DBB Feature #3: Lonnie Walker

Lonnie Walker: it's a band, not a dude. Although I suspect that in due time, that will be common knowledge. The one-man act---Brian Corum playing a guitar and stomping on a bass drum---turned five-man band has really caught on among WKNC DJs and listeners, self included. There seem to me to be 2 sides to Lonnie Walker, as we'll demonstrate with 2 of their songs.

First, let's take a look at "Summertime," a song you've definitely heard if you listened to WKNC with any regularity in 2008. It's awfully hard not to tap your foot or dance along as they alternate between spewing clever lyrics and frantically banging away on guitar while a drum beat in what, to my untrained ear, sounds like 2/2 time moves the whole thing along at a breakneck pace. And if you're thinking about accusing Lonnie Walker of taking themselves too seriously, consider this verse:

"And I do the best I can with this head that I got.
And it's a mighty fine nice head, and it's got mighty fine nice thoughts.
And if my brain had legs and it could walk around the block,
it would wear a pair of sunglasses and Coppertone sunblock.
And all the people would be jealous as they saw it walk with style,
with its spinal cord a-wagging and its neurons running wild.
But there is no need for bragging all the words that it may speak,
because there are no legs attached to the ideas that it keeps."

Very clever and playful word use that moves along so quickly that you don't quite realize it the first few times you hear the song.

But a look at "Wider than White" reveals their other side. From the somber keyboard intro to the overlaying chord progression to Corum's unmistakable moan to the shredding guitar solo a mere 50 seconds into the song, the entire orchestration has a very epic feel. The lyrics that operate in the not-quite-literal world lead us to the realization that there's another, more sober side to Lonnie Walker. I'm not sure which I like more, but I do know this: I haven't heard a song of theirs that isn't damn good.

They have yet to release an album, but it is reportedly in the works. Which means that you'll just have to check them out at the Pour House on the first night of the Double Barrel Benefit 6, Friday, February 6. See you there.

In the meantime, check out their interview with Mz Kelly on WKNC from June 5, 2008:

LW_interview_6-5-08

Local Beat preview 1/29/09

This Friday, the 29th, The Local Beat has a wonderful show in store for you.

Join us from 5:00-8:00 PM as we'll have two guests. Sleepsound, who are having their CD Release Party Friday night at The Cave in Chapel Hill.  Stevo and I will be discussing with the band, among other things, their album, Breathe.

Check out the Independent Weekly's Review of Breathe here.

Also joining us on Friday will be a representative of the Raleigh Undercover event taking place at Tir Na Nog all weekend.  More about this can be found here.

Be sure to tune in, and don't forget that if you're not in the area you can always stream us.

Tribute to Kay Yow aired on WKNC

More than 1,000 people attended a tribute to the late Wolfpack Women's Basketball Coach Kay Yow, according to an article in today's Technician. WKNC was honored to carry the event live and reproduce the audio for you here. Many thanks to WKNC Engineer Austin Page, Evening Exchange host John Boyer and everyone else at WKNC who made this broadcast possible.

The hour-long tribute features words by Director of Basketball Operations for Wolfpack Women's basketball Robin Pate, Director of Athletics Coach Lee Fowler, Chancellor James L. Oblinger, Assistant Coach Jenny Palmateer and Interim Coach Stephanie Glance. As pictures do not translate well on radio, a video tribute to Coach Yow was not included. We instead rebroadcast an interview from Tuesday's Sports Revolution featuring Patrick Kinas, play-by-play announcer for the women's basketball team. We encourage you to watch the video tribute at WRAL.com.

Listen to the full audio here and watch the Technician Tribute to Kay Yow below: Tribute to Coach Kay Yow 1/28/2009

Interview with HNMTF Cancelled

Obviously, since it is 7:15, and the interview was supposed to start around 6:15, the interview with Hammer No More The Fingers has been cancelled.

WKNC apologizes for this inconvenience and it is our hope that this does not cause any problems with our listeners.  We hold our listeners in high regard and events such as this are not common on our station, and we hope to avoid such situations in the future.

Also, thanks to Music.MyNC for helping to promote the interview.  The support is much appreciated.

Tribute to Coach Kay Yow

N.C. State is hosting a tribute tonight on Kay Yow Court in Reynolds Coliseum to honor women’s basketball Kay Yow, who passed away Saturday after a long battle with cancer. The tribute begins at 7 p.m. and will be heard live as part of “Evening Exchange” on 88.1 FM and wknc.org.

Sports Revolution 1/27

On the Sports Revolution this week, Preston took the week off to celebrate her 21st birthday. No worries, she'll be back next week. In the meantime, Derrick Thornton filled in for her.  The guys had a touching interview with Patrick Kinas, play-by-play voice of Wolfpack Women's Basketball, on the passing of the late, great Coach Kay Yow.  The guys gave their insight on the State men's basketball game Tuesday evening against Miami, and discussed what it would take for the Red and White to pull off the huge upset of that powdery-blue colored school that no one really likes to talk about.  The guys hit on the other big ACC match up this week, Wake vs. Duke, and gave an overview of that game and its' implications on the conference race this season.  Then, oh yeah... it's Super Bowl week! So the Rev discussed what Arizona needs to do if they are going to pull off their fourth straight upset in the playoffs this season.

