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!

 

The Local Beat Preview 1/20/12

This week on The Local Beat we only have one guest to welcome. At 6 p.m. Jeff Crawford of Arbor Ridge Studios is coming on to chat about a new project. In addition to being active in over five dozen bands (only a slight exaggeration) and heading popular local recording studio Arbor Ridge Studios, Jeff is also the music director at The Gathering Church in Durham. The Gathering Church has been meeting since 2009 at Creekside Elementary School and has become well known for its worship services with Jeff's musical talents taking stage. In 2010 the church released Christmas Nights: Music From The Gathering Church to great fanfare. Now, just a little over a year later, a new album is being released: Hymns From The Gathering Church. The album features a plethora of well-known local artists performing their takes on traditional Christian hymns.  Phil Cook (Megafaun), Heather McEntire (Mount Moriah), Seth Kauffman (Floating Action), Mandolin Orange, Skylar Gudasz, Ryan Gustafson, Brett Harris, Nick Jaeger (The Tomahawks), Mark Simonsen (The Old Ceremony), and James Wallace all contributed to the record.

Join Jeff and I on The Local Beat as we take a listen and chat about this new album.

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!

Local Beat Preview 9/23/11

This evening on the Local Beat we are having another jam-packed show with three hours of local music goodness.

One of my favorite bands in the area, Mandolin Orange, is starting off the program at 5 p.m. to chat about their new double album that is being released at Cat's Cradle on Saturday, Sept. 24. The album is entitled Haste Make/Hard Hearted Stranger and was recorded at two different studios in the past year. According to their website,

"Haste Make was recorded with Jeff Crawford and James Wallace in winter 2010/2011 at Arbor Ridge Studios West in Franklin, NC and at Arbor Ridge Studios in Chapel Hill, and was produced by Jeff Crawford and Mandolin Orange. Hard-Hearted Stranger was recorded in summer 2011 at Rubber Room Studios in Chapel Hill and features Andrew and Emily alone, produced by Andrew Marlin."

The Tenderfruit are opening for Mandolin Orange at 9 p.m. and tickets are only $10.

I will try to coerce Emily and Andrew to play some live tracks for us on the radio so you don't want to miss out on that treat.

6 p.m. brings in '80s Chapel Hill dream poppers, The Veldt, who are playing a show at the Southland Ballroom this evening at 9:30 p.m. You might remember these guys from their amazing 1994 release Afrodisiac or the follow up LP in 1998, Love at First Hate (or maybe you don't). Regardless, they are local legends and it is going to be an absolute thrill and honor to have them on the Local Beat, especially since they rarely ever perform live. We will be talking about the history of the band, their scene, their connection to CBS's hit show, Survivor, and all things in between. Doors at the Southland Ballroom are opening at 8 p.m. with music starting at 9:30. Brooklyn-based Your 33 Black Angels and Chapel Hill group 100 Yorktown are starting the show and tickets are only $10. In addition, the band is encouraging everyone to film the concert and email the footage to theveldtrocks@gmail.com for an upcoming DVD.

The last hour of the program will feature yet another local music festival, our fourth on the program in the last three weeks. Sara Waters, co-coordinator of Shakori Hills Grassroots Music Festival, is stopping by to chat about this fall's festival, which will take place October 6-9 in the woods and fields of Pittsboro, N.C. Shakori Hills has long been a staple in central North Carolina, with two festivals each year. We are going to play music from bands and musicians featured at this fall's event. Sara and I are also going to talk about the history of Shakori Hills, some fun things going on at the festival this year, and be giving away free tickets. You don't want to miss this final hour.

As always, “The Local Beat” starts at 5 p.m. and runs through 8 p.m. every Friday evening on WKNC. Listen live here and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and ReverbNation!

