Protomartyr
Since their 2012 debut No Passion All Technique, the Detroit post-punk band Protomartyr have mastered the art of evoking place: the grinding Midwest humility of their hometown, as well as the x-rayed elucidation of America that comes with their vantage. Protomartyr—vocalist Joe Casey, guitarist Greg Ahee, drummer Alex Leonard, and bassist Scott Davidson—have become synonymous with caustic, impressionistic assemblages of politics and poetry, the literal and oblique.The group’s sixth album, recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, is called Formal Growth In The Desert. And though frontman Joe Casey did have a humbling experience staring at awe-inspiring Sonoran rock formations and reckoning with his own smallness in the scheme of things – as recounted in the single “Elimination Dances” – the title is not necessarily a nod to the sandy expanses of the southwest. Detroit, too, is like a desert. “The desert is more of a metaphor or symbol,” Casey says, “of emotional deserts, or a place or time that seems to lack life.” The desert brings an existential awareness that is ultimately internal.The “growth” came from a period of colossal transition for Casey, including the death of his mother. Now 45, Casey had lived in the family home in northwest Detroit all his life until 2021, when a surge of break-ins signaled that it was time to move out. As with all touring artists, the pandemic years also brought on other inner quandaries about the purpose and feasibility of a musician’s life.But life does go on, and Casey describes the great theme of Formal Growth In The Desert as an embrace and acknowledgment of that fact: a 12-song testament to “getting on with life,” even when it feels impossibly hard. “I was trying to find a way forward after some pretty heavy things, without lyrically resorting to, Oh my god, my life sucks,” Casey says. “I was trying to see what was beyond the trouble.” The titles of the two opening songs—the moody “Make Way” followed by the charging ennui of “For Tomorrow”—complete that thought.The band’s music—more spacious and dynamic than ever—pulled him up, too. Guitarist Greg Ahee, who co-produced Formal Growth In The Desert alongside Jake Aron (Snail Mail, L’Rain), knew what Casey was going through. Conceptualizing the music, he considered how to make it all “like a narrative film.” Having recently scored a pair of short films, Ahee found himself immersed in the cinematic Spaghetti Western music of Ennio Morricone. “I started to write at home on a piano and on a keyboard and then play along to short films, and watch how you can affect and heighten moods as you play,” Ahee explains.The filmic sensibility is manifest in Casey’s storytelling, too, whether he’s critiquing ominous techno-capitalism or processing aging, the future, and the possibility of love. Casey calls the centerpiece, “Graft Vs. Host,” written in the immediate wake of his mother’s death, the heaviest song on the record, but it is also among Protomartyr’s most beautiful. It opens with an ominous sprawl before Casey’s sweet, coiling melody buoys the subject matter: “Sadness running through my mind/She wouldn’t want to see me live this way,” he sings, an earnest inquiry into how grief manages to eventually make way for other emotions. “My mom wouldn’t want me to be depressed about her passing for the rest of my life,” Casey explains.Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook
The Crystal Casino Band
Originating as a group of friends from The George Washington University, The Crystal Casino Band combines the vibes of early 2010s-era indie that littered Tumblr dashboards with increasingly introspective and socially-conscious lyrics. Their music, while both relatable and insanely catchy, is simultaneously raw and uncut– adding a layer of authenticity and grounding the band firmly in their DC’s roots.The band has shared the stage with powerhouse artists including SHAED, Judah and The Lion, and more. Known for their high energy shows and easy-listening music, The Crystal Casino Band released their most daring album yet, “Maryland House”, in January. The album is the band’s most complex and varietal album yet and showcases their love for the DMV area throughout the 13 song experience.Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Spotify
Sloan
Sloan is a Toronto-based rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia who first performed in spring of 1991. Comprised of bassist and vocalist Chris Murphy, guitarists/vocalists Jay Ferguson and Patrick Pentland, and drummer/vocalist Andrew Scott, the quartet possessed a rare chemistry from the start. There are so many moments peppered throughout the 30-year history of Canadian indie rock heroes Sloan that set them well apart from the pack. From the band’s earliest home studio recordings that married their pop smarts with fizzy, fuzzed out guitars, right up to later efforts that contain multitudes in their track listings, ranging from Dylanesque streams of consciousness to short, sharp blasts of power pop — Somehow, it all remains quintessentially Sloan.The band are credited as being a main instigator for the Canadian East Coast alternative scene of the early 90s, garnering comparisons to the Seattle Grunge movement on the opposite coast. Over the course of their quarter-century career, Sloan have amassed an outstanding collection of over 250 songs and more than 30 singles with airplay at Canadian Rock Radio. Sloan have received nine Juno Award nominations and won for Best Alternative Album in 1997. The band was named one of Canada’s top five bands of all-time in a CBC critics poll.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
