Artist Feature: Temple5

Temple5 will be performing at Deep South in Raleigh
alongside NO9TO5 and Jswiss. Purchase tickets here

When one thinks of North Carolina hip-hop, thoughts don't usually stray towards Wilmington. Maybe the chart-topping J. Cole comes to mind or perhaps the more underground breakout acts like King Mez or Deniro Farrar, but certainly not an eastern North Carolina act. Temple5, however, is doing their damnedest to change that mindset. Temple5 is a seven-piece act that blends elements of hip-hop, jazz and funk to create one dazzling, rhythmically driven sound. While it's easy to lose yourself in the intricately arranged pieces that comprise these recordings, this is the kind of music that you need to see live to truly experience in its entirety. You've got to watch the very obvious chemistry that these musicians have together, feel the horns wash over you as the band's lyricist Louis. effortlessly weaves together ridiculous rhyme schemes that cover everything from socially conscious messages to clever punch lines. Temple5 will be performing at The Deep South Bar on Saturday, Jan. 31 alongside NO9TO5 and Jswiss, so in advance we spoke with members of the band on the intricacies involved with their music and what to expect from the band in 2015.

The creation of Temple5 was a very deliberate process, something that seems to be have been in the works for years on end. AJ Reynolds, saxophonist for the band, goes as far as saying that Temple5 was something he's wanted to do since the age of 16, but states but waited until he was 23 because that was when he felt like he and his peers could approach this band with "the artistry, maturity and ambition" required to make it what it should be. Deliberate may be an understatement when it comes to this band. Steeped in the tradition of acts like The Roots and The Robert Glasper Experiment, Temple5 has melded the new and the old together to create a jazzy take on hip-hop.

"I’ve found the ongoing process of acculturation that has been happening in America over the past 100+ years fascinating," states trumpeter Aaron Lane. "It started with early blues and jazz which was a fusion of African rhythm with Western harmony/instrumentation," he states, and from there the music has morphed into various widely different forms. These two forms have in some way or another influenced practically every wave of popular music and has risen to the top once again with hip-hop. Now as Lane states, we see that the hip-hop has begun to revert back to its origins, pulling heavy inspiration from the jazz, funk and soul that birthed the genre in the first place. And while the whole reverse acculturation thing is a large determining factor in the birth of new and innovative hip-hop, it also doesn't hurt that having a live band just makes a performance that much better.

"I think most of us in the band have gone to hip-hop shows and said to ourselves, 'man, it would be so dope to see a live band up here laying it down with the emcee,'” Reynolds states. And sometimes thoughts like that ignite a spark that erupts into something much larger than anyone could imagine. When you've got so many talented musicians together in one project (they all mostly met at the UNCW Music Department through various university ensembles and jazz combo/big band projects) then it's only a matter of time until things blossom into something that's truly unparalleled. Acts like The Beast have tapped into this in the Triangle, raising the socially conscious flag while laying down some serious grooves, and now it appears Temple5 has taken this torch for Eastern NC.

"We are a unique group of guys in a unique situation with a unique goal," Lane states, "to create and grow a local community through the positive message of hip-hop." With that goal in mind, all it takes is a brief listen through to the band's two previously released EPs to grasp how passionate this crew is about their message and how intent they are on getting it right. Strategic Arrival: The Statement marks the beginning of the band and finds them dipping their toes into the water, toying with Barack Obama speech clips that tackle socioeconomic woes. The Bap Is Eternal: The Argument, found the band diving deeper into the rabbit hole, with a dedicated emcee in Louis. the crew has started take a heavy lyrical focus while still producing acrobatic instrumentation. Their forthcoming full-length CompUtopia: The Solution promises to find the band in the perfect place, vibing together as a crew and ready to produce a definitive statement that relays both positivity and dance-inducing jams. When Lane describes the band's writing process he relays one simple notion, "either it grooves with people or it doesn't." Temple5 most definitely grooves.

Artist Feature: Bo White

Photo Credit: James Willamor

When you talk to most musicians about whether or not they had a direction in mind with their musical projects, you usually are greeted with a swift "no, it just kind of came out this way." It usually serves as an amalgamation of all of their current and previous influences, effortlessly turning into a style all their own. Charlotte-based musician Bo White seems to approach things a bit differently. Since White's youth he's been meticulously crafting music of all varieties, theres the math-y yet melodic indie pop of Yardwork, the guitarless symphonic pomp of Bo White y Su Orquesta and his most recent post-punk excursion of Patois Counselors, each with their own unique, defined sound that feels unlike any other. Patois Counselors will be making their live debut this Friday at Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, N.C. alongside acts like Diarrhea Planet, Junior Astronomers and Museum Mouth, so in advance we spoke with Bo about how the hell you can consistently make such a wide array of incredible music.

"I’m genuinely interested in most genres of music at any stage," White says, "precise to free, novice to virtuoso. I pay the most attention to unique elements that separate certain genres or sounds from others." So whereas many artists may find particular elements of a certain genre and build their sound around multiple facets, White seems to become enamored by one in particular and delve deep into the genre's possibilities. "If I want to do a different genre, I start another project," White states, which explains the myriad of acts that White has been a part of. He cites his most recent solo releases as the exception to these rules though, claiming that Adornment and Millenial Tombs were "compilations of experiments," which is quite the testament considering Millenial Tombs was listed as one of our favorite North Carolina albums of 2014. "I tried to think about them as little as possible," White proclaims, "Adornment is the compilation of what I could come up with in a weekend. Millenial Tombs is a compilation of what I could come up with in a few weeks while recovering from a stint in the hospital."

