Another year, another Local’s Only! A collaboration between WKNC and Neptunes to show off and show up for local bands returns later on Thursday, May 8. Featuring two indie bands from right here in Raleigh, North Carolina, you’re not going to want to miss it. Let’s take a look at the bands.
03popmachine
A newer band, you can find their music on cassette from Indie Rock Catalog before you can find it on Spotify. 03popmachine is a band that mixes college rock vibes with shoegaze, into an incredible sonic slurry that I just can’t wait to hear more of. For a preview of what to expect, check out their Instagram, or hey grab that cassette player and pop in a tape. Their song “Party Pickup” is an absolute delight that I am going to have stuck in my head for a long time to come.
applefield
If you keep up with WKNC events (which you can do right here on this blog), Applefield might be a name you already recognize. They played at DBB21, and it was incredible to see them then. I will definitely be taking advantage of this chance to see them play live again at Local’s Only! Any fans of shoegaze will recognize the influence of the genre on this band, which comes out in the best way possible.
Loud guitars mix with smooth, beautiful vocals on the band’s single release from March 2025, “palmira.” For fans of a shoegaze-y vibe that feels like it came straight out of the 1990s, I can’t recommend Applefield enough.
Closing Thoughts
I hope to see you come out and support local music this week, on May 8. The show starts at 8 p.m. over at Neptunes right here in Raleigh. Free admission for everyone 21+ and a $5 cost for anyone 18 and over.