WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
Yarn Brooklyn’s Yarn is more authentically country than half the crud coming out of Nashville. The band’s sing-a-longs and toe-tappers sound as if recorded on rickety porchfronts in the rural South, though they hark from the urban jungles of N.Y.C. Yarn weaves quaint country tunes taking cues from the Americana paths laid bare by the likes of Whiskeytown. The recent recording Empty Pockets is warmly inviting. The Evening Muse (Samir Shukla)
THURSDAY, MARCH 19
Lipbone Redding If you only listened to Redding’s music, you’d probably think there was nothing over-the-top unique about it. Sure, he mixes soul with some N’awlins funk and big city grooves, but he’s not the first. What makes Lipbone unique is his ability as a “voicestrumentalist” to create amazing trombone sounds with his mouth. Instead of using a mute, he’ll use a glass. It’s quite a sight to see. The Evening Muse (Jeff Hahne)
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
The Lenny Federal Band Federal, formerly of the … wait for it … Federal Bureau of Rock ‘n’ Roll (yes!) was, along with his musical (com)patriots, a staple in the burgeoning Charlotte rock scene of the ’70s and early ’80s. Known for its brand of relatively straightforward bluesy originals and for its good taste in classic cover tunes, the Federal Bureau always resisted making the move to the Allman Brothers-like sound so many of their Caucasian compatriots did, in favor of keeping it simple. Federal, a cornerstone cog in the Charlotte music scene, hasn’t changed that recipe a whole lot of the years. Forgive the food metaphor, but it’s musical meat and potatoes you’re getting here – meat and potatoes slow-cooked with plenty of care, and with but a soupcon of spice. The Comet Grill (Timothy C. Davis)
Laura Reed & Deep Pocket Reed brings a soulful style with vocals done in the key of Erykah Badu. One look at her dreadlocks lets you know they won’t be afraid to get a little more funky with it. The band’s latest is an audio/visual double-disc that gives you a taste of what you’ll see. If you’re afraid to try something new with the economy being bad, that excuse goes out the window. This show’s free. Neighborhood Theatre (Hahne)
SATURDAY, MARCH 21
The Spongetones The name Spongetones sums up these local legends pretty well, methinks. All the members are self-proclaimed sponges for the golden era of pop songwriting and manage to blend these lessons into their own music with laudable results. The “tone” part is obvious to anyone who’s seen them: Guitars function more like paintbrushes, changing the mood or the drive of a piece with a simple flourish. One imagines that playing with each other for the last 25 years (musically, silly) doesn’t hurt. With Cool King Charles. Amos’ SouthEnd (Davis)
SUNDAY, MARCH 22
Coma League Imagine a Tusk-era Lindsey Buckingham jamming in tight quarters with a Murmur-era Peter Buck, backed by an any-era Swell Maps, all hopped up on a muscle relaxer speedball. Think a Southern-fried garage band sound (back before bands started trying to sound like garage bands, but rather came about it honestly). OK. You know what? Fuck it. The pet project of the super-talented show poster designer and visual artist Ben Gelnett, Coma League have a tasty little EP out thru Kinnikinnik Records, and a listen to that will tell you more than I can. All I can say is: me likee. With Altamira, The Wekends, Pinche Gringo. The Milestone (Davis)
Gomez Brit poppers Gomez are touring in support of new recording A New Tide. Gomez can be trip-hop, retro, spacey, bluesy and even folksy. The blokes’ laid-back hipster rock is inlaid with funky beats, twirling sounds and guitar eclecticism. It’s a mix of understated pop with some over-the-top rock. A decade after their stunning debut, the gents remain relevant and damn inventive. With Josh Ritter. Visulite Theatre (Shukla)
Chris Cook N.C.-based singer/songwriter Cook is releasing Bag of Emotions this week. Cook’s been penning wonderful folk-country and southern, Stones-styled blues rockers for years. He has obviously settled into the ease of solid songcraft of a veteran who’s made the rounds around these parts, as well as all over the world, for a couple of decades. Cook’s country rock and boogie fit right along with somber balladry. Double Door Inn (Shukla)
Altamira Instrumental trio from Philadelphia twirls jazz, punk and progressive jamming with anything else that comes to mind. Altamira’s adventurous prog rock evokes an electrified Mahavishnu Orchestra with some of the instrumental punk bands that used to appear on the legendary but now defunct SST Records. Also on the bill: The Wekends, Pinche Gringo and Coma League. The Milestone (Shukla)
This article appears in Mar 17-24, 2009.