Be sure to tune in every Tuesday night from 7 to 8 pm for all the fun, get in your questions and comments on the blog or give us a call during the show at 860-0881.

Sports Revolution 1/27/09

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 1/27

Colourmusic's eccentric new album is a hit
Chris Cioffi

Innovation and creativity are two of the elements to look for when listening to a new band, and the new Colourmusic album has both in spades. The ear candy that one can expect while listening to Colourmusic's first full length album is almost overwhelming at times.

Whimsical, charming music is a guilty pleasure of mine, and f, monday, orange, february, venus, lunatic, 1 or 13 is as whimsical and charming as they come. Their poppy sounds and beautiful song-craft make listening to this album an exciting experience. Conceptually, the band has tried to fashion songs that evoke feelings specific to an individual color.

On previous EPs, for instance, they have tried to evoke the color red, but this time around, orange is the focal point. This eccentric fact wasn't immediately obvious and came from researching the album, but on subsequent listens the orange vibe in their songs does in fact seem to come through.

One could believe that picking a single color would be limiting a band's sound, but Colourmusic is able to transcend those limitations and puts forth thirteen beautiful tracks that not only stand individually as extremely catchy tunes, but flow as a complete and solid album. When listening to this album, you will catch yourself involuntarily singing along to the catchy songs such as "Put in a Little Gas," and my personal favorite, "Winter Song."

Eccentricity is their trademark, and Colourmusic has built an engaging mythology around their blend of performance art and publicity stunts. On many occasions, the band has been known to stage the death and subsequent resuscitation of band member Nick Turner onstage.

They have also been known to hypnotize particularly appealing members of the audience in failed attempts to con them into sleeping with them.

Sometimes all four band members dress alike, grow similar beards, and even date the same girl merging themselves into one stage personality, whom they call Roy G. Biv. According to Wikipedia, another publicly-known interest of the band is going to local malls while on tour and pulling the old "dollar on the end of a string" trick.

Generally, one member will act as string-puller while the others crouch behind a potted tropical plant with their Fisher-Price PXL-2000 video camera, attempting to acquire footage for the video of one of their latest songs titled, "Don't Hollah fo That Dollah You Di-int Get".

Colourmusic has put out one of the better albums released recently. The experience is definitely worth a trip down to the local record store to check out this eccentric entry. Who knows, you might find your new favorite band!

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.

"Hammer No More the Fingers" Live In the KNC Studio From 6-7 pm Wednesday, January 28!

One of my favorite local bands, Hammer No More the Fingers, will be coming to WKNC on Wednesday, January 28 for an interview and live in-studio performance. 

The Durham/Chapel Hill trio released a self-titled CD in 2007 and recently completed recording of a second album. HNMTF has recorded with the Sessions@KNC team and is known for its killer live performances around the Triangle.  This spring they are traveling as far away as Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, and New York City.  They are playing at the Tir Na Nog Irish Pub and Restaurant in Raleigh on Thursday, January 29 for Local Beer, Local Band night alongside Pattern is Movement.

Tune in from 6-7 pm on Wednesday, January 28 to hear more about their new release, and for a chance to hear some of their killer new tracks performed live in the studio!

DBB Feature #2: Polvo

Up until a month ago, I often heard  "Polvo" and "Double Barrel Benefit" in the same sentence, but only in the context of: "Hey, you know what would be a cream dream?  Polvo headlining the Double Barrel Benefit."  The conversation would then spiral into fantasies of Zach Galifianakis hosting a lineup of Ben Folds, Whiskeytown, Superchunk, or Archers of Loaf.  Saying it was a long shot was an understatement.  Polvo disbanded in 1997, and despite my past inquiries and pestering of Polvo's bassist and Kings Barcade owner, Steve Popson, it seemed forever to remain "not the right time."

But with Polvo reforming with a new drummer Brian Quast (Cherry Valence) to play last summer's ATP festival,  and a handful of shows afterward, the time became right and Polvo will be  headlining Saturday the 7th for WKNC's Double Barrel Benefit #6.

Polvo formed in 1990 in Chapel Hill and after releasing the double 7" "Can I Ride" on Kitchen Puff, signed with Merge Records to release their debut album "Cor-Crane Secret".  They followed tours wtih Babes in Toyland and Superchunk with the release of "Today's Active Lifestyles" in 1992 and the EP's "Celebrate the New Dark Age" and "This Eclipse" in 1994 and '95.  After switching to Chicago label Touch and Go in 1996, Polvo released the double length album "Exploded Drawing" and put out their final record "Shapes" in 1997.

In the 12 years since their final release, Polvo's members have kept making music and staying involved in the Triangle music scene.  Guitarist and vocalist Ash Bowie played with Helium and released an album in 200o under the name Libraness.  Dave Brylawski (guitar, vocals) played in Idyll Swords and joined bassist Steve Popson in Black Taj.  And of course Popson was one of the owners of beloved Raleigh music institution Kings Barcade (RIP).

