Welcome to another installment of our monthly local music feature, New Music NC!
Each month highlights some of our particular favorites, followed by several categories to sift through. Think of it as your virtual record store, except all the music is new and local!
We also do weekly New Music Monday videos over on Instagram and TikTok!
[Pst! Get included in a future issue!]
Top Selections
Cigarettes @ Sunset – Possum Rock [Boone country rock/Americana/folk]
You’d be forgiven if you didn’t know “Possum Rock” is Cigarettes @ Sunset’s way to describe their riff-heavy collision of Americana, Appalachian folk, and indie rock. But there’s no excuse to miss out on this bold statement of an EP, which positions the band right on the verge of breaking out with their exceptional songwriting and touring momentum. Fiddle runs, gritty guitar, and heartfelt lyricism weave together into a sound perfect for the Blue Ridge Mountains they call home.
The EP opens explosively with “My Fix,” frontman Garrett Dellinger’s raw-throated vocals riding blistering guitar and Sarah Vann’s haunting violin through a portrait of love as dangerous addiction. It closes with equal power on “Leave You (If It’s the Right Thing To Do),” a gut-punch duet between Dellinger and Vann. In between, standouts “Theresa” and “Old Bleached Hair” showcase a band equally at home in chaotic heartbreak and weary, tender reflection.
Top Tracks: “My Fix”, “Theresa”, “Old Bleached Hair”
ENTREZ VOUS – Tell Her A Joke [Chapel Hill garage rock/indie pop]
The Chapel Hill-based band ENTREZ VOUS takes its name from a phrase meaning “action between members of a group,” and there’s plenty of action on their new EP. Opening track “(Crying in the) Sportsbook” arrives wrapped in psychedelia, garage rock, and country, its bouncy backbeat anchoring a swirling cacophony of sound. But ENTREZ VOUS resists easy patterns. What emerges instead is a captivating, ever-shifting style all their own.
“Willy” channels a groovy ’60s girl-group feel with the sound of a warm summer evening. “Oh Raquel” is a quiet gem, its reverb-drenched vocals and Cal Tjader-esque rhythm keeping things short and beautiful. “Her Favorite Horse” is a psilocybin-powered stroll through foreign city streets — think a mellow, blissed-out Fear and Loathing — where sound-bending waves wash over you as you stare at the sky.
Then comes “Booty’s Place,” the closer that cognitively crushes in the best possible way. Woodwinds, strings, and horns transform the track into something closer to a symphonic suite like Peter and the Wolf by way of the underground. It is mesmerizing.
Top Tracks: “(Crying in the) Sportsbook”, “Willy”, “Her Favorite Horse”
Julia. – Fish in the Percolator [Raleigh funk rock]
Described by WUNC as bringing “the intergalactic spirit of funk to the stage,” JULIA. go beyond their funk-rock origins on their sophomore album. With a newly expanded five-piece lineup that adds keyboardist Charles Rhew and drummer Alex Jolly, the band has crafted 36 minutes of hard-hitting, genre-fluid jams rooted in P-Funk but branching into funk-metal and beyond.
Each member gets ample time to flex their sensibilities. Sean Meehan’s bass is show-stealing in a way that evokes Les Claypool at his most deranged. Rhew’s keys are front and center throughout, while frontman Torin Alston’s vocals soar like Anderson .Paak – whether he’s rapping, shouting, and singing in the span of a single song.
Top Tracks: “Performing for You”, “Give Me Your Time”, “Whippets Out the Soda Stream”
Mellow Swells – Take Me With You [Durham indie rock/psych]
Mellow Swells have a sound that refuses to stay in one lane. They weave indie, R&B, electronic, and ambient into psychedelic soundscapes unlike anyone else in the scene. Take “Almond Joy” for example, which bounces like a Pigeons Playing Ping Pong song. Across this record, the band shines with clear production and tight instrumentals. Each song takes you on a new journey, and I can’t stop signing up for a repeat trips.
Top Tracks: “Almond Joy”,“Bullet Train”, “Head to Toe”
Monthly Round-up
Rock, alternative, and punk
Alla Prima – Wet Paint [Asheville alt/noise rock]
If you’re looking for noisy rock that feels spontaneous, raw, and fully committed from the first note, this debut from Alla Prima will scratch your itch (and then some).
briZB – The World Still Turns [Charlotte indie rock/bedroom pop]
The World Still Turns builds on the delicate guitar work and ethereal harmonies of briZB’s debut EP, as she swings between serene bedroom pop and shimmering indie rock.
i26connector – i26connector [Asheville emo/southern rock]
Such sleek country emo vibes on this one, bringing to mind Stay Inside with southern twang. Give me more pedal steel over blasting drums like this.
Instant Regrets – Decisions & Movement [Greensboro punk rock]
Here’s some sharp, no-frills punk rock that wouldn’t dare to waste a second of your time. Short songs, fast tempos, and a delivery makes every decision feel urgent.
Michael Slawter with Julian Volpe – The New Technicolor [Winston-Salem power pop/rock]
Two purveyors of classic power pop come together for a joyful collaboration that rewards repeat listens with catchy hooks.
Microplastics – demo 2024 [Charlotte power pop-punk]
Pour one out for this scrappy pop-punk demo from the now-defunct Microplastics. All I can do when I throw this on is thrash around like I’m at a Jeff Rosenstock show.
Neon Ruins – “Marfa Mystery Lights” [Chapel Hill indie rock/folk]
Fingerpicked guitar, powerfully reserved drumming, and flowing vocals give offa spacious, unhurried beauty. Their catalog carries the same DNA: familiar yet mysterious, with shades of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco woven throughout.
