Give thanks for good music

I'm not sure how it happened, but Thanksgiving is upon us. So if you're not traveling this week, here are some things going on around Charleston to help you shake off that inevitable home-cooked meal food coma...

Sunday - Nov. 18
Tin Roof: Steel Rollers and the Ramblin' Fevers
Doors 10p
Cover $5

The Pour House: Buddhist Prodigies (playing on the Deck)
Doors 5p
FREE

Monday - Nov. 19
EVO: Brad Edwardson + Mackie Boles unplug and get down w an acoustic set
Doors 6p
FREE

Home Team BBQ (West Ashley): Songwriter's Night
Doors 8p
FREE

The Drop-In Bar & Deli: Sarah Cole + the Hawkes
Doors 8p
FREE

The Mill: Open mic night w Spoda + guests
Doors 9p
FREE

Tuesday - Nov. 20
Tattooed Moose: Beattie Porter + Olu Olu
Doors 9p
FREE

The Pour House: Weigh Station + Friends
Doors 9p
FREE

Home Team BBQ (West Ashley): The Cordovans
Doors 9p
FREE

Brick House Kitchen: Graham Whorley
Doors 8p
FREE

Art's Bar & Grill: Donnie Polk
Doors 9p
FREE

Wednesday - Nov. 21
The Royal American: Carnaval
Doors 9p
Cover $5

The Pour House: Zach Deputy
Doors 9p
Cover $10 adv/$13 dos

Tin Roof: Craft Bazaar w the South Carolina Broadcasters
Doors 6p
FREE

Awendaw Green: Barn Jam feat. Kevin Church (6p), Timey String Band (7p), John Scollon + Bitteroot (8p) and Gracious Day (9p)
FREE

Home Team BBQ (West Ashley): Lowcountry Blues Club
Doors 8p
FREE

City Lights Coffee: The Amazing Mittens feat. Eden + Noodle
Doors 6:30p
FREE

Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale: Jordan Igoe
Doors 10:30p
FREE

Friday - Nov. 23
The Pour House: Sadler Vaden + the One Night Only's w the Tarlatans
Doors 9p
Cover $5 adv/$7 dos

Tin Roof: Dante's Camaro
Doors 8p
Cover $5

The Windjammer: Stoplight Observations
Doors 9p
Cover $5

Saturday - Nov. 24
The Mill: Megan Jean + the Klay Family Band
Doors 9p
Cover (probably free, but need to verify)

The Pour House: "Revival", 4th Annual Duane Allman Birthday Celebration feat. Shane Pruitt
Doors 9p
Cover $12

Tin Roof: Julie Slonecki album release w Jordan Igoe + Will Hastings
Doors 8p
Cover $5

The Windjammer: Weird Science
Doors 9p
Cover $7

Big John's Tavern: Simple Possession
Doors
Cover


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Locked and Loaded - The Royal Tinfoil are returning to the Pour House

Charleston's one and only, The Royal Tinfoil, bring their moonshine-soaked gypsy blues back to the Pour House this Saturday, Nov. 17th, for their first big show since wrapping a successful tour over the summer. The months between the end of that tour and now have been anything but low-key for the band, as most of the members play in other acts around town or have their own side projects, but the Tinfoil is revved up and ready to shake some souls. Armed with a stockpile of new tunes and a bloodied-knuckle fistful of demon-exorcising energy, this is guaranteed to be one hell of a show.

Sharing the bill is Atlanta's own The Whiskey Gentry, love child of Lauren Staley (lead vox + guitar) and Jason Morrow (lead guitar + vox). Sounding like bluegrass that's overdosed on Adderall, this band plays with all the excitement and fury of a good punk show, married with the daring melody and all the finger pickin' goodness of a classic country act. But this isn't your average hipster alt-country outfit - The Whiskey Gentry is good ol' foot stompin', sweat flinging Appalachian rock at its finest, and I'm psyched to welcome them to our town!

