Cannons: Heartbeat Highway Tour
CANNONS alternate between flashes of gauzy introspection, glitter-drenched dancefloor ecstasy, and gritty sensuality. The Los Angeles trio — Michelle Joy [vocals], Ryan Clapham [lead guitar], and Paul Davis [drums keys] — elevate alternative / electro-pop to a neon stratosphere with nocturnal production and a visual sensibility equally suited to Studio 54 or summer festival season. The band honed this signature style over the course of three albums, namely Night Drive [2017], Shadows [2019], and Fever Dream [2022]. Along the way, “Fire For You” reached RIAA gold status, generated nearly a quarter-of-a-billion streams, topped Alternative Radio, and landed massive syncs on the likes of NETFLIX’s Never Have I Ever, American Horror Story, and more. CANNONS earned critical acclaim from The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, FLAUNT, and Consequence of Sound while YouTube touted them among 2021’s “Artists on the Rise.” Emerging as a live force, they’ve headlined countless packed shows in addition to lighting up festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, Life Is Beautiful, Outside Lands, and Electric Forest, to name a few. Evolving yet again, CANNONS ushered in a new era with the sunny, sassy, and sexy funkified strut of their 2023 album Heartbeat Highway, which features “Loving You,” their third Top 10 single at Alternative radio. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Soundcloud | TikTok
Foxing
Beneath the audible progress of Foxing’s 13 year career – from the chamber emo of debut The Albatross to the art pop of 2021’s Draw Down The Moon – has been a gradual movement towards self-sufficiency. Appropriately, the quartet of vocalist Conor Murphy, guitarist Eric Hudson, drummer Jon Hellwig, and bassist Brett Torrence (who recently joined after years as a touring hired gun) chose to self-title their fifth LP simply, Foxing. The album was entirely produced by the band and mixed by Hudson. The cover art was created by Murphy and Torrence, and it is being released on the band’s own Grand Paradise label. DIY requires doing, and Foxing was not an easy album to make. I share a studio space with the band and was an onlooker to the tedious two year process of its creation. I heard good songs emanating from their room at the bottom of the stairs, only to be abandoned and later reborn as incredible songs. I also witnessed some absolute garbage – a testament to the quartet’s willingness to entertain any idea and push it to its furthest conclusion before filling their iMac’s recycling bin. I was jarred by explosive cheering as the band turned the basement hallway into a makeshift putting green during breaks. I overheard arguments that were decibels shy of shouting matches. There were some moments when their creative stalemates seemed unresolvable and others where the enthusiasm of making a transcendently great album was intoxicating. It is fitting that tension is at the core of Foxing, an album that balances hopefulness and nihilism, the pastoral with the tumultuous. Whether oscillating between visceral noise rock and intimate bedroom cassette experiments on opener “Secret History” or cruising at the edge of collapse on “Barking,” the dramatic dynamics that have long permeated Foxing’s music have never felt so extreme. Five albums into a discography defined by its own restlessness, Foxing is a document of a band finding comfort in their own chaos. -Ryan Wasoba Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Southern Culture on the Skids
Southern Culture On The Skids has been consistently recording and touring around the world since 1983. The band (Rick Miller – guitar and vocals, Mary Huff – bass and vocals, Dave Hartman – drums) has been playing together for over 30 years. Their musical journey has taken them from all-night North Carolina house parties to late night TV talk shows (Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show), from performing at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan to rockin’ out for the inmates at North Carolina correctional facilities. They’ve shared a stage with many musical luminaries including Link Wray, Loretta Lynn, Hasil Adkins and Patti Smith. Their music has been featured in movies and TV, parodied by Weird Al, and used to sell everything from diamonds to pork sausage. In 2014 the band was honored by the Southern Folklife Collection at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with an exhibition featuring their music and cultural contributions. Their legendary live shows are a testament to the therapeutic powers of foot-stomping, butt-shaking rock and roll and what Rolling Stone dubbed “a hell raising rock and roll party.”At Home with Southern Culture on the Skids is the latest full length album from the band and is due to drop into stores on March 12th. The album consists of 11 tracks recorded and mixed in Rick Miller’s living room with some additional tracks recorded at his studio, The Kudzu Ranch.The first radio single off the album is “Run Baby Run”—a rocking number with deep garage roots. SCOTS bassist Mary