Category: Festival Coverage

Previews, reviews and coverage from music festivals like Hopscotch and Moogfest

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Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Day Party Highlight: Rock N’ Roll Pizza Party

Wakin on a Pretty DazeWKNC is sponsoring Rock N’ Roll Pizza Party, a Hopscotch Music Festival Day Party presented by Naked Gods that promises to be one of the best of this year’s festival.   The day party will take place from noon to 5 pm at Slim’s Downtown on Thursday, September 5th.  This day party features some of the best local acts as well as free pizza from Mellow Mushroom.  The schedule is as follows:

12:00 – Gray Young
Raleigh’s Gray Young creates huge driving instrumental rock. His breed of anthemic rock rivals that of some of the best post rock bands on the scene.   His crescendos and grandiose builds fill every corner of the venue as he fully immerses the entire crowd into his world.

1:00 – The Critters
This Asheville quartet delivers their infectious breed of psych pop-rock with an imperfect perfection that will be sure to have you dancing along.

2:00 – Invisible Hand
Born in Charlottesville, VA this creative band combines acid rock with power pop guitar hooks.  Their newest effort Lies, Lies, Lies is an impressive album that is due out soon.

3:00 – Naked Gods
Psychedelic pop rockers from Boone leave every audience instant fans of their band. Their perfected, high energy performance is always a worthwhile sight to see. They promise a stellar set including some new additions from their as of yet untitled album that they are currently working on.

4:00 – Lonnie Walker
Raleigh’s Lonnie Walker has been a WKNC favorite since their release of These Old Times in 2009.  Their intelligent breed of indie rock with a hint of post country embodies the city of Raleigh for me.  The fast-paced nature of the songs and the energy of their live performance will round out this day party perfectly.

https://www.facebook.com/events/560384460691582/?ref=2

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Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Must-See: WOOL

“Like cries from a wolf at night, on acid.”

This is a personal artist spotlight on WOOL by Toast for Hopscotch.

While I find WOOL’s sound a little less animalistic than their proclamation, there is none the less a good case of the swampy-womps riddling their music. Headed by local fella, Troy Brian Hancock, this band came on the scene in 2011 and in January of 2012 released their latest album, “Bulletin Air” and apparently another on the way in the spring. Bright guitars by Zack Oden really launch the experience, backed by bassist/keyboardist Johnny Hobbs and drummer Raymond Finn. The album has a definitively optimistic but not too sunny sound, like moseying around with no real place to be on the first day of fall. It’s sway side to side, bob your head stuff, perfect for an easy night out without all the fuss and jump you may find at other shows. You may actually get through the set without someone spilling a beverage on or near you, which in my mind, is a feat in itself.

Favorite Track: “Bulletin Air” on Bulletin Air

Berkeley Cafe, Friday September 6th, 9PM

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Hopscotch Must-See: Swearin’

This is a personal artist spotlight on Swearin’ by Alternate Reality.

If I’m being completely honest, Swearin’ is the band that I am most excited about seeing at Hopscotch mostly because I’m going to unleash the pop-punk inside of me that hasn’t been around since I was in 8th grade listening to bands that wish they were as good as Swearin’.

It’s no surprise that their most recent self titled album is so excellent. Allison Crutchfield, the co-founder of the band along with her bandmate Kyle Gilbride, was a part of a 90s pop-punk band PS Elliot with her twin sister Katie Crutchfield, also known as Waxahatchee. This band was a cult favorite however they disbanded in 2011 and this allowed both sisters to pursue their own projects.

Swearin’ has the same punk sensibilities as PS Elliot with a lot more fuzz and excellent guitar hooks that make moshing and head banging almost irresistible. Between these fast paced punk songs, Allison and Kyle slow and sad lo-fi songs that fit perfectly with the pace of the album. In general, this album brings all the best nostalgia of pop-punk in the early 2000s but revitalizes and rethinks punk in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re back in 2003. It allows for seriousness and fun, making this album come together perfectly.

 

Favorite Track: “Here to Hear” on Swearin’ 

Playing: Friday, September 6 at 10:30 at The Pour House Music Hall.

