Are We Looking At Another 2000?

As the final week before Election Tuesday begins, nobody seems to have any answers as to just who or who may not hold the lead in this year’s presidential election. As more and more politicos seem to agree that the House may yet again remain in control of the Republicans, the White House race seems just too close to call. In fact, the word “chaos” seems as apt as a descriptor as any. Charlie Cook, of the highly respected Cook Political Report has suggested that for the second time since the 2000 election, the winner of the popular vote might not be the winner of the Electoral College vote. This scenario was of course thought to be highly improbable, and had been a rare occurrence in American presidential politics. Then came the presidential election of 2000, an election still studied as an anomaly, a once in a thousand years occurrence. The idea that it could happen again, as improbable as it may seem now, is not impossible.

If there is one thing that this election cycle has proven, it is that there are still plenty of factors that could turn this race at any moment. Before Denver, there were few that thought much could hurt the Democratic incumbent in the race. Since his lackluster debate and the Republican candidate’s stellar performance in that first encounter, the race has tightened considerable, despite two other debates since then.

It would be foolish to downplay the possibility that something could, even at this late stage in the race, upset the race in favor of one candidate or the other. One wild card that could have an influence might be the recently passed Hurricane Sandy, which is even now continuing to cause problems up and down the Eastern seaboard. From New York to North Carolina, millions have been devastated. The next few days will be crucial for the current incumbent. All eyes will be on the White House to gauge his response to the latest natural disaster to strike the U.S., and the President is acutely aware of this.

But when it’s all said and done, will Sandy really have an impact on the race? It’s too early to tell, but with Katrina still on the minds of many around the country, a repeat of 2005 would almost certainly spell disaster for the President. Mr. Romney, on the other hands, has had to answer to some inquiries of his own, as many have taken a second look at his stances on disaster relief, which include giving more autonomy to the states or the private sector in times of crises. Rhetoric or not, it has raised questions about how the challenger would respond to a crisis of this scale. For anyone still undecided this late in the race, there is certainly no shortage of information of advertisements coming from both sides of the aisle, but ultimately what could decide this race could be out of the hands of either party.

Show Review: The Lollipops sweeten up a Thursday night at Kings

The Lollipops

Despite being a college student, I'm pretty much an old man.  I watch my Jeopardy every night and I'm usually nodding off during The Daily Show, but every now and then I'm compelled to drag my lazy ass out of the house on the weekdays.  Thursday was one of those fated days, with a handful of incredible acts playing in downtown Raleigh including a stellar lineup for GZA's Liquid Swords tour, I chose the local route with DiggUp Tapes standouts The Lollipops and Jenny Besetzt.  While the initial showing was a bit lackluster, as the night went on the crowd got gradually larger and more raucous.  While Jenny Besetzt had a handful of swaying head-nodders, by the end of the night The Lollipops were leading Kings in a full on PBR-fueled dance party.

 

Jenny Besetzt

The night began with one of the most heavily lauded local bands of the year, Jenny Besetzt.  The band just made their way back to North Carolina for their tour after playing a bit further up north and what a homecoming it was.  The band recently added Justin Flythe (formerly of Lonnie Walker) as their new keyboard player, and while their regular drummer wasn't playing on Thursday the band still proved to be incredibly tight and harmonious.  Blasting through favorites from their debut full length, Only, these songs shine in a new light during live performances.  The band packs a bit heavier of a punch with live performances, guitar lines feel less ethereal and more jaunting, but the vocals still perfectly counteract that added grit with raw intensity while maintaining it's dreamlike aspects.  Jenny Besetzt continues to impress me with each show I see, they've made the leap that many can't by transitioning their shoegaze-y sound into a driving and powerful live act that not only grasps your attention but leaves you speechless, thirsting for more.

Companion

After Jenny Besetzt was Companion, a stellar Brooklyn band that played with Jenny Besetzt in New York and made their way down the coast for their first official tour.  The band is relatively new but displayed a fantastic sense of self with entrancing three part vocal harmonies that counteracted their driving rhythms perfectly.  Fueled by a tasteful mixture of electronic beats and physical drums, the addition of an electronic percussion sound added an entirely new layer to this already dense and lush arrangement.  I must say I was thoroughly surprised by this band, and I think they were equally surprised by the Thursday night outing, as the band's lead vocalist Pepi Ginsberg brought out a camera of her own to take a big family picture of the crowd.  This was the perfect band to transition from the depth and wonder of Jenny Besetzt to the simplistic yet equally invigorating bedroom pop sounds of The Lollipops.

As the band was taking the stage, brainchild Iggy Cosky was frantically writing out a setlist, an image that perfectly encapsulates the essence of The Lollipops.  Everything flows together wonderfully yet still feels spastic and urgent.  Painfully infectious pop melodies perfectly counteract the gritty lo-fi bedroom recordings and transition into one hell of a live show, Cosky leads the band with a commanding presence, Iggy seems genuinely excited to be on stage and that excitement permeated throughout the once spread out crowd of Kings.  The crowd condensed into one tightly packed dance party that was bursting with energy, bouncing along to favorites like "I Love You" and "Wolves".  During the show Iggy announced a soon to be released album, making for their "third release in 8 months".  To put it simple these guys go hard in the paint.  This lineup was excellent from top to bottom, and ending with the brilliant pop sounds of The Lollipops was the best way to go out.  An incredible way to spend a Thursday night!

