Hopscotch Highlight: Sylvan Esso

Sylvan Esso (Durham, NC) performs on Thursday, Sept. 5
at 10:00 at Memorial Auditorium

We're creeping awfully close to the most wonderful time of the year for fans of North Carolina's rich music scene. This year's Hopscotch boasts the most impressive lineup yet, a feat that the festival continues to pull off with each passing year. September is drawing near and that means that for three full days downtown Raleigh will be home to one of the most brilliantly orchestrated music marathons of the year. When the lineup was released I went through and did my annual rundown of bands on the bill, taking note of the new locals that I was unfamiliar with. Last year this method allowed me to find one of my favorite bands of the year with Jenny Besetzt and surely enough this year produced the same results.

When I stumbled upon Sylvan Esso the band had yet to release any music, but when I saw that the group was comprised of Nick Sanborn of Megafaun collaborating with Amelia Randall Meath of Mountain Man I knew that this would be a truly special project. But I had no idea that the duo would produce songs that left me absolutely floored at their seemingly effortless take on a truly innovative sound. Sylvan Esso brilliantly blends skittering, pulsating beats with twee-folk inspired melodies to create a unique blend of mesmerizing timbres.

When it came time to plan out my first Hopscotch Highlight it was a no-brainer, it had to be Sylvan Esso. The duo coincidentally enough made their live debut at last year's Hopscotch during Sanborn's Made of Oaks set at The Pour House. Made of Oaks is Sanborn's "beautifully sad instrumental hip-hop" project whose sound serves as the aural foundation for Sylvan Esso's groundbreaking tracks.

TRKfest 2012 announces a unique powerhouse of a lineup

Trekky Records is quite simply one of the most compelling labels within the North Carolina music scene, between their phenomenal roster and consistently wonderful events held throughout the year, the label has cemented themselves as a staple of our state's scene.  This year's annual TRKfest is shaping up to be one of the finest in the festival's history, or at least the most memorable.  With a suggested $10 donation, there's no reason to miss this surely beautiful day filled with arts, crafts, tie-dying and most importantly, music.

Held at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, NC, TRKfest is an absolute gem of a festival that brings together some of the finest members of not only the Trekky roster, but the Carolina scene as a whole.  This year's lineup boasts two one of a kind sets that are sure to live up to every bit of hype that they garner throughout the upcoming weeks before the festival, held on July 21.  Headlined by Lost Skulls, an Ari Picker led Misfits tribute band comprised of fellow local "Disciples of Danzig", the festival also boasts a supergroup cover set with The Piedmont Family Reunion, a collaboration of Midtown Dickens and Megafaun playing one-anothers songs along with other covers.

Best Shows of 2011

Happy holiday season readers!  I took a bit of a break after exam periods to enjoy the festivities but alas we're back to the blogosphere to keep spreading the good word.  2011 is winding down quickly and looking back through the year it's clear to see how blessed we are as North Carolinians to have such a flourishing music scene.  From the phenomenal acts brought to the state thanks to swiftly rising festivals like Moogfest and Hopscotch, which have been drawing more national attention to the state, to the incredible shows in tiny clubs, packed amphitheaters, and everywhere in between, North Carolina had one hell of a year for shows.  Agatha and I have both rounded up our Top 5 shows of the year, so let's get to it!