When you take into account that White can put such minimal thought into a project and still have it lauded as one of the best releases of the year, it kind of leaves you a bit floored as to what this musician is truly capable of at his finest. When discussing his creative output, White states that he's running at "medium capacity" when at his most prolific, stating that he could "write and record all day, every day" but, you know there's this whole thing called society that we probably need to interact with. Regardless of whether he's working at full capacity or not, it's astonishing to see how seamlessly White can craft such intricate works throughout such a wide selection of genres.

Frankly that astonishment is something that I'm not quite sure will ever go away. It seems as if each new project broadens White's horizons in a new and invigorating way, and that's because he's got well defined ideas as to how each new project should sound. "With any project I begin by imagining the end result," White says. "Do I want to eat Sunday brunch to this music? Do I want to spark some romance? Do I want to get bled on at the Milestone? From there I’ll shape the kernels into a form that is approximately a full song, say 3 minutes or so." If I had to take any guess as to which one of these coincides with Patois Counselors, I'd wager that its the latter. To date there's only two songs available for folks to soak in from Patois Counselors, a primarily synth-driven track entitled "Clean Skits" and "Free Jazz Complaint." The music of "Clean Skits" sounds crunchy and dissonant, propelled by brisk drumbeats and nervous wails from White that dip in and out of the mix as the warm, distorted synth line encompasses the listener. "Free Jazz Complaint" feels a bit more straight forward, it sounds a bit like if Damon Albarn were to take a foray into psyched-out punk rock. White's vocals take more of a forefront on this track while frenzied guitar lines pop in and out,  soundtracking White's meta rants on free-form music.

"I wanted to blister some paint off the walls but do it in an anti-macho, smart ass way," White says of Patois Counselors. "I’ve played punk and noisier stuff before, but people forget. Even when I’m singing Sade soul through a cassette deck with clarinet samples, I feel like I’m doing it in a punk manner." White shrugs off the fact that this may be lost to some audiences, but when you go back and analyze his music through this lens it makes a bit more sense. White's got an inherently punk attitude throughout his work and Patois Counselors serves as an excellent outlet for that attitude. It's crass, but accessible, which is why it fits perfectly on the Reverb Fest bill. Joining some of the state's most revered punk-oriented acts, Patois Counselors will make their live debut this Friday evening with a fresh new band that's "that's taken [his] parts and made them more visceral," meaning you can probably expect things to get pretty wiley.

Listen to "Free Jazz Complaint" below and check out Patois Counselors at Reverb Fest in Charlotte at The Neighborhood Theatre on Jan. 30. alongside Diarrhea Planet, Junior Astronomers, Museum Mouth and Southern Femisphere.
 

Artist Feature: Dom Flemons

Dom Flemons performs at Drumstrong Rhythm &
Arts Festival outside of Charlotte, N.C. on Sunday,
May 18.

In the past decade few North Carolina acts have risen to the level of fame that Carolina Chocolate Drops have. Formed in 2005, the trio popularized old traditional songs and brought forth a new era of the rootsy folk aesthetic for the North Carolina music scene. In 2010 the group won a Grammy for their stellar album Genuine Negro Jig, but shortly after their newfound fame one of their founding members, Justin Robinson left the group to pursue solo endeavors. In the years since the group's Grammy award-winning album, the lineup has shifted in various directions, but their sound has mostly remained fairly static. Perhaps thats why multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons has taken the Robinson route and left the group to release his own solo work as well. The split was announced late last year, and while founding member Rhiannon Giddens still remains in the group, a vast amount of attention is now pointed towards Flemons and his forthcoming solo debut Prospect Hill.

"Even though I founded the Carolina Chocolate Drops," Flemon says "there are parts of my musical personality that people have not seen because when you play in a group the group is always the main goal. It’s a team." Now that Flemons has struck out on his own though, fans can expect a marked departure from his work with the Chocolate Drops. Granted there will still be a heavy focus on traditionalism, but Prospect Hill finds Flemons trekking into new territory. "There's a little more jazz on this album," Flemons remarks. He goes on to add that he's even included a few of his own songs, something that fans never got the chance to see with his work in the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

"I always saw that the bigger cause for the group was to promote black string bands and show that piece of American history. In my own mind I never really wanted to write songs as much as let the history speak for itself because I personally find that to be a stronger artistic statement than anything I could just make up on my own." But now Flemons says he seeks to "find a balance" between interpretations on classic tunes and his own original material.

But when so much of your popularity comes from your roots driven debuts, that balance may be hard to find. However, Flemons seems to do so effortlessly. Throughout his nearly ten years in the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Flemons and his cohorts were re-contextualizing these lost gems of American music while incorporating their own contemporary spin on the tunes. Flemons speaks fondly of his musical upbringing, although he was born and raised in Arizona he seems deeply connected to the music of the south. Flemons mentions coming across older musicians who had been playing blues "for two and sometimes three times [his] age." These run-ins coupled with countless fiddling conventions and a deep appreciation for the narratives found within traditional music pushed Flemons towards this timeless genre.

"Although I love traditional music I am not stuck in a time warp," Flemons says. "People get it confused. A lot of times they think that when you interpret old music that you have to be old to do it. But that’s just not true. I am 31 years old and I have a style that I like and I go with it." And thanks to Flemons "going with it," an entirely new generation of listeners have become privy to the rich culture that's buried within these old-timey songs. However, don't get too entrenched in the past, as the new tunes from Prospect Hill promise to be filled with just as much jangly goodness as his beloved interpretations. Flemons will release Prospect Hill on July 29, and now that he's re-located back to North Carolina fans can expect to see a whole lot more of this well renown multi-instrumentalist. So local folks better prep themselves for some spoon slappin', jug blowin', banjo pickin' bliss, because Flemons' music is as infectious as ever.

