Heavy Rotation Update: ADDs for the week of 4/23-4/24

Hello hello hello, is there anybody listening out there? I wasn’t sure.

Anyway, the weather here in Carlisle has taken yet another drastic turn for the cold and depressing, with some apocalyptic rain for good measure. For those of you suddenly depressed by copious amounts of last minute papers to write plus the lack of sunshine, here’s a breaded cat to cheer you up:

Anyway, here are some of the adds for this week:

Anathema — Weather Systems: This band is pretty doom and gloom, but not so much so that you need to curl up in to a ball afterward. A little more 90s alternative than I usually go for, at least in public, they definitely work as a pleasant mind meld when you’re tired of pretending that OFWGKTA is the only thing you ever listen to outside of working out at the gym. RIYD: 30 Seconds to Mars (lol), Porcupine Tree, Muse

Joel Plaskett Emergency — Scrappy Happiness: Who doesn’t like a guy with a dreamy voice singing about nostalgia and stuff? I would describe this album’s genre as being a creature of “wistful rock music.” Let’s get weepy. RIYD: Paul Baribeau, Ted Leo, Elvis Costello

The Guiltracket — Thuds and Grunts: Still not sure if that’s all supposed to be one word or two words. Oh well. This band is probably my favorite add for the week, just saying. They’re a lot punkier than we usually have in our binder, and they balance it out by having plenty of folk edge to them as well. RIYD: This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Ghost Mice

Anyway, keep your nose wet and your tail dry. Er…

Love,

Tori

 

Heavy Rotation Update: ADDs for the Week of 4/16-4/17

Hello hello, radio followers and fleers…and sheep…ers,

Apparently Carlisle weather decided to switch from almost freezing to SWELTERING summer weather overnight. I’m as shocked as the rest of you. Truly.

A little heat can’t stop ME from giving YOU the latest updates to the station’s heavy rotation binder this week though. In fact, I like the excuse to hide from the sun. No vampire jokes allowed.

Delish.

Anyway, here are the ADDs for this week:

Sarah Donner — Fossil of Girl: This album is truly lovely. Sarah Donner’s sound reminds me of a young Alannis Morisette, though slightly less angry and probably best friends with Tegan and Sara. RIYD: Bjork?

Live Animals — Live Animals: This band is a rag tag group from SoCal and they fair from a skate punk surf snob scene indeed. RIYD: Sublime, 311, people in animal masks.

Toro Y Moi — June 2009: A revival of some of Toro Y Moi’s older and unreleased tracks, reminding us all why we luv him so much in the first place. RIYD: Best Coast, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Flaming Lips

Part Time — What Would You Say?: Synthetic pop is making a come back…who knew it ever left? RIYD: M83, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

Horse Feathers — Cynic’s New Year: Weird album title, great album. Horse Feathers is back with an even more folky Americana album. RIYD: Iron & Wine, Damien Rice

the breakups — running jumping falling shouting: This band isn’t nearly as obnoxious as their band name and album title. RIYD: The Shins, Elliot Smith

Alabama Shakes — Boys & Girls: This band has some serious Southern soul power. RIYD: The Black Keys, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

CHYEAHHHH BOIIIIII

Anyway, anyone else remember Sailor Moon? So magical.

Have a great rest of the week, try not to break anything, and eat lots of pizza.

Love,

Tori


Heavy Rotation Update: ADDs for the Week of 4/10-4/11 (Late, Oops)

Sorry about the lateness, I’ve been distracted by derpy cats for most of the week. As well as school assignments and a nasty cold. Excuses, excuses.

Anyway, my ADDs for the week are as such:

Vivian Darkbloom — Know Your Exit: Folk rock is always great, especially with a dark edge. This band kind of sounds like if The Decemberists got lost in the woods on a really bad day, with Straylight Run writing the lyrics. RIYD: The Kooks

Mark Alexander — Closer: Apparently “Midwest Rock” is a genre now. And this band is the epitome of that, cowboys and blue jeans and angst for the win. RIYD: Ray La Montagne

Ontario — Ontario: Described as an “indie rock powerhouse” this band is comprised of a multi-talented multi-instrumental set-up. They’re not actually from Canada, but they’re still pretty dreamy. RIYD: Fleet Foxes, C0zy Galaxies

Jonny October — The Wheelhouse: Would you look at that, I reviewed a hip-hop artist. This guy is unassuming to look at, but he has some great lyrics and a general knack of hip-hop. RIYD: Kid Cudi, Flobots

Well, that’s all I got for this week. Tune in next week for more weird pictures and/or memes. Yeehaw!

