BASIC
BASIC, a mind-meld between Chris Forsyth, his frequent running partner Douglas McCombs, and Mikel Patrick Avery, present complex and entrancing instrumental music, recasting forgotten scraps of guitar history into a moving mosaic of strings, skins and electronics. Back in the mid ’80s (a moment in music history as remote to us now as bebop was to us back then), there was an entire sub-genre spawned by prog-rock-gone-new-wave icons meeting up to make sounds, their names reading like a panoply of druggy law firms: Manzanera & Bruford, Fripp & Summers, French/Frith/Kaiser/Thompson. Their records clogged pre-internet college radio playlists, cut-out bins and public library shelves, but served as a touchstone for heads seeking inspiration from deeper wells than FM rock radio (which was fixated, then as now, on the Eagles and Led Zeppelin). Far from being mere self-indulgences, these “side projects” were, at best, outlets for exploration of then-novel technologies (looping, drum programming, sampling, etc.) for creators otherwise stuck in ’70s projects moribund with fan expectations and music-biz balance sheets. One such record is guitarist Robert Quine and drummer Fred Maher’s Basic, an arachnidian weave of subtly shifting rhythm tracks and chiming guitar that, true to its name, was left largely untouched by Quine’s celebrated McLaughlin-through-a-cheese grater solos (a trait that did not please many critics at the time). Quine’s untimely passing has since awakened many to the joys hidden within his scant solo discography, but more expansive ears were already tuned in, including a few guitarists hungry for sounds outside of the second-hand pentatonic canon—among them, Chris Forsyth and original (now departed) BASIC member Nick Millevoi. According to Forsyth, “I’ve loved that record for 20-plus years and hardly ever met anyone that liked it. To me, that is an incredibly personal, beautiful, one-of-a-kind record.” Forsyth and Millevoi’s mutual love of Basic ran deep enough for the album to serve as a template for a run of low-key pandemic jam sessions (when Forsyth’s Solar Motel Band was sidelined from touring). Using an Alesis drum machine for rhythm tracks, they forged a collaborative language from angular polyrhythms, pulsing baritone-guitar lines, and shimmering chorus-pedal washes (another stylistic nod, this time to the glistening post-punk of the Durutti Column and numerous 4AD bands). After playing as a duo for a brief time, the music demanded further complexity within the sonic substrate. Natural Information Society core member Mikel Patrick Avery was enlisted on drum kit—a setup that quickly morphed into a single drum, bell, and a bespoke electronics rig of his own creation. Upon the release of This Is BASIC in September 2024, Nick departed the group and Tortoise co-founder Douglas McCombs joined in his place on Fender Bass VI. The trio quickly flowered into an improvisational swirl of disorienting electronics, hypnotic throb, and dense flanged-guitar harmonics: three unique voices spinning a complex conversation of textures and rhythms. The name of the nascent trio was, of course, obvious: BASIC, capitalized to distinguish themselves from the inspirational Quine/Maher text, and to introduce connotations with another ’80s trope, the obsolete programming language some of us learned back when you learned such things. Bandcamp
The War And Treaty
Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty has emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. They were nominated for the Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, and have also been nominated for Duo of the Year at the CMA Awards two years in a row and for Vocal Duo of the Year at the ACM Awards. They have won two Americana Music Awards (both for Duo/Group of the Year) and have received additional nominations and recognition from CMT Music Awards, Folk Alliance International, People’s Choice Country Awards, as well as from the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Grand Ole Opry. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
Sings Like Hell with Peter Case & Sid Griffin
Get ready for an unforgettable night of folk music as Peter Case and Sid Griffin hit the road for their “Sings Like Hell” tour! Inspired by Case’s iconic 1993 album, this tour showcases two legends of Americana and roots music bringing their rich histories and unparalleled artistry to the stage. With Peter Case’s Grammy-nominated songwriting and groundbreaking work in bands like The Plimsouls and The Nerves, and Sid Griffin’s trailblazing Americana legacy with The Long Ryders, audiences will be treated to an evening of raw, soulful performances steeped in tradition and innovation. From Case’s emotionally resonant piano melodies to Griffin’s bluegrass mandolin and clawhammer banjo stylings, this tour is a celebration of the enduring power of folk music. Catch them live in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest—don’t miss this rare chance to see two master storytellers share the stage! Website | Twitter | Facebook I try to take things I love and use them in a new way,” said triple Grammy-nominated singer- songwriter Peter Case of his 16th solo album Doctor Moan. Case brings his considerable songwriting ability to an 11-song collection, largely performed on piano, including his first solo recorded instrumental. Released by Sunset Blvd Records on March 31, Case’s piano-based songs are emotionally, sonically and stylistically rich. A