Man how time flies! I can’t believe it’s already August! That means we’re less than two weeks away from Punk Rock Picnic 3! Jeez, I’ve got a lot of work to do to get that show ready but you guys don’t have to worry about that, all you have to do is show up! In the meantime let’s take a look at what’s going on in local music!

This Friday August 6th The Milestone Club welcomes Guttermouth, The New Threat, South Side Punx and The Not Likelys. Huntington Beach CA’s Guttermouth blast out high energy, melodic punk rock with clever, humorious lyrics. It’s rare they come through the area so be sure to get out and check out these guys! The New Threat are from Florida and have been around since 2003. These guys play it just like it should be, loud and fast with barely a break from the sonic assault. Also on the bill are local kings of street punk, South Side Punx and excellent working class punks, The Not Likelys. This is a great show with a couple of great touring bands and a good representation of Charlotte’s own local punks, check it out if at all possible! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $13 for over 21 and $15 for under.

Sunday August 8th the Milestone Club will welcome Whatever Brains, Yardwork and Brain Flannel. Charlotte’s own Brain Flannel have a slight punk influence but with an ear shredding love of distortion, although the second song on their myspace seems to remind me of the Minute Men a little…Yardwork on the other hand takes much more of an indie-pop direction with their music. The melodic pop reminds me a little of the Flaming Lips, which is a definite compliment in my book. Although the Flaming Lips singer would never scream out the lyrics with the wild abandon of Yardwork. I definitely dig it and hope to catch them live soon! Raleigh’s Whatever Brains seems to fit perfectly between the sound of Brain Flannel and Yardwork, on one hand they are poppy and catchy but on the other they are distorted and fast as hell. Should be a great show, even if it’s guaranteed to make you late for work the next day! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under.

Over at Tremont Music Hall I forgot to mention a show last week so I will take the time to mention it now. If you haven’t made plans for tonight and you like music heavy enough to loosen the bolts in the cars in the parking lot then amble over to Tremont Music Hall for the bowel shaking sounds of Black Cobra, Howl, Struck by Lightning and Machete! This show will probably set off  the richter scale so don’t be worried if they report seismic activity in Charlotte tonight. Of course, it’s always possible with the power of Black Cobra and Machete in the same place it may warp the fabrics of reality and bring about the end of the world for real. If that’s the case it’s better to be at ground zero ( The site of the cataclysm, not the club in Spartanburg!) so head on out to Tremont and hold on for dear life! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $10 in advance, $12 dos with a $3 surcharge for under 21!

On a completely different note, Tremont Music Hall is having an 80’s hair metal revival next Tuesday August 10th as they welcome Faster Pussycat withL.A. Guns and John Corabi ( formerly of Motley Crue). I have to admit I grew up in the 80’s surrounded by metal and punk. I actually had the first cd by sleazy Los Angeles rockers Faster Pussycat. It was a fun guilty pleasure and occasionally it still is. I was never into L.A. Guns though, even though my wife assures me that they are awesome. I’ve never heard of John Corabi, but I assume he was one of the fill in singers from Motley Crue. Basically I think it’s all good to wax nostalgic for one night and rock out with some 80’s metal/ hard rock. So put on your spandex ( just kidding, please dont!) and tease your hair and head on out to Tremont Music Hall. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $15 in advance and $18 dos with $3 surcharge for under 21.

I would also like to mention the benefit for Charles Inman that is taking place at Snug Harbor tonight. From what I hear Charles was injured in a car crash and Snug decided to throw a benefit to help with the medical bills. The lineup is stellar! It features Charlotte glam punk band Babyshaker, the sleazy sounds of the Troublewalkers and the rockabilly, greaser rock riot of the Belmont Playboys. The doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm, which is early by Snug standards. Cover is $5 and goes to a good cause so get on out and rock out for a cause!

Also if you’re in the mood for rockabilly, head up to Puckett’s Farm Equipment Saturday night August 7th to check out the Bo-Stevens. These guys play some wonderful rockabilly/ western swing and would be a treat to watch in the “Bob’s Country Bunker” type confines of Puckett’s. I suspect the show will start around 9pm and cover will be $5.

