Artist Feature: Bo White

Photo Credit: James Willamor

When you talk to most musicians about whether or not they had a direction in mind with their musical projects, you usually are greeted with a swift "no, it just kind of came out this way." It usually serves as an amalgamation of all of their current and previous influences, effortlessly turning into a style all their own. Charlotte-based musician Bo White seems to approach things a bit differently. Since White's youth he's been meticulously crafting music of all varieties, theres the math-y yet melodic indie pop of Yardwork, the guitarless symphonic pomp of Bo White y Su Orquesta and his most recent post-punk excursion of Patois Counselors, each with their own unique, defined sound that feels unlike any other. Patois Counselors will be making their live debut this Friday at Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, N.C. alongside acts like Diarrhea Planet, Junior Astronomers and Museum Mouth, so in advance we spoke with Bo about how the hell you can consistently make such a wide array of incredible music.

"I’m genuinely interested in most genres of music at any stage," White says, "precise to free, novice to virtuoso. I pay the most attention to unique elements that separate certain genres or sounds from others." So whereas many artists may find particular elements of a certain genre and build their sound around multiple facets, White seems to become enamored by one in particular and delve deep into the genre's possibilities. "If I want to do a different genre, I start another project," White states, which explains the myriad of acts that White has been a part of. He cites his most recent solo releases as the exception to these rules though, claiming that Adornment and Millenial Tombs were "compilations of experiments," which is quite the testament considering Millenial Tombs was listed as one of our favorite North Carolina albums of 2014. "I tried to think about them as little as possible," White proclaims, "Adornment is the compilation of what I could come up with in a weekend. Millenial Tombs is a compilation of what I could come up with in a few weeks while recovering from a stint in the hospital."

When you take into account that White can put such minimal thought into a project and still have it lauded as one of the best releases of the year, it kind of leaves you a bit floored as to what this musician is truly capable of at his finest. When discussing his creative output, White states that he's running at "medium capacity" when at his most prolific, stating that he could "write and record all day, every day" but, you know there's this whole thing called society that we probably need to interact with. Regardless of whether he's working at full capacity or not, it's astonishing to see how seamlessly White can craft such intricate works throughout such a wide selection of genres.

Frankly that astonishment is something that I'm not quite sure will ever go away. It seems as if each new project broadens White's horizons in a new and invigorating way, and that's because he's got well defined ideas as to how each new project should sound. "With any project I begin by imagining the end result," White says. "Do I want to eat Sunday brunch to this music? Do I want to spark some romance? Do I want to get bled on at the Milestone? From there I’ll shape the kernels into a form that is approximately a full song, say 3 minutes or so." If I had to take any guess as to which one of these coincides with Patois Counselors, I'd wager that its the latter. To date there's only two songs available for folks to soak in from Patois Counselors, a primarily synth-driven track entitled "Clean Skits" and "Free Jazz Complaint." The music of "Clean Skits" sounds crunchy and dissonant, propelled by brisk drumbeats and nervous wails from White that dip in and out of the mix as the warm, distorted synth line encompasses the listener. "Free Jazz Complaint" feels a bit more straight forward, it sounds a bit like if Damon Albarn were to take a foray into psyched-out punk rock. White's vocals take more of a forefront on this track while frenzied guitar lines pop in and out,  soundtracking White's meta rants on free-form music.

"I wanted to blister some paint off the walls but do it in an anti-macho, smart ass way," White says of Patois Counselors. "I’ve played punk and noisier stuff before, but people forget. Even when I’m singing Sade soul through a cassette deck with clarinet samples, I feel like I’m doing it in a punk manner." White shrugs off the fact that this may be lost to some audiences, but when you go back and analyze his music through this lens it makes a bit more sense. White's got an inherently punk attitude throughout his work and Patois Counselors serves as an excellent outlet for that attitude. It's crass, but accessible, which is why it fits perfectly on the Reverb Fest bill. Joining some of the state's most revered punk-oriented acts, Patois Counselors will make their live debut this Friday evening with a fresh new band that's "that's taken [his] parts and made them more visceral," meaning you can probably expect things to get pretty wiley.

Listen to "Free Jazz Complaint" below and check out Patois Counselors at Reverb Fest in Charlotte at The Neighborhood Theatre on Jan. 30. alongside Diarrhea Planet, Junior Astronomers, Museum Mouth and Southern Femisphere.
 

Show Review: Denzel Curry & Deniro Farrar at The Cat's Cradle Backroom

Deniro Farrar at the Cat's Cradle Backroom

This was the second night in a row in which I was at the Cat's Cradle, however, this time I was going to the Backroom. When I first entered the venue, they were mixing LCD Soundsystem's "Dance Yrself Clean" with A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation". I knew the night was going to be very interesting after delving into their pre-show playlist.