Now, it is entirely possible that some of you may not be as utterly geeked as I am about this development.  Some of you may not have already bought your tickets for the second night (as if the promise of I Was Totally Destroying It, Violet Vector & The Lovely Lovelies, and Birds of Avalon wasn't enough).  That is fair.  Polvo stopped putting out albums in the 90's and some of the listeners of this station may have been born in that decade.  So let me do you a favor and provide the following three good reasons you must not miss out on catching Polvo, Saturday February 7th at the Pour House.

1. Polvo put their own stamp on the Math Rock genre.

Along with bands like Slint, Drive Like Jehu, and Shellac, Polvo's use of different tunings, complicated time signatures, and dense layering of sound, created a whole new twist on rock music.  Polvo especially involved rhythms and drone-type sonics that drew heavily from Eastern music, creating music that could be appreciated by both shoe-gazers as well a punk rock fans.  But their songs were never without that great pop hook, making Polvo a great band for new fans to acquaint themselves with the Math Rock genre

2.  Polvo influenced your favorite bands.

Explosions in the Sky were such fans, when they curated last years All Tomorrow's Parties in England, Polvo was on the top of their wish list.  You can hear Polvo's influence in national acts such as Pilot to Gunner and Pterodactyl, as well as local acts Des Ark and Noncanon.  Even looking back at previous Double Barrel Benefit vets, you can hear Polvo's inventive sonic layers in The Nein and complex beat counts in We Versus the Shark.

3.  This is a rare chance to see a legendary band, in an intimate venue, in their home base.

Polvo may or may not play another show.  Getting an opportunity to see a seminal band from the hey-day of the Triangle's indie rock expolsion is a rare treat.  This is along the same level of  Slint's 2005 reunion; an infuential band, whose members have not lost a step, coming together because they love the music they made.

Speaking as the past curator of Double Barrel Benefit's, this year's lineup ranks as one of the best.  Top to bottom, both nights, is a solid representation of our vibrant local music scene.  And if you have been to past DBB's, you know that bands kick it up a gear when they play this event (Red Collar, Mountain Goats, and The Nein come to mind).  And to have a band like Polvo reform and play this event for no compensation is both humbling and exciting.  The Pour House looks to be rocking, and so will I.  See you there.

- see the Polvo Myspace for tracks, or just make a request.

-BFSac

Inflowential Live on January 31st

Inflowential will be live at The Pour House Music Hall on January 31st. The concert will be from 8:00 pm until 2:00 am and will feature special guests Blount Harvey and Halo.

Local Beat recap 1/23/09

On Friday Stevo, Hand Banana, and I were joined by Bart Tomlin of Blatant Mischief Promotions to discuss the upcoming inaugural Raleigh Undercover event. Raleigh Undercover is an event that is being put on by Tir Na Nog and Blatant Mischief Promotions as a charity event for the Beehive Collective. Several local bands will be donating their time and playing short sets solely devoted to covering either their favorite bands, bands who have inspired them, or any combination thereof.  The event was inspired similar events in Champaign, IL, and at the venue-turned-parking deck Kings.

The acts that will be performing (in no particular order) are as follows:

Embarrassing Fruits

The T's

Bright Young Things

Valient Thorr

Left Outlet

The Whalewatchers

Hearts and Daggers

I Was Totally Destroying It

The Jackpot Non-Stars (no telling what this means...)

Static Minds

Mike Roy

The Nevers

Gray Young

Ronnie Wabbs

The shows will take place this Friday, 1/30, Saturday, 1/31; and Sunday, 2/1.  Again, rumors abound about who will be playing what, but the only way to know for sure is to be there.  We'll see you there!

Recap: Rosebuds, Megafaun and Love Language at Cat's Cradle

Saturday night at Cat's Cradle was perfect. I trudged through last week, snow and school and all, and what was really getting me through was knowing that on Saturday, I'd get to see The Rosebuds and just dance it out.

Every time I see The Rosebuds, it reaffirms my theory that Kelly and Ivan are actually the coolest people on earth.  It's so obvious that they give it their all, and that's why as a result their shows are always really fun. Saturday was no exception. I won't go into great detail about their set, because if you weren't their it will just make you feel jealous and bummed out, but rest assured, they put on an excellent show, complete with pink Christmas lights and a very confused little dog who appeared on stage during the encore.

The Rosebuds, photo by Mike Alston

The Rosebuds were great, but they're always great. What made Saturday night so especially awesome was that it was a great show from start to finish.

Lately I've been really loving  The Love Language, who started off the night. They are all so energetic and cute, I saw them at the Local 506 back in December and had been looking forward to seeing them again ever since.  Even though they apologized several times for having colds, they did not disappoint. If they hadn't mentioned it, I don't think I would've suspected that they were not feeling up to their A-game. I highly recommend checking out their MySpace, because every last one of their songs is spectacular.

Oh, and Megafaun. They're from your backyard. These guys seriously rule. Much like The Rosebuds, they were very in touch with the crowd. I like feeling like a show is interactive, so I give them points for initiating an elaborate singalong during which they divided the crowd into three sections with three different singing parts. Bonus points also for burning incense during their set, and for their very long, very manly beards.

