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Schweiz (Deutsch)How's your local music scene?
How's your local music scene?
Posted: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - 09:29
Reading a couple of entries in the "Top 5 bands" thread reminded me that there's a host of local music out there that is worth hearing and with the magic of the interwebs, we can share it too!
One of the best things about living in NYC (there are a lot) is the rich local music scene. If I wanted to, I could go see a different band every night of the week - bands that no one has heard of but are so talented that they could easily sell out much larger venues if given the chance. I know the competition might be discouraging for artists, but as a music lover, I totally dig being able to hear undiscovered music (and a lot of times for free!)
But I also like to share. So here are my favorite NYC-based artists (right now). I've seen each of these acts live and highly recommend their music. (Also, as a pushy New Yorker, I'll offer the following unsolicited advice: if you're ever in NYC, skip the bars in Times Square and all the other touristy stuff and seek out musicians like these. It is well worth your time.)
Five Deadly Venoms - KILLER bluegrass band. Incredibly talented musicians, great songwriters - they really get it. It's not a gimick, it's not a fad, it's for real. I see them whenever I can.
http://www.myspace.com/thefivedeadlyvenoms
Niall Connolly - Really great Irish singer/songwriter. Runs an open mic night at a pub in my neighborhood and does a weekly residency at one of my favorite bars in NYC. Can't believe I get to see him as often as I do and never pay a dime.
The Woes - They opened for Langhorne when he played in Brooklyn. They are FUN - zydeco, country, bluegrass, blues, all kinds of stuff. Have only seen them once, but really enjoyed it a lot and plan on seeing them a couple more times in the next month.
http://www.myspace.com/thewoes
The Defibulators - Country twang with bluegrass touches and a bit of rockabilly. Again, LOTS of fun. They played at the Big Apple Barbeque Festival last year, and I had a blast watching them.
http://www.myspace.com/thedefibulators
What about y'all? Any local artists in your neck of the woods that you want to share?
Replies for this Board Topic
Nudity, high quality psychedelic rock. You can check them on Myspace.
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"Rock & Roll means well, it just can't help telling young boys lies." Mike Cooley
thats a major downside of Charlotte, NC..... there is some graet local talent, here in NC, however, there really isn't much to see in Charlotte... Charlotte does a good job of getting smaller acts to make a stop, but nothing that is local that really hits my taste.... one of the only bands from Charlotte that I really dig is The New Familiars ( check them out)
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Well Locust, Mount Pleasant, Concord.... LETS GOOO!
I am excited about the local music scene around the triad.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival
Snuzz
Caleb Caudle & The Bayonets
Jeffrey Dean Foster
Bruce Piephoff
The Deluge
Laurelyn Dossett
Molly McGinn
Sally Spring
that's just the short list of the local artist I love.
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"To some extent I happily don't know what I'm doing. I feel that it's an artist's responsibility to trust that. ." - David Byrne
Orlando is seen as a cultural black hole. 2 factors contribute to this....The 'south side' that consists of magical theme parks and tourists. Which is where a lot of money is sent, instead of the rest of this culture-starved sprawl of a city.....And it is a transient community. Lots of people here to work, but with one foot out the door. So the city is kind of a joke. At least when compared to other big cities. Tampa has a more-firm grip on its' identity, so there is a stronger music scene there.
However, there are still great things going on. Matt Butcher (Orlando) is fantastic, whom opened for The Avett Brothers all 4 Florida shows in July (and many shows before that). He was in a band from 2005-2008 called The Heathens (defunct). That album is downright classic if you want some boot-stomping alt-country. Check this video out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjHxGDcxSOw
And this is the critical-darling standout track from his newer album with The Revolvers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECflReUW-RM
Another awesome Orlando band is Mumpsy. http://www.myspace.com/mumpsy
And if you like (good) hip-hop, Solillaquists Of Sound are the best thing going here. They are also really good live. Very dynamic, musically. http://www.myspace.com/solilla
I never really payed much mind to local music until The Avett Brothers....overcome by envy of the Charlotte folks that had this 'local' band all over the place, practically to themselves, for years. I've been out looking for my own version of that. I'm pretty picky and not going to like every just because it is 'local'. Local music is kind of like indie movies, most (relatively) of it is crap, but no one wants to say it.
