Album Review: "33.3" by Monsonia

33.3 was released on October 19 on Holiday For Quince Records

Monsonia is a three-piece post-punk band out of Raleigh/Chapel Hill that have been making waves in North Carolina's scene for years now with their tight, gritty sound that continues to develop with each album.  "33.3" is Monsonia's latest effort and their first record released on Holiday For Quince Records.  Even with "33.3" being the band's first album as a trio, you can tell the band flows excellently together with bassist/engineer Nick Petersen, drummer Andy Willard, and guitarist/vocalist Carter Browning all producing a sound that seems rough around the edges, yet calculated at the same time.

Show Preview: Butterflies Album Release 11/20 at The Cat's Cradle

This Saturday, Butterflies will be celebrating their album release with a very special show at The Cat's Cradle...and a free one at that!  Butterflies are coming out with 4 other fantastic bands from the area to give you a free night of amazing local music, AND a chance to pick up their new record "Residual Child".  The lineup at the Cradle on Saturday will feature Wes Phillips, Cassis Orange, Erie Choir, The Strugglers, and Butterflies, quite the array of bands from the area.

Album Review: "Residual Child" by Butterflies

"Residual Child" is released November 23 on Trekky Records 

Butterflies are a band out of Chapel Hill that just released their sophomore record, "Residual Child" on Trekky Records, a record that comes out of the gate pretty clear with it's intentions...to have some fun. More specifically, the album focuses a lot on finding happiness in what's around you, and when you put out a record like this one there's a lot to be happy about. The band has improved leaps and bounds since their last record, adding another member with Patrick Jones who has added much more depth to the band than on their previous record.

The Bottom String Session w/ Birds & Arrows

While staying in Chapel Hill over the weekend of Troika Music Festival, held in Durham on November 4-6, I got to sit down at the studio with Birds & Arrows as they were getting some recording in and do a Bottom String Session with them.  Birds & Arrows opened up the Troika Music Festival to a packed crowd despite the cold, wet weather in Durham on November 4 and left the crowd thoroughly pleased.

We talked a bit about the upcoming Stroke It, Noel performance at the Cat's Cradle, their progress on a new record, and the Musical Chairs Compilation as well.

Birds & Arrows played two songs for me outside of the studio, a new on called Beyond The Pale and Time Alone.  These videos can be found at the bottom of the page and also on our Youtube channel.  The interview can be found below:

Album Review: "Amusement Park" by Transportation

Amusement Park was released on Odessa Records on October 12

Transportation are a band out of Chapel Hill that takes an intriguing spin on the traditional indie rock sound, but not in the way you'd expect.  Transportation have the same crunch and distortion as all of the other bands, but their vocal melodies and guitar solos give the feel of a classic rock band.  The way that the band intertwines the two sounds makes for a very individual sound that you don't see in many of the other bands around the area.

Troika Day 3 Highlights

Before I say anything about the night's festivities I want to say that Troika 2010 was an amazing weekend full of amazing music. North Carolina's finest shined throughout the festival and proved to everyone in attendance why the Triangle has one of the best music scenes in the whole country. A big thanks goes out to everyone who put the festival together and to everyone who helped keep the wheels spinning throughout the weekend.

Troika Day 2 Highlights

Day 2 of Troika proved to be a night that was somehow even better than Day 2.  The night opened up with a set that I knew was going to be good, but didn't realize HOW good.  Wesley Wolfe at Motorco was the first show of the night for me, and it was a show that shone throughout the night as one of the best.  Wesley Wolfe and his band all made it feel like they truly enjoyed being on stage and they brought a great energy to Motorco that seemed to fill the room as the heads began bobbing and the bodies began to move.  Wesley Wolfe definitely was one of the highlights of the night for me.

Troika Day 1 Highlights

The first day of Troika definitely set an amazing mood for the days to come.  The night started off a bit later than anticipated seeing as my stay in Chapel Hill lasted a bit longer than I was trying to, so unfortunately I missed Birds & Arrows set at Central Park.  However, I came just in time for the beginning of Mosadi Music's set.  The band kicked off their set with some crowd interaction that as they said "would keep you warm".  The moving around did just that, and the funk-rap sounds of Mosadi Music kept the crowd entertained.

Troika Music Festival Itinerary

The Annual Troika Music Festival
 in Durham kicks off Thursday

Troika Music Festival is back yet again with another awesome lineup.  Now looking at the schedule you may see a bit of conflict amongst who you want to see, but hopefully The Bottom String can help you clear that up a bit.  During our stay at Troika, The Bottom String will be recording Bottom String Sessions with Old Bricks and Birds & Arrows, both of which we're very excited for!  However, onto the schedule:

Album Review: "Southern Rescue Trails" by North Elementary

Southern Rescue Trails was released September 24 on 307 Knox

Chapel Hill's North Elementary put out their sixth LP back in September with "Southern Rescue Trails" on 307 Knox Records.  The band uniquely combines crunchy, distorted guitar riffs with infectous synth lines for a very interesting sound once you throw lead singer and songwriter John Harrison's gritty voice into the mix.  The band will be playing at Troika Music Festival this weekend in Durham