WKNC Interviews: Recent Episodes
WKNC 88.1 FM | NC State Student Radio
WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 is student-run non-commercial radio from NC State University, playing indie rock, electronic, hip-hop and metal. This podcast features interviews from 2010-2018.
Raleigh pop band Morning Bells joined DJ Sparrovv and DJ Whatsherface for an interview and in-studio performance before their show Feb. 8 at Neptune’s.
Smoke From All The Friction stopped by the studios to talk about how they formed, how they write and record, and where they’ll be playing.
Triangle’s own THESE WEAK LIPS in the studio for an interview and set! Great tracks! Fun banter! It’s all here!
DJ Whatsherface is solo this week, but the studio is jampacked! Raleigh stalwarts GHOSTT BLLONDE, surf punkers THE DEAD BEDROOMS, and the easy, breezy, beautiful SEABREEZE DINER are all interviewed about just about everything you can imagine.
The always heavy VACANT COMPANY grace the studios to talk shop and play some cuts from their upcoming LP BLOK.
Sparrow and Whatsherface return with Autumn Brand, who discusses her new solo project and plays some beautiful music
DJ Sparrow and Whatsherface chew the fat with Chapel Hill’s own LAIRS. They talk upcoming shows, musical inspiration, and Star Wars.
Hopscotch booker Nathan Price joins DJ Wolfware to discuss the booking process and a special new venue.Then KNC DJ and Hopscotch performer Gudiya comes in to finish out the interview.
Nashville folksters Little Raven stop by the WKNC studios for an interview! DJ Whatsherface takes us through the band’s upcoming EP, NC shows, and more!
NC house hip-hop sensation Zensofly drops by the WKNC studios to jaw with English Soccer and Green Machine about her recent Double Barrel Benefit performance and her upcoming Moogfest set.
DJ Iron Mic met up with Chris Rivers at the Monster Outbreak House at SXSW, and discussed his role as a new artist in New York hip hop, and how the legacy of his father impacts that role. They also touched on where his artistic sound stands in comparison to the sound of current commercial hip hop, his outside the box musical influences, and future projects and tour dates.
The Local Beat is a weekly radio show on WKNC 88.1 FM exploring the local music scene in NC hosted by DJ Sparr0w and DJ Whatsherface.
Antique Hearts joined DJ Whatsherface and DJ Sparr0w at WKNC to bring you a new episode of the Local Beat.
DJ Rhythm and Obi-Mah Kenobia sat down with OC from NC and B Squared to talk about music, inspiration, and the local scene.
DJ Whatsherface and DJ Sparr0w sat down with Infinity Crush before their show at Double Barrel Benefit on February 24th.
Introducing a new segment for Off the Record, called The Local Beat; highlighting great local music in NC. For this episode, Happy Abandon joined DJ Sparr0w and DJ Whatsherface for an interview, and a live in-studio performance!
Sweet local electronic duo Sand Pact joined DJ Sparr0w and DJ Whatsherface for an interview, and some live in-studio performances!
In this final edition of the Best of DJ Iron Mic Freestyles, hear from Tracy Lamont and Konvo the Mutant.
In advance of WKNC Presents Battle Grounds 5 Tuesday, Dec. 27 at Neptune’s, hear from Shame in this first edition of the Best of DJ Iron Mic Freestyles.
DJ Iron Mic presents Freedom Infinite and Lil’ C. Corleone in this Best of DJ Iron Mic Freestyle.
In this first edition of the Best of DJ Iron Mic Freestyles, hear from Tuscon and Silhouette of 1100 Hunters.
Young Cardinals stopped by the studio for an interview with Phian before their performance at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for the Local Band Local Beer series on Thursday, November 5th! The band shared some of their wit through a word association game, discussed their new album, Flamingos, and a possible upcoming small film project. The following songs were played during the interview:
1 - King of Jeans
2 - The Moon
3 - Flamingos
4 - Hooker
DJ Rhythm and Obi-mah Kenobi sat down with MC Eternal to talk inspiration, sick music, and what’s next.
DJ Iron Mic sat down with Raleigh rapper King Mez for an interview about local rap, gentrification, and inspiration.
DJ Whatsherface and DJ Sparrow sat down with Wye Oak to discuss their Hopscotch experience after they kicked off the festival with a great show.
DJ Neruda sat down with Palm to talk about their most recent album and new sound after a solid show at the Pour House during Hopscotch festival weekend.
DJ Whatsherface and DJ Sparrow sat down with Phil from Tuskha (formerly of Bowerbirds) to talk about his favorite new music and recent tour with Wye Oak during Hopscotch weekend.
DJ Wolfware sat down with LVL UP to talk about touring, a record deal at SUB POP, and members Mike and Dave’s label Exploding in Sound before their show at Deep South during Hopscotch weekend.
angel by shaggy and Blue Cadet 3 conducted the sickest of interviews with band Pink Flag during Hopscotch weekend.
DJ Whatsherface and DJ Sparrow sat down with Sarah Shook and the Disarmers the afternoon before their Hopscotch performance to discuss their musical influences, recording journey, and excitement for the festival.
angel by shaggy and DJ Gudiya sat down with Milo during Hopscotch weekend to discuss his new album too much of life is mood, his zine o Bruxo, and sandwiches.
DJ Whatsherface and DJ Sparrow sat down with Greg Lowenhagen, director, and Nathan Price, talent coordinator for HOPSCOTCH MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016 to talk all things Hopscotch!
Back in July, DJ Whatsherface sat down with Jon Lindsay to talk about the NC Music Love Army and important issues affecting the Triangle and beyond.
Gal Pal spoke with Hunter Thomsen, guitarist of We The Kings, on the evolution of the music industry, Warped Tour, and port-a-showers. We The Kings will headline Packapalooza next Friday, Aug. 20.
Marcel the Lion sat down with Underground System before their show at the Pout House on June 25th.
DJ Whatsherface and DJ Sparrow sat down with Pie Face Girls for an interview before their Local Band Local Beer show on June 16.
DJ Whatsherface sat down with Drunk On The Regs for an interview before their Local Band Local Beer show on June 2.
DJ Whatsherface talked with Stammerings before their show at Local Band Local Beer on June 2.
Sparrow and Whatsherface chat with Vacant Company before their show at Local Band Local Beer.
DJ Whatsherface sat down with The Great American Witch Hunt before their Local Band Local Beer show on June 2.
Marissa Jerden interviews people on the streets at Moogfest 2016 and discusses the panels she attended.
DJ Whatsherface talked with River Whyless at the spring 2016 Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance.
Asheville’s The Tills stopped by the WKNC studios on April 7 to chat with Phian before their show that night at The Pour House Music Hall for Local Band Local Beer.
DJ Iron Mic talks with Greg and Nathan from the Hopscotch music festival about the 2016 lineup.
Phian talked to Night Idea before their show April 7 at The Pour House Music Hall for Local Band Local Beer.
Avant garde metal fans will be pleased with the Moogfest 2016 lineup. Former Chainsaw Rock music director Jamie Halla has this audio rundown.
DJ Whatsherface and DJ Sparrovv sat down with Ancient Cities before their show on May 5 at The Pour House Music Hall for Local Band Local Beer.
Durham trio LAIRS dropped by the WKNC studios to chat with DJ Sparrovv and Whatsherface before their gig that night at Local Band Local Beer. They chatted about what brought the band together, their songwriting process, and the story behind “Desert Girl.”
DJ Sparrovv chats with Tom from Hi-Wire Brewing. Based in Asheville, N.C., Hi-Wire sponsored the April 28 and May 5 Local Band Local Beer shows.
Hillsborough, N.C. rapper Black Boye stopped by the WKNC studios to chat with DJ Iron Mic about his new single, “War.”
DJ Iron Mic talked with Defacto Thezpian during Wednesday’s local rap lunch to preview his performance this Friday, April 8 for WKNC’s Fridays on the Lawn. Listen it to their interview to learn about some of Defacto’s other upcoming gigs, including Durham’s Art of Cool Fest, and his top four celebrity crushes.
Sometimes music is better described using objects, colors, and feelings rather than sounds. When listening to Earthly, you picture yourself skiing down the sides of red, blue, and yellow ice cream cones, falling onto a rubbery drum set and slingshotting back to that one class field trip in elementary school when you caught a crawfish by hand.
DJ iCloud caught up with Edaan and Brint of Earthly, who played WKNC’s Double Barrel Benefit Night 2. They talk about some of Earthly’s beginnings, inspirations, and future plans for the project.
Bombadil swung by WKNC for an interview with Curlz MT to talk about their Dec. 19 show at Cat’s Cradle. The Durham-based band shared their new EP, “Still Bombadil Issue #1: Score for Cell Phone, Rubber Band & Wine Glass,” talked about their music process, and discussed the culinary phenomenon of food on sticks.
Nash Roberts, of the locally based band The Shakedown, came to WKNC to speak with DJ Soulwood about his upcoming Frank Sinatra tribute performance at the Pour House on Saturday, December 12. This promises to be an incredibly fun time on Sinatra’s actual 100th birthday! Nash tells us about the cover concept that The Shakedown has adopted and their previous cover shows including Van Morrison and Bob Marley. For more information about The Shakedown band and their upcoming Sinatra tribute gig/birthday celebration at The Pour House, check out the band’s website theshakedownband.com or follow them on Facebook.
One last point: anyone who dresses up (i.e. wears a Sinatra-esque suit or equivalent) to Saturday’s gig has a reduced door price!
DJ AJ and King Kronk welcomed West Virginia band Rozwell Kid to the WKNC studio on Nov. 17 before their show at Motoro. The band talked about their home state and its music scene, their Broken World Records label-mates and touring with Andrew Jackson Jihad. Listen in, and don’t forget to subscribe to the WKNC Interviews Podcast.
P.S. Rozwell Kid will also be playing with the Get Up Kids on their 20th anniversary tour on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at Cat’s Cradle.
Greensboro-based folk band Lowland Hum stopped by the WKNC studio on Nov. 20 before their show at Motorco. DJ Cauliflower talked with the husband and wife duo about touring, making their self-titled sophomore album and whether they are a pie or cake couple. The interview also includes the songs “Older, Wiser” and “Night Driving.” Listen in, and don’t forget to subscribe to the WKNC Interviews Podcast.
The Color Exchange stopped by for an interview with Phian before their performance at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer on November 5th! The band discussed their album, Cubed, and their favorite memories of Tir Na Nog Irish Pub. The following songs were played during the interview:
1 - Sparks
2 - Beacons
3 - Timelines
Last Thursday, Phian spoke with ET Anderson about falling in love with each other, their upcoming tour, and emo music. They went on to play at Tir Na Nog Irish pub for Local Band Local Beer, along with Wild Fur and Zack Mexico. If you like what you hear, you can check out more at ET Anderson’s facebook page.
The following tracks were played during the interview:
1 - Going Deaf
2 - It’s Not The Same
3 - Love Is Not
4 - Take Met To The Other Side
I Was Totally Destroying It stopped by the studio for an interview with Phian before their performance at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for the Local Band Local Beer series on Thursday, November 5th. The band discussed their long and loving history with Tir Na Nog as well as much more. During the interview, the following songs were played:
1 - Yours Truly
2 - Move So Slowly
3 - Cup of Tea
4 - Beneath You All The Way
Straight off of his outstanding performance on the BET Live Cypher, Fuquay-Varina’s own T-Top came up to our studio to hang out with DJ Iron Mic and Anderson Burrus for The Saturday Night Pre-Game. They talked about Top Bizzy’s experiences at the BET Hip Hop Awards, battle rapping, upcoming shows and his plans to take the rap game by storm. Best thing about it, they blessed the airwaves with their own cypher over the “0 to 100” beat. Check it out, and tune in on Saturday nights for more live interviews and freestyle sessions from local artists.
If you’re a fan of bars over bullsh*t rap, look no further than one of the DMV area’s most promising up-and-comers, K.A.A.N. The 24 year old Maryland native is a student of the greats, like Big L, 2Pac, and Big Pun, but unlike the hoards of wannabe rappers that claim the same thing, you can here their influences echoing in his extraordinarily complex and high octane raps. Go to his Soundcloud page, listen to “Kaancepts,” and try not to jump out of your chair screaming. Not gonna happen. He blesses the classic “Deep Cover” beat in a multi-syllabic double time flow that definitely has Pun smiling up in heaven.
Recently, K.A.A.N. put out a mixtape EP where he flows on the Golden Era’s most classic beats, like “Shook Ones,"Flava In Ya Ear,” and more. The EP is called “1/12/199?” and definitely worth peeping. He plans on putting out his first full project with original production some time next year, so stay tuned on his progress because I have a feeling that his name is going to ring bells sooner than later.
On September 17, Phian interviewed The Charming Youngsters before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. They featured four tracks during the interview: Resourcerer, Sentinels, Brave Me, and Black Birds. If you want to find out more about The Charming Youngsters, check out their Facebook Page.
Last Thursday, DJ Dilemma interviewed Durty Dub before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. They discussed the origins of the band and the group’s affiliation with the larger African beats community. If you like what you hear, you can check out more at Durty Dub’s Facebook page.
John Meier of Naked Naps fame sat down with Jake from State Farm and Granma Kara last Friday at Hopscotch’s Wristband City. He shared tales from the gone-but-not-forgotten Mattress Fort and the story of how he ripped his pants on stage. He also promises that the track names “Toyota Prius, The Silent Killer” and “Honda Civic ’99,” off the Naked Naps and Museum Mouth split, are merely coincidental.
On our last day broadcasting live from Wristband City, Wahyas stopped by for a quick interview! They talk about their Hopscotch experience, their other musical projects, and playing drums while standing up.
Raleigh locals Hotline sat down with Granma Kara and Jake from State Farm at Wristband City to discuss their new album, their transition from Oulipo, and their super tight friendship. The lively quartet shared their favorite Hopscotch moments and who they were excited to see take stage this year.
Before their Friday night set at Tir Na Nog, Sam and Kevin stopped by WKNC’s Live broadcast table at City Plaza. They talked about past Hopscotch experiences, pros and cons of “dumb rock music,” and the shows they were most excited to see.
DJ Duchess and Curlz MT interviewed the group River Whyless Saturday, September 12th for WKNC as a part of Hopscotch, live in Wristband City. The band, from Asheville, NC, shared some of their best experiences together, as well as their craziest. Listen here to learn more about their recent releases and upcoming album.
Two Thursdays ago Phian interviewed with the Chit Nasty Band before they played at Tir Na Nog for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview Phian played the Chit Nasty Band songs “Nasty Nation,” “Enough” and “Brand New.” If you like what you hear, you can check out more from the Chit Nasty Band at their website.
Last Thursday, Phian interviewed Knurr and Spell before they played at Tir Na nOg for Local Band Local Beer. If you like what you hear, you can check out more from Knurr and Spell at their Bandcamp.
Last Thursday, Phian interviewed with Drique London before he played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, Phian played the Drique London songs “Mysterious Vibes”, “You Dont Know”, “Iz U Ridin’ “, and “Lay Back.” If you like what you hear you can check out more of Drique London at his website.
Last Thursday, Phian interviewed with Sky Blew and the band before they played at TIr Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, Phian played the Sky Blew songs “Picture That”, “Who Made Sammy Run”, ”The Ballad of Patience”, and “Spirit Detective 2.″ If you like what you hear you can check out more of Sky Blew at his Bandcamp.
Phian interviewed Jenny Besetzt before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, several Jenny Besetzt songs were played. If you like what you hear you can check out more from Jenny Besetzt at their Bandcamp and also check them out tonight at Tir Na nOg!
On August 13th, Phian interviewed Morgan from Flash Car before he played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, the Flash Car songs “Lady Lindy,” “Summer Storm,” and “Changing Lights” were played. If you like what you hear you can check out more of Flash Car at their Bandcamp.
Local artist, Drake Murphy, from Addor, North Carolina stopped by the studio to speak with us about his latest album and single, upcoming projects, and his performance at NC State’s Packapalooza DH Hill stage.
Last week, Phian interviewed Youth League before they played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, Youth League songs “Football”, “Japanese Draculas”, “Lets Elope!”, and “For John” were played. If you like what you hear, you can check out more of Youth League at their Bandcamp.
Last Thursday, Phian interviewed Powder Room before they played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, Phian played the Powder Room tracks “Disappointment”, “Earthworm”, “Dead Pet”, and “Frayed”. If you like what you hear, you can check out more from Powder Room at their Bandcamp.
Last Thursday, Phian interviewed with the Manimals before they played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, Phian played the Manimals’ tracks “Rule of Cool”, “Tangible Reasons”, “Mustard Stains”, and “Loose Ends”. If you like what you hear, you can check out more from the Manimals at their Bandcamp.
Last Thursday, Phian interviewed J Kutchma before he played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub.
