Cat’s Cradle Study Hall
Mazzy and the 62s was born in an upstairs bedroom in Carrboro when 3 guys with less than sober thoughts realized they could all play an instrument. After finding their singer, Mazzy, with a shot-in-the-dark Instagram DM, they quickly grew close and drew influences from Cage the Elephant, The Band, and The Black Keys. While they are on par with most in terms of musical talent, what drives their sound is the life they bring to the stage and the fun they have while doing it; sometimes breaking things in the process. Comet Face is a group of high school friends who spent their entire summer in their drummer’s barn arguing over who had the worst music taste. Their music is the result of their buffoonery. Orange County Collective is a high-energy fusion of bluegrass grit, folk soul, punk rock fire, and Appalachian tradition. Hailing from North Carolina, we’re a crew of pickers, strummers, and storytellers who blur genre lines and bring raw, foot-stomping energy to every stage. Whether it’s a front porch jam or a packed-out venue, we play like we mean it—because we do. Mush, Puppy! Incorporating complex chord progressions and methodically crafted melodies with Midwest emo and indie, “Mush, Puppy” brings a new atmosphere to a nostalgic sound. With Love is the songwriting project of Reilly Milburn accompanied by Max Levinson, Emmaus Holder, John DiSabito, Bradley Robasky, and Steve. Based in Carrboro, NC, With Love melds elements of indie, rock, and emotional hardcore. Davie Circle is an alt-country/folk-rock band based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Formed in their tight-knit college town, the group quickly became a mainstay in the local music scene. Their name comes from a historic street where the band spent countless hours rehearsing, and it perfectly captures the spirit of their roots. Blending the free-spirited improvisation of jam bands, the lush harmonies of bluegrass, and the rhythmic groove of jazz with the storytelling traditions of Southern rock and Delta blues, Davie Circle creates a sound that’s undeniably American.
White Denim
White Denim is a freewheeling American rock and roll band formed in Austin, Texas in 2006. Over nearly 20 years and 13 albums the band has continued to energetically explore new territory, consistently delivering a musically sophisticated and inventive product both on record and on stage. James Petralli and his exceptional group put the music first. You will not see a better live band if you live to be a million. Website | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify
Slow Teeth (Record Release)
Slow Teeth makes original cinematic music inspired by Radiohead/The Smile, Pink Floyd, Sigur Ros, and many more. The band formed and started writing songs in Saxapahaw, North Carolina in June 2021, initially as an opportunity for Robert Chamberlain (drums, synthesizers), Justin Ellis (bass, vocals, keyboards), and Jeremy Haire (guitar, vocals) to start playing music with others following the pandemic lockdown while previous respective projects were on indefinite hiatus. As the band’s chemistry and highly collaborative identity coalesced, they began playing live in March 2022, tweaking and adapting their improvised post-rock compositions into finished songs and performing them all over the East Coast. Outside of their original compositions and visceral live shows, Slow Teeth has presented various music community events, including a one-off music festival (The Kraken, 2022), a month-long Durham performance residency culminating in an improvised film score to a classic silent film (“Metropolis” at Arcana March 2023), An original film score to the 1928 silent film “Fall Of The House of Usher” (Cat’s Cradle, Halloween 2024) and a headlining show at the Cat’s Cradle in August 2023 to perform Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of The Moon” front to back for the album’s 50th anniversary, complete with backing musicians and interactive visuals. Slow Teeth has supported such acts as Explosions In The Sky, Xiu Xiu, A Place To Bury Strangers, Holy Fawn, Emily Wolfe, Camp St. Helene, Easter Island, and more. Notable US venues and festivals played include The Cat’s Cradle (Carrboro NC), The Ritz (Raleigh NC), Kings (Raleigh NC), Berlin Under A (New York City), Pie Shop (Washington DC), The Drunken Unicorn (Atlanta GA), The Basement (Nashville TN), The Pinhook (Durham NC), Motorco Music Hall (Durham NC), Fleetwood’s (Asheville NC), the 2022 North Carolina State Fair, the 2023 Festival For The Eno, Bull City Summit 2023, and the 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions of the Carrboro Music Festival. The band independently released their debut single “Still You Speak” in May 2023. The band will release their debut EP “I” in Spring 2025 and will tour the west coast of the US in late summer. Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook
Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes
When a stage four lymphoma diagnosis forced him off the road and into the hospital, Chuck Prophet did not know if he would live long enough to see the end of the year, let alone get back on tour. I was going through a tunnel, he recalls. It was dark. But I had music: music to play, music to listen to, music to get me out of my head. Music was my savior. That much is plain to hear on Wake The Dead, Prophets extraordinary new album. Recorded with band of brothers ?Qiensave?, the collection explores the world of Cumbia music, which consumed and comforted Prophet during his illness and subsequent recovery. The songs are intoxicatingly rhythmic, all but demanding you move your body, with arrangements that blur the lines between tradition and innovation. There are flashes of rock and roll, punk, surf, and soul, all filtered through the streets of San Francisco and wrapped up in the rich legacy of a genre that traces its roots back to the jungles of South America. Captured live in the studio, Wake The Dead resumes Prophets streak of more than a dozen critically acclaimed solo albums stretching all the way back to 1990, when the California native first shifted focus from pioneering neo psych band Green on Red to working under his own name. Since then, Prophet, who is now in full remission, has earned raves everywhere from Rolling Stone to NPR, landed songs in a slew of films and television shows, and seen his work covered by Bruce Springsteen, Solomon Burke, and Heart, among others. Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube | Bandcamp
Old Marshall Jail Ballad Swap
This is a seated show. The Old Marshall Jail Ballad Swap, hosted by eighth-generation ballad singer Donna Ray Norton, celebrates Appalachian heritage. This informal gathering offers a glimpse into an age-old practice, bringing together singers from across the region to share stories and songs passed down through generations. Madison County’s rich ballad legacy led English folk song collector Cecil Sharp to describe it as a “nest of singing birds” in 1916. This unique custom, spanning more than nine generations, represents one of the oldest unbroken oral traditions in the U.S. Following Hurricane Helene’s devastation of their hometown, the Nest of Singing Birds has been traveling their regular ballad swap at the Old Marshall Jail to raise awareness of the practice’s fragility and the region it depends on. Website | YouTube
Secret Monkey Weekend – Lemon Drop Hammer Record Release Party
A family band like no other, Secret Monkey Weekend returns with sparkling sophomore album Lemon Drop Hammer on June 6. Comprising seasoned guitarist/vocalist Jefferson Hart and his stepdaughters Ella (bass/vocals) and Lila Brown-Hart (drums/vocals), the North Carolina trio’s harmony-heavy Beatles/Squeeze songwriting, charming lyricism, and familial chemistry is channeled into 10 tracks helmed by revered REM/Smithereens producer Don Dixon. “I wasn’t prepared for Jefferson’s tremendous talent as a writer, player and singer,” said Dixon. “These three individuals have combined to make something I love [and] grown, literally and figuratively, in front of my eyes.” Secret Monkey Weekend’s wildly atypical backstory is testament to the power of music even in the face of heartrending grief. Ella and Lila’s father Matt, a prominent area drummer who’d toured with Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart, passed away suddenly in 2012, when his daughters were aged just 4 and 9. Matt had played in bands with Jefferson and, after his friend’s passing, the latter started teaching Ella guitar. A relationship with their mom, Laura, slowly blossomed. Secret Monkey Weekend (a name derived from a vintage Tiger Beat magazine headline) began as purely organic family therapy, with no plans for anything more. Yet by 2016 they were playing casual shows and soon graduated to a busy calendar of club and festival dates. Debut album All The Time In The World, also produced by Dixon, followed in 2022. It’s a tale so remarkable that the trio is the subject of Emmy-winning 2023 PBS documentary, Secret Monkey Weekend. Lemon Drop