Show Review: El Ten Eleven at Kings Barcade

This was my first time seeing El Ten Eleven. The LA-based post rock (even though they hate being categorized) duo recently released its fifth full-length album Transitions, a fast-paced hypnotically layered ten-track.

Kristian Dunn plays a Wal fretless bass and a guitar/bass doubleneck, using multiple loop and effects pedals to create full sounds.  Tim Fogarty has his drum kit fed into some of the pedals, giving Kristian the ability to control loops on that as well. By the way -- this is all done live. No samples, no pre-recorded loops. They made it a point to make sure the audience knew this. Without dropping names, they were able to subtly bash artist who essentially just hit the play button on their Mac.

As a matter of fact, when a mic went out on stage they decided to do an improv song. Kristian asked the audience for a key to play in, and major or minor. This led into an album-worthy rendition he dubbed "Raleigh in F minor." This equated to the best stage banter I've heard, and compensated for when he tried to say something generic like "so how about that local sports team?" to the audience. Usually this wouldn't have stricken a nerve, but he got booed for that comment. Apparently only NC State fans were at the show. (Our football team unfortunately lost to UNC for the first time in six years, and it was also their first in-state win of the season.) I forgive you, Kristian.

I couldn't stop smiling or dancing the entire show. Seeing how the songs came together was incredible and added a lot to the experience of listening to them, live or at home. The projection panels behind them intensified the beats. Plus, being surrounded by zombies, mimes and a Bob Ross was great.

A little after 1:00AM, Kristian announced that they would be playing their final song -- they're "real" final song. He called other artists out for "faking" the encore, the say goodbye but let's still leave our instruments on stage and walk back out after we let the audience tell us how much they love us for approximately 75 seconds. From the opener "Thanks Bill" (my favorite) to the last note of the last song, the band was on point and engaging. I'm looking forward to catching them again sometime.

EOT107 Student Political Discussions 10/23/12

Over the past several weeks, our contributor Jay Tomblin has been interviewing students from various political groups on campus in order to gauge their feelings on various issues facing our country. Here now is a representative of the student democrats and one of the student republicans here on campus, to share their thoughts on the current election cycle. And here to facilitate the discussion is Jay Tomblin.

Most know that N.C. State has its own police force, but did you know that this university also has its own mounted police? Here is Deondre’ Jones with more.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT107_102312.mp3

K-Pop: The New Rising Genre of Our Generation or Just a Current Fad?

I'm sure everyone by now has heard PSY's international hit "Gagnam Style"; whether you hate it by not or not may be a test of endurance as this trendy tune has swept the nation. Flash mobs and radio stations alike have jumped on the bandwagon. However, arguably before PSY, K-Pop appears to have been picking up publicity and popularity in the United States since the debut of groups such as Super Junior and Girl's Generation.

But what is K-Pop, and what distinguishes it from other genres besides the language sung? What is making is so popular?

Is it just a temporary fad thanks to the sweeping explosion of "Gagnam Style"? Perhaps not...

Since about the end of 2011, K-Pop has been capturing the music hearts of many with their appealing style very nostalgic to our 1990s N.S.Y.N.C. or Backstreet Boys. A majority of the artists in K-Pop are actually in groups ranging from two to more commonly six or seven. The music is typically made with synthetic instruments, distinguished by their catchy beats and elaborate dances. K-Pop artists take music to the next level by presenting a variety of different moves to their music, calling the listener to not only enjoy the music from their headphones, but to actually make a physical exercise. Perhaps they go onto try to impress their friends with their newly-learned footwork. It becomes a means of an activity for the ambitious dancer, or a group of friends wanting to hang out in a new way.

Each song is unique in their own way, ranging from different emotions and cultural shifts occurring in South Korea at the time. For example, the incredibly popular "Gagnam Style" was actually PSY's jest to the younger female and older, wealthier male populations. He targeted the superficiality and materialism present as younger women focus more rich older men instead of the young men of their generation. Definitely a lot deeper than what you'd expect from such a upbeat-sounding song? Each song has their own meaning, but of course it's a little more difficult to understand as we are not all fluent in Korean.

Which brings me to my next point: if we can't understand it, why is it still becoming so popular? Perhaps this day and age our generation is becoming more tolerant of other cultures and respecting the language differences. Next to math, it's said that music is a universal language. As the internet has been tying different countries together through sites such as YouTube, it is evident that diversity is becoming more and more known, and while intolerance continues to grow, perhaps tolerance and acceptance is growing faster in the world. The growing popularity of K-Pop may be signaling the birth a new mindset and furthermore a new genre that distinguishes our generation as pioneers of a whole new level of music diversity.

In it's own way, K-Pop is starting off the promotion of international music. At this rate, it won't be before long other genres of music pick up. Perhaps K-Pop will stay at the top under its many awesome artists, rhythmic beats, and enjoyable dances.

Interested in listening to more than just Gagnam Style and curious about other awesome K-Pop artists out there such as EXO-K, Two X, E-7, and NU'EST? WKNC has a K-Pop show known as "KJAMZ"! Tune in every Saturday from 12PM-1PM to rock out to awesome beats!

 



 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Beth's Halloween Playlist: "BOO-yah!"

Here are my top five songs to start off a Halloween playlist. Some of the first albums mentioned have several other spooky songs that are more than appropriate so be sure to check them out!