Well that’s it for this week, I’ve got to get back to work getting Punk Rock Picnic 3 ready to blast off next week! Hope to see you guys at the show! Until then have fun and we’ll see you next week!

Thanks for the support,

Ryan Dead

Hey what’s up? I bet more than a few of you are feeling the after effects of the GBH / ANTiSEEN/ Outernational show last night at the Tremont Music Hall. By the way, if you went to the show send me a review! If I use your review you’ll get a prize!!  Btw, don’t forget about the Mr. Dibbs, Mr. Invisible, Thought Criminals show taking place tonight at the Milestone Club!! Go back and look at last week’s edition for a review of the show and then come back here to read this week’s edition. It’s okay I’ll wait……………………….. Oh, you’re back?! Cool, well now that you’ve been informed about what to do tonight let’s get on with the rest of the weekend!

First up Tremont Music Hall will welcome some more punk rock legends this Friday July 30th when they host Batusis with Prima Donna and the Mangles. Batusis features Cheetah Chrome formerly of the Dead Boys and Sylvain Sylvain formerly of the New York Dolls. The result of this combination is some really good, grimy rock and roll with edgy lyrics and just the right amount of snarl and grittiness. Alot of Charlotte’s young punk bands would do well to take notes from these veterans! Also on the show is Prima Donna, a band from Hollywood, CA who definitely look the part. They look very glam and rock and roll that could have been influenced by the New York Dolls, but more likely they got it from listening to Jet. I wouldn’t hold that against them though, I hear elements of Ziggy Stardust era Bowie and it’s pretty fun stuff. Opening the show in their first of two appearances this weekend is locals The Mangles. These guys are a great pick to open the show and haven’t gotten enough attention on the local scene. They have a gritty, garage rock style that lends a nervous energy to their slightly pop influenced tunes. To top it off the vocals kind of remind me of the Ramones and that is definitely a good thing. Doors for this show are at 8pm and admission is $10 in advance and $12 day of show with a $3 surcharge for under 21. And yes it is all ages so come out and witness more Punk rock history at Tremont!

The Lights Fluorescent will shine no more at the end of next month and in the meantime they continue their farewell tour with a stop at the Milestone Club. This Friday, July 30th,  the Milestone Club welcomes The Lights Fluorescent with Shotgun Lover and 500 Miles to Memphis. By now you are all familiar with the soon departing The Lights Fluorescent. This indie rock band captured the attention of the local scene, both critics and fans with their incredible live performances and dazzling songwriting but soon it will all be a memory. That’s a bummer, so be sure to check them out before they’re gone for good. Shotgun Lover are from the Nashville area and they have a slightly polished, garage rock type sound that is accented by an organ in the background and just enough honky tonk under the surface to keep your head bobbing. 500 Miles to Memphis have become like one of the family over at the Milestone Club and it doesn’t seem far to refer to them as “out of towners”, even though they are from Ohio. In any case these guys seem to straddle the line between rock, country and a little nod of punk for good measure. But they seem to handle at that tight rope walking with ease and almost at times sound like a younger, cooler Green Day dong the country thing. And no matter what you think of GD, it’s a compliment to these guys. If the music business was fair, these guys would already be bigtime! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under 21. 18+ only.

Also at the Milestone Club this Saturday July 31st is Lamb Handler, Unnamed and The Mangles. Lamb Handler have long been a favorite of mine on the local scene, playing some of the best pure rock and roll to ever come out of the city. Unnamed are a power trio from Savannah Ga who seem to have cut their teeth on psychedelic rock. They blast off into a sludgy cosmic ooze of heavy rock goodness and should go great with Lamb Handler. I can imagine that their live shows are loud as hell. This is the kind of music you feel as well as hear. The Mangles make their second appearance of the weekend at this show and if you didn’t catch them with Batusis the night before definitely come and check them out in the up close and personal confines of the Milestone Club. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under 21. 18+ only please.

