Hammer No More The Fingers To Play Area Record Stores

Durham trio Hammer No More The Fingers are set to release their new album, Black Shark, on April 5. To celebrate the release, the band will play three in-store shows at local record stores. The band will play at CD Alley in Chapel Hill at 3 p.m., Bull City Records in Durham at 5 p.m., and Schoolkids Records in Raleigh at 7 p.m. The shows are free, so get out and support some local music and businesses.

Double Barrel Benefit #8 Compilation CD

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 2/8/11, written by DJ Switch, WKNC deejay

You never think your kid's ugly. Well, at least you never tell your kid you think they're ugly. My parents never did. They did say I have a face for radio, but I never quite got what that meant. Either way, there's no need to lie about the beauty of WKNC's Double Barrel Benefit compilation, because even though the student radio station put it together, it's a handsome piece of local music by all objective accounts. Recorded mostly in Caldwell Hall, this album was passed out to the crowd at 88.1's annual benefit concert as they watched those very same bands bring down the house.

Showing the diversity of Raleigh's music scene right off the bat is rapper Inflowential's "Wherever." It has a cheerful rhythm that reminds of Sugar Ray. As soon as you're swaying to that, he slips in nonchalantly and starts commanding a pitter-patter of rhymes. Inflowential has an easy mastery of words like Nas or Jay Z, but with none of the intimidating lyrics.

Kid Future has some seriously artful song lyrics, such as "you were born with no blood, wind in your veins," and the Old Ceremony has that simple beauty that you used to only be able to find in Bob Dylan or James Taylor songs.

Luego are students of the Guthrie school of folk rock, but, like Blitzen Trapper, they bring their modern indie rock sensibilities to give it a modern twist. Don't let the song title fool you, "California" is an ode to the good old North State, done right by a group of native musicians with true Carolina accents.

Cassis Orange easily became one of my new favorite bands with their contribution, "May, June, July." Now, normally I don't like dance music. I think this aversion stems from a childhood of getting rejected by girls at the middle school dances -- and an adulthood of getting rejected by some of those same girls at college parties -- but this track made me forget all that entirely. It's sort of like a mellowed-out Madonna, but not so dancey that it loses its beautiful, trippy melody and its mature songwriting.

Yardwork makes order out of chaos with "Hot Balloons." The guitar solos seem to climb around the impassioned vocals like ivy, wrapping over the pounding snares in an effort to quell this eminent crescendo of emotion. Bright Young Things is a sort of happy hodgepodge resembling something like Kula Shaker or maybe even an experimental-era Beatles.

Like their name, Hammer No More the Fingers is something both indescribable and obvious. You can't pin down exactly what it is that works for this band, but you know that it works— and "Blanko Basnet" definitely works. The vocals are some of the most unique I've ever heard. They have a slight adolescent twill, but still retain the power and resonance to howl above the rich intensity of the song.

No lie, this compilation is beautiful. Me, on the other hand—that might be another story.

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week is published in every Friday in the print edition of Technician, as well as online at technicianonline.com and wknc.org.

Double Barrel Benefit compilations available at Schoolkids, Bull City Records

There's still time to get your own little piece of Double Barrel Benefit 8, while also supporting your local independent record store!

Compilations are $7, and are now available at Schoolkids Records in Raleigh and Bull City Records in Durham.

WKNC DBB 8 Compilation:
1. "Wherever" Inflowential
2. "Like a Camera" Kid Future
3. "Day That I Was Born" The Old Ceremony
4. "California" Luego
5. "May, June, July" Cassis Orange
6. "Hot Balloons" Yardwork
7. "King of Fools" Bright Young Things
8. "Blanko Basnet" Hammer No More the Fingers

Tracks 1-7 were engineered and mixed by WKNC staff, under the direction of WKNC Sessions Director Eric Scholz, in Caldwell Lounge on the campus of N.C. State University; track 8 was engineered and mixed by Pete Kimosh; all tracks were mastered by Kitchen Mastering in Carrboro, NC, and CD duplication was provided by Triangle Duplication Services in Raleigh, NC.

Double Barrel Benefit 8: Night Two Photos

Lineup for Night Two of Double Barrel Benefit 8!

Night two of Double Barrel Benefit 8 features Kid Future, HaLo, King Mez, Yardwork and Hammer No More the Fingers.