Last week, Phian interviewed with From Bears before they played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, the From Bears songs “Noiseless”, “Dreamreader”, “Strings”, and “Bizarro” were played. If you like what you hear, you can check out more of From Bears at their Bandcamp.
Phian interviewed with SMLH last Thursday before they played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, SMLH songs “Neon Visions”, “Summer Days”, and “A Year From Now” off their upcoming album were played. If you like what you hear you can check out more of SMLH at their Bandcamp.
Phian sits down with representatives from the Nickelpoint Brewing Company and interviews them about the brewing business and beer.
Last Thursday, Phian interviewed The Get Right Band before they played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, The Get Right Band songs “We Work All Day,” “Life During War Time,” Give It,“ and “Get Right” were played. If you like what you hear you can check out more of The Get Right Band at their website.
Phian interviewed Rebecca Todd and the Obligations last Thursday before they played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. The interview includes live performances of “Fog”, “Roots Very Deep”, “Trouble”, and “Lighting Bugs”.
Phian interviewed The Stonewall Vessels last Thursday before they played at Tir na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. The interview includes the Stonewall Vessels songs “Colors,” “Not Healthy,” “Sea Grass,” and “Potion.” If you like what you hear you can check out more from The Stonewall Vessels at their Bandcamp.
Phain interviewed Old Quarter last Thursday before they played at Tir na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. The interview includes the Old Quarter songs “Gone,” “Starlight,” and “Ashley Nicole.” During the interview, Old Quarter also performed their cover of “Worth Keeping” by the Everybodyfields live. If you like what you hear you can check out more from Old Quarter at their Bandcamp.
Phain interviewed with the Debonzo Brothers last Thursday before they played at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. The interview includes the Debonzo Brothers tracks “Make My Way,” “Great Upstate,” and “More Than This” and a live performance of “Little White House”. You can check out more of the Debonzo Brothers at their website.
One of the comments I hear most about the North Carolina music scene is its ‘incestuous’ nature, how bands gradually begin to feed off of one another to shape the overall sound of our music scene. But every now and then you’ll find folks who are running against the grain and doing so with wonderful results. Eno Mountain Boys have crafted a unique blend of classic country, contemporary Americana and punk rock sentiments to make for an authentic, genuine and passionate musical experience. Throughout the hour we spoke with Eno Mountain Boys on how this sound came to fruition, discussed their musical histories, and delved into the work behind their debut full-length studio album Deer Velvet. Plus we were also treated to two live tracks from the band that showcases their excellent harmonies, jangly vocal lines, and nostalgia-soaked, heartfelt lyricism.
Phian interviewed with Happy Abandon on June 18th before their show at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, the Happy Abandon song’s “Heavy Lines,” “Deep Light,” and “No One Is” were played. If you like what you heard you can go check out more of Happy Abandon at their Facebook.
When it comes to unsung standouts of the local music scene, Josh Moore is the first that comes to mind. For years Moore has been quietly honing his craft, building up simplistic yet swelling songs that peer deep into the songwriters ethos. After several years of work with Jeff Crawford, Moore rallied up a crew of longtime collaborators like Ryan Gustafson, James Wallace and Mark Simonsen to complete work on Parted Ways, Moore’s debut solo album. Prior to the album’s release show, Josh Moore joined us on Carolina Grown to discuss his hardcore origins, the creative process behind his debut album, and what fans can expect down the road from Moore’s live shows.
Throughout the hour, Moore also performed several songs from the album live in-studio. Check out the full segment to hear a breakdown of Moore’s songwriting, tracks from Parted Ways, and stripped-down takes on “Broken Man” and “Parted Ways.”
Few hip hop acts since The Roots have had the audacity to attempt live instruments as part of their brand, but Slangston fearlessly goes in with lyricism and showmanship. The key to his success isn’t from traveling with a band, but recruiting talent from the cities he performs in to give his songs a local flair to wherever he is on stage. This is a unique approach to making music in a genre that usually puts a heavy emphasis on representation of an artist’s specific hometown sound.
Slangston Hughes will be performing this Thursday night at Pinhook in Durham (doors at 9pm), Friday night at Proof Five Points in Raleigh (doors at 9pm) with Eternal the MC for his “Age of Eternal” album release party, and a free show at Schoolkids Records on Saturday (starts at 6pm). Check out WKNC’s podcast to hear the full interview with this artist who is sure to put on a great show alongside our city’s strongest MCs.
Phain interviewed The Color Exchange last Thursday before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. The Interview includes the songs “Sparks,” “Oxygen,” “Beacon,” and “ Answer”. If you like what you hear, check out The Color Exchange at their Bandcamp.
Phian interviewed The New Schematics on June 11th before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. The interview starts with The New Schematics song “Born without Borders” and includes live performances of “Midnight” and “87 Buick.” If you like what you hear check out The New Schematics at their website.
Phian interviewed Kurtzweil on June 11th before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. The interview includes the Kurtzweil songs “Not a Game,” “Lay Down,” and “No One is Watching.” If you like what you hear check out Kurtzweil at their Bandcamp.
Phian interviewed Dead Girls last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. During the interview Emily, By Your Side, If you Only Knew, and Crashing Out of Sight, were played. Check out The Dead Girls at their Bandcamp.
The pop-leaning electronic trio has raised the bar for local production expectations, incorporating live instrumentation and video projection in a way that the area has seldom seen before. Dax, Kate and Adam joined us in the studio last week for Carolina Grown in advance of the release of Local Love Vol. 1, their new covers EP, to provide a peek behind the curtain of their electronic wizardry.
Throughout the hour the band discussed the motivation behind their local covers EP, the songwriting process, all of the work that goes into their visual projections, and shared a ridiculously hilarious freestyle song. Tune in to the full segment to hear covers of Museum Mouth, Weller and Rogue Band of Youth along with some revelatory discussion on their live performances.
Phian interviewed Greensboro band Echo Courts on June 4 before their show that night at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. The conversation also includes their songs “Fast Ellie,” “Mary,” “Pistol,” and “I’ve Been Down.” If you like what you hear, head over to their Bandcamp.
Phian interviewed Field Spirit last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. During the interview Clay Shapes, Too Close for Comfort, and American Dram were played.
Jon Stickley is a Durham native, (you may know his brother Jeff as the drummer for Hammer No More The Fingers) but in recent years he’s called Asheville home. Stickley was one of the founders of Big Fat Gap, a North Carolina bluegrass institution, and has since gone on to perform alongside roots music icons like Larry Keel, Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams and more. After all of his band-based endeavors, Stickley settled into the solo digs and found himself two stunningly talented musicians. Lyndsay Pruett is on fiddle, bringing her classically trained skills to the forefront by adding in hints of Latin and Jazz influence while drummer Patrick Armitage pulls in subtle hip-hop influence to make for a well-rounded and unique take on this typified genre. Pruett and Armitage have worked with Futureman and hip-hop group Atmosphere respectively, so their back catalog provides a wonderful glimpse into the work they produce.
The trio came in for some live performances and interviews on Carolina Grown this past Friday before their set at the NC Roots Showcase at Tir Na Nog. The band discussed their origins, influences and forthcoming album throughout the segment, but most importantly they laid down some seriously stunning tunes.
Phian interviewed The Midatlantic Thursday the 21st before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. During the Interview The Midatlantic played Hurry Up and Wait, Never Be, Constant, and Sing Around the Storm live.
I recently sat down with the directors of Hopscotch Music Fest to talk about this year’s plans for festival. The conversation touched on everything from background to business, what makes 2015 different and where the small company is heading in the future. Interviewee’s Greg Lowenhagen and Nathan Price provide valuable insight about the lineup, along with some exclusive information about performer locations and other info that has yet to be rolled out formally. Listen to the extensive Interview here.
Phian Interviewed Totally Slow last Thursday after they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh.
Phian interviewed Wool last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. They Played two songs during the interview: Stars and Bulletin Air.
Doc Aquatic talked with Phian last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. They played four songs during the interview: On the Run, Weird Ed, Spinning, and Crook Factory.
The Crypt’s DJ Soulwood visited the Art of Cool Festival in Durham, North Carolina the weekend of May 1, 2015. American R&B singer-songwriter and producer Anthony Hamilton stopped by the press tent before his headlining performance at the Durham Athletic Park on Saturday afternoon. Listen to his press interview here. (Apologies for the food trucks in the background-Durham is kind of loud.)
Chicago-based hip hop, funk, jazz group Sidewalk Chalk called in to WKNC to talk with DJ Soulwood after their performance at the Durham, North Carolina Art of Cool jazz festival. Their creative blend of hip hop, rap, jazz and funk brought the house down at the Durham Armory Saturday evening.
River Whyless has taken the genre of folk music, one that many may feel has been driven into the ground by over-played and super-hyped acts like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers, and have crafted songs that are as fresh and unique as they are rustic and traditional. Live shows may find the act shouting into violins for melodic textures, using bicycle wheels as percussive instruments, and frequent trade-offs of vocal duties. All of these facets come together to build one surprisingly cohesive but immensely diverse sound.
Throughout the hour, River Whyless performed three new tracks from their recent self-titled EP and discussed how a new approach to recording altered the sound of this release. Listen below for our full conversation and some gorgeous live takes on “Life Crisis,” “Maple Sap” and “Miles of Skyline.”
See Gulls dropped by the studio on February 5th for an interview before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub. You can hear two of their songs during the interview: Don’t Write Me Love Songs and Boss Hog.
Many folks may be familiar with Wylie Hunter and Nick Jaeger from the plethora of projects they’ve both been involved with like Wylie Hunter & The Cazadores, Roman Candle, Max Indian, and the list goes on. One wouldn’t reasonably expect a new project from these two roots driven artists to sound the way Wild Fur does, a swirling mixture of synths, guitars, drum samples and smooth vocals that’s as rooted in Americana as it is electronic pop. However, Hunter and Jaeger aren’t satisfied with complacency, and that shows in their recent conversation on Carolina Grown.
Prior to their show on Jan. 23 at Local 506 with Floating Action and Dad & Dad, the founding members of Wild Fur joined us in the studio to discuss the band’s origins, songwriting techniques and news on when fans can expect to hear their heavily anticipated full-length. Check out our full conversation below along with the premiere of “Get Up & Go” the newest single from their forthcoming full length.
On Thursday, Go Go Hero dropped by the station before they played Local Band Local Beer for an interview.
Last Friday the band stopped by Carolina Grown to talk about what it’s like making music in Wilmington, entering into a local music scene they knew next to nothing about, and how you probably shouldn’t throw away your Rock Band set just yet. Although the members of Astro Cowboy are still young, barely able to get into the bars they’re now performing at, they tackle relatable moments of hopelessness, despair, regret and longing with the poise of an aged songwriter. Whether they’re lamenting over burnt pale skin or brief teenage flings, Astro Cowboy is making vulnerability look cool again. Listen below for our full conversation with the band along with three tracks from their latest release Hedonism Colosseum.
After Stack$’s set, a teenager from the crowd sauntered on the stage wearing a paintball jersey and what had to be a fresh haircut. This teenager was none other than Carrboro’s own Cosmoe, a high school student pursuing rap and utilizing local venues to showcase this talent. Sampling an older Rihanna song as a beat is a bold move but I definitely respect it.The previous sentence more or less sums up the entirety of Cosmoe’s set.He’s young, with a lot of untapped talent and has a hidden love for Rihanna (who doesn’t).
Up next to the stage was the special guest G. Yamazawa and he definitely not only put the “spec” in special but also in spectacle. This guy is someone to watch. G. Yamazawa is 24 year old born and raised in Durham, North Carolina by Japanese natives. Small in stature but phat in rhyme. Immediately when he was handed the mic, G was spitting effortlessly constructed double entendres faster than the bartender could hand out Red Bulls to underaged concert goers.
Completely blown away by the guest, everyone GUESSED that the next to the spit was none other than Charlotte native, Well$. With a few members of the audience wearing t-shirts repping Well$’s record label Immaculate Taste and everyone pumped on adrenaline, Well$ had his work cut out for him. 2014 was a big year for the rapper and I can tell he is planning to go even bigger in the new year. Over the past few years Well$ toured with Ab- Soul, performed with Pac Div and G-Eazy and also signed to record label Immaculate Taste. Something about Well$’s nonchalant manner and casual cool seems to draw people in and his music does not disappoint. He even stopped in the middle of his set to announce that people should mosh and those uninterested should step aside. If that’s not courtesy, I’d like to see what is.
ALL OF THESE GREAT PERFORMANCES AND WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE HEADLINER: PROFESSOR TOON.
photos from Facebook
Professor Toon is a Baltimore, Maryland native and a current resident of the 919, more specifically Durham. Also known as Toon from Toon and the Real Laww, Professor Toon had a crazy past couple of years. To clarify I mean crazy as in sharing the stage with names like Run the Jewels and De La Soul, while further establishing himself as an artist by performing at Hopscotch, and co founding the DURM Hip Hop Summit. The DURM Hip Hop Summit is a collective started by Toon and the Real Laww in 2012. They plan on having an event AUGUST 15th, 2015 (SAVE THE DATE.) The event is set to include the original 5 Pillars of Hip Hop: DJing, Beat Boxing, Break Dancing, Graffiti and the MC. So for all of you complaining about real hip hop being dead (we’ve all seen your YouTube comments) come to its resurrection in August put on by the DURM Hip Hop Summit. Professor Toon brought his “A” game to the Local 506 and after sitting down one on one with the rapper his music and personality both leave little to be desired. The professor kept the crowd going while presenting himself as excited yet humble and truly appreciative for his fan base. Performing his new song “The Elephant” which manifests a part of Professor Toon’s childhood and his love for the special woman in his life that worked to give him a good upbringing, his mother. His mother was front and center at the show rocking a ReverbNation t-shirt, dancing her heart out and she wasn’t the only one.
Check out my exclusive interview with Professor Toon where he talks about Growing up in Baltimore, Lil Bow Wow vs. Lil Romeo, Female rappers and his up and coming ventures.
IMPORTANT DATES: JANUARY 24TH at the DUKE COFFEEHOUSE catch PROFESSOR TOON, TURQUOISE JEEP, and BARF TROOP
AUGUST 15th mark your calendars for the DURM Hip Hop Summit
-Dilemma, WKNC Underground Music Director
DJ Coyote interviewed Ellis Dyson and the Shambles last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. They played three songs live during the interview: Carolina, I Ain’t Leavin’, Ellie Mae, and Jailhouse Religion.
It was a fun time in the studio Dec. 18 with Shampoo. The band performed three live songs during their interview with Phian: “Hanging Up On You,” “Boys” and “Shy Guy.”
Atlanta’s Semicircle chatted with Phian before their Dec. 18 performance at Local Band Local Beer. The group brought along their instruments and performed live versions of the songs “Movement is Calm,” “Underground River of Glass” and “Mechanism of Erasure.” All three songs are also available on their new album “Blown Breeze, Grown Grass and We are Part of the Earth.”
Zack Mexico, who WKNC fans will remember from our Oct. 3 Fridays on the Lawn, performed with Strange Faces and Dad & Dad at Dec. 11’s Local Band Local Beer. The gang stopped by the studios to chat with Phian before the show. Listen in to their conversation, which begins with the song “Meric Clanson” and also includes the tracks “Apocalypse,” “Lucy” and “Fun Fun."
Dad & Dad’s Saman Khoujinian talked with Phian before their show Dec. 11 at Local Band Local Beer. Click below to hear the conversation along with the songs “All Sys Gehen” and “Doldrums.”
Mark O'Connor and Ryan Barnum from Raleigh’s Strange Faces stopped by the WKNC studios to talk with Phian before their Thursday, Dec. 11 performance at Local Band Local Beer. The interview also includes four songs: Above the Waves, Back of Your Mind, Pale Horse and Wasteland.
Phian interviewed Paperhaus last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. (We interviewed Paperhaus back in September during Hopscotch, too!) During this interview, you can hear four songs: Cairo, All Through the Night, Helicopters, and Untitled.
Edge of Urge and Lumina Clothing Grand Opening Block Party
T0W3RS LP Release Show at Kings Barcade
You can find out more about DADDY ISSUES at
http://daddyissuesnc.bandcamp.com
-Blue Cadet-3
Phian interviewed Slinger Francisco last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear four of their songs during the interview: Bad News, Grey Eyes, Radio Jedi and Finales. Keep up with Slinger Francisco on Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp!
Phian interviewed Vanguard Party last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear four songs during their interview: Supernova, Feel It, Yolo Sunrise, and Lightwaves.
Phian interviewed Major and the Monbacks last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear three of their songs during the interview: Don’t Say A Word, Come on Home, and The Way Things Go.
Phian interviewed The Family last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub. During the interview, you can hear four of their songs: Day Dreamin’, Losing Control, Hey Baby and Round N Round.
