THE BEAT: My Favorite Music of 2022 by Kevin Oliver

The following is a list of my favorite music released by Columbia, South Carolina artists in 2022. It is woefully incomplete, as there were many other artists and albums I enjoyed this year, but these are the ones that have really made a home in my head for the foreseeable future. 

 

1. Saul Seibert, etc., Zion: A Composition

An extremely ambitious multimedia project is probably impossible to fully appreciate in just its audio form, but the three movements that comprise Zion are at least enjoyable that way, if not as mind-blowing as the full three-dimensional live experience. The ebb and flow of the various parts, instruments, and their arrangement throughout create a psychedelic space in which a listener can exist however they choose–passive acceptance, interactive challenge, or somewhere in between. 

Music | Zion. A Composition. (bandcamp.com) 

2. Lang Owen, She's My Memory

It’s not hyperbole to say that Columbia hasn’t ever produced a songwriter quite like Lang Owen before; his combination of 70’s singer-songwriter style and an incisive, observational writing technique would be rare anywhere these days. The songs here are his best so far and defy a simple paragraph explanation–so do me a favor, go listen and let them speak to you, too. To paraphrase “The Long Way,” he’ll take you the long way and then bring you back another. 

She's My Memory | Lang Owen (bandcamp.com)

3. EZ Shakes, Everything Changes

An Americana powerhouse of a band over their two full length releases, on this brief three-song EP, EZ Shakes announced their transition into a sonically more rock ‘n’ roll soundscape. The Velvets-meets-Neil Young feel of “Damn Fools” is driven by the most addictive two-note bass line ever, courtesy bassist Jim Taylor, while singer and bandleader Zach Seibert stretches his vocal instrument on “Waiting on the Bubble To Pop,” a Wilco-esque slice of sublime, chiming tunefulness that shifts gears effortlessly. It’s a cliche to say it, but the worst thing about this release is that at three songs, it’s way too damn short. 

▶︎ Everything Changes | E.Z. Shakes (bandcamp.com) 

4. Numbtongue, Phantom Limbs

Bobby Hatfield has been turning heads and ears with drama-filled rock since his days with The Sea Wolf Mutiny. As Numbtongue, his musical vision has only expanded, eschewing the limitations of a traditional ‘band’ with a combination of acoustic and synthetic sounds. On this new album, the arrangements are next level, with multiple themes threaded throughout and even the smallest elements adding texture and finesse to the songs. There are traces of everything from Radiohead to Tyler the Creator here arranged in chasms of genre and style that Hatfield not only manages to cross but bind together in a way that somehow makes perfect sense.

▶︎ Phantom Limbs | numbtongue (bandcamp.com)  

5. Brandy and the Butcher, Lucky Foot

There are female singers, and then there are frontwomen. Liz Hale is the latter, a blast-your-face-off vocalist who’s all attitude, all the time. The band has no choice but to keep up with her energy level, and they succeed handily here, diving headlong into a bracing set of songs that evoke all the great punk and rock raconteurs, from The Stooges and MC5 to The Cramps and X. 

▶︎ Lucky Foot | Brandy and the Butcher (bandcamp.com) 

6. Candy Coffins, Once Do It With Feeling 

Jame Lathren has a fondness for 80s goth-rock and the dramatic flair of David Bowie, and that comes through loud and clear on the darkly rendered songs here as he snarls and sneers. The delay effects from former Bachelors Of Art guitarist Tom Alewine don’t hurt in setting the proper mood, either. But it is Lathren’s songwriting that lifts this above being a simple genre exercise and into classic songcraft as he details the rise and fall of a relationship over the course of ten songs. 

 Candy Coffins (bandcamp.com)  

7. Moses Andrews, Exodus Pt II

Confessional songwriting is a genre unto itself, but Moses Andrews puts himself out there in ways not often heard with this collection. Contributing bass, drums, organ, synth, and vocals along with a supporting cast of locals such as Cecil Decker and Sean Thomson, Andrews touches on hip-hop, country, pop, and indie rock sounds in the process of illustrating the world through his own experiences with others. The mirror he’s holding up here is uncomfortable, but entirely accurate and needed. 

