Used to Be”. In between songs, the group referred to their first time playing Chapel Hill, at the Nightlight, jokingly commenting they preferred playing for six people. Beach House ended their hour-long set with an incredible “Take Care”, followed by an encore and closing the show with the epic “10 Mile Stereo”.The show was, without a doubt, one of the best any of those in attendance will likely see this year.

5/6 LBLB Photos

Photographs taken by WKNC photographer Katie Hill

Birds and Arrows

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Schooner

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Cannibal's Corner IV: temporary farewell

I know it's sad, the prospect of the end of my first year as a DJ coming to a close. But for those of you that don't know, it is exam week this and next week, followed by that thing called summer. Summer is an exciting season, where I meet relatives and they ask me how stuff at the station goes. I tell them, and then they usually ask if I have ever actually eaten a human. Hah, the nerve!

Anyways, Chainsaw will be alive during this summer, so just because this is my last farewell for the Spring of 2010 doesn't mean you have to stop listening in. Seriously, when people start ignoring Chainsaw, stuff like in Figure 1 starts to happen. Keep listening to your dose of Rotting Christ, old-school Dimmu Borgir, Goatwhore, Cannibal Corpse, Belphegor, and by listening to Lucretia, Mistress of Destruction's, show. Seriously, I may wreck the human body to splinters... er, with splinters, but she will tear down the walls of your house. Noobhammer's 2.0 version of his show is definitely a good tune-in as well.

For those that have been consistently reading these blog posts, I provide you with another comic! I know it's been a while, but it's either that or concert gore. And I figured concert gore was exciting. Now, I ran into a bit of trouble with this week's comic and I'm sure you'll see why. Just remember: offended people tend to have more tender meat. And everyone likes tender meat.

Question of the Week: "How could I be as cool as Noobhammer?"

"I would play Dungeons and Dragons." -9th Priest
"I'd grab a foam sword and sing while drinking ale!" -Cannibal Cory

When I come back, I hope your limbs will have regenerated, intestines scabbed over, eyeballs re-socketed themselves, tongue stub re-grown, undisembowled, stitches sewn properly, and bones set straight all so another enjoyable round of shows can begin in the Fall of 2010!

Local Beat Mini Exclusive: The Big Picture

Earlier today Johnny Tunnell (of the Never) dropped by WKNC to chat about one of the newest music projects in the area: The Big Picture. Started up about two years ago between the Tunnell brothers (Johnny and Joah) The Big Picture remained completely unknown until recently. Adding some new members to the band, Heather Tunnell, Nick Radford (Annuals), Leah Gibson (Lost in the Trees), and Alec Ferrell the group is playing only their second gig ever tomorrow evening at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill.  The show starts at 9pm and the Physics of Meaning and Josh Mease are also playing.

Johnny and I chatted for awhile (this isn't exactly a "Mini" exclusive, its almost 40 minutes long) but we did touch on the history of the band, the song writing, and an interesting way in which the band's music will be released this summer.  I am not going to share all, you will just have to listen but included in this interview are three songs recorded by the Big Picture, as well as one Big Picture cover of a Future Kings of Nowhere song.  Take a listen:
Local Beat Mini Exclusive: The Big Picture 5/5/10

WKNC names employees of the year

WKNC honored three staff members with employee of the year awards as part of the annual Student Media End of Year BBQ April 29.



Damian Maddalena, a doctoral student in forestry and host of the Saturday morning program “Mystery Roach,” was honored in part for his work on WKNC’s adaptation of War of the Worlds, which aired live on Halloween 2009. Maddalena’s contributions to that project included working to rewrite the original script, recruiting actors and leading regular rehearsals, securing appropriate copyrights, and executing the live broadcast.

According to Mike Alston, a senior in civil engineering and WKNC’s 2009-2010 general manager, Maddalena was chosen for his “groundbreaking innovation and execution with the War of the Worlds adaptation. Damian continues to have one of the most popular shows on WKNC with ‘Mystery Roach’ and has been great representative and promoter of the station in Raleigh community.”

Maddalena has hosted “Mystery Roach,” a collection of progressive, fusion, psychedelic, garage and noise from the 1960s and 1970s, Saturdays from 8-10 a.m. since he joined the staff in fall 2007.

Alston also selected Eric Scholz, a junior in mechanical engineering and coordinator of WKNC’s Sessions@KNC recording project, as one of WKNC’s employees of the year. “Eric has done some outstanding work with Sessions@KNC, helping local bands with free recording sessions,” Alston said. He also labeled Scholz the “all around go-to-guy with the new concert series Fridays on the Lawn.”

Scholz came to WKNC during the spring 2009 semester and his first recording session of Chapel Hill’s Simple was released by the band as a five song EP, “WKNC Sessions Live.” Scholz has also recorded local bands including Aminal, North Elementary and Death to the Details.



Tommy Anderson, a senior in political science who took over as WKNC general manager on April 1, then honored Alston as the third WKNC employee of the year. “I am fairly certain that everyone knows what a great job Mike did in his year as our general manager,” Anderson said. “We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude.”

Under Alston’s leadership, WKNC launched the on-campus concert series Fridays on the Lawn, partnered with local record label Terpsikhore and recording studio Flying Tiger Sound to produce the “Hear Here” local music compilation, hosted four sold-out concerts, expanded the station’s promotions department and revised its new DJ hiring process.