Phian sat down with Nuclear Honey last Thursday before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub’s Local Band Local Beer night. During the interview, you can also hear three songs: Long Time Comin’, You Want It All and 3 Weeks In Paradise.
Jarabe de Palo is a latin rock band that originated in Spain. I grew up listening to their hit songs La Flaca and Agua. It did not even occur to me that I would get to interview Pau Dones himself one day! He walked in with a smile on his face and a t-shirt with a cartoon tiger on it. Admittedly, that was a surprise but it just shows his personality. As we got ready for the interview we spoke a bit and I confessed that I was nervous. He told me “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, don’t worry take your time.”
Pau Dones, a singer songwriter, has been in this business for 20 years and from the way he speaks he is nowhere close to being done. The album La Flaca was released in 1996 and 18 years later, their new album Somos was released. In the interview we spoke of his inspirations and his motivations for music. We also spoke about their favorite moments. The most revealing moment was when I asked Pau Dones what his hobbies were. He answered that he likes to write music. He also pointed out the irony of a singer songwriter that as a career makes, writes, and performs music that spends his free time making even more music. To me that just shows the passion and dedication that he has to Jarabe de Palo and music as a whole.
Hopscotch 2014 ended a full month ago, so today we give you our 21st and final interview. Here’s Wing Dam!
Hank and Lindsey are two incredibly busy musicians that have a penchant for wide-reaching tunes, that’d explain their Flecktones tribute band alongside their work in The Morning After, the occasional Barefoot Manner show, and their new duo performances. Whether they’re churning out bluegrass iterations of Icelandic tunes or a sprawling yet simplistic arrangement of a Flecktone favorite, they’re always putting on clinicals, showing that two men with acoustic instruments can produce much more than meets the eye. Check out our full conversation with Hank and Lindsey including a few in-studio performances and a handful of tracks from The Morning After, Barefoot Manner and the duo’s most recent release Impulse.
Body Games from Chapel Hill talked with DJs Coyote and Trillian during our 24-hour live broadcast from the Hopscotch Music Festival.
Durham’s Toon and the Real Laww helped kick off the 2014 Hopscotch Music Festival with their performance opening for De La Soul at City Plaza. Listen to their conversation with Walter-Ego before the big show.
Raleigh’s Bedowyn chatted with WKNC during our live broadcast from the 2014 Hopscotch Music Festival. Here their conversation below, or subscribe to our iTunes podcast so you never miss a WKNC interview.
Hopscotch 2014 performers Breathers chatted with WKNC’s Walter-Ego from our live broadcast in Wristband City. Here their conversation below and be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss any of our great interviews.
The number of bands that you can say contribute to the North Carolina music scene that are from Kill Devil Hills are few and far between. However, it won’t take long to realize that Zack Mexico is one of those few bands. Making a big sound through their psychedelic indie rock, Zack Mexico just recently put out a new full length album entitled “Run Out of Money And Die” back in April of this year that provided a solid indication of the potential and growth of Zack Mexico. During Hopscotch, DJ Salinger and DJ Acorn were honored to be able to sit down with the members of Zack Mexico for a quick interview talking a little bit about their latest record and how they have matured as a group over the past couple years.
Phian interviewed Urban Soil last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear two songs at the start of this set: Cultures Collide and Dig Deeper. They also played two songs live in WKNC’s studio: The One Who Lost The Love and Natural.
In the closing hour of the live broadcast from Hopscotch, The Mattador had the opportunity to interview Dent May. The songwriter from Mississippi stopped by to chat about his unique sound, writing process, influences, and what makes a show awesome for the folks on stage. The set he went on to play at Deep South that night was stripped down compared to his albums, but it was all still super dance-able.
On Saturday afternoon, after playing two shows the night before during Hopscotch 2014, Palehound came and talked with DJ Nasty Nate at Wristband City. They’re a Pavement-esque indie rock band off Exploding in Sound (a new record label with a really solid catalog worth keeping an eye on). During the interview we talk about frontwoman Ellen Kempner’s musical mentors and who the band was most excited to see at Hopscotch. We discussed a lot more too.
Phian interviewed Local Band Local Beer veteran Clockwork Kids before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub last Thursday. Are Clockwork Kids’ drummers cursed? Their new drummer reveals all! You can also hear three songs during the interview: Suffer, St. Peter’s Daughter, and Vacuum Heart.
Negative Fun was started in 2012 by Chris DeFusco and John Whitney “to document great music, regardless of genre.” They’re independent and release vinyl singles only, recording artists such as Ghostt Bllonde, Hoax Hunters, and Midnight Plus One. Negative Fun separates itself from the rest not only because they strictly record vinyl, but because they don’t confine themselves to a single genre. Their mission is to support great local music, and keep the spirit of independent record labels alive.
Jake Funke, (stage name: Funkss) is a producer and DJ based in Raleigh, NC who has been an instrumental figure in Raleigh’s burgeoning electronic scene. Since co-founding Fooly Cooly at Neptune’s with fellow DJ Chocolate Rice, Funkss has been cultivating a name for himself outside of Raleigh as well. Having recently been mentioned on NPR and opening for the likes of Yung Lean, Funkss graciously managed to take some time out of his busy Hopscotch schedule to answer a few questions for an interview. He played at the The Pour House on the last night of Hopscotch.
Phian interviewed Young Cardinals last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear four of their songs during this interview: All You Others; Head I’m Not Home; Nothing Ever Happened, Not Even This; and A Dozen Places.
PJ Sykes of Hoax Hunters swung by the Hopscotch live broadcast table to talk a bit about balancing being in a rock band with being a rock photographer, the Richmond scene, and defending the architectural quality of his favorite building in Richmond. The band rocked the Negative Fun Day Party at Legends later that week.
The background behind Father/Daughter Records is literally all in the name of the company; a father and daughter who joined forces to contribute to the greater good that is the music industry. Being out of San Francisco, what brought Father/Daughter Records to the Hopscotch Music Festival is their signed bands that played at the festival this year: Mutual Benefit (Played at Vintage 21) & Gems (Played at CAM). Jessie (the daughter in Father/Daughter Records) was nice enough to sit down with us for a little bit to give us some insight as to what she does and how she really appreciates what the Raleigh/Triangle is doing for the music scene.
Karl Kuehn, known across the N.C. music scene as front man/drummer of Museum Mouth and “almost rapper” OK McQueen, recently released new material under his new project, Family Bike. The duo stopped by Wristband City for a quick interview on the eve of their debut show at the Negative Fun Records Day Party.
Jodi Burns and Tim Nolan joined me at Hopscotch Music Festival during WKNC’s live stream from Wristband City to talk about the journey of Judy Barnes and their self-described live performances full of “sad songs with jokes in between.”
Phian interviewed the Chit Nasty Band last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can also hear three of their songs during the interview: Real Lady, Enough and Lil Bit.
The band came by our table at Wristband City for Hopscotch to talk to us for a bit just before their show at Spazzscotch. We discussed their old album as well as their hopes for their new album along with the evolution that has brought them to where they are today. We talked about Spazz Fest and the Greenville scene that kicked off the band’s existence. Check out the interview to hear all that and more, and keep your eyes peeled for details about their new album.
Phian interviewed The Dapper Conspiracy last Thursday before they played at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub for Local Band Local Beer. You can also hear three songs during the interview: Thicker and Richer, Serious Business and He’s Not Here. The band also gives a little bit of background, setting the scene for each song.
A few hours before Boston rockers Krill played to a packed King’s Barcade at Hopscotch, they dropped by our live broadcast table for an interview. They chatted about the Boston music scene, how it compares to the Triangle scene, whether or not it’s fair to compare music scenes, the new video for their song ‘Turd,’ and where their lyrics fit into the canon of the band Pile. They also divulged some details on their upcoming album, and the positive new direction Krill’s headed in. For a taste of the future of Krill and the hottest eyewear fashions, look no further than this interview.
Loamlands joined me on Friday, September 5th, during WKNC’s live broadcast from Hopscotch’s Wristband City for an interview before their performance at Lincoln Theater later that night. Check it out for adventurous stories from their tour(s) this summer, advice for new Hopscotch-goers, as well as Loamlands news!
- dJ/dx
Phian interviewed Deep Ecology on August 28th before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub (and before Hopscotch madness began!). You can hear four of their songs during the interview: Hands, Weeping Willow, Man Lips and Blue Basil Eyes.
Never before have I seen a band perform on the dance floor and the audience dancing on the stage. Instead of taking a bow, the band marched down the stairs of Kings and out onto the streets of downtown. What Cheer? Brigade was not only one of the coolest shows I saw at Hopscotch 2014, but one of the best shows I’ve seen ever!
Bringing a soulful, blues-inspired take on the standard singer-songwriter antics, Laura Reed crafts an intensely passionate sound that feels as broad as it does personal. Throughout the hour Laura spoke at length about her songwriting process, the way working with producers can shape your musical output, and the reasoning for returning to your roots. Laura performed two tracks from her latest record The Awakening, along with an older track called “Wanna Show You.”
Lately Gudasz has been touring along with a wide array of musicians in support of Big Star tribute shows, where she performs some of the iconic act’s most influential tracks with some of the band’s original members. A few weeks ago Gudasz joined Grant Golden in the studio for Carolina Grown in advance of the Big Star tribute that took place at Cat’s Cradle. Speaking of how she came to love the legendary indie act, what brought her into this group of highly esteemed musicians, and what we can expect from her solo endeavors, Skylar filled the hour with engaging conversation and a breathtaking performance of Neil Young’s “Needle and the Damage Done.”
Phian interviewed Eric and Erica last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear four of their songs during the interview: Side Pony, Wild Holiday, What a Fine Day and Silver Trampoline.
Phian Interviewed Star Studies last Thursday before Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. Five of their songs were played during the interview: Earthbound, Little Mama, Lover Lay Down, Deep Sea Blues and Peace of Mind.
Phian interviewed Coytah before they played Local Band Local Beer night at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. Three of their songs were played during the interview: On My Way, My Design and Summer In Paris.
Our conversation had me thinking on some of the highlights from my experiences at past years attending the festival. Many of the most fun times I’ve had at Hopscotch or in Raleigh, or at live concerts in general have been sparked by the somewhat spontaneous nature of Hopscotch’s design. By so excellently pairing such interesting and unknown artists together with local acts or more established groups the festival creates an atmosphere that breeds discovery.
But while there are great sets at single venues at the same time the range of diversity and general quality of the festival brings always brings up conflicts and scavenger hunt style show attendance hopping.
I remember at last year’s festival I went to CAM to see Horse Lords on a completely blind suggestion from a friend. Horse Lords have been described as “polyrhythmic krautrockers” that use intonation and repeating tropes in an entrancing psychedelic rock and roll kind of way. It doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that could be catchy or fun but IT WAS. The live performance had multitudes of energy and on top of that I got to have a conversation with Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner in the crowd.
Its that kind of liberating feeling that any show you could walk into could be your next favorite band that has kept me coming to Hopscotch year after year and I hope you consider making some spontaneous choices this year as well.
dJ/dx and Me interviewed Oulipo last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. They played three songs during the interview: Night Legs, Shine On You Crazy Bastard and Hanging Hook.
dJ/dx and Me interviewed Sarah from Vannevar last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear two songs during the interview: Soul Mates and Texas Ranger.
dJ/dx and Me interviewed Ancient Cities last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear three of their songs during the interview: Edie Sedgewick, Werewolf and Juice. Listen for details about their new music video and the answer to “what movie would Ancient Cities write the soundtrack for?”
Be sure to check out the interview I did with them shown above. It was recorded ahead of their show at The Cave last year on November 1st. We discussed the album, their experience on the road and at CMJ, as well as their influences, their writing and recording process, how they do it all on their own, and much more. They also performed stripped down versions of a few tracks, so be sure to check it out.
I have never been to Bar Harbor or anywhere in Maine for that reason, but I like to imagine that their breed of alt/psychedelic rock captures the beauty of the vast, coastal landscape. This show is an absolute must-see at Hopscotch. Be prepared to lose yourself in their warm, inviting music. The laid back sound of the music will catch you off guard as you will leave the venue wondering what happened in a completely unexpected, calm state. Consider it your own personal vacation during Hopscotch. Trust me, you’ll need it by Saturday night and you won’t want it to end.
Saturday, September 6th, 10pm @ Deep South
dJ/dx interviewed Raleigh’s own GHOSTT BLLONDE live in the WKNC studio Monday, August 4th, including a first listen of their brand new track Dissonance, to be released August 19th! Other songs played include “Home” and “Suzanne” with Jacki Huntington of Sea Gulls. Listen in for details on their upcoming release show, new EP, their Hopscotch performance, and favorite Gatorade flavors. GHOSTT BLLONDE’s release show is this Saturday, August 9th at Nice Price Books & Records in Raleigh with FS (Greenville) and Black Santa (Goldsboro). They are also playing Hopscotch 2014 on the CAM Stage at 9:30 on Friday, September 5th.
Phian interviewed TOW3RS last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. You can hear two TOW3RS songs during the interview: Eee! and Bounty. TOW3RS was also joined by Lazer Dan and Blair from Tir Na Nog, and they had a special prize for anyone who could come by the studio dressed like a French broad.
Phian interviewed Raleigh group Kurtzweil last Thursday before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub. They played two of their songs live in WKNC’s studio during the interview: Waiting For You and Sunblinded.
Phian interviewed local band Borrowed Arts before they played Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub last Thursday. You can also hear four of their songs during their interview: Helium, Open Eye, Symptoms, and Fuji Tenfold.
Phian interviewed Durham group The Pinkerton Raid before they played Local Band Local Beer at TIr Na Nog Irish Pub last Thursday. You can also hear four of their songs during the interview: A Beautiful World, Just A Boy, Sins of the Fathers, and April Flower. The Pinkerton Raid will be playing locally again at Motorco Music Hall in Durham on Friday, August 8th.
Nathan Toben has long been a fixture of the North Carolina music scene. Years ago he could be spotted in rhythm sections for acts like Wild Wild Geese or Americans in France, but he’s best known for being the mysterious front man for The Toddlers. The Toddlers received constant praise from musicians and concertgoers alike for their dark, dreamy pop songs that propelled them to opening spots for acts like Lost in the Trees and The Love Language. But once the band released their full-length debut they seemed to die out with a whimper. Now nearly half a year later Nathan Toben has resurfaced as the sole member of Weller, an incredible music expedition into the depths of “studio magic” and the inner-expanses of one man’s mind.
Toben joined Grant Golden in the studio for Carolina Grown two weeks ago to discuss the inspiration behind his concept album 1, a piece of work that’s as brooding as it is groovy. Compelled by the age-old concept of the four elements, Toben teamed up with Wesley Wolfe (who covered most of the production for the album) to crank out an album’s worth of introspective pop brilliance. Throughout the hour Toben discussed the songwriting process behind these tracks, his inspiration for making this a studio exclusive project (meaning no live shows) and what we can expect to hear from the esteemed songwriter in the near future.
You saw all the pretty pictures from this week’s Local Band Local Beer at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub, but did you catch the interview Phian did with the Hell No before that? In case you missed it live on air, you can listen to it here! You can also hear three of the Hell No’s songs during the interview: Wash Jones, Do You and Evil I Will Speak.
Phian interviewed the Bourbons before their show at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub’s Local Band Local Beer night. They also played three songs: Speakeasy, Louisville, Kentucky, and a special unnamed track. The Bourbons will be playing in Raleigh again on August 28th at the Pour House.
Phian interviewed Dragmatic before their show at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub’s Local Band Local Beer night. They also played three songs: You’re All Mine, Home Tonight and Hot Mess. Dragmatic will be playing again in Raleigh on August 21st at Oak City Seven.
Phian interviewed Laney Jones before they played their show at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub’s Local Band Local Beer night. They also played four songs: Devil Down, Broken Hearts, Black Coffee and Rock-a-Bye Sea. Laney Jones will be in North Carolina again on July 26th, playing a show in Charlotte at the Belk Lounge at PNC Music Pavilion.
Phian interviewed Birds With Fleas before they played their show at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub’s Local Band Local Beer night. They also played four songs: Molly, Take Me Back, The Fire’s Burning, and The Monster.
Grant Golden interviewed High Point band The Low Counts last month on Carolina Grown. You can also hear three of their songs during the interview: You’re Crazy, Cut Me Out and Lush. The Low Counts will be coming to Raleigh on July 18th, but you can check out their show schedule to find a show closest to you.
Grant Golden interviewed Durham/Chapel Hill band Beauty World this month on Carolina Grown. You can hear four of their songs during this interview: Meteor & Me, Rambutan, Alpine and Jheri Horton.
Grant Golden interviewed local act See Gulls before they played at the WKNC / WXYC / WXDU / WUAG benefit concert, Play It Safe, at the Pinhook on May 30th. You can also hear two of their songs, You Can’t See Me and Don’t Write Me Love Songs during the interview.