Bradley Cook of Megafaun, photo by Mike Alston

Long story short, Saturday night at Cat's Cradle was totally awesome. There is such a wealth of local music in the Triangle, and I think that's something that we're all really lucky to be a part of. This music comes from your neighbors, you know? Whenever I'm listening to these bands and thinking about how much they rule, that's what really blows my mind about it all. This music comes from my neighbors.

Local Metal Act, Colossus, Brings Goodies To WKNC

On 1/22/09, Colossus band members  Sean Buchanan and Bill Fisher dropped in during Local Lunch for a quick interview.

The day started off with Colossus's Sean Buchanan and Bill Fisher stopping by the studio for a quick interview and exclusive debut of two tracks from their next album.

Colossus brought WKNC a belated Christmas gift in the form of 2 exclusive, not yet released, songs from their next album that is set to hit the streets in a few months. Colossus played at WKNC & Tir Na Nog's Local Beer, Local Band on Thursday, January 22nd, with Double Barrel Benefit 5 alumni, Tooth.

Check out Murdoc's Picture Blog and exclusive review of Colossus's next album!

You can listed to the songs Kill More Better and The Mountain in the interview below.

http://wknc.org/blog/post/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/colossus-interview.mp3

Murdoc's Local Music Picture Blog 3

At first, I thought I would try something else for this week's post...so I forgot my camera at home and went speeding off to Tir Na Nog's first metal night featuring Tooth and Colossus. Thankfully my brother came through for me and brought his camera (but he didn't get there until Tooth's last song). So grabbed the camera from him and snagged as many good shots as I could.

Being a DJ that started out wanting to be a part of the WKNC Chainsaw Rock crew, Tir Na Nog's first metal night really got my blood pumping. If you sadly missed this show, then you missed one of the most awesome Local Beer, Local Band nights ever. This may have been one of the slightly more tame metal shows I have attended (since it lacked blood, boobs, and a mosh pit), but it was one of my favorite Local Beer, Local Bands none the less.

Tooth: Durham based Tooth released their EP Animality just before playing at WKNC's Double Barrel Benefit 5 last year, and have been spreading their punk metal style around the Triangle since.  According to their bassist, Ryland Fishel, the band has been working on their second album and have recorded some tracks that are set to be released on vinyl soon.

Colossus: Raleigh based metal at its finest. Colossus mashes elements of thrash metal with power metal elements to create hard rock masterpieces. Colossus singer, Sean Buchanan, and guitarist, Bill Fisher, dropped by WKNC's Local Lunch for a quick interview and to debut two tracks off of their upcoming album that is yet to be named. WKNC also received an exclusive advanced copy of the album to review and play.

The way all contracts should be. Well... as long as your legal name is 'Dick McFuckhole' that is.

Click any picture to view the full gallery.

Click here for the WKNC review of Colossus's next album.

Click here to listen to the Local Lunch interview with Colossus.

Zombies + Cannibal Warriors = Metal Awesomeness

Local metal act Colossus is at it again with another very solid CD release. Colossus's thrash metal music mixed with power metal lyrics combines to produce a 5 track record about killing zombies, cannibalizing one's fallen enemies, and kicking ass. The album is full of awesome guitar solos, and hardcore headbanging. The album is yet to be named, but it is well worth putting on your list of CD's to keep an eye out for in the coming months.

Colossus singer Sean Buchanan and guitarist Bill Fisher dropped into the WKNC studio last week for a quick interview and to debut 2 new singles from the upcoming album. Click here for a taste of metal awesomeness.

Liar, Liar

This will be a short post about a short song for a short week.

Point is, with the holiday and the snow day, it was a short week.  Appropriately, the song I got stuck in my head fit the truncated work schedule.

"Liar, Liar" by the Castaways is fantastic.  It was their hit, reaching number 12 on the charts in 1965.

I think, though, it was the video I found on YouTube that caused me to listen to this song so much.  Check it out. Dancing party chicks and everything.

That is all.  Carry on.

-La Barba Rossa

Listen to Mystery Roach every Saturday from 8-10 am for Garage, Prog, Psychedelic, Fusion and noise from the 60s and 70s.

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 1/20

'Onmyradio' Fails to Disappoint
Mir.I.am

When Musiq Soulchild stepped on the scene in 2000 with his classic debut album Aijustwanaseing, he carried on the tradition of Neo-Soul music started by artist including Erykah Badu and D’angelo. From "Just Friends” and “Love” to “Don’t Change" and "B.U.D.D.Y.", Musiq has remained a consistent force in the realm of Neo-Soul for almost a decade. With his latest release "Onmyradio", the 30 year old Philly native fails to disappoint.

For Musiq fans, the release of the first single from "Onmyradio", "Radio" was a confusing. The crunk track does nothing to compliment Musiq as an artist or appease his fan base and failed to chart. With the state of R&B as it is, the watered down production, uninspired vocals and no originally, one would wonder why Musiq, would try and conform. Thankfully, the poor choice of a lead single is in no way indicative of the remainder of the album.