 

1.      They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh! – Sufjan Stevens. Here’s a song from “Come on feel the Illinoise” while Stevens’ was toying with the concept of a 50 states project. During this project, Stevens’ did actual research on the state of Illinois to use as song material. Many songs on this album make references to some of the scary but true things he found such as UFO sightings, serial killers, and ghost towns.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e0Ju4eDROE

2.      Cemetery Lawn- The Rosebuds. This song is pulled from the album “Night of the Furies” that is made up entirely of dark fantastical stories. “The Furies” are mythological creatures of torment and evil. “In the dead of night, better hold on tight to your loved ones. The rumor is the truth: the Furies are here upon us.”

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxDrn92Cwk8

3.       The Killing Moon- Echo & the Bunnymen.  A great song from the post-punk English band with an impressive cult following. One day Ian McCulloch woke up with the soon to be lyrics “fate up against your will” stuck in his head. This song, in my opinion, is David Bowie meets The Doors in the best and most haunting way possible.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX1PwkgwsG0

4.       Lose Your Soul- Dead Man’s Bones. First of all, it is scary how hott Ryan Gosling is and how his band just adds even more to his appeal. Sometimes it’s overkill for celebrities to take on more projects but Gosling’s band is a very cool and unique venture for him. For the album, he invited the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir to sing with him. Their chants about monsters, werewolves, graveyards, etc. make it even creepier.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnEkboR86h0

5.       The Monster and the Count- The Extraordinaires. This band turns all sorts of stories into songs. They went so far as to release two albums in hardback handmade and fully illustrated books.

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

 

Everyone expects you to have Thriller and The Monster Mash so throw those in IF YOU MUST and then here are 10 more songs to make your playlist last roughly about an hour! Sip on some Beetle Juice or a Bloody Mary and get yo dance on!

6.       Black River Killer- Blitzen Trapper

7.       Dance for the Dead- Cloud Cult

8.       Satin in a Coffin- Modest Mouse

9.       Walking with a Ghost- Tegan and Sara

10.   Phantom Limb- The Shins

11.   Vampire- Dr. Dog

12.   Shape Shifter- Local Natives

13.   Animal Backwards- Minus the Bear

14.   Psycho Killer- Talking Heads

15.   The Ghost of you Lingers- Spoon

 

Happy Halloween from WKNC!

 

 

Early Voting rocks Triangle

If you haven't been brought to your front door by the knocks of canvassers urging you to vote early yet... well, you may be the only one. But the efforts to encourage early voting here in the triangle have taken a more enjoyable turn, and a turn away from your front door.

This Friday, October 26, Durham's Central park will host a midday early voting rally. The rally will kick off at 11am and will feature three amazing acts and delicious soup to warm your heart and soul. Mac McCaughan (Superchunk, Portastatic), the triangle's own Spider Bags, and Titus Andronicus will all play to urge potential voters to get out and vote early. If you missed Spider Bags at Kings on September 20, let's just leave it at you don't want to miss these guys again.

Early voting kicked off in NC on October 18 and will continue until 5pm on November 3. NC State's own Talley Student Center is an early voting location this year, but there are 20 other locations through Wake and Orange counties housing early voting this year. To find your early voting location, check out the early voting websites for Wake and Orange counties. And don't forget -- even if you've forgotten to register to vote here in NC, you can still register AND vote in one stop at early voting.

Have your voice heard and get out to hear some awesome bands this election year!

Suburban Nightmare Festival 2012

The Apex Masonic Lodge, although not your typical show space, had a great turnout Saturday, October 13th, for Suburban Nightmare Festival. This event was thrown by David Baird (of Asheville's Drunk In A Dumpster) as his own pre-birthday gathering. Although this is the first time Baird has put on Suburban Nightmare fest, he wishes to make it a yearly event!

Raleigh's Last Words opened with a display of their own brand of purely viral piercing screams and crushing high-speed hardcore punk riffs. This female-fronted act set the mood for the night as their mosh parts commanded a handful of the individuals present to stomp violently from one side of the room to the other.

After Last Words was Baird's band, Drunk In A Dumpster, based out of Asheville. Their punk rock assault induced fear in the audience as David moved along the front of the crowd, pushing away anyone who dared stand in his path. I really enjoyed Baird's stage presence.

Just Die! - picture by Alex Altgibers

Next was Just Die!, another band from Asheville. Just Die! plays melodic hardcore yet stays true to hardcore punk roots - a good mix of styles! The vocalist made a point to explain the meaning of each song before played. It was definitely inspirational, anything but preachy! Nice dudes playing good music - awesome! Really enjoyed their set.

After Just Die! were punk rockers Commonwealth of American Natives (Tennesse) and oldschool punk band Random Conflict (Alabama). Both played high-energy sets with decent crowd interaction. I unfortunately missed a large portion of C.O.A.N.'s set, but what I saw I enjoyed! As for Random Conflict, you've really got to respect them for still playing music after all these years.

Abuse - picture by Mike Deloatch

Raleigh's Abuse unleashed hell with their brutal onslaught of truly devastating fastcore/power violence. These guys seriously get better each time I see them! Can't get enough of their unforgiving blast beats and fresh riffs. They ended their set with their infamous Infest cover.

No Tomorrow (Wilmington) shed blood with their soul-churning d-beats and deep, groaning vocals. No Tomorrow's absolutely filthy crust destruction was relentless and crushing. After having seen them a handful of times, I can honestly say this was my favorite time seeing them!

Mutilation Rites - picture by Alex Altgibers

Last, but not least, was Mutilation Rites, a black metal act from New York.  The drummer's blast beats did not cease for a single second. The vocalist's high-pitched, strangulated vocals cast a grim shadow over the audience as a wall of tremolo-picked madness violently moved in on the crowd.