Also wanted to make a quick mention that this weekend Snug Harbor welcome Future Birds, Pullman Strike and Clint Maul on Friday July 30th. I’ve heard alot of good things about Pullman Strike and hopefully they will continue to build a fanbase on the local scene! Saturday night July 31st Snug welcomes Babyshaker with The Vicious Guns and One Another. Babyshaker is one of my favorites and one of the few that are still around from when I played in bands. Hopefully the Batusis show will inspire them to continue to crank out high energy/ high attitude glam punk for many more years to come! Just remember if you’re going, Snug is 18+ and the shows don’t usually start till around 10pm!

Well that’s it for this week! We continue to gear up for Punk Rock Picnic 3, which is just a few weeks away! Tune in next week when we’ll take another look into what’s happening in the local music scene!

Thanks for the support!!

Ryan Dead

This review comes to us courtesy of Tremont Music Hall’s brand new website!

Foxy Shazam show review by Matthew Brothers ( aka Matty Pants)

Monday, June 28th’s lineup was nothing short of fantastic.  The show started with a bang as The Lights, Fluorescent took the stage to play their final show at Tremont Music Hall.  If there is one band that has perfected Indie Rock, its TLF.  From the hard hitting yet sometimes flowy and spacey guitars, to the loud gang vocals and the consistent hard rock bass and drumlines, The Lights, Fluorescent always put on a really great show.  The way they get on stage and have fun with one another puts everyone in the crowd into a fun, rockin’ mood.  As unfortunate as it is to see them leave the Charlotte music scene, those talented musicians are going to be successful no matter what their future endeavors hold.

Hi! Hope you guys are having a great week so far! I also hope everyone had a lot of fun at the Agnostic Front show, which I’ve heard was a big blowout! In any case, I also heard that a certain local publication dropped the ball again. A friend of mine emailed me to complain that the opener on the Against Me show didn’t get fair treatment in the write up in said publication. The writer for the review didn’t arrive until the opener, Dead To Me, was almost finished and what little he said about them was a generic blowoff, while going out of his way to suck up to Against Me, who probably didn’t need the help. I think this is a re-occuring problem with the mainstream Charlotte media. They tend to suck up and give tons of coverage to bands like Alice In Chains, Lady Gaga and other performers who don’t need the exposure for their already sold out shows. Not that Against Me necessarily fall into that category, for the record I’ve played with those guys before and they were all super cool. But you get my point. While I understand that you need to cover the big band who will help you sell ad space or move copies of your paper, it’s also important to cover the little guys who need the exposure. Who knows that story you write on them or the good review you give the band could help make them the headliner next time they come through.  And I know I’ve been guilty of this in the past, we all have. The point is we need to start paying more attention to all the bands, not just the established ones. That goes for the local scene as well as the bigger picture. Fresh bands and faces are what will keep the music community going for years to come, otherwise it all will just wither away. Anyway, enough of my soapbox preaching, my point is next time you go to a show try to arrive early so you can check out the opener. Even if you haven’t heard of them. As I’ve said before, there’s nothing better than seeing a band you’ve never heard of only to discover they’re you’re new favorite band!

Speaking of bands, it’s time for our latest edition of This Week!

We start with the Ghetto Fortress, The Milestone Club, which is remarkably still standing after last weekend. Tonight 5/20/10 they welcome The Weekday Crunch which is presented by Cataclysm. From what I can tell, this new series of shows is being used to showcase Charlotte’s resurgent hip hop scene and I say more power to them! This time they are showcasing the talents of Sham Grammar, whose one man flow has a decidedly old school feel to it and some banging beats behind it. Plus one of his alias’ is Chuck Columbo, which I believe is an awesome nick name! Also on the show is the abstract flow of Maf Maddox, who recently also appeared at Quantum Foundry’s CD release party. This cat is far out and I mean that as a sincere compliment. D. R. Universal sounds like he’s traveled the states and luckily now calls Charlotte his home. The flow is a little more toward mainstream hip hop but that’s not a slight, just an observation. He has an crazy myspace page although I wish the music player didn’t appear over the biography since it makes it impossible to read. Oh well, guess that’s an example of letting the music do the talking… Also on the show is K-Baz. Doors are at 8pm and admission is just $5 for over 21 and $7 for under.

