KSUB News: Week of 11/11/09

KSUB News: Week of 11/4/09

Top 30 10/27-11/2

1.DUTCHESS AND THE DUKE- Sunset/Sunrise
2.NIRVANA-Bleach
3.BUILT TO SPILL-There Is No Enemy
4.MONSTERS OF FOLK-Monsters Of Folk
5.PASSION PIT-Manners
6.GRIZZLY BEAR-Veckatimest
7.TALBOT TAGORA-Lessons In The Woods Or A City
8.KID CUDI-Man On The Moon: The End Of Day
9.FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS-I Told You I Was Freaky
10.NOAH AND THE WHALE-The First Days Of Spring
11.LA ROUX-La Roux
12.SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE-Diary
13.OWL CITY-Ocean Eyes
14.SOUNDTRACK-Where The Wild Things Are
15.SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH-Dark Signals
16.WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS-These Four Walls
17.RAVEONETTES-In And Out Of Control
18.GIN BETTY-Love Me Not
19.MIIKE SNOW-Miike Snow
20.DEER TICK-Born On Flag Day
21.JEREMY ENIGK-OK Bear
22.WHY?-Eskimo Snow
23.SEA WOLF-White Water, White Bloom
24.BRAND NEW-Daisy
25.U.S.E.-Loveworld
26.EUREKA BIRDS-Eureka Birds
27.FLAMING LIPS-Embryonic
28.PLACEBO-Battle For The Sun
29.WOLFMOTHER-Cosmic Egg
30.DEVENDRA BANHART-What Will We Be

Top 30 for 10/19-10/26 2009

1 PASSION PIT-Manners
2 NOAH AND THE WHALE-The First Days Of Spring
3 BUILT TO SPILL-There Is No Enemy
4 DUTCHESS AND THE DUKE -Sunset/Sunrise
5 GRIZZLY BEAR-Veckatimest
6 OWL CITY-Ocean Eyes
7 MONSTERS OF FOLK-Monsters Of Folk
8 SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH-Dark Signals
9 SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE-Diary
10 FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS-I Told You I Was Freaky
11 SEA WOLF-White Water, White Bloom
12 FLAMING LIPS-Embryonic.
13 KID CUDI-Man On The Moon: The End Of Day
14 ALICE IN CHAINS-Black Gives Way To Blue
15 SOUNDTRACK-Where The Wild Things Are
16 WHY?-Eskimo Snow
17 MIIKE SNOW-Miike Snow
18 NO AGE-Losing Feeling [EP]
19 LE LOUP-Family
20 ETTES-Do You Want Power
21 WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS-These Four Walls
22 OLD CANES-Feral Harmonic
23 BRAND NEW-Daisy
24 WALLPAPER-O
25 GIN BETTY-Love Me Not
26 MUSE-The Resistance
27 RAVEONETTES-In And Out Of Control
28 TOM BROSSEAU-Posthumous Success
29 SUNSET RUBDOWN-Dragonslayer
30 LOVELY FEATHERS-Fantasy Of The Lot

KSUB FALL 2009

Hooray! KSUB has begun broadcasting for the 2009 - 2010 school year! CLICK HERE, to check out our fall quarter schedule!

EXTRA CURRICULARS

The KSUB studio gets crowded when friends drop in to help KSUB General Manager (that's me!) take a break from gathering materials for Seattle U's Summer in Seattle. Can't wait to meet you all next week!

REVIEW | THE END OF A YEAR, "SINCERELY"

The album you have been waiting for. This is one that bridges the gap between punk and indie. With the legendary hardcore label backing them this band have not lost sight of their obvious traditional roots reminiscent of Fugazi, yet instead combined them with the somewhat indie efforts of bands such as irradio . The songs carry you along with their intricate, yet mellow, guitar parts and solid drums. The vocals are very unique and non-traditional. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO PLAY THIS ALBUM BECAUSE IT IS IN THE LOUD ROCK SECTION. This album will definitely please any audience willing to some great tunes.

-- Author Unknown

REVIEW | SINKING SHIPS, "DISCONNECTING"

A brutally honest and unique sophomore album from local hardcore band, Sinking Ships. Hailing from the NW this band has continued on with melodic hardcore with meaning. The lyrics on this album are personal and eye opening for any listener. The song writing on this album is dynamic and ear pleasing. This band aims to please. One of the best bands out there. Live shows are amazing. Support, support!

