Music: Introduction and Mix Monday

Greetings!

I will kick this blog off with an introduction to the music section of Brick Style. Our music posts are going to focus heavily on the North Carolina music scene surrounding Elon in the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) and Triad (Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem).

At one of the (many) local music festivals I attended this summer, I encountered an individual who recently moved from Los Angeles. He and I talked about local music here and how, apparently, the music scene in LA is not thriving the way it is here.

North Carolina is home to some of the most talented, original musicians. I'm sure your mom and dad used to play James Taylor all the time when you were growing up (he attended UNC Chapel Hill just as Ben Folds did).

Beyond acoustic ballads and piano rock comes a lush music scene with every genre you could imagine (or combine!). There is something for everyone in the NC local music scene. Of course there are original, talented musicians everywhere. However, it seems that NC is a place where musicians play music because they love it and want to share it. Egos (amongst fans and musicians alike) are limited and everyone is welcome. At a local music show, you are not just a fan or audience member; you become a collaborator.

With such a rich musical landscape no more than 40 minutes away, there is no reason to ignore it. Of course, we will also have features and reviews on popular music and music venues in the area.

With that lengthy introduction out of the way, I would like to start the first in our "Mix Monday" series. Each Monday we will compile a themed mix on 8tracks.com for your listening pleasure.

Today's mix will serve as an introduction to the variety of music North Carolina offers. Click "read more" for a description of the play list.






The NC Music Intro Mix (*means they have played at Elon)

1. Till My Voice Gave - The Old Ceremony: A soulful track from this solid Chapel Hill band's new album "Walk on Thin Air." The Old Ceremony is very melodic and they make use of a variety of instruments in order to develop a full sound. For fans of: The Beatles, Beck, Led Zeppelin, Sinatra, Tom Waits, Nick Cave and the like.

2. Tellin' A Lie - American Aquarium: Yes, their name came from that Wilco song. AA have two sides, their rockin' alt-country side (also known as country for people who hate country) and their slower, introspective ballad side. This is a rockin' track. For fans of: Dylan, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Springsteen, Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown.

3. Honeymoon - Bombadil: Bombadil is a fun, intelligent band with a happy sound disguising darker, thoughtful lyrics. They play a variety of instruments and cover a variety of folk traditions. For fans of: the Beatles, They Might Be Giants, and "The Lord of the Rings"

4. Osk - Sunfold: Influenced by Queen, ELO, Miles Davis, The Smashing Pumpkins and the Beatles, Sunfold plays a balanced mix of progressive jazz and pop-rock. For fans of: Jack Johnson, Pico vs. Island Trees, Jason Mraz and Jamie Cullum.

5*. Nobody Knows - Hammer No More The Fingers: Hammer is a trio that has been playing together for years. Establishing themselves as a "legit" band two years ago, they bring a big crowd in the Triangle. Their sound is indie from the 90's with a danceable fresh twist. For fans of: Weezer, Pavement and Nirvana.

6. Come Up, Come Down - The Beast: An incredibly intelligent, positive Durham Hip Hop group featuring 3 UNC jazz trained musicians and an MC who is the son of a Grammy nominated jazz singer. Their lyrics are positive (and the free styling at shows is very well done) and the music is well executed. This track features guitar from Raleigh band The Proclivities' guitarist. For fans of: A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, The Fugees (I haven't asked, but I'm assuming they got their name from The Score) and De La Soul.

7*. Walk Around The Lake - Lost in the Trees: It's hard to fit this folk orchestra on stage, or describe it for that matter. For fans of: Folk with epic classical string compositions.

8. Nice Fox - The Rosebuds: You might have heard of this duo. They're an indie-pop/indie-folk group from Raleigh (signed to Merge). For fans of: The Shins, Metric, She & Him and (once again) The Beatles.

9. One More Road - Roman Candle: Interesting fact - our new basketball coach is the band's cousin. Roman Candle is like Bob Dylan and The Band without the years of smoking. For fans of: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Wilco and Uncle Tupelo.

10*. 10 Simple Murders - The Future Kings of Nowhere: FKoN is a pop-punk/folk group with a ska flare. For fans of: Against Me!, Reel Big Fish and Greenday.

11*. Pilgrim - Red Collar: Red Collar is the band that many view as "the local music band." They have become one of the most popular groups to go see in the Triangle and their fans are very loyal. Many bands look up to them as the definition of local music success. Red Collar is real punk for the working man. For fans of: The Clash, Fugazi, Springsteen, and The Hold Steady.

12*. Falling Out - The Sammies: If Bombadil are "The Beatles" of North Carolina, the Sammies are probably The Who. They have an energetic, semi-serious attitude and they love what they do. Hailing from Charlotte, the Sammies bring the garage rock and add a bit of twang when necessary. For fans of: The Who, The Whigs, American Princes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

13*. Getting Over Your Love - Holy Ghost Tent Revival: HGTR blends ragtime, folk, punk, ska, and God knows what else. One of the more original bands coming out of Greensboro, these guys bring a ton of energy to their shows and recordings. For fans of: fun.

14. This Year - The Mountain Goats: You may have heard of The Mountain Goats. Writing Dylan-esque folk with occasional string arrangements, John Darnielle is one of Durham's most appreciated musicians (he's also good friends with John Vanderslice). For fans of: Dylan, Aesop Rock (he appears in the song "coffee"), Neutral Milk Hotel, John Vanderslice and Destroyer.

15. Hell - Squirrel Nut Zippers: I thought I'd throw this little treat on the end. The Zippers play swing, and they play it well. For fans of: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Andrew Bird & His Bowl of Fire (in fact Andrew Bird played with them for a bit), and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies (a.k.a. the group that does "Zuit Suit Riot").

I hope you enjoy this introduction. All of these groups (and MANY more!) will be featured sometime or another in the future of this blog.

Peace, love and Choose Local Music!
-Ryan