Show Review: Merge 25 at Cat's Cradle Parking Lot

Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

Usually when I spend all day getting drunk in a parking lot it's highly frowned upon, but apparently when a record label is involved it all becomes okay. As the closing day for Merge Records' four day anniversary bonanza, Saturday proved to be a day filled with constant stimulation. Whether it be the seemingly non-stop flow of incredible Merge acts both young and old, the delicious beer on tap, the FREE SUNSCREEN (because Merge cares) or that sweet Locopops goodness hidden around back, there was plenty to love about the day-long event that took over the Cat's Cradle parking lot.

Merge's anniversary celebrations are always a pleasant reminder that one of the most prolific, important record labels in the past 50 years was built and blossomed right in our own backyard. Merge planted their roots all over the Triangle and those roots swiftly blossomed across the nation, now a quarter century later they're home to some of the largest names in indie-rock history. Events like Merge 25 run the gamut for Merge's impressive lineup, new signees like Hiss Golden Messenger are able to share the spotlight with esteemed acts like Destroyer, Wye Oak, The Love Language and other indie acolytes. It's a wonderful way to not only put-on for your constantly deepening roster, but to show the fans that you appreciate all that they do to support you.

The Love Language
Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

Despite the intermittent clouds that would shade us all from the sweltering heat, the day was a sweat-filled foray into many different corners of Merge's roster. The day began with Vertical Scratchers, a tightly wound, simplistic pop/rock album that one would expect from Merge. They were the typical college-rock expectation, thus I was more than happy to scarf down some Carburritos while they performed. As local darlings Love Language took the stage though, the crowd was palpably more excited, singing along to their infectious summer anthems. Acts as great as The Love Language can seem to become little more than filler music for fans that have seen them countless times, but having them re-contextualized amidst Merge's impressive roster makes you remember that they're not those road worn locals to everyone else. Some folks at Merge 25 drove across country to see acts like The Love Language in everyones favorite local venue parking lot, which truly makes you appreciate the breadth of our local scene.

Ex-Hex
Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

The afternoon all seemed to bleed together as acts like Ex-Hex and Mikal Cronin took the stage, blending together low-key punk with high-energy pop sensibilities. While Ex-Hex left me focusing on following the shade like some nomad lost in the desert, Mikal Cronin momentarily took me away from the parking lot and into a thoughtless haze of shouting and swaying to Cronin's alt-pop goodness. But surely enough as every band announced that they were on their last track I high-stepped into Cat's Cradle to enjoy the luxurious air-conditioning before the crowd herded in. I stayed inside throughout most of Bob Mould's set, never getting into Husker Du is definitely something I regret, but seeing Mould for the first time in this light with no prior context of his musical explorations was just something that didn't feel right. But with Jon Wurster on drums I'd imagine that Mould's set was a raucous occasion to say the least.

After Mould the night kicked into overdrive, representing the vastly different ends of the Merge spectrum. Caribou brought an hour of dance-filled, entrancing electronic music while Neutral Milk Hotel left most folks standing still and transfixed on the dimly lit icon Jeff Mangum. There were two massively different vibes for each artist, as the sun was setting during Caribou's career-spanning set there were handfuls of folks dancing wildly (myself included) to Caribou's intricately arranged and brilliantly executed tracks. Frankly my only problem with the Caribou set was the amount of people just cross-armed and uninterested, seemingly unwilling to give this music a chance. But even a whole slew of curmudgeons couldn't suck the fun out of a set filled with "Sun," "Odessa," and "Can't Do Without You."

