Jenny Besetzt, Wing Dam, Secret Anderson (Kings, Raleigh, 8/5/17)

Jenny Besetzt has consistently been one of the best bands in North Carolina since I first caught them at a Hopscotch day party a few years ago.  Their new album, Tender Madness, should be on everyone's heavy rotation.  Driving bass, spine-tingling guitars, and what's becoming clear to be one of the most badass drummers in the Triangle, come together musically for an angular, retro-futuristic sound.  Bright light, dark energy.  But Jon Wollaber's unfathomably deep baritone is the cherry on the top (or deep down in the abyss).  Speaking of Hopscotch Music Festival, they're about to play with Future Islands on the big stage there, before embarking on a tour across wide swaths of the US and Canada with the Islands.

They played another powerful set at Kings last weekend, with two comparably great openers.  Baltimore's Wing Dam were full of crunchy indie-punk, and brought a grinding fun energy to the stage as usual.  South Carolina's Secret Guest and ET Anderson joined forces as Secret Anderson to celebrate the launch of the new label/platform/collective APT by the bands' respective frontmen Brett Churchill Nash and Wilson W. Wilson... or is it Tyler T. Tyler? :)

Photos and a couple of videos below.

Secret Anderson...

Wing Dam...

Jenny Besetzt...

Secret...!

... Anderson!

Just Another Raleigh Friday Night: Part II - Ghostt Bllonde/Seabreeze Diner/the Dead Bedrooms, Gudiya (7/14/17)

Continuing my chronicle of just an average Friday night in downtown Raleigh, after Granite In Reverse outside (see earlier post), I head indoors for what promised to be a fun 3-band bill at Kings Barcade.  All three acts share an affinity for mid-century pop, something I like to hear in new music after it percolates through the brains of today's kids.  I hadn't yet seen opening act the Dead Bedrooms.  They had perhaps the most straight-ahead-pop take... a little surfy and maybe a little '80s too.  They show real promise for a new band.

The Dead Bedrooms...

This was my second time seeing Seabreeze Diner.  They bounce crunchy dual guitars off smooth crooning, and filled the bigger room nicely (I'd seen them at the quaint, excellent but more quaint Carrboro venue the Station).  I'm not sure, but they might just like the Everly Brothers even more than Ghostt Bllonde's Marc Kuzio.

Seabreeze Diner...

(when the action is perfect but your auto-focus can't keep up)

What can I say about Ghostt Bllonde that I haven't already?  (after several years, I think I finally have the "LL"s and the "TT"s right?  Oh yeah, I know... GET THAT DAMN ALBUM OUT GUYS!!!  I know they're close; judging from the updates crossing my feed, praising the work of the great Missy Thangs finishing it up at Mitch Easter's Fidelitorium studio.  

Ghostt Bllonde...

GB having some fun with SD...

As I said, there was plenty going on this night.  Being a longtime fan of Indian music, Bollywood or otherwise, I had to check out a unique offering at Slim's called Garam Masala.  Advertised as "an experimental night of spicy selections", it featured a DJ, Gudiya, mixing South Asian sounds with electronic.  Altered the usual Slim's atmosphere into a more experimental, easy-going vibe... great for a post-show beer.  I even recognized a couple from the movies I used to watch much more often... think I heard Chaiyya Chaiyya, and maybe some Jazzy B.  Check out Gudiya's Sister Mix on her Soundcloud page.

Gudiya & incense...

Here's a couple of videos from the King's show...

Hopscotch Music Festival - Saturday Day Parties (9/10/16)

I started Hopscotch Saturday's day parties Upstairs/Downstairs at King's/Neptunes, with the OCSC party.  Slow and dark downstairs at first -- literally and figuratively -- with Boogie Reverie.  He's a CH-Carrboro singer-songwriter I'd never seen yet.  He reminded me a little of John Darnielle, or anti-folk singer Roger Manning, but his stuff I've heard online is much more wide-ranging pop-rock and experimental.  

Boogie Reverie...

Next I popped upstairs to see Mac McCaughan, who played a variety of tunes from Superchunk days to his current Non-Believers material.  Kings was packed early for this one, and they all -- from the  aging indie-dads (like me) to millenials giving props to the Merge progenitor -- appreciated it.

Mac McCaughan...

After a bite at Garland's (yummy Korean tacos!) I went back downstairs to see Shelles, for only my second time.  Shelles is the current band of Stuart Edwards from Old Bricks, with a host of great sidemen who cast hypnotic spells full of reverberating guitar and violin.  They don't play often enough, but with their just-released LP Carousel, they're hitting stages more often.  This Thursday (Oct. 6th), they bring this moody, southern gothic vibe to the Pinhook for their Durm release show (I missed one earlier at the Cradle Backroom, but I'll try to make this one).

Shelles...

On my way over to the Pour House, I stopped into Slim's and caught just a couple from the Charming Youngsters.  They're another local act I hadn't yet seen (there are a LOT of bands 'round here, folks!) so I wanted to make the effort.  Their quirky pop sounded good to me in an Elvis Costello kinda way; gotta check'em out for a full set soon.

The Charming Youngsters...

Then over to the Pour House to close out my day parties with a big one by Younger Brothers Productions.  Raleigh's No Eyes were the penultimate act, taking the stage in some rather sexy evening wear.  You wouldn't expect such well-dressed young gents to tear up the stage with the dark-psych-southern-doom-rock that they do.  But there you are.

No Eyes...

I can't say much more about Zack Mexico than I've said here a hundred times.  Suffice it to say I like'em just a bit.  They usually burn through an hour or so with about 4 or 5 extended jams (not to be confused in the slightest with jam bands).  This was the case with their nighttime set at Hopscotch 2015, which IMHO was the best of that year's fest.  NO ONE was left wanting for more after that blast of intense fun.  But this time, they played more songs than I remember them playing in forever.

I've taken so many shots of this band they start to all look the same to me.  So this time, let's do some portraits... TIGER BEAT-style! (anybody else remember that or am I just way too old?)

Hey kids, it's Zack Mexico!  Introducing...

The Shredder, Jamie!

The Mad Scientist, Matt!

The Wild Man, Joey!

The Machine, Stephen!

The Guru, John!

Finally, as Happy Mondays had their Bez, Zack Mexico has their Jesse...

There you have it, boys and girls, ZACK MEXICO!  

Too corny?  Yeah yeah, whatever, I've got writers' block and a backlog of photos.  Anyway, ZM are always a blast.

(Well whaddya know!  It's still a it's still alive, courtesy the interwebs!)