independent thoughts on indie rock, alternative, and indie pop music
One of the unexpected challenges of writing concert reviews when the artist is the offspring of an iconic musician is determining whether the rising artist is trying to embrace the legend of the parent or hoping to bury any familial comparisons. Ironically, most musicians seem to be internally struggling with the same thing. Fortunately, The Devon... Continue Reading →
A short time ago, a friend sent me a Spotify link and told me to check out an artist named Lennon Stella. The link came with almost no details except that Stella’s background included being a cast member on the TV show Nashville. It was around this same time that I discovered I may be... Continue Reading →
Haw River Ballroom was recently treated to a double-billed funk invasion featuring Turkuaz and Lettuce—these vastly talented groups bring the promise of hard-hitting basslines, sizzling horns, and jazzy guitar riffs. The mixed crowd spanning a few decades in age came ready to dance in the venue tucked away in small Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Turkuaz opened... Continue Reading →
It’s no longer a secret that Nashville’s music scene is more than a love-hate relationship with its country music stereotype. With indie and alternative rock now a dominating force, the music floods out of concert venues, clubs, and bars nightly. While there are numerous faces in the crowd of the city’s emerging rock acts, there... Continue Reading →
“In the beginning, the land was pure”….a spoken word excerpt borrowed from The Jacksons’ 1980 tune “Can You Feel It” opened the show at the High Watt this week for Keuning, the solo project of Dave Keuning, lead guitarist and co-founder of world-famous rock band The Killers. As words turned into funky beats, Keuning took... Continue Reading →
With the meteoric rise of electronic music with mainstream music lovers, many rock bands are forming or retooling to marry traditional indie rock sounds with electro elements. This influx of electronic influence often creates music outside of the band's target genre, making it either too "pop" or too "rock" for the works to have an authentic... Continue Reading →
In most music circles, Greyhounds are typically pegged solely as a blues outfit. However, even a cursory listen across the group's many albums quickly reveals the band’s broader influences, spanning from jazz, soul, southern swamp, and a touch of twangy roots. Touring in support of their most recent album, Cheyenne Valley Drive, the band blazed... Continue Reading →
Recently, Raleigh's Red Hat Amphitheater was treated to a double bill from Nahko and Medicine for the People and Dispatch. The two groups are environmentally conscious activists that moonlight as headlining folk/reggae-leaning musicians who have performed internationally for years and accumulated a loyal and well-traveled fanbase. After a mind-altering set filled with love energy and good... Continue Reading →
Recently, Raleigh's Red Hat Amphitheater was treated to a double bill from Nahko and Medicine for the People and Dispatch. The two groups are environmentally conscious activists that moonlight as headlining folk/reggae-leaning musicians who have performed internationally for years and accumulated a loyal and well-traveled fanbase. Nahko and Medicine for the People were placed in the... Continue Reading →
Weeks ahead of time, I had eagerly awaited my Friday schedule at the 2018 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. With the day containing a mix of rising artists I had somehow missed throughout the winter concert season, as well as a few artists that I could not wait to see again, I had assembled the... Continue Reading →