Mikal Cronin
Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

Afterwards MC Margaret Cho came out to inform the crowd to kindly put their phones and cameras away for the evenings headliner, as per the artists request. Everyone by now is familiar with Neutral Milk Hotel's picture policy, but that was something totally beside the point for this set. I love Neutral Milk Hotel, I've got some of Mangum's lyrics tattoo'd on my arm, I'm a full-on fanboy for this band. I've seen them three times this year and each time I was closer than the last, but it still doesn't entirely feel right. The songs still move me, they're just as powerful as they've always been. Everytime I hear the opening strums to "Two Headed Boy Pt. 2" my heart still sinks a bit. But, seeing Neutral Milk Hotel live isn't particularly what this music is about...at least to me. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is and always will be a pivotal album for many people, these songs are vividly attached to places, times, memories and people. It's a joy to be able to see these things revitalized through the art of live music, but it's never going to match the crackle of that record you've played a few too many times. Now that doesn't particularly take away from how beautiful and cathartic it is to shout over "how strange it is to be anything at all" amidst hundreds of other diehards, but in a sense it becomes less of a personalized experience. Maybe my reasons for feeling detached from these shows is a bit selfish, or maybe it's because I saw an older woman grinding on her husband during, "Oh Comely," but nothing can detach these songs from my own experiences. Granted that's not what they're trying to do here, they're trying to allow folks that never got to see this short-lived act a chance at redemption, but it's hard for me to gaze upon a stage full of aging indie-rock figureheads and pretend like I don't just want to close my eyes and travel somewhere else. All in all though Mangum and company put on a fantastic performance, even it it's roughly the same set most folks have seen time and time again. Neutral Milk Hotel is a testament to Merge's perseverance, and one can only hope that they have another long, illustrious 25 years of life. So here's to hauling our gray-haired asses back out to a parking lot in 2039.

Show Preview: Angel Olsen w/ Promised Land Sound

Angel Olsen performs at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, N.C.
on Friday, May 16.

Angel Olsen simply can't be described as a folk singer-songwriter and she proved this with the release of her newest album, Burn Your Fire For No Witness. Previous to this album she released an album and an EP of mostly home recordings, though incredibly haunting and beautiful, did not actually put her on the radar with her cohorts. With Burn Your Fire For No Witness being released on Jagjaguwar Records, Olsen's voice has expanded to a far wider audience and has resulted in high praise from music critics of NPR and the like.

Olsen's new bigger sound doesn't limit her and she stays true to herself in her lyricism. Her lyrics read like poetry and are almost too real in terms of relateability. Burn Your Fire... may have songs that are more upbeat with a backing band like "Forgiven/Forgotten," but in between those songs lie moments of pure serenity and sadness. These two qualities dominated her previous songs and in a way made them more personal to the listener, however, with Burn Your Fire a sense of hope lurks in between the melancholy melodies. Triangle fans have shown a particular fixation with the vexing songs that Olsen produces, so expect a packed Cradle filled with adoring fans washed in emotions and amazement at Olsen's powerful presence.

Olsen will be preceded by Promised Land Sound, a young Nashville band of dudes who like to play country-tinged garage rock. The young group of roots-rockers have earned high acclaim from Jack White's Third Man Records, being billed as one of their "favorite local bands." Their debut full-length was released on Paradise of Bachelors and was followed by a 7" on Third Man. This vigorous young group has just begun its conquest through the music industry, but all it takes is a few listens to see that they're filled with limitless potential.

Friday night boasts a solid paring of bands and sounds, making this show a weekend highlight. Fans can soak in the rustic rock of Promised Land Sound before getting emotionally wrecked by the heartbreaking warbles of Angel Olsen. Tickets are available at catscradle.com and are $12 in advance and $14 at the door.

Show Preview: Sylvan Esso w/ The Human Eyes

Sylvan Esso will perform at Cat's Cradle on Friday
May 2 w/ The Human Eyes

For the past year, fans of the North Carolina music scene have likely had one band at the forefront of their minds, an unlikely pairing with origins in folk that have blown away all expectations with their dashing electronic arrangements. Sylvan Esso is still in many rights a young band, they've barely been together for over a year but you'd never know that judging by the rich definition of their sound. Vocalist Amelia Meath's enchanting vocals slide and sway in and out of the throbbing bass and skittering synths set forth by Nick Sanborn, creating a mystifying mix of sounds that feel made for each other. When the duo played Memorial Auditorium at Hopscotch last year, the bass felt encompassing enough to rattle the dangling chandelier while Meath's smooth vocals effortlessly cut through Sanborn's high-energy mixes. Since that Hopscotch date they've toured with the likes of Volcano Choir, Man Man and Tycho, and following the release of their self-titled debut on May 13 they'll hit the road with Tune-Yards for a full US tour. Receiving acclaim from Pitchfork, Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, Noisey and countless other outlets, it's clear that Sylvan Esso breezed right past the stage of being an underrated local and were thrust straight into the national limelight. But it's a much deserved co-sign from these esteemed publications, as their sound is unlike any other, it's an effortless mix of electronic pop standards tinged with Meath's twee-folk backgrounds and washed in Sanborn's hip-hop influenced blend of club bangin' beats and heady productions.

