July’s Local Artist of the Month: Bombadil

Bombadil are an eclectic chamber folk band out of Durham, North Carolina. Their name is derived from the J.R.R. Tolkien character Tom Bombadil from the Lord of the Rings. Tom Bombadil is a witty, peculiar character who speaks and sings in playful rhymes. The name "Bombadil" encompasses the quartet perfectly as they deliver their sophisticated pop feel of a bygone era in their eccentric suits.

In 2002, Stuart Robinson (piano) and Daniel Michalak (bass) met on an orientation trip for Duke University. The two began making music together. In 2004, Daniel met fellow Duke student Bryan Rahija (guitar) while studying abroad in Bolivia. They returned to the U.S. with a few demos as well as some of the local flare that still shines through their signature sound. Daniel, Stuart, and Bryan enlisted Daniel's brother John on the drums and the quartet soon began making music together under the moniker Bombadil.

The head of Ramseur Records stumbled upon a few demos and immediately signed them. In 2006, they released a self-titled EP. In 2007, John left the band. One Craigslist ad later, they had found James Phillips to man the drum kit. With the new band assembled they completed and released their first full-length album A Buzz, A Buzz in 2008. The album as well as their energetic live shows found them receiving more and more attention. They found themselves touring all across the U.S. and playing festivals such as Bonnaroo and Floydfest. Now with recognition as well as some mileage as a band, they hit the studio again to record Tarpits and Canyonlands. By the time the album was released, the band had fallen into limbo. They declared themselves in a state of hiatus as Stuart had left the band and Daniel was suffering from nerve damage in his hands.

In November of 2010, the quartet reconvened at Pendavavis Farm near Portland, OR (where the Decemberists recorded The King Is Dead) for an intense, ambitious 10 day recording session that would become All That Rain Promises. After more than a year off, Bombadil had come back from the brink. The album was officially released in 2011. 2012 saw the return of Bombadil as they began regaining the momentum that they had. They also began test driving songs for their newest effort Metrics of Affection due out July 23rd. Although Bryan has stopped touring with the band to finish grad school, the other three have hit the road hard this year in support of their upcoming album.

After overcoming every possible obstacle, Bombadil is back and better than ever before. They are hitting the road with a new ferocity and cohesiveness. They are four incredibly talented musicians who continuously write music and hone their skills. There are not too many bands these days with 4 vocalists, 4 songwriters, and a producer. If their recent shows are any indication, Metrics of Affection is bound to be their best album to date. Check out the album cover and tracklisting below.



Bombadil will also be playing having a Metrics of Affection album release show at Lincoln Theatre on July 27th at 9pm. They are sure to have some special surprises in store.  If you missed the Local Artist of the Month interview with Bombadil in which we talked about the new album and debuted quite a few new songs, you can listen to it below or you can subscribe to our iTunes podcast.

http://bombadilmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wearebombadil

http://interviews.wknc.org/bombadil071113.mp3

Show Review: Bombadil House Show

When you think of a house show, you typically think a grungy basement with beer cans strewn everywhere. This show was quite different. This concert was put on by Common Chord Concerts, a self-proclaimed "network of music-lovers in Charlotte and surrounding communities that share an interest in original acoustic, Americana and folk/rock music." Common Chord has only been in existence for a couple months, but has put on some incredible shows so far with a strong line-up of shows in the coming months.

After walking into the Common Chords founder's wonderful home, I knew this show would be anything but ordinary even by Bombadil's standards. The atmosphere was very light-hearted as show-goers brought snacks to share and mingled with the band members and other fans. The turn-out for the show was quite impressive for this being Common Chords' third event. As 8 o'clock approached, everyone made their way into the living room area where the band had set up their equipment. Some moved to the kitchen and others to the balcony to get a better view as everyone geared up for the concert that was about to take place in the living room.

Everyone cheered as the band members made the transition from socializing to taking the makeshift stage space in their usual eccentric clothes. James announced that it had been a while since they had played a house show and they were really looking forward to the intimate opportunity. This show was to be my first time seeing them as a three-piece since their guitarist Bryan was off finishing his graduate studies and unable to join. They are each incredibly talented songwriters and musicians, so I was interested to see how their show would hold up with the absence of a band member. I was not disappointed. The performances were incredible and the atmosphere made for some great story-telling about the origins of the songs. The narratives made for one of the most intimate shows I had been to as Daniel shared his hardships of trying to continue writing songs while he was suffering from nerve damage several years back. The stories covered everything from sweet tea to cross country unicycle rides as the entire audience listened and laughed along.

