CHANGE! Future Islands to call in this afternoon

Unfortunately, schedules have a way of tying up.  Samuel and William of Future Islands will no longer be coming to the station, but rather they will be calling the studio around 4pm  for a live phone interview.  No hard feelings; these guys rock. They will be at the Local 506 tonight, don't miss it!

Future Islands to be on WKNC this Friday

If you’ve been in the Triangle for any number of years like I have, then you’ve likely seen Future Islands play. Their dark-wave synth dance music is addicting and the experience is an intoxicating modern take on Shakespeare. Their live performances never leave the crowd unsatisfied. Band members Gerrit Welmers, William Cashion and Samuel T Herring have moved the band from Greenville to Raleigh and most recently to Baltimore where they quickly became part of Dan Deacon’s artist collective, Wham City. However, the Triangle has been an important middle ground for Future Islands. Kind of like the lunch room in middle school where that delicate mix of young minds are eager to find other young minds, the triangle has provided this cultivation for collaboration.

I'll sit down with the band Friday and talk about their voyage. Tune in to hear tracks from their discography and old favorites from their first project, Art Lord and The Self Portraits.  And if you have any stories or experiences from a Future Islands show that you'd like to share, please email them to kelly@wknc.org. We'll take it to the airwaves with the band. They will be at the WKNC studio Friday for an on-air interview at 4 p.m. The band is touring in support of their recent release, “In Evening Air.” The release is their second LP and first on the Chicago Indie Label, Thrill Jockey.

Future Islands will be headlining at the Local 506 this Friday with additional acts: EAR PWR, Nuclear Power Pants, and Fat Camp.

Listen only on 88.1FM or streaming online.

Krispy Kreme Challenge Results

WKNC had the great pleasure of supporting the 2010 Krispy Kreme Challenge as a silver level sponsor. We also sponsored our own team of runners - an amazing challenge since the race fell smack dab in the middle of Double Barrel Benefit 7.

If you read Special K's preview of the Krispy Kreme Challenge, no doubt you having been waiting with glazed breath to hear how own crew fared.

Max Power blew the rest of the staff away with the astounding time of 47:33. DJ Two Sheds and his training monkey Molly came in next, at 50:03 and 54:21. Major props also go to DJ Mick, Sweet Melissa, Special K, Will, Agent Orange, Osh-Tosh, Mz Kelly, Riff Raff, Hot Tamale and May Day for crossing the finish line.

Check out Technician's Sights and Sounds of the event and their photo slideshow. If you caught any pictures of our crew, decked out in custom KNC wearables, send them over to us and we'll put them in our end-of-year slideshow - unless they prominently feature regurgitated doughnuts, of course.

An interview with Michael Lerner of Telekinesis

"Four weeks ago, if you were to ask me if I would be here, at Tir Na Nog, playing with Ivan Howard of the Rosebuds, and watching football, I would have said, 'No way,' but here I am," Michael Lerner said as he smiled at the crowd. His glance, the thick black rimmed glasses absent from his face, shifted from the football game on the TV in the back of the bar, across the crowd, and back to his music. He adjusted a tuner at the head of his three-fourths, formica guitar and went into the next song, "I Saw Lightning."

Four weeks ago, if you were to ask me if I would be posting an interview with Michael Lerner of Telekinesis a day after watching the Monday night performance from the newly formed Telekinesis lineup at Tir Na Nog, I would have said, "Well, maybe." I've learned to never eliminate fanciful ideas from the list of maybes.

A day after Michael Lerner arrived in Raleigh from Seattle, we snagged him for an interview in our WKNC studio. He is a young musician who has found love for music in his journey as a record store employee, student at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, recording studio employee and now full time musician. We sat down and talked about how the release of his self-titled debut has kept him busy, where the inspiration for those quirky fresh pop songs come from and what in the months ahead.

WKNC Interview with Michael Lerner of Telekinesis

Telekinesis Interview to Air Monday Evening at 6:20pm

Aside from playing a slam-down awesome show at Bug-Fest in downtown Raleigh this weekend, Michael Lerner of Telekinesis dropped by the WKNC studio for a one-on-one interview with our very own Mz Kelly.  The interview can be heard tonight on 88.1fm, or online, around 6:20.  Sharing insights about the band's beginnings, inspirations, and plans for the months ahead (including their upcoming European tour), Lerner also performed two tracks from the band's April release.  The newly modified outfit (a "power trio" comprised of Lerner, the Rosebuds' Ivan Howard, and BJ Burton of Flying Tiger Sound) will be playing another show tonight at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in downtown Raleigh.