This Friday the duo will celebrate their album release at a sold-out Cat's Cradle, a night that's sure to be one of the year's highlights in terms of local outings. With fellow promising upstarts in The Human Eyes opening the evening, fans can expect a smooth transition from the low-key 80s inspired sad-pop into the riveting displays set forth by Sylvan Esso. The Human Eyes may have seemed an interesting pairing for those that first saw the lineup, but all it takes is a trip back to their 2012 release Guiding Eyes for the Blind to realize how excellent of a combination this is. Having a high-energy act that gets the crowd moving would have been a treat, but getting a dynamic lineup such as this one is just as, if not more, enjoyable. Songwriter Thomas Costello writes melancholy songs that tackle your standard sad-song topics, but conveys them with a light of beaming nostalgia. Tracks like "It's Not The Same Without You" display some downright downtrodden imagery, but they're delivered with the swagger of an upbeat Talking Heads tune. The juxtaposition of their lyrical focus and instrumentation makes for a set that'll surely be filled with some introspective bobbing and swaying all 'round, but hey that never hurt anybody. And quite frankly it's an excellent transition into the chest rattling, sometimes heartbreaking, tunes of Sylvan Esso.

Sylvan Esso's debut full-length is a concise collection of eclectic electronic tracks that range from the house-inspired "HSKT" to the dynamic sounds of "Dreamy Bruises" and "Could I Be." Tracks glide along with jittery synth lines before a crunching bass cuts through the mix, ducking in and out with kicks and hi-hats as Meath's vocals take center stage. Whether Meath is shouting out cat calls on opener "Hey Mami" or lamenting over our constant state of flux while calling out to the hanky panky on "Coffee," the band is sure to leave listeners as emotionally moved as they are physically. Thunderous bass and gorgeous croons make for a brilliant combination, one that will leave the hundreds in attendance at Cat's on Friday night shouting and swinging along long after the tunes have ended.

Show Review: Russian Circles with KEN Mode and Inter Arma

Russian Circles at Cat's Cradle

KEN Mode left a good impression. Long, sweaty, stringy hair on the guitarists flew between screaming vocals and sludgy riffs. The drummer really impressed me, varying sticks and time signatures easily. Canadian hardcore isn't a genre I'm seasoned in, but it was obvious they knew what they were doing from stage presence to execution. The band has gained notable recognition, especially in the past few years with an exhaustive tour supporting Venerable and being a Juno award, in addition to a nomination at the Western Canadian Music Awards and being on the 40-album longlist for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize (ultimately won by Godspeed You! Black Emperor for Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!).

The lights blacked out. Shortly after, a feedback-laden loop played, entrancing the audience until it was impossible to know how much time had passed. That's one thing I love about these kinds of shows. Typically, bands have openers to prep the audience for the big act of the night, so the mood is already set for the headliner, the audience is awake and excited; it's go time for the main act. Russian Circles was able to re-calibrate and wield any energy in the room, bringing everyone back to the same focal point. If you've seen Godspeed You! Black Emperor, it was a similar intro and feeling. The band walked out onto the foggy stage and ripped it open. The backlighting highlighted the band's profiles instruments' blurred silhouettes, a fan was blowing on the drummer accentuating each hard hit to his kit. Playing through their thick catalog, the band went through various guitars and basses manipulated by a hefty (and highly custom-made) pedalboard. They made great use of sampling, looping and layering to create a truly impressive live performance, elaborating on their recorded songs.