Huff provides an urgent vocal while the band pulls back the throttle on a full race fuzz fest—cause she’s gotta to go fast! Run Baby Run!The other songs on the album are a combination of the band’s unique mix of musical genres: rock and roll, surf, folk and country—all a bit off-center, what Rick proudly calls “our wobbly Americana”. Rick goes on, “We put a few more acoustic guitars on this one, as you would expect if you recorded in your living room, but it still rocks like SCOTS. So put your headphones on, get in your favorite chair/sofa/recliner, put on “At Home With” and let’s hang out for a while.” Guitar riffs as lumpy as a camel, rough as a jackhammer or smooth and bright as Tennessee sippin’ whiskey, all slung loose and loud over salacious beats – No Depression For over thirty years, Southern Culture On The Skids have played an eclectic range of Americana including rockabilly, surf rock, country and R&B, with a punk edge and heaps of humor. They are known for their legendary live shows and wacky antics…But it’s more than just great fun; they are fantastic musicians to boot. – Elmore Magazine This Chapel Hill-based trio is flat-out amazing. Without resorting to needless flash or attention-hungry showboating, Miller in particular is one of the most spectacularly gifted guitar players I’ve ever seen. He juggles a lot of styles – country, garage rock, surf, rockabilly and soul to name just a few. – Stomp & Stammer Website | Facebook | Instagram
Slater
From seductive club bangers to therapeutic, night-time-cruising tunes, Slater has solidified his role as a tastemaker and star of the new wave of alternative pop. Since 2013, Southern California’s rising underground sensation, Slater, has blended the best elements of alternative, pop, and hip hop into a new, unique sound all of his own. Smooth, groovy, and infectious, his niche style is as reminiscent of early 00’s pop and radio hits as it is innovative and fresh. As a member of the collective, Vada Vada (consisting of The Garden, Enjoy, Puzzle, Cowgirl Clue, Lumina, and Glitch), Slater is no stranger to experimentation. With over 20 releases under his belt, he continues sonically evolving his signature sound. Instagram | Twitter | TikTok
Barefoot Modern
Barefoot Modern NC Indie/Alternative • Original song “Whatchu Want” featured in Epic Games’ Fortnite (2022) • “Best local band” – The Appalachian’s Best of Boone (2021) • “Best alternative band” – Richmond International Film & Music Festival (2019)Barefoot Modern’s story began in 2010 when Robert Beverly (producer/songwriter) moved into Tegan Dean’s (lead vocalist/songwriter) neighborhood. The duo started with simple piano covers, and first recorded in the studio & performed in 2015. Barefoot Modern’s first single was released during their senior year of high school. The following albums, EP, and singles were recorded at Appalachian State’s RFG Studios, mostly as school projects. BFM is currently working on their 3rd full-length album. Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Soundcloud | TikTok
The Dear Hunter – Celebrating 20 Years
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Chaparelle
In a harmonious union, Texas-based musicians Zella Day, Jesse Woods and Beau Bedford come together to reveal their highly anticipated collaboration, “Chaparelle”. Esteemed for their exceptional vocal prowess and celebrated contributions to their distinct genres, this partnership channels the enduring allure of Country music’s golden age, weaving a melodic narrative that resonates with themes of love and the indomitable Texan essence. Website | Instagram
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
This is a seated show. Take a 15-time IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Dobro Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy called “Nashville’s hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that has electrified the acoustic music scene around the world. Known for their white-hot picking and world class musicianship, as well as their soulful stone country vocals, the GRAMMY® nominated duo cleverly and uniquely melds bluegrass, country, blues, rock, jamgrass, and string band music of all kinds to create a signature blend of music that defies restrictions of genre. NPR has called Ickes and Hensley “two musical phenoms”; Vintage Guitar raved they’re an “acoustic firestorm” who “are changing the rules”; Acoustic Guitar describes their sound as “steel-string bluegrass with all the intensity of rock ‘n’ roll” and No Depression observed they’re “two of the finest musicians playing today.” Ickes and Hensley have shared the stage or collaborated with Tommy Emmanuel, Taj Mahal, Vince Gill, David Grisman, Jorma Kaukonen, Marty Stuart, and Steve Wariner—all admirers of the duo. Ickes, the most decorated musician in IBMA Awards history and former founding member of bluegrass “supergroup” Blue Highway and highly sought-after Dobro master, has graced the recordings and concerts of artists such as Earl Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Alison Krauss, Tony Rice and more. Hensley, who earned IBMA Guitar