Yoke Lore
“A ‘yoke’ is something that holds things together. ‘Lore’ means a set of stories or a collection of ideas about an event, time, or culture,” explains Adrian Galvin, when asked about the meaning behind his musical moniker Yoke Lore. New York indie pop project Yoke Lore is the solo musical venture of Adrian Galvin, previously of Yellerkin and Walk the Moon. Yoke Lore layers the harmonies of Panda Bear, the soulful beats of M83, and the modern pop of Blackbird Blackbird to tell “the stories of how we are bound.” Galvin’s songs combine echoing waves of banjo, vocals, and percussion to create arresting pop music with tactile candor and conviction. Galvin continues, “I want to tell stories about how memories, relationships, apprehensions, and big dreams hold us together. I think that exploring universal experiences both emotional and spiritual are best conveyed through the potency of personal stories. And music wields a power to render the very personal, epic.”Galvin grew up in an artistic family, his mother a director and his father an actor and sculptor. He was immersed in painting, photography, and ballet from an early age, eventually finding his first musical passion in the drums. While pursuing music, his artistry in other disciplines has not faltered, even lending his own designs to all of his music’s cover art, as well as choreographing & dancing for some of his music videos. In between putting out four acclaimed EPs — Far Shore (2016), Goodpain (2017), Absolutes (2018), and Meditations (2019) — Galvin tours non-stop, playing shows and festivals spanning North America and Europe. After releasing a handful of singles and collaborations with NVDES, Jax Anderson, & Great Good Fine Ok, Yoke Lore put out his new original song “Seeds,” which can be heard in the end credits roll in critically-acclaimed indie film Pink Skies Ahead.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Calexico
Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino return in 2022 with their luminous 10th studio album, El Mirador; a hopeful, kaleidoscopic beacon of rock, bluesy ruminations and Latin American sounds, to be released on April 8. Convening at longtime bandmate Sergio Mendoza’s home studio in Tucson, Arizona, the ensemble recorded throughout the summer of 2021, crafting one of their most riveting and whimsical productions to date. Convertino, who now resides in El Paso, and Burns, who relocated to Boise in 2020, channeled cherished memories of Southwestern landscapes and joyful barrio melting pots into an evocative love letter to the desert borderlands that nourished them for over 20 years.“El Mirador is dedicated to family, friends and community,” says Burns; singer, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Calexico. “The pandemic highlighted all the ways we need each other, and music happens to be my way of building bridges and encouraging inclusiveness and positivity. That comes along with sadness and melancholy, but music sparks change and movement.”Oscillating between haunting desert noirs and buoyant jolts of cumbia and Cuban son, the album is permeated by longing. The title track conjures images of a lighthouse, beckoning to lost souls in the night with hypnotic bass lines and cascading percussion. That same search for meaning and safety carries over onto “Cumbia Peninsula,” a soaring dance floor epic about confronting our fear of the unknown. The song weaves themes of immigration, a world in turmoil, and the virulent manipulation of information; never offering a diagnosis but wholeheartedly advocating for unity and compassion as a treatment for our social ills.“El Mirador” features gossamer vocals from Guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno, while Spanish rocker Jairo Zavala brings his signature bravado to “Cumbia Peninsula.” By working with friends and recurring collaborators, Calexico also highlights the unique social and linguistic intersections at the US-Mexico border and the magnificent possibilities of a borderless world. “The album is trying to convey openness,” adds Burns. “Look around you. If you’re in the North, you need a South to live in balance. We’re all breathing together.”“There is romance in this music,” says Convertino, Calexico’s drummer and fellow co-founder. “When I was driving out to Tucson to work with Sergio and Joey, I didn’t have any specific song ideas in mind. I was searching for a vibe and a mood.” The instrumental “Turquoise” perfectly captures El Mirador’s atmospheric universe, where swirling rhythm guitars and distant horns recall dark, heavy skies, almost echoing the record-setting monsoon season that engulfed Arizona during their studio sessions.Burns and Convertino have been performing together for over 30 years, sharing a deep love of jazz and usually building songs on a foundation of bass and drums. But all these years later, Calexico is still breaking new ground. El Mirador showcases a sunnier side of the band, cutting through two years of pandemic fog with a blast of danceable optimism. Writing and recording alongside Sergio Mendoza (keys, accordion, percussion), the album expands on long running influences of cumbia, mariachi and the plethora of diaspora sounds flourishing throughout the Southwest.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
KMFDM
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School of Rock Chapel Hill’s End of Season Showcase
Noon – Best of The Cars1:00 – Best of Foo Fighters2:00 – Best of U23:00 – Best of the Red Hot Chili Peppers4:00 – Best of The Doors5:00 – Metal Mania6:00 – Pink Floyd’s The WallLinks: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Lost Dog Street Band
Returning to the stripped-back, string band sound of their busking years, Lost Dog Street Band’s new album Glory is a searing testament to recovery, redemption and resolve. Fronted by songwriter Benjamin Tod and his wife, fiddler Ashley Mae, the DIY band began out of desperation on the sidewalks of Nashville roughly a decade ago, but now sustains a significant national audience that’s drawn to their authentic songwriting, old-time instrumentation, and hard-won independence.