Overall, I had a great time at this festival! I'm glad so many people from Raleigh, and surrounding areas, made it out to Apex on a Saturday night. Would love to see shows at that space more. Let's hope that Baird has another Suburban Nightmare fest next year with equally crushing bands!

Live Cybercast from CBI

Listen to DJ DiGiorno and C'est La Bri live from the College Broadcasters, Inc. National Student Electronic Media Convention at the Sheraton in Atlanta - Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Eye on the Triangle Podcasts coming soon!

Hey Everyone,

I know that I'm a bit behind in the Podcasts currently, but no worries, we will be completely up to date tonight. All of our great shows in past few weeks will be accessible through iTunes within 12 hours.

Thanks for bearing with me,

Deondre' Jones

Public Affairs Assistant Director

 

EDIT: Might take a little bit longer, technical difficulties.

WKNC’s Charts and Top 5 Adds – Oct. 22

Each week, the WKNC music directors tally up spins for new releases and submit their top charts to CMJ.

Adds:

1 TAMARYN Tender New Signs Mexican Summer

2 BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW Cobra Juicy Rad Cult

3 CHELSEA WOLFE Unknown Rooms: A Collection Of Acoustic Songs Sargent House

4 TITUS ANDRONICUS Local Business

5 DIAMOND RINGS Free Dimensional Astralwerks

Top 30:

1 ALT-J An Awesome Wave Canvasback

2 JENNIFER CASTLE Jennifer Castle

3 MUSIC TAPES Mary's Voice Merge

4 MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER Melody's Echo Chamber Fat Possum

5 TY SEGALL Twins Drag City

6 BLACK MARBLE A Different Arrangement Hardly Art

7 TAKEN BY TREES Other Worlds Secretly Canadian

8 MOON DUO Circles Sacred Bones

9 TAME IMPALA Lonerism Modular

10 DUM DUM GIRLS End Of Daze SUB POP

11 TILLY AND THE WALL Heavy Mood Team Love

12 SEAPONY Falling Hardly Art

13 THE XX Coexist XL

14 SOFT PACK Strapped Mexican Summer

15 DARK DARK DARK Who Needs Who Supply And Demand

16 BAND OF HORSES Mirage Rock Brown-Columbia

17 WILD NOTHING Nocturne Captured Tracks

18 MOUNTAIN GOATS Transcendental Youth Merge

19 DJANGO DJANGO Django Django Ribbon

20 GRIZZLY BEAR Shields Warp

21 ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Mature Themes 4AD

22 CORIN TUCKER BAND Kill My Blues Kill Rock Stars

23 POOR MOON Poor Moon SUB POP

24 JUNK CULTURE Wild Quiet Illegal Art

25 FERGUS AND GERONIMO Funky Was The State Of Affairs Hardly Art

26 FRESH AND ONLYS Long Slow Dance Mexican Summer

27 LUYAS Animator Dead Oceans

28 HOW TO DRESS WELL Total Loss Acephale

29 HEAVY Curse Me Good Counter

30 CULT OF YOUTH Love Will Prevail Sacred Bones

WKNC Afterhours’ RPM Charts and Adds – Oct. 22

Each week, WKNC compiles a list of charts and adds.

Charts:

1 TODDLA T Watch Me Dance: Agitated By Ross Orton And Pipes Ninja Tune

2 BASTINADO The Hard Six

3 LORN "Weigh Me Down" [Single] Ninja Tune

4 GRAHAM KNOX FRAZIER House Instrumentals II Simply Deep

5 A TRIBE CALLED RED A Tribe Called Red Self-Released

6 BLACKBURNER Planet Earth Attack Cleopatra

7 FLYING LOTUS Until The Quiet Comes Warp

8 NEIL DAVIDGE Original Soundtrack Remixes

9 TWO FINGERS Stunt Rhythms Big Dada

10 APOLLO 440 The Future's What It Used To Be RADIKAL

Adds:

1 BOYS NOIZE  Out Of The Black Boysnoize

2 DJ VADIM don't be scared bbq

3 3:33 In The Middle Of Infinity Alpha Pup-Parallel Thought

4 MADEON Finale" & "The City" Popcultur

5 FALTY DL Straight & Arrow Ninja Tune

Show Review: Father John Misty woos the Cats Cradle

Father John Misty

Friday night proved to be another fantastic time at The Cat's Cradle, as the freak-folk rock act of Father John Misty took the crowd by storm with their swagger and prowess.  Father John Misty is the moniker taken on by J. Tillman, former drummer of Fleet Foxes for his latest musical project.  Bored with the pedantic, sad-sack songwriting of many of his peers, Tillman took a road trip with no destination and a bag full of mushrooms, eventually leading him to Los Angeles in an unexpected turn of events.  Tillman hulled up and found himself writing with a new voice, one that's filled with equal parts of self deprecation and self aggrandizement.  With a bit of snark and honesty, Tillman has created a unique and captivating sound that serves as the perfect outlet for his oftentimes poetic lyricism.

Fear Fun is the debut full-length from Father John Misty and it's been filling my ears for quite some time now, but hearing the songs live breathes a new life into them.  Father John Misty is a refreshing take on the current folk music trend, the songs feel grounded with familiar themes, but explore content that contemporary folk artists wouldn't dare.  If your average songwriter spends his albums licking his wounds, Tillman takes an approach of patching them up and raring past the bad times for a drug-filled haze of enlightenment and wonder.  Father John Misty feels like classic country clasping on to its rustic roots while adapting to the commercial and occasionally vapid world we're surrounded with.  Tillman had a presence that I doubt anyone could have expected, he crooned and swayed across the stage for an enchanting and lively set that felt more like a rock n roll show than a display of one man's lyrical prowess.  It's always awesome going to a show where you can thoroughly enjoy all of the acts that you see, and The Cat's Cradle usually provides just that.

