Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Moogfest Brings the Future to Durham


Moogfest presented its fifth edition in North Carolina and first year in Durham on May 19-22.  They promised a mix of "Future Thought" and "Future Sound," not only sharing futuristic electronic music, but also the influence of art and technology.  Spanning four days with an eclectic lineup of musical acts and icons, the festival did not disappoint.  Sprawled across the streets of downtown Durham in parking lots, pubs, hotels, and outdoor stages, technology exhibits and musicians lined the streets creating a musical playground.

One exhibit featured ODESZA on the podcast Song Exploder with host Hrishikesh Hirway.  This podcast allows the artist to dissect a song and describe the way it was created, piece by piece.  The members of ODESZA, Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, discussed their song, "Kusanagi." The audience listened to various layers of the mysteriously enchanting song while the pair described how the sounds were created.  One sound that might not be easily identified by the average listener is the opening echo of children. This sound was pulled from an old Christmas album sang by children and chopped into the magnificence that is heard on the final recording, while other sound effects were created by simply tossing household items such as change against a table.  ODESZA shared that an after-thought of the song was realizing it's about longing for childhood, which can easily be felt when listening closely.  There are hundreds of music festivals across the world, but few offer such insight and the opportunity to hear the process of music such as Moogfest. 


The Los Angeles trio HEALTH performed on the Motorco Park stage and blew the audience away with their noise rock sound. Sporting all black and brimming with high-energy, HEALTH brought electro-rock to the streets of Durham.  With John Famiglietti's long locks soaring through the air as he moved from rocking the bass to killing it on the synthesizer, the audience was engaged from the first note.  Add in frontman guitarist Jake Duzsik and drummer Jared Miller and the result is energetic rock with flowing electronics.  HEALTH shared songs both old and new resulting in a captivated and  pleased crowd.  This three-piece is quite unique and not easily classified, which should earn them a spot on everyone's music bucket list. 

Grimes took to the main stage in Motorco Park on Friday night and completely owned it.  There are elements to a Grimes performance that lead the viewer to believe she is a full pop artist with back-up dancers and catchy lyrics, but Grimes is cutting edge in the electronic world.  She is the master of pulling in a variety of elements with her harp-like synths, intense visuals, and in-your-face performance.  Grimes' developed a  thoughtfully articulate show that demanded respect and appreciation from the crowd.


ODESZA followed Grimes on the Motorco Park Stage, bringing the aforementioned "Kusanagi" and many other songs to life.  As always, the members of the band entered the stage in a subtle way, allowing their music to speak for them. With hypnotic visuals dancing to celestial beats, the crowd was instantly entranced.  When a fan favorite was played, such as "Say My Name," the audience became one, swaying and singing as a single being.  In other moments, the crowd was sent into a dream-like state with bursts of lights, beating of the drums, and enchanting melodies.  ODESZA knows how to move a crowd in every possible way.


The real stand-out experiences of Moogfest were all of the little moments: pushing on fabric in Grimes' Realti display, playing with percussion in the exhibits, listening to a local DJ on the rooftop of the Durham Hotel, and dancing in the Armory into the morning hours.  Moogfest doesn't focus only on having a stellar lineup, its purpose is to celebrate the past, present and future of music, art, and technology.  This fest brings all of these elements together so that artists and fans alike have a platform to celebrate all things music.  The festival has already announced they will remain in the great Bull City of Durham next year, so stay tuned for details and mark your calendars for May 18-May 21, 2017



Tuesday, May 24, 2016

IBMA Announces First Round of Wide Open Bluegrass Festival Main Stage Performers




The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) released an initial list of performers for PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, which takes place Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Raleigh, North Carolina. This year’s lineup showcases an array of bluegrass styles, from traditional to progressive and from emerging artists to IBMA Hall of Famers.

Wide Open Bluegrass is an urban bluegrass event that includes both ticketed main stage performances at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater and free stages. A portion of proceeds from the ticket sales of Red Hat Amphitheater go to the IBMA-operated Bluegrass Trust Fund, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to individuals in the bluegrass music community in times of emergency need.

The festival is part of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass events, which begin at the Raleigh Convention Center Tuesday, September 27. A second round of performers and special collaborations for Wide Open Bluegrass will be announced in the coming months.