“I wanted to make an album with the specific intention of being raw but full at the same time and to get back to our roots,” Benjamin Tod says. “Everyone on this album has been a busker. Douglas Francisco, who plays slide guitar — I met him on the streets busking. Jeff Loops, our bassist, was in a busking band, too. That flavor was important to me, just getting back to the root of things.”By centering the songs of Glory around acoustic arrangements, without the drums or steel guitar of prior albums, these harrowing personal stories become even more graphic. It’s a feeling that Benjamin Tod himself describes as “a logical glimpse of climbing out of hell.” He observes, “Something that was shocking to me was realizing that as soon as I got sober, that was really the beginning of the journey. Choosing to get sober was barely even a milestone.”Leading the album, “Until I Recoup (Glory I)” vengefully demands justice and describes the fight for glory after it’s been unjustly taken away. The lyrics read like a mission statement of redemption.Similar to Steve Earle’s influential Train a Comin’ album from 1999, Glory conveys the hard work that goes into getting clean, particularly in tracks like “Fighting Like Hell to Be Free,”“Beautiful Curse” and “Jalisco Bloom.” Calling to mind the skillful writing of Guy Clark or Townes Van Zandt, “What Keeps Me Up Now” views that phrase from multiple angles, from sleepless nights to a suicide attempt, where “the belt was a noose when I came to on the ground.” It’s one example of the “dark country” description that the band occasionally uses to describe their sound. In contrast, “End With You” finds Benjamin Tod feeling damn glad that he’s found a relationship that’s sustained him for a decade, through the achievements as well as the obstacles.Raised in Sumner County, just outside of Nashville, Benjamin Tod was primarily raised by his grandmother and grandfather. However, at age 7, his mother surprised him with a cheap electric guitar –then his competing father bought him a pawnshop classical guitar. With nobody to show him how to play, they were little more than toys. However, at 14, he and a friend each received a Fullerton parlor guitar from his friend’s father. The boys started getting interested in folk music and protest songs, which led Benjamin to the streets of Nashville to busk.Meanwhile, Ashley Mae was spending more and more time in Nashville, where her mother worked the overnight shift at rock station WKDF. She’d already tapped into the small punk scene in Rapid City, South Dakota, where she grew up, but found an even deeper community in Music City. At 20, she taught herself to play fiddle, shedding as much of her classical violin training as she could.Links: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
Bass Extremes – Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, & Jeff Sipe
Victor Wooten is a 5-time Grammy Award winner and a founding member of the supergroup Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. He has been called the most influential bassist of the last 2 decades and was listed as one of the Top Ten Bassists of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine. Wooten was also the winner of Bass Player Magazine’s reader poll 3 times and remains the only person to have won it more than once. Having released multiple solo recordings, he is also the author of the widely read novel The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music. Steve Bailey is a pioneer of the six string fretless bass whose techniques are studied around the world. Steve, an avid recording artist with two solo recordings under his belt, currently holds the position of Chair of the Bass Department at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Bailey has played and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, The Rippingtons, Jethro Tull, Paquito D’rivera, Larry Carlton, and Willie Nelson, to name just a few. Bass Player Magazine wrote: “Steve Bailey is to the 6 string fretless bass what Columbus is to America.” Together, they formed Bass Extremes in 1992, releasing their self-titled debut which remains one of the top selling musical/instructional bass products of all time. Subsequent DVD and CD releases followed as they toured the world performing clinics and concerts. They are also known and respected as the dynamic teaching duo who continue to teach together at events, colleges, and universities around the world. They were also instrumental in introducing the original “Bass Camp” idea when they ran their first Bass/Nature Camp in Tennessee in the year 2000 and Bass at the Beach in South Carolina a few years later- both intensive camps which attract students from all over the world. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Tyrone Wells
First things first. Let’s get this out-of-the-way. Tyrone Wells (I) wrote this bio. I figured, “who better to talk about myself than myself?”. I’m a lot of things in no particular order… a preacher’s son, a brother, a husband, a dad, a real estate lover, a major-label artist, an independent artist, an opener, a headliner, a very self-conscious dancer (think “Footloose”, only without the cathartic cutting loose), a gardener, a wanna be surfer, a person who has needed therapy, a pickleball player, a barstool theologian, and this next one kind of goes without saying because you’re here reading my bio.. I’m a singer-songwriter. I’ve written a lot of songs. Probably approaching around 1,000 songs now… to me, when I wrote them, they were all good songs. The luxury of time has informed me, some of the songs were maybe just good to me. And some of the songs, inexplicably, have millions upon millions of listeners. Meanwhile, others have tens upon tens. I don’t know why, I just write them and set them free. Ultimately, I’m trying my best to be honest, and write a song that I, and you can both love. I’m gonna keep trying. I’m so grateful that you have listened. Be it once, or be it a hundred times. I’ve got big love for you. I’ll be over here chopping away and reminding myself to be vulnerable. Peace and Love, XOXO Tyrone Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Dissimilar South Album Release Show
About Dissimilar South:North Carolina-based Americana band, Dissimilar South, uses tight harmonies and acoustic instruments to explore the bittersweet nature of relationships and queerness with honesty and whit. Dissimilar South’s music pays homage to country folk elements, while leaping into the indie pop world of synthesizers, drum kits, and electric guitars.About Earleine: Originally from Nashville, TN, Earleine is now making a life in Durham, NC. Their open hearted songwriting makes you enter an indie folk/pop dream state. With rotating band members, Ashley Wright is the core vocalist/songwriter/guitarist. Earleine’s debut self-titled EP (out on Carborro-based Sleepy Cat Records) is a journey through personal exploration and acceptance. About Chessa Rich: Chessa Rich is a singer, songwriter, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist based in Durham, NC. After a period living in Spain, Chessa moved back to her North Carolina home in 2013 and quickly became a sought-after collaborator, adding keyboards, flute, and vocals to projects by NC artists including Dante High, Skylar Gudasz, Kate Rhudy, and Hiss Golden Messenger.Chessa will release her debut full-length album late this year, following a solo EP in 2018 produced by Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso. The songwriting on display has been honed by a decade of collaboration and music teaching, making the collection shine with the maturity and curiosity of someone continually re-encountering the wonder of the world through music.