I arrived just in time for the end of Jeffertitti's Nile, placing myself dangerously close to the speakers.  Just my style.  The psychedelic sounds of Jeffertitti's Nile swirled garage punk with folk for a brief yet welcome encounter.  I wish I'd gotten to see more than three songs from the band, their songs weren't breaking the mold or anything, but I'll be damned if they weren't a blast to kick off the evening with.  As the bands loaded in and out I pondered upon the state of my hearing and found myself a bit taken aback by the off-kilt crowd at the Cradle.  Filled with chatter like, "Yeah, I don't really go to shows anymore.  Nobody good plays around here!" and endless Obama/Romney chatter, I couldn't have screamed louder when L.A's La Sera took the stage.

La Sera

La Sera is a bright, upbeat pop act led by Katy Goodman of Vivian Girls.  Their songs were the spark of energy needed to get the crowd moving and as the set went on the crowd packed tighter and tighter.  La Sera's music isn't groundbreaking, but the trails that they blaze for themselves are certainly worth walking down.  Their lyrics are intelligent, yet approachable, never too dense to lose yourself in but with enough attention to detail to leave the listener satisfied and waiting for more.  Songs like "Please Be My Third Eye" display this perfectly, Goodman prefaced the track with a simple, "This song is about telepathy", then jumped into another short blast of pop goodness.  With soaring vocals and a driving rhythm section, La Sera was a welcome addition to this diverse lineup and the perfect lead-in for Father John Misty.

 

Father John Misty

As Tillman and company took the stage I turned around to see a surprisingly dense crowd that was arguably more excited than me for this show, something thats always wonderful to experience.  The energy was palpable, and as "Fun Times In Babylon" kicked off the set it was clear that the crowd was in for a treat.  Tillman played perfectly off of the crowd, his stage banter opening the door for adoring shouts from the audience.  An obligatory "I love you" was shouted before the band even began and Tillman responded quickly, "Let me prove my worth first!", setting the tone with his quick wit and obvious excitement.  Tracks like "Only Son of the Ladiesman" and "Nancy From Now On" were songs that took a brand new form on stage, Tillman opens up his soul as he glides across the stage often taking the mic stand with him wherever he pleased.  Through his smooth vocals and commanding stage presence, Tillman had the crowd in the palm of his hands.  Blasting through staples of the album, the show felt like it was over before it started simply because of how fun it is to watch this band perform.  As Tillman sang, "Look out Hollywood here I come" the crowd shouted with joy, and this line can perfectly sum up the new vibe of Tillman's music.  Gone are the days of the sad, sappy songwriter and here's a new headstrong, vivacious young man that is ready to take on the world in its fucked up glory.  As the show was coming to a close with the powerhouse "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings", my ears rang loudly and my soar throat was begging me to stop shouting along.  The crowd sang along proudly to the helpless reprise, "Someone's gotta help me dig!" and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at how perfect the show was.

I weaved in and out of the crowd as the song was ending, evidently missing the tail end of the show and a bottle being thrown on stage.  Tillman apparently shrugged it off as excitement, an endearing snapshot of the character displayed by this act.  My old mannish tendencies were rearing their heads on the ride home, the yawns set in, my ears were ringing, and my back was aching...but I'll be damned if it wasn't worth it.  I know I for one will be making a point of seeing Father John Misty whenever they stop through the area, mostly because it would have been hard to walk away from that show without a smile on.  Another night at the Cradle filled with incredible tunes!

 

EOT106 College Republicans and Democrats 10/16/12

Last week our contributor Jay Tomblin interviewed a representative of the Young Americans for Liberty, a Libertarian group here at NC State. What you didn't know was that Jay also interviewed some college Democrats and Republicans. Here to shed some light on the perspective of the two main parties is Taylor McLamb of the college Republicans, and Rashad Hamilton of the college Democrats.

Andrew profiles the last of the Third Party Candidates running for President.

Deondre’ Jones spoke with a member of the anti-drug group Narcanon, an international organization that operates in over forty countries, educating people about the dangers of drugs.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT106_101612.mp3

Mixing Music with Politics

Speakers thumped out bass-heavy remixes while flashing neon lights danced through a fog machine. Blue banners hung behind the make-shift stage and from the third floor balcony of Witherspoon Student Center, matching the rectangular area on Harris Field bound by Obama yard signs. This was all part of Wolfpack for Obama's event featuring Rock the Vote with Passion Pit. Two members of the band took turns playing a DJ set, featuring remixes of popular songs and random assortments of beats. The crowd awkwardly toe-tapped during the 6:00 p.m. set. They did take the time out, however, to say, "I don't care who you vote for. Obama, Gary Johnson, whatever. Just don't say Romney, because you're educated. You know better."

 

Musicians have been using their celebrity to try to persuade fans' political opinions for ages, but with the upcoming presidential election and accessibility to every kind of social media platform, we're seeing more of it than ever before: email blasts, tweets, Facebook posts, Tumblr reposts, stage banter and of course, the sharing of infamous memes. Some artists just want to end the apathy of voting by teaming up with nonpartisan voter registration organizations like HeadCount and Rock the Vote. Wilco, for example, took a team of volunteers with them for every American tour date this year to canvas the audience.