"Five Deadly Venoms - KILLER bluegrass band"
wow. listening right now. thanks for the recommendation! instantly in love.
Awesome! They are really amazing - I saw them play with Malcolm Holcombe at a great bar on the Lower East Side and the other night they played at Jalopy, my favorite place to see music in all of NYC (other than Radio City Music Hall). They are extremely talented, I would love to see them get some more exposure.
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Will you forget when we have paid our debts,
who did we borrow from, who did borrow from?
i guess i'll contribute since ive already taken.
the music scene around my small college town isnt all that large, so i will discuss the central iowa music scene a bit.
Des Moines (half hour drive) has exploded with culture in the last 5 years. it went from a boring, conservative, no one on the streets after midnight kinda city to a downtown filled with artists, musicians, and cool shops. its still growing culturally really fast, and i expect great things in the future.
Iowa City is the more liberated college town in Iowa. more hippies, more folkies...etc. they get the majority of small acts coming through.
RADIO MOSCOW (from my hometown)
gutiar driven blues rock reminiscent of jimi/mc5. produced by dan auerbach of the black keys.
http://www.myspace.com/radiomoscow (listen to luckydutch, if you like it, you will like the band)
THE ENVY CORPS (ames/des moines)
indie rock, a little experimental at times.
http://www.myspace.com/theenvycorps
PUBLIC PROPERTY (iowa city)
white guy reggae! very good though. very up-beat, put a smile on your face music.
http://www.myspace.com/publicprop
WILLIAM ELLIOT WHITMORE
tom waits voice after 2 packs of smokes. banjo songs of desperation. hauntingly beautiful.
http://www.myspace.com/williamewhitmore
USEFUL JENKINS
ok. these guys are from mankato, MN, but ive had the pleasure of hanging out with them at a few festivals, so im going to do a little advertising for them.
campfire bluegrass. very upbeat. clever, story telling lyrics.
http://www.myspace.com/usefuljenkins
speaking of local music does anyone know anything of the music scene in columbia, sc ill be moving there for college in like three days and am wondering what bands are good and where would be a good place to catch a show
You would think that living by Chicago there would be a decent amount of good music, but sadly not so much. Just another reason I need to move to the south!
Wake and Bake by the Five Deadly Venoms is blowing me away right now! So which album is your fave heids?
This is the CD I bought at their show last Friday, and it's the only one available right now, I think. Really good CD. The instrumental stuff (like wake n bake) really showcases their talen, I think.
http://www.thefivedeadlyvenoms.com/store.php
(Personal anecdote: It's a little cliche, but their song "The Last Time" is very bittersweet for me. The first time I saw them, my grandmother was extremely ill, and we didn't expect her to live through the weekend. When they sang "Waving goodbye to you, how would I know that I'd never see you again? I will always remember the times that we had, so many memories, the good and the bad. So as I grow older and think of your name, a place in my heart will remain. And you will always, will always be there. You will always, will always have a place in my heart." I got a little choked up. Grandma Grace made it through the weekend but died less than a week later. I still think of her when I listen to that song.)
--
Will you forget when we have paid our debts,
who did we borrow from, who did borrow from?
Yeah, this is the album I picked up. There were a couple of bands by that name on i-tunes, but that was the only cd I saw out there. Thanks for tuning me in and sorry to hear about your Grandma. Your anecdote is what music is all about.
Thanks Footstompin'.
Weightoflies - I am LOVING William Elliot Whitmore. I am definitely going to see him when he's here this fall. Buying my tickets today, in fact.
--
Will you forget when we have paid our debts,
who did we borrow from, who did borrow from?
speaking of local music does anyone know anything of the music scene in columbia, sc ill be moving there for college in like three days and am wondering what bands are good and where would be a good place to catch a show
well Band of Horses is a SC band, who is really good... they play in Cola a good bit... outside of that, I can't really help you.... either way - you'll love USC... I'm a huge Gamec*** fan and try to make it down to Columbia quite a few times a year...
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Well Locust, Mount Pleasant, Concord.... LETS GOOO!
