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.

Show Preview: Blue Sky Black Death w/ Marley Carroll & RBTS Win

Blue Sky Black Death will be performing at The Pour House
in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday, Mar. 27 with Marley Carroll
and RBTS Win.

As the years have passed I've found myself getting more and more transfixed on the electronic music scene, it's silly not to really. Electronic music is quite simply the future, it opens up the musical vastness to anybody that's able to afford a laptop and a DAW and allows them to fine tune their own sounds down to every intricacy. That's what makes shows like this one so damn interesting, it's a night filled with electronic acts that all have remarkably different sounds but still mesh very well together. Thursday night at The Pour House will be home to some of the most exciting acts in the western North Carolina music scene along with an equally impressive production duo based out of Washington. While Blue Sky Black Death will be headlining the evening with their mind-numbing hip-hop based instrumental tracks, an equal amount of focus will be on Marley Carroll and RBTS Win for me.

Blue Sky Black Death have been making waves in the instrumental hip-hop scene since 2006, blazing a trail for themselves as one of the most impressive production duos on the scene by working with highly acclaimed acts like Jedi Mind Tricks, Gang Starr, Cam'ron and Awol One to name a few. Regardless of the hip-hop acts that have cosigned the duo, the proof of their talents lies within their immense productions. Stuttering synths bob in and out of the mix as their blistering hi-hats and pounding bass drive the tracks along, leaving the listener with an undying urge to bob your head until your neck gets sore. Many instrumental hip-hop artists can fall into simplicity, relying on trap-style beats and heavy sub-bass to draw in listeners, but Blue Sky Black Death packs the groove and swing to keep listeners interested.

Marley Carroll will be representing an entirely different end of the electronic spectrum, bringing mid-tempo IDM together with electronica, Carroll boasts an impressive musical range. Whether you're focusing on the straight-forward melody and rhythm or the densely packed productions, you're liable to fall in love with this music from this Asheville based producer. Carroll's most recently full-length Sings, combines heady beats with rich vocals to create a lush arrangement that's as pleasing to the dancer as it is to the introspective head-bobber. Carroll's pop-leaning IDM tunes place the producer's music in a field of its own, one that's surely going to be an absolute treat to see live.

Opening up the evening will be another Asheville based electronica act, RBTS Win. I remember seeing their name a while back and being initially turned off, seeing it as another group that fell into the "no vowels" fad, but I'll be damned if I didn't learn not to judge a book by its cover. RBTS Win produce an absolutely infectious blend of electronic music that, much like Caroll, combines danceable grooves with head-spinning melodies. Whereas Carroll leans more towards mid-tempo bangers, RBTS Win is geared towards a chill-wave inspired blend of soul, hip-hop and electronica. This production duo brings dizzying soundscapes to the table that are washed over with smooth vocal stylings and lingering hooks that you'll be humming for days. Make no doubt that I'm stoked to see Blue Sky Black Death, but finally getting the chance to see Marley Carroll and RBTS Win on the same night, that's enough reason alone to drag my happy ass out to the Pour House to take in these incredible tunes.

The doors open at 8:00 pm and the show begins at 9:00. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door, you can purchase them online at thepourhousemusichall.com

Moogfest Adds Flying Lotus, M.I.A & more to 2014 Lineup

Electronic producer Flying Lotus
will be joining Chic, Kraftwerk and
more at Moogfest 2014
from April 23-27

Last December we reported on the stellar Moogfest lineup announcement, an event that proved to any and all naysayers that the lack of AC Entertainment at this year's event means little in terms of how impressive this festival can be. The initial lineup combines some of the most compelling gatekeepers of electronic and dance music with some of the most swiftly rising stars in the still burgeoning genre. Although Moogfest announced a rather robust lineup in December, there were still over 70 acts left to be unveiled, and this morning they've once again chipped away at the unknown by adding Flying Lotus, M.I.A, Pet Shop Boys, Dillon Francis and more to the April festival's lineup.