Kid Future
(Kieran Moreira, WKNC Program Director)
Kid Future could possibly be one of Raleigh’s best kept secrets. The indie band maintains a low profile online only featuring one of their recorded tracks. However, it can only be a matter of time before their talent betrays their anonymity. After catching them at a packed Slims Downtown in July and seeing them perform at Hopscotch in front of Raleigh Times, it’s clear that Kid Future has a knack for mesmerizing audiences. What’s to be expected from their performance? Dreamy synth sounds mixed with frontman Bryan Costello’s moody voice creates a recipe that is very reminiscent of the National and the Killers.



HaLo
(Tommy Anderson, WKNC General Manager)
Ahem, that's "hah-low," or "Mr. Ben Ready" to you, good sir.  This guy is witty, upbeat, and dare I say funky hip hop out of Raleigh. HaLo is connected with 9th Wonder, and he appears on Kooley High's much acclaimed recent album Eastern Standard Time. This gentleman has already developed a name in the area and beyond (he's also got one Local Beer Local Band under his belt.) Request his stuff on WKNC during Local Lunch and Underground. Fantastic stuff.

King Mez
(Tommy Anderson, WKNC General Manager)
What can you say? If you were fortunate enough to catch any of King Mez's performances in the area (or elsewhere), you know what an energetic, committed show he is able to put on. Street-wise lyrics, lush beats (provided by Commissioner Gordon on his most recent release "The Parapalegics" ), and a style that is all his own, King Mez is unforgettable and singularly compelling. As with HaLo, request this during Local Lunch as well as Underground. We're very very excited to have King Mez on board making night two that much more of a treat for anyone lucky enough to get a ticket.



Yardwork
(Nicole Kligerman, WKNC Local Music Director)
Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Yardwork is described as playing “South Eastern Minimalist Pop/Prog." No matter what you call this band’s music, it is awesome, and those who have seen this band live know that this will not be a show to miss. Complete with a large and eclectic cast skilled in multiple instruments, this group puts on a kaleidoscopic show that will entertain your eyes as well as your ears. Usually working with two simultaneous percussionists, the sound is so rich and deep that you'll find a completely new array to look for in each song.

There isn’t a lot known about Yardwork, and the biography on the band’s Myspace is a story including feral, mutant school teachers and PV rays. Whatever the history of the band, the music they play is bad ass and great for jumping around.

Their Local Beer Local Band performance in 2010 was barely contained by the stage. The larger space at Kings should be a perfect opportunity for this helter-skelter outfit to unleash their full furry upon downtown Raleigh. I saw Yardwork for the first time at last years TRKfest and am so psyched for another chance to see the live energy at this years’ Double Barrel Benefit 8.





Hammer No More the Fingers
(Kieran Moreira, WKNC Program Director)
Possibly the coolest name for a band, Hammer No More The Fingers, hailing from Durham, are local heavy hitters with a UK tour under their belt. They’ve graced WKNC’s airwaves since 2007, so it’s only natural that they take their place as Double Barrel Benefit night two headliners. Looking For Bruce, which released in 2009, cemented the band’s success meshing a blend of quirkiness, mid-twenties male humor, rock, and pop. What’s to be expected from HNMTF at Double Barrel Benefit 8? Raw energy. Although a lot of indie artists delve into bubbly pop sounds, HNMTF tries to remain edgier and grittier with sharp guitar licks and soaring vocals. We are very excited to have these fellas on board as headliners.

Troika Saturday

This past Saturday marked the the last night of the local music festival Troika in downtown Durham. Despite the cold weather, Anastassia and I, AndyQ, had a glorious time running around from venue to venue listening to the Triangle's finest local music. This is our collaborative blog on our experience.

The first place we went to was at the new Motorco Music Hall, which had a nice upscale warehouse lounge vibe going on.

Filthybird started the evening out nicely with some mellow music. It was fun to watch the lead singer with her short stature play such a huge guitar.

After Filthybird, some men in snazzy suits and well manicured beards came to the stage. With their four-part harmonies and fancy finger work on the fiddle, Chatham County Line managed to crank out some good ole bluegrass reminiscent of classic Avett Brothers.

It wasn't surprising when we looked back at the crowd and saw that they had packed the house filled with swooning listeners.

We were in for a surprise when we headed over to The Casbah.

Gray Young completely changed the atmosphere of the evening with their garage rock cords that were evocative of Explosions in the Sky. With their awesome stage presence and edgy music, it was impossible to stand still. Seeing Gray Young right after a nice folksy band like Chatham was an eye opening experience to the wide range of local music in the Triangle, and both of us really appreciated that.

