Friday Night Hardcore at Katmandu's

Both touring bands and local ragers destroyed Katmandu on Hillsborough Street the night of November 9th. The bill for this devastating display of hardcore and grind madness was BrainXToilet (first show!), Mad Dog, Last Words, and Cheap Art, from Atlanta, Georgia.

BrainXToilet - Photo by Will Butler. Used by permission.

Opening this killer show was BrainXToilet, a refreshing mix of blistering, technical grindcore and crushing breakdowns from Greensboro, NC. This band features members of another grind band from Greensboro, Priapus. Jordan, also the vocalist of Priapus, stomped in a fit of rage, pushing bystanders away as he yelled into the microphone. Jeremy, guitarist of Priapus, blasted away on his drumset while the guitarist shredded with ease.

Mad Dog - photo by Will Butler. Used by permission.

Mad Dog made the crowd go wild as Ira, Mad Dog's drummer, unleashed his raw, speedy drumming. Mad Dog is a high-energy powerviolence act from Raleigh, NC. Being a year since their first show, it's great to see how much they've progressed musically. Ace, the guitarist, also plays bass in Abuse, another Raleigh powerviolence band. Despite minor technical difficulties, Eli's harsh vocals were loud and clear.

Last Words - photo by Will Butler. Used by permission.

Another Raleigh favorite, Last Words, played yet another unforgettable set packed with high-speed riffing and crucial moshing. Marina, vocalist, made it clear that not moshing was absolutely not an option! For not a single second did the crowd go dull.

Cheap Art - photo by Will Butler. Used by permission.

Cheap Art, a ripping hardcore band from Atlanta, killed their set with poser-crushing, chaotic female-fronted fastcore/powerviolence. The songs were short and sweet. A 20-minute set of high-energy, crushing blasts riddled with mosh parts was all they needed.

Hopefully there will be more hardcore shows at Katmandu's. Really enjoyed this one.

DJ Mason Interviews Washed Out

This past Wednesday, WKNC had the unique opportunity to interview Ernest Greene, frontman for Washed Out. The band is credited by some as a pioneer of the chillwave genre. Washed Out's song "Feel It All Around" has been featured as the theme music for IFC tv show "Portlandia," and its most recent album "Within and Without" is rising in the college radio charts. Pitchfork awarded the album a rating of 8.3, naming it "Best New Music." In addition, the LP landed a spot as WKNC's 27th most played this past week. Washed Out will be touring with Cut Copy this September and will make a stop at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro.

DJ Mason Interviews Washed Out

Listen to the interview above to hear Washed Out's take on the Atlanta music scene, the sensual cover to "Within and Without," finding saxophone players on Craigslist, and more!