A Jersey girl transplanted in NC rambles on about music, family, friends, her favorite bar and a bunch of other inconsequential stuff that makes up her life.
Quiet Hounds will unmask themselves this month in Atlanta!
So for those of you that have been following the progression of Atlanta’s mysterious rock band, Quiet Hounds, big things are coming….
The Hounds will be revealing themselves in an unveiling/live show in Atlanta on Saturday, February 25th at the just-as mysteriously named The Goat Farm Arts Center. Super excited! I’m dying to find out who the guys are (okay, I might have gotten a hint or two, but they’re still a mystery to me!).
To get everyone excited, the guys are giving away a really cool prize…a chance to get into Quiet Hounds events FREE for life. All you’ve got to do is visit their Facebook page and pick a mask from their photos and use it in your profile photo for the month of February (I’m partial to the Loud Hound and Poetic Hound, but you can pick from Drum Hound, Bass Hound, and Evil Hound, too).
Don’t forget, you can still pick up the Hounds debut EP (which was my numero uno EP last year, in case you missed it) for free on their website. Don’t know how long that is going to last, so get it now while you can. And, from the pictures that have been floating around on the band’s Instagram, it seems like there might be a limited edition hard copy of the EP in existence soon…
Check out all the details on the unmasking event at the links below…
About eight years ago, I got turned on to a sweaty, rock n’ roll singer and his band from Nashville. Since that fateful fall of 2003, Will Hoge and his boys have become one of my favorite bands of all time, and my absolute favorite act to see live (yes, even eclipsing The Boss, kid – and that’s a huge statement for me to make).
Last night, the fellas made their debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Watching them rock it out on national television was just the best thing…I am so excited for them, for the long overdue attention they are getting, and I’m so proud to be one of their fans. The world needs more Will Hoge! Hit the link below to see what I’ve been going on and on about for years…..
My favorite Young Sons, Saints of Valory, have a new song out for free download AND will be in Charlotte at the Live Out Loud Festival this Saturday, September 17.
You have three days, people. Three days to download one hot new jam from Austin’s blistering little quartet, Saints of Valory, for nada. Zip. Zilch. Free.
Or, if you live in Charlotte, go check out this phenomenal rock band, along with Sequoyah, Margolnick, Paper Tongues and 13 other bands, at the Live Out Loud Festival at NC Music Factory this Saturday, September 17. I have to miss it, and it is BREAKING MY HEART… so it would make me feel a lot better if they developed a massive following in Charlotte and had to keep coming back due to high demand. Seriously, please go out, support these bands and a good cause. Proceeds from the show go to Samaritan’s Feet and The Free Store to help Charlotte’s homeless and others in need.
And may you have a lovely little Tuesday earworm all day. “We are, we are, we are far too young…”
Very excited to tell you all that about-to-break Atlanta artist Jeremy Ezell and The Well Reds are making a pit stop in Charlotte on Thursday, August 25th at my new 3rd favorite spot in town, Crown Station Pub. If you like serious piano and huge vocals with your rock n’ roll, this is a band that you simply must hear – and hearing it now in this micro-sized venue will be cooler than cool when these guys hit it big.
I first blogged about these guys back in March, and I gotta tell you, their EP has gotten heavy play over the past four months. Balcony TV Atlanta recently had two of the guys on to perform a little acoustic number, and it’s something magical when you can watch an artist perform and have the vocals sound as big and clean live as they do in recording. And the HARMONIES…so smooth! Talented little bunch, these Well Reds.
Check out this little promo video of their single, “Violet” (my favorite part, it should be no surprise, is the break that starts at 1:48 – CLAPPING!) then come on out to Crown Station in two weeks to catch ‘em live!
P.S. There’s a bunch of other videos on their YouTube page, so I highly recommend making a visit to see some of their acoustic stuff, too!
106.5 The End has posted the videos from Saints of Valory’s End Session last week. Check ‘em out when you get a sec…I made a little YouTube playlist for easy watching. “Providence” still isn’t posted, but I’ll add it when it is.
Here’s my favorite, their new song “Million to None.”
Coming to Charlotte on October 21 - Alpha Rev! Best news ever!
The fall touring season is really ramping up, and today, I got the best two-days-before-my-birthday gift I could ever get.
Was trolling venue websites to update the live music calender and there it was, on the Visulite website. Carbon Leaf. October 21st. Normally, that would be enough to make me squeal with delight.
