Category: Band/Artist Profile

An in-depth look at bands and solo artists

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB12 Artist Profile: Lonnie Walker

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Lonnie Walker

Formed in 2002ish by solo performer Brian Corum with a few art class friends in Greenville, NC, Lonnie Walker is now a mainstay in the ever-changing NC music scene. Since the release of their debut album “These Times Old Times” in 2009, Lonnie Walker has become a staple of the Triangle music circuit, with their raucous-punk-meets-quirky-Americana sound livening up WKNC’s Fridays on the Lawn, DBB VI, Hopscotch Music Festival (numerous times), and a whole host of local venues. Lead singer and guitarist Brian Corum’s uniquely twisted vocals and lyrics, along with catchy riffs and rollicking rhythms from the band (currently Raymond Finn, Eric Hill, and Mike Robinson), make Lonnie Walker a can’t-miss show; just try to listen to “Summertime” without a huge grin spreading across your face and your head unconsciously bobbing with the drum beat, or not shouting along to “Compass Comforts.” Yet from its beginnings, the band has also been unafraid to let go with long, jam-style instrumentals.

Brian Corum also helps run Diggup Tapes, a Raleigh record label known for its affinity for cassette tapes, which has put out releases by Lonnie Walker as well as T0W3RS, Lilac Shadows, Oulipo, Zack Mexico, and more. Though Lonnie Walker themselves have not released an album since 2009, they have released a smattering of singles and compilations. They teased fans with a somewhat somber single, “All Bombs Away,” last summer, sparking excitement for a new full-length. Rumor has it that a very limited release of this long-awaited second album, “Earth Canals,” was distributed at Hopscotch 2014, when the band took the City Plaza stage before Spoon and St. Vincent. Be sure to catch this electric act at Lincoln Theatre on Feb. 7 – you never know what could happen!

– Meg Bryson, WKNC Indie Rock Music Director

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB12 Artist Profile: Spider Bags

Spider Bags

Spider Bags are back for their third Double Barrel Benefit.

The band formed in 2005 as front man Dan McGee migrated from Brooklyn to Chapel Hill, coming off a stint in punk band DC Snipers. McGee combined his punk experience with his newfound love for the North Carolina scene’s southern twang for a uniquely sloppy yet fine-tuned sound that would take the area by storm. Nine years later, the group remains one of the Triangle’s flagship bands and an undying local favorite.

In the years since, Double Barrel has grown in size and scope and Spider Bags themselves have met considerable success. 2014 was a huge year for the Chapel Hill garage rockers, as they signed to local indie powerhouse Merge Records and released their fourth studio album. “Frozen Letter,” produced by fellow DBB vet Wesley Wolfe, was met with national acclaim.

Spider Bags took the stage at The Pour House on both Double Barrel VII and Double Barrel X, but this year is the biggest yet. The band will cap off an evening of four great bands at the Lincoln Theatre on Feb. 7, 2015.

– Walt Lilly, WKNC Program Director

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB12 Artist Profile: Mac McCaughan

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Mac McCaughan

There aren’t many with the level of cred that Mac McCaughan carries. The Superchunk and Portastatic frontman’s legacy has affected the Triangle with both his music and Merge, the label he founded with Superchunk bandmate Laura Ballance in 1989.

Last year saw Merge’s 25th year of existence, and they used their firsthand experience as working musicians to grow from humble 7’’ and cassette releases in the early 90’s to the indie powerhouse they are today. Not only have they boasted mega acts like Arcade Fire and Neutral Milk Hotel, but continue to host North Carolina’s own talent such as Hiss Golden Messenger, Mount Moriah, and DBB12 headliners Spider Bags.

Superchunk hasn’t slowed down either. 2013’s release of “I Hate Music” was met with critical acclaim and a clear message that the modern indie rock world wouldn’t be getting tired of Superchunk any time soon.

On Feb. 7 at Lincoln Theatre, McCaughan will take the stage at an event played by countless acts that he’s inspired and supported. Without Mac McCaughan, the Triangle music scene as we know it probably wouldn’t exist.

– Walt Lilly, WKNC Program Director

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB12 Artist Profile: No Love

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No Love

You may or may not know it, but North Carolina has always had a very vibrant punk scene. With the inception of No Love in 2013, Raleigh had another exciting band to add to the growing roster of heavier acts in the area.