 

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Hopscotch Must-See: Overmountain Men

This is a personal artist spotlight on Overmountain Men by DJ Salinger for Hopscotch.

It’s hard to pick a place to start when beginning to talk about Overmountain Men. The band members’ thick North Carolina roots coupled with the fact that David Childers is a lyrical genius only give a glimpse into the many reasons why Overmountain Men is a musical gem. To top it off, Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers played such a huge role in the formation of the band—(which is enough proof to show just how talented this band really is). Wherever you start, each little bullet point on the list has a long story behind it. To simplify it down a bit, Overmountain Men is a great, foot-stomping folk band from the Charlotte area of North Carolina headed primarily by the extremely talented David Childers. Childers seems to be a very down-to-earth, proper representation of a true North Carolina man that (thankfully for us) never sat his guitar down for too long. The talent and inspiring lyrics that Childers puts forth was what caused a stirring in Bob Crawford to start the collaboration that became Overmountain Men. However, Bob is not the only Avett Brother to take a liking to Childers; the entire Avett Brothers band has covered and performed Childers “Prettiest Thing” online and in concert.

For one man to have such a big influence on a popular modern folk band speaks thousands of words for itself. You better bet that I will be in the audience for their set at Hopscotch this year with my head nodding and my heart pounding.

Favorite Track: “Some Place Along The River” on “Glorious Day”
Playing: Saturday, September 7th between 10 – 11pm at Tir Na Nog

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Hopscotch Must-Sees: Torres

This is a personal artist spotlight on Torres by The Walrus.

Hopscotch is the festival that it is because of its uniquely diverse and maddeningly obscure lineup of artists; it is truly a music critic’s festival. Each year, I find myself discovering artists who may easily have slipped under my radar were it not for their introduction to me through the festival.  Often times, it is simply because I stumbled into their show, or I tagged along with a friend, or I was just trying to fit a show in between two others. Regardless, there is always an artist who shines amongst the masses with a wonderful breakthrough performance and it is what I have begun to search for each year. After much deliberation, my personal prediction for the dark horse of this year’s Hopscotch is Nashville-based Torres.

With her self-titled debut album, Mackenzie Scott exhibits a raw, gritty sound reminiscent of early PJ Harvey. Her voice evokes a sense of urgency that, when accompanied by her beautifully dark lyrics, elevates her songs to such a high level of significance. It is the significance of someone mustering all of their willpower to speak, to sing out, and to rid themselves of the emotionally draining fears that haunt their mind. Tracks such as “Mother Earth, Father God” follow you, gripping your mind with the haunting intensity that an artist can so rarely produce.

What makes Torres all the more mesmerizing is that it is Scott’s first album and she is only 22 years old. It is the promise of even more that has latched me to her music and her wonderfully sincere songwriting. For all of this, I will not be missing Torres during their Saturday night performance at Deep South.

Favorite Tracks: “Mother Earth, Father God” / “Jealousy and I”

Playing: Deep South, Saturday 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM

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Hopscotch Must-Sees: Kurt Vile and the Violators

Wakin on a Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile
Wakin on a Pretty Daze

This is a personal artist spotlight on Kurt Vile and the Violators by DJ DiGiorno for Hopscotch.

Kurt Vile has become the unofficial king of Philadelphia. The mayor even recently declared August 28th as Kurt Vile Day in Philadelphia. His calming brand of guitar driven, lo-fi stoner rock has become a banner that they fly proudly. His soothing voice crooning over the wash of sound creates this warm, spacious atmosphere that you can reside in forever.  His music is slow, but in the best possible way. It’s reminiscent of those long, uneventful summer days that we remember fondly.

Kurt Vile began writing solo songs as a teenager.  In 2005, he formed The War on Drugs with Adam Granduciel.  They released their debut studio album Wagonwheel Blues in 2008.  After a tour with the album, Kurt Vile left the band to focus more on his solo efforts although he has been featured on some of their recent recordings. After leaving the band, Vile then released his debut solo album Constant Hitmaker in 2008 which is comprised of home recordings from 2003-2007. The record began to get some recognition as he began to start touring. In 2009, Vile released God Is Saying This To You… which again consisted of previous home recordings.

