Welcome back to Bonus Track, a reflection on days most recently gone by. It’s been a few months since we’ve done one of these, made special by the fact that this is the website’s 100th published article. Not a bad pace for 433 days.
Anyway, let’s jump in.
Headliners
“Pass the cranberry sauce, we’re having mashed potatoes!”
I hope the Thanksgiving holiday was relaxing and filled with gratitude. Ours was a standard “time with the family” day that had me reflecting on the 14 months of running this website. Like, the sheer number of connections it has formed across our statewide music scenes blows my mind every day. Or that I’m constantly in awe of the fantastic folks who are out here creating community through music.
There is so much shit designed to make us rage at vague others online. It’s genuinely a toxic cesspool. And yet, I’ve seen firsthand how local community — “touching grass” if you will — can be the antidote. That doesn’t mean it’s automatic or easy to do. But what good things ever are?
All that is to say that I’m thankful for everyone who has even laid their eyes on this little corner of the Internet. This has only been the beginning of what we can achieve.
Mountains to Sea Vol. 1 Update!
I’ve mentioned our move in some of the articles over the last few months, which consumed a lot of my energy and time. It’s only been a month under one roof (instead of split between two), but every Mountains to Sea Vol. 1 order has finally shipped!
I’m planning to do a full breakdown of this project in our “State of the Tapes” wrap-up next month, but here are some quick stats:
- $716.19 donated to date
- 74 cassettes sold
- Average sale of $9.68
- 1 package shipped to Wales
If you’re looking to support Western North Carolina and get some awesome local music, we still have some cassettes for sale alongside the digital compilation. A huge thank you again to every artist who contributed and to each supporter of this release.
Tripped up by Geese
Did you know that one of the biggest rock bands right now is Geese. Not to be confused with Goose, another rock band (though much more jam-centric). Everyone from Nick Cave to Andy Samberg loves Geese. And I just feel so…meh about them? Oh god, am I out of touch?!
Don’t get me wrong, they’re a killer group of musicians. When I listen to their new, critically acclaimed album Getting Killed, I’m gripped by the pounding drums, creative yet catchy riffs, and underlying grooves. But I’m lost at the tonal assault from singer/guitarist Cameron Winter, who released a highly successful solo album last December that all but blew up the band with it. His voice does nothing for me.
This would be a good time for me to highlight the last two paragraphs, hit delete, and end with two headlines. But I’m prepared to be a fool in hopes that, maybe, I’ll come back to this in the future as some Geese-head. And as I read the words of my old unenlightened self, I’ll lightly shake my head and smile.
That would be great.
In Case You Missed It…
Usually, I include links to what we’ve put out in the last month here. But since it’s been four months and 30 articles since the last Bonus Track, here are all the artist interviews.
- Gabe Anderson and Saman Khoujinian (Sleepy Cat Records) — What to expect from Sleepy Fest ‘25 and why Sleepy Cat will never be the next Virgin Records (not that they want to be)
- Ol’ Joey Scrums — This Raleigh-based Americana four-piece is a textbook example of finding a band when you least expect it
- Between Two Trees — How a Charlotte emo band and worship music influences combined to create one of NC’s most unique band aesthetics
- Braden Willis (Elder Bright) — With their debut EP garnering praise, the Wilmington post-hardcore band isn’t wasting the momentum they’ve built
- Tyler Baum — What keeps this Charlotte-based musician and multimedia artist experimenting with new methods
- American Death Cult — The Greensboro trio reflects on the struggles of finding musicians on Craigslist and why DIY punk is still the realest thing going
- Old Suns — The Raleigh quartet on musical reinvention, collaborative songwriting, and finding a new sound outside their comfort zones
- Eugenius — How the Greensboro rapper found his voice through conscious hip-hop and musical soundtracks
- Lonnie Rott — Durham singer-songwriter Lonnie Rott on finding his artistic voice through creative community and collaborative trust
- Pippa Hoover — The Chapel Hill singer-songwriter and cellist on discovering her voice, hiking Occoneechee Mountain, and not caring about genre
- Matia Guardabascio (Writer, Secret Astronomer / Durham Beat) — Creating the local media you want to see, rejecting objectivity in music journalism, and finding community through curiosity
- John Harrison (jphono1) — Potluck Foundation co-founder talks about his new album Gifted Ruins and three decades of sustaining the Triangle’s music community
- Matt Susong (susong) — One half of the indie folk-pop duo talks brotherly bonds over music and surrendering to a more collaborative process on their new EP
- John Tomasevich — The Burlington singer-songwriter on three decades of DIY music, getting sober, and finding inspiration in Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska
- Eric Roehrig (Erie Choir) — The Carrboro songwriter discusses Golden Reviser, the patience required to make meaningful art, and how community infrastructure sustains local music
This Month in Music
Y’all, nothing makes me want to listen to things I’m familiar with more than moving, so there hasn’t been as much new (non-North Carolina) music I’ve tuned into. The new mewithoutYou live album fucking rocks, as does La Dispute’s No One Was Driving the Car and Stay Inside’s Lunger. I also enjoy Tranquilizer by Oneohtix Point Never.
Beyond that, the top records from the last few months are fairly recognizable:
Follow me on Apple Music and/or Last.fm if you feel so inclined.
On My Radar
- An oldie but a goodie: Ryan Cocca dug deep into the decline of hip-hop at Hopscotch.
- Also at Super Empty. is a illuminating piece on the state of Kinston, NC — also known as the birthplace of funk.
- I loved this story from Saleem Reshamwala at WUNC covering North Carolina’s deep connections with the synthesizer.
That’s all for this iteration of the column. Thanks for reading! Stay safe, be sane, and support local music. 🤘
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