The band is made up of what has been described as a sampling of Raleigh music veterans consisting of members from other projects including Black Zinfandel, Devour, Logic Problem, Last Words, Infección and the infamous No Chodes.

Opting for a slightly more polished sound than some of their contemporaries like Double Negative or label mates Whatever Brains, No Love has drawn comparisons to Screeching Weasel and the Buzzcocks. Though the group may only be a little over one year old, they have already made the billing of Raleigh’s premiere music festival Hopscotch, shared the stage with Ex-Cult, and released two cassettes on Raleigh’s own Sorry State Records. They’ve even garnered glowing press from outlets such as Maximum Rock and Roll and NPR’s All Songs Considered.

It’s easy to tell that there’s a lot in store for this up and coming band. Catch them open the fast and furious night one of DBB at Lincoln Theatre for what’s sure to be a hometown hoedown.

– John Kovalchik, WKNC General Manager

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB12 Artist Profile: Museum Mouth

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Museum Mouth

Coming straight from the coast of North Carolina, Museum Mouth formed back in 2009 in a town called Southport where they still continue to create the heartfelt punk music that so many listeners can really connect with. The group received its first big recognition back in 2012 when mtvU picked up the title track of their album released that year titled “Sexy But Not Happy.” Since the release of SBNH, Museum Mouth has truly grown as a band in the sense of the material they have produced and fan base that they have gathered.

In May 2014, Museum Mouth put out their next full length album entitled “Alex I am Nothing” that contained more insight into the thoughts of drummer and lead vocalist Karl Kuehn. Following this release, Museum Mouth received an outpouring of support that has made them one of the most liked and supported bands in North Carolina today.

Museum Mouth is no stranger to WKNC, but they will be playing their first ever Double Barrel Benefit on night two at Cat’s Cradle on Feb. 14. Being a band that puts so much emotion into their music, seeing them on Valentine’s Day will be an absolute necessity.

– Clint Bowman, WKNC Local Music Director

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB12 Artist Profile: Elvis Depressedly

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Elvis Depressedly

While most artists move on from their solo projects to produce more publicly accepted music, Mat Cothran saw his lo-fi indie pop band Elvis Depressedly as a space to experiment without worry of his audience. Maybe that’s where the undeniable rawness of each release comes from. The songs’ inconsequential lyrics are paired with drum machines and ethereal keyboards that make you forget you’re singing about death.

Originally from South Carolina, Cothran moved to Asheville last summer where he hoped to feel more accepted in what he called the “growing artistic community.” Cothran and his bandmates did multiple tours last year with acts including Alex G of Sandy and Told Slant. The band is releasing their first full length titled “New Alhambra” in early March under Run for Cover Records.

With heart melting lyrics like, “I want to find you, a way out of your head. Snow is falling inside you, let it love you to death,” you’ll definitely want to take your lover to see Elvis Depressedly this Valentine’s Day.

– Kaanchee Gandhi, WKNC Deputy Promotions Director and Graphic Designer

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Band/Artist Profile

DBB12 Artist Profile: Body Games

Now that the full line up for #dbbdozen has been revealed learn some more about all the artists playing! We’ll be posting a profile of each artist throughout the week right here!

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Body Games

On the first night of Hopscotch 2013, a fledgling Body Games garnered some word-of-mouth attention as one of the local acts to catch before moving on to the touring bands later in the night. Being made up of local music veterans, as well as being supported by psychedelic visuals, attracted a dense crowd to The Pour House Music Hall.

Before long, the crowd was entranced by their ambient soundscapes that gave way to simple poppy hooks. The set climaxed in the room clapping and singing along to a Michael Jackson cover that went over so well, frontman Dax Beaton felt obliged to clarify that it was a cover.

The group has grown in the time since, performing at the next year’s Hopscotch, as well as Phuzz Phest and landing an impressive spot at Moogfest. They were also featured on a track on last year’s long-awaited T0W3RS LP on the track “Raise The Gate.”

Body Games will kick off a night of loving on Feb. 14 at Cat’s Cradle. Whether you’re already a fan or experiencing them for the first time, Body Games will be sure to make you their Valentine.

– Walt Lilly, WKNC Program Director

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Band/Artist Profile

Hopscotch Artist Profile: Ed Schrader’s Music Beat

Album art for "Party Jail," new release by Ed Schrader's Music Beat

“I didn’t like that second band,” said the kid I for whom I had just scored a free ticket to see Future Islands at Cat’s Cradle several years ago.