Player of the Year nominations for the past three years, made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11 (thanks to an invite from Marty Stuart with Earl Scruggs) and has appeared on stage with the likes of Johnny Cash, Peter Frampton and Old Crow Medicine Show. All three of the Compass Records albums released by Ickes and Hensley have received widespread acclaim, including their debut Before The Sun Goes Down, which garnered a GRAMMY® nomination, and the combo’s current release World Full of Blues, which features collaborations with Vince Gill and Taj Mahal. Ickes and Hensley teamed with guitar master Tommy Emmanuel for a very special EP, Tommy Emmanuel – Accomplice Series Vol. I With Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley (released May 7, 2021 via Emmanuel’s label, CGP Sounds) to critical acclaim. The three high-powered guitar virtuosos performed together on the Grand Ole Opry on May 8, 2021 and from famed Nashville venue 3rd & Lindsley on May 9, 2021 via worldwide broadcasts to celebrate the release of the project. Ickes and Hensley have completed their fourth record for Compass Records with GRAMMY®-winning producer Brent Maher, which is set for release in early 2023. Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
vagaries
Formed in early 2022 and based in Brooklyn, NY, vagaries is an indie/rock band blending psychedelia, low-fi and dream elements. vagaries consist of gary tedder on guitar and vocals, teresa tedder on keys and danny boivin on drums. From Talkhouse: “Open Waves” is our new single and debut video release, which comes on the heels of a 7-inch we self-released last year. This song was written before the formation of the band a few years ago and has taken on many forms. Originally, what was a simple three-minute composition of guitar and vocals has now transformed into a six-minute sonic journey that delves into lo-fi psychedelic indie rock — encompassing not only guitar and vocals, but an array of piano, various synthesizers, drums, bass, accordion, and pre recorded 4-track cassette elements. The narrative of this song at its core is about the fleeting moments of joy one finds when we let go of our immediate restraints, worries, and fears, and allow ourselves to be free and grasp at the unknown with childlike fervor; seeking a better state of being, if only in our heads or in moments in time. The narrative of this song can actually be interpreted in many different ways from listener to listener as we write our lyrics in metaphors, but this sums up how we felt about it when we finished it. The stop motion video for “Open Waves” continues this narrative as we see it in visual form. Teresa and I started the production a little over a year ago. It began with sketching out scenes and characters that we wanted to include and what their roles would be. We tossed around a lot different ideas as to how to create the characters, but finally settled on making some of them out of clay, and some out of found objects in our home. The entire video was shot and edited at our home and is our first attempt at making a music video, so these homemade characters fit the overall aesthetic. Once the filming and editing were finished, we sent it to Frank Ditto’s Studio for color grading, picture finishing, and additional audio mastering for film. Just as in the song, you are taken on a journey with the protagonist through stages of seeking a better state of being through imaginary landscapes of mind and then ultimately back again to reality. Vagaries featured in Rolling Stone Mexico’s “20 Artists You Should Know Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Linktree
Jake Xerxes Fussell
This is a partially seated show. Reared in Georgia and now settled in North Carolina, Jake Xerxes Fussell has established himself as a devoted listener and contemplative interpreter of a vast array of so-called folk songs, lovingly sourced from a personal store of favorites. On his latest album, When I’m Called—his first LP for Fat Possum, and his first as a parent—Fussell returns to a well of music that holds lifelong sentimental meaning, loosely contemplating the passage of time and the procession of life’s unexpected offerings. The album was produced by James Elkington and mixed by Tucker Martine. In addition to Elkington, it features the playing of Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station), Joe Westerlund (Bon Iver, Califone), and others. Blake Mills contributes guitars on several tracks. Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb provide backing vocals. “…Fussell is the rare contemporary to approach folk in its pure form, shunning self-penned compositions about bummer relationships to concentrate on material handed down from bygone, hardened times.” – The New Yorker “(Fussell) is one of the great magpies of American song, collecting forgotten, tarnished gems with a folklorist’s zeal… his renditions aren’t so much cover versions as composites…” – The Guardian “…maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now.” – Ann Powers, NPR Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Tidal
