Charleston gets hardcore

America. Alt-country. Indie rock.

On any given night around town, you can find shows fitting an array  of styles. From jam bands at the Pour House and acoustic sing-alongs at Folly, to a one-man-band using homemade banjos at The Mill, the scope of sounds in and around Charleston casts a very wide net. 

But there is one faction of rock n roll in this town that rarely sees the light so often shone onto the indie acts, and that is the thriving metal/punk/hardcore scene. Bands like Dirty Circus, Hooded Eagle and The 33s have drones of loyal fans who crush into places like Big Gun Burger Shop and the hulking Skatepark of North Charleston to sweat and thrash to the music. Metronome Charleston recently did a killer write-up about the locally-run metal radio show BHNFUX, and the metal scene has been attracting other hardcore bands from as far off as Darkest Hour in Washington, DC and Adestria in San Diego, to Downfall of Gaia, a doom metal 4-piece from Germany. 

A punk and metal music showcase, featuring at least eight local bands, is in the works for early October, but you can get a taste of the action tonight (8.23) for FREE when First World Problem, The Corpses, Paper Tiger and Blindfucks take over The Sparrow, in Park Circle. It's going to be a helluva show, and again - it's FREE!

The Sparrow - 1078 E. Montague Ave.
p: 744.7743

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Look Alive comes full circle with debut EP 'Mistakes & Milestones'

Atlanta punk rockers Look Alive, a 5-piece whose understanding of music is anchored by their appreciation for the guts that it takes to survive, is hitting the road this month in support of their debut EP, Mistakes & Milestones (release date: 07.02.13), and they're kicking things off right here in Charleston with a show at The Mill on Friday, July 12th.

Having more than ten years of experience behind them, filled with countless nights of going hungry and sleeping on strangers' floors or in cars, the members of Look Alive came together for their current line-up last summer, and were quickly signed to Atlanta-based record collective, Autumn + Colour Records. With Mistakes & Milestones, the band is paying homage to just that - all of the mistakes and the milestones made along the road, as well as the friends, family and fans that have all brought them to where they are today.

From the opening shreds of "Anchored", Mistakes & Milestones rips into you with all of the energy one would expect from a hard working, pop-punk band (think Polar Bear Club, or The Wonder Years), but with the melodic aggression of bands like the Deftones, or Muse's earlier stuff. George McMullan (guitar/vox), Cody Wellons (guitar) and Jace Kay (bass) fuse together in perfectly layered lockstep, while the drumming of Patrick Cash propels the songs forward like an intricately timed piece of machinery. Seamlessly moving to and from double-time beats and spitting out machine gun-like snare rolls, Cash's strength behind the drum kit compels the listener to move, whether you roll your head, stomp your feet or shake your fists.

The guitars fit snugly over the drums, a refreshing blend of classically riffy lines thick with thoughtful chord progressions. On tracks like "Sink or Swim" and "The Way I See It", McMullan and Wellons complement one another, producing a full sound with enough distortion to land the heavy punches, but without burying the details of their fancy finger work. Jace Key executes a solid foundation with his bass guitar, throwing a weight behind the band that is often lost in the overarching genre of pop-punk. But one of Look Alive's strongest attributes is perhaps the voice of singer Jacob Causey, who escapes the snotty trappings of other punk frontmen, like Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, with a gritty aggression more on par with the likes of CKY's Devon Miller. 

"Just let me take this opportunity / to say the things I need to say to you," are the first words on the record, revealing the open book that is Mistakes & Milestones. Causey's straight-forward, take-no-prisoners approach to lyrics gives the band a smart, identifiable edge above the punk fray. His voice is clear and strong, belting out lines that sway from biting ("So figure it out / and understand it's all or nothin' / I see who you are / you're going nowhere fast") to bittersweet ("This town means everything to me / so I won't go down easily / As you can see it's always the same two things / that's got me runnin' on empty"). 

But in "Over/Under", the last of the seven tracks, Look Alive comes full circle. "So I packed it all up / I left everything behind / there was only so much I could take / And I remember / that I was getting in the way / spending most of my time wasting space," Causey growls over spatial guitars and pounding drums.

"But these mistakes make milestones / and I'm not giving up, I'm getting out."

You can buy and stream Mistakes & Milestones via the links below, and make sure to come out to The Mill in Park Circle this Friday, July 12th, to catch Look Alive's first Charleston show! Sharing the bill will be Loners Society and el Camino. Music starts around 10p, and shows at The Mill are always FREE!

Buy Mistakes & Milestones from iTunes

Stream Mistakes & Milestones on Spotify

Look Alive on the Web: www.LookAliveATL.com

Look Alive on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LookAliveATL

Autumn + Colour Records on the Web: AutumnAndColour.com

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4th of July Soundtrack ~ You're welcome!