s a founding member of the early punk era trio The Nerves, in 1977 Case toured the nation sharing bills with the Ramones, Mink DeVille, Pere Ubu, and Devo. The Nerves single “Hanging on the Telephone,” was covered by Blondie. In 1979, Case formed the Plimsouls, a record-breaking live act in California, recording albums for Planet/Elektraand Geffen. Their independent single, “A Million Miles Away,” entered the Billboard charts and remains a garage rock standard, performed by bands around the world. The band performed in the cult classic film Valley Girl and the Nerves and Plimsouls timeless teenage rock ‘n’ roll continues to appeal to fans of each new generation. After the Plimsouls, Case rediscovered his musical roots on his self-titled solo debut, produced by T Bone Burnett. The New York Times declared Peter Case the best album of 1986. It earned a five-star Rolling Stone review and a Grammy nomination. As one of the first songwriters of his generation to turn from rock music toward an acoustic sound, Case also helped usher in what became known as Americana music. Sid Griffin is best known for being the ringleader of the Long Ryders, one of the first Americana/alt-country acts on the scene. Starting out as a disciple of The Byrds 12-string Rickenbacker sound Griffin now features bluegrass mandolin and clawhammer banjo in his act. The Journey From Grape To Raisin, released last September, is Sid’s first solo album in a decade. Its eleven songs include ten Griffin originals and one campfire cover of, get ready, the Velvet Underground’s Femme Fatale. When asked about the sessions and the album as a whole Griffin smiles and calls The Journey From Grape To Raisin “my career highlight, the best work I am ever likely to do. Heaven forbid I should go but if I did I’d die happy”. Sid Griffin has also written four books and curated and annotated Bob Dylan’s The Basement Tapes box set. Griffin compiled and annotated over forty CDs/LPs for various labels and is seen in over a dozen music documentaries as an authority on roots music.
of Montreal
On of Montreal’s seminal album The Sunlandic Twins, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Barnes followed up their 2004 Polyvinyl debut, Satanic Panic in the Attic, with what became the band’s most commercially successful album to date. Originally released in April 2005, The Sunlandic Twins marked a significant turning point for of Montreal, showcasing Barnes’ evolving songwriting and a shift towards a more electronic and dance-oriented sound. The album’s vibrant blend of synth-pop and psych rock helped cement its status as a fan favorite and a defining moment in the band’s career. Iconic tracks like “Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games” and “The Party’s Crashing Us” became some of the most beloved songs in the band’s extensive catalog. The Sunlandic Twins set Kevin Barnes on a path to becoming one of the most influential songwriters in independent pop music. The album’s success paved the way for more critically acclaimed releases, numerous late-night TV appearances—including The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon—and brilliant collaborations with artists such as Solange, Janelle Monáe, and Jon Brion. of Montreal went on to perform across the globe, gracing festival stages at Coachella, Sasquatch!, Pitchfork Music Festival, and beyond, while also amassing hundreds of millions of streams worldwide. In celebration of 20yrs since the release of The Sunlandic Twins, of Montreal returns to Carrboro for a special performance of the record from start to finish. ❤️🔥 Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
Anxious
Somewhere in the blur of endless touring, Anxious vocalist Grady Allen was sitting in a hotel room and stumbled upon a name typed into a long-forgotten memo on his phone: Bambi. “We should have named the band Bambi,” he recalls admitting to his bandmates. The tenor of the conversation is likely familiar to anyone of a certain age, when you reflect on choices that a younger version of yourself made and reckon with how things could be different if you’d chosen a different path. Bambi stuck with the band after that night and eventually it evolved from a “what-if” into the name of Anxious’ second full-length album. Bambi is a record of remarkable growth, depth, ambition, and energy. It takes all the unsolvable and unavoidable problems of exiting adolescence and makes them resonate in urgent and authentic new ways. The album has deep roots in the storied lineage of Northeast tri-state hardcore and emo, but it also fully embraces the widescreen alternative rock songwriting at which Anxious have previously only hinted. It’s a statement of purpose, the kind of album that comes from a band reconciling where they’ve been with where they want to go. Bambi is the sound of Anxious putting everything on the line–and coming out on the other side better than ever. In 2022, Anxious (Allen, guitarist/co-vocalist Dante Melucci, drummer Jonny Camner, bassist Sam Allen, and guitarist Tommy Harte) released their debut album, Little Green House, winning over fans and critics alike, and kicking off what would become two entire years of touring. It’s a tale as old as time: a young band forms with modest ambitions, spends several years organically developing their sound and writing their first record, then releases that album to acclaim and new opportunities, and the band finds their wildest dreams materializing alongside an incredibly unstable