WKNC’s DJ DiGiorno interviewed Estrangers, who were our featured Local Artist in March. You can also hear two of their songs, Cape Fear and Dayzd, during the interview.
Check out the full interview as we discuss the inspiration for this project, the land of Piddletractor, and the process behind the album. Be sure to also check out his performance of “Grandma’s Song for You” in The Lounge to get a taste of what’s to come in his upcoming shows this weekend leading up to the album’s release.
-May 16: Coalition Theater, Richmond, VA with improv comedy by Pigeon
-May 17: The Pinhook, Durham, NC with Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (of Mountain Man) and Matthew E. White (DJ Set)
-May 18: The Pinhook, Durham, NC (Sunday Brunch) with Alexandra Sauser-Monnig (of Mountain Man)
Few artists are as capable of crafting music as emotive and engaging as Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba. Though Cissokho is primarily singing in a wide array of languages that the average layman won’t be able to comprehend, the passion still oozes from this incredibly charismatic performer. The music of Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba is unlike any I’ve heard before, be that from North Carolina or West Africa. Cissokho has been working on mastering the kora since he was 5 years old, and after a few decades the instrument seems to be an extension of himself. Leading up to the release of the band’s second full-length album, The Great Peace, I was joined in the studio by Diali and the rest of the band.
Throughout our conversation the eclectic group of performers shed some light upon the origin of the band, how they met, what the name means, and so much more. The group feels less like a band of musicians and more like a family, they’re tightly knit and seem to share the same deep rooted passion for music. Throughout the hour we discussed overcoming cultural boundaries, inspiration for music, and some of Diali’s rich history in his home country of Senegal.
The band also shared three tracks from The Great Peace that you can stream below along with our full conversation.
Adam Graetz is better known as thefacesblur, up until recently that was the moniker adopted primarily for Greatz’s visual projections. These visuals have been spotted all over the Triangle throughout the past few years, a handful of Hopscotch sets have been graced with them, sets from Zack Mexico and T0W3RS as well. But towards the end of 2013 Graetz fully made the leap from visual to audio, crafting dizzying dance tunes under the same name.
Whether you’re soaking in his bass-heavy, melodic bangers through thefacesblur or as his supporting role in Body Games, it’s hard not to become entranced by these productions. Atmospheric keys float and skitter atop rattling low-ends, making for expansive tracks that get your head bobbing and mind whirring. Adam and I discussed the transition from visual to audio, balancing between Body Games and thefacesblur, and the future of both of his endeavors.
Phil Torres is a man you can expect to hear a lot more of in the North Carolina music scene. For the past few years he’s been blazing musical trails as Baobab alongside his partner Whitney Trettiien, but recently he broke out of the “folktronic” territory and has begun to craft heady dance tracks under the moniker Crowdsource. On this electronically themed show, I spoke at length with Phil about the origin of his electronic obsession, how he crafts these infectious beats and some of his sampling sources.
Alongside the songwriting aspects of his music, the conversation frequently delved into more logistical territories of electronic composition. For starters, many have harped on the lack of showmanship involved with live electronic sets, a qualm that’s quite frankly ill-founded. Phil discusses his live set-up along with some of his major inspirations for delving into the EDM side of the electronic spectrum.
Check out our full conversation, along with three brand new Crowdsource tracks from his forthcoming album Bit Rot Blues.
WKNC interviewed multi-saxophonist Greg Abate to discuss his career and most recent project with saxophonist Phil Woods, The Greg Abate Quintet featuring Phil Woods. Greg shared valuable information about his upbringing in music in the northeastern United States, his experiences performing internationally with feature bands including the Ray Charles Orchestra, and his time teaching students in Rhode Island. The main feature of the interview was Greg’s insight into his collaboration with Phil Woods. He even gives listeners a preview of his upcoming project which will also feature Phil Woods.
On January 9th, Perfect Pussy came to Raleigh to blow the roof off of King’s with Whatever Brains and Davidians. Before that, they dropped by the studio and sat down with DJ Phian to discuss sabotaging soda factories, the new Beyoncé album, and navigating around the rules of the FCC when the name of your band is Perfect Pussy.
I had most of the original members in-studio to talk a bit about how this reunion came together and exactly where they’ll go from here. As it turns out Roby has been storing up some songs that feel quite similar to Six String Drag, and while he hasn’t specifically stated that it’s going to turn into another Six String Drag album…the band is certainly all here. Throughout the hour we cover the looming question on everyone’s mind (more music?!), run down what the band has been doing since their break up, speak of the preparation for the show and hear a slew of in-studio performances from their marquee album High Hat. The band even played a tune that may end up on their new recordings!
Gustafson staked his claim as one of the area’s premiere songwriters back in 2009 with his debut LP Donkey, but in the four years between his first and second full-length he had his hands in many a pot. Gustafson played with the likes of Max Indian, The Love Language, Mandolin Orange and The Human Eyes all whilst working on instrumental work as well. But when Gustafson announced his return to songwriting with The Dead Tongues it felt like the region let out a collective cheer. Desert was one of the most well received albums of 2013 and Gustafson has stayed busy at work since the album’s release.
Throughout the hour I spoke with Ryan Gustafson about his songwriting origins, the lapse between full lengths, all of the roles he’s been filling around the area and importantly what’s to come from the songwriter in 2014. Amidst all of the conversation Gustafson performed two new songs in the studio as well as a track from Desert. Fans of the songwriter can dig deeper into his psyche and get a stripped down treat of some new and old favorites with this session.
Taylor and Hirsch have released 4 albums as Hiss Golden Messenger including last year’s Haw. Named for the river that strikes right through the heart of North Carolina, the album is their most adventurous to date as the duo expanded and enlisted the help of some old friends. The band consisted of Megafaun’s Phil Cook, The Black Twig Picker’s Nathan Bowles, and William Tyler. Each of these men is a great musician in their own right and came together to round out Taylor’s incredible vision perfectly. Like their previous albums, Haw brought together wide array of different genres including folk, blues, country, and soul. While Hiss Golden Messenger is a champion of an older country era, the music is universal and draws people that have never before been a fan of these genres. As such, Haw was incredibly well received by people of all genres as it made the rounds on both local and national end of year lists.
On January 14th, their second album Bad Debt is being reissued after coming to an untimely end. All copies of the original CD edition were destroyed in a warehouse fire during the London riots in 2011. Bad Debt was written during the time of the collapse of the global economy. Now after its symbolic demise, these songs will see the light of day 5 years later. While we may not know what the future of the global economy may hold, these songs still hold weight as we look towards the not entirely cheery future. But the future may be a bit brighter with Hiss Golden Messenger reminding us we aren’t alone in our struggles.
Tune in to hear our interview with Hiss Golden Messenger during Carolina Grown on January 17th as we discuss what lies ahead for them.
Check out a review and listen to a track off of Bad Debt on Pitchfork.
Matthew E. White stopped by to chat with WKNC’s DJ DiGiorno before his Dec. 14 show with Howard Ivans at King’s Barcade.
After the interview, they stepped out of the studio and into the lounge, where they performed “Faithbreaker” and “Golden Age” as part of WKNC’s “The Lounge” video series.
And did we mention The Love Language is headlining the first night of WKNC’s Double Barrel Benefit 11 on Friday, Feb. 7 at Cat’s Cradle?
Local-ish indie rockers Sylvan Esso spoke with DJ C'est La Bri in advance of their Dec. 6 and 7 performances at King’s Barcade with The Love Language.
Throughout the hour I spoke first with Kenny Roby about the differences between approaching his songs as a solo artist as opposed to a member of a full band. Roby performed an intimate take on “Tired of Being In Love,” before the focus switched over to the folks in Magnolia Collective. We then spoke a bit about the inception of Magnolia Collective and how it’s grown from their humble start with weekly jams at Carrboro’s The Station. Magnolia Collective then performed a brand new track from their forthcoming full length, set for release sometime next year.
Lastly, we moved onto the newest band of the bill with Texoma. Texoma’s songwriter Zach Terry was one of the original members of Magnolia Collective and we spoke about the differences between working with such a large group as opposed to a “dust-rock” trio. Texoma recently released a self-produced self-titled EP, and having only been a band for 2 months we naturally discussed the difficulties and excitement that comes along with being in such a swiftly moving project. To close out the hour Texoma performed an unreleased track titled “Mary Anne.”
This fresh purveyor of bedroom pop joined me this past week on Carolina Grown to talk a little bit about the inception of this project and how it’s grown from a self-contained bedroom project to a full-fledged band. Franklin and I discuss the transition from solo arrangements to vivacious live shows and the difficulties in bearing your innermost thoughts and feelings before an audience, which when your music is as visceral as Bridges’ must be a bit of an emotional exercise.
To top it all of Franklin performed a few stripped down takes of some tracks from Glass Mask, including “Never Loved You” and “End of the Road.”
Your standard Magpie Feast song feels reminiscent of a dirty southern take on Devendra Banhart. These tracks are firmly based in blues-rock stylings while interspersing traditional folk melodies, yet they somehow find their way into sprawling territory that gives this music a modernistic hue. Magpie Feast’s most recent release Out of the Womb sheds the lo-fi veil in favor of a much more dynamic and engaging approach, taking this already riveting sound and piling on layers to enrich the experience.
On Friday, December 13 I’ll be joined by Magpie Feast to discuss the evolution of this promising and under-appreciated act and to find out where they stand amongst a crowded North Carolina scene. Magpie Feast will be performing some stripped down takes on tracks from Out of the Womb, so tune in from 6-7 for our last Artist of the Month feature before the new year begins!
Upon hearing Haskins’ song, acclaimed North Carolina artists Caitlin Cary (of Whiskeytown) and Jon Lindsay decided to band together and form the NC Music Love Army, a project that snowballed into something far more encompassing than anyone could imagine. Within the 6 months since the Moral Monday protests, the NC Music Love Army has already written, recorded and now released a full-length album of protest songs geared towards the N.C. state legislators. Last week I spoke with Caitlin Cary, Jon Lindsay and Skylar Gudasz about the formation of the Love Army, some of the pitfalls that they’ve come across since its inception, and where the project will go from here.
This past Saturday (Nov. 30) the group celebrated the album’s release at Cat’s Cradle, a show that was filled with protest anthems both new and old, along with a slew of special guests. During our conversation, we speak about these member’s favorite protest songs, what listeners could expect from the show and heard an unreleased song from the Love Army, “Dear Mr. McCrory.”
When The Art of Cool began it was little more than a way for local jazz musicians to find quaint and intimate places to share their sounds. But what began in art galleries around the Triangle has swiftly flourished into one of the most promising festivals in recent memory. This past summer the Art of Cool announced their plans to hold a two-day festival in downtown Durham and on Nov. 15 they announced their brilliant lineup. Art of Cool is bringing some of the most renowned jazz artists from the area alongside some of the fastest rising upstarts to make for a unique and mesmerizing weekend in Durham.
This past Friday, Al and Cicely joined me in the studio to talk a bit about how the project came together, took of so quickly, and what people can expect from this exciting festival. Throughout the hour we ran down some of the most anticipated artists that will be performing on the weekend of April 25 along with some of the weekends festivities–which include master classes, day shows and artist panels.
Porcelain Raft stopped by the WKNC studios to talk with the Kenosha Kid. Listen to their conversation here, and don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on any of our great artist interviews.
Whatever you want to call it, it’s damn good. Last week I was joined by several members of this massive seven-person crew to chat a bit about how so many voices can come together to create such a rich and seamless sound. Roach comments on how the band pulls their influences from a variety of regions, one minute you’ll hear traditional West African rhythms bleeding through and on the next track you’ll hear some Russian-inspired folk musings.
Together the band of multi-instrumentalists play on a huge array of instruments, their latest full length The Sea Has Spoken featured over thirty instruments. During our conversation I spoke with the band about just how one goes about learning such a wide variety of instruments, what some of the most unique and region-specific instruments are that they’ve found, and how they go about morphing these songs from studio works to live performances.
Check out our full conversation below to find out about the intricacies that go into working with such a large band and the work that’s gone into their forthcoming full length album.
What resulted was a spastic interview that covered everything from the band’s origins with local music to their favorite cereal and youtube videos. The conversation is a bit indicative of what you can expect from the band’s music, regardless of how the direction you’re taking with it you know that you’re in for something that’s entertaining. While Whatever Brains’ past three untitled full-lengths have displayed a gradual progression from spastic punk stand-outs to electronically leaning front-runners, the band’s humility continually shines through. Whether you’re looking to find out about the band’s upcoming release, slated to be a “rock opera” split-single, or to hear about what they’re listening to in their free time, our Local Artist of the Month feature pinpoints what makes Whatever Brains tick.
Vocalist Rich Ivey delves into his songwriting process and the importance of lyrics while one of the band’s numerous keyboardists William Evans tackles the topics of contemporary influences. For the next forty minutes you can immerse yourself in our off-kilt conversations about the past, present and future of one of the region’s most underrated acts, Whatever Brains.
Little did we know Spitzer was biding her time by crafting insanely dense, yet brief pieces of vibrant music. The Ringtone Album is Felix Obelix’s latest offering, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Inspired by the often mundane tones that we become so frequently attached to, Spitzer decided to craft a 30-track album of one-minute songs that were intended to be consumed as ringtones. While many may scoff at an idea so far out in left-field, the folks at Potluck Records warmed up to it pretty quickly and agreed to put the album out before even hearing it. When you debut with as strong a record as Tick of the Clock… though, one can understand why.
The Ringtone Album is filled with just over thirty minutes of whimsy, much to my surprise I found myself unable to turn away from these brilliant tunes. I spoke with Wendy on Oct. 25 to find out what her reasoning was behind this concept and found myself pleasantly surprised at the answers. Throughout the thirty-minute conversation Wendy disclosed a bit of her inspiration for the idea and how she intends the record to be consumed, but the conversation quickly morphs into the state of the recording industry and how this unique idea fits within that structure.
Throughout the hour Mike spun a slew of his favorite local tunes, which we sadly can’t share with you guys, but we do talk a bit about how he came to know and love the North Carolina music scene. Mike and I chatted a lot about how Gross Ghost has come to solidify their lineup, the process that goes into translating their live energy into studio energy, and who we need to be looking out for in the local scene. Without giving too much away, Dillon gives a fantastic peek into the machinations of Gross Ghost’s songwriting process and how the band comes together to create a cohesive vision that encapsulated every member’s creative voice.
Fans of this swiftly rising local act will have quite a bit to indulge in with this recent conversation, as I for one loved to hear about the origins and future plans for one of my favorite local acts.
The idea got kickstarted after Let Feedback Ring hosted a massive Hopscotch Day Party at Legends that housed 13 bands throughout the day. While the feat would drive most people to hang it up and accept that they’ve done their duty for the area, Hill and DeFusco craved more, as did Legends. On Nov. 1, Let Feedback Ring hosted the first of their monthly showcases with Ghostt Bllonde, Le Weekend and Corbie’s band Alpha Cop. So the week of the show I was joined by Chris, Corbie and Legends’ representative Matt Causey to talk about how this all came together. While many were probably surprised at the location of this indie rock-based event, listeners will quickly realize just how natural this collaboration can be.
Throughout the hour we talked a bit about the origins of Let Feedback Ring, the intended future of the event, as well as the struggles of maintaining regular events while running a record label or writing for numerous local outlets. As we now know, Let Feedback Ring is certainly continuing as a monthly event, as they recently announced their December event which will feature our November Artist of the Month, Whatever Brains, along with Wool and Goner on Dec. 6. Check out our full conversation below to hear the ins and outs of planning these events and the struggle to maintain so many different aspects of the music scene.
When Mipso joined me in the studio they were preparing for their album release show at Haw River Ballroom, a momentous occasion that combines one of the state’s swiftest rising acts with arguably the finest venue in the area. When Joseph, Wood and Jacob joined me to chat about Dark Holler Pop, their sophomore full-length album that was released in late October, the conversation was free-flowing an all-encompassing. Ranging from the differences in life as a full-time student versus a full-time musician to their tour of Asia and their thoughts on the bluegrass uprising, I had a blast chatting with these immensely talented musicians. To top it all off they performed a few tracks in-studio from Dark Holler Pop, giving an intimate portrayal of the band’s calm but robust sound. Croons and hollers line the tracks of Dark Holler Pop, and as they performed these songs in-studio they held nothing back.
If you’re looking for an immersive conversation that delves into the formation and future of this stellar North Carolina act, then look no further than this Carolina Grown session. Though we’re rather early into this show, I must say that this has by far been my segment, so see what you missed or relive the experience below!
