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Unit Six Keep it simple. Crank it up. Punk rock likes it that way. This South Florida punk trio thrives on old-school punk chords and riffs, lathered and soaking in good times. Hell, it’s hot and there’s nothing better for younguns on a mid-summer, mid-week night than a good ole multiband punk rock show. Also on the bill are South Side Punx, the Not Likelys, and When it Hits. Tremont Music Hall (Samir Shukla)
Neil Hamburger The comedic (but just slightly) alter ego of Gregg Turkington, Hamburger is perhaps best described as something of an anti-comedian, a hip Tony Clifton for the Secretly Canadian set. His act? Mostly some grumbling and coughing and clearing of his throat, a bad comb-over, and some audience heckling, combined with just enough desert-dry, straight-outta-leftfield (some might say completely and utterly random) references to grease the wheels of his humor hooptie. Check out his “Poolside Chats” series on tomgreen.com (where our man interviews Buzz Osborne of the Melvins, Will Oldham and others) for a taste. With Daiquiri & Randy Burke. The Milestone (Timothy C. Davis)
Journey The band has been together, off and on, for 35 years. They’ve been making headlines and more fame recently thanks to the addition of singer Arnel Pineda. The Filipino vocalist was found on YouTube and sounds a helluva lot like Steve Perry. The band’s latest album, Revelation, has been selling well, too. With Cheap Trick and Heart. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (Jeff Hahne)
Bruce Hazel & Some Volunteers Hazel has a batch of new songs and full-time band now, so the “Volunteers” part of the equation may not be as accurate as it once was. But if you like your rock ‘n’ roll passionate, and a part-Boss part-Strummer lead singer who leaves it all on stage every time out, this is your cuppa. Hazel and company also passed their first Goldie’s Garage hurdle and are one of 12 semifinalists in the running for a record contract with Little Steven’s Wicked Cool label. Hey, you gonna tell Silvio he don’t know from nuthin’? With Benji Hughes, the Ts. Snug Harbor (John Schacht)
Hope Massive Positive vibrations abound when this North Carolina reggae and dub outfit hits the stage. Formed in 2004, the multicultural five-piece lays down a foundation that’s solidly roots reggae. With the inflection of vintage Jamaican dance hall and plenty of polished harmony, there’s no problem living up to their self-proclaimed credo of “always positive, always forward.” With Sci Fi. Double Door Inn (Samir Shukla)
Early Man Fans of stripped-down, straight-ahead metal, prepare to party like it’s BCE 1,900,099. Yessir: if you want your rock of the Early Pleistocene variety, the Brooklyn-based, Flying V-wielding, Orange amp-exploding Early Man is your band. Their 2005 ballz-out release, Closing In, has had fans clamoring for a follow-up for three years now. That patience is about to be rewarded – the band is said to be releasing a new platter later this year on The End Records. RIYL: Kreator, Tygers of Pan Tang, Sabbath, Priest, Hawkwind and the like. With Valient Thorr, Monotonix & The Kick Ass. The Milestone (Timothy C. Davis)
Yardwork/Snagglepuss New kids on the block Yardwork bring their all-together-now field hollers and punk rock wattage to the Uptown crowd. Such a convergence could either alter the downtown landscape forever or herald end times; either way should be a gas, as the octet’s great new EP attests. They’ll be joined by Snagglepuss, a horn-fueled, new wave dance party featuring veterans of the Charlotte scene from Fetchin’ Bones and Sugarsmack to Come On Thunderchild and Smithwick Machine. Not so much a passing of the torch as a sharing of the artistic flame. Alley Cat (John Schacht)
Sun Domingo CD Release This wide-touring Atlanta combo is on the road pumping their debut full-length recording The World’s Alive. Sun Domingo’s acoustically tinged progressive pop’s charm lies in the songcraft, not gimmicks or trendy threads. Plenty of curvy, hooky pop rock is on hand where the lyrics are caressed with introspection. They don’t play with wide brush strokes, preferring precise lines and accents. With Luke Brindley and Chad Mackey. Evening Muse (Samir Shukla)
Nas, Talib Kweli & Jay Electronica
Amos’ Southend
July 29, 2008
By Mike McCray
The Deal: Jay Electronica (the new guy), Talib Kweli (the veteran) and Nas (the hall of famer) touch down in the Queen City to give Charlotte a lesson in hip-hop. (more…)
Chris Cornell The former singer for Soundgarden and Audioslave will perform plenty of hits from those groups as well as a heavy dose of solo material. The guy has one of the greatest voices in rock and when he was at Ovens Auditorium not so long ago, he showed that he hasn’t lost a bit of it with age. With Projekt Revolution. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (Jeff Hahne)
Lindsey Horne Band Horne’s music is often described as “sultry” – think Savannah in the summer, humid and alive with emotions both dark, dreamy and, ultimately, exhilarating. While a cop-out descriptive for a performer (and pianist) with jazz-y leanings, it nonetheless fits Ms. Horne, who mixes lovely staccato bursts of melody with journal-ripped rambles on all the tough topics life throws at us: love, loss, and relocation (physically or otherwise). Think of it as easy listening that’s not such an easy listen, if that makes any sense. With Hot House Heff-Tones. The Evening Muse (Timothy C. Davis)
Iron Cordoba These headbangin’ lads leave no stone unturned in their Spinal Tap meets drunk rednecks camaraderie. Whether blasting AC/DC-like rockers or singing drinking ballads such as “Irish Kiss,” the party and guitar mayhem is laced with good times, guitars, folk-metal, and even sing-a-longs. They’ll headline the White Trash Party 4 also featuring Dethrow Bodean, DJs, hot rods, dancing Daisy Dukes, redneck games, and general debauchery. Visulite (Samir Shukla)
Lamb Handler Charlotte rockers are one-part garage, one-part ’70s arena rock and plenty of energetic punk and boogie. Their straight-up rock, no chaser, may not break any new ground, but so what. They are putting the final touches on a disc to be released by ComaGun Records in August, and if the early mixes and demos are any indication, then get ready to turn up the amps. With Up With the Joneses & The Broken Strings. Snug Harbor (Samir Shukla)
Seth Walker Blues is the highway on which Walker drives his trusty wheels. His roots in rural North Carolina, and his home base of Austin for the past decade, have helped his authentic American music have that sittin’ on a porch feel. Walker has fine-tuned his writing and playing where traditional blues lovers as well as contemporary roots rockers can gather. His self-titled record from last year is like a snowball of his work over the past decade, where piano-tinged ballads and blues licks feel at home. Double Door Inn (Shukla)
Suffocation That rat-a-tat you hear isn’t some drive-by shooting, but N.Y. death metal band Suffocation booming on the hi-fi. Growly-assed vocals, bumping bass and gnarly guitars tangle with each other to unleash the heaviness. Label hassles, numerous releases, break-ups and reunions haven’t aged these cats’ angst, who released their debut way back in 1991. Crank the amps, but don’t forget to duck. With Labyrinthe and Faith in Ashes. Tremont (Samir Shukla)
