One of [if not] my favorite North Carolina products happened to stop by Daytrotter and play a few songs today [well they were released today, I can't say they recorded them today]. They dropped a new song "Teenage Poem," which is so sick. A kickin' bass line and classic LW guitar breakdowns really give this song an awesome sound, one that sounds like nothing else they've done before, but it's still the same Lonnie Walker which is great. I'm excited to hear some new material. And big ups to them for some major recognition from Daytrotter, this is a sure sign that they are on their way to doing great things.
Here's a new tune from NC natives Lonnie Walker. I saw them at Local 506 in Chapel Hill a few weeks ago [read more] and they played a great set. On November 4th, 2010 they will be releasing "Love Turn" as a 7" split with Future Islands. It's going to be pressed on a peach vinyl, that is oh so sexy. [check out the picture below] They have been playing to song live for a while, I know they played it when I saw them open for Harlem and the Love Language back in April. There is a great little guitar riff when the beat picks up. The song features a monologue-like part that all of Lonnie Walker's best songs do. Not that Lonnie Walker's songs are painfully long, but this one is shorter than most [3:15] and leaves me wanting more. I think this 7" is the start of a road to a new album, hopefully we'll know more about it soon. PRE-ORDER HERE
Friends and Friends of Friends
free digital // limited cassette comp
Side A
1. Weekends - A Defining Love (acoustic)
2. Future Islands – Virgo Distracts (live @ DubLab)
3. Height with Friends – Current Floor (King Rhythm Redux)
4. Winks - Sometimes I Can Fake a Smile
5. Daytime - Lights
6. Food For Animals – Dope (Jones Remix)
7. Sri Aurobindo – Don’t Know (live @ WMUC)
8. The Violet Hour – Echoes
Side B
9. Moss of Aura – Generations
10. Lands and Peoples – In Living Colour
11. Lonnie Walker – Feels Like Right
12. Tapes in Space – Bat Meat
13. Shields - DANGx2
14. B&P – Greminals
15. Brendan Sullivan – Young Thunder Pt. 1
This is the first mixtape/compilation from the Baltimore record label. The most intriguing part of this for me is NorthCarolina's Lonnie Walker. It is a song that doesn't happen to be on their debut album. I have seen them live twice and they are only getting better, I can't wait to see where they go. But this is a very eclectic mix. It includes tinges of blues and flashes of trance. Watch out for diversity, no wait, embrace it.
I saw this band in the fall at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill. It’s a small venue with couches and usually draws small crowds. But Port O’Brien and Sea Wolf packed this place and got everyone on their feet. They put on a good live show. The album contains a plethora of superb songs. The lead singer's voice is one of the best indie rock voices out there today. I do prefer his voice to the girl's (who plays banjo) but when singing together they are quite a dynamic duo. This album is better than All We Could Do Was Sing, and that was great album.
Key Tracks: “My Will Is Good” and “Leap Year”
14.
Grizzly Bear
Veckatimest
The build-up of this album was beyond any other disc I have ever seen. With such high praise, as the possibility of being the album of the year and the decade before it came out, it was hard to not check this album out. It wasn’t as musically wholesome as I imagined it to be, I don’t know, I just didn’t see the light when I listened to this album. They are such a chill/mellow band you have to crank the volume when you’re listening to them, or you just might fall asleep. This album contains two incredible songs that make the album, as a whole, quality.
Key Tracks: “Two Weeks” and “While We Wait for the Others”
13. The Heavy
The House That Dirt Built
The Heavy is a blues band infused with a punk guitar and an ensemble of horns. Minus the guitar, they could easily be mistaken for a band straight out of the 40’s. Their sound is slowed down and more bluesy than that of Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears. Their sound is few and far between these days. The lead singer will remind you of prince or a less enthusiastic James Brown. I had to go with three key tracks on this album, you know they’re getting good now.
Key Tracks: “Short Change Hero,” “How You Like Me Now,” and “No Time”
12.
Lonnie Walker
These Times Old Times Master
Saw these guys at Local 506 in Chapel Hill in early December. They played an hour long set at the Daily Tar Heel’s Diversions Party. It was a good set, seemed like they got in a good amount of songs. I found “Compass Comforts” on Ear Farm’s Top 10 NC Bands You Should Hear Now back in August and recognized that song at the concert but didn’t recognize anything else except that it was all good stuff. Just about everyone compares Lonnie Walker with Bob Dylan, which YES, it is a good comparison. I feel like his voice is a little reminiscent of the lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America with a kind of folk twang to it. This album isn’t well known outside of NC but those that have heard it, praise it.
Key Tracks: “Grape Juice,” “Compass Comforts,” and “Summertime”
11.
Empire of the Sun
Walking on a Dream
It’s very hard to put words to this music. I will say that this was one of the first songs I found on MOKB. The costumes (well I hope they are costumes) are great and fit well with this music. This eclectic duo put out a great synth-heavy album which received higher praise overseas than the US. This is not surprising because it is great in all its pop/electronic glory. The group governs the synthesizer and uses it in such different manners if you compare “Swordfish Hotkiss Night” an almost techno/trance track and “Standing on the Shore,” a pop anthem. Overall a great album from a clever group of musical dudes.
Key Tracks: "We are the People" and "Walking on a Dream"