4th of July To Do List
.
Beer - check!
Fireworks - check!
Recovery day off from work on the 5th - check!
Soundtrack for inevitable shenanigans - crickets...

Don't have your 4th of July soundtrack ready to go? Well we've got you covered! Check out our Independence Day Playlist including all things Americana, from road trips and train rides to Francis Scott Key, himself! (Well, sorta...) 

Have a safe holiday and enjoy the tunes!

1} "Pinstripes", by Loners Society
2} "We're an American Band", by Grand Funk Railroad
3} "Highway 61, Revisited", by Bob Dylan
4} "Open Box Car Door", by The Defilers
5} "Believe It Or Not", theme from Greatest American Hero 
6} "Cowboy Song", by Happy Story Hour
7} "America", by Simon & Garfunkel
8} "Birmingham", by Shovels & Rope
9} "The Star-Spangled Banner", performed by Jimi Hendrix 
10} "America, (Fuck Yeah)", from Team America World Police

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Summer Solstice Playlist ~ 2013

The summer solstice occurred in the early hours of the morning, ushering in the beginning of the summer and the longest, most sun-filled day of the year. 

To help celebrate the season, and all of the humidity, rain storms, lightning shows and beach haze that it brings, here's a list of our Top 10 summer-inspired songs ~ enjoy!

1} "In the Summertime", Mungo Jerry
2} "Sunny Afternoon", The Kinks
3} "Walk, Don't Run", The Ventures
4} "Summer Breeze", Seals and Crofts
5} "Summertime Rolls", Jane's Addiction
6} "Cooper River Nights", Brave Baby
7} "Under the Boardwalk", The Drifters
8} "The Boys of Summer", Don Henley
9} "Summer in the City", The Lovin' Spoonful
10} "Summertime", Janis Joplin

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The Specs come home to the Tin Roof

One of Charleston's most enduring bands, The Specs, made their triumphant return to the Tin Roof last week in front of an enthusiastically packed house.

Blending the effects-laden, progressive sound of their earlier days with the more straight-forward indie songs of recent years, The Specs captivated the crowd from the first notes of their opening tune, "Spirits". Singer Eric Galloway sat behind the keyboard, wearing an unassuming, plain white t-shirt and a meek grin on his face, only to unleash one of the boldest and most controlled voices that I've heard in this town. 

"Lights will fade into the darkness / where your soul will escape out of your eyelids," he sang, veins crowding his neck and sweat soaking through his shirt. He seemed almost possessed by the music, and rightly so.

The veteran musicians that make up The Specs work with a range of dynamics that is often lost on less experienced bands, gliding from gentle to crashing all within one beat of a measure. Shawn Krauss navigates the drum kit like a true professional, adding texture to each song with his steady tempo and tactful fills, yet knowing when to drop back and let the carefully crafted tunes speak for themselves. Guitarist Steve Tirozzi has a cache of effects that he used throughout the set, allowing him to move fluidly from the finger pickings of "Those Eyes" to the more cathartic sounds needed for songs such as "Infinity", while bass player Brett Nash - the newest member of the band, but by no means a newcomer to Charleston's music community - was the constant of the night, guiding each song with his even pace and creamy tone. 

The rich vocal harmonies provided by Tirozzi and Nash cast a nostalgic veil over The Specs' lush sound, which only felt appropriate for a band that has sustained itself for more than a decade in the often fickle and sometimes turbulent Charleston musical climate. It was exciting to experience a band whose members are visibly moved by the music that they create together, and who still clearly enjoy playing with one another. And while Galloway, Krauss, Tirozzi and Nash have become increasingly busy with multiple other projects, work, and that little thing called life, The Specs are working on a new record and have earned their place as a fixture among Charleston's musical fabric, and should serve as the lodestar for which up and coming bands can learn.

Once upon a time, John Lennon said that "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." Sometimes, it appears, heartfelt music and an enduring legacy happen, as well. 

The Specs @ Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/TheSpecs

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Death to Dubstep - Loners Society hit the road with their Summer Tour

It's been a busy year for Charleston's boutique record label and music collective, King City Records. 

With their artists receiving heavy rotation on local radio, recording video shoots, having nightly performances around town, and making appearances at events such as the recent 7th Annual First Flush Festival and the upcoming Summer SOULstice Celebration - not to mention the first ever "Storytellers"-style King City Records Sessions last month - label manager and resident musician Matt Megrue has done one hell of a job spreading the King City word. 