There seemed to be no real set list as they continuously called out songs to each other as well as asking the audience for requests. They played a good mix of songs that spanned their entire career. From "Jellybean Wine" and "Johnny" to new songs such as "Have Me" and "Boring Country Song" from their upcoming album Metrics of Affection due out July 23rd. Everyone in attendance was singing along and enjoying the incredible performance. To make the night even more personal, they relocated to the kitchen to perform an a cappella version of "Get to Getting On." At one point, Daniel made Stuart perform his new solo piano song "What Does It Mean" as he joined the crowd in the rows of folding chairs and couches. Although they seemed to have played every song in their repertoire, the show ended all too quickly with an extraordinary performance of "Honeymoon." They barely finished bowing before someone in the kitchen started chanting encore. As a form of payback, Stuart then joined the ranks of chairs as he made Daniel give a stirring rendition of "Marriage" as everyone sang along. After the applause faded, they took their places at their instruments one last time for the song "We Were Meant to Be." After thanking the audience and the hosts, the house once again transitioned from venue to house party as everyone milled around and socialized after the mutual experience. Although it was not quite your typical concert, the unique atmosphere made for one amazing night with the always impressive Bombadil.

Local Beat Preview 8/31/12

It's that time of the year again. The weather is beginning to cool at night, hurricanes are on our horizon, NC State football is starting up and what is it that I smell? Ah, the fresh scent of one of the greatest music festivals in the nation right here in our own back yard. Hopscotch Music Festival is next week, September 6-8, in downtown Raleigh and everyone around is excited and geared up for this third annual event.


This week on the Local Beat I am going to be joined once again by Grayson Currin and Greg Lowenhagen, Co-Director and Director of Hopscotch Music Fest, for the first hour of the Local Beat. Grayson and Greg have been hard at work for the past year and we are going to take a behind the scenes look at what they have been up to and talk about this massive festival that is about to hit our streets. Over 250 bands playing the official Hopscotch and unofficial day parties and tons of other exciting events all jam packed into 3 days. Tune in at 5pm to hear some great conversation with the minds behind the music and madness.

At 6pm I am introducing a new(ish) group to my listeners: The Toddlers. The Toddlers have actually been around for a couple of years, on and off, but did not solidify a lineup until about a year ago. With that momentum they have been playing shows around the state and are currently scheduled to play a show Saturday night in Winston-Salem at Krankies with Birds of Avalon, a Hopscotch day party next Friday at Deep South, and an official Hopscotch show at the Hive. Also, check out their Kickstarter campaign that is up and running to support their new album.

For the final hour of the program I am welcoming back a dear friend, James Phillips, drummer for Durham based band Bombadil. Aside from being a fantastic musician and lyricist and working with groups between here and Portland, James has taken the leap from folk music into electronica for a new solo album, 29 Days, under the alias Sumner James.  In support of the release that happened this past Tuesday Bombadil is playing a show Saturday evening at the Cats Cradle with Massachusetts band You Won't.

As always, the fun starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.! Be sure to follow the Local Beat on Twitter or Facebook and download tons of free local music on our ReverbNation page!

Best of the Local Beat 7/20/12

This week on "The Local Beat" we are continuing to look back into the past at some of our favorite interviews ever on the program for our "Best of the Local Beat" series that is happening throughout July. This is the third Friday of the month and the interviews we are re-airing are some of my favorites.

At 5 p.m. we will listen to an interview I had with the fellas in Durham band Bombadil last November in which they stopped by to talk about their first album in two years, All That The Rain Promises. It had been a year since they had come by "The Local Beat" so we had a lot to catch up on outside of the new record. We also spent a great deal of time chatting about the album and comparing it to the previous one.

Six o'clock brings on one of my favorite interviews ever when Mandolin Orange came by on September 23, 2011 to talk about their release of a double LP: Haste Make and Hard Hearted Stranger. Andrew and Emily are two of my favorite musicians in our state and both of them shared quite a bit of insight into their art and craft.