Bristol- we have a badass music scene, but most of who comes by ain't local. I love my weekend visitors (like Langhorne and HGTR tonight) but there are a few locals that I never miss.
One is Clay Prewitt and These Undowners (used to be The Sundowners, but apparently another band is named that and threatened to sue). They'll be at the festival, and is a band that most of my friends go see at the lake on summer Saturday nights. Clay plays solo and with his band at Rhythm and Roots this year. He's a friend, so I won't miss them.
The only local band I really know about in Bristol is Catbird Seat now called Wall of Pop (plus some extra people). I've yet to see the new band, but hopefully I'll catch them at Rhythm & Roots.
BRANDON STORY is totally my good friend. I've known him since elementary school. HOLY CRAP he'd be upset if he knew I forgot about him
He and Mariel go to my church and we get so excited when they sing. Wall of Pop played for the King College faculty/staff picnic the other night... and my husband and I took Branch. (Both my parents work at King.) He danced and danced for the band, and we made a note to ourselves to get B back to see them at the festival. So, see you there masuther! We'll be the ones chasing the wild 16 mo. old
Seeing as how I live in a small town in the Appalachian foothills, there are not too many bands coming right out of my town. There are a few Asheville bands I would recommend and other NC bands in general:
-Kovacs & The Polar Bear (really good indie acoustic folk outta Asheville):
www.myspace.com/kovacsandthepolarbear
-now you see them (super peppy fun acoustic folk, female vocals, sometimes with a large bearded man singing high-pitched backing vocals, from Asheville as well):
www.myspace.com/nowyouseethem
you can download loads of live tracks for free on their last.fm:
www.last.fm/music/now+you+see+them
-Jake Troth (an odd character, stuff is nearly impossible to find, earlier stuff is all acoustic, later stuff is more electronic/hip hop/not really songs and just not as good as his older stuff, from somewhere in NC):
www.myspace.com/jaketroth
A couple of his better albums:
----Blind Contours:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=18b89de406d9699dd2db6fb9a8902bda
----Might as Whale:
http://www.savefile.com/files/1960453
Some great albums from other acts that aren’t local geographically speaking but definitely popularity wise:
-Breathe Owl Breath – Ghost Glacier (folk, banjo, cello, violin)
-Frontier Ruckus – Orion Songbook (banjo laden Michigan folk)
----tons of demos downloadable for free from the band: www.frontierruckus.com/demos.html
-Good Old War – Only Way to Be Alone (gaining more attention, but still rather unknown, some of the best 3 part male vocal harmonizing ever, acoustic fast-folk, Philly boys)
-The Modern Electric – s/t (indie acoustic pop, sexy vocals)
-Sean Bones - Rings (white boy reggae)
I have a bit more, but I am feeling kinda long winded as is. I can provide links for any of the albums in the list at the bottom, if you like what you hear of them, just message me.
Finally, several of my friends formed a band recently. Two of them had been in a band previously and hadn't accomplished much, and what they had, I wasn't too crazy about. The other two had been in another band and they produced some ok stuff, but the vocals were really terrible. Suffice it to say, I wasn't expecting much. To my surprise, the guys spent countless hours this summer writing songs and practicing and produced some really great songs that I would listen to even if I wasn't friends with all of them. They were called Paging Dyson, then Kahn Jr, now they are Dog-Sized Camel (hopefully still a working name). I would describe their stuff as indie rock, americana at times, and a little progressive. Hopefully they will be putting out some well mixed recorded stuff sometime soon, I think they have a lot of potential and wish the best for them.
Lots of videos from them playing at the local Brewery here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/boggers101
3 not so well mixed rough demos here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=92H071RM
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7Y8TFP3F
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XJEW1QLC
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"Trip on my words; and land on my heart"
Well, I'm in the Nothern part of Indiana, and we have the typical small-town scene...A few fun bands with promise, and a lot of young people spending their time fighting boredom with garage bands. (I grew up in Indy, so I'm pretty proud of my hometown hipsters, "The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band.")