As previously reported, the festival has expanded to an enormous five-day event that will include daytime panels from esteemed electronic pioneers like Giorgio Moroder and film composer Cliff Martinez. Moogfest also announced another handful of speakers for the event this morning, including Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, Yeah Yeah Yeah's Nick Zinner, Dan Deacon and Futurama creator David X. Cohen.

While this still leaves an insane amount of artists left to be announced, these four nighttime additions helps round out this already impressive lineup even more. M.I.A provides a larger contemporary name to the marquee acts like Chic and Kraftwerk while Flying Lotus and Dillon Francis help to round out the electronic side a bit more with some larger names from the genre. It's clear that Moogfest is revamping all aspects of the festival since the last installment in 2012, one that boasted a spastic lineup including Primus, Santigold, GZA and Orbital. 2014's lineup stands at dead center of the intersection between specialized once in a lifetime acts and beloved frontrunners of the dance music scene. Additional acts included to the lineup today include Factory Floor, YACHT, Moderat, Machinedrum, Riff Raff, Black Dice, Jimmy Edgar, Holly Herndon and locals Body Games, RBTS WIN and Heads on Sticks.

Tickets for Moogfest are available in various packages including night-only passes for $199, day only passes for $249 or a night + day deal for $299. You can find the lineup and more ticket information on Moogfest's website. Be on the lookout for more Moogfest updates as the festival gets closer!

Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, Chic and More Set for Moogfest 2014

Moogfest 2014 will take place from April 23-27 of 2014
throughout 10 venues

Up until 2013, Moogfest had become a bit of a staple for downtown Asheville. For three years the electronic based festival brought a wide variety of acts to the town under the Moog banner, but when it was announced that AC Entertainment's contract with the festival wasn't renewed the festival's future was in doubt. Shortly after details of AC Entertainment's new festival, Mountain Oasis, came about, the Moog family reassured folks that Moogfest wasn't going anywhere. After a bit of restructuring, it was announced that Moogfest would be returning to Asheville for the week of April 23-27. The now five-day event has blossomed to massive proportions that include some of the most influential names in electronic music history. This morning Moogfest announced the initial lineup for their 2014 festival, including some of the pioneers of dance music like Kraftwerk (performing 3 separate 3-D sets throughout the fest), Giorgio Moroder and Nile Rodgers' Chic.

While this eclectic array of dance icons head up the lineup, some of the most exciting parts of this lineup are buried within the details. Not only will Avey Tare (of Animal Collective)'s Slasher Flicks be performing, but so will Chaz Bundick's Les Sins, RJD2, Gaslamp Killer, Dan Deacon, Darkstar, Laurie Anderson, Wolf Eyes and much more. While the initial lineup alone is enough to warrant the $200 ticket for the week's musical festivities, there's still over 70 bands left to be announced.

Each night will also feature showcases from a wide variety of labels and curators like DFA Recods, Fool's Gold, Warp Records and even Hopscotch Music Festival. But music isn't the only thing that this promising new installment of Moogfest has going for it. Throughout the days there will be immersive conversation, exhibitions, film screenings and even engineering sessions for those with enough cash. Visionaries like Giorgio Moroder, Laurie Anderson and Cliff Martinez will join others for panels, discussions and presentations throughout the days.

The set-up of Moogfest allows for folks to choose between just seeing the panels and conferences, checking out the music, or both for separate ticket packages. For a full week pass (day + night) admission is $299 while you can check out the day's festivities for $249 or the night for $199. Those with larger pockets also may be interested in the slew of VIP packages that the festival offers, including a standard VIP deal ($499), an Engineer VIP deal (you can build your own synth and get all of the VIP offerings for $1,000) or a Legacy VIP deal ($10,000 for your own Moog Voyager XL, transportation to and from the airport, dinner with Keith Emerson, hotel accommodations AND the previous package offers). However, those without buckets of cash to spend on festivals will be able to partake in the free street festival or the Tech Expo and Job Fair and visit an electronic instrument pop-up shop.