Interview: James Felice of The Felice Brothers

The Felice Brothers will perform at Drumstrong
Rhythm & Arts Festival outside of Charlotte, N.C.
on Saturday, May 17.

In advance of the Drumstrong Rhythm and Arts Festival, taking place in Weddington, N.C. this weekend, we've spoken with a handful of artists that we're particularly excited about playing the upcoming festival. Drumstrong highlights a wide array of local and nationally touring artists, ranging from traditional leaning folk and bluegrass to post-punk and electronic, so naturally there's a lot to love about their lineup. Yesterday we highlighted Marley Carroll, an Asheville-based producer that headlines Friday night's festivities. Today we're sharing contributor Kyle Bement's conversation with James Felice of The Felice Brothers, one of the festival's marquee headliners. Be on the lookout for one last artist highlight with Dom Flemons within the next few days!

When did it become apparent that it was going to be music that you guys did?
I guess it was one of the only options left on the table for me, personally. I'd spent a lot
of my life playing it and not doing much else, like going to school or developing any other skills, a trade. I think by the time I was like 20, I knew that I couldn't really do anything else with my life and I had to play music.

That's cool, by that time, how long had you been- I mean, you must've been jamming....
They were older than me, and they were my cool older brothers, so I definitely absorbed a lot of that. I definitely looked up to them and I thought that was cool.
I was a teenager, so I started playin. They started playing music and I thought that was really cool. I was a kid, a teenager, and so I started playing.

What would say if you had to sum up the theory behind the Felice Brothers, what would you say in a word or a phrase?
A word or a phrase? I would say... That's a tough one, because I feel like when you try to condense your whole life down to a single word or phrase. We've never been very good at that, we've never been very concise or able to explain ourselves and that may be part of who we are and what we are. I think it's just "Family band plays good music." We're a good band. Not the best at selling ourselves, obviously, as you can probably tell.

I mean, that's how I explain it, they're these brothers and they're a good band.
Yeah! There you go. That should be enough, right? Nothing more sexy and compelling than that. I don't know, probably? But, we're hard-working, self made, and self taught and this is what we do for a living, our livelihoods.

I know you have a new album coming out, is it an evolution thing or more of a conscious decision that, "Hey, this is going to be different."?
This record is definitely more of like a synthesis between Yonder and Celebration. It's definitely more raw and natural sounding. More like a live band feel, I think.

If you had to describe Favorite Waitress succinctly, how would you do it?
Exciting. Vibrant. And just more natural, more relaxed and a more down and relaxed record, definitely more better. How's that going to look in fucking print? "More better?" It's more AND better. It's a more confident record for us. I feel like this our first real studio record, we recorded most of the tracks live and we got more out of it than we have in anything else we've done.

The first album was in a chicken coop and the next in a high school, is this record any different?
This album was recorded in an actual studio, for the first time in our lives playing in a real studio, in Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis' place, actually. It was a really nice opportunity to do that and not have to record in chicken coop or a high school, or any of those places that we've built, it gave us the opportunity to be able to focus on just recording an album and not anything else. It was a nice change of pace.

I've seen that you went on tour with Conor... was it Conor Oberst or Bright Eyes?
It was both, actually. First we went on tour with Bright Eyes, but we've toured with the Mystic Valley Band and also just with Conor Oberst as his backing band.

How did the Conor Oberst thing come about, did he seek you out?
Yeah, basically. We started working with some of the same people and we just got lucky. He had heard some of our music, and...he's really good about that. He's a really generous performer, and he takes smaller bands with him on the road. We just became friends, and we respect each other's music and sensibilities. He's honestly one of the best people I've met in my short career. He's a generous, kind human being.

I saw that Ian painted the cover of his latest album, Upside Down Mountain.
Yeah, yeah, he painted the cover of our record, Favorite Waitress and also Conor's record.

So you're going to be at Drumstrong outside of Charlotte? I know it's a cancer benefit, is there anything that particularly drew you to that event?
I mean, the way these come along is that they ask us if we want to play. For all intents and purposes, I guess we were hired to play. They seem like really great people and we've been in contact with them a bit. We're really excited to play the festival, can't wait to be down in Charlotte, it's beautiful down there. We're really pysched about it. They seem like they know what they're doing and it's going to be for a great cause. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Oh, I was just looking at your tour schedule and you're playing Charlotte, Charleston, and then hopping the pond to the UK. Is it a different crowd you play to over there despite what you do being so... American?
Yeah, the crowds are great in the UK. English people, historically, tend to have really great taste in music. They've always liked us over there. Our first really big shows were in London, and it continues to be that way to this day, where we probably do better over there than we do here in the states. They have good taste, not necessarily in food, but definitely in music.

You pack some hot dogs and stuff to bring with you?
No, you just need to know where to eat. You need to get Indian food in the UK. Ethnic food is always great in London. Bear that in mind when you're over there.

Speaking of great music, what have you been listening to lately?
I have been listening to this songwriter named Marissa Nadler. Have you heard of her?

I have not.
She is really, really amazing, I hadn't heard of her until she played a local show near where I live in the middle of  nowhere and I missed it because I'm dumb. People told me it was great, so I started listening to her. She's really great, she's got an album out July. It's beautiful, she sings beautifully, her songs are awesome and sort of strange sounding, a lot of them, but really very good. Very, very good.