Bad Bad Hats
Bad Bad Hats are an indie rock trio from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Known for bringing a joyful, exuberant presence to their live shows, touring with The Beths, Margaret Glaspy, The Front Bottoms, Hippo Campus, and Third Eye Blind, the group took specific care to bring their fun-loving spirit to their third LP, Walkman. Kerry (guitar/vocals), Chris (bass), and Con (drums) let their collective hair down on Walkman, bringing raucous and explosive riffs alongside witty lyrics. Though you might not notice from their indie rock exterior, Bad Bad Hats draws a heavy influence from classic pop songwriting that shines through in their hooky choruses and strong melodic sensibilities. For this release the band set out to push their capabilities as a trio. Subtle changes in process helped the band achieve this goal, such as shifting Chris from a wider multi-instrumental role to allow him to prioritize his bass playing, having Kerry record the bulk of the guitars instead. “You can hear all of our musical voices a lot better on this record.”A carefully crafted studio sound brings the record to life, injecting it with an energetic voice that is unique to Bad Bad Hats. Walkman is the group’s fourth time working with producer Brett Bullion, including their previous two LPs, Psychic Reader and Lightning Round, and the Wide Right EP. Bullion and the band use the studio as an instrument, resulting in their most polished work to date.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Tyler Ramsey
As the naturalist John Muir wrote, “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” It is for this reason that musician Tyler Ramsey goes into the woods when he is writing, and why he and his wife have settled on a plot of land many miles outside of the nearest city of Asheville, North Carolina, to raise their young daughter.For Ramsey, living deliberately and with a little space, removed from distractions and the allure of needless consumption, is how he feels most creative and at ease. Ramsey grew up absorbing the country-blues guitar players who used to roam the mountainous region of his Carolina home, including Mance Lipscomb, Mississippi John Hurt and renowned pickers like John Fahey and Leo Kottke. Equally adept at playing guitar, keyboards, bass and percussion, he has distinguished himself as a gifted songwriter, a sublime vocalist and an inventive, influential musician. While Ramsey’s writing has been compared to Neil Young, Gram Parsons, Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens, his songs smartly blends elements of rock, Americana and folk, taking the listener on their own meditative, soulful and rewarding journey. But for as much as he prefers to spend his time at home, his past decade was spent largely away from it. As guitarist for and co-writer with the rock group Band of Horses, Ramsey found himself on the road constantly, making temporary shelters inside of hotel rooms and bus bunks. After ten years with the band it was time for a change, and Ramsey seized the opportunity to pour all of his creative energy into his solo work. It became natural, then, for some of his new material to explore that dynamic of being away and creating a respite wherever possible.Writing his acclaimed 2019 album For the Morning, his first album since 2011’s The Valley Wind and debut for Fantasy Records, Ramsey tapped into that insulated world where imagination flourishes and sounds for mining are plentiful to create his most realized and regal work yet. Following his exit from the band and free to follow his own music full-time, Ramsey took an album’s worth of demo songs to La La Land studios in Louisville, Kentucky, where he, studio engineer Kevin Ratterman, and Ramsey’s longtime friend Seth Kauffman, set out to record. The trio fulfilled the majority of all sonic duties during this tracking phase, with Ramsey’s demos serving as blueprints as they pieced songs together during the first weeklong session. Ramsey, Ratterman, and Kauffman would return to the studio again for another shorter period to flesh out those recordings, and one final day in friend and former Band of Horses bandmate Bill Reynolds’s Nashville studio finished the job.The process was complemented by spots from several guest musicians, including Joan Shelley, Thad Cockrell, and Molly Parden singing harmony on various songs, the pedal steel player Russ Paul contributing several solos, and Gareth Liddiard from The Drones on guitar.The new EP, Found A Picture Of You, is a continuation of Ramsey’s evolution as a solo artist, giving fans a glimpse into another side of his masterful artistry while he sets an eye towards better times ahead and new music in 2021.Links: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Soundcloud