The final hour was with Magnolia Collective, a collection of some of our finest musicians in the area. We had a wonderful conversation about the history of the group and the song creation process that they administer for each of their songs. In the latter part of the interview we touched on the trends and themes of our music scenes from 2011 in what turned out to be one of my favorite bits ever on The Local Beat." It is always interesting to compare our music scene from year to year. See if you can do the same yourself.

As always, the fun starts at 5 p.m. and will last until 8 p.m.! Be sure to follow the Local Beat on Twitter or Facebook and download tons of free local music on our ReverbNation page!

 

That Shakori Hills Time of Year

One of my favorite events of last fall was Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, located in Pittsboro, N.C. Camping out with your friends, seeing incredible live music, and living off campfire food and veggie things for the weekend is a cure for anything that's been getting you down. And it's back again for its 10th spring installment, April 19-22.

This spring's lineup is exciting: Leftover Salmon, Donna the Buffalo, Blitz the Ambassador, The Red Clay Ramblers, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Rubblebucket, Suénalo, Preston Frank, The Sim Redmond Band, Elephant Revival, David Wax Museum, Driftwood, and Lydia Loveless...

Local acts like Diali Cissokho & Kairaba, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Bombadil, The Beast, Mandolin Orange, Dark Water Rising, Justin Robinson & The Mary Annettes, Greg Humphreys & The Hobex All Stars, Lizzy Ross Band, Music Maker Revue, Midtown Dickens, Rey Norteño, Big Fat Gap, Randy Dean Whitt, New Town Drunks, Sarah Shook & The Devil, Shirlette & The Dynamite Brothers, Apple Chill Cloggers, Onyx Club Boys, Deep Chatham, Curtis Eller, Jeanne Jolly, The Ayr Mountaineers, and Justin Johnson...

And other bands, such as Revelation Mizik, Equanimous Minds, Richie Stearns & Rosie Newton, Jim Avett, Raffa & Rainer, Dirty Bourbon River Show, Harper & Midwest Kind, Old Man Luedecke, The South Carolina Broadcasters, Dutch Bucket System, Galactic Cowboy Orchestra, Farmer Jason, Mad Tea, Bareknuckle Betties, Roxanna & The Rusty Bucket Band, Elkland Art Center Puppets, Town Hall, Kin Ship, and more.

WKNC will be helping you and your friends go this year, with day-passes to giveaway on the Local Lunch, Americana,  Blues & Company, The Church of Bluegrass and the Truer Sounds, Both Kinds Radio and our Facebook page. If you impress the DJ, you may even get the newest Bombadil CD All the Rain Promises as part of your prize! Make sure to tune in and have your phones ready so when the DJ asks for it, you'll be all set to win!

Bombadil's album release extravaganza at Cat's Cradle, 11/12/11

I have discovered that in my later years (well, I’m only 21, but still) I have become more lazy and less inclined to ever leave Raleigh to do anything. Especially to do something that requires money, like go to a concert.

Add Bombadil to the picture and it changes things completely.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, Bombadil graced Cat’s Cradle with their album release party for All That The Rain Promises, the long awaited new album from this local band that is comprised of four very talented men: Bryan Rahija, Stuart Robinson, Daniel Michalak, and James Phillips. The show opened with local favorites Future Kings of Nowhere and Jay Kutchma and the Five Fifths, two groups that don’t play too much around the Triangle right now.

Seeing the lineup, I knew I had to get out of Raleigh for a night. So I filled up my gas tank, picked up some friends, and made my way to Carrboro after feasting on some delicious pre-Bombadil steak tacos cooked for us by Laser Beard, who also served as our photographer that night. We hoped to get to the Cradle early enough to get a rose, but arrived just a little too late. Instead we ate some cookies and milk (thanks Bombadil!) and moved toward the stage as Future Kings of Nowhere set up and tuned their instruments.

Future Kings of Nowhere was full of energy and a lot of fun. They played a selection which included new songs and started and ended with the crowd favorites “Let’s Be Pirates” and “10 Simple Murders.” I was really excited to see Jay Kutchma and the Five Fifths next. Red Collar always put on high energy shows and I was curious to see how Jay Kutchma would be without the rest of Red Collar. The excitement was for good reason. Kutchma’s stage presence was intense, the set starting with slower rock songs with a twang and building in energy until Kutchma was jumping up and down with his guitar accompanied by an enthusiastic Five Fifths. The bass player is the one who stuck out in my memory; he looked like he was having the time of his life on stage. Kutchma made sure to include powerful monologues as well, which is something that he has brought over from Red Collar. Overall, the opening bands were really fantastic and provided high energy that grew even higher while waiting for Bombadil to take the stage.