On the subject of songwriting, how would you say a typical Felice Brothers song comes about? Do you lock yourselves in a basement and say, "Alright, let's figure this out"?
Yeah. A lot of the time. Y'know, it depends. We have all different ways of doing it. My brother Ian probably writes the bulk of the songs, no, he definitely does. Sometimes he comes to the table with a song that's done and we just do what we can not to fuck it up. A lot of the time, too, he'll come up with an idea or come up with a riff, a couple of lines, and we'll just hunker down and just spend DAYS locked in a room trying to figure it out.

Do you see the songwriting thing as... the way Nick Cave does, I heard an interview with him where he said, "I'm writing an album" and for the next few weeks, 8-4 mon-fri, he's writing an album or is it more natural than that?
I think it is like that, especially when you're busy. You're not writing a lot of songs on the road, so... it really is like you have to make time, carve out a piece of time to make an album and song writing is definitely a part of that. So, we'll set aside a month, or how ever long, to write an album because we have to make an album. And things come up, sometimes songs you write don't even get recorded for a year, or ever, or old songs come back up which happens sometimes and stuff like that, or sometimes you write a few songs in the studio, that also happens. We work so many different ways.

Cool, so it sounds like it's more organic with a schedule than it is rigidly scheduled.
Yeah. We're not the most scheduled people. It's good to have a deadline and good it's to know what you're doing because we don't like to just not do anything. It's good to be working. This is all we do. If we're not on the road or recording a record, we're working on a record.

How do you feel about festivals in general? I read an interview awhile back with Ian where it was obvious he was not a festival fan.
No one in the band is like a festival goer. I guess, you could say. We wouldn't go to Bonnaroo, or to most festivals if we weren't playing. I've never been to a festival in my life except to play it. That's just because we're pretty... not isolated... but we're not partiers. We don't go out often. It's not really our thing. And festivals can be poorly run, or they can have over busy schedules that can be sort of trying. You're rarely able to put your best foot forward in a festival setting because you don't get a really great sound check, the situation is not ideal. If you're headlining a festival, it's different, but for us, usually it's you get there, you run on stage, you plug in, you hope everything works, and you start playing. You're playing for a half hour or forty five minutes and that's it. It's not necessarily the most ideal, usually, but there's also an element there that's really fun because you have to play for people that wouldn't normally see you and also just like people who are in a totally different headspace. Maybe that has to do with drugs, but maybe that has to do with attitudes, as well.

Would you say you have a festival set list vs. a club set list?
FOR SURE. Usually, we do. We trim down the festival so it's basically more whatever acceptable tracks, or maybe more high energy tracks. I guess we're making a bigger splash in a shorter amount of time to try to get people into the band. Some of our tracks can be a little strange and I know there are hardcore fans that love them, but we there's also sometimes where we don't care and we just do whatever.

Artist Feature: Marley Carroll

Marley Carroll will be performing at Drumstrong
Rhythm & Arts Festival outside of Charlotte, N.C. on
Friday, May 16

In recent years, North Carolina has begun to develop quite the burgeoning electronic music scene. While "indie" leaning acts have long been living in the spotlight thanks to the dedicated communities in cities like Chapel Hill and Raleigh, more and more electronic acts have been popping up in the area. North Carolina's draw for artists continues to grow exponentially as the years go by and we see more and more acts coming into the area for our rich musical culture, adding depth and diversity to the talent that's been growing within the state.

Sylvan Esso was formed after Amelia Meath made the cross-country trek to Durham and now have carved out an electro-pop niche all their own. On the other hand folks like Porter Robinson, a Chapel Hill native, have propelled to stardom in the EDM scene, totally bypassing a local focus in favor of international stardom. Then you have acts like Marley Carroll, one that sits comfortably in between the two. Carroll is an Asheville transplant, trekking across country from Los Angeles to make the bustling mountain town his new home. Since he settled into western North Carolina though, the IDM leaning producer has been churning out heady beats that swell and sway, compelling listeners with tight grooves and lingering for days thanks to some infectious melodies.

Late last year Carroll put out his most recent full-length Sings, a record that's received lofty amounts of praise from outlets like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Stereogum and XLR8R. Sings lands somewhere comfortably between beat-driven IDM and downtempo electronic pop, but Carroll's live sets transcend both genres, transforming into brilliantly orchestrated dance tunes that are fleshed out before your eyes. "I'm always trying to find a balance between spontaneity and familiarity," Carroll says, "I can be as comfortable as possible onstage while still leaving some room to take chances and improvise." This mindset allows for some truly invigorating performances from this immensely talented artist, Carroll bounces between a turntable, MIDI controllers, a Moog synthesizer all while singing on his own tracks. Despite how much he's got going on on-stage, the shows are incredibly fluid, feeling like a well fleshed out set that's just as likely to turn directions at the drop of a dime.

"If I had it my way, I would bring a whole 18-piece orchestra on stage with me," Carroll states, but when you've got the chops that this guy does you frankly don't need it. Carroll has been making music for the past 15 years in various different forms. Carroll started out playing drums in rock bands and DJing in hip-hop clubs, something that explains the turntable proficiency. In university he took to classical percussion and shortly thereafter began to produce his own music. 2007 saw the release of his debut Melanaster and since then his style has continued to develop, seamlessly implementing all of his past musical outings and funneling it through the IDM lens to create a unique style that appeals to a wide array of listeners. Perhaps this is why journalists have taken to calling him a "producer's producer," a moniker that Carroll wears proudly.