Psychic Scream – EP2 [Raleigh garage rock/post-punk]
This second release from Psychic Scream deals wiry garage rock and post-punk that sounds best at high volume in a small room. They’ve tightened the screws on their earlier work, with coiled guitar lines and a rhythm section that doesn’t let up.
REVERI3 – They’ve got us right where they want us [Boone goth punk]
REVERI3 conjures a theatrical, darkly charged take on punk rock that’s atmospheric enough to haunt and punky enough to bite. This aptly-named record nails that tension with cinematic menace and a flair for the dramatic.
sunshower – after years of waiting nothing came [Central NC shoegaze/screamo]
Talk about some impeccable quiet-loud dynamics. sunshower will lull you in with dreamy shoegaze riffs before blaring screamo catharsis in your face.
The King Teen – True Stories of Time Travel [Durham rock/singer-songwriter]
From the post-punk Dylan provocation of “Luigi” to the barnburning honky-tonk closer “Hard to Get Loaded”, True Stories of Time Travel pulls back the curtain on a side of The King Teen that demands to be heard.
The Matildas – Magic Mirror EP [Durham garage rock]
Durham’s The Matildas bring their A-game in this new EP, bridging the gap between classic garage rock and new wave to keep you moving.
The Matildas – Forever, My Talisman [Chapel Hill bedroom rock]
On the other hand, Chapel Hill’s The Matildas is pure friendship in the form of intimate, synthy bedroom rock. (Where is my all Matildas bill?!)
Electronic, ambient, experimental, and more
0xGRLF00D – Parallels [Wilkesboro lo-fi/vaporpop]
There is a dizzying array of textures on display here, from human voices to glitchy synth passages. It feels like Alice in Wonderland meets an electronic music rabbit hole.
Grace Foster – Sun Set On Us [Charlotte alt-pop/R&B]
What a certified headbopper of a track. Grace’s vocals and rhythmic flair make this one truly soar.
Indigo de Souza – “Come to God” [Asheville electropop]
At just two minutes, this electropop pivot from Indigo de Souza is a lovely sonic kaleidoscope to get lost in.
Kevin Beck & Maia Kamil – south sunset [Winston-Salem electronic/singer-songwriter]
A truly beautiful series of arrangements that twist and turn, led by Maia Kamil’s showstopping vocals. “OVER THE WATER” has been on repeat for days.
Matt Douglas – Repetition Sketchbook EP [Raleigh contemporary jazz]
Matt Douglas (of The Mountain Goats) offers a series of exploratory contemporary jazz sketches on this EP. Each composition is layered, patient, and eager to reward careful listening.
no mouth – midnight [Wilmington drum & bass/house]
In need of some late-night floor-ready electronics? no mouth has you covered with infectious house music made for when the city goes quiet and the speakers stay loud.
Sevenoceansdeep – “Even if it hurts i must see it through” (feat. Natarowei) [NC alt pop]
Haunting piano and effects-laden percussion back this collaboration. Sevenoceansdeep and Natarowei make for a striking pairing of voices.
The Minor Plus – playground [Chapel Hill ambient/experimental/drone]
There is such a satisfying contrast between the different vibes up for exploration in this lofi ambient release, from moody to bright and in-between.
Treee City – Soup Season EP [Durham hardware techno]
A very hands-on techno feel with this one, like a personal Boiler Room set. Each track is a raw, one-take performance, but it never feels amateur or rushed.
Vikram Shankar – Lumina [Asheville classical piano]
Just a jawdropping reminder of how versatile the piano can be. Vikram crafts worlds on his own like a master composer, inviting you to get sucked into them.
Folk, Americana, and country
Jeff Hendon – Notes [Black Mountain folk rock]
Sometimes it’s hard to get honest, unadorned folk rock from a songwriter who lets the songs breathe. This record feels warm, unhurried, and rooted in the western mountains.
Matt Southern – Atlantic City [Raleigh country rock]
Matt gets conceptual (and a little Kurt Vile-esque) on this EP that blends his folky country sound with satisfying fuzzed out psychedelic energy.
M.B. Mulkey – Gettin’ Hungry [Raleigh folk punk]
Fans of rough-edged folk punk that keeps the songs lean and the emotions raw will love this one. It’s scrappy, honest, and the best work M.B. has done so far.
Sean Thomas Gerard – Stay In Your Light [Wilmington indie folk]
A very different blend of folk, dream pop, and psychedelic – as if Passion Pit were a mellow, guitar-led outfit instead.
Vito Dito – Living Earth [Durham singer-songwriter]
Almost like an eco-concisous narration from Mother Earth, Vito Dito is here to make you sway along to smooth-edged instrumentals and ponder the state of our world.
Hip-hop/rap, soul, jazz, and funk
Kamus Leonardo – WHY SO SERIOUS?! [Durham hip-hop/rap]
It does the heart good to listen to some short, relatable hip-hop, and Kamus has got that in spades.
QG The Great – The Silver Lining Story [Raleigh hip-hop/rap]
Similarly, QG is here to win you over with ample swagger and quality production. This record reflects his experiences, from growing up to dealing with doubts and finding purpose in music.
SUN OF ANDRE – SOMETHING OF A PORTRAIT (LIVE AT WCU) [Charlotte jazz rap]
Big Q-Tip vibes on this one, which balances impressive rap flows with groovy jazz instrumentals. (MORE RAPPERS NEED BANDS, Y’ALL!)
Metal and hardcore
Free Bleed – Justified Violence [Wilmington hardcore punk]
Get ready to fuck someone’s shit up to this new record. What a combination of hardcore punk, screamo, and borderline black metal.
F.U.S.S. – Synaptic Havoc [Greensboro hardcore punk/thrashcore]
A teenage hardcore band closing out their adolescence with a final record that never quite got its due, until now. What a blast from the past that still feels modern and fresh.
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