Carolina Grown Preview: Nov. 1, 2013

As we come upon another week, we're preparing for another two full hours of fantastic local music with Carolina Grown! This week is an awesome one, as I'll be joined by one of my favorite local acts Gross Ghost as they talk about their brand new album Public Housing that was released this week on Odessa Records. I've also got local community members Corbie Hill and Chris DeFusco joining me to talk about their First Friday event "Let Feedback Ring."

"Let Feedback Ring" will take over the first hour of Carolina Grown, I chat with Corbie, Chris and Matt, a representative from Legends Nightclub to get some details about the inception of this now monthly event. "Let Feedback Ring" has been Corbie's brainchild for a few years, but at Hopscotch the name was used to promote a massive day party at Legends Nightclub that hosted 13 acts throughout the day. Now the two have teamed up with Legends to continue this wildly successful series, bringing Ghostt Bllonde, Le Weekend and Corbie's band Alpha Cop to the Legends stage (and catwalk!) on Friday, Nov. 1. Throughout the hour we'll hear music from some of the performers from the First Friday show as well as from the Hopscotch showcase while we chat about the group's involvement in the community, how it all got together and where they plan to go from here.

Gross Ghost will be joining me throughout the second hour for a segment I'm incredibly excited about. Gross Ghost has been a longtime favorite of mine since they released their first EP Lip City a few years ago, now the band has just released their second full length record Public Housing and finds themselves swiftly picking up steam in the local scene. With a solidified lineup and a fresh approach to their straight-forward hook-heavy indie rock, Gross Ghost is ready to ascend to prominence on the heels of this incredible album that chronicles the highs and lows of broken relationships and life's constant uncertainties. We'll chat a bit about the writing process within Gross Ghost, the struggles of laying your emotions on the line and some of the ins and outs of being in a "buzz band."

Carolina Grown Podcast: Oct. 11 w/ Toon & The Real Laww

The second week of Carolina Grown was an absurd amount of fun to record, even if there was only one guest on for the show. I was joined in-studio by Professor Toon and The Real Laww of the fantastic hip-hop duo Toon & The Real Laww. The two were preparing for their big EP release show at Kings Barcade with the iconic Cesar Commanche opening up, so naturally we had quite a bit to cover during the hour that these guys were in the studio. While North Carolina is known best for its ever expanding indie rock scene, there are many other facets of this state's music community that shine just as bright as the college rock crews that started up in Chapel Hill. Actually there's quite a few more than even I knew! Which is why I chatted with Professor Toon and The Real Laww about what brought them to the state, what keeps them here, and where they think the scene is heading.

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.

 

http://interviews.wknc.org/CarolinaGrown10_11_13.mp3

 

Carolina Grown Podcast: Oct. 4 w/ Virgins Family Band & Johnno Potts of Shakori Hills

One of the things that I've been most excited for about Carolina Grown is finally rearing its head. While I love getting the chance to chat with local artists and community members every week, not everyone gets the chance to plop down by a radio or computer to soak in this music and conversation. Thus, you've got to bring the shows to the people! I'll be archiving every episode of Carolina Grown so that listeners without a constant two-hour block on Fridays can have the same listening experience as those that do. While it's taken a few weeks to get these archives up and running, they will begin to regularly go up the week after said show has aired.

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 its 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!

 

http://interviews.wknc.org/CarolinaGrown10_4_13.mp3

Carolina Grown Preview: Oct. 25

For the final Carolina Grown of the month we've got another show filled with incredibly exciting local artists. The two acts that will fill this week's program may have vastly different sounds, but they share the same fresh, forward thinking mindset that we've come to look for here at WKNC. For the first hour I'm joined by Mipso, the immensely talented bluegrass/folk group from Chapel Hill and for the second hour I'll have Wendy Spitzer from Felix Obelix in to talk about her long-awaited endeavor.

Mipso is currently caught up in the whirl of their second full length album release, Dark Holler Pop, an album that chronicles the rich growth that the band has gone through over the past few years. While the band was long defined by their full-time student status over at UNC-CH, they've since become full time musicians and it most certainly shows on their newest album. The group has toured Japan and China, sharing their pop-infused bluegrass sounds with countless new ears and spreading their Southern sentiments to anyone willing to listen. Dark Holler Pop is an earnest album that chronicles many aspects of Southern living, the front porch rocking chair contemplation and the strong ties to your life back home. Mipso performs three songs from Dark Holler Pop and talks a bit about their album release show at Haw River Ballroom this Friday.

