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!
[Pst! Get included in a future issue!]
Top Selections
Old Suns — Gasoline // Hypernova [Asheville alt-rock/emo]
I was already familiar with Old Suns when I had this double single sent my way. They craft a tight blend of introspective alt-rock — like a blend of Smashing Pumpkins and Citizen — that keeps you nodding your head along with each track.
“Gasoline” and “Hypernova” keep up this trend, each capable of worming their way into your head for days on end. The former is bombastic, led by commanding drums and heavy guitar riffs; the latter meanders between tempos to create a rocking anthem, marked by the cathartic line “Everyone around me is just looking for the emptiness, and everyone I’ve ever known is waiting for their chance to go.”
These two tracks do more than maintain a great band’s songwriting momentum. Both were mastered by prolific engineer Kris Crummett, which feels like the group pursuing a vision for their sound and who would best support it. It’s a huge success with these songs. Go out and hear them live when Old Suns come to your town.
Private Cathedral — Private Cathedral [Carrboro/London, UK art pop]
It’s been a big month for Private Cathedral, the trans-Atlantic art-pop duo of Genevieve Dawson and Wendy Spitzer. Their self-titled debut, released by Barchan Dune Recordings, culminated a nine-year effort and was celebrated with performances on both sides of the pond.
The more I’ve listened, the more mesmerized I’ve become by its complex arrangements. Genevieve and Wendy are immensely talented (and classically trained) musicians; the former lends her fantastic voice and piano chops while Wendy holds down the bass grooves. Their combined skills show in how well they took advantage of the tools at their disposal when recording with Mitch Easter in Greensboro.
Every song feels like a slice of life transformed into an ambitious instrumental and capable of evolving into something completely different by the end. Tracks like “Excavation” and “The Ghost and the Coat” achieve this perfectly, while others take the liberty to hold back. Do yourself a favor and jump in.
Monthly Round-up
Rock, alternative, and punk
amorebeautifulversionofyou — strange bird [Boone skramz]
The Canon Dogmatic — I Saw God on the TV Screen [Raleigh punk rock]
Catastrophe Journal — Catastrophe Journal [Winston-Salem pop rock]
cd catkin — Whiplash Days [Chapel Hill indie rock]
Chiroptera — “Formaldehyde” single [Carrboro noise punk]
The Disaster Years — Please Say No [Asheville emo/pop rock]
The Experts — I Think We Made Some Songs [Durham alt rock/power pop]
everyday knife fight — Kill you with kindness [Chapel Hill emo/math rock]
fledglings — fledglings EP [Hillsborough psych rock]
Indy-Pendant — Take Care [Wilmington emo/alt rock]
Jozie Days — Rotten Kids [Boone industrial rock]
Manic Third Planet — “Razors in Sunbeams” single [Chapel Hill punk rock]
Mope. — An Optimist’s Guide to Self-Destruction. [Raleigh indie pop/rock]
Paint Work — Paint Work [Carrboro new wave/post-punk]
Paradigm Blue — Frontiers [Raleigh progressive rock]
perishes — Long Shadow [Raleigh indie rock]
Petrov — Petrov [Charlotte post-punk]
Pönkhaus — I Need Pain [Lenoir punk]
Softie — Disaster [Asheville pop punk/rock]
Sunsetter — Sleep Stages (2023-2025) [Charlotte post-rock/shoegaze]
Tiny City — I Hope It’s With You [Charlotte power pop/indie rock]
True Giant — Dime The Static [Greensboro punk rock/power pop]
Worthington’s Law — Led Zeppelin IV, pt. 2: Stairway to 7-Eleven [Durham punk rock]
Folk, Americana, and country
A Digitized Orange — The Woman in Blue and White [Durham western/alt-country]
A Man Who Lived — Future Chinese Folk Songs [Durham folk/Americana]
Brother Gareth — 33 ⅓ (EP 2025) [Chapel Hill folk]
Dolly & the Devil — Parquet Seating [Lewisville folk/old-time]
Draegon — Tales From Rösia [Asheville alt folk]
Kirk Stirland — Through A Fogged Lens [Pittsboro alt-country/folk/Americana]
The King Teen — Us Ugly Guys Got Style [Durham Americana with some power pop]
Lyra Hollowseed & Simon Callen — Sweet Tea and Thunder [Charlotte bluegrass/folk]
Max Ribner — resilient beings [Asheville acoustic folk]
Phibian — Pantophobia [Hendersonville folk rock]
Timmy Sherrill — I Don’t Like Me Either [Wilmington country/folk]
Hip-hop/rap, soul, jazz, and funk
Chris Boerner — Ask the Question [Raleigh jazz fusion]
Dazii — BURIALS [Charlotte avant-garde rap]
Jerry D — Table Turning [Greensboro hip-hop/acid jazz]
Myles Clayton — AMillionMylesEP [Charlotte hip-hop/rap]
Owen Thornton — Santorini [Durham beach jazz]
Produce Guy! — Bean Town [Durham synth funk]
Sugar Bomb — Sweet [Asheville jazz fusion]
Tre-Dot — Blood Sweat N Tears [Durham underground rap]
Metal and hardcore
Graverealm — Betrayer [NC death metal]
Sold Soul — Just Like That, I Disappear Entirely [NC deathcore]
Suspended Between Worlds — Astral Temple [NC cinematic metal]
THE STYGIAN COMPLEX — The Veil of Death Closed In [NC deathcore]
xTestifyx — Demo [Charlotte hardcore punk/straight edge]
Electronic, ambient, experimental, and more
mwf — nocturnes [Boone experimental/jazz/punk]
Packt — Picture Eyes [NC acoustic/trip-hop/grunge]
Ready to get featured in our monthly roundup for new music from NC artists? Fill out this short form and we’ll include your latest release in a future issue!
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