The Letter Jackets/Tonk
The aptly named Tonk (who were conceived as a Ray Price tribute
before branching out into originals) teams with fellow Raleighite the Letter
Jackets, who are heavier on the folk-rock than twangy, pedal steel-colored
honky-tonk. Both feature members of internationally known bluegrass band
Chatham County Line.
George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic
At 72, the influential Kannapolis-born funk-father’s marathon
sets may not be as endless, but he’s as active as ever on stage and off -
releasing new music with Sly Stone, fighting for artist rights and music
education and receiving an honorary doctorate.
Time Sawyer
Saturday 8 p.m., Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St.,
$8, www.eveningmuse.com
The prolific newgrass/folk rock band (who moved to Charlotte from
Elkins) celebrates the release of its fourth album “Disguise the Limits” with a
sense of humor, heart, and charisma and, most notably, ear catching
instrumental interplay far beyond traditional bluegrass and folk tropes.
Blowfly
The original dirty rapper - a caped, masked hip-hop superhero of
sorts whose risqué rhymes predate 2 Live Crew by decades - turned 75 on
Valentine’s Day. Consider his economically priced CIAA-timed 75th
birthday tour an alternative to downtown’s pricier parties.
Norma Jean
The veteran Georgia metalcore outfit has long played large venues
like Tremont and Amos’, but fans have a chance to catch them in a much more
intimate setting touring behind 2013’s dark, aggressive, groove and
speed-driven “Wrongdoers.”
Shovels & Rope
The Charleston couple literally brought the house - or actually a
giant disco ball - down opening for the Avett Brothers at TWC Arena on NYE. Now
it’s the charming roots duo’s turn to headline with buzz-building,
boot-stompin’, heartfelt, harmony-driven tunes.
ZZ Ward
The steadily rising Ward, who sold out Visulite in 2013, seems
poised to become a premier, genre-blending pop singer-songwriter for the
post-modern age by writing hip-hop savvy pop songs with rock and soul guts and
singing with the maturity and tone of a British blues singer much older than
her 27 years.
Houndmouth
What sets its debut “From the Hills Below the City” apart from a
growing number of samey folk-rock acts is its ability to flit between big,
psychedelic and gospel-tinged anthems and more intimate fare and co-ed vocals
that range between Band of Horses-meets-Dylan and raspy, classic country.
Leverage Models
If your Pandora or Sirius/XM station stays glued to the darker
side of `80s new wave and early alternative - bands like New Order, INXS, and ABC
- then the distorted, yet wickedly catchy synth-rock of Shannon Fields (Stars
Like Fleas) makes a perfect precursor to Snug Harbor’s weekly Shiprocked! party.
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