Tickets for Moogfest can be purchased at the festival's website, where you can check out the full lineup thus far. Check below for the initial lineup announcement:

Show Review: Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit

Pretty Lights

The (sort of) inaugural Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit was a weekend that proved to be every bit as memorable and exciting as I'd hoped it would be, which means that it met quite lofty expectations that I'd set. Three evenings filled with more electronic music than I usually see all year made for an exhausting weekend, but the diversity of the other acts peppering the lineup made the marathon of music a much more doable feat. Mountain Oasis proved itself to be an excellent representative of the current state of music, many of the acts were forward thinking electronic-based artists--whether that be bro-leaning dubstep icons, English house duos or psychedelically infused indie bands--but there were handfuls of iconic throwbacks that allowed festival goers the option of soaking in age-old nostalgia or entrenching themselves in skull-rattling bass.

Friday
The weekend started off an hour into the first night for me. I arrived shortly after 8:00 and just in time to trek through the costumed crowds that were hiking up towards the US Cellular Center and plop in front of the stage for Purity Ring. The Canadian duo has been on my list of must sees since Shrines was released in 2012. Though the act leans towards electronic-pop, the instrumental foundation is heavily ensconced in the world of bass-heavy hip-hop. Pounding low-ends were marked by shimmering vocal melodies and a percussively oriented light show. As Corin Roddick would accentuate his beats with bright synth lines, corresponding orbs of light would illuminate as they were struck with his drum sticks, making for an incredibly well put together stage presence. Megan James' haunting vocals lingered throughout the ExploreAsheville.com Arena and a sense of disappointment filled the air once fans realized that their set was over. However, that disappointment quickly dissipated once Deltron 3030 took the stage. While I've admittedly not delved too deep into Del The Funky Homosapien's discography, this Deltron set immediately drew me into the highly revered rapper. Deltron is a hip-hop supergroup comprised of Del, producer Dan The Automater, and prolific DJ Kid Koala, but that's not the main draw of this high-energy hip-hop show. While it was fantastic to see Del and the crew pull out favorites like Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood," the real highlight of this performance was the massive orchestration that backed this sci-fi hip-hop narrative. Swelling strings and soaring horns blended with bass and electric guitars to make for a unique and compelling live hip-hop set-up. It's always a crapshoot when you're stepping into a live hip-hop set-up, it could easily be a blasé affair with a strong lack of personality, but Deltron 3030 turned all expectations upside down and provided one of the most exciting sets of the weekend.

Mountain Oasis Itinerary

Mountain Oasis takes place in Asheville, NC
on Oct. 25-27

Festivals have been creeping up on me this year, it feels like just yesterday I was recovering from the weekend marathon of Hopscotch and now here we are two days before the beginning of the inaugural Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit in Asheville. I'm not sure what I'm more excited for at this point, the three day music binge or a weekend in Asheville--okay, that's a lie it's definitely the music. But, the fact that this is all taking place in one of North Carolina's most beautiful cities certainly doesn't hurt the festival's appeal. Nor does the fact that I'll be getting to see a few of my favorite artists of all time in the same weekend. The split between iconic acts and swiftly rising upstarts is usually one that's hard to pull off for a festival, but Mountain Oasis has certainly hit the sweet spot. Most of the lineup is filled with the hottest buzz bands of the past year, acts like Jessie Ware, Disclosure and Purity Ring (ohmygod talk about a mind blowing last minute addition) stand alongside acts like Animal Collective, Neutral Milk Hotel and Bassnectar to give fans a wide array of musical stylings to choose from at any given point of the weekend. Without any further ado I'll get down to the meat and potatoes of the festival and provide a day-by-day rundown of exactly what I hope to check out at this year's festival.