I can say without a doubt that everybody in the audience on Saturday night was truly excited for Bombadil to get on stage. The last time the band played was two months prior at Hopscotch Music Festival. The last time Bombadil played at Cat’s Cradle was December 2010, opening for the Avett Brothers at their surprise show. When a talented band like Bombadil does not play often, you know that when they do play it’s going to be a good time.

This was definitely the case for Saturday night. Wearing colorful embroidered and painted blazers, Bombadil opened the show with the old song “Jellybean Wine” which earned a huge cheer from the audience. They continued through a great mix of old and new songs with the audience giving wholehearted applause and the band grinning and thanking us for coming repeatedly throughout the night.

I think one of the best things about Bombadil is that the music they make is meaningful. After hearing bands play music that has no emotion or has no point, it is refreshing to listen to Bombadil and also to see a band that shares your excitement for being there. Highlights of the night included “Laundromat,” “I Will Wait,” “A Question,” “One Whole Year,” “The Pony Express,” and “Leather Belt” off of All That The Rain Promises and old songs like “Honeymoon,” “Oto the Bear,” “Marriage,” “Johnny,” “Three Saddest Words,” “Smile When You Kiss,” “So Many Ways To Die,” and “Cavaliers Har Hum.”

The band put on an amazing performance that the audience just didn’t want to end. Two encores later, the band had to ask the audience to stop cheering because they simply hadn’t prepared anything else to play. We certainly wore the band thin and I enjoyed every minute of Bombadil’s performance on Saturday night.

I only have one request for Bombadil: can we do it again?

Bombadil Delivers With Their Newest Album

It has been a long time since we have heard anything come from the local folk group Bombadil, which is really quite a shame. Maybe that is why I was so excited for the release of All That The Rain Promises, a new album that follows their 2009 release of Tarpits and Canyonlands. Everything that you hoped would be present on a Bombadil album is apparent in this new release: strong emotional ballads, beautiful folk and pop melodies, and upbeat songs with deeper meanings all combine to create an album that one can become emotionally attached to.

Battling illness in the band and now cross country living situations, I would say that it is quite a feat that Bombadil has been able to get together and record All That The Rain Promises. The album was recorded in a barn in Oregon in the month of January, and the band had to warm themselves by a fire in between recordings. The album was named after a book found on site. Even after being separated and having gone through a lengthy break in recording, Bryan Rahija, Stuart Robinson, Daniel Michalak, and James Phillips of Bombadil were able to create an album that sounds like the same band that played together in 2009, as if no time had passed.

All That The Rain Promises begins with the strong ballad “I Will Wait,” sung by Stuart Robinson. This piano-driven song is an emotional and bare start to the album with Robinson singing to God and asking him to guide him in the right direction. “I will wait for you to swing below and take me away,” ends the ballad. It leads into “The Pony Express,” which includes all members of the band and speaks of a relationship that has fallen apart.

The album transitions to something more upbeat and hopeful with “Laundromat.” The percussion-heavy beginning turns into a catchy song about taking some chances at a Laundromat. “The next time I am at the Laundromat/ I’m going to talk to her!” or “The next time I am at the Laundromat/ I’m going to call my dad!” Bombadil’s use of vocals, harmonies, and storytelling songwriting is one major characteristic of the band and is just right for the music they are creating. It seems that the melodies are written around the lyrics instead of the other way around. The guitar, harmonica, drum, bass, piano, ukulele, keyboard, and trumpet used throughout the album create good accompaniment for the stories that Bombadil shares.

All That The Rain Promises continues with higher-energy songs. "A Question" is, well, awkward, but in the best way possible. The ukulele and high-pitched “what is it Stewart?” add a lighter aspect to something as potentially traumatizing as asking someone if they have deeper feelings for you, which could indeed make things uncomfortable.

Bombadil has mastered the art of emphasis in their music. There are songs on All That The Rain Promises where the spotlight is on the vocals. “Leather Belt” begins with a beautiful harmony concerning a dropped acorn, and “Flour Water Sugar” consists primarily of singing and harmonies. “Avery,” on the other hand, is a very successful instrumental piece almost right in the middle of the album.