Happy Thursday,

Tori

 

Heavy Rotation Update: Adds for the Week of 4/2-4/3

Hello again radio fiends, friends, and furry animals alike…

Hope you are all having a wonderful start to April so far, and that you didn’t experience too many traumatic experiences on April 1st. Honestly, the only reason I knew that Sunday was April 1st was because of the premiere of the new Game of Thrones season. Yeah, I said it…

Anyway, here are the ADDs for this week

Raven & Chimes — Comparable to Arcade Fire, a fun soft indie rock band with a lot of piano and a refreshing etheral quality. RIYD: Arcade Fire, The Kooks

Emily Wells — Mama: She may or may not be one of the sisters in Coco Rosie, or perhaps a long lost relative. Her voice is devastatingly beautiful and her music is just as haunting. RIYD: Coco Rosie, St. Vincent, (Old) Nelly Furtado

You Knew Me When — You Knew Me When: Couple doing the Mates of States shtick but not actually Mates of State. Cute, easy listening music. RIYD: The Swell Season

Lux — We Are Not The Same: Really great grungey yet pop rock album. RIYD: Abe Vigoda, Sonic Youth, St. Vincent

Enjoy!

Heavy Rotation Update: Tori’s Favorite For The Week of 3/20/12

Hello radio friends and fiends,

Music directors of the past used to blog about the weekly heavy rotation updates, what was good and what  was favored, etc. Well, I’ve decided to pick up the mantle once more and try to keep this blog more updated on the heavy rotation front. We’ll see how it goes.

So far of this weeks ADDS, this artist has really caught my attention:

Sleigh Bells – “Reign of Terror”

The second full-length studio album from the electronic power-pop duo, this album is full of brain blasting synthetic beats and lyrics about suicide and possible illusions to war. Or something. While the lyrics are cheesy at worst, and love sick at best, the album as a whole is a pleasurable and yet fun listen. Recommended if you like Beach House, Cults and M.I.A. Best tracks of the album are, arguably, “Born to Lose” and “End of the Line.” This album also could have totally been part of the Drive soundtrack. If you haven’t seen that movie: GET ON IT.

Feminsit Ryan Gosling is Feminist and also like Sleigh Bells

“Treats” was a great album, but this album is deeper and darker, and by deeper I mean the attempt at depth is a little more obvious.

Heavy Rotation Review — Age of Adz

Highly anticipated with the release of his bulky EP All Delighted People, Sufjan Stevens’ tenth studio-released album The Age of Adz was finally leaked a few weeks before its planned release in October. October 12th was the target release date, but with heavy streaming of the album in its entirety on NPR and our instant gratification-orientated society, the album is readily available now to anyone who has access to the lovely internet. The Age of Adz is Stevens’ first song-based full length album in five years. As opposed to the state-themed albums that made him a household name, The Age of Adz seems to be more about the end of the world and collapsing romantic relationships than any of the fifty-one states. This theme of the end of the world is first introduced with the album’s actual title, which in itself is a reference to the apocalyptic artwork of schizophrenic artist Royal Robertson.

Stevens appears to be embracing a more electronic based sound in this album, as opposed to the heavily acoustic and instrumentally-dominant sound of his earlier albums. However the dramatic element of his sound that made it unique in the first place is still retained. This is apparent even in the first track of the album, “Futile Devices.” The track has a hazy and dreamlike quality as Stevens introduces the listener to one of the album’s overarching themes; love. The second track of the album, “Too Much,” meanwhile, introduces an industrial element to the album’s sound. It reminds one of the Flaming Lips’ popular track, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part 1.” The song almost has the feel of a videogame soundtrack like Mario Kart or Donkey Kong. Sufjan Stevens’ ever present choir singing along also succeeds in reminding one of his earlier popular songs “Chicago” with its melancholy, haunting quality. “Too Much” also reintroduces Stevens’ infamous trumpet domination.

The title track of the album keeps up with the dramatic yet upbeat sound of the album, while also having almost gospel undertones. There are many illusions to death within the song as well as apocalyptic imagery. Stevens has always made spiritual and religious illusions in his music. While this song appears to be a little more subtle, the album’s theme itself is very heavily influenced by the theme of the apocalypse. Another song on the album that greatly supports this theme of Armageddon is the song “Vesuvius.” The title itself is a reference to Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that erupted at Pompeii, wiping out an entire ancient civilization yet preserving their bodies eerily well with its ash during the eruption. However, the song is also strange lyrically in the way that within it, Stevens addresses himself directly and appears to almost be giving himself a sort of pep talk as well as reminding himself of his own self-destructive qualities. In this way, it makes the song an even more intimate look into the artist himself and the album more representative of the relationship that Sufjan Stevens has with his listeners.