The Royal Tinfoil, "Stalker vs. Stalker" @ Charleston's Pour House

 

 

The Whiskey Gentry, "Eula Mae" @ Atlanta's Five Spot

Charleston Pour House - 1977 Maybank Hwy., phone: 571.4343
Doors - 9p
Cover - $8 adv, $10 dos

The Royal Tinfoil @ Bandcamp: www.RoyalTinfoil.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRoyalTinfoil
Twitter: @TheRoyalTinfoil

The Whiskey Gentry Website: www.TheWhiskeyGentry.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheWhiskeyGentry
Twitter: @WhiskeyGentry


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Evan Andree's "Invisible Sap" - Indie pop has fallen in love

Emerging Atlanta-based musician Evan Andree has many things to be thankful for this holiday season. With a new album coming out just before Thanksgiving and a track from his previous EP getting some worldwide exposure thanks to Nike UK's "Find Your Greatness" ad campaign, 2012 has indeed been a good year for the singer-songwriter.

"Invisible Sap", the new 3-track EP being released on Nov. 20th exclusively through Brite Revolution, takes a decidedly different turn from Andree's earlier electronic and house dance days. Featuring bright guitars and spirited vocals in the style of Death Cab-meets-Passion Pit, this album gives a nod to youthful exploration and the frightening excitement of realizing your first love.

The opening track, "American Dream", could be the new generation's "Jack and Diane". Backed by a steady beat and concise guitar work, Andree sings, "You were that sweetheart girl / that every boy dreams of growing up / And the way we met was / like an American dream." The chorus adds some sentimentality, while a clubby, bass-driven bridge at the 2-minute mark provides some depth and mood to Andree's new indie pop sound. "Your Song" is thoughtful and romantic, with a lot of little musical details that make it a pleasure to listen to. The last song, "Mr. Teleportation", is the edgiest of the tracks with layers of distorted guitar and a more aggressive beat than previously heard on the album. But Andree's scintillating voice strikes a charming balance with such honest lyrics as, "I've felt this way a hundred times before /  locked in a room alone and on the floor / Singing my heart feels for someone / so far away / I don't want the pain to stop / I just want her here with me."

It is obvious that Evan Andree understands songwriting and all of the hard work that comes along with it, but right now his two most formidable attributes are his enthusiasm and unjaded outlook. These are two very important qualities that often get lost along the way, but if Andree can harness and hold onto them, his talent should take him far.

Watch for "Invisible Sap" on Nov. 20th: Brite Revolution
Website: http://www.evandree.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Evan-Andree
Twitter: @EvanAndreeMusic

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2012 Charleston City Paper Music Award Winners

The Charleston City Paper put on an awesome show last night at the Pour House to celebrate our local music community, and to honor the winners of this year's City Paper Music Awards. From jam bands to hip-hop, the Holy City has the music scene covered!

Rock Band of the Year - Crowfield

Song of the Year - "Birmingham", Shovels & Rope

Singer of the Year - Elise Testone

Guitarist of the Year - Wallace Mullinax

Horn Player of the Year - Charlton Singleton

Bassist of the Year - Ben Wells

Drummer of the Year - Quentin Baxter

Pianist of the Year - Whitt Algar

DJ of the Year - DJ Moo Moo

Electronic Artist of the Year - Rocky Horror

Multi-instrumentalist of the Year - Joel Hamilton

Jazz Band of the Year - Flat Foot Floozies

Country Band of the Year - Shovels & Rope

Metal Band of the Year - Bully Pulpit

Punk Band of the Year - The 33's

Jam Band of the Year - Sol Driven Train

Funk/Soul Band of the Year - Wadata

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year - Dirty Dave Da Fly Guy

Blues Band of the Year - Sarah Cole and the Hawkes

Singer-Songwriter of the Year - Cary Ann Hearst

Up-and-Coming Artist of the Year - The Local Honeys

Experimental Artist of the Year - Mechanical River

Album of the Year - O' Be Joyful, Shovels & Rope; Olly Oxen Free, Dangermuffin


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ELIM BOLT's "Nude South" - A sentient trip down Nostalgia Lane

There's a lot of good music happening all around us, and across Charleston in particular, musicians are coming out with some very cunning and intelligent work. And every now and then, an album will leap forth from the woodwork, grab you by the shoulders and rattle your bones.
 