"I think it's a way to distinguish me from the wave of big-room EDM DJs, and align me more closely with left-field bedroom producers like Caribou and Four Tet." These "bedroom producers" always tend to have densely packed music, their tunes are so intricately crafted that fellow producers or DJs can unravel them bit by bit, trying to find exactly what's going on within the track. Perhaps that's why there's an eclectic mix of folks at Carroll's shows that are vigorously dancing their asses off while others brood in the corners, bobbing their heads as they attempt to pick at Carroll's brain and single out every aspect of these tightly knit productions.

Whether you label Caroll as a "producer's producer" or a "DJs DJ," the important factor is that you don't attempt to pigeonhole him. His work is as versatile as it comes, he's as capable of churning out downtempo tracks that fall into a sweet groove as he is flipping a low-key Polish Ambassador track like "Oh Love" and turning it into an upbeat two-step banger that gets crowds bouncing along to the shuffling beats. Fans of electronic music and indie pop alike can find something within Carroll's tunes to fall in love with, at that's what makes him such a gem for this state's music scene.

Marley Caroll will be performing this weekend at Drumstrong in Charlotte, closing out Friday evening with a late-night set. Carroll will also be performing at this year's Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh.

Ladies Who Lunch: New Reveille

The ladies of New Reveille are equal parts talented, and humble.  Speaking of each other’s talents, and of the commitment of the band, as well as the unconventional beginnings of New Reveille.  New Reveille grew from music written by Daniel Cook, the band’s founder, and banjo player.  Cook reached out through Craigslist for band members to bring the sound to life, and stumbled upon Amy Kamm.  Kamm, with no previous training, not only started working with Cook, but inspired him to write music centered on her voice.  While the ladies are quick to say that the band may have ”done things backwards," with live shows being their last step- this natural progression is nothing to be criticized.  For them, it is a force to be reckoned with.

Sitting down to lunch at Raleigh’s own Lilly’s Pizza last Sunday afternoon, Amy Kamm, Kaitlin Grady, and Autumn Brand discussed their new album Cannonball, and their Addy award winning video "Babylon."  While both the album and video are impressive, the context for each makes them stunning.  When Kamm reached out to Cook originally, she heard back within the hour, and they planned to meet.  Cook had already booked studio time, with the intentions of recording the material he had written.  Kamm and Cook began working together immediately, and Brand was hired to play violin in the studio.  Brand was impressed, and a few months later, was thrilled to join officially.  New Reveille was a "mysterious project," as Brand puts it, with no released music and no immediate performances.  Grady had joined in on the cello in much the same way, she was hired for studio time, and continued contributing.

Initially concerned they may be too similar, Brand and Grady hit it off, and blended into the "mysterious project," they were all becoming so invested in.  Both Brand, and Grady, wondered if they were "just session musicians, and not getting paid anymore."  Not only is this a testament to the heart of the band, but an interesting look into the uncertainty that this path held two years ago.  Kamm, who seems charmingly surprised to be the lead singer in an very much up-and-coming band, started singing in the shower, then at church, and when she saw Cook's Craigslist post she took a leap.  Kamm said that it seemed "too good to be true, but you never know."  New Reveille, is a charged take on country and folk.  With powerful harmonies on "Conway Shore," and the haunting, emotional tone of "Smoke and Mirrors," the vocal, and instrumental talent is undeniable.  It is surprising to think that songs with such depth, and passion, were recorded before a formal band had united. 

The recording project turned into New Reveille, and soon they were filming a music video.  Cook, who works for Myriad Media, had the concept for "Babylon."  The band, and Myriad,  brought it to life at Lake Gaston.  Filmed over the course of only one day, the ambiguous music video centers on a narrative of escape.  The production quality and raw energy are unmatched.  It is truly a grand entrance into the local, and national, music scene.  What may be even more noteworthy, is that New Reveille had not yet performed a live show.  While the members had run through the woods, surrounded themselves with torches, and Kamm even took a 2 a.m. swim for the production- they were still very much a "band in the making."  The two Addy awards and the national nomination the video received further proves the talent, and creativity, the members collectively possess.

Earlier this year, after releasing "Babylon," and their first album Cannonball, New Reveille played their first live show at Deep South.  Their sold-out debut proved that the well mapped out "quality over quantity" mindset is working overtime for them.  New Reveille, is in a very real way, creating a buzz.  A genuine buzz.  For the first few months of the band's "life," they had no photos on their public profiles, and no released music.  There were only rumblings of what could only be called a "project," at the time.  It seems that the music came before the band, and the band had time to grow, and plan before jumping into the scene.  To see a band so cohesive, and members so genuinely appreciative of the individual, warrants a respect.  The momentum behind New Reveille is palpable, and with their distinct sound it is hard to believe that their recent performance at Raleigh's Brewgaloo festival was only their fourth live show.  Grady notes that their method "seems to have been effective," and it would be hard to argue otherwise.   With a new album, and video ideas in the works, Grady adds that they are "marketing themselves in a unique way."  New Reveille is consciously not over-saturating the market.  With possible festivals in the future, New Reveille will be playing NC Hops on May 24th, and Oak City 7 on June 12th.  Don’t miss what happens when the music comes before the band.

Shakori Spotlight: Dr. Bacon

Dr. Bacon is a Boone-based band that will perform
at Shakori Hills this Spring (April 17-20)

It's truly hard to believe that one of the most glorious events of the year is just over a week away. Shakori Hills is a festival that revels in immediacy, the second you step onto the festival grounds you're swept away by the beauty, the second you soak in the first act you wash away the woes of the real world, and the second you see that one band that sticks with you for the rest of the weekend you usually know it.

