Cookie Monsta Takes Over The Ritz

From a very early age Cookie Monsta was always into music.  From around 11 years old a PlayStation game called "Music 200" caught his eye and that's where it all began.  He would play on this game making loops, playing on it for ages. Then around 17 he had as many music games as he could find, but he wanted more.

Cookie Monsta never really knew about music production and came from a group of friends that were not into that sort of thing.  When he applied at college he was frowned upon for doing this simply because people thought music was pointless to study.  However, Cookie Monsta's point of view is, "If you're passionate about making music and you know you want to make music then knuckle down and stay on it.  If people doubt you carry on, no matter how bad things get. Music isn't my hobby, it's my life."

Seeing Cookie Monsta live for Excision's Paradox Tour at the Ritz Raleigh makes all of this evident.  The Circus Records artist takes songs that start out slightly dirty and works his magic until they are filthy, causing that face-melt-feeling that every dubstep fan loves.  He took the crowd through an intense journey of bass -hitting high, low and everywhere in between.

Making his music even more powerful is the energy Cookie Monsta possesses on stage. During his performance, there was no doubt he was 100% in the moment - singing along and dancing to each beat, captivating the crowd with every new climb and drop. If you haven't caught him yet, add Cookie Monsta to your must-see list for 2017, you won't regret it.  If you need further convincing, check out one of his latest tracks, 'Eliminate Target.'

Don't Miss Manila Killa with Louis the Child and Imad Royal at Lincoln Theatre

Born in the Philippines but based in Washington DC, Manila Killa is a versatile musician known for creating down-tempo, relaxing, and melodic beats, sometimes referred to as "tropical house."  Manila Killa has a diverse knowledge of music, ranging from the cello, to the drums, and the sweet strum of the guitar. He graduated to spinning tunes as a DJ at the young age of 14 and started making music-producing magic shortly thereafter.  

Many Soundcloud hits later, Manila Killa is supporting Louis the Child on their tour in several U.S. cities.  See him locally at Lincoln Theatre on February 23 also with the support of Imad Royal. Stay tuned for a live review of his much anticipated set.  Go ahead, add to those Soundcloud hits below, you know you want to. 




Photo Courtesy of STruong Photography

Shaky Beats Daily Lineup Released

Shaky Beats Music Festival has revealed its Lineup By Day and 1-Day Tickets will go on sale for fans today at 11:00am ET.  Griz, RL Grime and Bonobo (live) will kick off the second annual festival on Friday, followed by monstrous performances from Kaskade, Flosstradamus and Galantis on Saturday. The Chainsmokers, Zeds Dead and Girl Talk will close out the weekend with huge performances on Sunday. Shaky Beats Music Festival will take place May 5-7 at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta.  

General Admission 1-Day Tickets ($90) as well as 1-Day VIP Tickets ($225) are now available at 

www.shakybeatsfestival.com. General Admission 3-Day Tickets ($165) as well as VIP 3-Day Tickets ($399) are also available. Fans must be age 18+ to attend the festival. 

Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival Announces Initial Lineup

Soundslinger is proud to announce the initial lineup for the 2017 Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, a diverse, multi-genre event celebrating the start of spring with world renowned and on the rise performers, art installations to inspire with awe, yoga and meditation to cleanse the soul, great food, and friends new and old to enjoy it all with. The second annual edition of North America’s most exciting new festival will take place from Thursday, March 2nd through Sunday, March 5th at Okeechobee, Florida’s beautiful Sunshine Grove, located on over 600 acres of pristine grasslands, clear lakes, and exotic tropical woodlands. 

Featuring performance from Kings of Leon, Usher & The Roots, Bassnectar, The Lumineers, Flume, Wiz Khalifa, Pretty Lights, Solange, Rae Sremmurd, Young The Giant, Porter Robinson (Live), Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, and many more, the 2017 Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival will build upon the unique attributes that made this past spring’s sold out event one of the most talked about live music experiences of the year.

A limited quantity of both 3-day and 4-day Early Bird festival tickets as well as Early Bird VIP packages are on sale now via OkeechobeeFest.com. Early Bird 3 day GA price is $229, Early Bird 4 day GA price is $249, and Early Bird Eternal Sunshine VIP price is $599. Once the limited quantity of Early Bird tickets are sold out, additional GA tickets will be available at the Tier 1 price. The full first wave artist lineup and festival AdMat can be found below. Additional major artists and other news to be announced in the coming weeks.

