On Local Music

So The Bottom String hasn't been incredibly active for the past month or so, and for that, local music fans, I apologize. But alas the train has found itself back upon the tracks and we're rolling out a lot of exciting content in the new year. 2014 has been an astounding year for local music, next week we'll have our Top 20 North Carolina albums of the year posted, but this week marks a very pivotal point in the local music scene, at least for myself. Tonight at Haw River Ballroom marks the last Lost in the Trees show "for the foreseeable future."

Change like this is natural, its an ebb and flow. But as all of you likely know, Lost in the Trees is, has been, and always will be my favorite local act. From the minute that I saw the 13-piece band jam into the abandoned shops of Old City Hall in New Bern I knew I'd stumbled upon something special. That was roughly six years ago when I learned that a mere two and a half hour drive would place me into a hotbed of awe-inspiring talent. Artists like Lost in the Trees don't come around that often, even when you're surrounded by the talent that North Carolina possesses. Albums like All Alone in an Empty House serve as a snapshot, a moment in time where someone's artistic output served as much needed therapy for not only the writer, but for countless others who've undergone similar experiences. Anyone who's seen a parent struggle with depression, lived in an abusive home, had their heart broken, they've connected with pieces of music just like this. But I can safely say that I've never seen a piece of work as sincere, as passionate or as moving as Lost in the Trees' All Alone in an Empty House.

It's easy to let the melancholy wash over you without second thought while you immerse yourself in swelling strings, sharp guitars and rich harmonies. But to stop and take in the themes and the messages will shed a whole new light upon things.  So surround yourself with good people. I know it's painful but we can stand...Asked to forgive when you're still angry, if I can't heal my heart then forgive me. They're astonishingly powerful words that can easily get lost amidst the pomp and fanfare of the stellar instrumentation.

Maybe I'm just fanboy-ing out here because I'm about to see Lost in the Trees for the last time, maybe I'm just trying to share how incredibly important this band has been to my life, but either way it's a statement that needs to be uttered. Lost in the Trees, and artists like them, are the very reason that I've fallen in love with this music scene. I have zero doubt in my mind that Haw River Ballroom will be shoulder to shoulder, filled with fans, friends, musicians, and all around incredible people sharing beautiful moments with one another at one of the most scenic venues in the country. Being able to see a career trajectory as heart-warming as that of Lost in the Trees doesn't happen very often. From humble beginnings at Trekky Records to international acclaim with Anti, from the therapeutic symphonies of All Alone in an Empty House and A Church That Fit our Needs to the electronic whirs of Past Life, the sincerity and talent on display within this band is something that can never be paralleled for me.

Allow this to serve as a "thank you," to Ari and Emma, to Joah and Mark, Will and Leah, Jenavieve and Andrew, to Trekky Records, to any musician who's ever put themselves in a vulnerable position by revealing their innermost thoughts, feelings and fears and help others cope with their own. Thank you for letting some awestruck 19 year old stand in front of you with a shitty video camera for his brand new blog. You're the foundation that holds not only our music scene together, but everyone's scene. Shows like this re-ignite my passion to share local music with the masses, to shout from a mountaintop that "this band is mind blowing and you need to experience this before it's too late." Support your local scene, buy the albums, share it with friends, take them to shows, foster the community that you wish to be a part of. Most importantly, surround yourself with good people.

Show Preview: Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival

Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival takes place
in Charlotte, NC on May 16-18.

Now that I'm out in the Triangle, I very rarely make my way past this wonderful trifecta of musical cities. But every now and then there's an event that's just too exceptional to pass up, and next weekend Charlotte will be hosting a jam-packed festival that regional residents would be foolish to pass up. Drumstrong is a non-profit organization that has held a day-long drum-based event for the past few years, but 2014 marks the first full multi-day music festival for the organization and they truly knocked it out of the park for their first foray into the festival world.

Throughout the weekend of May 16, artists from across the state will be joined by a handful of highly revered national acts like Railroad Earth, Kopecky Family Band and The Felice Brothers for a weekend filled with eclectic tunes ranging from folk and electronic to post-punk and bluegrass. Drumstrong serves as an intersection of all things excellent about the North Carolina music scene, some of the state's most beloved artists from all genres will be convening on the small town of Weddington (just four miles south of Charlotte) to fill the Misty Meadows Farm with joyous vibes and incredible tunes.

Not only does Drumstrong bring together acts like Lost in the Trees, The Love Language, Chatham County Line and American Aquarium, but they do it all at an astoundingly low price and for an incredible cause. Tickets for the event run $50 in advance and $80 at the door, with all proceeds going towards funding for cancer organizations. This year's event combines the central themes and foundations of previous installments (like a 24-hour drum circle to get you in the festie mood) while bringing a unique twist to make things ridiculously exciting.