▶︎ Exodus Pt. II | Moses Andrews III (bandcamp.com)

8. Rex Darling, Living Room Diaries

One of the more adventurous live acts to surface in Columbia in recent years, this recorded effort delivers on that promise with atmospheric, exotic pop music that packs a surprising punch. There are traces of cabaret jazz and more than a little Amy Winehouse in vocalist Catherine Hunsinger’s style, while the guitar work of John Vail introduces jam rock and 70s fusion into the improbable mix. All that, and the songs are playful, inventive, and catchy as hell. 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2mfp1JvgUm5jguQeEXMBI2?si=TNuD1sLzQqCJyT5fwihboQ 

9. Todd Mathis and Clayton Mathis, Home

Siblings have made some great music together, but this is no sibling harmony album. Instead, these are the brothers who sit on their dad’s back porch reminiscing about all the shit they did to each other as kids. Steeped in family ties, this is some of Todd’s most endearing and accessible work.

Home | Todd Mathis, Clayton Mathis | Todd Mathis (bandcamp.com) 

10. Hillmouse, See You In The Car 

Tyler Gordon’s current musical vehicle is transporting a nicely done batch of new songs here, the kind of timeless melodies that evokes everyone from Tommy Keene to Ed Sheeran–a wide range, to be sure. His world-weary vocal delivery stops the proceedings from skidding into saccharine-sweet territory, instead parking Hillmouse in a post-emo lethargic swoon. 

▶︎ See You In The Car | Hillmouse (bandcamp.com)

THE BEAT: The Living Room Aims for Listening Room Vibe by Kevin Oliver

When the subject of venues in Columbia comes up, the most often repeated “missing link” in the local scene is the presence of a real listening room–a space for music that’s not connected to a bar, or a restaurant, or any other business, really. The last time we had something like that here would be the UU Coffeehouse Series that the Unitarian Universalist Church in Shandon hosted for many years, later shifted to the Tree of Life synagogue for a couple of seasons. It’s an important option, especially for the kind of thoughtful, sometimes quieter folk and acoustic acts that don’t translate as well in a noisy, more boisterous room. 

Inspired in part by those UU shows, the new venue dubbed “The Living Room” aims to provide just such an opportunity at its space on Two Notch Road in northeast Columbia that the spiritual community Jubilee! Circle has called home since 2019.

Rev. Candace Chellew is the pastor at Jubilee! Circle, and she says it was an idea borne of both necessity and also a desire to open up the space to more events.

“As with most businesses that survived the pandemic, we decided to use one of the best assets we have–our space,” She says. We’ve rebranded it as The Living Room because it has that cozy atmosphere, and we added areas with couches and coffee tables to complete the ‘living room’ feel.” 

The goal, she adds, is to mold the space to each performer’s needs. They’ve already hosted singer-songwriter Lang Owen and performances by the Columbia Operatic Laboratory’s “Pirates Of Penzance” sing-along, and this Friday, December 16th, they’ll welcome indie folk and rock singer-songwriter Danielle Howle, performing with her current semi-acoustic trio that includes Josh Roberts on lead guitar.

Lang Owen performing at the Living Room

It’s as much about the attendees for Chellew as it is about the performing artists, she says.
“We intend to make this a space to enhance the lives of people who attend, and to support the local music scene and the artists seeking such a listening room atmosphere to build their audience and share their talents.”

The eventual goal is to replicate what the UU Coffeehouse series did, bringing in national and regional talent in addition to the more local artists, with at least one show per month. 

“Love is what we are, that is what we should always be teaching and projecting into the world. The arts are to us a way to extend that love to the community as a whole; music and arts are healing ministries that bring together people of all political, social, ethnic, and economic stripes, and Jubilee! Circle seeks to remind everyone of our ultimate unity with one another at a spiritual level.” - Candace Chellew

They are also including a charity/nonprofit element to each show, Chellew adds. “With the Danielle Howle show, it’s a silent auction to raise money for Pawmetto Lifeline, but with each event we do, we’d like to find a way to get the crowd to support other organizations within the community with their donations, time, and talent.” 

