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Rating: 
--Timothy C. Davis
Mike Strauss
Gone Electric
www.mikestrauss.net
Sounding like a cross between Jon Dee Graham and Dave Schramm, Mike Strauss' solo debut has, perhaps incongruously, the comfortable feel of a veteran roots rocker's work. Gone Electric's got all the requisite components: rich guitars up front, a pulsing rhythm section (regular bandmates Jon Schigoda and Greg Lilley), down n' dirty accents via harmonica, sax, Hammond B3 and lap steel, and a roster of local roots veterans (David Childers, Michael Reno Harrell, Eric Lovell) helping out. It's a lush-sounding recording, nicely produced by Strauss and Joe Kuhlmann - the 11 songs are split into smokin' rockers, mid-tempo porch tales and late-night ballads, and they all sound just like you'd want them to. Strauss' lyrics are solid if unspectacular, dealing primarily with the vagaries of relationships. This isn't anything you've never heard, but it's done very well and a nice way to spend 38 minutes -- something you can't say for a lot of records.
Rating: 1/2
--John Schacht
Greenlight
My Experiments with Groove
www.Greenlightmusic.net
Green Light are decidedly one of the more eclectic outfits in this region. The instrumental trio (drummer Adam Snow, bassist Dustin Hofsess, and guitarist Kevin Gill) take pieces of all sorts of musical styles and meld them into an improv-laden, spacey jazz rock...something. Sure, Pink Floyd comes to mind, as does John Coltrane and some of the more psychedelic stuff from the Beatles. The trick here is an almost perfect groove, where the musicians' crisp playing can take guitars/bass/drums into experimental soundscapes or subtle tonal shades. There is also an element of global fusion going on: the guitar sounds like a sitar, the percussion slides into middle eastern beats, and the whole group into a bossa nova groove. The tracks on this record run the gamut from 1-minute noise dirges to tracks that would have taken up the big chunk of a side of a record in the old days.
Rating:
--Samir Shukla
Abe Reid & the Spikedrivers
Caution: Falling Boogie
www.Abereid.com
Statesville native Reid evokes Frank Zappa with his vocal style on "Screamin' Eggs" and several other tracks off Caution: Falling Boogie. The Spikedrivers, Korey Dudley (stand-up and electric bass) and Charlie Heard (percussion), accompany guitarist/vocalist Reid on a loose stomp-rock boogie laced with straight blues numbers and rockers on this collection of nine tracks. The band enlivens the surroundings with the added burst of harmonica and noisemakers. Even though blues is Reid's apparent credo, don't peg the trio as just another blues band, as they have a knack for concocting psychedelic-tinged rockers alongside the traditional backbeat. "Drive" is a rambling tune reminiscent of shuffling down the road in a beat-up convertible while AM radio belts out a rocker. The title track's dance vibe is also peppered throughout the record, which is made up of seven studio tracks and a couple of lo-fi live ones.
Rating: 1/2
--Samir Shukla
Vance Carlisle
Seven Song Souvenir
Vance@thegoldcoastmusic.com
Prior to stepping out from behind his drum kit and forming The Gold Coast, Vance Carlisle wrote, performed, produced and recorded Seven Song Souvenir, which turns out to be a pretty good indicator of why Carlisle felt he could drop the sticks in the first place. Relying on the Pro Tools program, two mikes and various instruments, the arrangements alone make this a worthwhile endeavor. "Take It On" is a syncopated, minor key affair with a Red House Painters feel; "September" is a piano-driven ballad; "Swim Dawg Fan" sounds like an outtake from Grandaddy's "Sumday," and "Joy Riding" is a melancholy, country-tinged lament with a Southern California feel, not unlike early Jackson Browne. But that's the flaw here -- the recording has the feel of a mix tape, with Carlisle proving he can write like his favorite artists. Skilled, to be sure, but it's The Gold Coast that will determine how well he eventually stands on his own.
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Calendar
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Hozier - Unreal Unearth Tour 2024 @ PNC Music Pavilion
- Tue., April 23, 7:30 & 8 p.m.
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Beach Fossils with friends Nation of Language @ The Underground
- Tue., April 23, 8 p.m.
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The Rock Orchestra By Candlelight @ N.C. Music Factory
- Tue., April 23, 8 p.m.
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Haw River Wine Tasting @ Carolina Beer Temple.
- Wed., April 24, 5-7 p.m.
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ATTILA, BORN OF OSIRIS w/ TRAITORS, EXTORTIONIST, NOT ENOUGH SPACE @ The Underground
- Wed., April 24, 5:30 p.m.
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Justin Fedor's tribute shows benefit Levine Children's Hospital
Charlotte musician's concert series takes place at the Neighborhood Theatre
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Hayley Williams topless photo circulates
Topless photo of Paramore's Hayley Williams hits the Internet.
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Christian punks MxPx wrestle with doubt — and greatness 30
Mike Herrera lets his band grow beyond its beginnings