Fort Wayne is doing something noteworthy, though. The own a chapter of "Hillgrass Bluebilly," a movement of music promotion that adopts American Roots artists. (The Avetts definitely fall within this genre.) I am moved by the spirit of their work...Take a looksie. They might have a chapter near you to support. Here's an excerpt from their site:
"The current music market of the digital age, a breakdown of the ROOTS & AMERICANA movement has occurred. The white noise of cheap & accessible downloads has drawn a rift between artists, and their (would be) core audiences. It would seem as though no one is adventuring to listen outside their playlists. Hillgrass Bluebilly makes you listen! Rounding up an incredible line up of acts, ensuring if you are drawn to one, you’ll love the others, putting the hunger back into the listening experience & ever expanding our “Dirty Foot Family”. This is the NEW sound of the OLD ways, a rebirth of passion, conviction & instrumentation, an equality of sound and skill that isn't trying to sell you anything, just bringing TRUTH, back to its roots. We look around outside of Hillgrass Bluebilly, in our local bars and venues throughout all of our chapters and we see a pretty consistent theme at the shows in our communities. Same old...same old. No “real” organization or name to get behind, and not a whole lot of staying power in the memories of those that attend. Hillgrass Bluebilly is forging a new path. All you gotta do, is scan the eager faces at our concerts & events. It also serves to notice the sea of Hillgrass Bluebilly hats & shirts whose imagery is almost as loud as their wearers shouts of support echoing the thanks we get from the bands on stage and in interviews and small talk type situations. Slowly but surely, we will ultimately make the supply fulfill the growing demand our spreading reputation is creating.
Another outlet to create accessibility to our customers & clients is our involvement in film, television & radio. Several artists in the Hillgrass Bluebilly family have lent their talent to these mediums, the most recent being Slowboat Films: “The Folksinger” along with song appearances in the movie, “The Waitress” and television series such as “My Name is Earl” & “The Bounty Hunter”...
We have created something we had NO idea would come this far! A notion to throw a few good shows has turned into years of deliberation and a success rate that in no way reflects oue limited pallet of resources. Overall, there is no end to the possibilities rendered by a company like ours. We are set up to spider-web, creating Hillgrass Bluebilly Entertainment franchised chapters in every time zone in the U.S. eventually extending the mission abroad to European & Australian facilities.
Go ahead and ask anyone that knows. Hillgrass Bluebilly has their sleeves rolled up and are swingin big balls and clinched fists right smack dab in the middle of this fight. We are not sitting on a hilltop a few miles back, telling you how its goin down, while thumbing our butts. We have a very strong foothold on the movement, and invite you to march along side us. It doesn't really matter what you do, as long as you do it with all of your heart & conviction because its what you do, who you love & why you are here. Take stand & hold firm, there isn't 20 men alive that can stop one of us from doing what’s in our heart. All in all, if you aren't afraid of the truth, welcome. If you believe what you see & hear with Hillgrass Bluebilly, its because we aren't trying to sell you on anything. This is as stripped down and raw as it gets. We stand behind our efforts, our fans and aim to never let you down! Please write or call us with any questions, concerns or comments. If you made it through all this, go flag us on you chest and buy a shirt at www.dirtyfootfamily.com."
Katie, I went to college at King, and just started working in the library as a staff member a few weeks ago. I'd been going to see Catbird Seat play shows since I was a freshman, and was a little sad to hear they broke up. Another one of my professors is in Wall of Pop, so it'll be cool to see them perform together.
masuther: my mom teaches in the MBA program and my dad coaches swimming at King. small world!
gainesville, fl has no idea records, plan-it-x records (no longer in bloomington), and bakery outlet records is sort of here too. so, it is mostly punk bands. the most famous ones might be against me!, hot water music, ghost mice, holopaw, stressface morning bell, and whiskey and co.+ + + oh yes, and bo diddley! maybe not current, but you know.
there are a lot of more unknown bands that mostly play locally and would only be known by people really into no idea records or those that come to the fest (thefestfl.com). we average 3 shows a night or something. gainesvillebands.com
p.s. when the avett brothers played here in gainesville a few years ago, scott told my friend that he almost moved here to go to graduate school at UF. the academic advisor told him that touring with his band would probably be more important and he should try that before graduate school. well, this is second-hand, but i assume what she said is accurate. he might have been a gainesvillian.