Brandy Robinson It’s easy to lump together most “girl with acoustic guitar” performers, but Robinson sets herself apart with a smoky, sultry vocals, poetic lyrics and funky, jazzy riffs. Her music can sprint between elements of blues and jazz while sticking with a folk overtone. Having chatted with her after her last Charlotte appearance, it’s easy to tell that there’s music running through her veins that’s bound to captivate an audience within moments.
The Evening Muse (Jeff Hahne)
These Arms Are Snakes Playing a lit-from-within, animatronic brand of hardcore that never forgets the ever-important melodic undercurrent that drives the best of that music, TAAS have more in common with bands like Helmet and Television than they do many of the bands with whom they’re often grouped. They favor angular guitar lines to angular hairstyles, and further favor riding those same guitar lines into droning oblivion. Singer Steve Snere’s vocals are from the shouted school, and as such border on banal on occasion, but as a sonic whole (which is the way they’re appearing, of course), These Snakes Are Rad. With All the Saints, The Coathangers, Grids.
The Milestone (Timothy C. Davis)
This article appears in Mar 10-17, 2009.
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