Funky Reprieve

I love funk and RnB, I always try to have one radio show a semester entirely dedicated to the genre and as this was that show. Included in this playlist are a lot of old classics from those funky days gone by, as well as some 90s and early 00s RnB and a very special feature band on the playlist Ripe. Ripe is a dance pop funk outfit from Boston; they have played a gigs all over Boston and New England (even two gigs at Trinity College). They are great live act and they recently released a new album called "Hey Hello": it is the perfect album to let loose to and enjoy your night. Get ready to put your dancing shoes on.

Distraction Abstraction

This week I have tried to bring you guys a diverse collection of up and coming artists Botany, Myke Terry, and FAM. This is a very eclectic playlist with everything from singer/songwriter music to experimental hip hop and some modern soul. In some ways this playlist is a little distracted, but it will keep you on your toes as you move from genre to genre.

TJ & OG Take The World!

This was a 3 hour show that TJ Lee and I covered during a long weekend at College. Our initial theme was all throwbacks, but with so much time to fill we expanded it a bit. This playlist is filled with middle school dance classics, sweet singer songwriter ballads, and the coolest new indie rock and electronica. I want to thank TJ for his fantastic DJ skills and for some of the best radio banter ever heard on WRTC.

Universe - Ardyn

Ardyn is the electro pop collaboration of British twins Rob and Kate Pearson. "Universe" is their debut single, it represents a very promising start for the new group. The slowly building track is dark, dreamy, and reminiscent of The XX or Låpsley. The delicately constructed song starts with almost hesitant guitars, but with the aid of Kate's clear voice blooms into a foot tapping triumph. If this single is anything to judge them by their EP will be a success.

Trust - Half Moon Run

Half Moon Run is an alt-pop band bringing their own dreamy chill vibes to the already packed genre. "Trust" is an ode to unrequited love and watching others be happy, this emotional subject is reflected in vocalist and band leader Devon Portalje's dark vocals. Solid drums and keyboard round out the sound of the single to make it more of a rock track then a some of their most recent singles which sound more like Alt-J or Fleet Foxes. Their sophomore album "Sun Leads Me On" is supposed to be released on October 23rd; it will be interesting to see if this rock sound is something they have developed in this release. Something about this track reminds me of "Awkward" by San Cisco, I can't quite put my finger on what though.

 

September 29th Marathon Show

This weeks playlist presents a variety sounds for your listening pleasure. A more relaxed and sedated playlist than last week, the focus of this playlist is on lyrically masterful songs. Some of the artists I wanted to draw attention to are: Aquilo (a pop soul duo from England who's remix of Marian Hill's "Human" is killer), Allen Stone (an incredible new artist whose strong voice and strong messages have been soaring up the indie charts), and Alabama Shakes. Alabama Shakes is a Grammy nominated blues rock group from the South, their sophomore album Sound and Color debuted at number one.

Automatic - AlunaGeorge, Zhu

"Automatic" is a collaboration from 2 well known names in the dance pop world AlunaGeorge for their work with Disclosure and DJ Snake and Zhu for his anthem "Faded"; which was nominated for a Grammy. Released earlier this month, "Automatic", combines early 2000s garage beats with RnB and jazz. Aluna's child like voice intoxicates the track as it goes from beat to beat; towards the end "Automatic" slows down to bring in a wailing saxophone at the end track. With such an organic ending its the perfect track to end your Saturday night with.

Ghost Of A Chance - RAC mix

Ghost of a Chance- RAC mix by Young & Sick

This remix is a fantastic rework of a very artistic track. The original track has a much more sultry and dreamy tone, with some hard electric chords and strange synth sections. I think the remix makes the track much more listenable to the general public. RAC brings it usual magic to the remix, having it be exactly that a remix or reimagining of the original song rather than just layering dance beats on the track. RAC changes many of the synths parts to guitar sounds which really brings the track into it's own.  This is a remix to play with your  friends as you enjoy the last of the summer weather, and we say goodbye to the fun electro pop which has been all over the billboards this summer, in favor of the doc martins and rock which come with the cooling weather.

September 22nd Marathon Radio Show

A new year, a new time slot.