When the last song, “Unicycle,” ends, it’s hard not to turn back to the first track and listen to the album again. All That The Rain Promises contains all the makings of one of the best albums of this year through the instrumentals, melodies, harmonies, and of course, the emotional attachment that accompanies every Bombadil song. I look forward to what this band produces in the future.

Final Day of Hopscotch Photo Recap

Photography by WKNC Photographer Katie Hill
A fantastic ending to a fantastic weekend!
(see if you can find the photo with the surprise celebrity!)


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Hopscotch Schedule is HERE

After seeing the amazing lineup for Hopscotch, you have probably been trying to figure out how in the heck you will be able to see all the bands you want. Luckily, this festival takes place in downtown Raleigh, so all show are but a walk, a rickshaw, an R-line away.
They have released 14 new bands to the schedule and have added 3 new venues --White Collar Crime, The Union and Fletcher Opera Theater in Progress Energy Center. The show I am most excited about will be taking place in Fletcher Opera Theatre, featuring The Prayers and Tears, Bombadil, and Lost in the Trees. After checking out the schedule here, what show are you most excited about?

There are only a few 3 day passes left!

Local Beat recap 6/25/10

The Local Beat last Friday was the first full three hour program since February and my first evening back behind the board in a month after throat surgery.  I felt a little rusty behind the microphone but my guests to the show triumphed to make the three hours fly by with great conversation and some really cool new songs that had never been played before.

While waiting for the Trekky guys to come in, David Mueller of Birds of Avalon came by to drop off the pre-release of the Heads On Sticks album entitled Mocking Bird.  Heads On Sticks is David's solo project that he has been working with off and on for the better part of four years.  In fact, his Marsupial's EP was one of the first local albums I ever came across and really pushed me into the local music scene here.  We debuted his first new track in two years, a song called "Two Clicks." David will be back on the Local Beat on the 9th to talk more about the album, so be sure to listen in then!

Will Hackney and Martin Anderson, the owners and masterminds behind Trekky Records, dropped by a little late after being stuck in traffic to pump up the third annual TrkFest, which happened Saturday, June 26 at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC.  We spent the majority of an hour and a half talking about the day-long festival, the differences between this year and the previous two years, playing music from bands signed to Trekky, and other bands involved with the show.  Will and Martin are also in numerous bands in the area themselves and two of the busiest guys I know, so I had to ask them about their time management and how they run their business.  In all, we had a fascinating insight into a remarkable record label and the guys behind the scenes.  You can check out some of the pictures from TrkFest here.
TrkFest on the Local Beat 6/25/10

Local favorites Bombadil stopped by for the last hour of the show to debut some brand new material and play live for the first time in a year.  As many of you know, Bombadil had to take a break last summer as pianist Stewart Robinson went back to school and Daniel Michalak had to take time to recover from a serious health problem, while James Phillips moved to Oregon and Bryan Rahija went to work in Washington D.C.  However, the band has still made time to write music and admitted that they now have enough new material for an entire album.  We discussed the difficulties with being so far apart and still trying to be a band and the frustrations with not being able to tour.  We also touched on their most recent album, Tarpits and Canyonlands, which was released last summer.  The band was unable to promote the record despite raving reviews, and I had to ask them how that made them feel.  Despite the down turn in events, the group seemed exceptionally positive and upbeat for the future and even played two brand new songs for us, which you can download through our Local Beat ReverbNation page (you can listen to them in the music player to the left).
Bombadil on the Local Beat 6/25/10

Local Beat preview: 6/25/10

It has been longer than a month since we have had a live Local Beat, and, since February, we haven't had a full, three hour show (mostly due to NC State Baseball).  I have spent the past month recovering from throat surgery and also doing some summer traveling, but it is finally time to get back into the amazing local music scene here, and tonight's show is going to be one for the ages.