Others want to voice their opinions about politics not so subtly. Many local artists during the spring Shakori discussed voting against Amendment One and what that vote would mean to them -- informational calls to action without any sugarcoating. Like Passion Pit, other artists have participated in rallies, forums and concerts supporting a particular candidate or party. President Obama's reelection campaign has been supported by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Jay-Z, Beyonce (and probably Blue Ivy, too), Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Katy Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, Kanye West, Dave Matthews, The National, Pete Wentz, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Joel Madden, Jason Mraz, Gwen Stefani, David Grohl, Cyndi Lauper, Adam Levine and more. In 2008, Durham-based Merge Records hosted Obama rallies featuring their artists, including Grammy-winner Arcade Fire. Superchunk, Baobab and Future Kings of Nowhere have more or less live tweeted the recent debates, not being shy whatsoever about their thoughts.

It's harder to find the same allegiance among musicians on the conservative side.  This year's Republican National Convention's lineup included Oak Ridge Boys, Conrad Oberg, Lynyrd Skynyrd,  Philip Alongi, Neal E. Boyd, Lane Turner, Randy Owen, Jack Blades, 3 Doors Down, Ayla Brown, Beau Davidson, The Kantinas, Danny Gokey, Taylor Hicks and BeBe Winans. Nicki Minaj, despite having Obama's endorsement in her fight against Mariah Carey, favors Romney on Lil Wayne's newest mixtape. The Killers, who Romney allegedly enjoys, would "be open" to performing in support of the candidate.

Now, it's not all that surprising that musicians tend to lean towards more liberal views. The imbalance is interesting though. Why do so few indie bands (that aren't offered to play big gigs) publicly support conservative ideas and candidates? And if there were a "Wolfpack for Romney" group on campus, who would they get to perform? Even in the 2008 election, there was a significant difference in musicians' support between parties. Hank Williams Jr. and Gretchen Wilson were among the most prominent McCain supporters.

Is this just a genre division? If you're trying to reach younger voters through music, what's the best way to accomplish this?

 

Single-Day Moogfest and Justice tickets!

Following our giveaway of weekend passes, we are excited to have single-day passes for both Friday and Saturday nights of Moogfest, as well as tickets to see Justice LIVE at the US Cellular Center in Asheville. DJs will be giving them away on-air like crazy leading up to both of these awesome events happening next week, so tune in often to WKNC for your chance to win tickets to both Moogfest and Justice Live!

Pre-Debate Jamz

As the second presidential debate is on the brink of beginning, America is watching the pre-show coverage on their preferred news channels and prepping their last-minute rules for drinking games. Meanwhile, the candidates are likely getting a locker-room style pep talk and listening to songs to get them pumped.

WKNC DJs took some guesses at what those songs may be (other than Nicki Minaj):

ROMNEY'S PLAYLIST:

• Three Six Mafia "Good Googly Moogly"


• The Shaggs "My Pal Foot Foot"


• Rage Against the Machine "Sleep Now in the Fire"


• Kate Nash "Pumpkin Soup"


• Generationals "When They Fight, They Fight"

OBAMA'S PLAYLIST:

• Harlem Shakes "Sunlight"


• DMX "Ruff Ryder's Anthem"


• The Hives "Walk, Idiot, Walk"


• Survivor "Eye of the Tiger"


• "99 Problems but the Mitt ain't One"

Don't Count Your Electoral Votes Just Yet

Tonight marks only the second time in this campaign season that the sitting president will face off against his Republican rival. There’s been much anticipation over the upcoming debate, being held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The talking heads and the blogosphere have been abuzz since the strong performance Mitt Romney gave at the first debate on October 3^rd. Romney received much praise for his performance, while Obama was criticized as having been lackluster, even apathetic toward a seemingly critical moment in the presidential campaign.

For Romney, the first debate was a crucial “make or break” moment for his presidential ambitions. For weeks beforehand (and especially after the Republican National Convention in early September) Romney struggled with one problem after another. The 47% comment; being outshined by a chair at the RNC; the criticism he received after the Libyan ambassador’s death. The Republican contender struggled to maintain his position in the polls, lagging behind Obama in many critical swing states; Conservative pundits felt almost dejected. Many were hoping for some miracle before Election Day.

Obama, meanwhile, continued to do well in the polls not so much because of his actions, but almost seemingly in spite of them. Romney was Obama’s biggest help in the national polls; he, too gave a lackluster performance at his own convention, having been largely outshined by Bill Clinton the previous evening. And yet he held a comfortable lead in the electorate, so there was no need to worry, right?

Then came October 3^rd. The biggest reaction many people seemed to have toward that debate was surprise at how strongly Mitt Romney debated. It wasn’t so much that the President debated poorly; it was simply that it was obvious his contender was much more prepared and eager than the sitting President. But this little detail has made all the difference. In the two weeks since the debate, Mitt Romney has surged, breathing new life into his once dejected supporters. Obama supporters, meanwhile, are wondering just how this could have happened with only one debate. The vice-presidential debate has been largely declared a tie, and has made seemingly little difference.

There are two more debates before the election; two more chances for Mr. Romney to continue his momentum and two more chances for Mr. Obama to turn around a campaign that has begun to lost some of its momentum. If there is one thing political observers and voters alike have learned, it is that as far as the voters are concerned, the race is far from over.