The beginning of a new school year at Trinity College means a few things for the college radio station WRTC: training new student djs, changing schedules, and most importantly the fundraising marathon. The marathon runs for 2 weeks every year in early fall, it is the only time of year that we ask for any money from our listeners, and now, more than ever, we rely on their backing to keep us on the air doing what we do best.
This was the first time we have had students contribute to producing the marathon programing. I was pretty excited to get on the radio waves a little earlier than normal and try and raise some money. We managed to get a few callers to call in and make donations which I was very pleased about. 
With my playlist for this show I just wanted to ease into the radio year with some great music. The first half of the playlist is a lot of new songs I have been enjoying recently, the second half is some old favorites that I never get tired of.

April 10th 2015

Artist/ Album/ Track

Florence + The Machine/ Ship to Wreak/ Ship to Wreak
Mumford and Sons/ The Wolf/ the Wolf
Mumford and Sons/ Sigh No More/ The Cave
Bon Iver/ For Emma Forever ago/ Skinny Love
Mumford and Sons/ Live From Shepard's Bush Arena/ White blank Page
Of Monsters and Men/ Crystals/ Crystals
Florence + The Machine/ What Kind of Man/ What Kind of Man
Lykke Li/ I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)
Florence + The Machine/ St Jude/ St Jude
Florence + The Machine/ Ship to Wreak/ Ship to Wreak
MOTHXR/ Easy/ Easy
The Kooks/ Listen/ Bad Habit
Caitlyn Scarlett/ Jurassic Jukebox and Other Drugs/ Mary Jane
Hilary Duff/ Sparks/ Sparks
Lord Huron/ Fool For Love/ Fool For Love
The Head and The Heart/ The Head and The Heart/ Lost In My Mind
Lord Huron/ Strange Trails/ Until the Night Turns
Verite/ Echo EP/ Weekend

Here is the link to the spotify playlist
https://open.spotify.com/user/1245841760/playlist/43GVmeno6ZT5DZCt3YWlO3

April 3rd 2015

Animal Years

Artist/ Album/ Track

BiPolar Sunshine/ Drowning Butterflys/ Love More Worry Less
Highs/ Highs EP/ Caniibal Coast
ODESZA/ In Return/ Sundara
ODESZA/ In Return/ Memories That You Call
Step Rockets/ Kisser/ Kisser
Caitlyn Scarlett/ Jurassic Jukebox and Other Drugs/ Bad Love
Dead Times/ Every Moment/ Every Moment
Caitlyn Scarlett/ Jurassic Jukebox and Other Drugs/ Mary Jane
Sufjan Stevens/ Carrie & Lowell/ Eugene
John Legend/ Love in The Future/ Save the Night
John Legend/ Love in The Future/ The Beginning
Daniela Andrade/ Crazy In Love
SOHN/ Tremors/ Artifice
Michael Persall/ This & That EP/ Twice
MOTHXR/ Easy
Animal Years/ Sun Will Rise/ Forget What they're Telling You
Animal Years/ Sun Will Rise/ Meet Me

December 5th 2015

Artist/ Album/ Track Title

Odesza/ In Return/ Sun Models
Panama/ Always EP/ Destroyer Remix
Odesza/ In Return/ For Us
Kygo/ Firestone
Lorde/ The Hunger Games Soundtrack/ Yellow Flicker Beat
Tove Lo/ The Hunger Games Soundtrack/ Scream My Name
Charlie XCX feat. Simon Le Bon/ The Hunger Games Soundtrack/ Kingdom
Portugal The Man/ Evil Friends/ Purple Yellow Red and Blue
Panama/ Always EP/ How We Feel
Les Sins/ Michael/ Why feat. Nate Salman
Les Sins/ Michael/ Bother
Les Sins/ Michael/ Minato
Lena Horne/ Let it Snow: Cuddly Christmas Classics from Capitol/ Let it Snow!
The Lettermen/ Let it Snow: Cuddly Christmas Classics from Capitol/ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Jane Hutton/ Let it Snow: Cuddly Christmas Classics from Capitol/ Song of The Sleigh Bells
Dean Martin/ Let it Snow: Cuddly Christmas Classics from Capitol/ The Christmas Blues
June Christy/ Let it Snow: Cuddly Christmas Classics from Capitol/ The Merriest
Nat King Cole Trio/ Let it Snow: Cuddly Christmas Classics from Capitol/ All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth
Connie Russell/ Let it Snow: Cuddly Christmas Classics from Capitol/ Snow Dreams

"People don't notice whether it is winter or summer when they are happy." - Anton Chekov