Chellew sees the Living Room as a natural extension of the mission of Jubilee! Circle in the community. “Unlike many spiritual communities, we don’t evangelize, and we’re not trying to get you to believe anything in particular or adhere to specific doctrine,” She says. “Our message is simple: Love is what we are, that is what we should always be teaching and projecting into the world. The arts are to us a way to extend that love to the community as a whole; music and arts are healing ministries that bring together people of all political, social, ethnic, and economic stripes, and Jubilee! Circle seeks to remind everyone of our ultimate unity with one another at a spiritual level. Everyone who leaves one of our events with a song in their heart becomes a force for love and healing in the world–whether they are conscious of it or not.” 

If you’re interested in putting some of Danielle Howle’s songs in your heart, the show is this Friday, December 16th,  at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 online or at the venue,  6729 Two Notch Road ##70 Columbia, SC 29223.

click for tickets

click for silent auction promo video

The Beat with Kevin Oliver: Review of Automata - Single Sparrow

Single Sparrow

Automata

Self-released

Single Sparrow is the band moniker of Charleston, SC musician Patrick Leitner, and this new album is truly a one-man project–he plays every note, wrote every song, recorded, mixed, and mastered the final product himself. You’d never know it from listening, however, as the playing is seamless, and the production is spotlessly clean. 

Despite the forced sterility of its creation in a kind of artistic bubble, this is not a soulless, automated performance. Leitner has one of those world-weary vocal styles, resigned but still possessing an intensity that belies the non-demonstrative singing. It’s most effective on the pastoral rock of “Peaks and Valleys,” for example, where a loping beat echoes Neil Young as Leitner sings: 

“Take me to the Atlantic Ocean, let me feel the waves

Running over sandy shores that weren’t here yesterday

If I try to hold on tight it still washes away

And time is running out on me in much the same way” 

The sense of loss is palpable in the song’s metaphor for change, something that the narrator sounds at peace with, if not in agreement to it happening. 

There are stories here from Leitner’s own life–”Tiny Metronome” is a reference to his daughter. He draws from history and culture as well, with “Centralia” taken from a coal mining town in Pennsylvania and “Happy Accidents,” pulled from the story of famous still life painter Bob Ross. It’s the songs that invite more universal interpretations, however, that pull one inside this digital audio world. 

The emotional depth of Leitner’s writing rewards repeat listens, and this album will sink into your consciousness in all the best ways, with lines standing out at different moments. This week it might be the distillation of “impostor syndrome” unworthiness into the words of “A Reflection of the Moon,” as he sings over a jittery percussive track and a single acoustic guitar, “I am a ballad out of tune, a perfect harmony too soon, or the reflection of the moon; a copy of something true.” Next week, it will shift to “Nothing On the News Tonight” and its examination of relationships in a dystopian world; “The apocalypse is over now, just listening still to the static; something in the way you hold my hand that slows down time …”  

Whatever part of Automata connects with an individual listener, the original concept of AI that can think like humans may have been achieved here by Leitner, accidentally or not. The solitary man in a studio created something that connects almost instantly with other humans, through the miracle of digital tech. 

The Beat with Kevin Oliver: Candy Coffins - Once Do It With Feeling

Candy Coffins

Once Do It With Feeling

Self-released

The decades of experience represented by the veteran members of Candy Coffins comes through in the music on this new full-length album, which hearkens back to “Disintegration”-era Cure, the less abrasive years of the Psychedelic Furs, and lots of David Bowie. The gothic rock edge doesn’t necessarily render the songs dated; there are enough modern touches throughout to peg this as a contemporary work that just pulls from a very specific artistic palette.  

The focus here should really be on the songwriting of singer and guitarist Jame Lathren, however. The liner notes state that the album “Chronicles a relationship from the onset of the first crack to its complete crumbling dissolution,” and there is definitely an emotional arc from beginning to end. 