But this time…big, big, big news. Tour support? ALPHA REV. Yes, that’s right. My favorite boys from Austin, Texas. One of the Top 5 of all time. OH.MY.GOD. I seriously felt my face getting flushed when I read it.
If you have not heard or seen Alpha Rev before… well, that just makes me sad for you. They are phenomenal. Beyond phenomenal. One of the most musically gifted acts on the scene right now. Cellos. Violin – played by one of the most energetic musicians I’ve ever witnessed on stage. Left-handed guitar playing lead singer. Damn freakin’ orchestral. Amazing. Brilliant. Every ridiculous over the top adjective there is. Couldn’t be enough to describe them.
Saints of Valory at Crown Station. Forgive the sad little picture, but I was too mesmerized by this amazing show...I only took two!
I realize I’m given to excessive love for singers, bands, musicians in general. But when talking about live shows, statements such as “It was the best show I’ve seen all year” are not comments that I make lightly. I see a lot of live music; last year, I saw more than 80 live performances. Having that many under your belt gives you a lot of options for “the best,” so it’s not easy for me to bestow that title.
But, I can say this without a doubt: Hands down, Saints of Valory‘s performance at Crown Station last night was the best show I’ve seen all year.
This little quartet from Austin plays with such passion and heart – and it was evident to everyone in that room. I watched people who didn’t know their music at all turn into fans last night. Huge, soaring vocals. Intricate guitar work. Simple and beautiful keys. Then there’s world’s most silent man, Gerard Bouvier, who plays drums like a lion – his quiet personality completely belies his skill. When you combine their talents with an intimate, micro-sized venue like Crown Station, you’ve got a recipe for a magical show.
When artists genuinely want to connect with their audience, there’s an electricity that’s created and just can’t be matched – and last night’s show was chock full of spark and ignition. They played nearly everything off of their Bright Lights album (they call it an EP, but I think they’re taking the very literal definition of EP), both “new” songs from the Neon Eyes EP, and even performed a few new songs, including “Million to None,” which could easily become a new favorite of mine.
I have a thing for bands where there are more vocals than just the lead singer, and SOV does not disappoint here. Guitarist Godfrey Thomson and keyboardist Stephen Buckle lend their voices on a lot of songs to produce a veritable choir. Then there was this small, almost imperceptible thing that I noticed. If you study Gavin while he sings, he makes these little hand motions that might seem like their personal – reaching a hand out towards the audience ever so slightly, holding his hand to his chest, or touching his head like he’s thinking – but they’re really part of the performance, pulling you into the songs, making you feel the songs on his level. The recorded CD couldn’t possibly capture these energies…you’ve got to just see it live.
When I ask my friends to come out to shows, they never let me down – and there’s always one or two out of a big group that walk away with a CD or saying they really like the band. But last night, I watched my friends, along with other people that didn’t know their music, become fans. They were, like me, caught up in the magic of their show. And that high that you can only get from seeing a truly great music performance, carried over into today, as I watched my friends tweet, blog, and tweet some more about the band and their own connections with the music.
To put icing on the evening, the band was just the nicest, most down-to-earth group of guys, who were content to hang out with us after the show for a few hours (yes, hours) telling stories, laughing at our crazy antics, and talking music.
The thing is…Saints of Valory is a band truly on the way up. They’ve got so much passion for what they’re doing, and their music is already so good, but you can hear it getting even better. From the CD, which was released in November, to now, they’ve made just small tweaks to songs – guitar bits here, a slight lyric shift there – and the songs are richer because of it. The new songs they’re playing, some of them literally just written in the last few weeks, are incredible. I have no doubts that by the next time I see them these songs will be really developed and absolutely floor me.
Mark my words – these guys are going to continue to push their own envelope. You want to be on this journey with them. Buy their music, but more importantly, get your tush out to a show to see them. And prepare yourself, because you’re going to fall in love with Saints of Valory.
Mark your calendars, Charlotte. Monday, July 25, a lil’ five-star musical morsel is descending upon the Queen City.
Saints of Valory is coming to our town.
*insert excited squeal*
First they are doing an End Session over at 106.5 at 2:30 PM. You can enter to get an exclusive invite to the End Session over at 1065.com.
Then, they’ll be playing a set at Crown Station Pub on Elizabeth that evening. For $5. It’s highway robbery, really, but take ‘em up on it. Get out and support an incredible, fresh new act. I promise you a full on rock show that will leave your ears smoking and your face melted.
