Songs We Love is a series and a podcast that looks at the stories behind some of the songs we're playing on our new music discovery station, WUNC Music.
Normally on the show we focus in on one song -- but for the next two episodes we're trying something a little different. We're going to take some time to talk through WUNC Music's 18 for 18. It's a list of 18 records we love that came out in 2018. On part one you'll hear discussion about and music from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Leon Bridges, Phil Cook, Neko Case, Anderson East, Brandi Carlisle, Mipso, Wye Oak, and Superchunk.
On Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
“(‘Tearing at the Seams’ is) their second album… …and they’re on Stax Records which is cool, you don’t see a lot of bands on Stax these days, one of the greatest labels of all time, so of course they made the list.” – Brian Burns
On Leon Bridges
“Leon Bridges is one of the best. He’s a 29 year old singer from Fort Worth, Texas. He kinda makes you think of Sam Cooke when you hear that voice coming out. It’s amazing to think how young he is… …it’s just so great.” -- David Brower
On Phil Cook
“When Phil Cook says ‘People are my Drug’ – that guy means it. He is a people person with a capital P. He’s just a lovely guy to be around, it’s great to see him perform on stage and I love the warmth in his music.” -- Eric Hodge
On Neko Case
“She’s an incredible songwriter and performer. I don’t think she’s put out a bad album.” – Brian Burns
On Anderson East
“There’s a few songs from that album (‘Encore’) that got a lot of play from us, but ‘All In My Mind’ is probably my favorite. I think it’s a stand out. He’s got a huge voice.” -- Brian Burns
On Brandi Carlile
“There was a time when ‘The Joke’ was easily the most played song on WUNC Music. It’s Brandi showcasing her huge voice, shows incredible range, and tells a poignant story with it.” -- David Brower
On Mipso
“When you listen to Mipso now you can hear the huge progression they’ve made in terms of songwriting, performance and production. This album (‘Edges Run’) was the first one they recorded outside of North Carolina.” -- Eric Hodge
On Superchunk
“Many called this one (‘What a Time to be Alive’) the best protest album of the year, hearkening back to a time when punk rock was political, and more than a little angry.” – Eric Hodge
Listen to the episode here:
You can find all the albums on WUNC Music's 18 for '18 at Schoolkids Records in Raleigh and Chapel Hill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcfrzJdEM7M