"OnMyRadio" opens with the up-tempo, hard hitting, bass driven “Backagain”, where Musiq explains how he thought he was over a break-up, until they came back.

"Until", reminiscent lyrically of Stevie Wonder’s classic “Always”, tells of how he’ll love his significant other until the end of time. It is one of the albums stand-out tracks.

The second single, “IfULeave”, a duet with the Queen of Hip/Hop R&B Soul, Mary J. Blige is a well balanced duet of back and forth banter between a couple on the verge of a break-up. Production-wise, it is similar to”Teachme”, a gem released from Musiq’s last album, "Luvanmusiq".

Momentum comes to a stand still with “Special” and “Deserveyoumore” On “Special” the melody and beat are competing with each other and “Deserveyoumore” sounds like a 70’s bland love song by an all male vocal quartet.

The piano driven “Dearjohn” is a letter explaining how Musiq, lacking the courage to break up in person instead opts for a pen and piece of paper. The sadness in Musiq’s voice, remorseful lyrics, vocal arrangement, harmonies and production make this the best track on the album.

Next, “Loveofmylife”, is equally endearing and gross as Musiq sings how he “can loose a car, even body parts”, but could never live without the love of his life. Feeling the recession, “Moneyright”, an up-tempo electro-pop groove has Musiq pledging to give his love all they desire once he gets his funds together. In terms of production, where as John Legend has “Green Light”, Musiq has “Moneyright”, minus Andre 3000.

On “Someone” Musiq delivers what he does best. Love ballads. The dulcet melody and beautiful words express how we all want someone to love us despite our imperfections.

The only other feature on the album, “Iwannabe” featuring Damian Marley infuses a bit of Reggae and Caribbean vibe on a song surely to make you want to move.

“Sobeautiful” is another moving love ballad where Musiq displays how his vocal prowess has matured in the past 8 years trying out his falsetto.

Albums are often judged by their first single, but there are exceptions to every rule, "Onmyradio" being one. Musiq, although with a few missteps, has stayed true to who he is as an artist while remaining relevant. Although "Onmyradio" may not be Musiq’s best, it is a solid effort and a solid effort from Musiq is still better than what’s currently playing---on the radio.

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.

Phone Interview With The Duhks 1/24/09

Join myself, DJ Caid, on Americana Blues & Co. Saturday as I will be filling in for DJ Sweet Annie Rich and interviewing The Duhks.  The interview is scheduled for right after 10:30am.  Tune in and enjoy your Saturday morning with some true American (and sometimes Canadian!) music.

Tab-One Music Video

While everyone else was busy playing in the snow on Tuesday, local MC Tab-One (of Kooley High & Inflowential) was busy making a music video- a remix of "FlowGlow."  And while the lip-syncing may be a little off and picture quality from a homemade video may be a bit shady, it still just furthers some more promotion for "One Day" which I am supa-psyched about.

Why Hate On The Power?

Ok, this has been bothering me for a while. I get crap from the prisoners, from strangers, hell even from our own Caid. WHY THE HATE ON POWER METAL?!?!?!? Seriously, I don't understand it. Is it because they sing about dragons? Is it cause they sing about fighting in medieval Europe alongside King Arthur? What, what is it? People say power metal is not "brutal" enough, or is "pansy" metal. Why? Is it because they can actually sing and play their instruments with good skill? I enjoy listening to death and black metal as much as the next guy, but sometimes I actually want to be able to understand what my vocalist is singing about, not Cookie Monster vocals with maximum distortion on them. I want to be able to hear a guitar solo that actually uses all six strings on the guitar, not just the one. Is that too much to ask? And I can guarantee you that power metal has been around longer than these other genres and will continue to exist even after those have gone.

Let me give you a brief history of the great genre of dragons. Power metal is a style of heavy metal music combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed or thrash metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a later more widespread and popular style based in Europe and Japan with a lighter, more melodic sound and frequent use of keyboards.

Power metal is today associated with an epic sound tempered by characteristics of speed metal, power metal's musical forerunner. Power metal's lyrical themes, though as varied as metal itself, typically focus on fantasy, mythology, camaraderie, hope,  personal struggles, emotions,  war, and death.

Power metal is highly focused on the vocalist, with "clean" vocals being much more prevalent than the growling vocals. The majority of the genre's vocalists sing in the tenor range, capable of hitting very high notes. There are however many exceptions such as Pyramaze / Iced Earth frontman Matt Barlow, Falconer frontman Mathais Blad, and Sabaton frontman Joakim Broden; they sing in either baritone or bass range, though in certain songs like Creator Failure, Barlow hits very high notes reminiscent of Rob Halford. Power metal vocalists Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray, andHansi Kurch of Blind Guardian record multi-layered vocals reminiscent of Queen, creating a choral effect.

Power metal guitarists and bassists generally play rapid streams of notes, but change chords comparatively slowly, with a harmonic tempo of once per measure or slower. Fast and demanding guitar solos, however, are almost guaranteed.