Friday 5/21/10 the Milestone Club welcomes Music Hates You w/ Babyshaker, Black Skies and Chameleon. Music Hates You are an unrelentingly heavy band from Athens, who won the 2007 Flagpole music award for best punk/ hardcore band. That’s a big honor and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed if you dig your music heavy and dirty. Babyshaker have been doing what they do for over 10 years. If that’s not a testament to the quality of this band I don’t know what is. As it stands they are a glorified mix of the New York Dolls, Ziggy Stardust and a really out of control party. Adam Lambert wishes he had as much stage presence as Scott Weaver… Black Skies are a power trio from Chapel Hill with a thunderous sound that brings to mind how they must have got their name. Chameleon is opening the show but I can’t give a proper description since they deleted their songs off their myspace page. They did leave an explanation that stated that the old songs were outdated and not representative of what they sound like now. They promised to get some new songs up soon, possibly from a live set that was recorded at the Milestone. In any case show up early and see what they sound like for yourself! Isn’t that the point of the rant I had above?? Doors are at 8pm for this one and admission is $7 for over 21 and $9 for under.

Saturday night 5/22/10 Tremont Music Hall has a throwdown planned as they welcome the metal/ hardcore of Kill Whitney Dead, The Demonstration, Vanisher and Pain After Death. Yeah that’s right it’s all tight pants and karate kick dancing in the pit at Tremont. I’m not the best person to ask about these types of bands but Burlington’s the Demonstration get my vote for being the “Don’t Miss These Guys”  band for this night. Not just because they have an ultra heavy, double bass throwdown, so tight it could squeeze out a diamond sound but also because they do a hilarious cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”…. Seriously, I’m not kidding! Go check out their myspace if you don’t believe me! Doors for this show are at 8pm and the show starts at 8:30. Admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door plus a $3 surcharge for under 21.

Also on 5/22/10 Snug Harbor will be hosting the warmup for the Snug 600, which will be the following weekend. Featured on the warm up will be some of Charlotte’s best rock bands; Lamb Handler, The Mangles and Up with the Joneses. I’ve spoken the praise of Lamb Handler non stop on this site ever since I first heard them and I’m not gonna stop now. They may be the best pure rock band in Charlotte. Slinking vocal gymnastics and melodic guitar over a driving rhythm section will make a believer out of you too! The Mangles are a kick ass garage rock band with vocals that still remind me of how much I miss the Ramones… Up With the Joneses, from Tennessee,  I’ve also spoke on before and just like last time I wondered how they ended up on this show? It seems their folky, acoustic, jam band style would clash with the more rocking style of the other two bands. Oh well, it’s Snug Harbor, where anything is possible…. Snug no longer post times on their calendar but I would bet the show starts pretty late as is their habit…

I would also like to mention that on 5/22/10  Neighborhood Theater will be hosting the 3rd Annual Charlotte Femme Fest featuring 50+ artists, musicians, poets and filmakers on multiple NoDa stages. This is a really cool event and the proceeds go to support Center of Hope, which is a Women’s and Children’s Homeless Shelter. So be sure to come out and celebrate women in the Charlotte area scene while support local women. It starts at 5:30 pm and tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show.

Well that’s it for This Week! It is highly possible I will have a special guest host for the column for the next couple of weeks. Who will it be?? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you all soon!

Thanks for the support!

Ryan Dead

"This cover just oozes 80's!"- Ryan Dead

Babyshaker – Legendary (self-released)

I still remember when Ryan Dead and I were living at Morningside Apartments and he brought home the first Babyshaker CD, The Best of Babyshaker.  It must have been 2001 according to the copyright date on the back cover.  I remember us listening to it and deciding that the production didn’t do them any justice.  At the time I considered Babyshaker (www.myspace.com/babyshaker) a party band thanks to adopted stage names like DC Superstar and Dallas Thunder, the glam clothes, etc.  In my view most party bands bring it live, but don’t usually end up getting much playtime when I’m away from the show.  Knowing that Babyshaker finally had their second album coming out I decided to revisit that first album for the first time since 2001 just to have it as a point of reference.  I didn’t find the production quite as off-putting this time around and I found more depth to their songs than I recall noticing back then.  Despite all of that, I could tell that they were no longer quite the same band today as they were back then.  The term “party band” doesn’t spring to mind quite so readily when I think about the music they’ve been playing live in recent years.  I’m not saying that the party’s over, but this is not the same party I was crashing in 2001. I think I’ll stay at this party a little longer, thank you!