The band brought their instruments and played gorgeous renditions of “Mountains” and “Stars.” I’ve seen WOOL live several times in the past few months, and I was always struck by the beautiful noise they made: lovely dream pop songs, enveloped in hazy guitars, that build to rapturous crescendos. The acoustic versions they played were intimate and confessional: the pop underbelly of the songs were brought to the foreground. We played their recorded single “Bulletin Air,” and the band debuted their recorded version of “Delta.” If the other two songs on the EP sound this great, we’re truly in for a gem.
WOOL’s EP Release Show is this Friday, October 25 at Kings Barcade with See Gulls and Derek Torres of T0W3RS.
We delve into some of the duo’s first interactions with hip-hop, the planning that goes into their ridiculously energetic live shows, and their process behind writing and producing their own tracks. I’ve been addicted to hip-hop since my adolescent self stumbled upon OutKast, Eminem and Busta Rhymes, but even I had no idea about how deep some of hip-hop’s roots extend to North Carolina’s music scene. There’s a lot more than Petey Pablo raising and Little Brother’s total domination of the scene. Check out the full 45 minute interview below and learn a bit about North Carolina’s hip-hop community and some of the past and future endeavors that are in store for Toon & The Real Laww.
The first episode of Carolina Grown is one that’s dear to my heart. One of my favorite local acts joined me for an hour filled with fun conversation and incredible live performances, not to mention I got to talk about my favorite festival on the planet for the second hour of the show. The show was Shakori themed, with Virgins Family Band taking over the first hour for some enriching conversation and some dazzling music. The band performed two tracks from their phenomenal album Honeylion and also shared a brand new, untitled track with all of the listeners.
During the second hour, I was joined by Johnno Potts of Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. Throughout the hour I played tracks from Shakori performers and alumni, but most importantly we talked a lot about the inception of the festival, how it's grown and all that it takes to put on such an immense festival on a 75-acre farmland. We recount some personal Shakori highlights, geek out about the stellar lineup for the fall festival, and have a whole lot of fun talking about the rich community that surrounds this grassroots event.
Be on the lookout for the rest of October’s shows within the next few days, but for now you can enjoy the very first episode of Carolina Grown at your own convenience!
Jackson Scott is an Asheville based artist who just exploded onto the scene. His record Melbourne started to make the rounds and was picked up by outlets such as Pitchfork and NPR. The exposure he was getting attracted many different record labels. He eventually had to take his record down at which point it was released officially by Fat Possum records. The album received great reviews from many different sources. Jackson Scott stopped by the studio before his show at Cat’s Cradle with Unknown Mortal Orchestra to talk about his accelerated rise to fame, the Asheville music scene, and his new album. Check out the interview below and on our iTunes podcast!
Airstrip started towards the end of 2011 when things ended between Matt Park’s girlfriend and bandmate Ginger Wagg. The two had formed a charming little duo by the name of Veelee that had all of the Triangle falling in love. The harsh turn of events inspired Airstrip’s debut album Willing which Matt describes as “nightmare pop”. Matt stopped by before his set at Hopscotch Music Festival to talk about his new band members and his debut album. Check out the interview below and on our iTunes podcast!
The band’s original lineup fell to the wayside, but this new roster clearly displayed a newly invigorated vision of Schooner. They were touted as one of Paste Magazine’s “Best of What’s Next” and even made their way down to South-By-Southwest after the heavy acclaim from Duck Kee. But with the release of Neighborhood Veins, the band’s latest full length, they’re prepared to bask in the spotlight that they’ve so patiently waited for.
Neighborhood Veins marks the first national release from local label PotLuck Records and it’s an excellent display of Schooner’s brilliance. It’s a collection of songs that range from fuzzed out pop gems to bleary-eyed folk-infused madness. By now Reid Johnson and the new lineup for Schooner have found their groove, they acknowledge their musical past while still looking boldly forward to the future. Neighborhood Veins’ closing track is a sprawling 12-minute adventure, something that one could have hardly imagined upon first glance from a band like Schooner.
After their bold step forward, you can expect Schooner to finally take their place as a North Carolina powerhouse amongst our brimming indie rock scene. That’s precisely why we’ve chosen Schooner as our Local Artist of the Month for October. You can check out their latest video for “Trap” below. If you missed their interview and live performance, you can check it out below and on our iTunes podcast!
WKNC interview with WAUMISS during the 2013 Hopscotch Music Festival. Check out the interview below and on our iTunes podcast!
WKNC interview with Cy Dune during the 2013 Hopscotch Music Festival. Check out the interview and on our iTunes podcast!
Boston-based indie noise pop Speedy Ortiz is a band that went from playing house shows to packing Kennedy Theater at Hopscotch 2013. This of course was spawned by the release of their debut album Major Arcana that received overwhelming positive reviews including “Best New Music” from Pitchfork. Within a week, this Boston quartet found themselves growing too large for the house shows they had originally booked for themselves. Speedy Ortiz have become one of our favorites here at WKNC as they have been put into heavy rotation since their release a couple months ago. They stopped by Wristband City the morning after their show to talk a bit about their set, their rise to fame, and food.
The Dodos played Kings Barcade on October 4, accompanied by Dustin Wong and Raleigh natives First Person Plural, in support of the recent release of their fifth studio album, Carrier (Polyvinyl Record Co.). Before the show, I spoke with drummer and multi-percussionist Logan Kroeber of The Dodos. The band is no stranger to the triangle, having opened for New Pornographers, Drive-By Truckers and Guided By Voices in recent years. We discussed what influenced the new album’s songwriting and instrumentation changes, collaborations, favorite songs and the critically-acclaimed sport of hacky sack. Check out the interview below and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes!
Casual Curious have become quite a phenomenon in the Greensboro music scene. They have had a revolving cast of members that has centered around T. Lee Gunselman. Casual Curious is currently comprised of T. Lee Gunselman (vocals, keys), Hunter Allen (drums), Walter Fancourt (saxophone), and Sean Smith (trumpet). Their new wave pop is a sight to see and always gets the whole crowd into it. Their show at Hopscotch 2013 may have been their last for the foreseeable future as they move onto to new and exciting projects. Lee has moved down to Atlanta to begin a new project, Hunter has joined Airstrip, and Walter and Sean are moving on with The Brand New Life. Lee and Walter stopped by before their performance at Hopscotch 2013 to hear us discuss the legacy of Casual Curious, their upcoming projects and much more. Check out the interview below and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes!
The U.K producer crafts a mesmerizing blend of soulful R&B with contemporary beat music to create a hazy, yet infectious brand of electronic music. Lapalux’s music strikes both the mind and the body. He’s capable of both slow-brooding, pensive beats and outright bangers. Throughout the past few years he’s been honing his craft, releasing four EPs since 2008. But his full-length debut on Brainfeeder, Nostalchic, displays a full realization of these aforementioned themes. Heady beats are embellished by smooth vocal samples and shuffling percussion, making for an entrancing listening experience.
Lapalux sat down with me for an interview on the first day of Hopscotch, hours before his stellar set at The Pour House. Lapalux was embarking on his first U.S. tour, so we spoke a bit about the difference between stateside shows and those in other areas of the globe, how his style came about, and some of his major influences when he first began making music.
Crystal Stilts stopped by the WKNC studio before their show with Deerhunter to speak to Walter-Ego and Prism about their new album Nature Noir, non-existent rooms, the inherent dangers of doing 90’s covers, and Snoop Dogg.
Krill is a Boston trio comprised of three friends Jonah Furman (bass/vocals), Luke Pyenson (drums), and Aaron Ratoff (guitar). They just recently released their second full-length Lucky Leaves in June of this year. The trio was born out of the same DIY scene that spawned bands such as Speedy Ortiz and Pile. Like their counterparts, they have an innovative take on the world of indie music that has begun to garner national attention from the likes of Pitchfork and Consequence of Sound. Their frenetic brand of emotive experimental indie rock brings to mind the early days of Modest Mouse and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The heavy weight of the dark music paired with the emotional, self-deprecating lyrics are carried across by Luke’s spastic drums, Jonah’s flooring bass, and Aaron’s driving, piercing guitar. The play between musicians coupled with the interesting time signatures and syncopated rhythms set this band apart from the rest. Krill just recently set out on their month-long east coast tour and hit up The Mattress Fort here in Raleigh for a Post Hopscotch Show. I caught up with Krill the next morning.
Pretty much exactly on time, the entire three-piece band consisting of Ryan Clancy, Ryan Spencer, and Adam Pressley walked right up to our 88.1 WKNC table at Wristband City and formerly introduced themselves. Once the interview was on its way, the band seemed to be having a little fun with it while also pointing out that their music is definitely different than most of the indie rock scene today. When asked how they were different, they did not hesitate to explain that it is because of their live foam party shows and mixture of unique sounds and lyrics. The band went on to say that if they could describe their sound as a room, then it would be the live portion of an Applebee’s restaurant; which you can take whichever way you possibly want.
Throughout the whole interview and even through the end of it, I was having a hard time letting the thought out of my mind that this band could be the next big thing; because it is definitely possible. Being a fairly young band and on the rise with extremely infectious music, how can one not think that? I was just glad Jamaican Queens decided to drop by WKNC on their quick and inevitable ride to the top.
Once the phone was answered, Jack’s Australian accent was quick to erase any possibly tension that could have been formed prior to. Being very laid back and respectful to all the questions, Jack was able to make the interview seem like a conversation that I could have had with one of my closest friends.
The question from this interview that stood out the most was the one that we asked most the artists we interviewed at Hopscotch which is “If you could describe your sound as a room, what would that room look like/have in it.” Instead of one of the very obscure rooms that I heard in previous interviews, Jack simply put that his room would be a cathedral. It was in this instance that I gained a whole new respect for Jack and the band as a whole, because they were completely correct in the answer. Not just for its wonderful acoustics, but also religious setting, the room seemed a perfect fit for their echoing and powerful lyrics. Jack was able to represent his band beautifully in the all too short interview that he provided myself and the station with on Friday afternoon. You better bet that I didn’t pass up their set that night either.
The new duo immediately set to work constructing their debut EP Some Kind of Light due out September 24th on Trekky Records. In July, the duo set to work to record the EP with Brad Cook from Megafaun on the bass and Kyle Keegan from Lost in the Trees behind the drums. These five songs pull from a lot of the great talent surrounding them in this musical hotspot, but when put together create something entirely new. This EP is a promising glimpse at what is in store for this experienced duo. Be sure to tune into The Local Beat on September 20th for our exclusive Local Artist of the Month interview and live performance from Loamlands.
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.
The Out! Raleigh family friendly street festival will take place Saturday, May 4 on Fayetteville Street’s City Plaza in downtown Raleigh. WKNC DJs Jacob and Benny Mac preview the third annual event with two members of the Out! Raleigh festival leadership team: Kellie Burris, Executive Committee & Vendor Relations, and James Miller, LGBT Center of Raleigh Executive Director.
WKNC’s DJ Jacob had the opportunity to sit down in studio with Nathan Price, co-founder of DiggUp Tapes, on Friday, April 19. The two discussed forming the band The Mark Tobeys, DiggUp’s cassingles series, DiggUp on tour, Record Store Day on April 20, and what’s next for the record label/show promotion company.
Phil Torres, in addition to fronting Baobab, has a MS in neuroscience and spent a year as a visiting graduate student in the philosophy department at Harvard. He has just published his first book entitled A Crisis of Faith: Atheism, Emerging Technologies and the Future of Humanity. Whitney Trettien joins Torres on-stage for live shows. She is a Ph.D. student in English at Duke University. Despite their busy lives and amazing intellect, they still find time to wow us lesser mortals with their inspiring music. They are a spectacle to see live as they loop guitars and synths over vocals complete with live drumming. In addition to the music, Torres also makes some interesting videos to accompany some of his songs.
Baobab can be seen touring at various venues around the Triangle. With a double album release party coming up on the 22nd with Virgins Family Band at the Local 506, we can look forward to some great things ahead. This album, aptly titled BAYOHBAHB, will be released by Hand Eye Records. After playing for a year now with these first batch of songs, we can expect Torres’ restless spirit to have somehow found a way to improve upon his already perfected craft of beautiful, percussive acoustics with complementing electronics. With a project that started for Torres as a retreat from writing his book, we can only hope that Baobab has become as important to Torres as it has to the Triangle music scene.
http://baobabtheband.com/
http://baobabmusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/baobabtheband
Check out the interview and in-studio performance with Phil Torres accompanied by the Virgins Family Band below which also included some exclusive premieres off the upcoming album BAYOHBAHB.
July 11, Hopscotch Music Festival released its entire schedule featuring over 15 venues and 175 bands in downtown Raleigh. In light of the announcement, Adam Kincaid, host of the Local Beat, and Michael Jones sat down to discuss the schedule, band conflicts, festival expectations, and their general excitement at what the festival has to offer this year.
Jack the Radio is a rising band in our state and their sophomore album does not disappoint with keeping true to their self-proclaimed “Southern Indie Rock” sound that touches on a wide variety of influences but leans closest to southern bar rock while teetering the line with indie masters Yo La Tengo or the Extraordinaires. The show tomorrow is free event and starts at 3pm with food trucks from Only Burger, Chicken Que, and Sarges. Music starts around 3:30pm and the band will be bringing on some mystery guest musicians to play along. However, I highly recommend dropping in at 2pm for the always popular brewery tour that happens the second Saturday of each month before sticking around for the other festivities.
Jeff Shields of local act Kleptonaut stopped by to chat about one of my favorite albums from last year, “The Golden Age of Space Travel.” Jeff was an excellent guest and shared a lot of witty insight into the creation of his music. We had a blast talking about everything from his experience as a “podcast troubadour” to the naming of his instrumental songs.
Jeff Crawford visited “The Local Beat” for one evening to talk about a new album that he was releasing through his own studio, Arbor Ridge Studios. The album was a collection of hymns performed by various North Carolina musicians in support of the music department of a Durham church where Jeff is the music director. The church is the Gathering Church and the album is Hymns From The Gathering Church. Jeff and I mused about religion and music, his role in our community’s music scene and various other topics.
The quartet from Monoslang joined the program to discuss the group’s new self-titled EP. The band has only been together in this lineup for six weeks and in that time they booked a show at Kings Barcade, recorded a 3-song EP and released it. Quite a busy six weeks!
The Kickin’ Grass Band popped in for the first time in about a year to promote their 10th Anniversary Show at the Carolina Theatre the following night. There were plenty of laughs and anecdotes as the band shared stories with us from the past 10 years.
Nicole Kligerman, Sarah Hager and Kate Rafferty talk to attendees of the fall 2011 Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival.
This past Monday, the members of Dom loaded into our studio and borrowed some acoustic guitars from WKNC DJs. What followed was an interesting interview that comes at the head of the band’s upcoming Family of Love EP, out August 9th on Astralwerks. Check out some of the interview below to hear the band’s take on playing the Sydney Opera House with Cate Blanchett, chilling with Gucci Mane, and what’s next for the indie rockers.
This past Sunday, Avi Buffalo brought an assortment of instruments into WKNC’s studios for a special acoustic performance and short interview. The band is best known for its 2010 hit, “What’s In It For,” and the band is once again busy at work. They’ve recently released a 7" featuring “How Come,” a new single.
Check below for their acoustic performance of this track as performed in our studios, as well as an unreleased track, “Won’t Be Around No More.” An interview with DJ Don of Time follows, where you can hear the band discuss touring Europe (it’s really old), influences, and the struggles of touring!
Troubel is a budding local folk/bluegrass band comprised of former members of Carolina Roadkill. Two members, Adam and Anna (soon to both be Walton), came in to Americana, Blues, and Company on July 23 for a short interview and to play a few songs for us. Below you can find our discussions about local music, influences, and how we all got into bluegrass as well as performances of "Darlin", off their first album The Mountains. The Broken., and an unreleased song, “Lost at Sea”. Troubel is on tour throughout the first few weeks of August – come check them out! They are definitely a band to keep on your radar.
Delta Rae dropped by the WKNC studios on Tuesday, July 26 to talk with their old friend DJ Elly May. The band shared stories from the road, previewed their upcoming shows supporting Carbon Leaf and talked about using Kickstarter to fund the recording of their first full-length album.
Listen to the full interview, including their songs “If I Loved You,” “Deliver” and “No Land.”
Earlier this year, Hooray For Earth released their first proper LP “True Loves,” an album characterized by loud, sharp synths and poppy vocals. Prior to their performance at King’s Barcade for Deja Mi, the band was kind enough to stop by the WKNC studios for an interview.
We’ve uploaded the audio in its entirety for you to listen to here! Hear what the band had to say about filming the music video for “True Loves,” their upcoming September concert with Cymbals Eat Guitars at Local 506, and the thrills of sleep exhaustion while on tour!
This past Wednesday, WKNC had the unique opportunity to interview Ernest Greene, frontman for Washed Out. The band is credited by some as a pioneer of the chillwave genre. Washed Out’s song “Feel It All Around” has been featured as the theme music for IFC tv show “Portlandia,” and its most recent album “Within and Without” is rising in the college radio charts. Pitchfork awarded the album a rating of 8.3, naming it “Best New Music.” In addition, the LP landed a spot as WKNC’s 27th most played this past week. Washed Out will be touring with Cut Copy this September and will make a stop at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro.