On Tuesday, one album did just that, when local record label Hearts & Plugs released "Nude South", the freshman release from Charleston's own trippy croon-rockers, ELIM BOLT.
 

Opening with the track "Only You", ELIM BOLT's lush sound is brimming with love, longing and missed (or misdirected) opportunities. Singer Johnnie Matthews makes his debut as a true frontman, having previously played with the bands Sequoyah Prep School and Company, and his melancholy baritone carries all the edge of David Byrne, backed with the richness of Roy Orbison. Tempered with a shivering vibrato, Matthews' voice offers a dreamlike quality that immediately gives "Nude South" a nostalgic air of familiarity.
 

"Field" is a jangling ode to the lonesome youth of South Carolina, while "Farm Kid", the first single from the album, is an apologetic love song with lyrics that moan, "All I want to do / is truly love you / But all I seem to do / is deeply hurt you." With a soaring guitar line laced throughout, "Farm Kid" is easily the album's selling point, but every song on this 7-track record deserves the listener's attention and should be played several times to allow your ears the opportunity to wade through all of the alt-Parsons orchestration. The layers of guitar and the clockwork drumming (the duties of which alternate from one track to the next between Michael McCrea and Ryan Zimmerman), create a vast, swaying field over which dance the delicate harmonies of Matthews and his solid backing vocalist, Amber Joyner.
 

"Myers Farm" is, upon first listen, a lovely and traditional country tune - but as you sift your way through the lyrics ("My self destructive ways / have thrown my joy away / But on the brightest days of the year / I shine like a chandelier"), it is evident that the beauty and breadth of ELIM BOLT goes much deeper than its cosmic alt-country veneer. In "Alright", the shortest track on the album, the vocals of Matthews and Joyner swell together in the doomy, coercive chorus, while "Batshit Crazy" is an upbeat, drum pounding song about - you guessed it - batshit crazy love.
 

"Blue Jays", the last track on the album, is at once a dusty torch song and a lamenting lullaby. The most rueful of all of the songs, "Blue Jays"' despondency clings to your soul the way that a thin cotton sheet will stick to warm skin. And this is, perhaps, the timber of ELIM BOLT - naked emotion, haphazardly draped with all the sentience and stoicism of a much older soul.
 

Or maybe I'm just a sucker for sad songs and reverb...
 

Website: www.elimbolt.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elimbolt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elimbolt
 

 

 

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King City Records 1st Annual Showcase - Recap

Charleston-based indie label King City Records made its grand entrance onto the local scene this weekend with its First Annual Showcase, at Tin Roof in West Ashley. Featuring three of its currently signed bands, the evening ran the gamut from a kazoo solo to guitar shredding, with a “Baba O’Riley” cover thrown in for good measure.

First on the bill was the duo Wrenwood, consisting of Dallas Corbett (lead vox + rhythm guitar) and Dan Rainey (lead guitar + backing vox). Opening with “The Moon and the Tide”, the band sprang to life with an Allman Brothers-meets-The Ventures speed-walking guitar line, cementing the notion that Rainey is one hell of a guitar player. Marking the time with a foot pedal-operated tambourine, Wrenwood worked their way through several songs, engaging the crowd with their bright sound and deep, bluesy grooves. Corbett’s voice is a searing flame on tunes like “Cheap Shots” (“He said ‘Come back darlin’, I haven’t said all I could’/He only gets this way when he drinks more than he should”), and a soft campfire ash in tunes such as the harmonious and sanguine “Bluebird”.