To say I love Austin, Texas is probably a bit of an understatement. The city is like Mecca for me.
Austin music seems to have a huge pull on me; anyone who knows me knows that Alpha Rev is in my top ten, if not my top 5, artists of all time. Because of them, I’ve been introduced to DOZENS of other great bands…one of them being The Soldier Thread.
While I don’t typically go gaga over bands with female leads, The Soldier Thread is an exception. Patricia Lynn’s voice is just hauntingly beautiful (she also has the cutest haircut ever, and I’m so super jealous of it). I love it. And the band has this ability to go from stunning balladesque songs to full on rockers. I could listen to their Shapes album all flipping day…In Spades, their latest, is also marvelous – I recommend downloading the song “Erin” immediately if you want to have your world changed.
Reading Bob Lefsetz sometimes drives me nuts. The man completely gets the music industry, but he doesn’t do enough to promote what he’s preaching. He talks forever about how fan interaction has to be a part of the new music experience…but he never gives examples of how it should be done. So, I’m going to.
Last night, one of my favorite up and coming North Carolina bands, The Enemy Lovers, was the opener in a four-band local music show at Amos’ Southend. Amos’ is one of Charlotte’s largest music venues and one of the things I love most about it is that John, the owner, gives local bands a chance, whether it be in local showcases like this or by putting a local band in an opening slot for a national act. Come to think of it, that’s actually how I first heard The Enemy Lovers, because they opened for Pete Yorn at Amos’ a few years ago.
Anyway, Charlotte is not known for large crowds at local shows. I’d only ever heard one other band on the bill, so I went with the expectation of it being a pretty slow show. Umm…wrong.
When I arrived for an early start at 7:15, there was a line halfway down the block outside of Amos’. All under 21s. But, I was impressed. One of these bands did their promo homework, I thought.
As I was standing at the merch table to help out the band I came to see, it became plainly evident who the crowd was there to see – a band called Jonas Sees in Color from Greensboro. I’ve never heard of them, and I didn’t stick around to see them play, but that didn’t matter. I didn’t need to see them play.
The lead singer, Ryan, was standing at the merch booth while the other bands were playing. And this kid knew EVERYONE who walked up to the table to talk to him; if he didn’t know their name, he did by the end of the conversation. He joked with them, signed merch, hugged them, had in-depth talks with them about their lives. Seriously, there must have been three dozen people that came up during the hour and a half time I was there, and he knew them all. And that kind of interaction reaps rewards in dollars. All the kids seemed to have the CD already, but they were buying t-shirts like you wouldn’t believe. Like little badges. “I already have that one, but I don’t have this one.”
From experience, I can tell you that lead singers of bands are often cocky and find the “mingling with the masses” to be below their station. Headlining bands usually sit in green rooms until it’s their time to play. But that model is dead. This is the new model. Be out there, with your fans, connecting, and making the magic happen.
Ryan left the table a few times to take phone calls or whatever, and as he made his way back to the table, I watched him wind his way through the room and stop along the way to talk to fans. The kid is a pro. What’s more is that he seemed genuinely happy to see every single fan he spoke with. And I don’t know the other members of the band, but I would be willing to bet that the rest of them were out working that room, too.
He even included me. He introduced himself and asked me about The Enemy Lovers. It was like it was his mission to make a friend out of everyone in that room…because he obviously gets it. That in today’s music world, you must connect with your fans on a personal level. Social media has given fans the inside track into their favorite musicians’ lives; the fact of the matter is that whether you like it or not, fans think they’ve earned the right to get close to you. And if you don’t give them what they want, you’re an elitist. They’ll stop listening to you and listen to a band that makes them feel special. Ryan made that crowd feel special even before Jonas Sees in Color took the stage.
So where’s the “proof?” Bob Lefsetz would ask. So what, the kids were good at connecting with people. Well, if proof is in attendance and dollars, here’s your proof: Saw the door gal later in the evening and asked her how many were at the show. She guessed about 400. In Charlotte, on a Saturday, for a bunch of non-radio play, non-indie hype bands, that’s seriously impressive.
I may not have stayed to see them play because I had somewhere else to be, but this morning, one of the first things I did when I woke up was to listen to their music online. Because I wanted to see what all the kids were hyping about. And it’s pretty darn good.
Will I go see them next time they are in town? You bet.