November 21st 2014

Artist/ Album/ Track Title

Autre Ne Vu/ Anxiety/ Ego Free Love Free
Prince/ Art Official Age/ What It Feels Like
Prince/ Art Official Age/ U Know
Tanlines/ Mixed Emotions/ All of Me
Haerts/ Haerts/ Giving Up
Chairlift/ Does You Inspire You/ Bruises
Interpol/ El Pintor/ My Desire
Parquet Courts/ Light Up Gold/ Borrowed Time
The Strokes/ Room On Fire/ 12:51
Tame Impala/ Lonerism/ Apocolypse Dream
Phantogram/ Voices/ Blackout Days
Phantogram/ Eyelid movies/ When I'm Small
St. Lucia/ Elevate/ Elevate
Neon Trees/ Everybody Talks/ Everybody Talks/
Kygo +Kyla Grange/ Cut Your Teeth

"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." - James Dean

Radio Show October 10th 2014

Artist / Album / Track Title

Wilhelm Tell Me/ A Short Story For the Road/ Growing Younger

Wilhelm Tell Me/ A Short Story For the Road/ Tourists

Sir Sly/ Haunt Me/ Ghost

Sir Sly/ Haunt Me/ Gold

Wilhelm Tell Me/ A Short Story For the Road/ Let Me Take You Away (the coconut wireless remix)

Interpol / El Pintor/ All The Rage Back Home

Blood Orange/ Master Mix: Red Hot & Arthur Russell/ Is it all over my face & tower of meaning

SOHN/ Bloodflows/ Bloodflows

Flume and Chet Faker/ Lockjaw/ This Song Is Not About A Girl

Hermitude/ Parallel Paradise EP/ Hyper Paradise - Flume remix

Hozier/ From Eden Ep/ From Eden

Hozier/ Hozier/ Like Real People Do

Wilhelm Tell Me/ A Short Story For the Road/ Chasing Planes

Banks/ Goddess/ Warm Water

Banks/ Goddess/ Drowning

James Blake/ James Blake/ Limit To Your Love

October 10th 2014 Playlist

ODESZA was the featured artist on this weeks playlist.

Artist/ Album/ Song Title

Sumilan/ Natural Selection/ How Now Do You Feel
Wilhelm Tell Me/ A Short Story For the Road/ Crashing Planes
Odesza/ In Return/ All We Need
Wildcat! Wildcat!/ No Moon At All/ Holloway (Hey, Love)
Odesza/ In Return/ It's Only
Go Wolf/ Go Wolf EP/ Talk To You/
Go Back to the Zoo/ Zoo/ Hero Of Our Time
Go Back to the Zoo/ Zoo/ You
Dinosaur Feathers/ Control/ When You Coming Out
Dinosaur Feathers/ Control/ Anything You Want
Prince/ Art Official Age/ Art Official Cage
Seven Lions feat. Ellie Goulding/ Worlds Apart/ Don't Leave
Wankelmut, Emma Louise/  My Head Is a Jungle/ My Head Is a Jungle - MK Remix- radio edit
Cazzette, The High/ Sleepless/ Sleepless ( feat. The High) - radio edit
Sienabo Sey/ Younger (the remixes) / Younger - Kygo Remix
Odesza/ In Return/ Say My Name

Interview With The Soft White Sixties

The band The Soft White Sixties is a rising new star from San Francisco, combining a rock and roll sound with soul and R&B. Their tunes will have you moving quickly and leave you breathless at the end of the show wanting more. Singer Octavio Genera channels MJ and James Brown in a high-energy performance dancing around stage and is capable of getting almost any crowd grooving.

I recently had the chance to talk with Octavio and his band mates, Ryan Nobel the bassist, Aaron Eisenberg the guitarist-keyboardist and Joey Bustos the drummer, about their origins, their influences and their favorite songs of the moment.

We met in the parking lot of a small venue in Felton, CA, huddled behind a large white van before they started their set. The sketchy setting didn’t stop the boys from joking around and enjoying themselves as they relaxed before they went on stage.

Are you all from San Francisco?

Octavio: We are all from the bay area, but we are all originally from different parts of Northern California.

You are all children of the Golden State; that’s a good way to be. How did you get together?

Octavio: We moved to the Bay Area through our own will to play music. Joey and Ryan met in previous bands, and Aaron was playing in another band and I was playing in another band. We came to the Bay Area to play music and through bands dying and forming and dying and forming we all met each other.

Ryan: There is a little bit of an interesting story about when the band first got started. Octavio was playing  guitar and singing at a party in San Francisco. Joey was there and he liked what he heard, so he audaciously walked up to Octavio and said “Hey! I’m your drummer, we are going to start a band”.

