New Music 3/22 - 3/29

Ever wonder what were the hottest new tracks of college radio or what the DJs were spinning at WKNC? Wonder no more! Here are the latest, freshest, and most off-the-chain albums of the week.

Hey Kids, Play This New Music

Gray Matter, Assistant Daytime Music Director

Red Red Meat - Bunny Gets Paid
A re-release of a classic album. One of the best examples of experimental folk/blues ever.

Mirah - (a)spera
Mirah is a particularly weird singer/songwriter type. I like this album quite a lot.

Infantree - Tree-p
More experimental folk, this much more twangy. One of the singers sounds like a bluegrass singer which I would normally hate, but I kind of like this band.

Bonnie Prince Billy - Beware
Sounds like Bonnie Prince Billy, if you don't know what Bonnie Prince Billy sounds like, listen to some Bonnie Prince Billy.

Mi Ami - Watersports
Good weird [expletive]. Extreme falsetto vocals with drum and bass rhythms.

Soft Tags - Winchester Mansion, and Projectors
Soft Tags sent us their two older albums, neither quite as good as their newest, but they have some worth hearing tracks.

New Music, Local Music, most importantly: Awesome Music

Mick, Local Music Director

There is so much good new local music I can barely contain myself. I'm not eloquent in describing this stuff, so the best way to do this is to listen the stuff yourself. You won't regret a single second of it.

Red Collar - "Pilgrim"
I mean, what do you want me to say? It's Red Collar's album, at long last. If you don't know, then put it in your CD player right now.

Benji Hughes - "A Love Extreme"
Not the traditional local; he's from Charlotte. Some dancy, some poppy, eclectic as a whole. This is a double album, and it's awesome and hilarious all at once. Lots of short, catchy tunes that you'll be singing along with after one listen. I don't really know how to describe it other than this so play the [expletive]!

Nathan Oliver - "Cloud Animals"
Some great new indie-pop from Nathan Oliver. Better than his last, a bit harder, and certainly more interesting  (this review brought to you by Gray Matter).

Embarrassing Fruits - "Community / Exploitation"
Hot damn, I really think this may be the best CD I've received as local music director. This album is like a reincarnation of Pavement, with the same slacker rock approach plus constant complaining about a girl. Every track is awesome. Really, really awesome.

Joe Romeo & The Orange County Volunteers - self-titled
Some combination of folk rock, surf rock, and Americana. Really great, twangy tunes that are heartfelt and simply beautiful. This guy knows how to write music. Play it!

Whew. As always, there is more on the horizon. For now, check these out and keep rockin the local stuff.