Best Albums of 2015 – WDCV DJ Picks

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As we get ready to ring in the new year, we at WDCV took a look back at our favorite albums of 2015. Here are some of the albums we had on repeat this year.

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Think
Speedy Ortiz – Foil Deer
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
Grimes – Art Angels
Mountain Goats — Beat the Champ
Sleater-Kinney – No Cities To Love
Lianne La Havas – Blood
Leon Bridges – Coming Home
Deerhunter – Fading Frontier
Mac Demarco – Another One
Pile – You’re Better Than This
UGK – Hard to Swallow
Chris Lightcap’s Bigmouth – Epicenter
Alex G – Beach Music
Waxahatchee – Ivy Tripp
Chvrches – Every Open Eye
Sufjan Stevens — Carrie & Lowell
Surfer Blood – 1000 Palms
Built to Spill – Untethered Moon
Kishi Bashi – String Quartet Live!
Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color
Public Service Broadcasting – The Race for Space
Viet Cong – Viet Cong
Purity Ring—Another Eternity
Jeff the Brotherhood – Wasted on a Dream

Black Lines – Mayday Parade Review

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For the past ten years, Tallahassee-natives Mayday Parade have been pumping catchy, emotional pop-punk into the alternative music scene. Through hits such as “Three Cheers for Five Years” and “Miserable at Best”, Derek Sanders and company have poured their hearts out into emotional lyrics and soaring melodic lines that evoke sadness and exasperation from their audiences, taking the listener by the hand and letting them know, “you are not alone.”

 

With their new full length album, Black Lines, Mayday Parade has taken that same message, but has attacked it from a different angle. This time around, they are a little more angry and aggressive, instead of sad and desperate. Starting with the first track, “One of Them Will Destroy the Other,” Mayday Parade delivers high tension vocals and guitars, with pounding drums that only let up for the occasional ballad. Producer Mike Sapone (who also produced albums by Taking Bach Sunday, Brand New, etc.) used his experience with other alternative/emo bands to help them achieve the grittier, edgier sound that the band was striving towards on this album.

 

From the first track to the last, this album is both a departure and a return for Mayday Parade. They isolated themselves from the rest of the world, including their friends, family, and label executives, and found an aggressive, emotional, and honest sound that they have been searching for since their debut.

 

For more on Mayday Parade, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and tune in to

88.3 WDCV.

 

 

Author Jonathan Northridge is an avid defender of pop/punk, plays guitar in an Irish folk band, and can beat anybody at Guitar Hero. Check out his show, Head Above Water, on 88.3 WDCV.

College Radio Day- Pop Up Record Store Event, Live on Britton, First Friday Downtown

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WDCV ALL DAY LONG! This is our prom. This is our birthday. This is the day where we get to celebrate our very existence. Will you celebrate with us? You have so many opportunities to show your support for the little station that could.
We will be on Britton Plaza over lunch (11-1pm)and we have an extra special guest just for the day. Dennis Gotthard is one of our favorite people in Carlisle but most people know him by the name the Mannequin Man.  He has an incredible, vast space just outside of town where he has a maze of building FILLED with mannequins, store fixtures, oddities and records.  So Many Records.  Thousands and thousands of them.  And for just one day he will bring it all out for a pop up shop where you can peruse his wares and purchase vinyl, quirky vintage items, mannequins and other surprises.  He should be set up on Britton Plaza unless there is poor weather, then he will be in the underground in the HUB.

We did a story about Dennis and his wonderland of mannequins and records last year.  Take 8 minutes and listen to his incredible stories and start making a wishlist for what you hopes he brings to campus to sell.  He only takes cash and checks so start saving your pennies and have your ATM card handy!

At 5pm we will be set up downtown for First Friday and the theme is Music so OF COURSE we have to come out! We will be set up in between the Hamilton Restaurant and Warm Springs Salon in the Cumberland County Historical Society parking lot. Come chill with us, dance to lively tunes and celebrate our very special day!


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Homecoming Weekend Open House Sept. 26th 2015 10-2pm

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Come visit us in the WDCV Studios or stop by Britton plaza to meet djs, eat snacks, and wax nostalgic about your own time on the air at WDCV. Stop by the studio if you want to get back into the booth and put some tunes out on the air again (or for the first time!). All are welcome!
Saturday September 26th 10am-2pm.

 

Fall 2015 Local-ish Show Calendar

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Did you know that there are places other than Philly, DC and Baltimore where you can see live music?  It’s true! You can drive between 20-60 minutes and see any of the shows listed below.  If you want more recommendations, just message us and we will set you on the path to awesome live music that is near by and affordable.