Octavio: It is true. What he said was “Do you have a drummer? Well I am your drummer” I was all “What?!”, and he was all “I’m your drummer lets do this”. Joey got it all together, he knew Ryan from their old band Link 80 which Ryan sang in; Ryan hadn’t played base before in a band setting, but he came in and sat and jammed with us and that worked out. Then we met Aaron at a show as well.

Aaron: Joey also came up to me equally as confident; basically saying “ You are going to be in our band”.

Octavio: Joey is definitely the catalyst, we were all floating around and he pulled us together.

Aaron: Joey is a talent scout.

How did you get involved John?

John: HAHAHA. Well I don’t play in the band I just do the lights.

Aaron: But he is very much involved now, he is part of the team- our family is growing.

Ryan: John is one of a growing number of people who we met and became fast friends with. The band now features about six other people who aren’t playing instruments but are players. John he plays the lights and he helps our shows look better.

Octavio: And his lights sound great.

John: They sound fucking awesome dude, I have had 25 hit singles, just on the lights.

Who were your influences?

Octavio: Well that is sort of a hard question to ask since we didn’t start out with the idea that we want to emulate this or that artist.

Ryan: I think the one thing we really wanted to be was a rock and roll band. With more rhythm, vocals, and melody. I think what we are doing now isn’t specific to any artists that we are trying to emulate. Since, we all come from different backgrounds what we are making together is it’s own thing.  So it is hard to say what the influence of the band is per say, we all kind of have our own lineage of music that we are into and that we have come from.

Aaron: We each have something in mind that we each strive for in terms of quality.

Octavio: But we love melody, we love well-written songs.

Joey: We love things that groove and make you dance.

So there aren’t any big names that you aspire too?

Octavio: Well that’s complicated. We could say some but that answer will change in three months and that answer is different from what we might have said four months ago. We hear stuff all the time that is influencing us.

Ryan: You might say that initially we were more influenced by classic rock and soul. Rock and Roll bands that tended towards more R&B and soul sounds, like Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones.

Octavio: The Faces

Ryan: But we have kind of evolved and our tastes have evolved so we have been trying other things. Now I would say it is a concoction of eight different styles.

What inspired these songs and your album “Get Right”.     

Ryan: Mainly our own experiences, and generally those that Octavio has had since he writes all the lyrics, so it’s a lot about what he has been through.

Octavio: Its pretty tied lyrically to one person in the band. But, if an experience is happening to one of us, it filters its way through us all since we spend a lot of time together – that definitely plays a role. Sonically there were songs that we had been playing around with for a while and then there were some songs that we wrote just for the album.  We wanted the album to be energetic but also how do you say…

Ryan: Meaningful or emotionally thoughtful.

Aaron: Something that was a whole piece, that was fast and slow. That was a complete album, not just like ten songs and that is it; something with hills and valleys – a journey.

John: It is an album that will kick your ass though.

I have talked with a lot of artists and they say it is so hard to pick a favorite song, its like they are all your children. But do you have one that is your favorite to play?

Octavio: I like ‘City Lights’ a lot.

Ryan: I would agree.

Octavio: I wouldn’t say that I like that one more because the others are worse, but it is one I always enjoy playing live. I like ‘City Lights’ and I like ‘Tilt-A-Whirl’ a lot. We all have different songs we enjoy playing because we all do different things on them.

Aaron: Listening wise, even though we don’t play it live to much, I really like ‘Roll Away’ on the record. That was kind of a special moment for us.

Joey: I agree.

Aaron: That was the first time we recorded a song like that, all live in one room with microphones and everything.

Octavio: We did it in two takes.

Two takes! That is really amazing.

Octavio: Well Ryan and Joey hadn’t really heard the song and Aaron and I knew it. They sort of learned it on the spot, which is a really cool way to do it.    Luckily the structure worked that way that. Nobody had too much time to overthink their parts, which catered to the simpleness of the song allowing the melody and lyrics be the focus of the song.

Ryan: It is an interesting song because it is very different to all the other ones. “Roll Away” is not a song that we play live because it’s not that energetic; it’s more of a pensive song that you can sit down and think about. The emotional part of the song and the way Octavio sings it is very tangible; you can hear that there is a real experience there. You are hearing what we played; we just sat down in a room and played. That is a special song and its different from what we play live.

