Damaged City Fest

For those of you who have no idea about modern punk bands, there's an insane fest coming up that definitely destroys most punk shows I've seen popping up recently. Damaged City Fest is a huge fest taking place in DC (get it?) on April 12th and 13th at St. Stephen's Church. And coolest of all, Double Negative (Raleigh hardcore) is playing.

At the top of the poster is legendary hardcore punk band Negative Approach, whose song 'Ready To Fight' has been covered by literally half of the good bands I've seen in my life, if that says anything. Dropdead sits at the top as well - their plain-looking logo says nothing about how brutal the band is. Last time I saw Dropdead was in DC with Magrudergrind - they definitely play harder than most younger dudes.

Double Negative (Raleigh's own hardcore outfit) earns a top spot as well on the poster. Their psyched-out style of hardcore has earned them a much-deserved, worldwide reputation.

Prisoner Abuse, a band that has been receiving a lot of hype recently, is playing as well, featuring the vocalist from Think I Care. Other bands I'm definitely looking forward to are Sick Fix, Tenement, and Ilsa.

This fest is being put on by cool dudes for cool dudes, so if you're a cool dude, it would only make sense if you went and supported the Raleigh and DC scenes.

Here is a link to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/512544085444884/?fref=ts

And here is a link to the poster (of course I do not claim any sort of rights to this awesome poster):

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/17639_10200110418417024_1819221175_n.jpg

 

-Possessed

Here is My Inquisition

Black metal in Raleigh. Sorry if you missed out cause it RULED.

Old Painless, Double Negative and Inquisition played at Six Forks Pub Dec. 5 for a last minute show put together by  some excellent people in Raleigh.

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Old Painless started the show off with destructive grindcore. They played a short set but it was pure brutality.

Next up was a Raleigh classic, Double Negative. If you haven't heard these hardcore hitters you should step up your game. Last year they ripped it apart with Corrosion of Conformity; this year it was Inquisition. Awesome each and every time.

Finally, Inquisition. Pure evil with corpse paint and all. This two piece played for probably close to 45 minutes or more and they typically play bigger venues like  Maryland Death Fest and Chaos in Tejas. It was super cool to hear their strange vocals and destructive drumming and guitar from so close.

If you missed this sorry sucker, it was awesome.

-It.

Local Beer International Band Night

If you learned in elementary school English that two negatives make a positive, then you already know to expect a good show from Raleigh's Double Negative when they perform Thursday, May 19 as part of WKNC and Tir Na nOg's Local Beer Local Band series.

"It’s the hardest-core hardcore band currently whipping punk kids half as old as the band’s members into foot- and fist-flailing mosh froths," writes Bryan Reed from Independent Weekly.

We then open our house to Århus for music by FOSSILS and Cola Freaks. Described as "Denmark's answer to the Fucking Champs," FOSSILS is a drum and bass rock duo with punk and metal influences.

Members of Cola Freaks backed Jay Reatard as part of his last live line up. The band's songs "will pogo around your brainpan for weeks after you hear them," promises the Chicago Reader.

The music starts after 10 p.m. FREE, 21+.

Dec. 9 LBLB = Hardcore!!

WKNC and Tir Na nOg are presenting Double Negative, Devour, and Nine Fingered Thug this week for Local Band Local Beer Night. The show is FREE, 21 and up, and starts at 10 p.m.  DELICIOUS local beers are on tap, though for some reason listening to hardcore always makes me want to drink PBR.  I cannot explain this. Then I want to smash the can...

Local Beat preview 4/3/09

On a baseball-shortened (6pm - 8pm) Local Beat tomorrow (Friday the 3rd), we will be having Scott Phillips from Goner and Chris Jones from the Loners.

Goner and the Loners represent two of four bands that will be rocking Tir Na Nog Saturday night for the Brian Walsby Comic / Melvins CD Release party.  If you want more info, check here.



We'll be talking about the release party and local music in general.  If you have any questions to ask the bands, shoot them to me here or call in during the show at 919-515-2400 or 919-860-0881.