Opening the show were Greensboro rappers, Big Whiskey and Pscril. Without a DJ to mix their music, BW was left to play their music off his laptop. Regardless of the DJ situation, BW and Pscril sufficiently warmed up the crowd with some of great tracks such as "Hideaway" featuring Chapel Hill rapper Skyblew, "The Man of my City" featuring Spanish Harlem rapper Dave East, and Pscril's self-produced track, "Keep Strivin'". They ended the night with an awesome track called "Scottie Pippen", which got the crowd jumping and moshing. You can check out both rappers catalog of banger tracks on Big Whiskey's YouTube channel and Pscril's SoundCloud page.

Unfortunately, the next act, Body Games, was unable to make it due to "logistics beyond [their] control." I had first seen this Carrboro group perform at Kennedy Theatre during the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh. At their show back in September, they were joined on stage by Charlotte rapper, Well$, who was the act that followed Big Whiskey and Pscril. I was not too familiar with his raps, but he drew a pretty good crowd for his set. Well$ did some acapella raps in the middle of his set, which is always impressive. At the end of his set, he told the crowd to come see him at the merch table by saying "Come talk to me, I swear I'm not awkward."

Well$ left the stage soon after I finished my second Pabst, and the atmosphere in the Cat's Cradle Backroom was getting quite 'turnt'. Flat brim hats, basketball jerseys, and saggy skinny jeans were abound in this young crowd. Lana Del Rey was playing in the background as I ascended the stairs to the upper level to get a better view of the primary acts. Gazing down at the sound guy, Deniro Farrar's manager Meko was using his phone to illuminate the setlist (SCORE!). DuRu Tha King was up next followed by JK the Reaper, and closing the night was Denzel Curry with a 40 minute set and Deniro Farrar with a 45 minute set. As I was leaning over the railing, I looked to my left and caught a glimpse of Deniro Farrar and his crew hanging out in the green room.

A few minutes later, DJ Trap hit the stage to warm up the crowd with some of his beats. He is Deniro Farrar's road DJ and enjoys playing some EDM-rap fusion. When he dropped tracks at Kennedy Theatre, they fell on deaf ears, as the crowd was fairly empty as most had been drawn to The War on Drugs show. However, he dropped several tracks that had a dubstep / brostep vibe that got the crowd jumping and moshing again.

DuRu Tha King came out to a warmed up crowd, and started dropping his own tracks. There were a few tracks that stood out above all else, one of which was "Smoked Out". You could smell a hint of ganja in the air. He ended his set with a track he played with Deniro Farrar at Hopscotch, "Social Status", however, this time it was sans-Farrar. Check out DuRu Tha King's 12-track mixtape Indoor Plus + on his DJ Booth page.

JK the Reaper, another Greensboro native, followed DuRu's set with his own DJ, Posh Shabbat (who also DJs for Denzel Curry). He had some serious sound issues, with some truly horrible reverb. One girl shouted "Don't let that get you down!" and others started a "JK" chant. The one line that stuck with me was "I feel like the rarest Yugioh card". The energy in the Backroom was palpable, as you see many locals dap each other and other friendly gestures. From atop by perch, I had a full view of all the different social groups and cliques in the venue, and overall, the crowd was VERY diverse. Before JK The Reaper's set ended, Denzel Curry came out on stage in his Xanax hoodie and started with one of his biggest tracks, "Parents".

Soon after hitting the stage with his backwards Darth Vader mask, he took off his Xanax hoodie to reveal a Stankonia shirt (major props). Many times during his set, Denzel would climb up on the leftmost speaker and eat bars like a pill-head. Halfway through Denzel's set, he picked two guys from the front row and split the crowd in two. He then instructed that the two lucky guys were the 'leaders' of the left and rights sides of the crowd, respectively. Once the beat dropped, the crowd went WILD and started moshing! I took a video of it, but it did no justice to truly express the insanity that was unfolding a few feet below the balcony, as people were getting knocked around, hitting the floor, pushing and shoving. Denzel closed his set with his biggest hit, "Threats", which is one of his trappiest bangers. Trap arms and bow-flexing soon followed.