Even a casual listen to their new 7-song, vinyl-only LP Legendary underlines the fact that they’ve changed with a huge, blossoming sound hitting you straight out of the gate.  The LP comes with a coupon allowing you one free download that includes all 11 songs recorded for this album.  Produced and recorded by Don Dixon at The Milestone during off hours with the club functioning as a studio, the band recorded live and with minimal overdubs.  Frequently, when local or regional bands, who I regularly see play live, put out a new album I don’t find myself listening to their albums much because their recordings just don’t capture their live energy all that well, but this album manages to escape that fate in spades.  I’m not going to compare them to other bands because I can’t think of any immediate reference points.  That’s actually a good thing since I hear so many bands these days where I find myself thinking “yeah, they’re trying to sound just like…”.  The glam band power chords are still here, but they’ve deepened.  The good times on this disc share space alongside songs that ride atop an edge of desperation and sadness.

For a few years now I’ve thought that Babyshaker’s greatest anthem was “La Boutisserie” (the one where the chorus is “we like the girls, girls, and the girly boys”) and I’m happy that the song is one of the download-only bonus tracks.  But the fact that they didn’t include it on the vinyl proves that Babyshaker are well aware of the musical and spiritual changes that I’ve touched on in this review.  I guess that songs like the fun-loving “La Boutisserie” just don’t happen for them quite so frequently or casually anymore.  Nowadays, they’re more likely to stumble onto a song like “My Karate Is Good Tonight”.  Since I was handed a CD-R of this album a few weeks back I have been thoroughly obsessed with “My Karate Is Good Tonight”.  The spoken verses add a chilling, dramatic effect which finds its only release in the haunting, plaintive melodic pleas of “Hey Viriginia” in the choruses.  I’ve heard them play the song live quite a few times, but the recorded version is one for the ages.  I spoke with lead singer Scott Weaver last week and he told me that the band’s newest material continues in this same direction.

After 11-1/2 years together most bands are creatively spent or, at best, are sticking with what they know and are not likely to take an unexpected and engaging turn such as Babyshaker have taken here.  This is rare and a cause for celebration.  Speaking of which, the release party for this album takes place where it was birthed at The Milestone on Sat. April 10th.  Oh, and I plan to stay at this party until it ends, so if you’re not busy…

- Chris Peigler

“Well the rain keeps pouring down, nobodys coming out. We’ll play anyway, until they shut us down!” – Someplace Along the River- The Overmountain Men

Sorry, I was looking out the window at the insane amount of rain we’re getting and thought those lyrics about summed it up. If you haven’t checked out the Overmountain Men or gotten a copy of “Glorious Day”, which came out the other week you should. It’s some great stuff! Hopefully you’re staying warm and dry on this rainy Friday. In the meantime let’s take a look ahead and see what’s going on next weekend in this edition of Next Week!

The Milestone Club- Andy the Doorbum’s 5 year anniversary w/ Andy the Doorbum, 25 Minutes to Go, Babyshaker and 2013 Wolves 2/12/10- Has it been 5 years since Andy the Doorbum first appeared on the Charlotte scene? Hard to believe it’s been that long! But you’ll be hard pressed to find a musician who is more beloved by the Charlotte scene in general. His go for broke intensity that he brought to solo acoustic shows first brought him to the collective attention of the scene. Then the cd’s came out. I wasn’t fortunate enough to get the demo, but I did get a copy of his first full length titled “Art is Shit”. It literally blew me away! Take the intensity he shows in his solo shows with an incredible depth. The collage of sounds were woven into a sonic tapestry and in my review last year I declared that it might be the best thing to come out of the local scene. Combine that with the fact that Andy has taken his live band on tour this past year and he definitely deserves more than just a tip of the hat from the local scene! He’s a Charlotte original and our scene is better because of the Doorbum! It seems like the local music community agrees with me as the opening slots on this show are a bunch of ringers. 25 Minutes to Go play some straight up rock / punk rock with sing along choruses and recently played a 5 year anniversary themselves. Babyshaker play a glammed out punk tinged form of rock with liberal sprinklings of the New York Dolls and they recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary. Opening is the always massive 2013 Wolves. Massive sound is not what you’re used to in a two piece but these guys will blow the top of your head off. Come out, celebrate and don’t forget to tip your local doorbum!! Admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under! Doors at 8pm and it’s 18+.