The longest and possibly most complex track on the album is the closing song, “Impossible Love.” A whopping twenty-five minutes long, it switches gears and tones numerous times and has enough substance to be at least three separate tracks. The first fifteen minutes of the song start slow with the use of a piano as opposed to the more upbeat electronic sound of the rest of the album. Addressing a woman who has broken his heart, Sufjan’s voice fades in and out, giving the song a psychedelic dream-like quality. The raspy guitar also adds to the haziness of the song. The song then fades into a more electronic sound which it carries all the way into the ten minute mark. All of the sudden, Stevens utilizes auto-tune, made famous by our good friends T-Pain and Weezy. This gives the song an almost neo-hip hop sound as Stevens preaches about ignorance. Then the song takes a more upbeat tone around the fifteen minute mark, tipping a cap to Daft Punk and Justice. The theme then relates more to appreciating life for what it is and appreciating it. This is apparent with the lyrics “It’s a long life, better pinch yourself.” The song also relates back to the album’s overall theme of the apocalypse with this song, as by urging listeners to take life for what it is, he reminds one that with the end of the world so close at hand, we better take what we can get. Then, finally, with three minutes left in the song, Stevens reverts back to his acoustic roots. It seems that Stevens is apologizing for the confusion that either this album has caused the listener or that life itself causes to all of humankind. The message that we can accomplish more together than alone from the beginning of the song is repeated and Stevens urges that his only goal is to find pleasure and to accomplish something greater.

The All Delighted People EP might have been the precursor to The Age of Adz, but nothing could have prepared one for all that is awesome and confusing about Sufjan Stevens’ latest album. Themes of the apocalypse and hearts broken run rampant throughout the album and a more upbeat electronic influence is also apparent. However, there is still much of the old Sufjan sound in the album as well. While disconcerting in its newness and daring in its weirdness, The Age of Adz does anything but disappoint.

Heavy Rotation Update-4/23

I’ve got TWO WEEKS worth of awesome music for you guys! I know, I know I dropped the ball and didn’t do an update last week. Never again will I put my academics ahead of music directoring. But we’ve got some really stunning albums here at WDCV and we want to share that awesomeness with you:

River City Extension– And The Untouchable Man Like the Avett Brothers? Heard of Hoots and Hellmouth? Perhaps you like a little Spanish flavor in your folk rock. This happy album is the one for you! I especially like track #5.

Slow Club- Yeah So It’s really cute! If you are a traditional pop fan (Lenoard Cohen etc.)/folk songwriter fan you will love it! P.S. There is a cd of bonus tracks in new music!

Serena-Maneesh: S-M2: Abyss in B Minor Simply amazing, well thought out album. It has a tendency of getting weird (track 1 and 7) very amazing regardless.

Evelyn Evelyn Super weird story line of these pseudo conjoined Siamese twins (Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls and Jason Webley) as they go on adventures!

Foxy Shazam- s/t Sounds like a mix between Mika and The Mars Volta (I think this is right- but the handwriting is kind of hard to read…).

Jonsi- Go Lead singer for Sigur Ros has done a solo album. Not as crazy as their normal stuff though.

Electric President- The Violent Blue A super chill album that is still really fun. Nightmare No.5 or 6 is my personal favorite.

Young Livers- Of Misery and Toil Finally something NOT lofi 60s throwback etc… No idea says, “The culminating effort radiates and underlying majesty and grace that belies the more overt aggression.” When are they ever that eloquent? This album is good.

Inlets- Inter Arbiter Dude has a great Beruit vibe- not coincidentally, since they work together sometimes.

The Henry Clay People- Somewhere on the Golden Coast Band has a strong Modest Mouse Vibe. Do you guys like Modest Mouse? If so maybe you’ll disagree but anyway, it’s pretty fun.

Horse Feathers- Thistled Spring All I can say about this: SO PRETTY!

The Radio Department- Clinging to a Scheme Gorgeous indie pop/shoe gaze from Sweden. A bit hard to say what they sound like but I like the Bloc Party Vibes that randomly pop up through out the album. A good listen.

The Do- A Mouthful French people like them! I think they are ok.