 

-Jake Langlois

Drugs, Maggots, and Vermin Supreme: This Week on EOT

On this week's Eye on Triangle, we bring you stories from across NC State, as our contributor Jay speaks with students from the Democratic and Republican Parties. In addition, Lucia returns with another Eye on the Arts. Deondre' spoke with a representative of one of the largest anti-drug organizations in the world. In addition, Gene has some new wacky science facts for us! Tune in at 7, it's going to be a great show!

Insect Minute - Medical Insects

Our resident entomology expert Heather Campbell brings us another Insect Minute. This week's topic: medical insects.

If you would like to find out more about medical insects visit the museum’s website at insectmuseum.org where you also find information about our museum and read our blog where we talk about interesting stuff going on in the world of entomology.

http://interviews.wknc.org/InsectMin09_MedicalInsect.mp3

EOT105 Young Americans for Liberty 10/9/12

Young Americans for Liberty is a student organization here on campus that represents those of the Libertarian persuasion. A representative of the organization was gracious enough to sit down with Jay recently, to discuss some of what Young Americans for Liberty are all about.

Andrew profiles the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein.

Jasmine went to a seminar all about… well, let’s say one of the more intimate aspects of someone’s life, something that affects or will affect each and every one of us at some point in our lives.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT105_100912.mp3

FOTL Spotlight: Jenny Besetzt & Some Army

If you live in the Triangle and don't already know Jenny Besetzt, it's about time you did. Jenny Besetzt is a five piece band from Greensboro making a name for themselves spinning dreamy trails of melodic melancholy shoegaze.

Case and point: Jenny Besetzt - Teenage Lions

Jenny Besetzt press photo by Sarah Martin

If you missed Jenny Besetzt's shining set at Hopscotch 2012, or on tour with No Age and Memoryhouse, bring a blanket at 6 p.m. to Harris Field at NCSU.

Also check out Some Army from Chapel Hill-Carrboro. This band's first official pop-folky release was featured in Paste Magazine’s "List of 12 North Carolina Bands You Should Listen To Now" and we here at WKNC definitely agree!

I can't believe it's free y'all. But it is.



 

 

Fridays on the Lawn 10/12/12

Come out this Friday, October 12th and join all of us here at WKNC for October's Fridays on the Lawn, an outdoor concert in front of the Witherspoon Student Center on NC State's campus! This month's concert features two great local artists: Some Army and Jenny Besetzt, as well as FREE PIZZA provided graciously by Marco's Pizza on Hillsborough Street.

As always it will be a great deal of fun, so bring a blanket and some friends to enjoy local music, free pizza, and enter in to our giveaway raffle.

A big thank you to Student Government and the Inter-Residence Council for their continued support!

WKNC’s Charts and Top 5 Adds – Oct. 8

Each week, the WKNC music directors tally up spins for new releases and submit their top charts to CMJ.

 

 

Top 5 Adds:

1 TY SEGALL Twins Drag City

2 TAME IMPALA Lonerism Modular

3 BLACK MARBLE A Different Arrangement Hardly Art

4 MOUNTAIN GOATS Transcendental Youth Merge

5 LUYAS Animator Dead Oceans

Top 30 :

1 WILD NOTHING Nocturne Captured Tracks

2 ALT-J An Awesome Wave Canvasback

3 CORIN TUCKER BAND Kill My Blues Kill Rock Stars

4 JENNIFER CASTLE Jennifer Castle

5 MUSIC TAPES Mary's Voice Merge

6 GRIZZLY BEAR Shields Warp

7 THE XX Coexist XL

8 DUM DUM GIRLS End Of Daze SUB POP

9 DJANGO DJANGO Django Django Ribbon

10 ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Mature Themes 4AD

11 HELIO SEQUENCE Negotiations SUB POP

12 POOR MOON Poor Moon SUB POP

13 MENOMENA Moms Barsuk

14 SEAPONY Falling Hardly Art

15 SOFT PACK Strapped Mexican Summer

16 MOUNT EERIE Ocean Roar P.W. Elverum And Sun

17 FRESH AND ONLYS Long Slow Dance Mexican Summer

18 JENS LEKMAN I Know What Love Isn't Secretly Canadian

19 ORWELLS Remember When Autumn Tone

20 DEEP TIME Deep Time Hardly Art

21 MARIA MINERVA Will Happiness Find Me? Not Not Fun

22 IAMAMIWHOAMI Kin coop

23 MICACHU AND THE SHAPES Never Rough Trade

24 BAND OF HORSES Mirage Rock Brown-Columbia

25 STARS The North ATO

26 JUNK CULTURE Wild Quiet Illegal Art

27 TANGO IN THE ATTIC Sellotape Domicile Crocodile

28 ANTIBALAS Antibalas Daptone

29 ALLEN STONE Allen Stone ATO

30 FERGUS AND GERONIMO Funky Was The State Of Affairs Hardly Art

Jam-packed Eye on the Triangle!

Hey Everyone,

Our show if filled to the brim with content for you all. Of course, we are bringing updates on the election, with an interview with Young Americans for Liberty. Third Party Candidates have increasing importance in this year's election, so we've got more coverage on them as well. Also, we have a story dealing with women's Orgasms and a bit of Weird Science. All that, plus Eye on the Arts and Holidays of the Week. It's gonna be a great show tonight.

Thanks,

EOT

EOT104 Early Voting 10/2/12

Anyone who receives the campus crime alert emails is no doubt used to seeing the emails in their inbox. However, in the past several weeks, the emails have detailed more serious crimes than our campus is used to. Deondre’ has more.