In their most adventurous song of the set, “Apples and Oranges”, Rainey again led with a swift, slick guitar intro, but this time with a distinctly swaggering hipster vibe. “Whiskey and water, bourbon and Coke. I bring the laughter, you bring the jokes,” Corbett sang, her jazzy vibrato reminiscent of a 1930s lounge act siren. Rounding out the set with their new tune “The Wayside”, Wrenwood is a talented and fun duo that I hope to hear more from in the months leading up to their new album release early next year.

Website: www.wrenwoodmusic.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WrenwoodMusic

Next up: Loners Society


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Trifecta of Talent

King City Records' 1st Annual Showcase
Tin Roof - 1117 Magnolia Rd., phone: 571.0775
Doors - 8p
Cover - $5
Originally founded in 2009 by then-Athens-based musician Matt Megrue, King City Records was born out of Megrue's desire for a single outlet through which he could funnel all of his creativity. But with friends like Charleston-based singer/songwriter Tyler Boone, it didn't take long for Megrue's personal project to flourish into a true indie label supporting a handful of area bands, including Loners Society, County Line Strangers, The Unusual Suspects, Tyler Boone's band and the newcomer duo Wrenwood. Many of the musicians play in each other's bands, and everyone contributes to the label's grassroots, "street team" efforts that have proven to be very successful for others in the Charleston music community.

To help introduce their label to the local scene, King City Records is holding its first annual showcase at Tin Roof in West Ashley TONIGHT. Featuring Tyler Boone, Loners Society and Wrenwood, Megrue and his team hope to impress some positive vibes and leave a sweet ringing in the ear of those who attend the bash. With new albums from all three bands coming down the pipeline early next year, King City Records' 1st Annual Showcase is an event that you will want to get in on.

7th Annual Holy City Cold Hearts Revival
Charleston Pour House - 1977 Maybank Hwy., phone: 571.4343
Doors - 8p
Cover - $8 adv / $10 dos - 100% of proceeds go to the Gram Parsons Foundation
Organized by Charleston songwriter Lindsay Holler, this year's Holy City Cold Hearts Revival (a celebration of local alt-folk, country-rock Americana musicianship) is being dedicated to the legend, the travesty and the enduring inspiration of Gram Parsons. On the eve of what would have been Parsons' 66th birthday, Holler and other area musicians including Company singer Brian Hannon and the prolific Rachel Kate Gillon, will be performing at the Pour House in a tribute to the late pioneer of cosmic American music.

Elim Bolt kicks off the evening with their reverb-laden and wistful country-psychedelia. Rachel Kate is sure to impress with her scolding vocals and intimate understanding of how to stir the soul. If psychobilly had a countrified alter ego, it would be Lindsay Holler's Western Polaroids, whose music deftly evokes images of tail lights fading into the black of a desert night, grit and heartache swirling in its wake.

The show wraps with the local Parsons tribute band, Hickory Wind. All proceeds from the show will benefit the Gram Parsons Foundation, whose mission is to assist musicians battling addiction and to support them in their recovery, while also spreading education, awareness and prevention through the redemptive and healing powers of music.

City Paper Music Awards - A Nick Collins Benefit
Charleston Pour House - 1977 Maybank Hwy., phone: 571.4343
Doors - 8p
Cover - TBA
The Pour House will host the City Paper's awards shows and winners showcase, featuring the winners of this year's 2nd annual City Paper Music Awards, which will be announced in the Nov. 7th issue of the paper, out later this week.

The show is being set up as a benefit for local singer and guitarist Nick Collins, who was involved in a very serious and tragic traffic incident over the summer. The outpouring of love, support and encouragement for Nick from all of Charleston has been nothing short of extraordinary, so please come out to the Pour House next Thursday to help support not only your local music community, but the continued recovery of fellow musician Nick Collins.