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 t...
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 hig...
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 s...
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 ...
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. Rema...
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 t...
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 m...
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 N...
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 rig...
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...
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 ha...
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 s...
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...
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...
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...
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 u...
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 o...
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 mu...
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...
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 tha...
Adam Kincaid is joined by Emily and Andrew of Mandolin Orange.
Adam Kincaid talks with Free Electric State.
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 ...
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...