Friday
I'll be rolling into Asheville an hour or so before the festival gets started, so there's not much time to soak in all that Asheville has to offer until Saturday. But, it's hard to be upset at that fact when things kick off with such an awesome artist. I'll start my evening at Jacques Green at The Orange Peel. Before I checked out the festival's lineup I wasn't too familiar with Green other than his "Lotus Flower" remix for the greatest band of all time (so I may be a bit of a Radiohead fanboy), but after checking out more of his entrancing sounds I've got to say that his R&B influenced house tunes will be enough to get the energy flowing before Purity Ring. I'll leave Green's set early to get a prime spot for Purity Ring's set at ExploreAsheville.com Arena which is one of my most anticipated sets of the weekend. They weren't added until last Friday, but I was floored when I saw their addition to the lineup. They've got a dazzling light set-up that perfectly coincides with their pulsing electronic sounds. Late last year I found it hard to listen to anything other than Purity Ring's incredible debut album Shrines, so getting to see this live is something I've been waiting quite some time for. After Purity Ring closes up I'll head next door to check out Daniel Johnston...kind of just for the sake of saying I've seen Daniel Johnston. He's a brilliant songwriter to say the least, but staying too long would probably throw off the night's flow a bit, so I'll bounce back over for Deltron 3030's set after soaking in some of Johnston's anti-folk musings. Deltron's set is sure to be a wild time, especially since they're one of the few hip-hop artists on the lineup and boy do I love me some hip-hop. While I'd love to stay for the whole thing I'll definitely head out early to ensure my position at one of the main reasons I'm trekking to Asheville this weekend.

Neutral Milk Hotel may seem like the elephant in the room at this festival, but that elephant produced some of the most meaningful and magical music that I've come across in my lifetime. To say I'm excited for this set is a massive understatement. I've got Jeff Mangum's lyrics tattoo'd across my arm, this is a moment I thought I could very likely never experience in my entire life. I'm positively giddy to experience this in one of the most gorgeous venues I've stepped foot in. Thomas Wolfe housed Sufjan Stevens last time I attended a show there, so Neutral Milk Hotel will surely fill the grandiose auditorium with shouts of whimsy and wonder. If I get the chance to check out some of Bassnectar I surely will, he puts on an incredible live show that I've had the chance to see twice, but nothing will pull me away from Neutral Milk Hotel short of a natural disaster. After Bassnectar has ended I'll head over to check out XXYYXX to close out my night with some skittering, soulful dance music from one of the youngest yet most promising acts on the lineup. Though he's barely 17, XXYYXX has already crafted an addictive sound that's filled with potential to blossom and evolve into something truly transcendental.

Saturday

Saturday will mark the first full day of festivities for me in Asheville this weekend. Thankfully there's plenty to do throughout the day that will allow festivalgoers like myself to fully absorb all of Asheville's awesome scenery. The Inventors Roundtable Panel is something that instantly piqued my interests, it's an event that brings in four visionaries within the electronic music world to discuss their effect on the genre. The creator of the Moog guitar and the Pyradym, a tool that aids in sound and color therapy, are two of the standouts from this particular panel. However, the rest of the afternoon will surely be spent freaking out over the fact that I'm surrounded by gorgeous mountains.

Thinks will kick off with Bosnian Rainbows at ExploreAsheville, and while I've not gotten terribly deep into Bosnian Rainbows I must say that I'm excited to experience their live set. In highschool I was quite the Mars Volta fan, so Bosnian Rainbows holds a special place in my heart given the fact that their guitarist is Omar Rodriguez Lopez. Plus, their expansive psych-pop will be an excellent way to transition into the lush aural adventure that is Zola Jesus' set. Zola Jesus is another act I'm not too familiar with aside from a handful of tracks, but the thing I do know is that Nika Danilova has one of the most striking and poignant voices I've heard in a long time. This special set with JG Thirwell will showcase the beauty of these songs, especially since they're takes on her most recent release Versions, performed entirely with a string quartet. From Zola I feel it's necessary to check out Gary Numan, he's had an overreaching influence on much of the music that I'm interested in, but once more I've not had too much experience with him. He's got a tightly wound style of production that blends industrial and hip-hop with a veil of dark electronic pop to make for a timeless twist of various genres.