Harrisburg

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The Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Company are 21+ only unless otherwise indicated. ID is required regardless of age.
50 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
Recommended- Man Man.  You won’t see another show like it. Odd and full of energy.

 

 

MakeSpace
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1916 N. Third Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
All Ages Shows

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Millworks – 340 Verbeke Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102
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Recommended– Hot Jam Factory with Ton Taun
Dickinson Alum, Jordan Capizzi, is in Ton Taun.  Show some Dickinsonian support for great local music.

 

 

 

Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center

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Recommended- Pitch Black Brass Band

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Lancaster
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Chameleon Club
223 North Water St
Lancaster, PA 17603

York
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Bluegrass on the Grass 2015 Review

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On the first clear day in weeks, Dickinson College was the site of the 20th Anniversary of Davis Tracy’s Bluegrass on the Grass festival. I had heard the school hosts this little secret from some friends of mine, so when the opportunity arose for me to work the festival, I jumped at the chance. As someone who has never particularly cared for bluegrass, I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into…but after sitting through eight hours of non-stop bluegrass I will say this: Why have I never been there before?

 

First of all, the atmosphere throughout the day can be summed up in one word: happy. Everywhere I went, smiles were on everyone faces. Whether they had been there every year since the first festival in 1995, or were attending the festival for their first time, everyone in the over 3,000 strong crowd was excited and genuinely happy to be there. People had come from all over the country to this small town in PA; I met folks from Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Florida, and so on. One woman from Florida told me, “I made my sister come with me this year. She tried telling me that she didn’t like bluegrass music, but I told her that this was better than Christmas!”

 

Five bands took the stage this year, each of them playing two sets by the end of the day. The Dismembered Tennesseans were up first, and as they have played every Bluegrass on the Grass festival except for the first one, the audience was fully prepared for their unflinching yet refined take on bluegrass music. After them came a newcomer to the festival, Tellico, from Ashevillle, NC. What struck me about this band was their commitment to the art of the song; they did not riff or improvise a lot, but instead stuck to their songs of passion and heartache. After Tellico was Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. Fronted by award winning fiddler Michael Cleveland, these guys delivered the most virtuosic performance of the day. They ran through their songs while weaving back and forth through melodies and improvisations with impressive ease. While they were a tough act to follow, Jake Krack & the Bing Brothers did not show up to disappoint anybody. I am a fan of punk rock myself, so fiddler Jack Krack and his band were my favorite act of the day because they never let up on the intensity of their driving, in-your-face brand of bluegrass. Closing out the festival this year was another newcomer to Bluegrass on the Grass, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. Led by award winning vocalist Russell Moore, this band brought the audience to a standing ovation with their gospel-influenced bluegrass. I have no doubt that they will be asked to come back in the near future.

 

If you want to check out next year’s festival, stop by Dickinson College’s campus on July 9th, 2016. And if you want to hear some more bluegrass before that, check out WDCV on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday from 8-10 AM, either on 88.3 FM or at http://blogs.dickinson.edu/wdcvfm/

 

* Thank you to everyone who helped make the festival possible. Through your hard work and generous donations, Bluegrass on the Grass has been able remain free to the public, and will be back again next year.*

Music@Bosler Library 4/24 7pm Free: Country Bob & the Barbecue Boys Featuring WDCV DJ Davis Tracy

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The Music@Bosler Library series presents…

Country Bob & the Barbecue Boys

Friday, April 24th 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Bosler Library

158 W. High Street in Carlisle

$$ FREE $$

 

In the Spring of 1983 while roasting Vienna sausages on a small hibachi on a patio overlooking Big Spring Creek in Newville Pennsylvania, Paul Strother, George Sneed, and Davis Tracy sat playing some of their favorite tunes.  This was the setting the three named themselves Country Bob & the Barbecue Boys.

 

Soon thereafter, Larry Marschall joined the Boys and in recent years Glenn Carson became a member.  Numerous other local and Tennessee born pickers have participated in the Country Bob experience, yet, to our knowledge, Bob himself remains unknown to this day.

 

With influences of folk, old-time stringband, traditional bluegrass, and Texas country music in their backgrounds, Country Bob plays works of Stephen Foster, Flatt & Scruggs, Guy Clark and John Hartford.  The band has played for Carlisle First Night, the first Bluegrass on the Grass in 1996, the Gettysburg Railroad tours at Aspers Fire Hall, and various backyard barbecues.

