Debut: "Love Is Loathing" by Ghostt Bllonde

Artwork by the wonderfully talented
Dan Barbour

As January draws to a close we're getting closer and closer to the release of our first compilation, "The Bottom String Compilation Vol. 1".  Drawing from acts from Wilmington to Charlotte, this compilation will boast a wide array of unreleased or newly released tunes from some of the most promising acts of 2013.  With Ghostt Bllonde preparing to play at WKNC's Double Barrell Benefit Day Party on Saturday, what better time to debut the first track from our compilation?!

Our first Ears to the Ground piece covered this brand new band that's risen from the ashes of Coastal Vision, but the two acts couldn't be farther apart in their approach.  Ghostt Bllonde takes a rough around the edges approach to traditional pop sentiments, resulting in a lo-fi brand of garage punk all their own.  Ghostt Bllonde is one of the first bands I sought out for this compilation, the band has a knack for catchy melodies and blistering hooks that linger in your head and "Love Is Loathing" is a perfect example of that.  Check out the track below:

Hear Here: January 25 - January 31

Finally, Hear Here has returned!  In case you're not familiar with our old series, Hear Here is a weekly feature that highlights all of our favorite upcoming shows around North Carolina with a strong focus in the Triangle.  This week is absolutely packed with phenomenal shows, from indie legends to rising stars, the tobacco state sees one of the strongest day-to-day schedules we've seen in a while.  From the frenetic garage masterpieces put out by the prolific Ty Segal to the transcendental folk tunes of the reclusive Jeff Mangum, there's a bit of something for everyone within this batch of shows.

Show of the Week: Jeff Mangum w/ Tall Firs @ Brooklyn Arts Center in Wilmington, NC

Ears to the Ground: Dirty Art Club

When I first heard Dirty Art Club I was absolutely blown away.  The psychedelic influenced electronic music of this Charlotte duo was filled with enough soul and groove to compel a head bob at the very least, but its nuances and textural depth is where the band shines.  Hexes, the band's most recent EP, explores a multitude of sonic landscapes, each one containing equal amounts of chaos and serenity.  These tunes are meticulously structured yet smoothly flowing, they beckon the listener to dig deeper and explore everything this electro-psych duo has to offer, which as we find is quite a lot.

Drawing mostly off of samples, Dirty Art Club brings a hip-hop style of production to the electronic game and produces incredible results.  Each track has a strong sense of rhythm that remains anything but static, and that makes it that much easier to lose yourself in this adventure of an EP whose only fault is that ending too early.

Before the 2012 release of Hexes the band dropped a full length Heavy Starch in 2011 and they'll be continuing their streak with yet another EP in 2013.  It's only a matter of time until this duo explodes, each year has proved to be more productive for Dirty Art Club and 2013 opens up a plethora of possibilities.  Phonosaurus Records out of Quebec already caught on, signing the group last year and releasing Hexes in July, the group was also featured on Vice's The Creator's Project where the band gave a sample-by-sample breakdown of the track "Black Acid", and were featured atop Noisey's "Best Beats of 2012" to end the year on a massive note.  With a new frontier before them in 2013 this trip-hop group can take their tunes to unseen heights.  Hopefully they make their way towards the eastern part of the state sooner rather than later, as their music would be a fantastic live experience.  Filled with deep 808 kicks and spastic percussive rhythms, these smooth beats could take the reigns over a massive dance party that would be foolish to miss out on.  Hop on the Dirty Art Club train soon, because I wouldn't be surprised if it takes off this year.

Check out the stellar title track from Hexes below:

Ears to the Ground: Libraries

For the second installment of our new series I've chosen to highlight another band that will be featured on our upcoming compilation.  Libraries are a band signed to Grip Tapes that bring an electronic blend of soulful tracks ranging from upbeat remixes to massive originals that boast neck breaking rhythms that are impossible to sit still to.  2012 was a productive year for Libraries, while the group released countless remixes and a strong group of originals, they've been honing their already on point live skills   and riding the recent trap wave all the way to the top.  Libraries are easily one of my favorite electronic acts in the state, this Wilmington outfit has taken an incredibly melodic approach to the heavy hitting style of club-oriented dance music and crafted electronic tunes that one can listen to with a chest rattling sub whilst dancing your ass off or alone at home with a pair of headphones.

Libraries are meshing the worlds of soulful, funky dance beats with the trilled out trap style of bumping bass and blazing hi-hats, and quite frankly the results are incredibly satisfying.  Tracks like the "BYRD$" displays these sentiments perfectly, the band builds off of a strong melodic idea and adds depth through roaring layers of tight percussion and explosive synths.  While one track can be a smooth and funk-filled adventure, the band is capable of absolute bangers like 1988, found on their Wilmington Bootlegs, which opens with a fuzzed out analog synth and quickly evolves into a wonderfully expansive track that explores the depths of their musical direction.  It's a spastic blend of electronic noise that's been pieced together wonderfully, proving the duos mastery of production as well as composition.

Libraries have great things ahead in 2013, they're only continuing to grow musically with an ever expanding knowledge of electronic composition and their sounds are definitely starting to turn some heads around the state.  I hope to catch a Libraries set this year, as their studio sounds have left me awe struck and aching to experience this in the proper setting.  Check out their track "BYRD$" below and be sure to look out for their track on The Bottom String Compilation Vol. 1

Ears to the Ground: Ghostt Bllonde

Throughout the first few weeks of 2013 I'll be highlighting some of the most promising acts that you should be keeping your eyes on this year.  Last year was incredible for new bands, there were countless mind-blowing debuts and it looks like 2013 will be much of the same.  While NC favorites like Mount Moriah, Schooner, and Bombadil will all be releasing new music this year, "Ears to the Ground" will be highlighting the young upstart acts most deserving of your aural attention.

Along with this preview series, The Bottom String will be releasing our first compilation of local artists within the next month and thusfar we've got some incredible bands signed on as well as an equally awesome local artist, Dan Barbour, working on our album art.  The first band in our "Ears to the Ground" series just so happens to be on our upcoming compilation as well, Ghostt Bllonde.

From the ashes of Coastal Vision rises Ghostt Bllonde, a self described "trash-can pop" band that packages broken hearted adolescent lyricism within tight vocal melodies and presents it with a rough around the edges lo-fi recording.  Ghostt Bllonde is an easy transition for fans of Coastal Vision's anxiety fueled, quick paced take on surf-pop, mostly because it takes the same sentiments and adds grit and maturity.  The fuzzed out tunes of Ghostt Bllonde provide an endearing look into the mind of the young Marc Kuzio, though he's barely out of high school his angst-ridden crooning provides equal amounts of maturity as it does blind adolescent angst.  Wonderful things are to come from this band, and while it's upsetting to see a young and promising group like Coastal Vision call it quits, the talents of Kuzio and company will surely shine just as bright with this new project.  Ghostt Bllonde will be making their live debut tomorrow night at Kings in Raleigh with Clockwork Kids and Saints Apollo and headlining a house show at The Mattress Fort in Raleigh with SW/MM/NG and Cat Be Damned on Saturday.  Check out some of Ghostt Bllonde's music below and be on the lookout for their track "Love is Loathing" when it's featured on The Bottom String Compilation Vol. 1!