Then, we saw  The Loom from Brooklyn, who were well worth the walk to the Trotter Building, which was decorated nicely with lovely lanterns. I liked the band's ability to start off with a mellow opening, only to build up to a crescendo of high energy horns, banjo, and drums. The "Middle Distance," showcased their driving beats that backed haunting vocals. The sweet raspiness of the female vocalist accompanied by the male lead's voice was very enjoyable.

Next, we ran back to The Motorco for Cassis Orange. This girly, but rough band was really fun to watch, with the singer dancing and jumping around. Their use of different and sometimes odd instruments came especially handy when a flutist joined them to cover Ke$ha’s “Tik-tok”. That was probably the best cover that I have heard, hands down.

Finally, after almost five hours of shows, the best was saved for last with Hammer No More the Finger. We had heard of them, but didn’t really know what to expect, and they definitely did not disappoint. It was obvious even from the beginning that they had a solid fan base in Durham. The venue was packed and a sort of mosh pit was forming. No one stood still because the guitar riffs and catchy songs were too good to not dance to.

In general, the festival not only presented some great local music, but it showcased the noteworthiness of downtown Durham, helping to disprove some people's sentiments that Durham is Raleigh's ghetto. We were very disappointed that there was not enough time in the night to listen to all the bands that performed.  We also went with fellow DJ Godrik, who would like to add "beer should have been cheaper".

Local Beat Roundtable: Series 2 preview 10/29/10

Tonight on the Local Beat we begin our second installment of the Local Beat Roundtable Series.  If you remember from back in August when we had our first in the roundtable discussions with Betsy Harris, Karen Mann, Jake Seaton, Linnie Green, and Bryan Reed the focus on these roundtable discussions is not to focus on the music that make up our scene but the people who promote it and document it.

This evening we are having several exemplary characters in on the program for what should turn out to be some great conversation.

Ross Grady has been the most prominent local music documenter probably ever in our region.  It seems his dedication to the scene knows no bounds.  In addition to running Triangle Rock and starting up Alt Music Chapel Hill Ross is also the guardian of his radio program on WXDU that happens every Sunday from 4pm-6pm.  Be sure to listen in on 88.7 or stream it live on the internet!

Ryan Sweeney is another radio personality who was the general manager at 89.3 WSOE in 2009.  He is now living in Cary and the Director of Communications at the popular website Choose Local Music.  In addition to other things Ryan is a great local music connoisseur who should have plenty to share.

Glenn Boothe is the main man at one of the most significant local venues in the Triangle, the Local 506 in Chapel Hill.   Commonly the central hub of local music in our area, the Local 506 is commonly mentioned by bands and fans alike as their favorite place to watch live music in our area.   I can't wait to chat with Glenn about his thoughts on the music in our area.

Another music venue owner, Chris Tamplin is stopping by.  Chris was the main organizer for Local Beer Local Band and booked shows at Tir Na Nog before starting his own venture with Durham's newest local venue, Motorco.  Chris should have some fascinating insight into the different cities and their relationships to the music surrounding them among other things.

Eric Chen is also dropping by.  You might have heard Eric on WXYC for nine years or seen him at many Hammer No More The Fingers shows (as well as others) with his video camera in tote.  Eric has been documenting the music in our area for some time now and I am sure he will have plenty to add to our convseration.  Check out his Vimeo Account here.


Hammer No More the Fingers + Phil Cook @ Trekky House 5/24/10 from Eric Chen on Vimeo.

It is certainly a special treat to have each of these amazing individuals on the show all at once.  It is not going to be a Local Beat you will want to miss.  Be sure to tune in at 5pm on 88.1 or listen live online.  Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and ReverbNation.

TrkFest 2010

Saturday, at the Piedmont Biofuel facility in Pittsboro, was the third annual TrkFest put on by Trekky Records.  TrkFest has quickly become one of the most important local music events in the area and a group of WKNC folk made it out in full force.  It was terribly hot and humid outside while the sun was out, but not one single person complained, and I believe everyone had a fantastic time.  I was lucky enough to sit next to Rich and Mimi McLaughlin of the Pneurotics, and we had a fine view of both stages.



We missed Vibrant Green and Ezekiel Graves but got there just as Yardwork started up, and those guys put on a fantastic set to start our day.