Balkan Beat Box- Blue Eyed Black Boy I’m late on this sorry! Anyway this is a much more listenable album than the last but still pretty cool!

The Pack AD- We Kill Computers I’m freakin’ in rock love with this album. It’s got this great grungy sound, but it isn’t noise or obnoxious. It’s very reminiscent of The White Stripes, if Amanda Palmer from Dresden Dolls did the vocals.

The Living Sisters- Love to Live It’s a really good album, it features the lead signer of The Birds & The Bees also in heavy rotation.

Mathaniel Rateliff- In Memory of Loss Solid album. You can’t go wrong with any track. It’s really chill and mellow but not boring.

The Mynabirds- What We Lost In The Fire We Gained In The Flood Good album. You can’t go wrong here. Definitely hints of Rilo Kiley in there.

The Slacker-The Great Rocksteady Swindle Oh, The Slackers! Keepin’ ska faith for all of us.

Dr. Dog- Shame, Shame Drink Up Buttercup’s drummer recommend this to me. It sounds like if Of Montreal played bars like in “Piano Man” ok that’s an exaggeration kinda.

The You Know Whos- Five Songs (They were just here at DICKINSON!) Did you go to Rock-Hop on Friday? Then you already LOVE them. Did you not go? Now you can see what you missed!!

Caribou- Swim Guys the album art for this is awesome. Oh the music is good too I guess.

Laura Stevenson & The Cans-  A Record I love this woman. Prettiest music ever!

Whew! That’s a lot of music folks. Does it seem like we’re missing anything? Give us a shout in the comments and we will see what we can do!

Hugs and Kisses,

WDCV Music Directors

Jen’s New Obsession – The Pack A.D.

So my friends at Pirate sent me this awesome album that I can’t get enough of currently. It’s called We Kill Computers and it’s by The Pack A.D. It’s a girl duo consisting of Becky Black and Maya Miller from Vancouver. It sounds alot like if The White Stripes and The Black Keys got together and had a baby, but that baby looks more like the White Stripes than the Black Keys. That baby’s siblings are also The Kills and The Gossip. Wouldn’t you like to meet this baby?

Pack A.D. is loud, edgy without being noisy and obnoxious. It’s got a grungy, unpolished Jack White-ish guitar riffs along with Meg White-esque simple and clean drums. The opening of Pack’s Crazy is reminescent of the Stripes’ The Hardest Button to Button and Pack’s Everyone Looks Like Everyone has hints of Stripes’ My Doorbell. The vocals on Cobra Matte sound like Amanda Palmer from The Dresden Dolls and she’s super awesome. Even without all the similarities, it’s an awesome album that you should seriously check out. Tune in to wdcvfm.com and 88.3 to hear it played all the time.

The Slow Club: Yeah, So

I don’t know about you guys, but one thing I really look forward to about warm weather is summer music. You know what I mean–bright, cheerful, fun music that just makes the sunshine seem that much brighter. The debut full length “Yeah, So” from Sheffield, England band Slow Club is definitely a candidate for that great warm-weather album.

Slow Club consists of guitarist Charles and percussionist Rebecca. Their music is a perfect balance between folk and pop songwriting: sweet, melody-driven, and full of vocal harmonies between the two members. It’s classic and free of gimmicks, and while it may not be mindblowing, having it playing in a room will make everyone a little happier.

You can listen to Slow Club on their myspace–and, of course, by listening to WDCV!

Heavy Rotation as of April 5th

Hello Lovelies! We have been busy little beavers here, working on getting everything ready for our awesome Rock-Hop concert weekend, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve been ignoring heavy rotation! Here’s what we’ve got for you this week:

Disco Biscuits- Planet Anthem: Brotastic jam/livetronica from Philly. Some good cuts, solid synth and tight baselines.

Fugitive Souls- Strangers EP: COMING TO DICKINSON APRIL 16TH.

The Bird and The Bees- Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oats: Hall and Oates cover album Woot! Private eyes are watching you.

Josiah Wolf- Jet Lag: A member of the band Why? this cd sounds like a more chill version of what Why? usually creates.

La Strada- New Home: I wasn’t quite sure about this album at first but it really grew on me! It’s a really versatile album with a ton of different instruments and that seems to jump from genre to genre

Rotary Downs- Cracked Maps & Blue Reports: AMAZING ALBUM. A band from New Orleans with really creative lyrics and a diverse sound.

Anything you guys think we’re missing? Give us a shout and we’ll do our best to get our hands on it.

Much love,

WDCV’s Music Directors