Hammer harnesses timeless Beatles/Kinks melodic instincts to fairy-dust power-pop guitar jangle, authentic first-person lyrics, and three contrasting voices that harmonize as only family can, it’s a record at once instantly classic and, with a teen and 22-year-old aboard, innately contemporary. Buoyant album opener “So Much Joy” evokes heyday Yardbirds, its “woo-ooh” backups framing textured co-ed vocals. With Ella’s vulnerable, heartfelt lyrics voiced by her sister, “Things You Threw Away” recounts sorting through their late dad’s previously untouched possessions. Meanwhile, the summery “We Can Be Friends” is an innocent ode to childhood with a hook that could be the theme to a ‘70s TV show. Released on the band’s own Secret Monkey Records, Lemon Drop Hammer will be accompanied by regional touring and later standalone digital singles “Grant Hart (Morning Star)” a fond tribute to their hugely influential late family friend, and the jangle rocking “Don’t Cry To Me”. Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
mc chris
mc chris is most widely known for his reoccurring character MC P Pants on Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force where he was also an animator and writer. He’s been featured in the Aqua Teen movie, the video game and most recently on a series of You Tube videos called Aqua Donk Side Pieces. He’s also starred on several Adult Swim series including The Brak Show and Sealab 2021. When he’s not voicing some of his iconic late-night characters, he’s a full-time touring rapper. A pioneer of the hip hop subgenre Nerdcore, mc chris has worked with the likes of Talib Kweli, Andrew WK, and Donald Glover. His fans include the likes of Gerard Way, Post Malone and T-Pain and was even sampled by Run the Jewels for the latest Aqua Teen movie Plantasm. He’s toured with Reggie and Full Effect, Ninja Sex Party, Warped Tour, appeared on a GWAR album, performed at the gathering of the Juggalos and even had his own Honda commercial. His music has been featured on several Adult Swim Shows and commercials, Broad City and America’s Funniest Home Videos. mc chris is the widely accepted soundtrack to nerd culture. Not only does he rhyme about what nerds love most, but he was one of the first performers to encourage nerds to take pride in themselves and what they care about. He’s a full-time single father to his son, Tony, and lives in Los Angeles.Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Portico
Johnny Sunrise Hailing from Western Massachusetts, and now based in Carrboro, NC, Johnny Sunrise is an indie folk rock singer-songwriter who draws inspiration from love, longing, the “quarter-life crisis,” and the uncertainty of life. Although Johnny grew up with music primarily as a drummer, his unforeseen travels up and down the east coast and the isolation caused by the COVID pandemic brought him closer to his neglected guitar. Johnny has carved a place in the NC Triangle music scene over the past year or so performing original songs with honest lyrics and a soulful voice. Always with a smile and a healthy dose of banter. Davie Circle Davie Circle is an alt-country/folk-rock band based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Formed in their tight-knit college town, the group quickly became a mainstay in the local music scene. Their name comes from a historic street where the band spent countless hours rehearsing, and it perfectly captures the spirit of their roots.Blending the free-spirited improvisation of jam bands, the lush harmonies of bluegrass, and the rhythmic groove of jazz with the storytelling traditions of Southern rock and Delta blues, Davie Circle creates a sound that’s undeniably American. Drawing inspiration from iconic acts like The Allman Brothers, The Band, and the Grateful Dead, as well as contemporary voices like Tyler Childers and Zac Brown Band, the band brings a fresh twist to the genres they love, crafting music that feels both timeless and new. Portico Portico – Hunter Wright [vocals, guitar], Colton Miller [guitar], Cameron Champion [bass], Hunter Miller [drums] – delivers thoughtful, melodic, energetic rock music. The quartet blends influences from slowcore, post-punk, and alternative rock to forge an indie rock-adjacent sound that is digestible, yet abrasive enough to keep things interesting. A Portico show provides you with driving rhythm section crunches, memorable guitar solos, buttery vocal runs, and lyrics that make you miss people you’ve never met. If you see them live, you will walk away having felt something.