Purchase Early Bird Tickets to Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival 2017 while supplies last.

Visit OkeechobeeFest.com for complete ticketing details and payment plan options.

Safe In Sound Festival Hits Atlanta

The Safe In Sound Festival is making its way to a town near you offering a tempting lineup for trap queens and bass heads alike.  While the festival won't be stopping by in the Triangle, it will be just a fun road-trip away in Duluth, GA at the Atlanta Coliseum on November 19th.  The traveling festival features a variety of artists such as Brillz, Flux Pavilion, Nghtmre, and Ookay, but the Atlanta lineup showcases Borgore, SNAILS, Must Die and Rain Man.

Dubstep producer and vocalist Borgore hits the crowd hard with aggressive, metal-influenced EDM. Borgore is not concerned with being a feminist or politically correct with his in-your-face lyrics and visuals; leaving fans slightly offended and loving every second of it.  Borgore has released some heavy-hitting collaborations with the likes of G-Eazy in Forbes and Waka Flocka Flame in Wild Out. His live shows do not disappoint with carefully crafted visual images enveloped with mind-bending lights.




Montreal based producer and DJ SNAILS will join this hard-hitting lineup. SNAILS is known for meshing dance music with trap rhythms, dirty base lines, and innovative sound designs.  Snail-heads and bass lovers unite to bounce and sway to his hypnotic blends of  mind blowing sample manipulation and cascading drops.

Making this unforgettable night complete are Must Die and Rain Man.  Add these four heavy-hitters together and it will make for one lively night filled with hypnotic visuals, PLURtastic people, and of course, an endless amount of bass. With general admission tickets only costing $30, what are you waiting for?  Hop on over to the official Safe In Sound website and don't miss the best party of the fall.

Catch Some Good Vibes with The Mowgli's at Cat's Cradle

Sunshine West-Coast rockers, The Mowgli's will take on the Cat's Cradle stage this Tuesday, October 11.  In a frightening world of HB2, hurricanes, and an uncertain election,  The Mowgli's are a great reminder that even the darkest days will get brighter.

The Mowgli's have just released their third album, Where'd Your Weekend Go? via Photo Finish Records.  On creating the album, vocalist and guitarist Colin recalls, "We've been on tour incessantly, and this album was really written all over the country.  It was composed in green rooms, hotels, parking lots, and everywhere in between. I went to Nashville for a week on a whim and tried to learn how to write country music. I was so lucky to work with some of the best in the business. I wanted to bring some of those storytelling elements into the music too. We really grew up, and the songs reflect that journey."

Since we could all use some positive energy in our lives, don't miss this upbeat show at Cat's Cradle with support by Colony House and Dreamers.  The doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8.  Head over to the Cat's Cradle website for tickets and more details.

Exclusive Preview of Porch Light Apothecary's New Album

On October 14, Americana rockers Porch Light Apothecary will release their first studio album, Silence to Sound.  Luckily for you fine folks, we have an exclusive preview of the album one week before its official release. Check it out here on Soundcloud.

Silence to Sound includes eight songs written by front man Brent Jordan, who had a past solo album featured on NBC’s hit television show Scrubs. In Silence to Sound, he writes about the joys and pains of real life while casting raw emotion in his songs. “The songs just seem to appear every now and then, out of nowhere,” said Brent.  He almost doesn't feel ownership of the songs he writes. It’s something deeper and spiritual. “They're gifts given to me that I have to share.”  He so eloquently tells a story with song.

Arguably one of the most memorable songs from the album, “Good to Be in Carolina Again” has been selected by the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes for use in their upcoming Home Grown Series ads this season.

Silence to Sound was recorded at Sleepy Cat Recordings in Carrboro. On the recording process, drummer and mandolin player Jason Elliott (JJ) states, “We couldn't have asked for a better place than Carrboro to get away for a few days and pour our hearts into creating this album without any distractions.  It’s such a relaxed, creative community, and Saman and Dylan were fantastic to work with.  It was a truly magical experience.”

Porch Light Apothecary's musical collaboration is sure to stir something inside of you; drawing you in from different roads of life, calling you up to the music being played by the front porch lights, taking you on an intimate journey of discovery.

Stream Silence to Sound now here and prepare to hear it live at the Porch Light Apothecary album release party at Deep South on October 14.  It'll be a fun night of new music discovery with support by Ravary and City Below.  Tickets are available now at the Deep South website.