All photos by Aggie Donkar At the beginning of March, we gave you the skinny on Alabama Shakes along with the mandatory assignment to keep your beautiful peepers (and ears) on the band. Did you do your homework? Yeah? You get a gold star. No? Don’t worry, there’s time to rectify the clichéd dog-ate-my-homework excuse. … Read more
For those of you who’ve never had the pleasure of spending an extended amount of time in Asheville, NC – lemme set the scene for you. Imagine every person that fits a musical image you’ve ever known, congregated in one place. We’re talking every pot one could be categorized in – hippie chicks, alt-country washtub … Read more
All photos by Agatha Donkar Last Sunday, our resident east coast photog, Agatha Donkar, caught The Deep Dark Woods at Local 506. Aggie notes that their new album sounds more like The Band than anyone else making music today. For those of you still reeling from the death of Levon Helm, well, there you go. … Read more
Photo by Agatha Donkar Comparisons to music legends are at best, a double-edged sword. In the beginning, only one edge is sharp, and the resemblance to the likes of Bruce, or Tom, or even Bob, allows people to prepare for what’s about to tickle their eardrums. But as the clock ticks, the proverbial pigeonhole becomes … Read more
The Möbius strip, by definition, is a surface that has the mathematical property of being non-orientable. And while I have no idea what the fuck that means, I’m going to pretend it refers to the surface having no north, south, east or west — that if one were to be cargo-dropped onto some sort of … Read more
Photo By Aggie Donkar | Fullsteam Summer Basil Loyal Speakers in Code patrons – I offer you photo-journalistic proof that the “perfect day” is not some sort of mythos. It exists, I tell you, and at least one of these “perfect days” happened Sunday in Chapel Hill. Cast your eyes upon those Carolina-blue skies. Adjust … Read more
I was introduced to Ari Picker’s music waaaaay back in the year 2000, when his first band, The B-Sides, opened for someone like Superdrag, or Guided by Voices, at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina. He was just a high school kid at that point, but my friends and I left that night singing … Read more
Not unlike that little train we all learned about, Raleigh’s White Cascade is slowly building steam to make it up that sizable hill that peaks at the pinnacle of the Triangle’s music scene. And by building on the sonically challenging songs they’ve previously recorded, their focus seems to be shifting effortlessly into the more perfunctory … Read more
All photos by Agatha Donkar Delta Spirit is on the kind of roll that’s going to last for a bit. Their recently released self-titled album is a favorite of ours here at Speakers in Code, so much that we had to talk to the guys about it a few weeks ago. But, conversation wasn’t … Read more
Stars | Photo by Aggie Donkar A big ‘ole indie rock & roll show moseyed into the Triangle area of NC Wednesday night, anchored by Canadian indie-pioneers of sorts, Stars, and two white-hot up-and-coming bands — Diamond Rings and California Wives. We sent our resident shutterbug Aggie Donkar out to the Cat’s Cradle to snap … Read more
All photos by Agatha Donkar If I could spend every Halloween with Heartless Bastards, I would like Halloween way more than I generally do. I highly recommend it as a way to spend Halloween! The Haw River Ballroom is such a big space, but it doesn’t always feel like a big space. With a full … Read more
Well y’all, turkey day is over. Our fridges are stuffed with leftover turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and that gelatinous stuff colored like cranberries. It’s the best week to save money by eating leftovers all week, and making yourself so goddamn sick of Thanksgiving food, you literally can’t stomach it ’til next year when you … Read more
Love songs, like ladies, come in many different shapes, sizes, colors and degrees of crazy. Some are sweet but not that exciting. Some are hot, but not the kind you’d let your parents listen to. Then, there are the kind that are enjoyable at first, but the more you’re around them, you simply want to gouge … Read more
The best thing about living in the Triangle is that you can never get tired of local music, because there’s always new local music; Rogue Band of Youth, who just released their self-titled debut LP, are one of the newest on the scene, and one of my current favorites. “Daedalus”, a cautionary tale of the … Read more
The first time you see a band, especially a young/buzzy band, is a lot like a blind date. The hours leading up to your shared meeting are filled with the realization that this shit could go either way. The evening could end with either an emblazoned love of a band you’ve bought into enough to drag yourself … Read more