Unlike many modern festivals, Drumstrong doesn't feature overlapping schedules. Instead of hopping back and forth between stages and missing out on some of the weekend's finest moments, fans can post up in front of the stage and soak in the sounds of the dozen or so artists that will be performing each day. Each day follows a thematic structure, with Friday being billed as the North Carolina Music Celebration. Friday's acts include some of the most impressive up and coming acts in the state from a wide variety of genres. Many Charlotte based acts like Junior Astronomers, HRVRD and Pullman Strike will take the stage throughout the day while the evening comes to a close with the dancy rhapsodic electronic tunes of Dirty Drummer and Asheville's Marley Carroll. Friday serves as an excellent start to what's sure to be a phenomenal weekend filled with immensely talented artists.

Saturday's lineup is billed as the Main Event, and looking at the schedule gives you a solid guess as to why. Some of the festival's biggest names take the stage throughout the day, making for music marathon that festival goers can thankfully stay put for. Charlotte's Sinners & Saints will kick off the day with some catchy, simplistic folk and the rest of the day is filled with huge acts including Lost in the Trees, The Love Language, Futurebirds, Bombadil, American Aquarium, The Felice Brothers and even the jam-based sounds of Yo Momma's Big Fat Booty Band towards the end of the evening. For those looking to just peep into the festival for one day, Saturday is most definitely your day to do so. A Saturday pass costs $30 in advance and $45 at the door, an incredible deal for the massive acts you can see throughout the day.

Sunday is billed as the Family Folk 'n Fun Day, boasting a shorter lineup so that attendees can head out of the campgrounds shortly after sun-down, which is frankly one of my favorite parts of the festival. Each day is jam-packed but the music doesn't run into ungodly hours of the night, leaving you exhausted in the long-haul. The day kicks off at 11:00 and ends at 9:00 pm and throughout the day there's plenty of excitement for attendees both young and old. Games, bounce castles, arts and crafts and much more will be present for the kiddies to enjoy themselves while acts like Dom Flemmons (of Carolina Chocolate Drops), Overmountain Men, Elonzo and New Familiars will fill up the day's activities for the adults.

Overall the weekend looks to provide one of the most unique festival experiences in quite some time. While campers aren't allowed to bring their own coolers or food, the difference in pricing for attendance more than makes up for it. Drum circles will surely run late into the night, but those that don't wish to release their inner hippy for the weekend can get lodging at the myriad of hotels, motels and campgrounds in the area. You can head over to Drumstrong.com to purchase tickets, check out the full schedule or get more information on the festival. Be on the lookout for our interviews with The Felice Brothers and Marley Carroll early next week in advance of the festival!

Check out the festival's most recent Pony Danza Session with Sinners & Saints, a video series that provides a glimpse of the Misty Meadows Farm and introduces fans to some of the stellar talent on display next weekend:

Drumstrong announces 2014 festival lineup including Kopecky Family Band, Felice Brothers & more

Drumstrong is a non-profit festival that will take place
on May 16-18 in Weddington, N.C.

Since 2007 Drumstrong has been hosting an annual festival to raise money for cancer organizations and in 2014 they're seriously upping the ante with their lineup. This week the Charlotte based organization announced the lineup for their forthcoming event, set to take place on May 16-18 at the Misty Meadows Farm in Weddington, N.C., and it's an impressive combination of beloved national acts and some of the top tier talents that the state has to offer.

Railroad Earth sits atop the lineup as the marquee headliner, but the strength of the festival lies within the diversity of each act on the bill. Names like Kopecky Family Band and The Felice Brothers are right alongside North Carolina acts like Chatham County Line and American Aquarium. Those four alone warrant a pretty exciting group of bands, but Drumstrong's strength lies in the fact that they've pulled some of the most exciting acts from every corner of the local scene. Lost in the Trees and The Love Language stand alongside acts like Bombadil, Dom Flemons (of Carolina Chocolate Drops), Marley Carroll, Junior Astronomers, HRVRD and even Yo Mamma's Big Fat Booty Band.

Drumstrong's dazzling lineup boosts it right towards the top of my local festival list, not just because of the inclusiveness of it but because of the totality. I'm a sucker for local-heavy lineups and quite frankly Drumstrong has done an awesome job of straying away from boring, genre-based lineups to provide an eclectic and exciting weekend of music.