-- Author Unknown

This is an archived review from the old KSUB website, if you wrote it -- please let us know so we can give you credit!

REVIEW | THE HOPE CONSPIRACY, "DEATH KNOWS YOUR NAME"

BEST ALBUM OF 2006!! This album is a relentless assault on the ears. After four years since their last album, and zero shows The Hop Con has made a comeback. This album is dirtier than any previous album, breaking the mold of “hardcore”. Each song is filled with unique lyrical concepts dealing with our world today while shredding front to back. This is the good kind of hardcore mixed with metal influence album that metalcore wannabe’s have only dreamed of. If you feel like something in your life is missing, then it’s this release. Pick it up and spin these tracks. I guarantee they will not let you down with their in your face lyrical ideas and amazing music.

Recommended Tracks:
2, 6, 7, 11

-- Author Unknown

This is an archived review from the old KSUB website, if you wrote it -- please let us know so we can give you credit!

REVIEW | SMOKE OR FIRE, " ABOVE THE CITY"

This debut LP should put Smoke or Fire on the map. A punk album reminiscent of early Rise Against mixed with Hot Water Music will make many fans. With an political attitude not hard to find today these boys take it to the next level making it almost hard to swallow for some conservative music lovers. The lyrics are sophisticated and the music is aligned in such a way that the songs are unique enough to be different, but fit together like a puzzle. Expect the standard punk/hardcore drum beats, wailing guitars and angsty vocals, but don’t expect to be disappointed.

Recommended Tracks:
1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8

-- Author Unknown

This is an archived review from the old KSUB website, if you wrote it -- please let us know so we can give you credit!

Interview with Primordial

Metal Director Andy sat down with Primordial vocalist Alan Averill at the recent Paganfest show in Seattle. Here's what he had to say:

How has the tour been going?

Very good, very positive. There’s been lots of enthusiastic people. It’s our first time in North America so you have to take the rough with the smooth. Some of the venues are a bit different than what we’re used to. Some smaller, but an awful lot fucking enormous like theaters which you don’t get back home.

Has the crowd been reacting well?

So there’s been some days where the crowd is a little younger and usually the younger they are the less knowledgeable they are about what we’re doing. But I think we’re perfectly positioned between Korpiklaani and Moonsorrow. Some of the kids who come to see Korpiklaani will get challenged by something a bit different.

I’ve heard you say you aren’t really a fan of the whole ‘pagan metal’ scene. Do you think you’re making an impact on the kids who are just coming for the drinking/party/fun aspect of it?

Oh, definitely. That’s what we’re here to do, is to challenge people in that respect. We’re in a position where because we’ve been around for so many years younger people are beginning to realize that we have 6 albums and a 20 year history. Even some of the magazines are starting to say that Primordial is one of the founding bands in the whole genre. For the kids who maybe will like Enslaved for example, a band we would find a bit high brow, would also get into what we’re doing. Also because our live show is very aggressive they seem to get into us.

If you could tour with any 3 bands, who would they be?

How about…Heaven & Hell, Neurosis and Iron Maiden or AC/DC. That would be cool.

How’s the metal scene in Ireland; now compared to when you started?

Wow, that’s a big question. We started in 1991 and have our roots in the whole 80s metal thing. The second wave of black metal is what we were a part of. At least in Ireland, the bands who were around all wanted to try and make it; to be the next Metallica. They all wanted to get signed to a big label and all that. Bands like ourselves came along and we were making demos for £50 and we were in the tape-trading and fanzine thing so we basically killed that whole rock star scene as we called it. The people involved in that scene are still doing distros or magazines; some are running shops and record labels. And a few of the bands who had the willpower like ourselves are still around.

I think whenever you try to define a scene between now and then it’s simply pre-internet. That’s the easiest way to say it. Back then it was about writing letters and sending your demos to South America, Malaysia, Middle East, Scandinavia or whatever, and that’s what we did. I did a fanzine from 1990 to 1996. So it’s very different. I think the younger people now have a different view of…I think it’s symptomatic of music as a whole that maybe it’s less important to some people. Now it goes hand in hand with your gaming or social networking sites or that kind of thing. In the late 1980s it was just this violent second world in Dublin. Our affiliation with this music was a statement against what was going on. I would like to think that there are still people feel who way towards music, but the instant nature of this electronic age allows people to be lazy about the music that they like.