Tomorrow marks the first of three presidential debates between contenders Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. With just over a month to go, the candidates are in the home stretch to make themselves heard. Here’s Jake with what we can expect over the next month in terms of early voting and the presidential election.

Barack Obama versus Mitt Romney… in our polarized two party system, third party candidates are rarely get the attention that they might deserve. Andrew thought it might be interested to take focus on these overlooked candidates, in the first of a multi part series exploring the third party candidates running in this election.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT104_100212.mp3

WKNC Afterhours’ RPM Charts and Adds – Oct. 8

Each week, WKNC compiles a list of charts and adds.

Top:

1 A TRIBE CALLED RED A Tribe Called Red Self-Released

2 NERD REVOLT Nerd Revolt Self-Released

3 TODDLA T Watch Me Dance: Agitated By Ross Orton And Pipes Ninja Tune

4 GRAHAM KNOX FRAZIER House Instrumentals II Simply Deep

5 LORN "Weigh Me Down" [Single] Ninja Tune

6 APOLLO 440 The Future's What It Used To Be RADIKAL

7 FLYING LOTUS Until The Quiet Comes Warp

8 BLACKBURNER Planet Earth Attach Cleopatra

9 KREWELLA Play Hard [EP] Self-Released

10 PURITY RING Shrines 4AD

Adds:

1 KONTRAVOID Kontravoid Self-Released

2 VARIOUS ARTISTS Halo 4: Xbox 360 Remixes Microsoft Studios

3 TWO FINGERS Stunt Rhythms Big Dada

4 SOUNDS FROM THE GROUND Widerworld Waveform

5 BASTINADO The Hard Six

WKNC Afterhours’ RPM Charts and Adds – Oct. 1

Each week, WKNC compiles a list of charts and adds.

 Top 10 Charts:

1 A TRIBE CALLED RED A Tribe Called Red Self-Released

2 NERD REVOLT Nerd Revolt Self-Released

3 LORN "Weigh Me Down" [Single] Ninja Tune

4 APOLLO 440 The Future's What It Used To Be RADIKAL

5 TODDLA T Watch Me Dance: Agitated By Ross Orton And Pipes Ninja Tune

6 GRAHAM KNOX FRAZIER House Instrumentals II Simply Deep

7 KREWELLA Play Hard [EP] Self-Released

8 PURITY RING Shrines 4AD

9 NO DOUBT "Settle Down" [Single] Columbia

10 SCISSOR SISTERS Magic Hour Universal

Adds:

1 SAVOY Supertrail EP Self-Released

2 SQUAREPUSHER Ufabulum Warp

3 FINK Fear Is Like Fire Mixes Ninja Tune

4 FLIGHT FACILITIES Flight Facilities EP Future Classic

5 FLYING LOTUS Until The Quiet Comes Warp

WKNC’s Charts and Top 5 Adds – Oct. 1

Each week, the WKNC music directors tally up spins for new releases and submit their top charts to CMJ.

 

Top 5 Adds:

1 MELODY'S ECHO CHAMBER Melody's Echo Chamber Fat Possum

2 DUM DUM GIRLS End Of Daze SUB POP

3 DARK DARK DARK Who Needs Who Supply And Demand

4 FLYING LOTUS Until The Quiet Comes Warp

5 UNNATURAL HELPERS Land Grab Hardly Art

Top 30:

1 WILD NOTHING Nocturne Captured Tracks

2 MUSIC TAPES Mary's Voice Merge

3 DEEP TIME Deep Time Hardly Art

4 GRIZZLY BEAR Shields Warp

5 TANGO IN THE ATTIC Sellotape Domicile Crocodile

6 THE XX Coexist XL

7 ANTIBALAS Antibalas Daptone

8 IAMAMIWHOAMI Kin coop

9 GRASSCUT Unearth Ninja Tune

10 JUNK CULTURE Wild Quiet Illegal Art

11 MARIA MINERVA Will Happiness Find Me? Not Not Fun

12 ALBERTA CROSS  Songs Of Patience ATO

13 MICACHU AND THE SHAPES Never Rough Trade

14 DIIV Oshin Captured Tracks

15 DEERHOOF Breakup Song Polyvinyl

16 ALLEN STONE Allen Stone ATO

17 FRESH AND ONLYS Long Slow Dance Mexican Summer

18 FANTASMES Redness Moon Last Bummer

19 DAN DEACON America Domino

20 HELIO SEQUENCE Negotiations SUB POP

21 MENOMENA Moms Barsuk

22 ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI Mature Themes 4AD

23 ETERNAL SUMMERS Correct Behavior Kanine

24 VAN SHE Idea Of Happiness Modular

25 FERGUS AND GERONIMO Funky Was The State Of Affairs Hardly Art

26 CULT OF YOUTH Love Will Prevail Sacred Bones

27 STAGNANT POOLS Temporary Room Polyvinyl

28 HOLOGRAMS Holograms Captured Tracks

29 ORWELLS Remember When Autumn Tone

30 TURTLE GIANT All Hidden Places [EP] Self-Released

Eye on Triangle Tonight!

Hey Everyone,

So tonight, we've got cool stories for everyone to enjoy. Campus Crime has been recurring lately, so we've got some tips on how to stay safe. Next, a story on the upcoming Presidential Debate, and a very interesting piece on Third Party Candidates. As usual, we are also bringing Soundbytes from the Pack, Holidays of the Week and Community Calender.

Thanks,

EOT