Hopscotch 2011: Day One Photo Recap

Photography by Student Media photographers Alex Sanchez and Marisa Akers


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

A Safe Haven with Arbor Ridge Studios, Shuffle Magazine, and WKNC

Arbor Ridge Studios of Chapel Hill has put together a day party for Hopscotch - but this isn't any day party.  Titled "Saved Haven" and presented in conjunction with Shuffle Magazine and WKNC, the party will present local bands at Tir Na NOg on Friday, September 9 from 12-5 p.m.  Oh, and the bands will be paired together on stage.

That's right, instead of a set of just Mandolin Orange, it'll be a set of Mandolin Orange and Josh Moore.  Not just Luego, but Luego and Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores.

The live collaborations are (in reverse order of appearance):

• Mandolin Orange/Josh Moore


• Birds and Arrows/Skylar Gudasz and the Ugly Girls


• Jeff Crawford/Brett Harris


• The Tomahawks/Schooner


• Luego/Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores

Sounds amazing, right?  Can it get any better?  Yes.  While all of this magic is going on, Arbor Ridge is giving listeners a sneak peak into what's been recorded recently at their studio.

It's a 2-in-1 day party - collaborations + listening party - and it is a must for Hopscotch.

Local Bands (together), Local Studio, Local Magazine, Local Station, Local Pub

12-5pm, Tir Na nOg, September 9. It will be beautiful.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings Bring Melancholy Folk to NCMA

Wow. Take all your expectations of Gillian Welch's mournful voice and David Rawlings's flawless guitar riffs from your favorite albums, whether it be the most recent The Harrow and the Harvest or the now 14 year-old Revival, and sum them all into one balmy evening. If you add a bit more guitar and bit more emotion, as well as interjections from Gillian and David, you just might have what we had the pleasure of experiencing August 3 at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Fans from all walks of life were pleased-- old fans who had been with Gil since the beginning, or new hip 20-somethings who heard them on NPR. There were children with mothers, falling asleep to the lullaby sounds of slower numbers, and curly-topped youngsters bouncing to the banjo lines, and of course, the Rawlings tune "Sweet Tooth". The brief rain couldn't put a damper on anyone, not even Gillian and David. They were pleased with the temperature drop and claimed it wasn't raining, just "really humid". The rain brought more people to the front, some to dance, others to take cover in the overhang, and more still just to get closer to their folk idols. As a huge Gillian Welch fan, this was probably one of the best shows I've been to so far this year. Local artists came out, surely paying homage to one of their influences-- I think I saw some members from Kickin' Grass Band, Mandolin Orange, and Midtown Dickens.

Gillian and David get the award for mixing the new and the old impeccably. The crowd was especially pleased with "Red Clay Halo", "Caleb Meyer", and of course, "Orphan Girl" was requested at least a dozen times (though, notably, not performed). As an Ohio native, one of my favorites was "Look at Miss Ohio," closely followed by one of the encores "Six White Horses". Their minimalist sound and traditional instrumentation was perfect for this North Carolinian show, providing a sense of belonging when playing "Tear my Stillhouse Down".

I will admit that I probably cried at least twice during the show, enjoying Welch's melancholy melodies and bittersweet harmonies of Rawlings. I wanted to quit looking like such a wuss  so I started focusing on the precision of David's guitar. Then I got caught in a predicament-- whether to focus on the guitar or the vocals. I was soon comforted by a fellow DJ's insight; Gillian's voice and David's guitar complete each other. Awww.

This was the third of four shows I plan on attending at the North Carolina Museum of Art this summer; the line up has been so amazing. Check out blogs about Bela Fleck, Lucinda Williams, and soon to come, The Carolina Chocolate Drops.  As always, if you're looking for the best in Americana, tune in to Americana, Blues, and Company every Saturday from 10-noon.