Aaron: That one was just for the journey.

Can you each name a song that you would recommend?      

Octavio: I song I am into recently is “That’s the way I feel about you” by Bobby Womack who just passed away.

Joey: One I really love hearing right now is “Elephant” by Tame Impala, that’s one you put on and jam too—it’s a great song.

Ryan: There is a song I love by the band Unknown Mortal Orchestra from New Zealand called “So good at being in trouble”. The song is just a beautiful soul song, I think it is just a classic song, by a pretty unknown band and I would recommend people go check them out.

Aaron: Ryan played a Bill Withers song for me the other day that I hadn’t heard before, and it took me a little while to find it to on Spotify, it’s called “Kissing my Love”.

Ryan: That is a really great song that starts with this great drum break. He has one of the best drummers, James Gadson, and it just starts with some really groovy drums.

John: The Rival Suns too who you guys were just on tour with they were killer.

Octavio: Yeah. They are a good band too from down in Long Beach, CA. They have a song called “Electric Man” which is a straight up blues-rock song with killer vocals – that is an awesome song.

Aaron: Awesome dudes too.

Do you have any advice to up and coming artists?

Octavio: We are in that group still. The only thing I can say is don’t stop.

Joey: Definitely don’t stop. I have been doing this for 20 years myself, and I am in a band for the first time that feels really good and potentially successful and is always a good time. It took a long time and four bands to figure that out. I could have given up years ago but I didn’t , and because I stuck with things they are finally working out.

Octavio: I don’t think you are going to find anyone in a band that is “successful” who is going to say that it came easy.

Ryan: You are always going to have to put a lot of commitment and work into whatever you do, hopefully that will give way to improved quality. If it is just a hobby or an image thing and your trying to do it to be cool, I think that shows. If you put the work in then you will get the return and have something of good quality.

Aaron: And have fun! That’s the most important thing.

Visit The Soft White Sixties website here

And their Soundcloud here

Salad Night- A Mac Demarco Concert Review

Last week I was able to attend a Mac Demarco concert in Big Sur, CA. It was a hipster gathering in the heart of the California coast, filled with craft beer, flannel, rompers, sarcastic smoking, and weed. It was relaxed and intimate environment to see a truly talented musician preform and entertain his audience.

Big Sur is a true gem on the coastal road of California, and is the last major stop on Highway 1 going South before you reach the creeping edges of Southern California in Santa Barbra. The Big Sur lifestyle represents a lot of the values of Northern California: healthy living, being responsible for the environment and loving nature, and all sorts of other hippie notions fueled by decades of reefer madness - the perfect setting for a psychedelic pop/rock shoe gaze fest.

The concert was held at Loma Vista Gardens, a place that acts as a town center to the locals of the area. It is complete with giant tree house, small amphitheater, stage, and a DJ booth where the walls are made of tree trunks seeming to have grown around it.

When I arrived a light mist had started to fall on the revelers nestled into the mountainside. Most sat on the dance floor cross-legged passing around joints with their friends. All were dressed in a fairly hipster uniform of plaids, vintage sweaters and the latest from Urban Outfitters. When the DJ’s set came to an end everyone sat up and shuffled to the stage waiting for the opening act to start.

Calvin Love and his band opened with their own brand of synth heavy electro pop. The dreamy tracks had the crowd’s heads bobbing in no time. Calvin Love was the main attraction of the band playing most of the interesting guitar parts and singing. The songs gelled into each other and soon Calvin Love was finishing up their rather misty sounding set as the marine effect laying low in the Mountains of Big Sur began to drop more water on heads of concert goers.

Admittedly I had decided to go to the concert rather last minute and wasn’t extremely familiar with Demarco’ music beyond a few tracks off of his new album "Salad Days", but I was not disappointed. In fact, his live performance was even better than the recorded music. On the recorded music Demarco plays all of the parts, so when you hear the live version it is really different, because now you have other musicians in the mix and putting their own slant on the piece. Demarco’s vocals took on a new life as he hit higher notes then expected and held a tone entirely his own in style. His performance goofy and good natured laden with jokes and crowd surfing, reflected a really easy going sense of a man who is so often portrayed as a clown and joker, gap toothed and inappropriate.

The evening’s music had everyone moving, taking us through highs and lows all beautifully crafted by the crooning voice of Demarco. His new album Salad Days is now available to buy on iTunes. 

https://soundcloud.com/capturedtracks/passing-out-pieces