Photo by Reed Benjamin Here at Speakers in Code, we’re pretty big fans of atmospheric Triangle rockers Lilac Shadows, who are getting ready to release a new full-length LP this week. We’re thrilled to premiere their equally atmospheric video for lead single “No Dark / No Light”, which you can stream below. The black and … Read more
The Julie Ruin | All photos by Agatha Donkar Girls Rock NC celebrated its tenth anniversary over the weekend, with a fabulous benefit concert on Saturday night, headlined by Kathleen Hanna’s The Julie Ruin and Mary Timony’s Ex Hex (Rips is out now on Merge Records, and it’s good, y’all) and supported by a slew of … Read more
Photo by Alex Manness But if I can’t be Elvis Presley I don’t wanna be no one Curtis Eller plays the banjo, occasionally yodels, and writes smart, thoughtful songs about a variety of subject matter — most of it historical. On “Old Time Religion”, the lead track from his latest release, How To Make It … Read more
Monday nights are especially tough to see a show, even for us music-junkies who would be sitting on the couch listening to a record spin anyway – getting your ass off the couch and throwing on your best t-shirt is especially daunting at the start of the week. But apparently, it’s the night to go … Read more
We’ve heard when Phil Cook isn’t touring the world with his genre-blending folk band Megafaun, he’s on the porch of his North Carolina home, finger-picking his guitar, while his loyal dog Willie lays nearby. So it only makes sense that these intimate moments would eventually be recorded and make their way to a proper release. … Read more
The above, horribly snapped picture, was taken last night as The Rosebuds practiced their new material live before an intimate audience packed neatly into a Civil War era theatre on UNC’s campus. As spring nights are in Chapel Hill, the air that filled the room was warm and electric, as college students in their summer … Read more
Buzzing Scottish band Admiral Fallow just took a huge leap of faith. They have agreed to make their second show in the United States (ever!) the first show (ever!) promoted by our little music blog! The show goes down in Durham at Fullsteam Brewery on March 19th as the band stops in the Triangle after … Read more
After steadily writing while both on and off the road over the course of last year, Tyler Ramsey headed to Nashville, TN, to record his third album of southern-fueled ditties in early January. Friend and bandmate Bill Reynolds (who’s worked with The Avett Brothers and Lissie) produced and aided on bass, and over a rare … Read more
Chapel Hill’s T0W3RS is one of those bands whose songs don’t fall neatly in line with the categorical system developed over the past decade by music fans, writers, and those pesky blogs. Sure, the elements are the same – no one (that I can hear) is playing the didgeridoo or doing anything purposely different to … Read more
Anyone with an ear to the ground in the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill area of NC have heard the rumble of a local music scene waiting to blow the eff up. From the wildly successful, and heavily local Hopscotch Music Festival, to stage-stealing opening slots before major national acts, Triangle bands brought their shit … Read more
Photo Credit: Agatha Donker Oberhofer busted up on our radar early last year when we happened across a free EP the duo posted on its website, quickly gaining the band a Jam of the Day nod, as well as a spot on our Best Songs of 2010 list. But we’re not the only ones who are keeping a … Read more
There is something about the spring in Wilmington, North Carolina that is filled with energy. Yet, it’s peaceful in a way that draws your mind back once winter’s final breath is complete. The days are warm, sunny, and breezy – typical for a coastal southern town. But as the sun dips below the horizon, the … Read more
Three awesome, but weirdly paired bands hit Carrboro last week, bringing a smorgasbord of sounds and vibes to a sold-out Cat’s Cradle crowd. Baltimore’s Future Islands, a band that is no stranger to packed houses around its native North Carolina, had opening honors, starting things off with their trademarked energy that is equally creepy as … Read more
Fertile ground can be found outside the heartland, folks. Just follow my gaze east, now south, yeah, that’s it. All the way down to The Port City, good ole’ Wilmington, North Carolina, where the soil is sandy, and cotton grows like those potatoes do in other places not surrounded by salt water. What’s cropping up … Read more
All Photos by Aggie Donkar/Brand New Kind of Photography It’s no secret that we here at Speakers in Code love Oberhofer. Hell, we’ve featured the band three times now, giving it a coveted spot on our Best Songs of 2010 list, sitting down with Brad and Pete for an interview over mediocre appetizers, and now … Read more