I'll leave Numan's set early though so that I can take in as much of Robert DeLong's set as physically possible. DeLong is a captivating artist whose live show is unparalleled in today's scene. He's got an engaging demeanor that beckons the listeners to lose themselves to the tribal aspects of dance music. Maybe I've just got a bit of fanboyism shining through, but I'd wager that DeLong is going to be one of the most memorable sets of the weekend. Thankfully there's not another high energy act following DeLong or I'd probably collapse into a dance-induced puddle. Instead I'll take in the grandiose sounds of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. While Godspeed's music contains a bit of ineffable intensity, it'll be nice to soak in some post rock in between all of this exhausting and high energy dance music. From there I'll move onto my second most anticipated set of the weekend with Animal Collective. This band is one that I've had on my list to see for years and years at this point and I unfortunately missed them at this year's Bonnaroo after selling my ticket. Thankfully they shall elude me no longer, as Saturday night at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium I'll finally get to experience this larger than life psych-pop brilliance in person. I saw Panda Bear and Deakin at the first Hopscotch, but that's incomparable at this point. Animal Collective have countless anthemic tracks to lose yourself in and that's exactly what I plan on doing. They're one of the acts responsible for my high school foray into experimental music, so seeing them in Asheville is something that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. I'll follow Animal Collective with a brief glimpse of the Nine Inch Nails set before heading to Cashmere Cat to close the night. I saw NIN on their Lights in the Sky tour before their hiatus, but otherwise I'd probably be checking out their incredibly hyped up live set this weekend. After what's sure to be a turnt up dance party at Cashmere I'll actually be able to collapse into a dance-induced puddle and prepare myself for the last day of the festival.

Sunday
Sunday will serve as an incredible closing night for a festival that's filled with high intensity acts of countless varieties. Thankfully night three is just as jam-packed as the rest of the weekend, even if there aren't as many big name acts filling the lineup. I'll start the evening with Adventure Club, although after two nights full of dancing I don't know how energetic I'll be for their throw-down worthy dance music. To those of you that still have gas in your tank on Sunday, more power to you. I wish I could be you, but instead I'll be bringing my own blend of subdued shaking and flailing to ExploreAsheville early Sunday evening. I'll surely check out some of the sultry R&B stylings of Autre Ne Veut, but seeing Jessie Ware's take on the sound is a bit higher up on my priority list. Ware has gotten a metric ton of promotion throughout the pat year and I've purposefully stayed away from much of her music so that I can experience it for the first time in a live setting. All I know is that I'm ridiculously excited for her set. Thankfully I'll get to stay for all of her set before I head to see Pantyraid. While I'm not too into this set right now, it will serve as an excellent way to make sure that I've got prime positioning for Disclosure's set following Pantyraid.

Disclosure is another band that's been receiving bukus of hype throughout the past year, and rightfully so. They produce a tantalizing take on house music in it's rawest form, there's thunderous rhythms and absurdly catchy refrains that make their songs into powerful listening experiences. From Disclosure I'll make it to the remainder of Mount Kimbie's set, then meander over to check out Cut Copy. I'd like to say that I'll subsequently dance my ass off to Cut Copy, but I'm a realist so that probably won't happen. I'll likely stay around for a few songs where I nod my head if I know the tune, then head next door to see Pretty Lights. While I admittedly don't really enjoy Pretty Lights, I know his live show is nothing short of a spectacle, so it's definitely on my must see list. By this point I'll probably be running on fumes, so after I've taken in as much psych-infused bass thumps as possible at Pretty Lights I'll begin to make the long trek back to Raleigh.