We are dedicating the first two hours to Trekky Records and their kickass annual summer event TrkFest.  The event happens tomorrow, June 26, and this year there will be two stages of live music as well as the usual crafts, food, and beverages including:

• Pants-off Dance-off


• Coffee Sack Race


• Cool Kids Yoga Session


• Musical Chairs Cake Walk


• Sprinklers and Water Things


• Tour of Piedmont Biofuels


• Free Haircuts


• Shadow Puppets


• Bliss Tent

I know I am going to get a haircut that I so desperately need and jam out to my favorite local musicians that include:

• Megafaun


• Lost in the Trees


• Hammer No More The Fingers


• Embarrassing Fruits


• Midtown Dickens


• Mount Moriah


• Veelee


• Butterflies


• Ryan Gustafson


• Yardwork


• Ezekiel Graves


• Vibrant Green

This is the 3rd annual TRKFest, and tonight, on the Local Beat, we will be chatting about all of the old and new things about the festival, the bands, and hearing some live music from some of the performers tomorrow.

At 7 p.m. my favorite local band Bombadil will be dropping by for what is the first time in well over a year.  As many of you may know, Bombadil has been on recent hiatus as some of the members have moved away and Daniel Michalak has been dealing with some health problems. With that said, this is their first interview as a group in quite some time, and one of the first since their Tarpits and Canyonlands hit the streets back in 2009  (If you remember, the album was my #1 album of the year).  The entire band is going to try to make it and and perhaps play their first live music together since last summer. It is seriously going to be awesome.

Scott Avett covers Bombadil

Local bands covering local bands is always awesome, but when the most popular band out of our state in recent years covers a song from one of the best albums in present-day memory we have to take special notice.  Scott Avett of Concord band The Avett Brothers did a nice cover on Crackerfarm of old tour-mates and fellow record label buddies Bombadil.  The song he covered was a spectacular representation of  "Marriage" off of Bombadil's Tarpits and Canyonlands album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eew-NyU-H3Y

It is hard to believe it has been a year since Bombadil last performed in concert and even less time since Tarpits was released.  Hopefully this will ease your soul until the band can hopefully one day make a comeback.

Local Valentine's Day playlist

Many would call me a hopeless romantic.  I love to send letters and flowers to my girl and pamper her up when I can.  And while I am not a huge fan of Valentine's Day and its pop culture marketing schemes,, I still feel the urge to go out and buy my sweetie some candy and flowers and make her a nice dinner to show her how much I care.  Another thing I like to do from time to time is make her custom mix tapes based around themes, as it was afterall music that brought us together.  Holiday mix tapes are usually the best and easiest and this Valentine's Day will be no exception.

North Carolina is a hot pot for music and of course you are going to find some wonderful love songs tucked here and there.  If you had Valentine's Day creep up on you from the back and take you by surprise today, and your significant other is a fan of local music, feel free to steal this play list as your own.  (You might even want to take it further and take your honey to see all of these artists the next time they play live.)

1. 
   
   
   

   Tift Merritt: Another Country

   
   


2. 
   

   Avett Brothers: I & Love & You

   
   


3. 
   

   The Old Ceremony: God Said I Could Have You

   
   


4. 
   

   Birds & Arrows: Honeymoon Song

   
   


5. 
   

   Nola: Fall Into Me

   
   


6. 
   

   Josh Moore: Rush Down My Spine

   
   


7. 
   

   Benji Hughes: All You've Got To Do Is Fall In Love

   
   


8. 
   

   Jeremy Blair From Effingham: I Do & I Don’t

   
   


9. 
   

   Bombadil: Reasons

   
   


10. 
    

    Whiskey Smugglers: Not Your Average Love Song

    
    


11. 
    

    Brett Harris: I’m In Love

    
    


12. 
    

    Mandolin Orange: Oh My Love

    
    


13. 
    

    Stella By Starlight: As Good As It Gets

    
    


14. 
    

    Tomahawks: Just Like One Another

    
    


15. 
    

    Lost in the Trees: Love On My Side

    
    


16. 
    

    Martha Ann Motel: Everything All At Once

    
    

Got more to share?  Comment below!