 

Glenn Carson – Fiddle and Banjo

Larry Marschall- Banjo

George Sneed- Mandolin

Paul Strother – Bass

Davis Tracy – Guitar

 

 

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Inspirational Electronica to Wake You Up

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Fatima Al Qadiri’s recent EP Genre-Specific Xperience, released originally under a pseudonym, brings an eclectic taste the table. Mixing cultural sounds as broad as Islamic chants, Catholic hymns, and steelpans, this relatively short album leaves you both entranced and frightened. The eerie mix of the ever-present electric steel drums and elevated chants imagines a horror film set at a tropical resort. The head track “Hip Hop Spa” especially recalls some sort of religious evocation that the next track answers with a high-tempo percussion hurricane. Don’t miss out on “Vatican Vibes” or “Corpcore,” the former bringing Baroque-style firmly into Al Qadiri’s art while the latter’s pulsing march of beats invokes industrial beats. For those new to Fatima Al Qadiri, she’s an electronic musician (read: DJ) currently living in Brooklyn, originally born in Senegal, and grew up in Kuwait during the Gulf War. Her work across constantly recognizes her trans-cultural history, as her album last year Asiatisch worked off themes of “the China” viewed from a Western lens through pop culture and the ways these cultural forms are exploited until they lose all meaning. Her political meaning behinds Xperience seems less obvious, but listeners won’t be disappointed if they pick either album up.

Local(ish) Concert Calendar-Spring 2015

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Do you love live music? So do we.  We also love local music, free music, and under-represented  music so we have complied this handy calendar of shows that will get you through the semester.  Instead of only listing shows in the big cities, this list is comprised of a lot of shows you can scurry off to on a week night and still get back so you can make it to the 8:30am class tomorrow.  The farthest location is Baltimore but that’s an easy jaunt from Carlisle (1 1/2 hours or so).

FYI: Messiah College – SAB B-Sides Shows – FREE shows every other Wednesday in their Student Union- 20 min. drive from campus

02.08 All Ages Punk Show and Gallery Opening (Bands: What’s Wrong With Adam and Ido Me)- Metropolis Gallery– Mechanicsburg, PA-6-11pm
02.09 Jeffery Lewis – Diane Cluck – Rivers (from Carlisle)- Makespace – Harrisburg, PA 8pm – All Ages – $8
02.11 San Fermin – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM
02.12 The New Pornographers- Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD $35
02.16 Sons of an Illustrious Father – Ben & Joe – Makespace – Harrisburg, PA 8pm – $5 donation
02.19 Hot Mess – The Market Cross Pub-Carlisle, Pa-8pm

02.20 & 02.21 Millennium Music Conference Shows–Greater Harrisburg Area-2 Nights, 300 Acts & Artists-All showcases are open to the public, the majority are free, and most all genres of popular new music are represented.

02.24 Helmet – Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA -$17
02.27 Rivers – Bosler Library – Carlisle, Pa – Free – 7pm
02.28 –Hail Mary Mallon (Aesop Rock & Rob Sonic)– Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD $20
02.18 PHOX & Field Report – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM – FREE
02.25 Banda Magda – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM – FREE
03.09 Stelth Ulvang – Flower Garden- Makespace – Harrisburg, PA 7:30pm – $8
03.11 Son Lux – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM – FREE
04.15 Alvvays – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM – FREE
05.02 Amani Multicultural Festival – Carlisle, Pa – Free 10am-5pm – The festival will include two main stages & mini street stages.

 

WDCV Alums Release New Albums

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Two WDCV Alums have released free albums over the past month that you should check out.  Dwight Dunston (Sterling Duns), ’10 and Ryan Sarno, ’09 are coincidentally both located in Princeton, NJ.  Here’s hoping we can convince them to come back and play a show together at Dickinson College.  

Ryan Sarno:
Stuck in the Present, the third volume in my History Lessons series which features improvised compositions determined by the recording process, poems, and buckets of veryryansarno guitar – check the neutron bomb guitar solo in “Infant”, the slippery, faltering groove in “Like Thirty” and “Biggerthatinmylife”, and the loop pedal snatched, snowball development in “Waypayja”.

Dwight Dunston (Sterling Duns):

For the last few months I have been collaborating with some of my former athletes turned friends/music companions on one of the most exciting projects I’ve been a part of. It is a 9 track album mostly featuring myself (Sterling Duns) my friend Aqil (Qilo) and my other friend Aqeel (Qubicity). Together we go under the name QDQ, and we are very excited to premiere our first full length project. There are also features from my lil sis (Debby Duns) good friend from college (Keys) and good friend in high school/now even better friend today (Rick Banks).

Here is a little more about Dwight from a Dickinson article a few years back.

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