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: 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.