4th Annual Cupid’s Jam – Benefit Concert for TABLE
The 4th Annual Cupid’s Jam – A Concert Benefiting TABLE!School of Rock House Bands take the Main Stage of The Cat’s Cradle, from:* Chapel Hill (your host)* Cary* Chesapeake, VA* Raleigh* Wake Forest* WilmingtonThis will be a festival afternoon of amazing music by the region’s best young musicians!TABLE delivers healthy food and nutrition education to children in Orange County, North Carolina. Learn more about this important organization at: https://tablenc.org$10 donation at the door requested and appreciated!Facebook
Celaris, Earther, Antigone, The Cardinal Endeavor
CelarisHailing from Raleigh, NC, Celaris is a progressive metal band that has opened up for acts such as Thornhill, Moodring, Rings of Saturn, and Strawberry Girls. Influenced by groups like Veil of Maya, Periphery, ERRA, The Contortionist, and TesseracT, Celaris set out to make a mark on the same scene to make a mark on them. Their debut album, “In Hiding” (produced by the legendary Jamie King), and their newest single “Out Of Phase”, are out on all streaming platforms. EartherEarther is an indie rock band from Raleigh, NC. Started in 2017 by three best friends in their garage, the band has quickly grown from basement show warriors to packing out larger clubs and touring the country. Earther abides by the “less is more” mentality – packing the sonic intricacy and fullness usually reserved for larger bands into a three-person roster. Guitarist Henry Boyd and drummer Daniel Ayers draw from emo, punk, and post-rock influences to create a dynamic instrumental section, while vocalist and bassist Joel Bloch uses surreal, dream-inspired lyricism to express his own life experiences and give the band a relatable, poignant voice. Their new single, “Hellbent,” is available to stream on all digital platforms and purchase on iTunes now! AntigoneHailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, decibel-crushing quintet Antigone (an-TIG-ə-nee) are just beginning to leave their mark on the region. Antigone takes cues from modern metalcore, alternative rock, and grunge-infused metal to create a signature wall of sound that characterizes their high-energy live performances. Putting a new twist on early metal-core as mastered by the likes of Killswitch Engage, Trivium, and In Flames, Antigone are grateful to contribute their production and performing talents to the genre they’ve loved since they first picked up their instruments.Antigone’s newest single, “Pull the Plug” is one of their heaviest yet. It’s a must-listen for fans of bands such as I Prevail and Of Mice & Men.
Vienna Teng
“I was in a long-distance relationship with music for many years,” jokes songwriter Vienna Teng. “Now we’re finally moving back in together.”Long-distance, perhaps, but long-running. In 2002, Vienna released her debut album Waking Hour, landing her on NPR’s Weekend Edition, The Late Show with David Letterman, and the top of Amazon’s music charts. Four more albums followed, most recently Aims in 2013, which became the first album to win four Independent Music Awards. She also composed the music for The Fourth Messenger by playwright Tanya Shaffer, which premiered in 2013 and was a featured production in the 2017 New York Musical Theater Festival. Together with Vienna’s captivating live performances and thoughtful online presence, her work has built a devoted following across generations and continents.Still, other pursuits have always beckoned. A computer science major before she was a recording artist, Vienna is a nerd at heart, as comfortable in spreadsheets as the spotlight. She returned to academia in 2010 to study environmental sustainability, which led to a new career working on climate change, energy and waste issues. She also became a bonus parent to her partner’s two kids, and in early 2020 welcomed a newborn addition to the family – just in time for pandemic lockdown.“I learned a lot about what it means to hold two truths in your head at the same time, as the saying goes,” Vienna says of that period. “The situation can be dire and full of possibility. Both kindness and fierceness are so very necessary.”She wondered: what if two songs, with seemingly contradictory perspectives, were written so they would “mash up” into a duet? The result is her song-pair “We’ve Got You”: one about serving as a beacon for one’s community, the other about leaning on that community in one’s darkest hour. It’s some of the most intricate and impassioned songwriting she’s ever done. When she performs it on stage – solo, live-looping her voice, keyboards and percussion to layer the two songs together – the audience response is electric. “And there are so many ways for songs to be in dialogue with each other,” she notes. “I’d love to keep exploring that idea…hopefully in dialogue with other creators, too.”Fittingly for a piece about reinvigoration and connection, “We’ve Got You” marks the start of a new chapter for Vienna, where her environmental and musical vocations converge. In 2022, she launched a “music x climate action” community on Patreon, combining monthly livestream shows and recording studio updates with Zoom climate action sessions, as well as working one-on-one with patrons on their own climate projects. On the road, she’s started hosting workshops between concerts, bringing members of her audience together to share knowledge and take real steps for climate – events that participants have described as “life-changing,” “rocket fuel,” and “the perfect antidote to despair.”The long-distance phase is over. Now it’s time for communion – and moving forward.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Devon Gilfillian