When you started Primordial in the early 90s, did you ever think it would last this long?

Not really. We didn’t start the band as friends, I just answered an ad. The bass player and guitar player just walked over and said we play, why don’t we start a band? We didn’t start as friends so it was impossible for us to fall out as other bands do. Now Primordial is like a constant in all of our lives, but it’s not the only thing that we do. We all have other things going on. We don’t rehearse that much, we don’t operate often as a band, we don’t even socialize that much. But when it comes to making music, that’s a thing that’s a constant in our lives.

Do you think being influenced black metal band helped set you apart when you got started?

Definitely. At least when we’re put into this whole pagan metal scene, which I think has more similarities to power metal. We came from that second wave of black metal and we will always have more of an affiliation towards Mayhem, Darkthrone, Master’s Hammer old Samael or Rotting Christ. That more aggressive, darker and harsher sound is always what we felt nearer to.

Can you talk about your art, I know you’ve designed some backdrops for bands over the years.

Yeah I used to do that a lot, but I haven’t had time to much lately. I still make a couple every once in a while for somebody or other.

As a vocalist, who are your biggest influences?

That’s a good question….when I was a kid I just wanted to be like Bruce Dickinson or Rob Halford, you know all the traditional metal vocalists. But over the years I’ve gone beyond the interest of technique. I’m more interested in the emotions people convey, whether it’s in tune or out of tune. But there’s nothing worse than another Michael Kiske Helloween copy with cut and paste power metal vocals. I can’t stand that kind of thing. I would much rather listen to the vocal stylings of Neurosis or something that tries to show more emotion. I would rather listen to Fenriz sing then someone like Angra.

But, that all said and done my favorite singer is Ronnie James Dio. He can just make the most over the top lyrics seem the most real thing you’ve ever heard; it just sounds like he means all of it. And to still be singing at age 65 is incredible. Especially Mob Rules and Heaven and Hell stuff. But I also like the old heavy metal singers; the old 1980s Eric Adams and David Defeis from Virgin Steele kind of stuff. But I also like the old-school obscure black metal vocals. Generally anything that doesn’t use that screamo/emo “RAR RAR RAR, whoaaaoooaa” shit. All those metalcore bands have the same vocalists, it sounds like the same guy signing for every one of those bands. Also, if you’re using the vocals as a monotonal instrument than I’m not going to like it either. I don’t want a cookie monster sound, none of that does anything for me.

So what’s next for Primordial?

Immediately we have a couple festivals in Europe. We’ve done two tours for this album and we played 20 or 25 festivals last year. I think everybody just needs some space and time off and then we’ll start writing new songs. For the first time ever we’re under a bit of pressure to live up to the last album. Before we always kind of surprised people because we were never a big band in any respect but now it’s obvious the level of the band has risen. 

And I can see the enthusiasm in this crowd. We’re bringing out all the old metal people. There are a lot of black metal people in America, and there’s a lot younger crowd, especially in Canada. But America is a place you can tour, people will discover you and buy your album an then show up with more people the next time. In Europe it can be like we might buy your album and we might see you but maybe not. We never wanted to be one of those bands; Primordial is never going to be Behemoth. As much as I respect those guys and like their work, I think we couldn’t do that. We would just kill each other. But we don’t make a living from Primordial so it’s not compromised in anyway. We could go home and quit the band now and that would be it, we wouldn’t have any regrets.

THIS WEEKEND & MUSIC & YOU

Hooray! It's an exciting weekend for music lovers in Seattle!

Tomorrow, APRIL 18TH, is RECORD STORE DAY!

Record Store Day is a celebration of independantly owned music retailers choc full of in-store specials, preformances, and more! For instance, in Seattle...

Silver Platters is offering 20% off vinyl and DVDs. Meanwhile, Easy Street is hosting several special in-store events and exclusive releases for sale. CLICK HERE for more information on their website. Sonic Boom is also hosting a number of in store events and preformances, including SAY HI and VETIVER at the Ballard location -- you can see their full schedule HERE.