Those that are familiar with the festival have grown quite fond of these moments, every spring and fall there's one band that gathers a huge buzz throughout the 75-acre farm and it seems like the Fall's buzz came a bit late into the weekend. At every Shakori there's a band contest, usually kicking things off on Saturday, it's filled with amateur artists from across the region vying for a primetime slot on the Sunday schedule. Ranging from grizzled old men slaying on the fiddle to young children playing out for the first time, you're guaranteed to get a little bit of everything as you plop down on your blanket.

But for those that attended the contest last fall seemed to walk away with one band stuck firmly in their mind, Dr. Bacon. The farcical name gives little indication of the serious jams brought about by this Boone-based outfit. Dr. Bacon first found themselves in the band competition last Spring, placing second amidst an impressive array of musicians. But that finish fueled the spark for this self described Appalachian soul-grass crew to buckle down and "push [themselves] to the next level."

"Winning the competition in the fall was pretty surreal and didn't fully sink in until the show the next Sunday afternoon," the band claims, it even led to invitations to other festivals around the area. That "magical Shakori buzz" as they put it can lead to some pretty exciting opportunities. Much like getting thrust into a late night set on the opening night of this Spring's festival. When I heard rumblings of Dr. Bacon last year it was a fairly continuous string of applause, "they're nuts" they said,  "it's like a jammy Holy Ghost Tent Revival" said others, it was a non-stop flow of positive reviews that led me to delving deeper into this band once this Spring's lineup was released. Surely enough I was transfixed, Dr. Bacon sheds the expectations you'd have from a Boone-based band and serves up an amalgamation of funk, soul and bluegrass to make for a raucous live show.

"Traditional bluegrass is a constant influence on our approach," they sate "but we aren’t interested in imitating anything that has been done before in the genre." They describe their sound as "undeniably Appalachian, but not strictly bluegrass," somewhere in between "James Brown and The Punch Brothers." They're a band that seems to be steeped in Shakori tradition, they're largely inclusive while producing a sound that's all their own, opening up the realms for listeners from all walks of life to stumble upon their late-night Thursday set and have a guaranteed hell of a time. But surprisingly enough, the band's excitement doesn't just stem from their first big-time Shakori set, but instead from the undeniable sense of community.

"We definitely feel at home at Shakori, it is an indescribably good feeling to simply perform in front of people who are actively engaged and appreciate our music." And it's not just the crowds that Dr. Bacon is excited for, it's the people. The festivalgoers that roam around the campsites spreading positivity, high-fiving strangers and building the strong community all keep people hooked on this diverse festival. That's why Dr. Bacon is just as excited for their fireside jams as they are for their Thursday night Cabaret Tent set. the jams that happen out in the woods at the campsites are some of the best music of the festival.

"There aren't many other festivals where as a musician you can have your mind blown by an amazing on-stage artist, get inspired, run out into the woods, find an ad-hoc jam, and create something new and remarkable."

So whether you're kicking off your festival with their set at that Cabaret Tent, or if you stumble upon the soul-grass crew while meandering through the dimly lit woods, they're sure to get your feet movin' and your heart pumping with some wildly inventive tunes.

Dr. Bacon performs at the Cabaret Tent on Thursday night at 10:00 pm
Recommended Artists: Big Something, Bulltime Strutters, Big Fat Gap, Preston Frank, Clockwork Kids, Indigo Girls

Ladies Who Lunch: Rebekah Todd

 

After kicking off "Ladies Who Lunch," a feature highlighting local female artists, their work, and everyone's favorite part of the day- lunch, it is clear that Rebekah Todd is an NC artist you should be keeping your eyes on.  She is obviously making moves, from creating her new album Roots Bury Deep with a full band, to pushing to be more involved with the festival circuit.  This is the year Todd is laying down some roots of her own. 

While teaming up with a full band was a conscious move, Rebekah Todd becoming "Rebekah Todd & The Odyssey," seems to have been an unexpectedly smooth transition.  After being asked to perform with the band on the 4th of July, Todd soon fell into sync with them.  While the lyrics and melodies recorded for Roots Bury Deep, were already complete when "The Odyssey" joined, they did have time to practice, to get to know each other, and to be on solid, and exciting ground when they hit the studio.  The album was recorded in Greenville, NC, Todd's current home, but was written during a lonelier stretch spent in a basement apartment in Raleigh, NC.  Todd centers in on grief, memories, and the idea of moving past.  The album was written during a "dark, and reflective" time as Todd explains, but was recorded when she, and the band, were in a completely different frame of mind.  The evolution of the songs is striking. “Old Days,” a track on the album that Todd felt was so sad she needed to make it “more upbeat and listenable,” is carried through by the horns, and a lifting tempo.  The heavy lyrics, and tone, set against the full band is indicative of pushing forward, and reaching out, bringing the title of the album to life.

Rebekah Todd at Neomonde's Cafe in Raleigh, NC

A self-proclaimed Soul/Folk artist, the band brings elements of jazz, gospel, and even some funk to the table, positioning heavy lyrics from a “dark time” in Rebekah’s life against a lighter, and more upbeat backdrop.  The stand out about this album is the deep tie to Rebekah’s own life, and the transition into a full band.  The journey from the inspiration of the lyrics, to the final piece is amazing.  Todd herself described it as a “fun process,” which is inspiring - that these dark feelings are doubling as a reason to keep on moving forward.  While not from North Carolina originally, Todd’s own experience in moving to a state where some families have been for hundreds of years, and tradition still has a hold casts an interesting shadow on the title Roots Bury Deep.  Todd noted that the title speaks to “not necessarily physical roots, but how the circumstances, and what you go through, shape you,” and goes on to explain that the album also represents how much she herself has changed over the past three years.  From the death of her father, and the “crazy spawn of events that followed,” to the present, and finally feeling “out of it, and ready to live normally.”   