For the second hour Wendy Spitzer chats with me about her incredibly exciting and unique new project, The Ringtone Album. Released on Potluck Records on Nov. 5, Wendy has created a 30-track album that's filled with roughly one-minute tracks intended to be consumed as ringtones. In a musical landscape that's torn between full length albums and scavenged mp3 playlists, where does an expansive album of one-minute tracks stand? I talk with Wendy about the implications of such concise musical ideas, her intended models of consumption, and just how she came up with an idea as unique as this one.

Join us on Friday from 5-7 pm for tons of immersive conversation and a hefty chunk of local tunes to keep you satiated until next week's show!

Carolina Grown Preview: Oct. 18

The third installment of Carolina Grown is coming up swiftly, and this week's show is entirely themed around one of Raleigh's most exciting community events of the fall. The Cooke Street Carnival is an annual neighborhood festival that takes place on Cooke Street that showcases some of the many excellent cultural elements that are abound in the city of Raleigh. Live music is a staple of the festival, but there's much more to be offered at the event which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 19. I'll be joined by festival organizer Jedidiah Gant along with some of the featured artists at this year's festival including Prypyat, Hammer No More The Fingers, and Napoleon Wright II.

The event also teams up with a local non-profit organization to help raise funds and awareness for the group. This year the festival has paired up with Learning Together, an educational non-profit that works with developmentally disabled children. The head of the organization will be joining Jedidiah along with Jason Howard, the owner of the soon to be re-opened Quality Grocery.

Each year the festival follows a thematic structure and this year's will boast a vibrant display of the Southern cookout aesthetic. For years now we've been interacting with our neighbors through community events such as this, but Cooke Street Carnival just does so on a much wider scale. It helps build a tighter community for Raleigh's residents and allows everyone to connect on a personal level through delicious food, exciting events, and fantastic local music.

Some of the area's finest food trucks will be out at the event along with local breweries and other assorted food vendors. Local artists and art vendors will line the streets as well, making for a truly carnival-esque experience for all of those in attendance. If you needed anything else to drive home this family-friendly laid back vibe, I'd say that the Pickle Eating contest does so perfectly.

Tune in on Friday from 5-7pm. I'll speak with Jedidiah about the origins of the Cooke Street Carnival, some of his anticipated highlights, and where the festival can go from here. Throughout the show we'll also have live performances and interviews from Prypyat, Napoleon Wright II, and Hammer No More The Fingers!

For more information on Cooke Street Carnival you can check out their website

Carolina Grown Preview: Oct. 11

For the second week of Carolina Grown we'll be highlighting one of the most promising acts in the state's hip-hop scene. Toon & The Real Laww, a hip-hop duo from Durham, will be on the air for the first hour promoting their EP Release Show at Kings Barcade on Oct. 11. The two recently released a Double EP entitled You Know The Name/End The Beginning that features tracks from Toon and The Real Laww respectively. Though the two are billed as a duo, they thrive in their own aural niches. The two create their own beats (mostly), and have carved out their own separate hubs that are capable of stand alone excellence, but together they mesh brilliantly and seamlessly.

Toon & The Real Laww is comprised of Professor Toon and The Real Laww, two rappers that vary in approach but convey similar thematic properties in their music. While Toon & The Real Laww are capable of busting out some impressive lyrical wordplay, delivering witty punchlines with pinpoint precision, the true focal point of these MCs is the personality on display. Toon delves deep into his motivation for making it in the rap game and his humble, albeit sometimes chaotic beginnings. Laww's military background is an ever-looming presence on his raps, his production style lays a booming foundation for his powerful vocal presence and makes for a powerful listening experience. The two may not always collaborate on their tracks, but when they do the chemistry is palpable and beckons the listener to foray deeper into their psyches. Toon & The Real Laww perform at Kings on Oct. 11 along with Cesar Commanche, SkyBlew and Cosmo.

The second hour will be filled with a wide variety of new and old local music from the WKNC library. Though I'll be off at Shakori Hills soaking in the grassroots goodness, I'll be leaving you in good musical hands.