DJ Trap came back out a few minutes after Denzel Curry's set came to a close and started dropping more of his EDM/Rap fusion tracks. The 'VIP' balcony next to me emptied out, which signaled the start of Deniro Farrar's set. His crew came out on stage first, but were quickly followed by the Charlotte-native, Dante Farrar a.k.a Deniro Farrar. He brought the bangers out first, with tracks such as the Ryan Hemsworth produced track "Big Tookie" and "Kill Your Idols". Much like his set during Thursday's Hopscotch lineup, he performed an acapella version of "Days Go By". His next track, "Fears", uses a slowed down version of Schoolboy Q's "Man of the Year", which got the crowd absolutely HYPE. Deniro commanded the crowd to wave "left, right, left, right". Deniro started handing out water bottles to the front row and said "Gotta keep you kids hydrated". After finishing one of his more recent releases, "Rebirth", Denzel Curry ran back out on stage! Deniro and Denzel closed out the night with their collaborative tracks "Bow Down" and "Feel Like That". These two young rappers have just blown up in the past year and just finished up the last stop of their Bow Down Tour, so expect some new collaborative work from them sooner rather than later.

Show Review: Drumstrong Rhythm & Arts Festival

Drumstrong's 24-Hour Drum Circle Kick-Off

It takes a lot for a music festival to come together, especially one of a multi-day magnitude. The lineup has to be just right, the pacing has to match the tone of the weekend, the promotion has to do its job, the festival grounds should be welcoming and easy on the eyes...you get the picture. It may seem to be as easy as throwing a stage and a handful of bands together, but it's far from that. Drumstrong knows that, they've held their day-long event for years on end now, but the 2014 installation marks the first expanded year of the event. From Friday to Sunday the Misty Meadows Farm was home to dozens of incredible acts from both locally and nationally acclaimed artists, fans gradually poured in throughout the weekend and by the end of the event it had evolved into a drum-fueled bonanza of brilliant music for an excellent cause. But the best laid plans don't always make for the best events, while Drumstrong boasted a mighty impressive lineup it seems like the festival is still getting its jitters out.

Junior Astronomers

It's hard to put a finger on what felt so out of place throughout the weekend, maybe it was the $900,000 homes across the street from the pseudo-hippy festival, maybe it was the stringent searches upon entry or perhaps it was the hard festival set limits that left acts like Marley Carroll cramming their tunes into a half-hour slot. Either way, something felt a bit off about the three-day event that persisted throughout the weekend. Upon arrival on Friday evening the farmlands seemed bare, with thirty or so people standing around haphazardly swaying to the music. However, once Junior Astronomers took the stage things gradually came to life. The boisterous post-punk crew played an even mix of newer tracks from their debut full-length Dead Nostalgia and a few from their previous EPs. Festivalgoers were somehow hooping along to the jaunty rhythms while others bounced along and shouted along to Terence Richard's throaty melodies. The night mostly followed fairly cohesive order as the more melodic but sonically similar Charlotte crew of HRVRD took the stage. Miami Dice served as a bridge between the rhythmic, melody-driven punk and the dance-based acts of the evening. Miami Dice came with stage dancers in tow, but at this point of the night it felt like the crowd had kind of clocked out. A handful of folks would rush to the barriers to grab the free PBR hats thrown out throughout the weekend, but most would swiftly retreat back to their lawn chairs or the beer garden near the stage after that. When I saw roughly twenty people slowly crowding in for the evening's headliner Marley Carroll, I questioned the vibe we'd have throughout the rest of the weekend. The sound guy got cranky and the set started around 20 minutes later than anticipated, resulting in a truncated set from the incredibly impressive Asheville-based producer. Regardless of time constraints or disappointing turnouts, Carroll was hamming it up as he remixed his dazzling productions.

Marley Carroll

Friday was an odd kick-off to say the least, and as I arrived to the farm late Saturday morning I wasn't feeling much more optimistic. A small crowd gathered near the stage for Bombadil while others were dispersed throughout the farmlands at picnic tables and community painted walls. However, as the day went on the crowd grew in numbers to the point where things finally started to get a bit more of a communal vibe. Triangle favorites like The Love Language and Lost in the Trees played sets filled with fan favorites for those that baked in the sun for their stunning sets. Halfway through the afternoon The Mantras took the stage and seemingly turned on the excitement for those in attendance. Jam-bands are frankly not my thing, but the Weddington crowd seemed enamored by the band. As a matter of fact more folks seemed to be at the festival just to see the evenings main draw Railroad Earth than any other act of the weekend. The afternoon took a rootsy turn as Futurebirds took the stage and the dusty vibes continued throughout local favorites American Aquarium and Chatham County Line. I knew Saturday would be the easy highlight of the weekend, and obviously the other attendees did as well. By the time Kopecky Family Band and The Felice Brothers took the stage, the crowd was packing in tight and gradually building in excitement. Things took a downward turn for those that don't dig the jam-vibes after the Felice Brothers though. Railroad Earth brought their contemporary twist on bluegrass with blend of expansive tunes that border between traditionalism and jam-based. Yo Moma's Big Fat Booty Band is where I drew the line though. While I love checking out new music, especially acts steeped in the funk, I'd had enough noodling for the evening and trekked back to the hotel for the evening.