Mandolin Orange and The Devil Makes Three Play Cat's Cradle 7/24

I signed up to go to this show about a month in advance. Mandolin Orange is probably one of my favorite local bands, and I had recently started listening to The Devil Makes Three. Despite my planning,  Sunday night concerts are usually a little rough to attend. While I may be dedicated to the 8-hour of sleep per night, the impending Monday morning did not stop Cat's Cradle from filling up at 9 p.m. to hear the melancholy folk of Mandolin Orange's Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin, followed by Devil Makes Three. The talented duo  played the usual favorites -- the ones where the crowd hushes and sings along-- "Poor Boy Poor Me" and "These Old Wheels". I always love the abrupt, ironic change in sound when the buzzing crowd starts singing "silence is golden, some may say, some may say..."



Emily and Andrew announced that they will be releasing a new album in September and played a few numbers from that. It seems their album will have much the same great sound found in Quiet Little Room and the self-titled EP.  However, Emily did pick up an electric guitar a bit more than usual, primarily used for soothing harmonies and gently strummed intros. The duo finally announced that Mandolin Orange will return to Cat's Cradle September 24 for their album release party. If you can't wait that long, look for Mandolin Orange at Hopscotch Music Festival. Mark your calendars! Fellow WKNC DJ, Rob Lampe, said "Mandolin Orange gets better every time I see them... and I've seen them at least 6 times" .  And he's right -- their chemistry only gets more tangible, their harmonies even more entwined, and their orchestration becomes flawless.

Due to the workweek ahead of us, my friends and I had to leave before The Devil Makes Three came on. What did you think of the show? Tell us how it was -- make us jealous.

Happy Thanks-Giveaway.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I'll tell you one thing I'm thankful for—living in the Triangle! There are so many great things to see, hear, do, and overall, enjoy.

We here at WKNC like to provide you with as many opportunities to enjoy your community. So, here are the giveaways for this week.

12/3: Small Ponds @ King's

12/3: Steep Canyon Rangers w/ Mandolin Orange @ Cat's Cradle



12/4: American Aquarium @ The Pour House

12/4: Gray Young @ King's

12/4: Holy Ghost Tent Revival @ Lincoln Theatre



12/9: Dance Revolution @ Lincoln Theatre

Remember, you have to listen to win!

Troika Music Festival has stolen my heart

Last night, Friday November 6, was the second night of three for Troika Music Festival in Durham, NC. As of this moment, I have watched and photographed 11 bands, and tonight I'll photograph 6 or 7 more. It's been an incredible journey for me thus far. First of all, I've never driven in downtown Durham, let alone in the dark and in the rain. So the musical rewards were that much more delicious after I circled miles of blocks countless times.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

I've been blown away by the epic sounds of Old Bricks in the tiny space of The Pinhook. They radiated so much joyous energy for the creation of music, I have a feeling they forgot we were all standing there listening. I don't typically like bands that are more noise-based and less lyrical, but they touched a part of my soul.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Later, I sat on the stage next to Django Haskins of The Old Ceremony as he played acoustic guitar standing on the top of a chair because the sound system gave out, and he wanted to make sure everyone could here and see. He entranced the entire audience with his raw voice, honest lyrics,  and witty jokes, mostly making fun of himself. He has a list of over a hundred songs that he was sporadically picking from, and he shared with us the back story to The Old Ceremony most recent release, Wither on the Vines, and he sang a song that he wrote for a girl-rock band in New York.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

I was introduced to a new band that had my calves sore I was bouncing around so much. Onward, Soldier has one of the most talented groups of local musicians I've probably seen. The lead singer, Sean, has a soft face with an innocent air, but he plays and sings with such intensity, you'd think he was 6'6. I expect the drum to fall through the stage he was rockin' so hard, and the second guitar ripped with fingers of gold. There's no better way to instill love in an audience than to show your own love in the making of music. They had so much energy, such happiness, I was completely taken by their performance.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

But out of the eleven bands I have thus far seen, nothing can compare to the performance of Mandolin Orange. The male/female duo step onto the stage of Fullsteam Brewery with a fiddle, two guitars, and a mandolin. Their presence truly speaks to the power of music that has nothing to do with sound or technique. They made me believe them. I believed in the beauty of the fiddle and the simplistic elegance of an acoustic guitar. I believed that two vocal harmonies singing just the right words could transform a room into a sanctuary. Andrew has a calming presence with long curly hair, but his voice resonates with a deep, slightly twangy serenity. Emily is infallibly beautiful, but nothing in comparison to her radiance while holding a fiddle. This is the duo to watch, and I know I'll be looking out for their next show.