The lineup for Wide Open Bluegrass, as announced so far:

    Friday, September 30: 
  • Dailey & Vincent
  • Jerry Douglas presents Earls of Leicester
  • Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands
  • Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
  • Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 
  • Peter Rowan Band
  • Soggy Bottom Boys
   Saturday, October 1:
  • Becky Buller Band
  • Greensky Bluegrass
  • John Cowan with Darin & Brooke Aldridge
  • Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers
  • Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
  • Steep Canyon Rangers
  • The Del McCoury Band
  • The Kruger Brothers 

IBMA’s World of Bluegrass event, a five-day annual bluegrass music homecoming and convention, consists of four parts: the IBMA Business Conference, September 27 – 29 ; the 27thAnnual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday, September 29; PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, September 30 – October 1 (which includes both free stages and ticketed festival performances) and the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 27 – 29 in downtown Raleigh and the Raleigh Convention Center.

Single day general admission for performances at Red Hat Amphitheater during Wide Open Bluegrass starts as low as $60 for the general public and $50 for IBMA members. Additional details and pricing information - including member discounts – for Red Hat Amphitheater performances, Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration, IBMA Award Show tickets and hotel reservations are available at IBMA’s website, ibma.org. Tickets for all events are on sale now and may be purchased at www.ibma.org or 1-800-514-3849.
 

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Artist Spotlight: B Boys

Photo By: Daniel Topete
Cat's Cradle is bringing the punk to Carrboro on Friday night as the B Boys will be joining Flesh Wounds and Parquet Courts.

As best described in their artist bio, "Born in different times from alternate altered states, these B's convene on the astral plane, channeling the individual experience and wisdom from their respective points of origin into a singular entity.  Abstraction takes a triangular form: vibrant guitar melodies, undulating bass lines, deep swirling grooves.  Sounds that transcend a linear timeline, splintering out across multiple spectrums.  Interlocking vocals skillfully bob and weave overtop, their mantras resounding. But don't be fooled, they're just like anyone else, they put their chinos on one leg at a time."

Building on the momentum of their debut EP, No Worry No Mind, the Triangle is one of many stops included on an East Coast tour for these three talented artists.  As one of the featured tracks off their EP, we'd like to share Seagulls as a preview of the great things to come tomorrow night.  Tickets are still available at www.catscradle.com and the show is set to begin at 9pm.  Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Midtown Bluegrass Series in North Hills


This weekend promises both great weather and free live music in the Triangle! The Midtown Bluegrass Series officially gets under way from 2pm-6pm at North Hills Midtown Park on Sunday. Love Canon and Tellico are the featured acts taking the stage for what is sure to be an enjoyable afternoon of bluegrass music.  Sunday will be the first of a series of events in the Triangle this summer to be presented by PNC in partnership with PineCone-Piedmont Council of Traditional Music.


Tellico will be making their way to North Hills by way of Asheville, NC.  Firmly planted in Asheville's thriving roots music scene, Tellico is well-schooled in bluegrass, but with an unbridled organic "Appalachiacana" sound, combining some of the finest voices, songs and instrumental prowess in Western NC and beyond.

Band members, Anya Hinkle and Greg "Stig" Stiglets create authentic vocals that are aligned with Aaron Ballance's soaring dobro and Jed Willis' textured and expressive mandolin.  Combining these unique musical talents, Tellico's sound is rooted in the mountain music they grew up with while pushing tradition into a modern Americana sound aesthetic.


Most recently featured at the MerleFest Music Festival in Wilkesboro, NC, Love Canon will bring their lively bluegrass ensemble to the Triangle from Charlottesville, VA.  While this talented group of musicians feature traditional bluegrass instruments, they are certain to get the crowd off their feet as they play their own rendition of traditional 80's hits.  As indicated by their selection to host an evening at the Dance Tent at MerleFest, the musicians thrive on providing a unique experience for all listeners.  From Toto to ZZ Top, you're likely to hear it all on Sunday, so be sure to make plans to be a part of this afternoon of music.

For event details or information, you can find out more by clicking on www.visitnorthhills.com. As a preview of the fun to be had on Sunday, please enjoy the selected videos from this Sunday's featured artists and we can't wait to see you there!

New Music From Jai Wolf

Jai Wolf shares a shimmering new track, "Drive," (featuring Chain Gang of 1974). You might know Jai Wolf from his eclectic single, "Indian Summer," which only made fans anxious for future releases.  He gained attention after sharing a bootleg of Skrillex's "Ease My Mind" which led to his single being signed.

Following that career-changing event, Jai Wolf has since worked with Alesso, ODESZA, Dirty South and more.  "Drive" takes you on an electronic journey, starting off mysterious and transitioning to a pulsating anthem with intricate percussion.

Jai Wolf is hitting the festival circuit pretty hard this summer with stops including Firefly, Shaky Beats, and Hangout.  Take a listen to his newest release, "Drive" and keep watching, he's only getting started.