Ears To The Ground: "So Hard" by Daddy Issues

Daddy Issues (Greensboro) released their new single,
"So Hard" on Bandcamp Aug. 26

 

Within recent years the Triad region has begun to develop quite the bustling music scene. While folks who hear that statement may immediately jump towards Winston-Salem and the burgeoning scene being developed with the help of Phuzz Records, it'd be unfair to write Greensboro out of the picture so soon. The city hosts a truly eclectic mixture of acts, bands like Holy Ghost Tent Revival serve as the scene's figureheads while The Collective and Lowland Hum are gaining steam with their beautiful melodic folk. Although their orchestral tunes get bukus of focus, Greensboro has always been home to a more raucous rock scene as well. Venues thrive on DIY atmospheres, you're able to find a nationally touring act inside of an I Love NY Pizza and frankly few other cities can make that claim.

One of the acts coming out of Greensboro that's set on slowly building a name for themselves through no-frills, hooky surf rock is Daddy Issues. The female-centric surf-punk quartet is comprised of Lo Davy, Lindsey Sprague, Maddie Putney, and Amethyst White. Together they craft unabashed rock n' roll with the same tenacity of any grizzled band of unkempt dudes you can find. They toss out any preconceived notions of an entirely female rock band with their latest single "So Hard," a song that's literally about making a dude's dick so hard that he's miles away. The band are unapologetic in how crass and straight forward their songs can be, and that's what makes them so great. If you're looking for some stereotypical songs about love, boys and other ridiculously gendered topics then you can get the hell out and go listen to some Best Coast or something. If you're looking for a band that prides themselves on being original, authentic and honest as hell then look no further than Daddy Issues.

Daddy Issues fits right alongside Triangle rockers like Gross Ghost and Ghostt Bllonde (despite their lack of a spooky ghost name) and have bukus of promise lying within these simplistic songs. The band will be performing at ReverbNation's Hopscotch Day Party on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Deep South alongside Hammer No More The Fingers, Jenny Besetzt, Iggy Cosky (of The Lollipops) and thefacesblur (of Body Games).

Album Review: "Hedonism Colosseum" by Astro Cowboy

Astro Cowboy released "Hedonism Colosseum" on
July 13, 2014. Listen to it on their Bandcamp.

One of my favorite parts of the North Carolina music scene has always been the reciprocal qualities of its musicians. When someone makes a wave within the culture the ripples are felt for years to come, we've seen it with acts like Lost in the Trees, The Love Language, Megafaun and plenty more. Someone latches onto an interesting musical idea and it inspires a wash of creativity in countless musicians in the area. Lately Wilmington has seen a resurgence in its own music scene despite the closing of their marquee venue The Soapbox, perhaps it's that laundro-lounge sized void that's lead these acts' heightened sense of focus or maybe it's just something in the water. Either way it seems like bands like Museum Mouth sit atop the crew of these new, young and invigorated bands that have been coming out of the eastern part of the state. One of these young acts obviously influenced by Museum Mouth's pop-leaning punk tunes is Astro Cowboy, a duo of fresh out of high-school teens that display an unparalleled sense of intensity and veracity.

Hedonism Colosseum is the band's first full-length effort, but if nobody told you that you'd probably never be able to tell. Hedonism Colosseum feels like the reflections of a road-worn individual that's pawning over the days of his youth rather than one stuck in the middle of the most awkward, confusing times of most of our lives. Filled with bouts of self-loathing, introspection and hardened cynicism, Hedonism Colosseum bounces along with a surprising sense of optimism despite the somber lyricism. The album kicks off with the barnburner, "White Shoes," a track that's filled with as much pessimism and realization as it is cheerful, bouncing vibes. "White Shoes," much like the rest of the album, chronicles the bitter end of relationships that have been long worn down. "Nothing's gonna be the same, believe me that I want to change," sings vocalist/songwriter Travis Harrington, "but this change will be all in vain, like always I'm way too late," he continues. Harrington powers through a palatable sense of frustration and disappointment while churning out infectious melodies and danceable rhythms.

Most of Hedonism Colosseum continues on this same trajectory, it's filled with angst-driven lyrics that propel the listener back to high-school journal entries of loves long lost and things that could have been. But at the same time, the album isn't a total sadsack marathon, there's bits of humor and refreshing metaphors tucked into these tightly packed tracks. "Suntan" compares relationship problems to pale-skinned woes while "Big Blue" finds Harrington comparing his own frustrations to a shaken soda bottle. There's enough frenetic grievances to keep nervous rockers placated while the lyrical rawness and aural depth will keep the rest of listeners bobbing and swaying along to the relatable, yet intensely personal subject matter. Whether Harrington is waxing rhapsodic over math class or yearning for days gone he does so with an earnest sense of passion that reminds me much of the first times I heard Marc Kuzio's nasally shout in early Ghostt Bllonde and Coastal Vision tracks.

It won't be long until Astro Cowboy has honed their craft and become the local titans that acts like Museum Mouth and Ghostt Bllonde are becoming. Travis Harrington and Kameron Vann clearly have a brilliant chemistry as musicians and it gets me downright giddy to see young musicians with such a clear vision as to the sounds they hope to create. Hedonism Colosseum is clearly just a brief taste of the brilliance to come from Astro Cowboy, and while the surf-rock/post-punk vibe may not be as polished and precise as it could be, it's most definitely real. There's a sense of intensity and urgency on these tracks that you can't craft over time, it's got to come from inside of a songwriter, and these two display that in bunches. I'm immensely excited to see where Astro Cowboy goes from here, but for now it's just as exhilarating to soak in the sounds of Hedonism Colosseum and fondly reminisce over the thoughts and feelings of young adult life.

Show Review: Perfect Pussy with Davidians and Whatever Brains

Perfect Pussy at Kings Barcade

I am constantly surprised by the Raleigh hardcore scene which may indicate that I am not as familiar with it as I believe myself to be. This was clear to me on Thursday night's show when Davidians broke out into their set. Davidians is comprised of some former members of Double Negative, a band that really defined the hardcore scene in Raleigh.

The band is pretty much defunct as of 2012 but luckily for die-hard Double Negative fans, Davidians holds the future. When they stepped up on the stage to play their set, you could feel a surge in the crowd. They played a solid hardcore set (although I am not the greatest judge of that...) that was energetic and lively. The whole crowd seemed to sway in unison to their scuzzy guitars and frenetic rhythms.

Whatever Brains at Kings Barcade

Up next were my absolute favorites, Whatever Brains. I always forget just how talented these dudes are but every time I see them play, I am totally blown away.  As they walked out they requested the lights to be turned off and they begin weaving their magic with a gradual build up of noise. Whatever Brains manages to create this incredible wall of sound but each sound is very distinct and they constantly build on to this wall of sound with new sounds. If I totally lost you here, they are basically very talented musicians that manage to create a brand of punk-rock that is totally unique, implementing a slew of synths along with traditional punk-rock instrumentation. This show did not disappoint.


Finally, the infamous Perfect Pussy took the stage. This blog post comes so late because I had to really meditate on what I thought of this show. The band looked like very nice people but when they started playing, the only thing that was audible was their synth-noise-making machine. I came in knowing from their EP that the vocals would be indecipherable however I did not expect to hear nothing at all. All that said, the band was lively and their stage presence was really intense and I could tell they were super into it. Overall, I got the hardcore show experience but I would've loved to hear more of the female fronted vocals.