A number of power metal drummers generally play with two bass drums for added speed, utilizing them to play a constant stream of sixteenth notes with snare drum accents on the beat. This style is fairly common in power metal as in other heavy metal subgenres, though it is by no means universal. Power metal though has become the most prevalent in the use of this technique.

Power metal bands often incorporate keyboards into their musical arrangements, something popularized by Jens Johansson of Stratovarius, though their usage varies from subtle accents to a full-blown melody line. Some symphonic power metal bands such as Rhapsody of Fire, Fairyland and Nightwish have also been known to record with more symphonic elements, and as such, they utilize a full orchestra to fill the role a keyboard plays in other power metal bands.

Notable Power Metal Bands:

3 Inches of Blood


Avantasia

Battlelore

Black Majesty

Blind Guardian

Chinchilla

Circle II Circle

Demons & Wizards

Dragonforce

Dream Evil

Edguy

Elvenking

Excalion

Fairyland

Falconer

Firewind

Freedom Call

Galneryus

Gamma Ray

Grave Digger

HammerFall

Helloween

Iced Earth

Iron Fire

Into Eternity

Jacob's Dream

Jag Panzer

Kamelot

Labyrinth

Lost Horizon

Manowar

Metalium

Mystic Prophecy

Narnia

Nightwish

Nocturnal Rites

Pagan's Mind

Pyramaze

Raintime

Rhapsody of Fire

Sabaton

Saxon

Sonata Arctica

Steel Attack

Stratovarius

Symphony X

Twilightning

Vision Divine

Wizard

For More See Here

Aid for History Came From Wikipedia

Colossus Interview During Local Lunch 1/22/09

Colossus will be bringing metal mayhem to Local Lunch on Thursday, January 22nd, for an interview.

Colossus's Rylan Wilshire & Sean Buchanan will be in studio for the interview at around 12:30pm. Afterwords, Colossus will be playing with WKNC Double Barrel Benefit 5 alumni, Tooth, at WKNC & Tir Na Nog's first Local Beer, Local Band that will feature Metal music.

For more details about the show, check out the WKNC Rock Report, and don't forget to tune in for the interview!

The Beast and Cashmere Live on WKNC 88.1 FM Tonight

The Beast will be live in the studio for DJ J Wall's underground show tonight at 10pm. Also Cashmere will be calling into the DJ Nominal Late Nite Mix Show at 12am. Don't forget to check out The Beast, Edgar Allen Floe, and Natalie Steward (1/2 of Floetry) at the Brewery on Friday January 23rd at 8 pm.

The 88 Hottest Women in Indie Rock

We'd hate to be shallow, but these women are not only physically good-looking, they're also immensely talented. Here are my 88 Hottest Women in Indie Rock:

1. Jenny Lewis

Not only is the #1 hottest woman of indie rock the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, she's also sung with the Watson Twins, and DNTEL & Ben Gibbard in the iconic Postal Service. Oh, and she has her own solo career too, proving that not all childhood actors go the way of Macaulay Culkin. Put on your Rabbit Fur Coat and Rise Up With Fists, this fiery redhead Las Vegas native is hot enough to sustain lava. Her latest, “Acid Tongue” brings all the boys to the yard to test out that acid tongue for themselves. And hey, I'm into her. She's hella hot.

2. Zooey Deschanel (She & Him)

For an actress turned "she" of She & Him, she makes crossovers look good. With acting chops in The Good Girl and the recent Yes Man, her soothing croon and huge seafaring eyes, Zooey marks number two on the list. Too bad she's engaged though. According to Stereogum, Zooey is Ben Gibbard's (Death Cab for) Cutie. Which gives hope to all hefty bearded soft men everywhere.

3. Joanna Newsom

It's not difficult to mistaken Joanna Newsom for an angel. Her voice is this weird folky and entrancing slice of heaven. Also, she plays the harp.

4. M.I.A.

M.I.A flies like paper. If Beyoncé were into indie rock, she’d be M.I.A. Her blue hair and giant, corny sweaters has inspired many a Halloween costume, but not in a scary Dick Cheney kind of way.

5. Marnie Stern

Yeah, Marnie Stern is hot. and This Is hot and I Am hot and You Are hot and So Is That and He Is hot and She Is hot and It Is hot and That Is That.

6. Feist

Canadian Goddess of Ipod commercials, Feist played an angel on A Colbert Christmas and had the muppets humming "1, 2, 3, 4". How cute.

7. Cat Power

Chan Marshall's breathy seduction of a voice has made her the #7 contender on the list. Her stage name is also my favorite euphemism of lower girly parts, interestingly enough.

8. Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth)

She's so hot, it's almost barbaric. Kim Gordon is the smokin' female bassist behind the holy Sonic Youth and one of the frontrunners of indie rock. Now approaching her late 50’s, this is one cougar I wouldn’t mind being jumped by in the forest.

9. Emily Haines (Broken Social Scene)

Indian-native, Canadan-raised Emily Haines is probably one of the hottest women to come out of Canada and India at the same time. Her looks are as delicate as her piano and vocals with Broken Social Scene. She's like if Kiera Knightley was in a kickass band but could probably still be that girl in your Spanish Diction class.