The EMP POP MUSIC CONFERENCE is also going on all weekend. Pre-registration is closed, but if you get there early in the day you're chances at the FREE open registration look good. They've got all kinds of fabulous music discussing panels and dance parties happening all weekend. Too many to list here, but if you're a real music nerd, you'll be there! Feminism & punk! The history of ragtime! The legal issues re: sampling! Music & sex! And more!

Blue Tarp @ KSUB April 18th!

Blue Tarp, winners of the recent SU Battle of the Bands, will be playing live on KSUB next Saturday, April 18th -- the day before their show down the street at Neumos. The broadcast will begin at approximately 3pm, or just come down to the studio in the basement of Campion to watch the neo-grunge masters play!

RADIOHEAD vs. the RIAA

Torrentfreak.com reports that Radiohead will testify against the Recording Industry Association of America, in defense of Boston University student and file sharer Joel Tenenbaum. The debate over filesharing has been raging for years, with lobby groups like the RIAA accusing small parties of stealing while being accused of underpaying their own artists, withholding royalties, suppressing technology, price fixing, and more. The RIAA frequently argues that filesharing and piracy hurts labels and artists and will be the death of the industry, but Radiohead's history of giving away music for free and still sucessfully making millions says otherwise.

This year, KSUB began distinguishing between new independent and RIAA-affiliated rotations. As music director, I hoped that starting this practice would give a boost to bringing new sounds to KSUB, which would also support independent artists when we report to CMJ. Although DJs are not required to play independent rotations, distinguising between RIAA-affiliates and independant artists helps our DJs explore new music when they don't have time to sort through everything themselves.

SEATTLE'S NEXT BIG THING

Hey gang!

I've got a hot scoop on Seattle's music scene straight from the bowels of craigslist. Someone is trying to assemble the next big boyband (maybe just a couple years too late) I-FIVE. For seriously. Please alert all your frosted hair having karaoke buddies.

Auditioning Singers for New Seattle Boy Band "I-Five"

"Everyone has heard of Otown, Backstreet Boys, All For One, Boyz To Men... Now we are looking to put together a hot new all boy band right here in Seattle! Owners of new record label (Fleming Music)are looking for five, handsome, soulful, singers to help bring this new boy band to life! We are seeking those singers that have a "Justin Timberlake" type sound as most of the groups music will be primarily love ballads. Artist must be between the ages of 18-25 and have the dedication to go all the way to the top! We will book all gigs, take care of all studio cost, cover all radio and television press ,etc..."

What's Up With Metal?

Lots.
In the most prolific quarter in my tenure as Metal Director, we now have over 50 hard/heavy/rockin albums in rotation. That's just new stuff! Here are a couple of my personal favorite currently spinning:

Luna Mortis (Melodic Death Metal)



Within the Ruins (Progressive/Technical Metalcore)


Obscura (Progressive Death Metal)

And don't worry! Shows are slowly starting to trickle back to Seattle starting in a few weeks!

[ ♫ ] KSUB TOP FIVE, 2/17 - 2/24

01. Belle & Sebastian, BBC Sessions
02. Matt & Kim, Grand
03. Lilly Allen, It's Not Me, It's You
04. Lights, Self Titled EP
05. Mi Ami, Watersports

This week was dominated by Belle & Sebastian's BBC Sessions, a selection of recordings from 1996 to 2001 that include four rare tracks. They're one of my favorite bands, so I'm glad to see them getting lots of spins. Matt & Kim continue to rock KSUB with their newest album, Grand -- a fabulous record, go get it if you don't have it already. Lilly Allen's It's Not Me, It's You is also ranking high. You can check out a review of that album just a few posts below. One girl electro-hipster wonder, Lights, is not far behind Lilly in the rankings. And my new favorites Mi Ami (who just came through the Vera Project yesterday, actually) finish out this week's top five. They've been reviewed in this blog as well.

Tune into KSUB this week to catch all of these albums in rotation and more!
There are currently 80+ new albums battling it out on KSUB at the mercy of our talented DJ's

SU IS NOT SHORT FOR WSU

Universal sent us Asher Roth's single, "I Love College," this week. No! No, no, no, no. I would rather break that CD into tiny, gut piercing shards and eat it than put it into rotation. But nobody's holding a gun to my head, so I don't think it will come down to that. I would send it to WSU if I wasn't so sure that they erected a golden idol of Asher Roth to worship in their wheat fields.

I thought this video was like, viral marketing for Not Another Teen College Movie III.