I will be perfectly happy if I never listen to another band from outside of North Carolina. This state is overflowing with talent in every genre, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it.

Local Beat preview 10/15/10

This coming Friday on the Local Beat will be another fantastic evening as I will be joined by several different guests.

5 p.m. brings in one of my favorite groups in the area, Carrboro folksters Mandolin Orange, coming on to promote an upcoming show at the Local 506. The show is this Saturday, October 16, with Greg Humphreys. It should make for a fascinating concert on Saturday but also some great conversation and live radio Friday evening.

Check out the interview I had with Emily and Andrew of Mandolin Orange back in April:
Mandolin Orange on the Local Beat 4/9/10

And I also interview Greg Humphreys recently as well:
Greg Humphreys on the Local Beat 10/1/10

At 6 p.m., Gray Young is coming back on the show once again to talk about their brand new album. If you recall the group came in back in early August before the album was ready to be released. Staysail is going to be released on October 23 at the Pour House, and we will talk about that in full.

For the final hour of the show, local hip-hop star King Mez is dropping by with ex DJ Big Fat Sac and several other representatives of the Cooke Street Carnival that is being held this Saturday on Cooke Street in downtown Raleigh. We will be talking about the festival and catching up with the King.

Local Beat Mini Exclusive: A Benefit to Battle Multiple Sclerosis

This Thursday at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, five bands will be getting together to raise money in a show aptly named "A Benefit to Battle Multiple Sclerosis." Zach Terry, Mark Simonson, Emily Bidgood, and Lee Bidgood all joined me at the station yesterday to talk about this local cause and concert, which will include sets from The Sundowners, Mt. Moriah, Whiskey Smugglers, Mandolin Orange, and Last Of The Great Sideshow Freaks.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease in which your body's immune system eats away at the protective sheath that covers your nerves. This then interferes with your brain's communication with the rest of the body. Ultimately MS can destroy the nerves themselves, which is irreversible. Symptoms of the disease vary widely, ranging from numbness or tingling in parts of your body to loss of vision, double vision, and even dizziness. People with severe cases may even lose the ability to walk or speak (Mayo Clinic).

During the interview, we talked about the show, where the proceeds from the concert will go, the inspiration and reasons behind putting on a Multiple Sclerosis benefit, and other ways people can get involved.

On this Mini Exclusive, you will find two songs performed in studio by Whiskey Smugglers along with a never before released track from Mark Simonson.

Take a listen:

Mini Exclusive: A Battle To Benefit MS

Local Beat recaps: 3/26, 4/2, 4/9

Every now and then, I am reminded that I am student by a sudden kick in the groin from copious amounts of schoolwork and I am down for the count for a little while.  That has recently happened to my Local Beat producers and me who have spent the last three weeks either out of town or slaving through text books and notecards trying not to completely fail at graduating on time (I myself am already a year behind).  Because of this we want to apologize for running about four weeks behind schedule with our weekly Local Beat podcasts.  Fortunately, instead of having 12 interviews to edit, we have only missed three, and here they are below (also, check out the ReverbNation player at the bottom of the post to listen to and download all the songs played live):

March 26: Brett Harris
March 26 was the first live Local Beat I had been able to do in a month because of NC State Baseball broadcasts and Durham rock/pop singer Brett Harris dropped by for what turned out to be one of my favorite interviews in a long while as we talked about his brand new album Man of Few Words, an LP that could possibly break my top 10 for the year.  We talked in depth about the recording of the album, the multitude of artists that assisted him in recording, and compared everything to his past couple of EPs. Brett played two live tracks for us that you can watch in the videos below and download in the ReverbNation player at the bottom of the page.   Brett released the album at the Nightlight on April 2nd with Luego and Bright Young Things for what turned out to be an amazing show.  Check out our conversation:
Brett Harris on the Local Beat 3/26/10



The Local Beat w/ Adam Kincaid: Brett Harris "Unspoken (Live)" from Wolf TV on Vimeo.