Vile was then signed to Matador Records in May 2009. By October, he had released his third album Childish Prodigy.  This was the first time he had gotten a chance to sit down in a studio and write a cohesive album as opposed to compiling various old home recordings.  Childish Prodigy was our first introduction to his backing band, The Violators. Vile was garnering attention increasingly as he joined artists such as Thurston Moore and Dinosaur Jr. on tour.  Vile released his fourth album Smoke Ring for My Halo in 2011 to critical acclaim.  The album made many end of the year lists and is considered his breakthrough album.

This past April, Kurt Vile put out his latest effort Wakin on a Pretty Daze.  The album received very positive reviews including Pitchfork’s coveted “Best New Music” award. Wakin on a Pretty Daze is one of Vile’s most beautiful and spacious albums to date.  With most songs surpassing the six minute mark, it is evident that this album has a complete disregard for time. The album is comprised of 11 songs and clocks in at about 70 minutes long. Vile takes you into his warm world where time is irrelevant. The subtle intricacies of his work demands your attention: the guitars fading in and out, the shifting of beats, or just the shuffling or leaving out of parts. The lyrics on this album are his most self-aware to date as he comments on his music and his life. It makes for a comedic as well as introspective listen.

Kurt Vile and The Violators always deliver an impressive live performance. Vile performs from behind his mass of hair as The Violators stay right in step and flesh out every corner of the song. The warm, timeless atmosphere of the songs are a great place to reside in on a late September night. This is an absolute must-see show for Hopscotch Music Festival.

Favorite Tracks: Never Run Away, Wakin on a Pretty Day, Shame Chamber, Baby’s Arms

RIYL: Ariel Pink, War on Drugs, Dinosaur Jr., Guitars, Chillaxing

Playing: Lincoln Theatre, Thursday September 5th 12:00 AM-1:00 AM

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Hopscotch Must-Sees: Ryan Hemsworth

This is a personal artist spotlight on Ryan Hemsworth by Prism for Hopscotch.

Recently, I read New York Times pop music critic Jon Caramanica’s piece about his experiences at 2013’s Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. In the article, he makes a distinction between the first day (largely hip bread-and-butter indie rock) with the second and third day’s more electronic and experimentally focused bills. And he specifically cites 23-year old Halifax DJ Ryan Hemsworth as being responsible for finally kick[ing] this year’s edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival into gear, saying that his music made “bodies [get] to moving” for the first time that weekend.

I found this observation funny, because I had a completely similar experience with Ryan at this years’ South By Southwest music festival. After my then-underaged ass found my way into Pitchfork’s 1100 Warehouse showcase on Thursday, I caught Sky Ferreria and Zebra Katz’s sets amidst a crowd of bearded tweeting industry bros who gosh darn it were not going to dance for the effing likes of Sky Effing Ferreria. But when Hemsworth went up and immediately dropped what I think was his remix of Frank Ocean’s “Thinking About You,” the lame music crit crowd went wild for the first time, dancing for his whole set and into Disclosure, who followed him.

So while I’ve established that the man accomplishes things live, I should also mention that Ryan Hemsworth has been kicking around the internet for a few years at this point. His oeuvre includes his many diverse and amazing remixes (go YouTube his version of Craig David’s “Fill Me In” or maybe his snare-filled twist on ‘Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely’ from the Backstreet Boys) as well as a slew of originals and production he’s done for rappers such as Shady Blaze, Deniro Ferrar, and Main Attraktionz.

There’s a lot I could say about him, but I think the best thing to say is that if you enjoy dancing and contemporary sample-based electronic music, his headlining set at CAM will be where it’s at at Hopscotch. The conflict between him and Earl Sweatshirt at Lincoln will be tough for some, but I’ve seen the man live before and I know where the fun will be at. See you at CAM.

Best Songs: Frank Ocean – Thinkin Bout You (Ryan Hemsworth Bootleg)

Playing: CAM: 12:30 AM Friday night

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Hopscotch Must-Sees: Big Black Delta

This is a personal artist spotlight on Big Black Delta by Walter-Ego for Hopscotch.