Russian Circles' pedalboard

There was one moment in particular that felt like the audience had just plummeted out of a sensory deprivation tank -- an abrupt switch from melodic darkness to the stage's white lights hi-beaming everyone straight in the pupils, paired  simultaneously with chunky shredding. It was loud, as was expected, and my ears rang into the following day. During the show, the notes seemed to blast at you, swim to you, and linger around you mid-air. Again, this was actually quite possible consider how high everything was turned up, but the delay and reverb created an incredible atmosphere. Later on and a substantial set under their belt, they set down their instruments and walked off, immediately cueing the "one more song" chants while the guys finished their beers backstage. Momentarily they were back and played my absolute favorite Russian Circles song, "Youngblood," from their 2008 album Station. Filled with taps that make your spine tingle, the song was extremely powerful live. The audience fell into a rhythm and moved as one. Without any inkling of stage banter the entire night, the band humbly smiled and waved goodbye.

It was a Monday night but didn't feel like it. My only complaint of the night was the crowd. For being fairly scene-heavy, there was a lot of chatter during quiet parts which you just don't do at a post rock show. This genre provides an experience versus the cut and dry division of songs that calls for no interruptions or jumping the gun on clapping, despite good intentions of praise. In fact, I've seen people get shushed before and dirty looks cast at cell phones going off. Along with that, this wasn't a type of show you yell out requests at. The set was consciously well-crafted as is. Rocking out is cool, moshing can be appropriate, but taking it to torpedoing across the crowd Raiden style isn't. Luckily these complaints address a limited group, but it was distracting. All that aside, it was a phenomenal night and I hope to see Russian Circles again. 

Show Preview: Russian Circles with Ken Mode and Inter Arma

Russian Circles will perform at Cat's Cradle on
Feb. 17 w/ KEN mode and Inter Arma

Chicago's instrumental rock band Russian Circles returns to Cat's Cradle tonight, joined by KEN Mode and Inter Arma.

I'm very spoiled to live in such a rich music scene here in Raleigh, but I think Richmond, VA has a lot to boast about too. The quintet Inter Arma calls it home and has made a splash in the heavy rock community there. They've built up a great tour resume and have been able to successfully combine sludge with psych, with a few other arms in various genres here and there.

KEN mode (Kill Everyone Now) formed 15 years ago in Canada. Noisy, sludgy and representing the post-hardcore scene, they've gotten very positive feedback over the years for both their live shows and recorded music. Matt Bayles, who has produced and engineered albums for bands including Caspian, Mono, Cursive and Russian Circles, mixed KEN mode's newest album "Entrench." Bayles has had a knack for tackling the fine line between professional production and sounding too polished, and what bands I have seen of his catalog, overall, translate their music well to a live performance. With their experience and track record, I'm expecting a hell of a show from these guys. I'm also expecting to maybe not be able to hear for a few days -- but hey, sacrifices.

Russian Circles has come through the triangle before, and for whatever reason I couldn't make it out. I'm still hearing from friends about how big of a mistake that was. The band has put out five full length studio albums in addition to a 2004 self-titled and self-released EP, as well as single a split release with These Arms Are Snakes. The discography takes you through chunky instrumentation with metal roots to an emotive atmosphere, most pronounced and their October release of "Memorial" put out by Sargent House. Chelsea Wolfe, who has done a lot of the tour with Russian Circles, appears on the title track of the album.

Doors open at 7:00 pm and the show starts at 8:00 pm. Tickets are available at the door for $15. More information can be found at catscradle.com.

Show Review: Gross Ghost w/ Last Year’s Men, Schooner

In celebration of Gross Ghost’s newest release, Public Housing, they threw a party with a solid lineup on Friday, November 22. The show was at Cat’s Cradle’s newly opened “back room,” located in the same building as the Cradle in Carrboro but a separate space entirely. This was my first time there and I really enjoyed the set up. You can find it by walking behind the Arts Center or the Cradle depending on where you parked. Pro tip: there’s a new parking deck that’s usable for show overflow parking, which came in handy considering the main room also had a show going on that night. Immediately when you walk in you have the bar to your left and the stage on the right. I watched the show from the upstairs area, a bit compact but great vantage point with both seated and standing room available without feeling a disconnect from the downstairs crowd.

Simply put, Schooner gets you pumped. They were a great choice to kick off the night. Bouncing around and switching off instruments between members depending on the song, they played old and new tunes. Juan Huevos joined them on stage to rap during “Still in Love,” a pretty chill track off of their newest album Neighborhood Veins. It added a different flavor from the album version and really complimented the vibe of the song.  The new songs translated well to a live performance, and as usual, the band didn’t disappoint.

