Hear Here: February 21 - February 27

Baobab (Phil Torres & Whitney Trettien)

After a few weeks of Hear Here downtime due to that pestering obligation known as "school", it's back in full effect with an incredible week of shows.  From a sold out Tame Impala show at Cat's Cradle to a couple of highly anticipated local outins from personal favorites like Baobab and Naked Gods, there's a wide array of awesome live music for you North Carolina folks to check out.  Thankfully the shows are relatively spread out throughout the week as well, so for once there's little worry about missing one show for another or attempting to breaking the laws of time and space and being in two places at once.  Diversity and excitement is abound in the Triangle this week, so let's get to some shows!

Show of the Week: Baobab w/ Virgins Family Band @ Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC on Friday, February 22

Thursday, February 21

Naked Gods w/ The Invisible Hand & Spooky Woods @ Tir Na Nog in Raleigh, NC

FREE

• Holy lineup batman, Local Band Local Beer has knocked this one out of the park.  The weekly event put on by WKNC and Tir Na Nog has been consistently putting on wonderful local shows for quite some time now, but it's been a while since I was as excited as I am for this one.  Naked Gods are a local indie rock powerhouse from Boone, meaning they don't get down to the Triangle too frequently.  But when they do they bring the house down with their frenetic blend of  spirited melodies and charging, yet often jaunting rhythmic changes.  Supported by The Invisible Hand, an act from Charlottesville, VA that brings lush and erratic psych pop to the stage with an incredible sense of presence.  Spooky Hands, a new local act comprised of Skyler Gudasz, Jeff Crawford (Roman Candle), James Wallace (Max Indian), and Casey Toll (Mount Moriah) will be opening the evening with a highly anticipated set of rootsy folk rock tunes.  Rarely do shows this awesome come around on any old weekday, and it's even more rare for these events to be free.  Take advantage of it!

Friday, February 22

Baobab w/ Virgins Family Band @ Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC

$5, Double Album Release Show

• Last year Baobab put out one of my favorite albums of the year, and it looks like he's on par to do much of the same in 2013.  Earlier this month I ran a Local Artist of the Month feature on WKNC where I got the chance to preview some of his new tracks (a feature you can find in full here) and needless to say I was just as blown away as the first time I heard Baobab.  Phil Torres seamlessly blends the simplicity of folk with the complicated and dense textures of electronic and world music with incredibly satisfying results.  But to top it all off, one of the most exciting new acts of 2013 is joining Baobab for this celebration of album releases.  A few weeks ago we featured Virgins Family Band on The Bottom String, debuting their full length album and releasing our fantastic Bottom String Session that we filmed with the band, but on Friday I'll finally get to see the full band performance that I've so anxiously been waiting for.  With two full drum kits and and a vast sonic pallet, the expansive and jazzy sounds of Virgins Family Band will be fleshed out with gorgeous results on Friday.  With word of a shadow puppet show and other exciting antics, this show is without a doubt the highlight of the week for me.  Don't miss this incredible event!

Saturday, February 23

DiggUp Tapes Six Pack Sound Series w/ Oulipo, Juan Huevos, & Body Games @ Slim's in Raleigh, NC

$5, First 50 in attendance receive a free cassingle from Oulipo/Body Games

• The second installation of the DiggUp Tapes Six Pack Sound Series proves to be just as incredible as the first.  Oulipo is one of the fastest rising acts in the state, their perplexing take on contemporary art-rock acts like Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors has been pulled off with delightful results.  Featuring luscious arrangements of synth, guitar and percussion that swirl together to create an enticing sound that's all their own, Oulipo put on an engaging live performance that breathes new life into their studio performances.  Joined by a riotous live show from Juan Huevos and the debut of Body Games, this is going to be another fantastic show.  Body Games is the new project from Dax Beaton of Lake Inferior, featuring Derek Torres of T0W3RS, and the group's roster alone invokes excitement to followers of the Carolina music scene.  The first 50 in the door will get a copy of a cassette featuring new music from Oulipo and Body Games, so get out to Slim's early!

Sunday, February 24

Foxygen w/ Naked Gods @ Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC

SOLD OUT

• Sad news for those that missed the chance to get tickets for this show, because it's one that looks like it'll be a hell of a time.  Foxygen is a California based duo signed to Jagjaguwar that's been making waves throughout the country this year.  Their latest full length, We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic is a refreshing blend of psychedelic and garage rock that treads upon familiar musical territory, but approaches it in an exciting way.  Their sound is warm yet crass, making them the perfect fit with local standouts of Naked Gods.  Curse the lucky bastards that get to see these guys twice in a weekend, because I for one will be sitting this show out.  However, those who were bright enough to purchase tickets far enough in advance will have one hell of a time on Sunday night.

Monday, February 25

Ra Ra Riot w/ Pacific Air @ Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC

$15 in advance/$17 day of

• Ra Ra Riot are yet another band that's been bitten by the electronic bug lately, their latest album Beta Love has traded in strings for synths and the result is a bit surprising but enjoyable.  While vocalist Wes Miles' vocals lay sweetly atop the beautiful arrangements that were previously found in Ra Ra Riot's music, his voice now ducks in and out of pulsing rhythms and thick synths.  Accompanied by Pacific Air, this show will sure to be a night jam-packed with energy and dance-laden tunes.

Tuesday, February 26

Some Army w/ Small Houses & Onward, Soldiers @ The Pinhook in Durham, NC

$5

• Some Army burst onto the Carolina music scene in 2012 and from the looks of it, they'll aim to solidify their stance as one of our state's finest acts in 2013.  Honing their already precise sound, the group is working on funding their debut full-length through a Kickstarter campaign that's fairly close to completion.  Some Army's reserved brand of psych-pop is a joyous live experience that allows the listener to truly take in all of the layered sounds that are nestled within their studio mix.  Rustic roots take hold as this southern take on psychedelia encapsulates fans with lavish arrangements and addicting melodies.  These southern aspects will surely be even more pronounced with the alt-country Philly rockers Small Houses and Wilmington based Americana group Onward, Soldiers opening the show.

Wednesday, February 27

WKNC Presents: Baobab w/ Day Joy & Casual Curious @ Kings Barcade in Raleigh, NC

$7

• You'd be mad not to jump all over the chance to see Baobab twice in one week, I know I for one can barely contain my excitement at this opportunity.  The last live Baobab set I saw was one of the band's earliest live performances at WKNC's DBB 9 Day Party, but they were still working out the kinks of presenting such studio based music in a live setting.  Fear not though, the band has added drummer Josh Stohl (Justin Robinson & The Mary Annettes) to help flesh out their live show, adding a much needed sense of rhythm and tightness to these explorative tunes.  Baobab will be joined by the electro-jazz group Casual Curious from Greensboro, a tantalizing mixture of brass and synths that makes for an powerful live performance filled with presence and precision.  These Carolina experimentalists will be joined by Day Joy, a fantastic folk group from Florida whose sound reaches past the horizons of their genre, transcending into a dream-like state of pop wonder that will make for a gorgeous live performance.  WKNC strikes again, putting on two of the strongest shows of the week and continuing to prove why they're able to call themselves the best college radio station in the state.