Growing up in Philadelphia on a steady diet of R&B, hip-hop, rock, blues, and soul music, Gilfillian gravitated to records that ignited his mind while making his body move. For him, listening to the towering icons of his musician father’s era—Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, The Temptations—was just as formative and exciting as discovering the new sounds of his own generation, and the beats and rhymes made by rising rap stars like Wu-Tang Clan, Kanye West, Notorious B.I.G., and Jay-Z inspired him in new ways. He began to recognize a connective thread in the sounds he loved best: from the golden throwbacks sampled by the hip-hop beat makers to the raw, emotional vocal deliveries of the Motown greats, for Gilfillian the key ingredient seemed to be the “soul”—not simply the genre, but the feeling and vibe.Following his electrifying 2016 debut EP with upbeat singles like “High” and “Troublemaker” in 2018, Gilfillian signed to Capitol Records and hit the road––performing with the likes of Anderson East, Keith Urban, Gladys Knight, Kaleo, The Fray, Mavis Staples, and more. In early 2019, Gilfillian traveled to Africa to find healing and inspiration before headlining a tour in Scandinavia and opening for Brothers Osborne on their spring tour. His debut album, “Black Hole Rainbow,” is available now. In early 2020, Gilfillian embarked on a cross-country tour with Grace Potter. After COVID-19, Gilfillian redirected his energy to doing what he does best, making music. He re-recorded Marvin Gaye’s iconic album, “What’s Going On,” releasing it in fall of 2020 around the election. The project raised funds for low-income communities and communities of color, providing resources and education around the democratic process. In November 2020, Gilfillian released “Freedom,” with indie-rockers, Illiterate Light and his debut album, “Black Hole Rainbow,” was nominated for a Grammy – “Best Engineered Album.” In December 2020, Gilfillian performed his top 5 AAA hit, “The Good Life” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He’s currently writing for LP#2. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
Dopapod
Dopapod access a heightened level of cosmic harmony in their music. The quartet—Eli Winderman [keys, vocals], Rob Compa [guitar, vocals], Chuck Jones [bass], and Neal “Fro” Evans [drums]—present albums as experiences meant to be shared out of your speakers and on stage. After generating millions of streams, packing shows coast-to-coast, and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Glide Magazine, and more, the group architect an immersive and expansive vision on their self-titled seventh full-length offering, Dopapod.The group’s hypnotic hybrid of funk, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and electronica bloomed brilliantly on 2009’s Radar, and it continued to blossom on the likes of Never Odd Or Even [2014] and Megagem [2017]. Along the way, fan favorites such as “Present Ghosts” reeled in 2.4 million Spotify streams and counting. 2019’s Emit Time arrived to acclaim from Guitar World, Relix, Glide, Jambase, and more. Simultaneously, they sold out headline gigs and graced the bills of Electric Forest, Summer Camp, High Sierra, and Bonaroo where Rolling Stone named them among the festival’s “best kept secrets.” After a marathon near-decade run, they enjoyed an almost year-long hiatus to realign and reenergize before reuniting with a new fire during 2019 and partaking in something of a “soft return.”After a brief hiatus to regroup and recharge their creative efforts, Dopapod assembled what would become their next album, the self-titled Dopapod, and looked at the loose threads of their catalog to conceptually tie their journey together. They chose to self-title their seventh offering as a totem to the fact they’ve realized their full potential in terms of music and vision. Tackling time travel, balance and symmetry, binary pairs and more, Dopapod’s palindromic existence continues to conjure alchemy nearly fifteen years into their journey.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
black midi
Five facts about black midi“We’d end up in a groove in the rehearsal room for 10 minutes, or an hour. We didn’t really notice time, or that we were supposed to be working.” One. black midi are: Geordie Greep (guitar, vocals), Cameron Picton (bass, vocals), and Morgan Simpson (drums).black midi’s studio albums are Schlagenheim (2019), Cavalcade (2021) and Hellfire (2022). Further recordings include standalone singles Cruising, 7-Eleven and track drops like ded sheeran (ed sheeran send). Other notable releases are Cavalcovers EP, black midi live in the USA and The black midi Anthology Volume 1 – Tales of Suspense and Revenge.Two. Coincidentally, Morgan and Geordie both played in church bands growing up – Morgan in Hertfordshire; Geordie in Walthamstow.Geordie discovered music through:Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out on Guitar HeroHis dad’s prog rock, folk and hard rock albumsStravinsky’s Rite of Spring. “It’s hypnotic, like a car crash. You want to look away, but you can’t.”The first Star Wars filmThree. The band met at the BRIT School. Fellow pupils were… not in black midi. Geordie and Matt borrowed the name from a Japanese music genre where a MIDI file is stuffed with so many musical notes that its visual representation looks solid black. MIDI files do not contain sound.Four. After leaving school Cameron worked in the Wimbledon branch of stationery store Ryman. Geordie taught music. Morgan briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a professional footballer but eventually chose drumming, also teaching music.Five. black midi got their first gig two weeks after leaving school, in June 2017, at south London’s renowned Windmill venue. It led to a Windmill residency, and a publishing contract, and a record deal, a Mercury nomination for Schlagenheim, and you reading this.