Like many others right now, I’m a little obsessed with the neo-80’s aesthetic. You can blame stylized Ryan Gosling movies or retro video games with thumping electro soundtracks, but there’s nothing quite like the sound of a cheesy John Carpenter synth. Luckily, Big Black Delta is in the Hopscotch lineup to scratch that itch.

Channeling the same kind of 80’s synthpop that Com Truise and Makup & Vanity Set do, Big Black Delta is the project of Mellowdrone frontman Jonathan Bates. Having worked with artists like M83, Bates isn’t afraid to make his own brand of space rock loud and violent. The samples and beats are bombastic enough to fill a cathedral of Robocops. The characteristics of his music translate perfectly into his vibrant live show, sporting multiple drummers and Bates’ own moves syncing with each dark pulsing thump. Look no further than the video for Side of the Road, as Bates’ dances across a cyber landscape and his band takes turns derezzing.

When Big Black Delta takes the stage of Memorial Auditorium on September 6th, it’s definitely going to be one of my highlights of an already excellent lineup.

Favorite Track: “Side of the Road” on Big Black Delta

Playing: Memorial Auditorium, September 6th, 10:00PM

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Hopscotch Must-See: Earl Sweatshirt

This is a personal artist spotlight on Earl Sweatshirt by Muta for Hopscotch.

These bitches keep screaming “Odd Future is back!” or at least that is what I’ve been screaming since the Hopscotch lineup was first released. Earl Sweatshirt has often been sited as the best lyricist from the hip-hop group Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA), which features other prominent artist such as Tyler the Creator and Frank Ocean.

It has been three years since the first self-made music video from Odd Future dropped for Earl Sweatshirt’s song “Earl” as well as Earl’s first mixtape by the same name was released. Since then, Earl has worked with The Alchemist, Action Bronson, Mac Miller, Riff Raff, and Flying Lotus to bring a style of hip-hop that I have heard no where else. Recently, Earl has been mixing the fun rowdiness from his youth (“Whoa” and “Rusty”) with the darker and more personal songs that really illustrate his artistry (“Chum” and “Between Friends”).

After a pretty full 2013 that has brought Earl all across the country to festivals like SXSW, I expect Earl has probably really found his stage presence and will bring an awesome show following up Action Bronson at Lincoln Theater.

Favorite Track: Flying Lotus – “Between Friends” ft. Earl Sweatshirt & Captain Murphy

Lincoln Theater, Saturday, September 6th, 12:30am

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Hopscotch Must-Sees: ADULT.

This is a personal artist spotlight on ADULT. by Mason for Hopscotch.

If there’s one thing I most look forward to each year at Hopscotch, it’s getting freaky-deaky. I’m not always this way. On an average day, I’m that relatively reserved college student who just likes to keep his head down and keep to himself. But some bands manage to rile up the inner beast within me and make me do interesting things things. Future Islands in 2011 managed to leave me with a broken iPhone screen after a rousing performance of “Tin Man” moved me to slam what I was holding on the ground. After Danny Brown last year, I received a bloody nose after being kicked in the face by a stage diver… and for some reason, I kept dancing. I think I may have even screamed a genuine “THANK YOU!” at the face-kick perpetrator as he gracelessly thrashed overhead.

Yes, Hopscotch is the time of the year when I completely lose myself and awkwardly hobble up and down, and I know this September will be no exception thanks to ADULT.

The husband wife duo of Adam Miller and Nicola Kuperus got their start in Detroit, Michigan in the late 90s under the retired name “Plasma Co.” Since their premiere, they’ve released five albums.

Their most recent 2013 release of album “The Way Things Fall” comes after a five year hiatus, and it’s filled with beats that are going to make you move. The duo brings a mix of chaotic electronic clash and aggressive female vocals reminiscent of The Knife, Moderat, and Die Antwoord, and I can’t help but move when I hear it. If you want to take a walk on the wild side and dance your ass off, you must see this band.

Favorite Track: “Heartbreak”

RIYL: The Knife, Deerhoof, Gang Gang Dance