10. Tift Merritt

Tift Merritt looks more like a model than your average country singer-songwriter (think Reba). But don’t be fooled, this Carolina chanteuse can sing a gorgeous Americana piece like no other.

11. Santogold

She's dropped her first album in her mid-thirties, opened for Coldplay, and co-wrote songs for Ashlee Simpson. And though the latter two seem to contradict each another, there is no doubt that Santogold can belt out beats to the likes of M.I.A. and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

12. Madeline

This DIY acoustic star has soft, approachable looks reminiscent of her quiet, honest songs from such albums as “Kissing and Dancing” and “The Slow Bang.” She's as delightful as the cartoon french girl of the same name.

13. Kaki King

A pretty girl with sweet vocals and post-rock instrumentals? That deserves to be mentioned.

14. Kelly Crisp (the Rosebuds)

A local Raleighite, Kelly Crisp taught English at a community college before forming the Rosebuds. She's also a comedian, (will her talents ever stop emerging?) which undoubtedly caught the eye of the charming Ivan Howard. And he's not bad-looking either.

15. & 16. CocoRosie (Bianca Leilani and Sierra Rose Casady)

Twins! Bianca and Sierra Casady make for a pretty hot pair in their band CocoRosie. Bianca (Coco) and Sierra (Rosie) oftentimes wear elaborate makeup on stage, making it hard to figure which one is which. Luckily, they’re both hot sisters who make beautiful, psychedelic sounds.

17. Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females)

She's so tiny, I feel like I could put her in my pocket. But when this girl screams, she screams. With her mouth. It's so evil and delicious.

18. Karen O. (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

Part Korean. Part Polish. All hot woman. Her quirky, orgasmic-like vocals leave her an enigma as the centerpiece of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

19. Jill Andrews (The Everybodyfields)

Frontwoman of Tennessee’s The Everybodyfields, Jill Andrews, is a gem. Her soft country twang intriguing many a bearded male in plaid.

20. Mel Draisey (The Clientele)

So hot she makes the rest of her bandmates look bad. Her pouty eyes and sultry violen make Gwyenth Paltrow sulk.

21. Nicole Atkins

This “pop-noir” singer from Jersey, with her so-short dresses and duotone hair, can wear Old Navy and still look hot.

22. Anna Spence (The Annuals)

Raleigh’s own Anna Spence is the folksy next-door neighbor. You figure she's cute, but really, you just want to court her and hold her hand.

23-25 The Pipettes (Rosay, Gwenno, RiotBecki)

Their kisses are wasted on you. Though the original members may have severed ties to the band, they were hot while they lasted. Their hits were catchy; their charm, infectious.

26. Thao Nguyen

27. Lykke Li

28. Beth Tacular (Bowerbirds)

29. Ladyhawke

30. Kathryn Calder (The New Pornographers)

31. Nicole Barille (Mr. Gnome)

32.& 33. Camera Obscura (Tracyanne Campbell, Carey Lander)

34. Charlotte Gainsbourg

35. Þórunn Antonía (Fields)

36. Kazu Makino (Blonde Redhead)

37. Neko Case

38.-40. Au Revoir Simone (Erika Forster, Annie Hart, Heather D’Angelo)

40-44. Sleater Kinney (Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weiss, Corin Tucker, and Lora McFarlane)

45. The Ettes (Maria "Poni" Silver, Lindsay "Coco" Hames)

46-48. Pink Flag (Princess Ojiaku, Betsy Shane and Jessica Caesar)

49. Goldfrapp

50. Khaela Maricich (the Blow)

51. Kristin Gundred (Grand Ole Party)

52. Nikki Monninger (Silversun Pickups)

53. Eleanor Friedberger (The Fiery Furnaces)

54. Analee Fery (Monsters Are Waiting)

55. Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond)

56. Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond)

57. Satomi Matsuzaki (Deerhoof)

58-59. Tegan & Sara

60. Victoria Legrand (Beach House)

61-61. Midtown dickens (Catherine Edgerton and Kym Register)

62-64. The Vivian Girls (Cassie Ramone, Kickball Katy, Ali Koehler)

65. Belinda Butcher (My Bloody Valentine)

66. Joan as Policewoman

67. Katrina Kerns (Sufjan Stevens)

68-70. Ladytron (Helen Marnie, Mira Aroyo)

71. Jolie Holland

72. Lovefoxxx

73. Nico Vega

74. St. Vincent

75-77. Tilly and the Wall (Kianna Alarid, Neely Jenkins, Jamie Pressnall)

78. Annie Hardy (Giant Drag)

79. Sia

80. Bat for Lashes

81. Gabriela (Rodrigo y Gabriela)

82. Anita Robinson (Viva Voce)

83. Emiliana Torrini

84. Mirah

85. Inara George (Bird and the Bee)

86-88. All Girl Summer Fun Band (Kathy Foster, Jen Sbragia, Kim Baxter)

Joaquin Phoenix, Rapper?

I have a thing for rappers. I have a bigger thing for indie rappers. There is just something so cool about weird music, awkward tempos, and RAPPING!