Ska/ Hip Hop Summit 2010

Tremont Music Hall- Stillnotdead.com presents: Ska/ Hip Hop Summit 2010 w/ The Thought Criminals, IED, Angry Banana and The Real Deal  2/13/10- I talked about this show earlier in the week but just wanted to remind you about it. Now that the dust has settled on the Tremont controversy and we know that it will definitely be around we thought it was high time to have another ska party at Tremont. The twist this time is that we’ve invited local explosive hip hop live band, The Thought Criminals to join in the fun. These guys mix up hip hop with every other genre they can think of and come across as a  modern equivalent of Parliament. Also on this party are local rock/ ska/ revolutionaries IED who have a brand new cd out that is incredible to say the least. If you don’t have a copy you a missing out! The real pleasure at this show is that we’re welcoming two touring ska bands to Charlotte for this show. Angry Banana from New Orleans and The Real Deal from Canada! So show up early and rock out to some great music at this all ages party we’re throwing for you at Tremont. It’s all ages, the cover is $7 bucks and we’ve gotten Tremont to waive the surcharge for the night! Hopefully we’ll see everyone there!!

I did also want to mention that there is a pop punk show at SK Net Cafe on Saturday February 13th as well. This show will feature We Shout Goodnight, Bracing for Impact and The Speak Of. The cover for this show is $3 bucks and the doors open at 9pm. I’m not sure about the age range on this one but it is probably 18+.  I’ve noticed that SK Net has been having quite a few of the smaller punks shows recently but the problem is you have to pay close attention as they don’t update their web calendar like they should. In a few weeks they have Murder Media coming back to town with Razorkat and I believe the Not Likelys. Anyway, keep an eye out for those shows. If I find out about them ahead of time I’ll definitely pass the word along.

Well that’s it for this week! Try to stay safe and dry and we’ll see you next time!

Ryan Dead

We have 2 great galleries sent in by Chris Peigler. The first is the Meat Puppets with Dexateens and Babyshaker from their 12/1/09 show at the Visulite Theater. The second is of area hardcore band Grids playing in the most unlikely of locations, Urban Outfitters in South Park Mall! You can check out both at the Stillnotdead Gallery!

Ryan Dead

In case you haven’t noticed from the photo feed, we’ve added a couple of galleries to the site. First up is a gallery from Ramonesfest that took place at Snug Harbor last month. It features 25 Minutes to Go, Antiseen and several other bands paying tribute to the mighty Ramones. The second gallery features Babyshaker, the Dynamite Brothers and Satan’s Youth Ministers also from Snug Harbor. Both galleries were shot by Chris Peigler of the Rogue Nations. Check both galleries out as well as a ton of other galleries in our Gallery section!

Okay November is moving right along and Snug is still standing after Ramonesfest. Now that the dust has settled from that, let’s move on to look at more upcoming local shows on this episode of “Next Week”!