After a excruciatingly hot but fascinating tour of the entire Biofuel center, we caught the last half of Ryan Gustafson's set.  I have seen Ryan about six times now, but this was only the second with a full band, and he was awesome, as usual.

We had to escape the heat, so we headed into the shade during the Butterflies set.


Veelee went on next.  Their sound has evolved so much in the past year while still keeping with their same general style.  One song that stuck out to me was a new track named "T'morrow;" that was the first in their set.


Mount Moriah went on next and, as usual, played an incredible set.  I cannot describe how much I love this band and how excited I am for their new album to come out.

Midtown Dickens played one of my favorite sets of the evening.  Megafaun came on for a couple of songs, and Kym and Catherine are always entertaining but even more so for this event.  Fun, outgoing, and fresh is the best way to describe them.

It has been awhile since I saw Embarrassing Fruits play, but with a new album in the works, theses guys were as tight as ever as expected.


Hammer No More The Fingers has never been anything but a pleasure to see.  They are one of the most technically sound and entertaining groups in the area.  For a couple of songs they brought up Drew Anagnost and Leah Gibson from Lost in the Trees on the cellos and Brad Cook of Megafaun jumped on bass.

Lost in the Trees literally blew the crowd away playing second to last.  I was surprised that they could cram onto the smaller of the two stages, but it ended up being truly magical.  I feel like every time I see them live they sound different, which is always refreshing.

Megafaun ended the show as they always do: reeling the crowd in with their unique charisma and then putting them into a manic frenzy with their exceptional live performance.  I took several videos of the group playing some brand new songs with a variety of different musicians, all off of their upcoming album, but the sound quality came out too poor to post them.  Needless to say, every time I see Megafaun play, they retake the top of my list of local bands.

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.

TRKfest returns for third year

Trekky Records has announce the initial lineup, as well as date and location, for it's third annual TRKfest. The festival will take place Saturday June 26, once again at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, and will feature several of the Triangle's best bands, including the experimental folk of Megafaun, the muscular indie rock of Hammer No More the Fingers, and the hauntingly beautiful folk rock of Mount Moriah. Admission will be a $10 suggested donation (and there is really no reason you should shell out less than that) and there will be a variety of activities going on throughout the day, including a coffee sack race, yoga, and free haircuts. You can check out more info here

Full lineup (with more acts to be announced May 16):
Megafaun
Hammer No More The Fingers
Mount Moriah
Embarrassing Fruits
Midtown Dickens
Veelee
Butterflies
Ryan Gustafson
Vibrant Green

Local Beer Local Band tonight!

This Thursday, December 10  is Local Beer Local Band night at Tir Na Nog, which it hosts weekly in conjunction with WKNC.  This Thursday's bands are Hammer No More the Fingers, Gift Horse, and Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun. Hammer No More the Fingers should ring a bell for most of you. There's a good chance you've heard the song "Shutterbug" at least once a week since the release of the Full length album "Looking for Bruce."  Yes, they are that good! They are performing with two out of town bands this week that fit this bill ever so perfectly.  Thanks, Chris at Tir Na Nog, for booking an awesome line-up!

Top 10 tracks selected by Hammer No More the Fingers

This week we are lucky to have Hammer No More the Fingers sending us their list of what they are currently listening to!
1. Caverns - Remasculator
2. Deleted Scenes - The City that Never Wakes Up

3. Pink Flag - King of Scene
4. Birds of Avalon - I Never Knew
5. Megafaun - The Fade
6. Embarrassing Fruits - Details
7. Deerhoof - Spirit Ditties of no Tone
8. The Bronzed Chorus - Underpass Sunrise
9. Johnny Action Figure - Young Rider
10. My Morning Jacket - Wordless Chorus

Pictures From Hear Here Release Show

Last night was certainly one of the most epic local shows in the past couple of years.  Hear Here was finally released to the masses at the Cats Cradle courtesy of The Never, Hammer No More The Fingers, Birds of Avalon, and Annuals.   Below are some pictures that my shitty digital camera managed to document (my apologies for not being a professional photog, but if you want to put pictures up on our blog, please email them localmusic@wknc.org):

Thanks to all of the bands, Terpsikhore Records, Flying Tiger Sound, WKNC (specifically Mikey Perros, Mike Alston, and Jamie Lynn Gilbert), and you, the local music fans, for making last night a success!

The Never

Hammer No More The Fingers

Birds Of Avalon

Annuals