Last Year’s Men followed, rocking out with a few scattered dance moves and head bangs.  It’s absolutely impossible to stand still during their shows. Within a few strums you’re inevitably going to be tapping your foot, drumming on your bottle with your free hand or dancing. A vivacious band with fast guitar riffs, they cracked some jokes between songs and easily impressed the people in the crowd who were unfamiliar with them before.

Gross Ghost, hosting the night, looked overjoyed to hop onstage and share their new songs. While most of the show focused on Public Housing tracks, they still hit all the favorites from Brer Rabbit, including “Leslie” and “Architect.” The new songs were equally as catchy, offering stomps and hooks that became earworms. Some of my favorites of the night were “You Will” and “Seeds.” The album as a whole has been getting significant play on the local college radio stations and good reviews across the board. The band brought the energy that solidified this. Vocals followed the guitar melody that came to life with Mike Dillon’s stage presence. Thankful and appreciative of the crowd, they had a hell of a set, including cameo appearances from local artists, too. Christy Smith of the Tender Fruit joined for supplementary vocals on “They Say,” and Stu McLamb of The Love Language took over bass at the end of the night. 

Show Preview: Gross Ghost w/ Last Year’s Men, Schooner

Gross Ghost at Kings Barcade at Hopscotch 2013

Gross Ghost are having their record release party at Cat’s Cradle’s newly constructed back room on Friday, November 22. The night will be stacked with local rockers Last Year’s Men and Schooner opening.

Schooner celebrated their much awaited first national release Neighborhood Veins (PotLuck, 2013) at the end of September.  The album got high reviews from outlets such as Pop Matters and BLURT magazine, which isn’t surprising considering the local love they’ve seen over the years. It showcases a good balance between fast and slow paced “pop-indie-psych-soul” with echoing low vocals from Reid Johnson. A good handful of the songs you’ll find yourself not being able to get out of your head, or at the least get caught dancing to at stop lights in the car.

Chapel Hill’s Last Year’s Men are some of the most fun guys to watch or just have general banter with. Expect garage rock reminiscent of The Stooges and Spider Bags with the energy of someone who just shotgunned a PBR then set the can on fire. Currently on Churchkey Records, the band has one full length out, Sunny Down Snuff that’s packed full of solid tracks that translate well to a live show.

Gross Ghost’s second full length LP Public Housing came on Odessa Records on October 29. This record marks a follow up to their debut Brer Rabbit (Grip Tapes, 2012), that was so well-received that the band snagged a main stage slot at this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival, opening for Future Islands, Holy Ghost!, and A-Trak. Public Housing follows the Gross Ghost sound consistently accomplished on the first album, and continues with ten tracks of fuzz, hooks, and catchy melodies. Seeing the band perform is always a treat, and with new material to share it will have a fresh spin of energy.

Doors are at 8:30 pm and the show starts at 9:30 pm. Tickets are $8.00 in advance and $10.00 day-of. Gross Ghost is also offering half off the price of CD or vinyl purchases with admission. For more information about the show, visit www.catscradle.com.

Show Review: Manchester Orchestra w/ The Front Bottoms and O'Brother

Manchester Orchestra

As I've grown older and older, I kind of come to dread sold out shows. There's bound to be a lot of densely packed people, probably acting like assholes, elbowing and excusing their way through the crowd to fit into a minuscule spot that's physically impossible for one person to fill. However, despite the shoulder to shoulder standing room and gawking pre-teens definitely breaking the rules of their after-9, Saturday's show at Cat's Cradle was a warmly welcomed trip down Nostalgia Blvd. This marked the sixth time I've seen Manchester Orchestra live, I've got lyrics from the band tattooed on my chest and they pretty much got me through my formative high school years. Plus, I've booked numerous shows for O'Brother back in my hometown and have shared late nights eating day old donuts and pizza that a friend acquired from a Dunkin Donuts and Little Caesers dumpster. Needless to say, these bands have a very special place in my heart.