The Milestone Club- Mike Hale (Gun Moll) Chris Wollard (Hot Water Music) and the Ship Thieves, KP Soloman 5000 11/11/09- Okay this is an interesting concept and I don’t know if they set it up like this or not, but this show features a lot of people who are famous for being in other bands. This is like “Solo project Night” at the Milestone. KP Soloman is of course, known for plucking the bass in 25 Minutes to Go, what you may not know is that he also has an acoustic side underneath all that. Course, you probably do know that because the Soloman has been burning up the bar circuit lately with his personal, intimate style of songwriting. Mike Hale is the singer/guitar player for Gunmoll but his solo stuff is exactly the opposite of the loud rock band. Intricate acoustic picking and introspective lyrics, sung with a husky voice makes for a mellow mood. Chris Wollard of Hot Water Music fame has banded together a bunch of his Gainesville buddies and are touring as Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves. If you are coming expecting a roaring, loud rock show ala Hot Water Music you’re in for a surprise. This project is surprisingly folky, intimate and almost indie sound. This should be a fun night to watch guys who are normally loud and proud get all acoustic and emotional. Admission is $7 and doors are at 8pm.

Double Negative play the Milestone Club 11/13/09!

The Milestone Club- Double Negative, Grids, Moenda, Brain Flannel 11/13/09- Whatever I said about the previous show, this show is just the opposite. Not that these guys don’t have emotion to there singing it’s just angrier emotions. Double Negative last played with Fucked Up I believe and that show was damn near a riot. Expect no less this time. Raleigh’s Double Negative play a high tempo, full speed ahead music that will blow your mind. To put it mildly, Double Negative kick a lot of ass. High speed riffs with screaming, distorted vocals played with a wide open abandon that few bands achieve. It’s face melting to say the least. Grids are a Charlotte rock/ indie/ hardcore band that communicate via heavy riffs and clever (when you can make them out) lyrics. Slower paced than Double Negative ( that’s most bands btw) they still manage to have a heavy, reverbed almost ominous sound. Moenda is a Charlotte band featuring Davey Blackburn of Calabi Yai. Their sound is more like avant garde jazz noise meets relentless distortion. Not really my thing but at one time I would have loved it. It’s really gonna depend on how into John Zorn you are… Also playing is Brain Flannel, which features members of Logic Problem, Yardwork and Grids. Tickets are $6 for over 21 and $8 for under and doors are at 8pm.

The Milestone Club actually has two more shows that I wanted to squeeze in the column this week. Saturday 11/14 the Milestone welcomes the Lights Fluorescent, one of Charlotte’s premier indie rock acts featuring the amazing Erika Blatnik. Also on the bill are Hallelujah the Hills, Yep Roc records Drink Up Buttercup and The Lesser Pauls, whose PJ Harvey meets Sonic Youth meets Jefferson Airplane sound have me paying attention. On Sunday 11/15 the ‘Stone welcomes a night of heavier than hell music featuring the infamous Black Cobra, Black Tusk, Charlotte’s own heavier than your four piece duo, MACHETE! and psychedelic rock outfit Chylde. Should be a heavy way to start the week. Talk about a Monday morning hangover!

Btw, I wanted to mention that Rodi in Gastonia is 13 years old this month. Hard to believe that Rodi has been open for 13 years but it’s true and we wanted to pass along our congratulations to them! For the uninitiated Rodi offers up great food and free live shows for the acoustic minded. It’s an eating experience that is unique in the area and never fails to make a great, memorable night. For more info go to www.rodiworld.com!

I also wanted to give a brief mention to two shows coming up this week at Amos Southend. First off, it’s all tight pants and eyeliners on Tuesday the 10th as Amos welcomes Boys Like Girls w/ Cobra Starship, The Maine,  A Rocket to the Moon and Versa Emerge. This show is all ages (if it wasn’t there might not be anyone there!) and it’s $25 in advance and $28 day of show. Doors open at 6pm. It’s just the opposite on Saturday the 13th when Amos welcome Hatebreed w/ Unearth, Canibal Corpse, Hate Eternal and Born of Osiris. Jesus, I’ve seen Hatebreed and Canibal Corpse before and this show will be the heavy death metal jam from hell. If you don’t love violence stay away from the pit at this show because it will be fast and violent for sure. This show is 16 & over tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door and doors open at 7pm.