Local Beat w/ Adam Kincaid: Brett Harris "Man of a Few Words (Live)" from Wolf TV on Vimeo.

April 2: Free Electric State
One of the hottest bands in North Carolina graced my program three weeks ago.   Free Electric State is blowing up in the local press and media for their blazing rock n' roll live shows and the hype surrounding their debut LP following in the heels of their first two song demo from '09.  And though FES is a relatively new band, most of the members are not knew to performing or songwriting and it certainly shows with this latest output.  We spent the hour talking about Caress and the differences in the band now from a year ago.  We also touched on the recording process and Duck Kee Studios and the involvement of Churchkey Records who is releasing the album.  The album release party was April 16th at the Pinhook with Beloved Binge and A Rooster For The Masses although the album itself will not be released until April 27th.   Take a listen to the interview below and also watch the newest muisc video for the song "6 is 1" from Caress as well:
Free Electric State on the Local Beat 4/2/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6tImE9irIM

April 9: Mandolin Orange
Every now and again I hear a record that I cannot for the life of me stop playing and Mandolin Orange's recent release Quiet Little Room is just one of those.  Soft, quiet, simple, and yet catchy and beautiful all at the same time,  Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz really outdid themselves on this debut full length.  Following their locally acclaimed debut EP they put out this past year Andrew and Emily spent late nights alone in the studio mastering and perfecting Quiet Little Room with Andrew's songwriting skills and Emily's finishing touch.  The couple came in to chat about the new record and the past year, but mostly to play plenty of songs for me and you.  Listen in below and be sure to check out the album release party coming up the May 1 at the Local 506 with friend Big Fat Gap and Ryan Gustafson:
Mandolin Orange on the Local Beat 4/9/10

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

Local Beat Preview 9/11/09

This Friday's Local Beat has to be one for the ages.  My fourth week on the show is gearing up to be the best so far with special guests Superchunk, Ryan Gustafson, and the Pneurotics.

Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance of local legend Superchunk are calling in at 5pm to talk about their new book based on their label Merge Records: "OUR NOISE: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label that Got Big and Stayed Small".  The book is set to be released Tuesday, September 15 via Algonquin Books.  Mac and Laura will be traveling across the state to promote the new book and play some tunes of their own at the following bookstores:

 

September 15th -  The Regulator Bookshop, 7:00 pm (Durham, NC)

September 17th - Bull’s Head Bookshop, 3:30 pm (Chapel Hill, NC)

September 17th - Quail Ridge, 7:30 pm (Raleigh, NC)

October 2nd - Malaprop’s, 7:00 pm (Asheville, NC)

Local blog Triangle Music did an excellent short review on the book which you can read here.

You have been hearing Ryan Gustafson's solo work on WKNC for a couple of weeks now, but at 6pm on the Local Beat Ryan is stopping by to chat about his CD Release party tonight at the Local 506 with two amazing bands, Mount Moriah and Mandolin Orange (show is $5 and starts at 9:30pm).  His album, Donkey LP, has certainly proven to be one of my favorites this summer and Spencer Griffith of The Indepdent Weekly gave the album an admirable review which you can check out here.

The final hour of the show brings The Pneurotics on to chat up another new album and another Local 506 release party; this one their own.  The album is titled Second Skin and is set to be released Friday, September 18th at the 506 with The Travesties and Rat Jackson taking the stage as well (show is $8 and starts at 9:30pm). 

So tune in to the Local Beat every Friday evening from 5pm-8pm.  If you are out of the area be sure to listen online!