Joaquin Phoenix is the newest to the rapping industry. That's right. Mr. Ladder 49 decided to make the jump from the acting bandwagon to the rapping bandwagon. How legitimate do you think this is?

I found an article that speculated on different rapper names for Phoenix. There is Quin Money, Lil' Jo, MC Joaquin, but the best is Young Pheezy.
Any other ideas? I think I would go with Ying Yang Quin.

The Rise of Underground

The Rise of Underground

As a self proclaimed music head with my ear to street, the emergence of “Underground Hip Hop” sites are both good and bad. They are pushing to the forefront the unheard artists free of charge and giving pretty good insight on what’s hot and what’s not. Even Myspace is a good start for an upcoming artist. A quick visit to these sites and you’ve got a light dose of the rap or underground or hip hop scene. The bad things are obvious; too many uneducated hands in the cookie jar. “Ol’ heads” used to dictate the game, with their wisdom and experience. Now almost anyone can talk like they know their music with these sites without fully understanding where it came from or why it’s written like that. It also does the worst thing possible, commercializes underground rap. It can make people greedy until they aren't spittin’ about real issues anymore, they are talking about whatever will sell. Now us as the listeners must dictate the market; should we accept pointless music and use the internet like everyone else or push against the norm by recognizing lyricists and not falling for the hype?

Here's a few examples of the websites;
Mzhiphop
PJButta
All Hip Hop
Mixtape Monster
Mixunit

-Buck Nasty

DBB Feature #1: Schooner

This is the first installment of WKNC's features on all the bands included in this years Double Barrel Benefit.  Be on the lookout for more blogs, interviews, and other cool information in the coming weeks!

For those of you who know me well, you're aware of how prone I am to wax poetic about the superlative elements of our local music scene. Local music is one of those topics that I'm wont to speak at length about given any tangential opportunity, so when I was asked to write a blog post about Schooner, I had to compile my thoughts for a while. What was I going to write that hadn't already been said?

I don't think that it's a secret to anyone that Schooner is one of my favorite bands from North Carolina. I know what you're saying...  I've got a lot of favorite bands from North Carolina, right? Well, OK, yes... but for those of you who doubt my veracity, I've got proof: their bumper sticker is currently one of two adorning the rear of my trusty 1998 Geo Prizm (though, admittedly, it sort of matches the color scheme).



Schooner sound a bit like Stephin Merritt if you replaced his early synthesizer fixation with an equivalent fixation on Buddy Holly and the hazey sounds of shoegaze.  Like Merritt, Schooner's songs are rooted in solid pop melodies and hooks, but you'll often find them drenched in more reverb and paired to dreamy choruses. Amidst the atmosphere, Reid Johnson sings with a Merritt-like baritone croon straight out of the 50's, and adding to that general 50's vibe are slide guitars, mandolins, and those characteristic palm-muted slow dance rock chords.

Lyrically, Schooner's songs can seem like character studies from a Faulkner novel; they're often told in the past tense and are filled with bruised, distinctively Southern tales of lost love, missed opportunities, and regret.  It can be heavy stuff, surely, but with the sweet pop melodies that Schooner brings to the table, you could make even the saddest tale feel like a catchy, danceable rocker.

So why do I consider them to be one of my favorite local bands?  To answer that, let's listen to one of their songs, "Married," from their 2007 release, Hold On Too Tight.

Listen carefully and you'll realize that in three short minutes, through oblique phrases and echoing slide guitar runs, we get a glimpse into a lifetime's worth of memories and regret. Whatever your interpretation of lines like "constellations were laid upon," you know several things for certain by its conclusion: she was the one, he's probably been in love with her for far too long, and her marriage symbolizes the end of hope that she'll come back.

The ability to fit all of that complex sentiment within the trappings of a deceptively simple verse-chorus pop song is a gift that few songwriters possess, and the fact that Schooner is able to do it so effortlessly with just about every song they write earns them a spot in the highest echelons of my music collection.

The best part? They're awesome live, and you can see them at this year's Double Barrel Benefit.

Whatever your tastes are, there's a vast bounty of world-class music to be had here in the Triangle, and it's due to this great variety that we've held the Double Barrel for the past six years.  This year's edition promises to continue what has become one of the best damned Raleigh traditions around, and we'll be writing features for each artist playing.

Schooner plays third on Friday, February 6th, and tickets are available from the Pour House website.

Murdoc's Local Music Picture Blog 2

Welcome back to the Local Music Picture Blog!

This week is another showcase of Local Beer, Local Band featuring The Jackets and Brett Harris.

The night got kicked off with The Jackets performing their fourth live show. The Jackets describe themselves as a "high powered electric harmony quartet" and is comprised of Roger Gupton, Evans Nicholson, with John Teer and Chandler Holt from Chatham County Line.

 



 



 





 



 

After the break, Brett Harris got his set kicked off. Brett Harris is a Durham based singer/song writer who plays with members from Bright Young Things. Brett dropped by The Local Lunch eariler in the day for a quick interview. Brett Harris has released two cds in the past year, and is about to start recording for his third.

 



 



 





 



 

Click on any picture to view the full gallery