Snug Harbor- Dynamite Brothers, Babyshaker, Satan’s Youth Ministers 11/14/09- Somebody at  Snug Harbor are secret soul fans and I love it.  First Chain & The Gang and now the Dynamite Brothers. This guy have an organ to grind and harmonies to spare. This Chapel

Dynamite Brothers and Babyshaker 11/14/09

Hill party band get it all right with soulful vocals, singing about their love of women with a back breaking beat and great bass lines that will get your booty shaking. I don’t know where all these soul bands are coming from but you’ll get no complaints from me. These guys remind me of Three Dog Night and that’s a compliment! Babyshaker may not have as much soul but they definitely bring down the house with the swagger of lead singer Scott Weaver. Glam, rock, punk songs about whatever ails them is what to expect from these guys. And anyone who can last past the infamous 10 year mark definitely gets my respect! Satan’s Youth Ministers get my award for “name of the week”! This Alabama band specializes in psychedelic, garage rock with a nod of r&b. That’s all good as well. Noisy and fun these guys are a great way to start the party. It’ll be a fun night at Snug Harbor for sure.

Snug Harbor- The Dirt Daubers, Appalucia 11/15/09- The Dirt Daubers are Colonel JD Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers with his wife Jessica and “Slow” Layne Hendrickson. They hail from Western Kentucky and play an ecclectic mix of Appalachian, ragtime and hot jazz standards and original music. That pretty much makes them a match made in heaven for Charlotte’s own Appalucia. This Corey Ziggler/ Andy the Doorbum project are also disciples of the Appalachian sound and this show will go great with a mega dose of moonshine!

Well that’s it for this edition of “Next Week” ! If you guys hear about a show and want to pass it along to us, send me an email! Bands keep the flyers coming! We’ll see you next time! Thanks!

Ryan Dead

Murder Media and Razorkat @ Lunchbox Records 5/27/09

Okay, I’m sorry for the delay this week. I’ve had a death in the family but I still wanted to post something up for you guys. I’ll do a better update next week! If I miss your show send me a flyer and I’ll put it on here when I get it.

Lunchbox Records

5/27/09 Murder Media and Razorkat- The undisputed kings of ska/thrash from Columbia meet Charlotte’s brand new punk band at Lunchbox Records. Murder Media rule the Columbia, SC scene with their ska/ thrash/punk frenzy and have cultivated a following here in Charlotte. Razorkat bring the Bad Religion type punk to the Charlotte scene. Their recent debut at Snug Harbor was a great intro into the scene for them and I think they are a welcome edition to the scene. Don’t let the fact that it’s the middle of the week keep you away. This show will kick a lot of ass so be sure to check it out!

Chaos in Gotham, You Me & Us and the Not Likelys in Columbia, SC

New Brookland Tavern- Columbia, SC

5/31/09 Chaos in Gotham, You Me & US and The Not Likelys- Speaking of Columbia, our friends in Uncool Productions are proud to present Chaos in Gotham, You Me and Us and the Not Likelys at New Brookland Tavern. This is a great road show if you are not from there and even greater if you happen to be checking us out from Columbia, SC. I’m sure they have the admission backwards on the flyer even though if they don’t it would be really funny! To everyone going to the show be sure to check out the Not Likelys’ new songs! They really rock! I can’t wait for them to make it onto a stage near us again!

The Milestone Club

Babyshaker, Lamb Handler and Transient 5/29/09 @ The Milestone Club

5/29/09 Babyshaker, Lamb Handler and Transient- Due to my family issues this week I haven’t been able to check out Transient. My apologies! Whoever they are, they are truly lucky to be playing on this show. Babyshaker and Lamb Handler are a hipster rock super show! Babyshaker are Charlotte’s answer to glam punk/ rock with the sneer of the New York Dolls mixed with generous doses of rock. Also I’m sorry but Adam Lambert of American Idol totally stole his look from Babyshaker’s lead singer Scott Weaver! Lamb Handler continue with their crusade to make sure local rock never dies! Nowadays their songs may have a little more “Jingle Jangle” but they still know how to push out rock jams that will remind you of the ’90s and feature both kick ass melodic guitar and smooth as silk vocals! This should be lots of fun!

Well that’s it for this week, sorry I don’t have more but next week we will be back to form! Take care and we’ll see you on the forums!!