The Lemon Twigs
Following the release of Everything Harmony, which garnered acclaim from Questlove, Iggy Pop, Anthony Fantano, The Guardian, and countless others, The Lemon Twigs—the New York City rock band fronted by brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario—have once again captured the attention of the music listening public. They are in their premature “comeback” stage, and coming back this early has its benefits; the brothers have the energy of 24- and 26- year-olds, plus the experience and songwriting chops of seasoned musicians, having recorded their first album, Do Hollywood, nearly a decade ago at ages 15 and 17. Set for release less than a year after their last album, A Dream Is All We Know is a joyous affair. As the title suggests, it’s less of a sober look at the darker side of life, and more a hopeful sojourn into the realm of dreams. The tone has shifted away from dreary melancholic ballads and moody power pop. Brian and Michael are revisiting their “1968” sound. This album feels closely related to Do Hollywood, but their songwriting and recording techniques have vastly improved over the course of five albums. The brothers combine elements of the Merseybeat sound, the California Beach Boy harmony sound, and Bubblegum to create a unique collection of pop nuggets. (They say it’s part of a new “Merseybeach” movement, sure to catch on, though that fact remains to be seen.) The sense of urgency imbued in lead single “My Golden Years” comes in part from the jangly 12-string guitars and driving drums, but also from the anxiety of a narrator who can feel their “golden years” slipping away from them. Michael’s line, “In time I hope that I can show all the world the love in my mind,” can serve as a statement of intent for the whole collection of songs, as the brothers race against time to create as much quality pop material as possible. “They Don’t Know How To Fall In Place” propels the album forward into bubblegum paradise with its euphoric harmonies and biting clavinet, while the Roy Wood inspired “Church Bells” takes you on a journey in its two-minute and nine-second run time. At every turn you’re introduced to a new instrument, and as Michael sings “ring goes the bell,” the drummer switches to the bell of the ride cymbal and the song reveals itself as a pop tone poem, complete with cellos, mandolin and trumpets, all played by Brian. Not to mention the fun Mersey pun, using famous drummer Ringo’s name in a song that conflates images of the west side of Manhattan with the atmosphere of northern England. Next comes the titular “A Dream Is All I Know,” an existential space age epic, followed by the baroque pocket-prog of “Sweet Vibration.” Equipped with the songwriting chops of a lost era (somewhere between The Brill Building and 10452 Bellagio Road) the new record was carefully arranged and produced entirely analog in the brothers’ Brooklyn recording studio. Most of the tracks were constructed with the two brothers swapping instruments and layering all the parts themselves. One of the exceptions to that rule was “In The Eyes Of The Girl,” co-produced by Sean Ono Lennon in his upstate New York studio, which had the brothers tracking drums and piano while Lennon handled bass duties. On top of that, the brothers add multilayered harmonies that bring to mind The Beach Boys, The Four Freshman, and The Free Design. Website | Facebook | Instagram
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The ever-evolving musical vehicle for notorious psych-rock musician Anton Newcombe, the Brian Jonestown Massacre has endured numerous phases and iterations since arriving in the mid-’90s, becoming something of an independent institution in the process. Early highlights like 1996’s Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request showed Newcombe’s propensity for melding late-’60s psychedelia with textured shoegaze, while later standouts like 2015’s imaginary soundtrack Musique de Film Imaginé took a more cerebral and experimental approach. Undoubtedly, the band’s most visible period followed the release of the 2004 documentary film DIG!, which focused on the contentious relationship between Newcombe and Dandy Warhols frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor. With the film criticized by members of both groups for what they considered to be an unfair portrayal, the Brian Jonestown Massacre nonetheless survived the media attention and moved into a particularly fertile period of creativity throughout the 2010s. The band’s first release of the next decade was 2022’s Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees, quickly followed by 2023’s Your Future Is Your Past. Website | Facebook