Roots Bury Deep was brought into being through Kickstarter.  Todd was not only able to reach out to fans, but to go into the studio knowing she had a supportive audience.  Even more telling of Todd’s draw, and talents, was the popularity of the “Paintings” tier of her Kickstarter campaign.  Todd was surprised at the number of fans who requested a painting in return for their donation - the tiers ranked based on donation amount and ranged from a “Happy Birthday” phone call, to an original song.  Todd netted 100+ supporters for the album, and reached her goal 10 days before deadline.  This year Todd hopes to continue building a foundation, and is adopting a “quality over quantity” mindset in terms of performances.  Todd is excited to participate in more festivals now that the The Odyssey will be gracing the stage with her, and feels that the band opens doors both in terms of larger performances, and in the impact it has on the style, and sound of the album.

Rebekah Todd & The Odyssey are adjusting to traveling as a full band, and are directing their energy towards promoting their upcoming performances - like their small tour coming up this later this month from March 26^th to March 29^th.  Todd will also be touring solo, and “doing some leg work,” as she calls it, throughout the next year.  With such a broad range- from full band, to solo, from a Raleigh basement, to a festival stage, Rebekah Todd brings soul, folk, and a lot of heart to her music, art, and the North Carolina scene.  Rebekah Todd & The Odyssey will be at the Local 506, in Carrboro, this Saturday, March 8th at 8:00pm.

Mountain Oasis Artist Preview: Robert DeLong

Robert DeLong will perform at The Orange Peel
on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Mountain Oasis

When I first found out that I'd be out at Mountain Oasis I began to scour the lineup for acts that I had to see throughout the weekend. Sure there's your standard standouts like Animal Collective, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bassnectar, Disclosure...you get the picture. But, there's a LOT of artists on this lineup that can easily fly under the radar, much like Robert DeLong was doing for me until I did some investigating. The minute I heard the opening seconds of "Global Concepts," I became absolutely addicted to DeLong's brilliance. When Cashmere Cat was announced last week I saw that the two conflicted on the schedule and I kind of died a little on the inside. However, upon checking again it looks like the schedule has been moved around once more and Robert DeLong goes on unopposed for me once again. Thus, I can accordingly plan to rage out to DeLong's entrancing combination of dubstep, house and electronica for as long as I desire on Friday night.

DeLong cut his teeth on indie rock in Seattle, beginning his career with music as a percussionist and slowly gravitating towards the indie world. He found himself entrenched in artists like Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse, Radiohead and Sigur Ros and his current output feels like a wonderful amalgamation of these influences. DeLong is a one-man electronic band whose live shows provide an absolutely awe-inspiring experience. DeLong lays down his slick electronic foundation with a variety of MIDI controllers ranging from a Wii-mote to a joystick to control every aspect of his finely tuned beats. DeLong also fleshes out these rich tracks with a full drum set and some absolutely infectious vocal melodies that you'll find yourself humming or dancing along to long after the music has stopped.

While a lot of electronic acts that you see live can easily be a toss-up in terms of quality, it seems as it DeLong truly prides himself in his live performance. He's not relying on crazy light set-ups or cookie-cutter bass drops, he's providing a visceral and engaging live show that commands every bit of your attention. That's not to say that the visual aspects won't live up to the music that surrounds it, but I'll be finding it hard to focus on anything other than DeLong's steadfast rhythms and exhausting bursts of energy.

Earlier this year DeLong released his debut full length Just Movement on Glassnote Records to high acclaim from critics and fans alike. Just Movement gives DeLong fantastic footing, it's a fantastic debut that is placed perfectly between the EDM and Indie worlds. As EDM begins to creep into all aspects of music, DeLong perfectly combines bass-heavy club-ready instrumentation with indie-leaning vocal patterns to create a truly unique sound of his own. This is without a doubt one of my must see sets for Mountain Oasis because DeLong is absolutely in a league of his own. He's crafted a mind-boggling stage set-up to coincide with his genre-bending sound that will make for a sweaty, dance filled evening once he takes the stage at The Orange Peel at 9:00 on Friday.

Mountain Oasis Artist Preview: Cashmere Cat

Cashmere Cat will perform at Asheville Music Hall
on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Mountain Oasis

Rarely does a big-name artist cancellation one week before a festival get me all giddily excited, but sure enough that happened a few days ago with Mountain Oasis. With the unfortunate dropping of Tricky, Delorean and Rudimental, the festival was left with a few glaring holes in their lineup. Their first replacement was the dub-heavy duo Adventure Club. I saw the announcement and was instantly stoked for the rest of their lineup additions. Never did I expect Cashmere Cat to come next.

Cashmere Cat is a Norwegian-based producer/DJ that has an absurd track record running for him. Magnus August Høiber, the brains behind Cashmere Cat, is a DMC World DJ Championship finalist that made the transition over to heady, dreamlike electronic music back in 2011. From there, Høiber began to craft a sound all his own that displayed a tantalizing mixture between trap, jazz, hip-hop and house. Those of you that follow this blog are aware of his deep into Ryan Hemsworth I've been and my love for Cashmere Cat runs pretty parallel to this.

Cashmere Cat's music lies within a scarcely touched realm, although we've only been graced with a handful of tracks thusfar (2012's Mirror Maru EP is available on Soundcloud--other than that it's pretty much just remixes), it's clear that Høiber's musical output is going to be something that stands out amongst an over-saturated electronic scene. It takes seconds to lose yourself in one of these immersive beats, settle down with a nice pair of headphones and close your eyes--then prepare yourself for an aural adventure of dazzling proportions.