The ingrate was referring to Ed Schrader’s Music Beat. The performance was admittedly unconventional; on a dark stage, Ed Schrader stood over a snare drum with a bright light underneath it, so that his face was lit up the same way as when you hold a flashlight while telling a ghost story. “Rats!” He exclaimed maniacally, banging his drum to a fast rhythm.  I loved it.

A year or so later when I met Dan Deacon in Moore Square, he was wearing an Ed Schrader’s Music Beat t-shirt. They are all exemplary members of Baltimore’s Wham City scene, where it goes without saying that a live performance is a craft in its own right.

The 2-piece band’s live performance is a testament to the “less is more” persuasion.  If you just listen to their music, they still sound interesting – grungy, kind of no-wave – but their act is a spectacle to appreciate for the artful way in which they present the simplicity of their set up: two people, one with a bass and the other with a snare and a microphone on a stand.  A worklight. Symmetry. With only a few resources on stage, the band creates exceptional dimension.

Ed Schrader’s appearance in the Triangle coincides with the band’s August release of their new album Party Jail.  They will play Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh at CAM on Thursday, September 3rd between 10-11pm.

 -DJ Acorn

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Band/Artist Profile

Artist Profile: Wild Fur

To start with the basics, Wild Fur is made up of duo Nick Jaegar (past member of Luego, The Tomahawks, Schooner, and Roman Candle)  and Wylie Hunter (past member of the Cazadores) from Durham, North Carolina. However, on live shows Nick and Wylie are joined by drummer Brad Porter (Some Army, Wichita Falls) and bassist Casey Toll (Mount Moriah). Digging a little deeper into the sound that Wild Fur produces, the best way to describe it is being infectiously dreamy with numerous emotion stirring rhythms. The first time I saw Wild Fur live was actually at WKNC’s Local Band Local Beer on August 14th at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Downtown Raleigh. It was at this performance that I truly realized Wild Fur’s ability to make the audience hang on to every word in their songs. There is some sort of connectivity between Wild Fur and their audience that is incomparable to any other band-audience relationship. Perhaps it is their lyrics that hit home with lines like “Carolina its been getting stranger as I find myself stuck in place,” or it’s their echoing vocals that seem to blend together in perfect harmonies that leave the audience begging for more.

With lots of experience under their belts, Jaegar and Hunter know what they are doing and are setting out to show everyone their utmost capabilities as musicians and performers. The overflowing talent of Wild Fur will undoubtedly reach far beyond Durham, and it is going to be really nice to say that I saw Wild Fur take the stage first on Thursday night at Lincoln Theater for the 2014 Hopscotch Music Festival. That being said, Wild Fur goes on at 8:30 PM on Thursday night at the Lincoln Theater, being the first act to open for the final act of that evening–The War on Drugs.    

 

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Band/Artist Profile

Hopscotch Artist Profile: Sun Araw

One of my favorite parts of Hopscotch are the surprises each year. In the past, I never expected someone like harsh noise legend Merzbow to play in a place like Raleigh, or to discover the then-relatively-unknown Oneohtrix Point Never way back in 2011, two years before he made it big as an artist/internet troll. The pleasant obscurity I didn’t see coming this year wound up being Sun Araw.

The solo project of former Magic Lantern member Cameron Stallones, Sun Araw sounds like jumping into a cyber pool of jello and floating in it. Stallones fuses elements of old-school, 60’s psychedelia and contextualizes it in the retro future.

Like a lot of people, my first exposure to Sun Araw was in the 2012 video game Hotline Miami. Developed by Jonatan Söderström (a developer most well known for creating Adult Swim games), it was a fast-paced journey through the mind of a man under mind-control drugs as he wages war on the mob in 1980’s Miami. Its eerie, lo-fi atmosphere was complimented by its psychedelic electronic soundtrack. The first thing you encounter when starting up is this start menu, set to Sun Araw’s Horse Steppin’. He sets the stage for a wicked fever dream experience.

On Saturday, September 6th, you can experience Sun Araw’s wicked fever dream yourself. He takes the stage at Slim’s for a dimly-lit, intimate performance that should unsettle you, but in a good way. I’m looking forward to having another Hopscotch memory as unique as having my bones rattled at Merzbow.