new life on the road. Guided by the spirits of a thousand acts that burned themselves out on the same grueling cross-country support tours, the band gamely takes on the challenge. Soon there are interests outside of their own dictating what they need to do in order to keep this coveted momentum going. The goalposts move, the novelty wears off, the missteps become less cute–oh and they need to cut two songs from the set tonight because the venue has a hard curfew to accommodate the dance night starting after the show. Don’t let any of this get in the way of writing a follow-up album, though. As thoughts of LP2 loomed, Allen began to have questions about what being in a band for the long haul really looks like. “I started exploring what it would look like to finish college,” he explains. “I looked at the whole thing through this very binary lens: I could either do the band or go back to school. So when I unveiled everything to the guys I think everyone perceived it as ‘Well, Grady is just leaving.’ I think I probably thought about it that way, too. It caused this massive rift between me and everyone else. I think there was very much a sense of ‘Huh, the band may break up or maybe Grady just won’t be in the band anymore.’” A round of touring in Asia and the States proved surprisingly reinvigorating, and school began to seem like something that could coexist in balance with the band–but Allen’s faith needed repairing along with his relationship to his bandmates. Website | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
Alan Sparhawk (of Low)
Alan Sparhawk has always been a prolific, protean musician. A restless soul eager to explore unfamiliar sonic and psychic terrain. Though he’s obviously (and justifiably) best-known for his thirty years as frontman of the legendary band Low, a look at Sparhawk’s many side projects across that same span of time shows him experimenting with everything from punk and funk to production work and improvisation. Low itself never settled for a set sound or approach. The band was always a collaboration—a conversation, a romance—between Sparhawk and his wife, Mimi Parker, who was the band’s co-founder, drummer, co-lead vocalist, and its blazing irreplaceable heart. To take the journey from Low’s hushed early work, through the tremendous melodies of their middle period, all the way to the late lush chaos of their final albums, is to witness heads, hearts, and spirits in an act of perpetual becoming. Parker passed away in 2022 after a long battle with cancer, and there is no question that WHITE ROSES, MY GOD is a record borne of grief. You can hear it in the title, as well as tracks such as “Heaven”, in which Sparhawk describes the afterlife, wrenchingly, as “a lonely place if you’re alone.” You can sense it too in Sparhawk’s decision to create this thing entirely on his own: every note, every lyric, every programmed beat. It would be reductive, even foolish, to see grief as the sole source or the final limit of this taut, brilliant, provocative, thrilling album, whose bold experimentation is powered by profound lyrics and propulsive beats. Website | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify
DELIA-H
Delia-h and the Male Gaze is a local band in Carrboro. From a young age, Delia-h has used songwriting as a way to mark the chapters of her life; if she doesn’t write a song about it, it’s almost like it didn’t happen. She prides herself in protecting her own sacred, private relationship with creativity, and hopes to inspire others in her community to do the same. However, she also really likes it when people clap for her. So you do the math. Her band The Male Gaze, made up of her brothers, boyfriend, and hot blonde roommate, helps arrange her original music, typically over alcoholic ciders in an old, creature-ridden cabin. The band’s genre is quite fluid; songs in a Male Gaze set range from cheeky punk to soulful funk to pensive folk. But Delia-h’s lyricism and melodic instincts act as the glue, connecting all of the tunes with authentic themes of love, guilt, anger and introspection. Instagram | Spotify
Chase Petra
Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Cheekface
Cheekface is an indie rock trio, more precisely a talk-singing band, from Los Angeles. The story starts in 2017. Things were getting pretty crappy on Earth. Indie rock lifers Greg and Mandy got together to write out the anxiety, despair and the bleak humor of it all. They sentthe demos to Echo and, voila, a band. It wasn’t a project that started with much ambition: the idea was to drop a record on Bandcamp and call it a day. But in 2018, the band’s second single “Dry Heat/Nice Town,” aplayful pub rock tune about leftist protest culture, started to snowball online. A word-of-mouth cult started to form, and it intensified with Cheekface’s community-minded singalongshows. Fans dubbed themselves “Cheek Freaks.” The band chased their 2019 debut LP “Therapy Island” with 2021’s “Emphatically No,” which bowed as Bandcamp’s top-selling alternative album. Their 3rd LP “Too Much to Ask” in 2022was a watershed moment: it shot to #2 on the non-commercial radio chart, and The Needle Drop proclaimed it one of the year’s best albums. Cheekface’s 4th album “It’s Sorted” cameout January 22, 2024. Touring to support “It’s Sorted,” the band sold out shows across the US, Canada and the UK. Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify
Penelope Road
Instagram | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