O'Brother

As O'Brother took the stage and Cat's Cradle began to gradually fill in, I was filled with a sense of elation...followed by a bit of laughter. While I love O'Brother, the way they've grown as a band couldn't be further from what a Manchester Orchestra crowd would expect from an opening act. Those that were privy to these ambient metal upstarts were head banging and mouthing the words to O'Brothers standout track "Lo." However, lots of the fans seemed a bit perplexed by the swiftly gathering fog and moody lights that turned O'Bro into a group of hair swinging silhouettes. It seemed like right as the crowd was really warming up to O'Brother's industrial brand of post-rock, they were announcing their last song. It was a treat to hear some of the new songs from Disillusion, an album I've yet to dig into at this point. However, judging by the intensity of this live show the band has delved deeper into riff-driven amped up stoner metal while retaining all of their gripping melodic nuances that drove me to the band in the first place.

Show Preview: Manchester Orchestra w/ The Front Bottoms & O'Brother

Manchester Orchestra will perform at Cat's Cradle
on Saturday, Nov. 9 with The Front Bottoms & O'Brother

Rarely does a band strike me the way that Manchester Orchestra does, so needless to say anytime I get the chance to see these guys display their poignant brand of indie rock I jump all over it. They've come a long way from touring the southeast with former local standouts like The Never and Annuals, now they're performing at House of Blues' and hosting their own festival in Atlanta, but whenever they stop through at Cat's Cradle it's always a momentous affair. Manchester Orchestra has been off the road for some time now, working on new music for a forthcoming album and generally catching up on some presumably much needed rest from a constantly hectic tour schedule. However, this Saturday is going to be one of those truly special nights that acts like Manchester Orchestra are only capable of. Joined by former labelmates O'Brother and The Front Bottoms, Cat's Cradle is slated for a night filled with aggressively emotive rock ranging from head-banging ambient heavy rock to introspective indie rock anthems.

O'Brother will start off the evening with the equivalent of a musical kick in the teeth. These guys started out as an experimental indie rock outfit from Atlanta and have gradually morphed into an ambient take on hard-rock that still harkens back to their ethereal beginnings. This Sriracha loving band of musicians knows how to play into the ebb and flow of dynamics, one minute vocalist Tanner Merritt is crooning over a gently picked guitar line and the next you've got the Dang brothers flinging their long black hair around as your eardrums begin screaming out in sweet, sweet pain. They take the heavy-quiet-heavy dynamic and run it over with their barreling wall of sound, choosing to craft their own sense of sonic structure rather than fill in pre-determined molds.

If you're not already plagued with a bang-over from the guttural rock sounds of O'Brother then you'll probably find yourself bouncing and bobbing to the infectious sounds of The Front Bottoms. While many may label the band as a pop-punk leaning outfit, there's much more sincerity and diversity within this group to write them off as such. While some songs may follow simplistic structures, it doesn't take long to realize that The Front Bottoms are about as gritty and inclusive as one could hope for. "Who am I kidding, I can't get past you" belts vocalist Brian Sella on "Skeleton," a track from their latest album Talon of the Hawk. "You are the cops, you are my student loans." There's no filter here, just unapologetic indie rock with punk leanings. So frankly they'll serve as a perfect opener for a band as sincere and boisterous as Manchester Orchestra.

Manchester will surely expend every fiber of energy possible for this set, hell I've seen the band play for nearly two hours before at the Cradle. Their shows are communal in every since of the word, much like The Front Bottoms' and O'Brothers' shows. Fans aren't just fans, they're die hards. Words are shouted back, emotions are palpable. These songs are more than just words for these fans, they're places in time that can't be replaced. I'll never forget shouting along to "Golden Ticket" at the now defunct Soapbox in Wilmington, clasped to a railing whilst silently praying that the buckling floor doesn't break beneath the weight of hundreds of Manchester die hards. Now the band will surely fill out the bulk of Cat's Cradle, much like they have in previous years. But this renovated Cat's Cradle hasn't seen Manchester before, much like we've all yet to see what sort of new songs Manchester has in store for us. It's going to be an incredible night of music punctuated by powerful performances from every act on the bill. It's hard to recall when I was this excited for a single bill, but all I know is that Saturday night will surely be one of the standout shows of the year for me.




Doors will open at 7:30 and the show will begin at 8:30. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets are available at CatsCradle.com