“They say, ‘what you’re doing should be bad, how come it’s not?!’”Some myths about black midiSix. black midi don’t expect, or want, you to take themselves or their music too seriously. black midi music can be exuberant, cathartic, theatrical, comic, absurdist, over-abundant, intense, cinematic, brutal, restlessly brilliant. It’s almost always fun.Six. None of black midi’s released music is entirely improvised. They did spend a long time jamming at the start, but would record the jams and select the best bits to replay as part of structured recordings. “It didn’t take as much time to record Schlagenheim as it does to listen to it. We wish it were true! We also say we should swap and play each other’s instruments, but we never get round to it.”Six. The BRIT School’s importance in the black midi story can also be overplayed. Yes, the school was where they met, and their generous facilities afforded the group time and space in their final year to experiment and rehearse until they had a better idea of what they could become. But the school didn’t force anyone to describe black midi as “the best new rock band in Britain”.“Geordie had a dream that we called the album Hellfire, he kept saying it all the time”‘Hellfire’ has long burned in black midi’s world. First, Geordie imagined it was the title of their debut album; Cavalcade was mostly recorded at Hellfire Studio, Dublin; then Cameron dreamed it should be the title of their third.Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Bayonne
Since his 2016 debut album Primitives, Bayonne has channeled his vast imagination into an elegant yet wildly experimental form of electronic pop, equal parts meditative and mesmerizing. In the making of his latest body of work, the Austin-based artist/producer/multi-instrumentalist otherwise known as Roger Sellers found himself in even greater need of an outlet for his kinetic creative impulses, thanks to an intense convergence of events in his personal life: his father’s diagnosis with and eventual death from cancer, the end of a significant relationship, and an overwhelming struggle with depression and anxiety. Deeply informed by a deliberate transformation of his musical process, Bayonne’s third full-length Temporary Time ultimately makes for his most expansive work to date—an album of both painfully raw introspection and otherworldly beauty.The follow-up to 2019’s Drastic Measures, Temporary Time intimately documents a period of psychic inertia experienced by Sellers in recent years. “The title of the record refers to that feeling of stagnancy that happens at certain moments in your life, where you’re not sure what the next move is and feel sort of stuck in limbo,” he explains. “I wrote these songs during a long stretch of self-development, mentally and emotionally and creatively, and in a way they’re like a diary of everything I was going through.” Although Sellers began working on Temporary Time in idyllic seclusion during a solo trip to West Texas, he soon immersed himself in close collaboration with a number of musicians and co-producers, including Danny Reisch (HAIM, Local Natives), Jon Joseph (BØRNS, Gothic Tropic), and longtime Bayonne drummer Matt Toman. Along with adding new depth and texture to Bayonne’s signature sound—an immaculately layered and looping-heavy collision of lush guitar tones, frenetic synth lines, organic percussion, and more—that shift in approach led to significant growth in his strengths as a songwriter and lyricist. “Because of everything I was dealing with, especially with my dad’s declining health, I ended up being much more thoughtful with the lyrical content than in previous records,” Sellers points out.Mixed by Sellers and Reisch, Temporary Time opens on the moody splendor of “Must Be True,” a piano-driven and quietly piercing breakup song that instantly sets the tone for the album’s dreamy contemplation. From there, Bayonne veers into the propulsive dark-pop of “Right Thing,” one of several tracks featuring ghostlike samples of audio lifted from his family home movies. “One of the last good times I had with my father was playing him that song and showing him where his voice comes in,” says Sellers, who describes “Right Thing” as a gloomy but upbeat reflection on uncertainty. “He was so excited to hear himself on the record, and that was a really meaningful moment for me.” Next, on “Is It Time,” Temporary Time drifts into a mood of lovely surrender—an effect achieved through the track’s hypnotic arrangement of soaring vocals, gorgeously sprawling textures, and Toman’s powerful full-kit drumming (an element Sellers lovingly refers to as “the best drums ever recorded”). “There’s a point in the middle of the song where it feels flying, which to me represents the idea of freeing yourself from anxiety,” he says. “It’s about allowing yourself to take a dive, and to stop worrying about what’s going to happen next.”Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