Best of all, festivalgoers will be able to camp out over the weekend on the gorgeous Misty Meadows Farm, just four miles south of Charlotte. There's just something about camping festivals that produces a much more communal environment then traditional street-based events and it's one of my favorite draws for the event. Friday's festivities kick off at 2 pm and last until 11, Saturday runs from 10 am to 11 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Tickets for the event are available in the form of a $50 weekend pass ($80 at the door) or day passes that run $15 for Friday ($25 at the door), $30 for Saturday ($40 at the door) and $15 for Sunday ($25 at the door). Alternatively you could pay $200 in advance for the VIP Passes that grant special VIP access and food and drinks.

Tickets go on-sale today at 11:00 am. For more information and the full lineup you can head to Drumstrong.com

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.

Trekky Records Releases "Amalgam" Mixtape

Trekky Records' Amalgam Release
Show is on March 2 at Nightlight

On Friday at Nightlight in Chapel Hill, Trekky Records will be celebrating the release of their brand new mix tape featuring some of the finest artists in the state.  Amalgam is a fantastic compilation featuring new tracks from Lost in the Trees and Midtown Dickens upcoming records as well as new music for the first time in six years from Vibrant Green, one of Trekky's grizzled veteran groups.  The release show is $5 and features performances from Butterflies, Phil Cook & His Feat, Vibrant Green and a surprise guest making their return to Nightlight.

Amalgam is a fantastic snapshot of Trekky's artists, giving new tracks from some of the label's premier bands as well as some of the best songs from Trekky's ten year history.  There's a lovely blend of tight indie-rock from bands like Butterflies and Embarrassing Fruits, giving us tracks from their latest releases, as well as the rustic folk music that shines so brightly with Trekky like Phil Cook & His Feat.  One of the best parts of Amalgam is the nostalgic tunes that can be found on the mix tape, bands like Mortar + Pestle (featuring Josh Kimbrough of Butterflies and Joe Norkus of Embarrassing Fruits), Physics of Meaning (an act that we quite frankly see FAR too little of in my opinion), and Vibrant Green rear their heads back up to open up a world of new music for those who may not be as familiar with Trekky's back catalogue.

Lost in the Trees announce new album "A Church That Fits Our Needs" + releases new song, "Red"

Lost in the Trees @ Fletcher Opera Hall
at Hopscotch Music Festival 2011

The darlings of North Carolina's music scene, Lost in the Trees, have finally announced their much awaited follow up to All Alone In An Empty House, the masterpiece of a record re-released on ANTI back in 2010.  The re-release thrust Lost in the Trees into the spotlight, even leading to their addition on Jeff Mangum's ATP Festival in Europe.  The wait for another album is finally over though as it was announced today that A Church That Fits Our Needs will be released on March 20, 2012.  This wasn't the only delicious nugget of information that Lost in the Trees dropped for us today though, as the album announcement coincided with the release of a new song, "Red" which can be found on NPR's All Songs Considered, check out the link after the jump.

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!

Hopscotch '11 In Retrospect

So after allowing myself a week to really absorb the events that transpired at Hopscotch (that's code for eating snack cakes and lounging around all week because seeing live music all weekend takes something out of us bloggers) I can sit back and appreciate all of the great things I got to experience at this year's Hopscotch Festival.  So here is The Bottom String's Top 6 Hopscotch Moments:

Hopscotch Day 3 Review

The Flaming Lips @ City Plaza

Starting off Saturday was the strangest feeling, a combination of exhaustion and excitement for the day to come even if it's going to be full of sweating, walking, and fighting crowds.  It's mainly okay because of The Flaming Lips though.  Our day started off a little bit late after trying to work out a ticket issue for a friend in need of admission to The Flaming Lips, but once it was all settled out we headed downtown to get on with our last day of Hopscotch'ing.  Choosing between Day Parties today was a doozy, there were so many incredible bands playing at the same time that it was hard not to find something that wasn't jaw-droppingly great.

The Bottom String's Hopscotch Itinerary

Hopscotch Music Festival is exactly one week away and the region is buzzing with excitement for the festival's second year, topped with legendary acts like The Flaming Lips and Guided By Voices (playing what's allegedly their last show of the reunion), Hopscotch is breaking boundaries in the Carolina music scene.  These boundaries aren't being broken just because of the gigantic bands that will be gracing the City Plaza stages on Friday and Saturday, but instead because of how centralized of a focus there still is on local bands and the local scene.  It's hard to choose between so many incredible acts over the weekend, but luckily we've taken on some help from friends and fellow writers (on our sister site Myxem) in Terry McElhennon and Kyle Bement to make sure that we cover as much of the festival as physically possible.  While the age limitations prevent me from checking out everything I want to see (alas, just one more year!), here is The Bottom String's official Hopscotch Itinerary.