Ultimately, there's enough going on at Mountain Oasis that I may not even follow this to a tee. The best part of attending festival's like this is following the crowds and seeing what acts you've overlooked. Not to say that you shouldn't follow your own rigid schedule, but live a little! It's nice to take in music that you may not have heard otherwise, for all you know you may walk away a fan. I've already got my bags packed tightly and there's a little over 36 hours left until I depart for Asheville, so for the next day I'll be resting up in preparation for a weekend filled with great times and even better music.

Mountain Oasis Announces Full Schedule

Mountain Oasis takes place in Asheville, N.C
from Oct. 25-27

October has only just begun, but my head is already spinning over how much awesome shit is happening throughout the next few weeks. Ever since the inception of Moogfest I've wanted to get out to Asheville to check out more music. With the exception of one mind-bending Sufjan Stevens show, I'm basically ignorant of the fantastic venues that are in the gorgeous mountain town. But come Oct. 25, I'll be immersing myself in one of the most promising festivals I've seen in years. Mountain Oasis is the newewst festival in the AC Entertainment family, the same folks that organize Bonnaroo, Forecastle and in previous years Moogfest. This year the company chose to drop the Moogfest moniker in favor of a new festival--although Moogfest will continue in April--that boasts one of the most unique schedules I've seen all year.

When news was released that Neutral Milk Hotel would be playing a full band performance in Asheville for Mountain Oasis I was literally speechless. A festival that calls itself an "electronic music summit" booked one of the most revered and reclusive indie rock acts in the past two decades and followed it up by announcing powerhouse acts like Nine Inch Nails, Bassnectar and Animal Collective. Mountain Oasis has one of the most well-rounded lineups on the festival circuit, they've managed to pull in an insane amount of high-profile electronic music while giving enough folk, industrial, experimental and indie rock to keep everyone entertained.

Yesterday the festival announced their full schedule, which naturally has quite a few conflicts that will surely make the weekend a unique experience for every attendee. There's so many combinations of acts to see that it's highly unlikely that any two people will share the same experience, which is one of my favorite parts of this festival. The amount of people that are pissed off that Neutral Milk Hotel will be performing at the same time as Bassnectar on Friday night are probably minimal, but two entirely different crowds will surely be undergoing life-altering experiences at their respective shows. The U.S Cellular Center is home to the ExploreAsheville.Com Arena and Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, meaning that while Jeff Mangum is shouting and crooning "comforting things in your ear," Bassnectar will be satisfying all of your sub-bass needs in the same building. Stop and wrap your mind around that. People can go see the anti-folk musings of Daniel Johnston and follow it up with the hip-hop mastery of Deltron 3030 without even leaving the building. After catching the end of Bassnectar fans will have another difficult decision to make between the heady vibes of Baths or the brilliantly spastic sounds of the young producer XXYYXX.

Mountain Oasis brings Nine Inch Nails, Bassnectar and Neutral Milk Hotel to Asheville

Trent Reznor will pull double-duty at Mountain Oasis
with Nine Inch Nails and How To Destroy Angels
Photo by: Rob Sheridan

When news first broke about Mountain Oasis nobody really knew what to expect about the festival.  There was debate going on over whether or not Moogfest would get pushed to a different date (it did, April 25-27) and what kind of overlap these festival's lineups would have.  Mountain Oasis is entering a bustling North Carolina festival scene, after Hopscotch released a dazzling lineup last week it was going to be difficult to steal the thunder of the Triangle's premier festival.  But if Mountain Oasis' goal was to get people talking, they've certainly done it.

The festival seemed to be geared towards electronic music, but the lineup announcement that came this morning featured one of the most diverse and eclectic collection of groups that I've seen in recent memory.  Headlined by a re-united Nine Inch Nails, Mountain Oasis boasts EDM mega-stars like Bassnectar and Pretty Lights while simultaneously featuring indie-icons like Neutral Milk Hotel, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Animal Collective.