Free Music + Artists Get paid $ = OMG

Full Disclosure: Mz. Kelly is a summer intern at ReverbNation where she is learning about technology, how to help artists, and continuing to love music.

With the RIAA hacking away at illegal downloaders, musicians enduring the great-unknown future of the music industry, and everyone feeling the effects of a struggling economy, creative ideas for survival are needed.  In an attempt to provide solutions to changing times, local company ReverbNation has paired with Microsoft Windows to provide an answer, and it's called "Sponsored Songs."

The idea is simple.  Fans get free legal downloads of songs from a surplus of bands.  Bands are paid money for every unique download of their song.  The sponsor's brand image, or advertisement, is embedded with the song's cover art so that it travels from listener to listener.  Each download equates to fifty cents so if you can't go to a music show you can always support by downloading. If the program is successful it could include other sponsors in the future--- anyone thinking possible Outback Steakhouse Sponsored Songs, presented by Of Montreal?



ReverbNation has provided the platform for the program.  Many local artists are included in the launch of the program (check out Jake Seaton's list here), including WKNC favorite, Hammer No More The Fingers, who were included in the official press release.  Joe Hall, of HNMTF, said, "We're always looking for ways to reach new fans, and the team at ReverbNation is always working hard on new and creative ways to help Artists like us succeed.  With Microsoft's participation in the Sponsored Songs program, Artists earn money for their hard work and fans get free music."

For all the bands available for download, check out http://www.reverbnation.com/windows.


And for the weekly featured downloads, check out Windows on MySpace.

Finally, The Love Language in-studio interview from 5/8/09

Go ahead, pull out the wooden ruler and lay down a good whack across the top of my hands.  I've been a bad WKNC blogger.  If I was being graded on timeliness, there would be a big red "F" at the top of this blog, but, thankfully, you as a blog-reader & lover of WKNC would never employ such emotional damage like that of my former college professors, right?

And although this does not relate to the interview, I wanted to post this pic.  Jake Seaton over at Music.MyNC deilvers a wonderful tweet, twitter.com/jseaton, and this picture was in his feed recently.  Jake, I won't ask why you weren't blasting WKNC 88.1fm.  I will assume that  you must have been driving your car, nearing the US-Canadian border, out of our 25,000 watt listening area.

The Love Language in-studio interview, 5/8/09

Air Break, and intro

love-language-air-break-one

Live, in-studio song: Providence, complete with a newly introduced flute solo

The Love Language - "Providence" LIVE in studio 5/8/09

Air break, talk of SXSW

love-language-air-break-two

Live, in-studio song: Night Dogs

The Love Language - "Night Dogs" LIVE in studio 5/8/09

Air break,

love-language-air-break-three

Live, in-studio song: Manteo, great harmonizing vocals

The Love Language - "Manteo" LIVE in studio 5/8/09

Air break, closing and talk of how to mail Stu a check

love-language-air-break-four

:hearts and guitars:

Mz. Kelly, twitter.com/kellyisthere

WKNC finalist for Best Radio Station and Best DJ

N.C. State’s student radio station earned recognition as one of the best in the Triangle in Independent Weekly’s annual “Best of the Triangle” reader survey. Kyle Robb, the station’s general manager for 2008-2009, accepted the award during his Jun. 10 radio program.

WKNC 88.1 FM, along with Clear Channel’s G105, received finalist honors for Best Radio Station. WUNC 91.5 FM, the NPR-affiliated station from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earned the top award.

Kelly Reid, known as Mz. Kelly to WKNC listeners, was a finalist for Best Radio DJ. She is one of three WKNC staff recognized as among the Best in the Triangle in recent years. Tom Wharton was voted Best Radio DJ in 2006 and Sam McGuire received a finalist nod in 2007.

Mike Alston, who took over for Robb as general manager in April, thanked the listeners for their loyalty. “We are honored to be finalists,” he said. “We can’t compete with larger stations in terms of resources, but we have a dedicated staff and dedicated listener base.”

“The fact that a group of students can earn this kind of recognition year after year shows the value the student media have to N.C. State University,” Jamie Lynn Gilbert, the station’s advisor, said.

More than 3,000 people filled out the 2009 Best of the Triangle ballot, voting on everything from best pet specialty store to best comfort food.

Independent Weekly voted WKNC Best Radio Station in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The station was named Best College Radio in 2004 and 2005, as well as Best Radio for Music in 2005. WKNC also earned top awards from Spectator in 2001 and 2002.