Cashmere Cat's tracks are wildly imaginative, percussive shimmers and creaks line the tracks while bright synth lines make the listener feel like they're floating on clouds, suspended in a state of bliss. Elements of R&B and hip-hop shine vibrantly on the production of these tracks, but the songs lie right in the middle of this border. While one minute you're liable to be lost in the melodic instrumentation, the next you're bobbing your head and compelled to dance your heart out to a nasty percussive break.

While many might deem this as headphone music that doesn't translate as well live, they're just wrong. Tracks like "Secrets + Lies" display wobbling bass lines with trapped out percussion that makes for a perfect club-banging atmosphere that will thrive in the hands of a world-class DJ like Høiber. Because quite frankly one of the best parts of seeing music like this live is seeing how it's translated into an energetic and engaging live show.

My sole qualm with this addition is the conflict with Robert DeLong. It's going to be hard to draw myself away from DeLong's compelling rhythms and infectious songs, but Cashmere Cat is a last minute addition that you'd be a fool to miss out on. Asheville Music Hall will house this brilliant live act on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Mountain Oasis Artist Preview: Mount Kimbie

Mount Kimbie perform at Mountain Oasis on
Sunday, Oct. 27 at The Orange Peel

With Mountain Oasis being a little over a week away at this point, it's time to start giving you all a run down on some of the most exciting acts that are filling the stacked bill slated for next weekend in Asheville. There's no point in covering these marquee headliners, as acts like Neutral Milk Hotel, Bassnectar, Animal Collective and Nine Inch Nails are so established that it'd be bonkers to come across anyone unfamiliar with their music at Mountain Oasis.

However, with such a versatile lineup there's sure to be plenty of folks that are interested in a wide array of musical genres. Thus, Mountain Oasis lends itself to fans that are looking to peer into new acts and genres that they've yet to delve into. Conveniently enough the festival is filled with some of the most promising acts in the electronic music scene and they're placed right alongside some of the genre's gatekeepers and figureheads. As someone who never got much into the electronic scene until about two years ago, even I sometimes find myself floored by the ever expanding genre. However, the schedule for Mountain Oasis reads as a who's who in the scene and covers many corners of the vast aural spectrum known as "electronic."

The first act I'll be highlighting from Mountain Oasis is Mount Kimbie, a London based duo that has created a sound that's simultaneously robust and minimalistic. Their tracks are mostly mid-tempo or down-beat ambient adventures that mesh field recordings with syncopated rhythms and soulful vocal tracks. Their latest full length Cold Spring Fault Less Youth displays these tendencies to a tee, the album features guest vocals from fellow UK upstart King Krule while their stuttering percussion and encompassing instrumentation surrounds the listener with a unique and dazzling soundscape.

Mount Kimbie brilliantly blends a slew of genres together through subtle nods, songs are likely to contain jazzy brass lines, atmospheric post-rock foundations and soulful vocals, but they never feel formulaic or structured. It all feels invigoratingly free of form, like a band that has given up on trying to mimic any pre-determined sound in favor of creating something brash and new. That brash new sound propelled them to the spotlight in 2010 with their debut full length Crooks & Lovers and the success of said debut led to their most recent signing to Warp Records.

Mount Kimbie began cutting their electronic teeth (their sawteeth so to speak--har har har) with fellow UK-standout James Blake. When one compares the two side-by-side it's rather clear that they had a remarkable influence on one another. Both acts produce searing tracks capable of chest-rattling bass at one moment and chill-inducing beauty the next. Many are quick to toss a post-dubstep label onto it, but it's more accurately pegged as a sound that's all their own.

Lumping most electronic music into pre-defined genres and sub-genres tends to overcomplicate a lot of things, especially with bands like Mount Kimbie. What's important is that Kai Campos and Dom Maker have and continue to release brain-bending music that's kind of hard to wrap your head around. It's hard to decide whether you want to close your eyes and immerse yourself in this billowing production or to instinctively bob your head to the point of headache inducing continuity. That, dear reader, is entirely up to you. You've got until Sunday Oct. 27 to decide, as Mount Kimbie will be performing at 9:15 p.m. at The Orange Peel.

Shakori Spotlight: The Brand New Life

The Brand New Life performs on Thursday, Oct. 10
on the Meadow Stage at 5:00 pm

I can barely contain my excitement over how close Shakori is. It seems like just yesterday I was packing up my mud-covered belongings and saying goodbye to the farm, but here we are just under a week away from the fall festival. One of the things I love about Shakori Hills is the simultaneous focus on local and international artists, and thankfully sometimes we can get a little bit of both wrapped up into one badass outfit. Take The Brand New Life for example, though the band is based out of Greensboro for the time being, they wonderfully encompass a new brand of Afrobeat styling. Though their rhythmic focus is rooted in West African traditions, they've got a dance-oriented groove that makes for an irresistible live show filled with soaring horns and funky guitar lines.

The Brand New Life is comprised of a crew of self-described "band kids" that cut their teeth in an educational setting, but quickly developed an addiction to rhythmically focused music. "The band started off as this conglomerate of sounds that we had all picked out independently," bassist Seth Barden claims. The group would get together for improvisational jams at their friends house and all of a sudden these various influences would morph into something special. Though they describe their music as Afrobeat-Fusion, there's clear elements of jazz, funk and dance music that shine through in different elements of their songs. While Barden was off studying jazz and European Classical at school, other members found their way into different genres. But The Brand New Life aren't a band that defines themselves by titles, they're clearly about the music.