Ben Prestage Prestage racks up amps-load of cred with his Beale Street country blues shuffling along to vocals that channel Tom Waits growl and the accompanying cacophonous picking and percussion. But Prestage is a bluesman in his own right with an ear for bluesy gin joint rockers that would be also at home in a backwoods honky tonk. Double Door Inn
SUNDAY, JUNE 21
Trevor Exter. Cellist and singer Exter concocts funky ditties. He plays the cello, well, more like picks, pulls, slaps and bends it like a guitar and what ensues is everything but classical. A session man who has played with varied artists spanning genres, Exter’s music straddles the outer boundaries of twang, pop and rock. It’s darn good when he’s on and occasionally hokey when not. With Ben Henry and Erika Blatnik. Milestone
FRIDAY, JUNE 19
The Catch Fire Rising from the unraveling of the short-lived combo The Young Sons, The Catch Fire features veteran N.C. music scenesters. The quartet does a mondo melodic take on power pop stitched with spiky guitar riffs, happy bass and drums and harmony-soaked vocals. There’s a quaint vibe to the tunes that channel the last three decades of pop while tipping the hat to the ’60s. With the Empties. Snug Harbor
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17
Jeff Bujak. Piano popster Bujak is a one-man band tickling the ivories and tapping the keys while a steady drum machine backbeat holds up the semi jazzy, quasi-dance lounge compositions. The Syracuse, N.Y.-based Bujak, lovingly known as the Buj, is hauling his stacks of keyboards around the circuit pumping his new recording Alive Like the Spine. Double Door Inn
New York Dolls Dawning the age of glam punk with their quintessential debut 35 years ago, the New York Dolls can still rock the socks off most alterna rockers bouncing around on stages today. Vocalist David Johansen and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain are the only remaining original members and their new recording Cause I Sez So is a blistering statement on the Dolls’ staying power. Their influence on countless bands that have birthed since their debut is untouchable. Gig of the week. With Black Joe Lewis. Amos’ Southend
Miss Derringer. The L.A. quintet, led by vocalist Liz McGrath and husband/guitarist Morgan Slade, could be lost in the 1980s jungle. Yet with McGrath’s smoky lounge singer persona and come hither vocals, along with the band’s twangy, gothic new wave, the outfit pulls of an intriguing late-night music video channel persona. Miss Derringer is touring in support of the upcoming release Winter Hill. Also on the bill are Girl in a Coma, The Smokers. Milestone
J. Wail Jonah Gabriel Lipsky, alter ego J. Wail, crafts trancey dance music where Kraftwerk meets contemporary electronica. Wail is a digital wizard no doubt, but the technology doesn’t overwhelm while loop pedals and live electronics add funk to the spacey vibes. There are plenty of beats, but don’t think of J Wail as a DJ as he’s got synthesizers and multiple instruments lending a hand. Silver Machine is also on the bill. Double Door Inn
Big Business Sludge rockers Big Business drop heavy, say again, heavy, stoner and psych rock that’s akin to a kick in the nads. With steel toed boots. The Seattle blokes’ stints in Melvins, Karp and Murder City Devils have only honed the classic metal guitar bombast. The trio will release its third album, Mind the Drift, next month. In the meantime don’t forget the earplugs and the motion sickness patch. There must be something in the waters of the Northwest. With Tweak Bird. Milestone
Check them out for yourself:
The Foreign Exchange Here’s an R&B and hip-hop North Carolina combo that channels crooners like Al Green and adds guest soul-stroked female vocalists while drizzling classic urban soul with touches of hip-hop, trip-hop and sinewy jazz forays. Their instinctive plucking of elements from classic black music and the ability to wrap it all in contemporary R&B works nicely. Double Door Inn
Listen to The Foreign Exchange here:
That 1 Guy Mike Silverman, aka That 1 Guy, is a classically trained bassist touring with his invention the “magic pipe.” The pipe is a contraption adding to the funkiness, propped further by foot drums, that a typical bass can’t create, and it works because Silverman is such an accomplished musician. His one-man band nuttiness crosses the juncture where Zappa meets Tom Waits meets Ween meets Primus with scads of whacked lyrics in songs like “Weasel Potpie,” “Buttmachine” and “Steamin’ Hunks.” You get the picture. Double Door Inn
Husky Charlotte’s own psychedelic acid rock trio Husky is perfectly comfortable in the hollows where they exist. They dig the titans of guitar-god rockers of the ’60s and ’70s where blues was the firm foundation and long, layered and spacey rock jams were the norm, not the exception. Husky’s recent recording The Sea King is about as cosmic rock as it gets. With Delicious and Cement Stars. Tremont Music Hall
Webb Wilder For over two decades roots rocker Wilder has honed his wit-laden blues and roots rock to a point where its second nature. Along with his corky stage presence, the singer, guitarist and filmmaker backs up his oodles of musicality with irreverence and a tongue firmly planted in cheek. His most recent recording, Born to Be Wilder, showcases his most potent persona, performing live. The Evening Muse