Listen to the interview above to hear Washed Out’s take on the Atlanta music scene, the sensual cover to “Within and Without,” finding saxophone players on Craigslist, and more!
On Saturday afternoon, June 25, I had the opportunity to interview singer-songwriter Liz Janes. We discussed motherhood, music-making, and no-bake pies, and she so graciously filled us in on her plans for the future. To hear the whole interview and all its exciting details, check out the link below!
As more companies invest their time and efforts into cloud computing, it seemed only fit that we dissect the latest iteration that is attempting to transform how individuals gain access to their music library, namely, Google Music. The service, which is still in beta and currently only available for those that submit themselves for an invite to the beta, is completely free for users to try at this point. How that will change, well, no one is sure just yet. Regardless, Mason and myself, DJ Ones, took a moment to sit down and talk about our experiences with the service thus far. If you ever wanted an idea of what the service is like, or you are still waiting for that invite to show up in your inbox, listen to the full discussion.
Recently I had the chance to talk to Sarah Jaffe before her show at Local 506. We discussed everything from her current tour, to the recent re-release of her 2008 EP Even Born Again. Sarah mentioned everything from how she started, to her time with Kirtland Records, and labels reaction to the success of her debut album Suburban Nature. We also had the chance to talk about the process behind recording her upcoming EP The Way Sound Leaves a Room and her next full length.
In 2009 Raleigh Documentary Filmmakers Robert and Lisa King chronicled three area artists Sean Kernick, Georges Le Chevallier and Paul Friedrich as the experimented with a collaboration process that produced 29 unique works of art. The film 3 the Hardway, not only follows their growth as artist but as friends. They are reuniting to collaborate on a series of fundraisers to help Robert King and his battle with an anaplastic astrocytoma brain tumor.
The first fundraiser is a screening of the film this Thursday evening at 7:00 at Mission Valley Cinemas.
Eye on the Triangle’s Jacob Downey spoke with one of the films subjects Sean Kernick on the film, the impact it had on his life as a creator, and other information about UnitedforRobert.
Interpol is on tour, and they are Cat’s Cradle is presenting their stop at Disco Rodeo this Wednesday, May 4. Hurricane Julia had the opportunity to interview Daniel, the guitarist and backing vocalist for the band. Listen to her interview and find out about the “New York sound”, music Interpol is listening to, Bono’s sunglasses, and much more!
The Huguenots have been getting airplay on WKNC for nearly four years now, but the group has yet to release anything official but some spare demos. That is until April 8, when the group is putting out their first LP. The Huguenots are known for the super poppy and upbeat music they seem to craft effortlessly and their enjoyable live shows, but finally, the band will release some tangible music. Founding member York Howie came in to represent the band and share a couple unheard tracks from the upcoming album. It had been awhile since I interviewed the Huguenots, so we caught up and took a look back at where it all began at UNC Asheville. York was a wonderful guest and gave us an insightful look into the recording of the album and told us how it all came together.
It has been quite some time since A Rooster for the Masses put out a new album, but the popular local group is doing just that on April 15 at Kings Barcade when they release their third and newest LP No One Is Ready. Still upbeat with a touch of disco and an air of reggae, ARFTM has certainly kept the same vibe with this record as their past discs, and that is a wonderful thing. Founding member Adam Eckhardt and myself shared a brief 30 minute conversation where he reflected on the history of the band and its current state as well as the new album. We also listened to several new tracks including “No One Is Ready,” “Make Much Sense,” “At The Gates,” and “Die By Day.”
East Coast touring mavens Delta Rae stopped by the WKNC studio on the morning of Tuesday, March 1 to chat with DJ Elly May. They talked about what it’s like to be on the road, their “GRAET Mondays” campaign, upcoming shows and the story behind their song “Ooh, Caroline." Delta Rae also performed "Ooh, Caroline” and “Bottom of the River."
On Feb. 2, Spoons had the opportunity to talk with North Carolina duo Eddy B and Tim Gunter. The debut mixtape from the rapper and producer is “Dear North Carolina, Welcome Back.”
This is the Noobhammer, and I bring you a gift from the universe! It is my interview with the Scumdog who lives in Antarctica. I am of course talking about the one and only Oderus Urungus of GWAR! Listen to us talk about bloody pits, Doctor Who, and whores.
The Noobhammer has a phone interview with Warrel Dane, lead singer of the metal band Nevermore.
DJ Elly May
-
Kate Nash- My Best Friend is You
-
Tunng- And Then We Saw Land
-
Rogue Wave- Permalight
-
Broken Bells- Broken Bells
-
Dead Weather- Sea of Cowards
-
Arcade Fire- The Suburbs
DJ Ones
-
Marina and the Diamonds- The Family Jewels
-
The Drums- The Drums
-
M.I.A- */\/\/\Y/*
-
Klaxons- Surfing the Void
-
Band of Horses- Infinite Arms
-
Interpol- Interpol
Robert Earl Keen gave Sweet Annie Rich a call and, in spite of Sweet Annie Rich’s technology issues, gave a spectacular interview. He talked about his time at a big Ag university (Texas A&M) similar to NCSU, his favorite song lyrically, and how touring with Reckless Kelly and the Randy Rogers Band is just a mix of “all the right ingredients.”
The first hour of the program Chapel Hill band the Light Pines are coming on to talk with us about a plethora of topics as we promote their First Friday show at Tir na Nog alongside 12000 Armies and Nudehues. The Light Pines are almost finished with their debut 10 track album and we will talk about that in plenty. Also, stick around and listen as we chat about their connections with the Love Language and their future touring plans.
This coming Friday on the Local Beat I am dedicating two hours of the show to Troika Music Festival. Of course by the time the interview airs the festival will be well underway since it is beginning tonight. Melissa Thomas and Stuart Horne came in to pre-record the interview with me earlier in the week and I felt that it was important to share our conversation before Friday evening and before Troika begins. Among many things we chatted about the history of the event, compared it to Hopscotch, and discussed what is going on differently in this years festival.
Songs of Water is a band out of Greensboro, and I am not afraid to say they have taken the top position as my favorite new band with their incredible release of The Sea Has Spoken, which came out earlier this year. Only three of the eight members made the trip down I-40 but that was plenty as they brought so many instruments into the studio, one could hardly walk around. We only had a short time with the group as it took them several minutes to set up but check out the amazing songs they played for us live.
Maria Albani (Schooner, Organos), John Harrison (North Elementary), Drew Robertson (Phon), and Lincoln Hancock (Strange) came in to present Minus Sound Research, a visual art exhibition featuring works from only North Carolina musicians that is going on throughout the month of October at the Carrboro Arts Center. This interview turned out to be one of the most hilarious and entertaining I have had in awhile so be sure to give it a listen.
Greg Humphreys has been making music locally for over two decades now. His newest and second solo album Realign Your Mind has been available for download for a couple months but only recently has he put the album out on CD. Greg came in and chatted with us about his history in the area and his evolution as a musician. In addition, Greg played several brand new tracks, which you can listen to and download in the music player to the right.
Lee and Bert of the Milagro Saints came in for the final hour of the show, and we chatted about a wide variety of things from their shows last weekend to the evolution of the band through 15 years of staying together. The Milagro Saints are one of the more storied and traveled groups in our area, and the guys had plenty to share.
A newer and less known band from Raleigh called Scarlet Virginia dropped by for the second hour of the show to play some live songs and talk about their debut release, By Lamplight EP which was put out back in August. The group is a soft, folky-pop group, and they played several acoustic songs for us.
Django Haskins and Mark Simonsen of The Old Ceremony sat down with me for the first hour to pick up where we left off last February about their brand new album, Tender Age. The album has been released for a couple of weeks now and the fellas and I played several tracks off of the album and a couple in studio.
Due to the happenings of Hopscotch, I only had a one hour show on September 10 but was happy to have the Small Ponds’ Caitlin and Cary and Matt Douglas as guests on the program as we promoted their new album, Caitlin Cary & Matt Douglas Are The Small Ponds. The album was released the following week at the Pour House and currently the band is on tour up and down the East coast. We chatted about the history of the group, along with many other things. Matt and Caitlin are both amazing, hilarious guests, and the interview was one of my favorites.
September 3 was the Friday before Hopscotch Music Festival, and I was joined by Grayson Currin, music editor of the Independent Weekly who was also Hopscotch Curator. Hopscotch is the biggest music event to ever happen in Raleigh, so I dedicated the entire three hours of the show to chatting with Grayson about everything associated with the festival. Caitlin Cary (Small Ponds, Tres Chicas), Reid Johnson (Schooner), and Brian Corum (Lonnie Walker) also came on the show, and Reid and Brian played some brand new tunes (which you can download here). What ended up happening was three hours of a fascinating, entertaining conversation with insight into Hopscotch.
September 3 was the Friday before Hopscotch Music Festival, and I was joined by Grayson Currin, music editor of the Independent Weekly who was also Hopscotch Curator. Hopscotch is the biggest music event to ever happen in Raleigh, so I dedicated the entire three hours of the show to chatting with Grayson about everything associated with the festival. Caitlin Cary (Small Ponds, Tres Chicas), Reid Johnson (Schooner), and Brian Corum (Lonnie Walker) also came on the show, and Reid and Brian played some brand new tunes (which you can download here). What ended up happening was three hours of a fascinating, entertaining conversation with insight into Hopscotch.
September 3 was the Friday before Hopscotch Music Festival, and I was joined by Grayson Currin, music editor of the Independent Weekly who was also Hopscotch Curator. Hopscotch is the biggest music event to ever happen in Raleigh, so I dedicated the entire three hours of the show to chatting with Grayson about everything associated with the festival. Caitlin Cary (Small Ponds, Tres Chicas), Reid Johnson (Schooner), and Brian Corum (Lonnie Walker) also came on the show, and Reid and Brian played some brand new tunes (which you can download here). What ended up happening was three hours of a fascinating, entertaining conversation with insight into Hopscotch.
Because of SPARKcon on September 17 we were limited to only one hour once again for the Local Beat. However, that hour was dedicated to SPARKcon as editor of “The Word” Kestrel Lemen joined us to talk about the giant art festival. As many were, I was extremely overwhelmed by the massiveness of all the different sparks, but Kestrel broke it down one by one for us.
Twelve Thousand Armies is the closest band we have in the area that represents a cult following as their music has largely been missed due to lack of promotion and live shows, and I am excited to welcome them on the program at 6p .m. They are also playing the Local 506 on the 27th with Max Indian and The Houston Brothers. It will be their first interview on WKNC—who just twisted the band’s arm to finally get a hold of their album that came out awhile back—and I am sure many of you have been hearing constantly since.
Phian interviewed with Jokes and Jokes and Jokes before they play at Tir Na nOg Irish Pub this Thursday for Local Band Local Beer. During the interview, Jokes and Jokes and Jokes play several songs live. If you like what you hear, you can check out more from Jokes and Jokes and Jokes on their Bandcamp.
At 7 p.m., Asheville artist Darien will be jumping on board to promote several upcoming shows in our area. Darien is relatively unknown around our region, but that has been quickly changing with her last release, Theorem, which came out on Alive and Well back in March. Darien has a busy couple of weeks in the area that includes five shows in the Triangle between now and September 3.
First in was Betsy Harris, one of the most notable and certainly the most prolific local music photographers in the area. Betsy was a fantastic guest who shared plenty about her role in the local music community, her work as a photographer, and several fun stories about her experiences in the past several years. Be sure to check out Betsy’s Fotki and Youtube for some sweet local multimedia content.
Karen Mann of Mann’s World also joined me on the show for about an hour. Karen is one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent, local music blogger in our area and having her on the program was a special treat. Karen and I talked about her history in the area and her role within the music of our region. Karen was a fabulous interviewee and had plenty to say, all of it proving to be noteworthy and captivating about her dedication to the music and her blog. Karen is also having a special Mann’s World day party during Hopscotch on September 11th. Check out the flyer below:
One of my favorite journalists in the area, Bryan Reed, made an appearance as well. Bryan is well known for his contributions to Shuffle Magazine where he is Assistant Editor and also the Independent Weekly where he covers local and national music. He was fun, witty, and full of knowledge on music scenes outside the Triangle region.
Linnie Green, the new editor of Diversions at the Daily Tar Heel, got quite a bit of crap from me for going to NC State’s rival school, but after I settled down and matured a little, she gave us some interesting insight into how Diversions works and what priorities they have with local music.
The mastermind behind NBC 17’s Music.MyNC was also a guest that evening. Jake is another extraordinary blogger in the area and also heads the live Sessions for Music.MyNC. I talked with Jake about how the Sessions came to be what it is and his thoughts about his contributions to the music.
Frontman for the Carrboro band, Brian Risk, came in last week with Pete and Andrea Connolly (of Birds & Arrows) who are also in the group. We talked about the creation of the band and their debut EP Saturn’s Moon, which has been out for a couple of months. Two of the members of the group, Carol and Jon, are expecting their first baby at any moment right now, which made for some interesting conversation.
Alex Iglehart and Wylie Pamplin of Calico Haunts came in at 7 p.m. for their first-ever radio interview to promote their first show in Raleigh since 2007, which was at the Berkely Cafe Saturday evening. We also debuted some brand new songs from their upcoming record that is scheduled to be released in October this year. Many of you might be familiar with Calico Haunts last release After All, which was one of The Independent Weekly’s albums of the month last year. Unfortunately, the band dissolved shortly after the release and little promotion was done for the record. A short time later the band was pieced back together and they started recording a follow up album only to have their work stolen two weeks before it was scheduled to be finished. With all of these mishaps you might think the band would throw in the towel. Listen below for their side of the story and their reactions.
At 6 p.m., John Booker and Rachel Hirsh of I Was Totally Destroying It came in to promote their new 7" The Get Big 7", which is officially being released at Tir Na Nog this Thursday for Local Beer Local Band (alongside Museum Mouth, Jews & Catholics, and The Beast). The new single is being released by their record label, Greyday Records and can be purchased at any local record store as well as online or at their shows. If you buy the vinyl, it comes with a digital download and bonus track! I also had to ask them about their band name and their answer might surprise you! Listen to our interview as we talked about the new release, IWTDI’s upcoming shows, and their penchant for wearing costumes on stage.
Jenks Miller and Heather McEntire of Mount Moriah got stuck in heavy traffic on the way to the station, and, unfortunately, we only had around 12 minutes to chat about the band and their brand new limited edition 12" called The Letting Go during the first hour of the evening. We discussed the history of the band and their future as far as releasing their upcoming album is concerned. We also promoted their sold out show at the Pinhook with Midtown Dickens and the Mountain Goats Saturday, July 31. Jenks and Heather run Holidays for Quince Records, and each is in several different bands, including Un Deux Trois and Horseback, and are two of the busiest people I know. It was interesting to talk about their other projects in relation to Mount Moriah. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I had to hold back many of the questions I had for them, but what we did talk about was certainly fascinating and worth a second listen.
For the last hour of the evening, Wes Wolfe came in the studio to chat about his new record Storage, which was released from Odessa Records back in April. You might recognize Wes from defunct local group the Grasshoppers who split up back in 2006, though he is now recording and playing live solo. Wes played nearly every instrument on the new record and recorded it in his own home. He was a soft spoken and humble interviewee, but we had a lot to talk about.
Jason Adamo and Doug Casteen came in for the second hour of the show to talk about Jason’s new album Transistor, which was released back in July. Jason has been playing live in the Triangle for almost a decade now and has set up a temporary residence at the Pour House on Monday evenings. Transistor is a new sound for him that is much more rock n’ roll and a little deeper than his past recordings. It was recorded in Pittsboro with John Briggs and cowritten with John, Doug, and Jason’s bother Chris. Jason and Doug played some live tracks for us in studio, which you can listen to in the widget above or download them on the Local Beat ReverbNation page. Also, be sure to watch Jason’s new music video for “Raleigh Nights” that is going to be played by the Carolina Hurricanes this next season at every game.
The master list of the covers are below:
- Butterflies covering Erie Choir
- Erie Choir covering Luego
- Luego covering Birds and Arrows
- Birds and Arrows covering SWASO
- SWASO covering The Pneurotics
- The Pneurotics covering New Town Drunks
- New Town Drunks covering Soft Company
- Soft Company covering Lizzy Ross Band
- Lizzy Ross Band covering Pecosa
- Pecosa covering Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores
- Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores covering Puritan Rodeo
- Puritan Rodeo covering I Was Totally Destroying It
- I Was Totally Destroying It covering North Elementary
- North Elementary covering The Big Picture
- The Big Picture covering Butterflies
Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores played some live tracks for us off of their record that is coming out in August.
