Bluegrass father and mandolin master Bill Monroe famously characterized the genre as having a “high lonesome sound.” This week, expectations are high, but it doesn’t look like there will be anything lonesome about the International Bluegrass Music Association’s first year in Raleigh.
Blitzen Trapper is a folk group with some grit around its edges but a warm, genuine center. Staff writer Charlie Shelton talked to band leader Eric Earley about the band’s new record’s sound and what drives Earley to make music.
Thanks for Sharing ??? In “Thanks for Sharing,” the “sharing” factor may cross over into “TMI” territory as it plunges you into the lives of three very different sex addicts.
Prisoners ???? Everyone knows about the Amber Alert, but you don’t really think about the emotional ramifications of a lost child until it happens to you.
The Rubens The Rubens Pop rock ??? Heavily influenced by the Black Keys, The Rubens’ debut album teems with scratchy vocals, loud guitars and heartache, all carefully placed amidst a bluesy-rock vibe that underscores each track.
New Hill Tracks Folk rock ???1/2 On his debut album, Jesse Wooten’s solo project New Hill adds a modern rock aesthetic to conventional folk music.
Blitzen Trapper VII Folk Rock ???1/2 Blitzen Trapper’s VII, the Oregon-based group’s seventh album, delivers more grit, Southern storytelling and soul than ever before.
Chvrches The Bones of What You Believe Synth pop ???1/2 With EDM and electronica continuing to gain popularity, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for synth pop groups to differentiate themselves.
The Foreign Exchange Love in Flying Colors Electronic hip hop ??? Rapper/singer Phonte and producer Nicolay return as The Foreign Exchange with its fifth album Love in Flying Colors. On the album, the duo produces a thumping mix of electronica, R&B and hip hop.
Polvo Siberia Rock ???? If it wasn’t evident already, Polvo is a Chapel Hill institution. The group’s sixth album is full of the angular dissonance that one has come to expect from the legendary band, but on Siberia it is complemented by a tuneful sense of melody.
Jews and Catholics Civilized Rock ?? Civilized, the newest record from Winston-Salem garage rock band Jews and Catholics, is exactly that: civilized.
Yuck Glow & Behold Noise rock ???1/2 Two years after its well-received, self-titled debut album, Yuck returns with Glow & Behold, led by new frontman Max Bloom.
Chris Carrabba, known for his emotionally-charged lyrics and acoustic guitar reveries as the frontman for Dashboard Confessional, will take the stage Saturday at Local 506 with his new folk-inspired band Twin Forks.
This week, the Diversions staff got together to curate the perfect soundtrack for the changing weather.
The old adage, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” carries a lot of weight in the musical realm.
The Family When it comes to mobsters, it’s all about family. Mob families specialize in violence, epic showdowns and big hair with big secrets. They don’t do normal, which is the main problem with Luc Besson’s action-comedy “The Family” Mob families are anything but normal, so why try to make them something they’re not? The film follows mobster Giovanni Manzoni (Robert De Niro, of course) and his family as they relocate to live a “normal” life under the Witness Protection Program after he snitched on his fellow kingpins. The family itself, known as the Blakes, includes his tough wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and his teenage children: daughter Belle (Dianna Agron) and son Warren (John D’Leo.) The problem with “The Family” is that despite a strong family dynamic, the plot is dead on arrival.
Schooner Neighborhood Veins 4 1/2 stars Rock
Loamlands Some Kind of Light 3 stars Folk rock
Prypyat is a Durham-based band consisting of couple Duncan Webster and Leah Gibson. On the heels of releasing its EP Floor to Sky the group is beginning to tour more heavily.