See you out on the airwaves!

The Great 8

The long-time music critic for The News & Observer, David Menconi, has released the 2009 version of the "The Great 8".  The Great 8 is an annual list of local music talent that shines above the rest.  This year's list is wonderfully diverse, with acts from the classic indie format to the old-school 90s punk scene to screamo to hip-hop, and he even threw in a video game music guru (because everyone needs kick ass music to listen to when taking down Bowser).  Not to toot the "WKNC is better than your mother" horn or anything, but 2 of the 8 artists featured this year where apart of 88.1's Double Barrel Benefit 6 line-up from this past weekend!  If you missed DBB6, you still have a chance to catch some of these bands at a special "Great 8 Showcase" concert at the Local 506 on February 13th, 2009 including 4 of the 8 bands featured (HNMTF, Lonnie Walker, Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies, and Double Negative). Here is the full list:

Jason Graves, Raleigh

There are people who do absolutely no work and get all the credit.  Jason Graves does not fall into that category, in fact, he is quite the opposite.  As a video game track composer, Graves says that it does not phase him that his work is simply the background sounds to a usually much more complicated and interesting video game (unless we are playing PaRappa The Rapper, arguably the worst video game of all time).  Graves says that his contributions add to the overall entertainment value of the product, and that can evoke a lot of pride.  Graves also says he tries to tell a story in the lyric-less music he creates and I must say, some of his stuff evokes very strong emotions for being merely background music.  My personal favorites are his Star Trek compositions...THEY ARE EPIC!

Lonnie Walker, Greenville/Raleigh

Being a Double Barrel Benefit 6 performer, naturally, Lonnie Walker kicks ass.  This down-home feeling rock/Americana band signed to Raleigh based Terpsikhore Records has been compared to artists from Bob Dylan to Modest Mouse.


Double Negative, Raleigh

This old-school, hard-hitting, punk rock compilation sounds like, in terms our friend Jason Graves would understand, a band pulled directly off the soundtrack of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.  Yes, I mean the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater from the Playstation/Nintendo 64 era.  If that description is not your bag of chips, maybe you will just have to listen.

Violet Vector And The Lovely Lovelies, Chapel Hill

The second of the Double Barrel Benefit 6 bands on the list.  Pop on steroids with a whipped cream and cherry topping (after bathing in a rainbow shower).  That is my best description of Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies.  You can tell that these guys & gals truly enjoy what they do, and it shows in their music.

Alesana, Raleigh

If you could get as far from the type of music we just explored with Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies, Alesana would be right there smiling (well, maybe smiling isn't quite the appropriate word).  This rift crunching, double-bass pedal pounding, mosh-it-out-over-breakfast screamo band is sure to have you with your hand in the air, fist clinched, and head banging all night.

The Loners, Raleigh

The Loners have a unique history in the Raleigh music scene.  They can be considered the diamond in the rough (the rough being the closing of King's Barcade in downtown Raleigh in the spring of 2007).  After reuniting to play the last show at King's, the band decided to stay together because of the outpouring of support they receive from the show.  Fast forward almost two years and The Loners are getting set to release their first album since 2002, entitled "Revolution!" (hmm maybe a reference to THE Revolution, 88.1fm...okay probably not, but I can dream).

Inflowential, Raleigh

The beat boxes are crazy, and the live show is amazing!  If you have not seen/heard of this group and you have been in Raleigh for more that a year, then you need to catch up.  Inflowential (not to be mistaken for Kooley High, another hip-hop group that has crossover members) can be seen at  local venues or maybe you remember seeing them place in the top three nationally in mtvU's Best Music on Campus (a competiton with rising new music artists) last year.

Hammer No More The Fingers, Chapel Hill

Classic indie rock at its best from the town that cranks out indie-alternative like it is a day job.  Its very interesting to see how three driven musicians that grew up in Chapel Hill in the 90's turn out musically given the crazy musical scene in the town during the past decade or two (I am trying not to dwell to much on a place that is home to the ever so horrible Tar Holes, but it is hard in this case).