Phil Cook and Catherine Edgerton with illegal drinks in the WKNC studio
Phil Cook of Megafaun and Catherine Edgerton of Midtown Dickens were two major proponents in starting the inaugural event. We asked them various questions, such as the types of instruments they planned to use as well as the ideas that jump-started Do Itcha Damn Self.
For the last hour of the show, the guys of Jeremy Blair From Effingham dropped in for what turned out to be an immensely satisfying hour of conversation. JBFE has been playing live shows in the area for almost exactly a year now and are well on their way to local stardom. The three J’s in the band, Jeremy Blair, John Hill, and Jim McConnell came by and played some live tracks for us, which you can listen to in the widget above and download from our Local Beat ReverbNation page. We talked about the beginning of the band, how they came together, and their live show. We also had an interesting talk about the Triangle music scene, Durham in particular, which is on the verge of taking over the region as far as artistic and musical prominence is concerned.
David Mueller came in to talk about his new solo album from Heads on Sticks titled Mocking Bird. In this project David takes on the role of a mad scientist as he mixes and matches various sound effects on a whim that ends with a remarkably unique and sonically satisfying album, even taking clips from an actual mockingbird from his iPhone, which he calls a true “organic sampler.” David and I compared his newest music to his last three EPs ( you can download for free on his BandCamp page and I highly recommend) and listened to several songs off of the new record.
Lizzy Ross was the first to come in at 5 p.m. to show off her newest release, Traces, which was released June 26. Only in her early 20’s, Lizzy has already begun making quite a name for herself in the area with her stunning soulful voice and beautiful songwriting after setting a precedent with her previous band Lafcadio. Lizzy and I talked about the creation of her self released album and the different processes that went into it. We also compared her live show to her recorded material and she sang us three songs, which you can listen to in the music player above and download from our Local Beat ReverbNation page. You can purchase Traces from her website, Lizzy.net, CD Alley in Chapel Hill, as well as iTunes.
For the last hour, I was joined by Billy Sugarfix of Billy Sugarfix’s Carousel along with Pete and Andrea of Birds and Arrows. The two groups are releasing a split 7" vinyl single through 307 Knox Records this coming Friday, July 16 at the brand new 307 Knox headquarters located at 618 Foster Street in downtown Durham. We spent time discussing vinyl’s relevance in today’s music industry and the death and possible rebirth of the “single”. Billy Sugarfix is signed to Pox World Empire and recorded his new single “If There’s A Secret” there even though it is being released on 307 Knox (whom B&A are signed to), and we chatted about the two record labels and decided on a new name for them: “307 Pox”. Both groups played their brand new singles for us.
In the first hour of the show, I welcomed in Raleigh group Kid Future who made some news when they played at Local Beer Local Band back in April. It was their second show ever, but they made quite the impression on the crowd, and I welcomed them onto the show to learn more about the group and introduce them to those who have not seen them live. Unfortunately, we learned that even though the group is relatively new, drummer Robert Fisher is leaving the band to head to Boston for grad school. Remaining members Bryan Costello and Kevin Donnelly plan on continuing the band, and you can still see the original Kid Future lineup for two more shows. The first is at Slim’s Downtown on July 15 with The Cellar Seas and Thomas Costello (of Mount Weather), and the second is at Local Beer Local Band a week later at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub on the 22nd with Midtown Dickens.
The 6 p.m. hour was certainly a special treat, as I was joined by Mike Roy and Rob Watson of The Whistlestop (also of Watson & Roy). The Whistlestop have not played live in over a year as the group took a hiatus due to the birth of Mike’s daughter a year ago and the release of his solo album Shot Friction. Rob has also been working on his long awaited solo album but, in the meantime, the pair has had time to begin work on their second album and debuted some brand new material for us during the interview. In total, five live songs were played, including three brand new, never before heard tracks, which you can listen to and download on the Local Beat ReverbNation page. You can see The Whistlestop for the first time in 2010 this next Friday at Mac’s Tavern in Cary.
For the second hour of the show, I was joined by Scott Klein, cofounder of Sound Around, a mobile device app builder. Scott is a recent NC State grad who, with his brother Steve, has developed a way for bands to create customizable and unique apps that their fans can download to their cell phones. Scott and I chatted about his new business and the unique features it offers to musicians. We also talked in great length about the future of mobile phone technology and its ability to allow fans and musicians to interact on a greater scale than ever before.
Below is their “Hard Ambience: A Manifesto” which describes the band’s SOP:
“1) Subvert the past - past performances should not impose on the present (ie. DON’T RECORD)
2) Subvert the present - during an improvisation, when a successful moment arrives, mark it for destruction (ie. DON’T LINGER)
3) Subvert the future - avoid predefined motifs (ie. DON’T PLAN)
4) Feel it - play from the heart, or don’t play at all (ie. DON’T THINK)
5) Space is the place - silence is a contribution (ie. DON’T NOODLE)
6) Anything goes (ie. NO FEAR)”
They also played two songs for us, which we named “Searching for the Thresher” and “Jagannātha”. Andras even impressed me when he played his guitar with a screwdriver.
Lastly was Dave and John of Chatham County Line who came by in the last hour to promote their brand new album Wildwood, which is set to be released on July 13. Wildwood is the band’s fifth album since becoming a group in 1999. Dave and John spent a great deal of the interview reminiscing of their local music influences over the years, and we spent some time talking about how those bands played a role in their sound. A list of local bands and artists that the guys specifically named is on the right. You also may not realize it, but CCL is a very famous band over in Europe. Despite their humble beginnings and small fanbase in the states, these guys regularly sell out crowds across the Atlantic. Naturally, I had to ask them where that came from. All in all, it was a terrific hour of casual conversation, one which I won’t soon forget. You can catch Chatham County Line at the Cats Cradle this coming Saturday July 10.
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.
In the revealing interview, T-boz explains the indelible imprint that Michael Jackson has left on music, society as a whole, and herself personally.
T-boz also recollects what it was like meeting Michael Jackson for the first time, shares her favorite songs and videos, and explains what Michael’s overall legacy should represent.
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.
Many of you may have thought you had heard the last of the Brooks Wood Band after they called it quits awhile back in 2008 when Brooks Wood decided to move up to NYC to try the solo thing. However, the band is putting out a brand new album titled Good Timing, which the group has been working on for the better part of the last two years. Local Music Director Nicole Kligerman sat down with the group to talk about the new album, hear some live songs, and chat about the album release party/reunion show tomorrow evening at the Pour House. Full Proof and Jordan Lee are also playing the show, which begins at 10 p.m. The show is $5 in advance and $7 at the door.
Last week I had the chance to interview the guys from Hooray For Earth before they played at Cats Cradle in Carrboro alongside The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Surfer Blood. We discussed their latest EP entitled Momo, future plans for a full length, how they all met each other, how they got the name Hooray for Earth, and much more.
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.
Show poster
On Wednesday, June 2, before their performance in Carborro, I, DJ Ones, got the chance to sit down with bassist Davey Pierce from Of Montreal. In addition to speak about Of Montreal’s process behind creating a record, Davey gave us the scoop about their 2010 release. Davey also talked about the planning that goes into creating the elaborate performances the band is known for and more. If you were late to listening to the interview, below it is posted in its entirety.
Last Tuesday, June 1, I sat down with the guys from Free Energy who had fought their way through the terrible weather and traffic to make it to our studios on NC State campus to talk with us about a wide variety of topics. We discussed the process behind creating their debut album Stuck on Nothing, the role of LCD Soundsystem’s great James Murphy, their work with music videos, their current tour, and their plans for the future. If you missed on the live version of the interview you can listen to it in its entirety below!
Recently, the very talented James Ethan Clark was on the radio show for a little Q&A session AND a live performance! Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to say that the man tore it up on the microphone. The song “Anna Mae” was a soulful, impassioned, flurry of emotion complete with solid vocals and steady guitar riffs. "Forbidden Fruit" weaves a tale of unattainable yet irresistible love accompanied with a harmonica solo or two. However, that’s just one humble deejay’s opinion, as the recordings really speak for themselves. Help yourself to a listen or two below in the player and the embedded video. In addition to the songs you can hear below, be sure to check out the full recording of the interview in case you missed it or wanted to hear it all again
On Saturday, 5/22, Mir.I.am had the opportunity to speak with multi-platinum R&B legend Case. In the engaging interview, Case revealed the reason behind his 8 year absence from music, the benefits and disadvantages of going independent, the shooting accident that almost ended his life, and much more.
In the twenty minute interview, Case also describes how involved he was in the writing and production of his latest album The Rose Experience and how he’s already working on the album’s follow up.
Most known for hit singles “Touch Me Tease Me”, “Missing You”, and “Happily Ever After”, some would classify Case’s signature sound as romantic soul with a touch of hip-hop.
This past Friday on the Local Beat Russell Baggett of the recently revived The Honored Guests was my honorary guest as we discussed the recent hiatus of the band and their comeback in recent months. The Honored Guests just recently released a free online EP via Vinyl Records which you can download here. In addition, the band is currently finishing up recording it’s “newest” album, a project that began about 4 years ago, and it should hit the streets in the fall. Russell and I chatted about all of these things and more, while leaking some of the newest tracks from the upcoming full length.
Special K is joined by Caitlin and Cary and Matt Douglas of The Small Ponds and Charles Cleaver and Patrick from Luego before their show at The Pour House with by BJ Barham of American Aquarium.
This Friday in Raleigh at Slim’s Downtown Distillery one of the newest bands from the Triangle is releasing their first recorded material. The Debonzo Brothers are putting out their debut EP, Places, which was recorded earlier this year and finally completed just a little while ago. You may think this was a quick process for a band that only played their first show last November, but all the members of the band (Keef & Jeff Debonzo, Grant Emerson, and Chris Hibbard) are all tried and true musicians from the area who have been playing live for quite a long time.
Places is getting it’s debut release right here in this blog with almost all of the tracks from the EP being leaked in the interview below. We chatted about the history of the band and the different members, including both of the actual Debonzo Brothers and their non-Debonzo bandmates. We explored the sound and recording process of the EP and also pumped up the show Friday.
Earlier today Johnny Tunnell (of the Never) dropped by WKNC to chat about one of the newest music projects in the area: The Big Picture. Started up about two years ago between the Tunnell brothers (Johnny and Joah) The Big Picture remained completely unknown until recently. Adding some new members to the band, Heather Tunnell, Nick Radford (Annuals), Leah Gibson (Lost in the Trees), and Alec Ferrell the group is playing only their second gig ever tomorrow evening at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill. The show starts at 9pm and the Physics of Meaning and Josh Mease are also playing.
Johnny and I chatted for a while (this isn’t exactly a “Mini” exclusive, its almost 40 minutes long) but we did touch on the history of the band, the songwriting, and an interesting way in which the band’s music will be released this summer. I am not going to share all, you will just have to listen but included in this interview are three songs recorded by the Big Picture, as well as one Big Picture cover of a Future Kings of Nowhere song.
Earlier this afternoon on WKNC Patrick Phelan from Durham based Luego dropped by to debut the band’s newest album, Ocho, which is scheduled to be released June 1st. Patrick and I played several tracks off of the album and chatted about a variety of things related to the band and the album. Ocho is being released a mere eight months after the debut LP of Taped-Together Stories but the two seem hardly related. Ocho relies much more heavily on background harmonies and a thicker and deeper sound that is stacked with layer upon layer of grooviness and cool. The bluesy ruggedness and heartfelt emotion of Phelan’s voice is still present but the album seems to be much more of a family affair and holds a certain friendly attire about it. Jeff Crawford produced the album at his own Arbor Ridge Studios. Take a listen to this first sample of the songs anywhere.
This morning on Americana Blues & Co BJ Barham from Raleigh band American Aquarium came in for about 20 minutes to chat about the band’s fifth album release in four years. The album is titled Small Town Hymns and is a much slower down and less rock n roll album than their last release from a year ago, Dances for the Lonely. BJ played some live tunes for us as we talked about the recording of the album, the band’s hectic tour schedule, and the album release party which is going on tonight at the Pour House Music Hall. Jamie McClean and Sons of Bill are also sharing the stage. In addition, the first 50 people to get inside will be given a free pint glass courtesy of Big Boss Brewing Company who created a special brew for the band called American Aquarium Ale.
Last Friday on the Local Beat was once more an abbreviated show as NC State Baseball played Boston College for the opening game of a three-match series was broadcasted on WKNC. However,the one hour we did have was put to good use as Fuquay-Varina band Whiskey Kills the Butterflies stopped by to chat and play some live tunes. WKtB is a relatively unknown band, having been around for just a little over a year but are currently in the process of recording their debut EP which should hit the streets in the next couple of months. We chatted about that new EP as well as the history of the band while touching on the band's overall sound and evolution since the fellas came together. The guys also played five songs for us which you can hear and download through the Local Beat ReverbNation page and the music player on the right. If you want to see WKtB you are in luck: the band is playing two local shows in May on the 15th at the Berkley Cafe and May 27th at the Six String Cafe in Cary.
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.
So So Def’s newest artist R&B singing sensation Dondria was a recent guest on “Saturday Night Soul and R&B”.In the compelling interview, Dondria discusses her rise to fame via youtube, her new albumDondria Vs. Phatfffat, new single “You’re The One”, her love for Chipotle and much more.
Orquesta GarDel was a newcomer to my music pallet. Based in strong Latino roots, GarDel plays classic and modern salsa music with a sound heavily influenced by the New York-Puerto Rico connection of the 1970s. Eric Hirsh, Beast’s keyboardist, is also a major part of GarDel, which has ultimately led to some interesting collaboration in the past.
This week I sat down for yet another Local Beat Mini Exclusive as there will once again be no normally scheduled Local Beat (due to baseball programming). Rob Koegler and Jason Kutchma came in to chat about a really interesting and unique concert happening this Friday evening at the ETC Auditorium of the North Carolina School of Science and Math titled “Deliver Me From Nowhere- A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska.” A collaboration of different musicians from Red Collar, Midtown Dickens, COW, Mount Moriah, and the Rosewood Bluff are coming together to play the entire album in it’s entirely. The show is only $10 and all proceeds are going to benefit the Coalition to Unchain Dogs and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. The concert begins at 9:30 p.m. though a free showing of Terrence Malick’s 1973 film, Badlands, will begin at 7:30 p.m. The screening of the movie is free of charge.
In this Local Beat Mini Exclusive, Jay, Rob, and I chatted about the bands playing the show, the charities, and the reason behind throwing this concert. Jay also brought in his acoustic guitar and a harmonica and played two tracks from Nebraska for us.
Inflowential stopped into the WKNC studio last Friday to talk about their upcoming show at Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, their first LP (on the way…), an imminent move, and to thank everyone they’ve ever met. DJ Kligz and I had a grand time chatting it up with them and spinning some of their music, so have a listen.
Last night on “Saturday Night Soul and R&B”, I had the pleasure of speaking with Chilli of the Grammy award winning, legendary and iconic R&B trio, TLC.
In the revealing interview, we discussed her new reality show, “What Chilli Wants,” her relationship with ex-flame R&B singer Usher, her love for Michael Jackson and so much more.
Drughorse One EP cover
Carter Gaj of Max Indian and Tom Simpson of the Light Pines came in to chat with me about this new six-song EP as well as the Drughorse “Cartel.” The guys played four covers of songs by 4 different Drughorse associated bands, which are free to download at the Local Beat ReverbNation page and you can listen to them to the right in the music player. Album artwork, the recording of the EP, and details to certain songs were all topics of conversation. I also spent a great deal trying to pry and gather details about this mysterious musical franchise from the fellas but didn’t find out very much – just that it seems to be a bunch of amazing musicians who hang out and share bands with each other. It is a seemingly exclusive club and begs interest and intrigue to all outsiders. The new EP is absolutely fabulous and will leave you begging for the new Drughorse related albums set to be released this coming year.
Our very own Laurie Lu (host of the Rockabilly Hour, Sundays 2-4pm) got on the horn for an interview this past week with the legendary Dex Romweber of the Dex Romweber Duo (formerly of the Flat Duo Jets). The Duo will be embarking on a European tour in April, and are playing The Pour House in Raleigh this Saturday, March 13th. Enjoy!
The Kickin Grass Band joined me for the last hour of the show to promote some of their upcoming shows and play some live tunes. Our conversation ranged anywhere from organic farming, to Lynda’s songwriting, and back to eating cats. It was definitely an interesting hour. All songs they played live are available for free download on the Local Beat ReverbNation page and you can listen to them in the music player to the right.
At 6 p.m. Wendy Spitzer came in to promote her debut full length album from Felix Obelix, A Tick of the Clock, A Beat in the Chest, which was released at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill Saturday night. The concert featured The Strugglers and a really interesting writing activity in which you write a letter to yourself eight months from now. That led to interesting conversation about her past projects that include a Time Capsule as well as a “Biggest Regret/ Best Decision” project from last year. Wendy and I also mused on her unique singing style as well as the very different musical instruments in her band.