The Felice Brothers

Sunday as a whole proved to be a nice low-key closing for this unique festival. Few acts on the lineup were of huge interest to me, so the crew trekked to IKEA to kill some time throughout the late morning hours. It was arguably the best and worst decision I made all weekend. However, acts like Elonzo, The New Familiars, Overmountain Men and Dom Flemons made the day all worthwhile. Sunday's bill was a bit indicative of the entire festival, there's some truly impressive acts peppered in with some that I could really do without seeing. Overall though the music throughout the weekend was pretty great, but to quote the great Kanye West..."the vibe is wrong." A three-day camping festival that's held in a city with the 3rd highest median income of North Carolina just feels odd. I literally had an event staff member tell me that "I looked out of place" as I came in amidst the sea of Range Rover driving teenagers and croakie-wearing attendees. Folks were double-taking at the VIP wristbands the press had, a few aggressively stopped and grabbed at us to make sure we were actually VIPs, and all in all the short set times made the flow of the festival feel a bit too disjointed.

But don't get me wrong, Drumstrong serves an excellent purpose and they brought a lot of excellent music to some folks that probably weren't familiar with them at all. It's an incredibly affordable festival that benefits cancer organizations, but it wasn't as warm and welcoming as the other festivals I've attended. There were no random festi-friends made, people weren't as outgoing and carefree as events like Shakori and the rules were rather extensive on the grounds. Regardless, the festival holds bukus of potential and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.

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.

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:

Album Review: "Dead Nostalgia" by Junior Astronomers

Dead Nostalgia by Junior Astronomers was released
on July 23, 2013 on Broken Circles Records

Following a band through the release of their first full length is always a glorious occasion for a local music lover, it creates a special connection with a band that allows you to truly observe the dynamic changes a group can undergo. Sometimes members come and go, sometimes sonic changes you'd expect are never made and sometimes they never make it to that fated full length record. But all in all you feel like you're truly invested in the band, and that's the way I feel with Junior Astronomers.

They're the little band that could, they put their nose to the grindstone, work their asses off and consistently release music that evokes a visceral reaction from their listeners. Most people feel strongly about Junior Astronomers and that's because the band pours every fiber of themselves into their music. Dead Nostalgia, the long awaited full length proves this.

Dead Nostalgia has been years in the making, the recording took place last summer at Greensboro's Legit Biz and brilliantly displays the ferocity and frenzy that led the group to this record. Countless tours have taken the band throughout the country and these songs have evolved throughout their years of touring, but it's allowed the band to finely tune the intricacies that make these songs so special and unique. While Junior Astronomers' formula may seem very cut and dry to some listeners--spastic and jaunty guitar riffs that serve as bedding for Terrence Richard's guttural shouts and croons--it's a technically impressive sound that seamlessly combines the grit of a punk rock act while taking the twists and turns of math-rock. Regardless of how you label the band's sound, they're undeniably a band that thrives on raw emotionality and that's what ultimately draws in fans of this Charlotte outfit.

Album Review: "Vermillion" by Dirty Art Club

Vermillion by Dirty Art Club is released on May 28
on Phonosaurus Records

I can't remember the last time a local band surprised me as much as Dirty Art Club.  The Charlotte based duo of Matt Cagle & Madwreck deliver dense tracks filled with hip-hop styled breaks and psychedelic instrumentation, but most importantly they're capable of eliciting emotion through their music.  When I first heard Hexes, Dirty Art Club's 2012 EP, I was immediately enthralled by their brilliant Dilla-esque production.

Hexes contained dark undertones and a chaotic sense of direction, but Vermillion is vastly different in that sense.  Vermillion is filled with bright melodic exploration, showcasing heady tracks with entrancing rhythms and tight percussion.  Coated sun-soaked, reverb washed grooves, Vermillion is another incredible release for a band that's on the fast track to great things.

Album opener "Hemlock" glides along with a constant, smooth bassline and choppy vocal samples but gradually expands into a surprisingly expansive track with airy woodwinds and lush strings.  The song seamlessly deviates from its bassy foundation into an easy listening soft-rock dreamscape for it's closing seconds to make for an even more fulfilling transition to the standout "Sun Burn."  The aptly titled track plays out like a sepia-toned summer soundtrack thats filled with soulful samples, funky basslines and commanding rhythms.