And it has now been officially announced that KCR band Loners Society will embark on an 11-date tour across the Southeast, the Death to Dubstep 2013 Summer Tour, and will be kicking things off right here in Charleston with a July show at The Mill, in Park Circle. 

"This tour is all about being on the road and playing those sweaty, intimate, 4-piece rock n roll shows," Megrue says. "We wanted the opportunity to try out some new material before we hit the studio and we're so excited to be visiting some places and towns we haven't played before along with some old, familiar haunts."

In addition to trying out new material, the Death to Dubstep tour will also feature the debut of the band's new drummer, Josh Beasley. The previous drummer and longtime friend of Megrue, Brian McMickle, parted ways with the band earlier this year in a very un-rock n roll manner - meaning it was a peaceful, supportive and heartfelt decision: McMickle wants to spend more time with his infant son and family.

"To say that we (Loners Society) are simply losing a drummer would be an enormous disservice to Brian and everything he has meant to me (personally and creatively) over the last twelve-plus years," Megrue says.

You can catch Loners Society on their opening night at The Mill on July 12th (FREE show, doors around 9:30p), and check out the rest of the dates below.

7.25.13 @ Rockin Hard Saloon (Murrells Inlet, SC)
7.26.13 @ Deep South (Raleigh, NC)
7.27.13 @ Satellite (Wilmington, NC)
8.04.13 @ British Bulldog Pub (Columbia, SC)*
8.08.13 @ The Saloon (Charlotte, NC)
8.09.13 @ Radio Room (Greenville, SC)
8.10.13 @ Conundrum Music Hall (Columbia, SC)
8.21.13 @ Awendaw Green (Awendaw, SC)
9.27.13 @ The World Famous (Athens, GA)
9.28.13 @ Vinyl (Atlanta, GA)

Loners Society website: www.LonersSociety.com
Loners Society on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LonersSociety‎
Loners Society on Twitter: @LonersSociety‎

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Melodic rockers LIVE BAIT reunite at the Windjammer

PRESS RELEASE - Live Bait "Reunion Show", feat. guests from the Jason Aldean Band, Spunjwurthi, Kemp Ridley

Friday, May 17, 9 p.m.

$7 - The Windjammer, Isle of Palms

Live Bait, an original Charleston roots-rock band who gained popularity in the late 1990s will reunite once again onstage at the Windjammer on Friday, May 17.

Vocalist/guitarist David Dunning and percussionist/vocalist Bruce Patrick initially formed Live Bait as a duo in 1996, but they soon morphed into full band status after winning an acoustic competition at the old Café 99 venue that year. With the addition of pedal steel player Jay Jackson, bassist John Krucke, and drummer Scott Price, the band independently produced and released a self-titled acoustic rock album that earned attention in the Lowcountry music scene for its sing-along songs and smooth vocal harmonies.

After Jackson moved to Nashville in 1998, electric guitarist Chris Barrineau joined the band, rounding the band to a full rock sound. With Barrineau, Live Bait recorded their second full-length, titled Second Hand. It earned rave reviews locally and regionally and sold more than 8,000 units without any label support.

After the release of Second Hand, bassist Ben Polk replaced Krucke and Live Bait hit the road for the next five years. Local radio stations 96 Wave, 98 Rock, and 95SX helped support the buzz around the band by adding their songs into regular rotation, including the singles "Second Hand" and "But I Do" from their third album, Single Slice.

After extensive regional touring and showcasing for major record companies, the name Live Bait no longer seemed to fit the heavier style of rock they'd developed over the years. In April 2000, the band officially changed their name to 210 Deluxe while performing the 96 Wave birthday bash at Joe Riley Park. Upon Price’s occasional absence to tour with punk band Cletus, multi-talented Keith Bradshaw (previously of the Groovy Cools) stepped in to play drums and transitioned to second electric guitar when Price’s tour was over.

210 Deluxe disbanded in 2003. Many of the former bandmates will reunite at this month's Live Bait reunion show at the encouragement of Jackson, who currently plays pedal steel full-time with Nashville-based country superstar Jason Aldean.

It’s no coincidence the Windjammer Bait reunion will follow the Aldean concert at the North Charleston Coliseum this same night. Jackson will work double-duty that night by playing full sets at both venues. He will bring along some of his Aldean bandmates to grace the Windjammer stage as well. When asked if Jason Aldean himself will make a special appearance, the band’s tight-lipped response was, “We don’t know.” They're certain, however, that this will be a special occasion with a few surprises. 

Admission to the Windjammer show is $7 at the door. Charleston rock band Spunjwurthi and Columbia-based act Kemp Ridley (acoustic) open the show. Doors open at 9 p.m.

Visit the-windjammer.com for more.

Live Bait on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Live-Bait-Band/216388988168