Tift Merrit: Another Country
Avett Brothers: I & Love & You

The Old Ceremony: God Said I Could Have You
Birds & Arrows: Honeymoon Song

Nola: Fall Into Me

Josh Moore: Rush Down My Spine
Benji Hughes: All You've Got To Do Is Fall In Love

Jeremy Blair From Effingham: I Do & I Don’t

Bombadil: Reasons

Whiskey Smugglers: Not Your Average Love Song

Brett Harris: I’m In Love

Mandolin Orange: Oh My Love

Stella By Starlight: As Good As It Gets

Tomahawks: Just Like One Another

Lost in the Trees: Love On My Side

Martha Ann Motel: Everything All At Once

Eye on the Triangle recap: 12-07-09

Last semester was quite the semester for N.C. State University and its image. The University was in national news -- and it wasn't pretty, whether it dealt with decisions administrators made, budget cuts because of the economy or corruption within the higher-ups. This image problem affected faculty, staff, students, donors and alumni alike. However, last year was also a  great one for local music, with many memorable events bands have taken part in. So, for the last episode of the semester, EOT brought you an N.C. State semester-in-review of news and sports, and a review of some of the things the local music offered you and the surrounding the community.

NEWS
Tom Anderson and Mike Alston filled in for Evan Garris to bring you this week's local, national and international news. Listen to the podcast if you missed it for updates on the Obama exit strategy for the war in Afghanistan, bipartisan opposition to the Honors Services Law, the most recent bombings in Pakistan, the creation of the new aircraft: Spaceship 2, Raleigh's rating as the 21st city in the nation with the "best bang for the buck," former State Senate Democrat Cal Cunningham running for U.S. Senate, a Gastonia murder trial and more.
News

VIP
I interviewed former student body president and current senior class president, Jay Dawkins, and Student Body President Jim Ceresnak about N.C. State's image, the good, the bad and the grades they give its issues -- ranging from the former N.C. first lady Mary Easley's scandal, which caused the resignations of the University's three top leaders, to the Rally 4 Talley campaign, to research developments at the University. Although Jay and Jim seemed to remain optimistic, it's clear the University has its work cut out for it. Listen to Jim and Jay's analysis here:
VIP

SPORTS
John Cooper Elias, Tyler Everett and Derek Medlin gave us a wrap-up of the semester in sports, a football rundown and expectations for the next semester as well as next year for several sports, including men's soccer and men's and women's cross country. We also discussed the firing that week of Volleyball Coach Charita Stubbs due to what can be considered a terrible tenure for her with the team, as well as the incident surrounding what she perceived to be a racist cartoon, which was actually intended to show that the volleyball team was finally winning some games last season. Be sure to check it out the whole podcast if you missed it:
Sports

HEAR THIS
Kelly Reid gave us a list of best local moments of 2009 including Bombadil shows, the Raleigh Undercover event, the journey to the Love Language's Debut album and more. Be sure to check it out if you haven't:
Hear This

COMMUNITY CANVAS
Mike Alston sat down and spoke to Eric Hirsch and Pierce Freelon from The Beast to talk about some of the programs and "hip hop" curriculum the members take to N.C. schools. Hirsch discusses the importance of music and scholarship, and how the band was able to put the two together for schools around the nation:
Community Canvas

WOLFPACKER OF THE WEEK
Damian Maddalena sat down with Logan Scarborough, Forestry Club president and senior in forest management. Scarborough talked to us about the club and its activities, including its forestry competition, Rolleo. Listen to the fyll segment here: Wolfpacker of the Week

As always, be sure to let us know what you think/want to hear more or less of at publicaffairs@wknc.org. We'll be back in action for the spring semester -- same time, same place!

A Postcard from Bombadil

WKNC received a post card this week from local band Bombadil (who also just released a new music video). Since we're assuming not every BombiFan got one, we wanted to share ours with you. You'll probably want to click on the image to get a closer look.

Bombadil releases its first music video

Local band Bombadil has created its first music video for the song "So Many Ways to Die," off the July album release Tarpits and Canyonlands. The video is comprised of public domain footage related to risk-taking and ways to die.

Check out the video here!

Great indie music available from Daytrotter

As I heard the The Bowerbird's play the opening notes of "House of Diamonds" at Double Barrel Benefit 6, I asked myself where I had heard the song before. It wasn't on Hymns for a Dark Horse, the album I had been playing on repeat, and wouldn't be released on an album until Upper Air several months later.

I soon realized I had downloaded the then untitled track from Daytrotter, a site dedicated to hosting bands at its studios in Rock Island, Illinois, and posting the resulting interview transcripts and audio recordings for all to enjoy.

Just this week, Daytrotter posted tracks from some fantastic bands, Bombadil, Dead Confederate and Cursive.