Traffic on I-40 was terrible as Chapel Hill group Feeding the Fire got caught up and came in 25 minutes late. However, when they finally did arrive we had a lot to talk about since they are releasing their first full length album since becoming a band back in 2003, titled DisInfoNation. We talked about the writing and recording of the album, as well as the operation of their own record label, Own Life Records, and the album artwork of DisInfoNation. The album release party is this Thursday evening at the Local 506 with fellow locals Big Fat Gap and the Rocket Surgeons.
This morning I had Chapel Hill band Blag'ard come join me for a Local Beat Mini Exclusive to chat about their brand new album Mach II which is being released tonight at the Reservoir in Chapel Hill and at the Dive Bar tomorrow night in Raleigh. The show tonight will feature a magic and burlesque show with Rosie Hellfire and Reverend Spider with Michael Rank and Marc Smith doing an acoustic opening. There will also be free vegetarian chili to warm your bones. The show at the Dive Bar is featuring Asheville art-rock act Solito. Both shows are free.
Blag'ard is a duo and this is their third release and their second LP. We chatted about the making of the album, which was done mostly analogue, and partially recorded at Track and Field Studios. It also came up in our conversation that Adam is the third drummer of the band to have a child while being in the band, a topic which is fairly interesting. In addition Joe chatted about his website Pig Zen Space, a music download Web site with all proceeds going to the artist.
Let’s not forget the 2/11 Local Beer, Local Band show at Tir Na Nog that featured Bright Young Things with support from Luego and Naked Gods (straight outta Boone).
And let’s not forget the three interviews in one hour preceding that show. That’s right, I shuffled all three of these bands in and out of the studio. Better yet, Bright Young Things played a Jayhawks-inspired version of their own “She Left You Dreaming.” Luego followed with Patrick’s solo version of “Run Away” that will be on their album Ocho, to be released later this year.
Check the interview below – the catch is that you have to sift through to my voice to catch the live songs. But they’re worth it! Enjoy.
Three members of Wembley came in at 6 p.m. to chat with me about their newest release, Keywords for Robots EP, which the band put out late in 2009. I got a little upset with them for not promoting the album and sending it to me, all in good gesture of course. The band members provided an insightful view into their lives as hobby-only musicians and I had a lot of fun sitting down with them for the hour.
Reid Johnson from Schooner came in at 5 p.m. to talk about the band’s brand new release, the Duck Kee Sessions EP. All proceeds from the album go to benefit CyTunes.org which in effect goes to benefit cancer research. CyTunes is the only place where you can download the album. In addition to the CyTunes we talked about the release show for the EP this Friday at the Pinhook in Durham. Veelee, the Erie Choir, and the Popular Kids are also performing. This release show is unique in that instead of selling hard copies of the album, local musicians and artists have donated artwork that comes with a downloadable copy of the Duck Kee Sessions EP.
I had two members each of Annuals, Bright Young Things, and Gray Young to come in and talk about their show this Friday night in downtown Raleigh at the Pour House. The fellas were a little shy and all seven of us had to share four microphones, but we did manage to play brand new songs by all of the bands, including the entire brand new EPs by both Annuals and Bright Young Things while chatting about the recording process.
Yesterday on the Local Beat, we were filled to capacity for our three hour show (a recap with interviews coming soon) and so I had to exclude one of the coolest shows next week, the Love Hangover, which is happening at the Pour House Music Hall in downtown Raleigh once more. However, because The Love Hangover is just this cool I decided to do a watered down, short version of the Local Beat, for podcast only. Caitlin Cary and Matt Douglas came in to play some tunes and chat while we got the creator of the Love Hangover, Richard Alwyn to call in from NYC to talk about the history of the show and it’s many new incarnations across the United States.
Last week on the Local Beat was a lot of fun, as we had two bands in the studio for 2.5 hours of good conversation. Maria Albani, bass player of Schooner, came in to chat about her new solo project Organos at 5 p.m which is having a debut album release for the brand new EP, Limbs, this Friday at the Pinhook in Durham (it is already getting airplay on Satellite Radio). Organos is an interesting band in which Maria plays an assortment of unorthodox instruments such as spoons, glass, cardboard, boxes, shaker eggs, and sticks among other interesting sounds to create a unique yet immensely satisfying minimalist folk rock sound. On the album Maria performed most of the parts herself but live Organos is a whole different animal. A mini local super group of sorts, Organos live claims the likes of Reid Johnson (Schooner), Wes Phillips (solo, North Elementary, Rosebuds), Theresa Phillips (North Elementary), Nathan White (Nathan Oliver), and John Harris0n (Nathan Oliver, North Elementary), not to mention Maria herself. In our conversation Maria, Theresa, and I chatted about the album, the band members, the show, and also her past bands which include Pleasant, Tennis and the Mennonites, Un Deux Trois, & The Pox Family Singers.
Recently I got the chance to interview Tim Deaux of The Whigs. The Whigs are currently touring the east coast, with upcoming show at the Local 506. We talked about upcoming release of the band’s third full length album, “In the Dark,” and we discussed the process behind the creation of the upcoming album. This is Tim’s first full length album that he has recorded with the band, and since the release of their previous album “Mission Control” he has taken the role as the band’s full time bassist. For those of you who missed the live interview, here it is in its entirety.
It’s been quite a few weeks in coming, but Sweet Annie Rich has finally gotten her act together and cut the audio of her interview with Corb Lund on October 3. Corb provided quite the interview with a lot of his back story and put on an entertaining show later that night at the Berkeley Cafe.
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.
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?
DJ Mikey (who moonlights as DJ Wobble Wobble) chatted with Brian of Lonnie Walker about their new album, These Times Old Times (out on Terpsikhore Records), as well as their CD Release Show/Party. As you have probably heard, they played at Schoolkids Records on Hillsborough Street and then moved to Adam Peele ’s warehouse for another show and a party late night. Check out what they had to say about the album, the label, touring, and songwriting.
DJ Cioffi took his first spin at manning the Local Beat to interview long-time local band Pivot, who is playing at the Brewery this Friday, June 5th. They had quite a bit to say about their new album and so forth, as is evident below.
At 5:00, rock orchestra Easy Company joined us to talk a little about who they are, what influences them, and what to expect at their show Saturday, June 6, at the Halle Cultural Arts Theatre in Apex, NC. They also performed (as a mere 9-piece) 2 songs in the studio.
Then at 6:00, Liza Kate and Jenks Miller (Mount Moriah, In the Year of the Pig, un deux trois, Horseback) of Holidays for Quince Records joined us. Liza had her release show that night for her new album, Don’t Let the Dogs. We chatted a bit about the label and the weekend-long Holidays for Quince block party, and she was kind enough to play a few songs in studio for us.
At 5:00, Kim Gray brought a rather large posse with her, including Megan and Ian from Pistil, Paul and Junko from Scientific Superstar, Teresa from The Virgo 9, and Shirle from Free Electric State. We chatted about the upcoming Pick n Bitch Festival at the Pinhook in Durham. Our topics of discussion ranged from Durham’s (undue?) status as official “underdog of the triangle” to the word bitch and its connotation.
On Saturday 5/30, I had the pleasure of speaking with Reigndrop Lopes, sister of the late Lisa “Left-eye” Lopes, of the legendary, Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum group, TLC.
In the candid interview, Reigndrop talks about growing up with Left-eye, producing and being featured on Eye Legacy and being the first lady of Hip-Rock .
Reigndrop also discusses “The Last Days of Left-eye” documentary, possible new TLC music and the purpose of the Lisa Lopes Foundation.
Screaming Females will be playing this Sunday at the Nightlight with Bellafea and Caltrop, but first they’ll be coming into the WKNC studio to talk about their new record Power Move, their DIY ethic, and their time on the road for the last month.
Dan giving Chas a purple nurple in the WKNC studio
Gray Young called the studio during the latter part of the Battle Rockets conversation to let us konw that they’d been locked in the stairwell and unable to get in. So we went and rescued them and brought them in for the second half of the interview. They dispelled the self-contrived rumours that they’re playing with U2 in October. We discussed both bands’ future plans, which include WE Fest. Check out the interview with the entire cast of characters below.
Now, onto the show that night.
The lineup at Slim’s Downtown was this:
Battle Rockets
The Proclivities
Gray Young
Battle Rockets were entertaining and have quite a bit of energy, and it’s always fun to watch that level of energy coming from a two-piece. The Proclivities were–and have been for a little while–sans drummer, so they had D.A.R.Y.L. fill in and rocked out as a two-piece (a very dapper two-piece, might I add). Although the lack of a real drummer was sort of the elephant in the room (at the risk of using their song lyric), they were obviously having a good time, and so was I. Matt Douglas was chatting the crowd up as well, as per usual. Lastly, Gray Young took the stage around midnight. I must say, I’ve seen Gray Young several times over the past year or so, and every time I’ve seen them they’ve been exponentially tighter (and on this night, louder). It has been really fun to watch these guys as they play more shows together, and I can’t wait to see them again at the May 22 Lemming Malloy CD Release/Neckbeard Records Debut show at Local 506. That’s all for now, be sure to tune in to the Local Beat this week, details to follow in another blog post soon…
In today’s digital world, it’s great to see a band that cares so much about the physical release of an album. I love having something I can hold in my hands when I buy my music—the thrill of driving to my local record store, thumbing through the collection, talking with the clerk as I pay, peeling off that damn sticky tape before prying open the cover, admiring the pictures in the liner notes—owning the physical CD gives me more of a connection with the artist.
In the 1960s, the single was the primary means by which an artist released their music before bands like the Beatles and the Beach Boys demonstrated the artistic importance of the album. In 2007, Prabir and the Substitutes demonstrated their respect for the physical release of an album by intending for the duplicate copy included with their EP, Share, to be given to a friend. The group might not save the physical album from certain doom, but they’re putting up a valiant fight.
Our last guest of the evening was Ryan Richardson of the Kingsbury Manx, who joined us by phone. We talked about the band’s label, Odessa Records (owned and managed by band member Paul Finn). Odessa was having its “label release” party at Cat’s Cradle that night, which included all 3 bands on the label: Americans in France, Impossible Arms and Kingsbury Manx.
As Bombadil was leaving the studio, we were shuffling Double Barrel Benefit 6 band Lost in the Trees (2/13 of them, anyway) into the studio. They also played a previously unreleased track called “A Church that Fits our Needs,” a stunningly beautiful song with, as we noted, a touch of folk. We also talked about their upcoming date at the Shakori Hills Festival and some work the band is doing in schools (promoting rock, or pop, or whatever it should be called). Finally, we talked about the band’s next album, which should be released sometime this fall (check the Trekky Records website for more info). They also spoke a little about the show that night at the Lincoln Theatre.
Wow, what a day. We started off the Local Beat with an interview and in-studio performance by one of my favorite bands around, Bombadil. They played previously unreleased “Kate and Kelsey” and were also kind enough to let us spin a few tracks off of their yet-to-be-released album, Tarpits and Canyonlands. We talked about the imminent loss of Stuart, Daniel’s injured hand, the NC State Brickyard preachers, and how none of these things will stop the momentum that Bombadil has with new album to be released soon.
A little before the 6:00 hour, Brian Walsby, drummer of Double Negative and renowned comic artist, and Charles Cardello, co-founder of Bifocal Media, joined us in the studio. We talked a little bit about the Manchild 4 comic and Melvins CD release party. Walsby described Double Negative as a cross between Cat Stevens and Bread.
A little later on, Scott Phillips of Goner, Scott Williams (also of Double Negative) and Chris Jones (of The Loners) stopped in. We talked about party/show events as well as the growth of Raleigh as it relates to the cultural scene, and the unofficial pre-party dining location, The Remedy. But mostly, we chewed the fat.
So on Friday night Adam from A Rooster for the Masses stopped by with special guest James of Baltimore-based Scary River.
The reason for the occasion? ARFTM was playing at the Pour House that night alongside Scary River and the Desmonds, and playing another show Saturday night at The Cave in Chapel Hill alongside Death to the Details.
We chatted for the better part of an hour about everything from South by Southwest, which Scary River was on its way back from, to songwriting inspiration. Oh, and Adam gave away a copy of “Broken Era,” the band’s recently-released album, to a lucky listener.
Despite a a mere (baseball-induced) hour-long version of the Local Beat this week, we had an excellent show. I was joined by Chas, Dan, and Dopko of Raleigh band Gray Young to talk about everything from their show that night at Sadlack’s to where the band’s name came from (a question to which we did not receive an answer).
We also discussed the release of the band’s first album, Firmament, and where they plan to go from here. These are tremendously nice guys with a very bright future, and they have basically gotten better every time I’ve seen them live. There should be more on their show at Sadlack’s (including Dancing Tony documentation!) soon from Gray Matter.
At the 7:00 hour, I was joined by fellow DJs Cabbage, Gray Matter, and Mikey P and special guest T Bo, the entertainment coordinator for the Hillsborough Street Renaissance. We talked about the finer things in life: food and music, both of which were integral parts of the Hillsborough Street Renaissance.
At 5:15 I was fortunate to be joined by Mike Jackson of Red Collar via phone from Washington, DC. The band was excited to be kicking off their several-month tour that includes some shows at SXSW and a Saturday stop at Triangle Brewing Company in Durham for their CD Release Party. Mike described it as a “house party, with the biggest house we could find”–perfect place for Red Collar to have a CD release show, if you ask me.
Mike and I chatted a bit about the release show, the recording process, and live versus recorded music, in general. Red Collar has a reputation for putting on a blistering live show, and he affirmed that the CD is “a flyer for the show."
Rich of The Pneurotics came into the Local Lunch on 3/12/09 for a quick interview, live performance, and debut of brand new material.
The Pneurotics played with Pink Flag, River City Ransom, and The Dry Heathens at The Brewery last night (3/12/09).
First, let’s take a look at “Summertime,” a song you’ve definitely heard if you listened to WKNC with any regularity in 2008. It’s awfully hard not to tap your foot or dance along as they alternate between spewing clever lyrics and frantically banging away on guitar while a drumbeat in what, to my untrained ear, sounds like 2/2 time moves the whole thing along at a breakneck pace. And if you’re thinking about accusing Lonnie Walker of taking themselves too seriously, consider this verse:
“And I do the best I can with this head that I got.
And it’s a mighty fine nice head, and it’s got mighty fine nice thoughts.
And if my brain had legs and it could walk around the block,
it would wear a pair of sunglasses and Coppertone sunblock.
And all the people would be jealous as they saw it walk with style,
with its spinal cord a-wagging and its neurons running wild.
But there is no need for bragging all the words that it may speak,
because there are no legs attached to the ideas that it keeps.”
Very clever and playful word use that moves along so quickly that you don’t quite realize it the first few times you hear the song.
But a look at “Wider than White” reveals their other side. From the somber keyboard intro to the overlaying chord progression to Corum’s unmistakable moan to the shredding guitar solo a mere 50 seconds into the song, the entire orchestration has a very epic feel. The lyrics that operate in the not-quite-literal world lead us to the realization that there’s another, more sober side to Lonnie Walker. I’m not sure which I like more, but I do know this: I haven’t heard a song of theirs that isn’t damn good.
They have yet to release an album, but it is reportedly in the works. This means that you’ll just have to check them out at the Pour House on the first night of the Double Barrel Benefit 6, Friday, February 6. See you there.
In the meantime, check out their interview with Mz Kelly on WKNC from June 5, 2008.
More than 1,000 people attended a tribute to the late Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Coach Kay Yow, according to an article in today’s Technician. WKNC was honored to carry the event live and reproduce the audio for you here. Many thanks to WKNC Engineer Austin Page, Evening Exchange host John Boyer and everyone else at WKNC who made this broadcast possible.
The hour-long tribute features words by Director of Basketball Operations for Wolfpack Women’s basketball Robin Pate, Director of Athletics Coach Lee Fowler, Chancellor James L. Oblinger, Assistant Coach Jenny Palmateer and Interim Coach Stephanie Glance. As pictures do not translate well on radio, a video tribute to Coach Yow was not included. We instead rebroadcast an interview from Tuesday’s Sports Revolution featuring Patrick Kinas, play-by-play announcer for the women’s basketball team.
The day started off with Colossus’s Sean Buchanan and Bill Fisher stopping by the studio for a quick interview and exclusive debut of two tracks from their next album.
Colossus brought WKNC a belated Christmas gift in the form of two exclusive not yet released, songs from their next album that is set to hit the streets in a few months. Colossus played at WKNC & Tir Na Nog’s Local Beer, Local Band on Thursday, January 22nd, with Double Barrel Benefit 5 alumni, Tooth.
You can listen to the songs Kill More Better and The Mountain in the interview below.