Fun fact: You'll note that he originally sampled Weezer, which everybody thought was so fun but when it got to the radio, the Weezer sample is gone. And also, he uses the phrase "awfully crazy." Rock on, bros!

YOU GOT RADIO IN MY NEWSPAPER!

Check out the mini-program guide in the Spectator this week!

The Valentine Mixtape Cheat Sheet

Ten tracks by local artists to woo your lover and up your indie cred.
By: Emily Hiraki

D.I.Y. Solves 21+ Dilemma
A peek at the Seattle DIY scene from the inside.
By: Cameron Collins

Seattle Gets Built & Butchered
Portland Natives The Builders and the Butchers get the thumbs up.
By: Kelli Upshaw

Musique Heads to the States
Two French-Language releases are already topping the charts this year!
By: Emily Hirkai

KSUB Delivers Live
All about Live Music on KSUB!
By: Arman Birang

REVIEW | MI AMI, "WATERSPORTS"

Mi Ami, "Watersports"
Quarterstick Records, February 17, 2009
Review: Emily Hiraki

Watersports is my favorite album of the year so far. True, it's not for everyone – you won't find anything like their wild, ethereal sound on Top 200 radio. I feel the only way to describe Mi Ami is as the jungle cousins of Wild Orchid Children that are still fighting to rock after being given a sedative. Their seven long tracks are more like some kind of ambient experiment than any song, with healthy doses of expertly crafted swells of energy. These San Francisco natives are doing something so right with quiet, driving beats straight out of the jungle and disjointed vocal melodies. This is one of those albums that compels you to seek out the band live because you know it will be an adventure/party. And lucky us! Mi Ami is coming to the Vera Project on February 24th.

Check out their Myspace.

REVIEW | LILLY ALLEN, "IT'S NOT ME, IT'S YOU"

Lilly Allen, "It's Not Me, It's You"
Capitol Records, February 10, 2008
Review: Emily Hiraki

Lilly Allen is a modern woman! In this week's release of It's Not Me, It's You, breakout British songstress Lilly Allen has all but abandoned the sweet and easy sound that she brought to the States in 2006. It's Not Me, It's You mixes Allen's soft voice with drum machines and keyboards in a gentle re-branding of her pop sound. In past interviews, Allen has mentioned that she tired of her first album Alright, Still and was excited to do something new with It's Not Me, It's You. But in the album, you can hear the struggle between new styles and the fear of losing fans – the result is something that too carefully walks the line between old and new. An enjoyable album that's destined to get lost in the shuffle this year.

[ ♫ ] TOP FIVE, 1/27 - 2/02

01. Past Lives, Strange Symmetry
02. Hey Marseilles, To Travels and Trunks
03. Reel Big Fish, Fame, Fortune, and Fornication
04. Matt & Kim, Grand
05. Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavillion

Local badasses, Past Lives topped our charts this week! They're opening for the Murder City Devils next week. I wonder how many DJ's I'll see there... Hey Marseilles also dominated! Good thing Katy made the arduous trek down to SU Admissions to collect the album from frontman Matt Bishop!! Reel Big Fish's summer fun cover album ranked third! Matt & Kim are well deserving of their spot in our top 5. Seattle, I seriously hope you caught them at Chop Suey on Matt's birthday! And Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion remained hot on the charts for the third week in a row!

UPDATE: Speaking of the fabulous Past Lives and Hey Marseilles, I just recieved an e-mail from Loveless Records announcing that both bands will be playing SXSW as part of the SxSeattle Showcase. They'll be joining the Blue Scholars, Common Market, Barcelona, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, New Faces, Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band, and Dynah. For free! Now, if only I could get down to Austin...

IT'S THE KSUB BLOG!

KSUB is Seattle Univerisity's number one, student run radio station. A fabulous alternative to commercial radio in the Seattle area and around the world! We've been broadcasting online since 2003. We do have a super low power FM transmitter, but since it's home is on top of Lemiux library which is currently under construction, our FM broadcast is on hiatus!

Seattle University! Stay plugged into our RSS feed for local music updates, concert calendars, and GIVEAWAYS! Don't miss a chance to get on the guestlist to see one of your favorite artists for free. That goes for the rest of you, Seattlites too! Our music and promo department are working hard this year to take advantage of all the swag that comes through our inboxes!