Local artists Annuals, The Physics of Meaning, Avett Brothers, and Birds of Avalon, among others, have recorded in the Daytrotter studios and have tracks available for download on the site. The illustrators there create original artwork to accompany tracks from each artist, as seen above.

Daytrotter seems too good to keep a secret!

Local Beat preview 7/10/09

All right, we have a jam-packed Local Beat for you today (in a few short hours, actually).



At 5:00 our good friends A Rooster for the Masses will be stopping by to talk about their show for The Club Is Open Festival over at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill.  They're playing with Red Collar, The Loners, and Rat Jackson tonight.  Talk about rocking.

At 6:00 we're going in a slightly different direction than usual, with the band Sandbox.  Unfamiliar? Check out an article the Indy ran on them a while back here.  They'll be performing in studio, as well.



And lastly, Bombadil will be joining us at the 7:00 hour to talk about their CD release listening party.  This from the band' website:

We are thrilled to announce that Durham's own improvisational marching band, The Scene of the Crime Rovers, will join the bill with Luego and The Tender Fruit.  We couldn't be more excited to have them–Daniel and Bryan both played in the SOC Rovers for a little while and found them to be a true inspiration.

WKNC's picks for top albums of 2009, part one

It's hard to believe 2009 is half over.

There have been tons of albums out in months one through six that our DJs have released over the airwaves, some of which resulted in countless requests and songs that got stuck in our heads for days on end. It's hard to narrow them down, but a few of the WKNC music directors have made their picks for the top five albums of the year so far in their respective formats.

Local Music Director Adam Kincaid selected...



1. Bombadil: Tarpits & Canyonlands
2. Colossus: Drunk On Blood
3. The Love Language: The Love Language
4. Lonnie Walker: These Times Old Times
5. Embarrassing Fruits: Community/Exploitation

With honorable mentions for...

Americans in France: Pretzelvania
Hammer No More The Fingers: Looking For Bruce

Disagree with Adam's picks? Send him an email and let him know which albums you would have chosen.

Daytime Music Director Jenna St. Pierre selected...



1. Cotton Jones: Paranoid Cocoon
2. Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca
3. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavillion
4. Harlem Shakes: Technicolor Health
5. Screaming Females: Power Move

With honorable mentions for:

Akron/Family: Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Are there albums you think should have been on the list? Email Jenna to discuss.

Underground Music Director Damion Sledge chose...



Saigon and Statik Selektah: All in a Day's Work

If you have Underground albums to add to the list, email Damion.

Stay tuned for the next six months of albums on WKNC, and we'll see which ones come out on top in December!

Sad News for Triangle Music: Bombadil Taking A Break

One of WKNC's longtime favorite local acts Bombadil is taking a break from touring indefinitely due to the health issues of band members.  They released this today:

Today we arrive with some bad news. As many of you have become aware, Daniel has been dealing with severe tendonitis in his hands since 2007. Things have gotten progressively worse and have reached a point where he cannot brush his teeth without feeling pain, much less perform with the rest of the band. As such we feel it's best to cancel all of the remaining shows on our schedule.
 
Needless to say, this brings us great sadness. We tried to limit Daniel's movements on stage, but it seems that even sitting in a chair and simply singing on stage was impeding his recovery. At the end of the day, we did not feel that it was in the artistic spirit of the band to continue and play shows without him.
 
It is not clear when we will be able to perform again--some doctors say that a 3 month break would suffice, while others forecast a 2-year recovery period. But in the meantime, we'll be writing new songs and keeping you up to date of our activities. We see this merely as a road bump on the long road that is this band, and as soon as Daniel is able to perform music again, we'll be visiting a town near you.
 
Our new record will still come out on July 7th, and you will be able to find it at a few select records stores, iTunes, eMusic, Amazon.com, and this very website. We are so excited to share it with the world and are exploring alternative ideas for some sort of release party. For now, we've put up two new songs on myspace: Oto the Bear and So Many Ways to Die. We are also now accepting pre-orders for the record here. Pre-orders will ship from Bombadil HQ here in Durham on July 1.

We are so grateful for the support everyone has shown over the years. Without your ears and encouragement none of this would have been possible.  Stay in touch and look out for more updates on the horizon!

-Bryan, James, Daniel, and Stuart

WKNC wishes the best to the band, and their fans, and a speedy recovery to Daniel.  In the meantime, be sure to catch their new album on rotation on 88.1 around the clock.