Show Preview: Yuck w/ Alvvays, and Estrangers at Local 506

Yuck will be performing at Local 506 on
Feb. 12 along with Alvvays and Estrangers

Next Wednesday, February 12, Yuck is coming through the Triangle to Chapel Hill's Local 506, joined by Alvvays and Estrangers.

The night will kick off with hazy pop rock of Phuzz Records artist Estrangers. The five piece's most recent album, Season of 1000 Colors, came out June of last year. Their songs are fuzzy and easy to listen to, upbeat and lo-fi. They've made their rounds playing all over North Carolina, including playing alongside Spider Bags and The Beets at Hopscotch Music Festival.

Alvvays will continue the bouncy pop vibe with female fronted and harmonized vocals, guitar, and synth. Coming all the way from Toronto, they're fairly new to the game as a band, releasing their debut album later this year on Royal Mountain Records. With an incredibly promising lead-off single, "Adult Diversion," there's a slew of excitement abound for their forthcoming full-length. They've also got quite a bit of clout as individual musicians, lead vocalist Molly Rankin has a successful solo project and comes from a wildly successful family of folk musicians The Rankin Family. Alvvays  have also been part of some great bills, including Wintersleep and Hospitality, giving the band strong footing as a burgeoning indie pop act .

I'm pretty excited to finally see Yuck. Tracks from their 2011 self-titled album have been a staple on virtually any running playlist I've had since. Yuck's sophomore album Glow & Behold came out on Fat Possum last September, a little over 40 minutes in length and also marked the first album without former guitarist and vocalist Daniel Blumberg.The transition in sound is pretty noticeable, with the newer songs being smoother and more melody-based. It will be interesting to see how much of their first studio album they revisit and how it's carried out without Blumberg. The band is also working on an EP to come out this year, so expect some sneak peaks into new material.

Door are at 8:30 pm and the show starts at 9:00 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For more information about the show and venue, visit www.local506.com.

No Age, Kool Keith & White Fence to headline Phuzz Phest 2014

Phuzz Phest is held from April 4-6 in Winston Salem, NC

Throughout the past few years the Winston-Salem music scene has slowly been revitalized, thanks mostly in part to the good folks behind Phuzz Phest. Whether it be their recently started record label (aptly titled Phuzz Records) or their work within Estrangers, it seems like Winston is firing on all cylinders lately. While previous incarnations of the festival have boasted some pretty impressive lineups, none have been as large as the just announced 2014 roster. In previous years local and regional standouts like William Tyler, Lost in the Trees and The Love Language would headline the festival, but this year there's a crew of highly esteemed nationally acclaimed acts that have filled in the marquee slots with a diverse array of locals rounding out the undercard.

Headlining this year's Phuzz Phest, which will take place at various venues around Winston Salem from April 4-6 will be No Age, Kool Keith, White Fence and Jessica Lea Mayfield, providing an incredibly rounded group of widely respected acts from multiple genres. No Age have been spearheading a new wave of D.I.Y punk, taking part in every aspect of the release of their latest album An Object (that includes packaging, recording, producing AND writing). Kool Keith has long been heralded as one of the premiere experimental hip-hop MCs, whether it be through his variety of pseudonyms like Dr. Octagon (an extraterrestrial gynecologist from Jupiter) or under his regular alias, Keith weaves together bizarre images with lyrical acrobatics that leave the listener yearning for more. White Fence is the name that Tim Presley has adopted for his fuzzed out, crackling brand of intimate rock n' roll that will fit in perfectly with the Phuzz Phest aesthetic. Jessica Lea Mayfield rounds out the national headliners with an earnest burst of heartfelt songwriting inspired by equal parts folk and country for a set that's sure to tug at heartstrings.

And while the top bills are pretty damn impressive for this local festival in its fourth year, the undercard shines just as bright. Diarrhea Planet will be bringing their highly buzzed about brand of guitar rock to Winston alongside touring acts like Ex-Hex, Yip Deceiver, Woodsman and Ex-Cult. However, the local aspect of Phuzz Phest is certainly where fans like myself are foaming at the mouth. Standouts like Mount Moriah and The Love Language are on the bill alongside punk rock mainstays like Brain F≠ and Whatever Brains. Local favorites T0W3RS, Josh Moore, Loamlands and seldom seen Trioscapes will be performing in Winston as well. Really I could just run down the entire lineup with enthusiastic boasts about these performers, but I'll leave that until closer to showtime.

Tickets for Phuzz Phest are now available on Phuzz Phest's website. A 3-Day pass runs a cool $50 while single-day wristbands are $20. Phuzz has also taken on some non-musical activities this year as well as well, as daytime events include bike races, hangover curing brunches, and a skate competition. The festival will take place across various venues in Winston-Salem including The Garage, Krankies, Ziggy's, Single Brothers Bar, Small Beer Batch Co. and West End Mill Works. Be on the lookout for more Phuzz Phest updates as they come in!