Midway through, “Tangled Up in Teacups” includes a female voice leaving messages such as “My god, you are the most selfish person I have ever met. If you’re going to be this kind of disaster have fun doing it by yourself…” as bassist Alex Mabrey drives the unsettling melody underneath. 

Lathren shifts back to the male perspective on “French Exit,” singing “I’m not sorry you won’t know what happened, I’m heading out the door…” in a tortured tenor that wails, then drops to a hushed whisper as he sings, “I’m all alone, but it’s better than being with you…” and the band crashes back into a searing musical coda worthy of a Neil Young opus.  

It’s the music that keeps this from being just another self-absorbed breakup album; there are guitar solos here that say much more than any words could, such as the stinging leads on “A Victory Like This.” When the instruments on that song drop completely out at the end, it’s like you just got dropped off an emotional cliff. 

Lathren may lean too far into the goth-rock nostalgia at times, but he does so in service of a set of songs that capture both the euphoria and the angst that exists in volatile relationships.

THE BEAT: Isabelle's Gift Revisits American Idle by Kevin Oliver

One of the Columbia music scene’s most iconic hard rock acts, Isabelle’s Gift, will be celebrating two things this week with its show Friday night at New Brookland Tavern. 2022 marks 30 years since the band’s first live shows, and singer Chris Sutton will turn 50 this week. For those reasons, and more, the band felt it was appropriate to mark the occasion and it has chosen an interesting way to do it– with a set that promises a full performance of the 2006 album American Idle.  

“We hadn’t played much for the past few years, even going into covid,” Admits Sutton, in a recent conversation with him and bassist Jason Carrion in the space where it all began–the former Rockafella’s, now Jake’s Bar & Grill, at 2112 Devine Street. “Everyone was separating, splintered apart, with kids and jobs and other things going on. Also, who wants to see a bunch of dudes our age get up there and play rock and roll?”  

Carrion agreed and noted that the logistics alone were daunting–but when they did convene with the idea to do another show, things clicked naturally. 

“I was very uncertain about where things were going to go–we couldn’t jam, it was a long time to not work on music together,” He says. The turning point came when he and Sutton recruited former Gift member (and current Soda City Riot, Gruzer, and Firenest member Travis Nicholson) and former Throttlerod leader Matt Whitehead.  

“We’ve all been friends for decades,” Carrion notes. “We toured with Throttlerod, Travis was in the band before, Scott (Frey, the drummer for Isabelle’s Gift’s last several years) came from the punk scene with Bedlam Hour. There’s a lot of history there. Chris and I have been playing together longer than most people’s marriages.” 

The addition of Nicholson and Whitehead changed the dynamic in the room and expanded what was possible.
“It’s a room full of gunslingers,” Sutton says. “It was pretty nerve wracking the first time we all practiced together, actually, because it felt like everybody was on their game except me.”

Nicholson is a natural fit, having been in the band before. He and Sutton have remained close over the years, too. 

“He helped write some of the stuff that was on American Idle,” Chris recalls. “Our families are close; our kids have played together for years. With Matt, it has been a bucket list kind of thing for me to play with him ever since our bands toured together.”  

Whitehead has been a revelation of sorts during the process of rehearsing the songs for this show, Sutton admits. 

“Going back and revisiting these songs, I was still writing on guitar for some of them and I feel like I was poorly trying to do what Matt was doing really well right off the bat with Throttlerod. So now, it’s almost like he’s going back in time and fixing everything that I did.” 

It’s important to both Sutton and Carrion to note that although they are playing an entire album of older material, the songs and the band may not sound like fans remember from the recording–and that’s fine with them. 

“It’s a texture that he adds to a lot of the songs,” Carrion says. “He’ll put melodies in places they didn’t exist before.” 

“I told both Matt and Travis that I wanted to make sure the verses were the same, and we kept the hooks, but I wanted them to bring their own feel to everything else,” Sutton says. “There’s no question there will be a difference in the sound, it almost feels like I’m fronting Clutch at times. Plus, I have a bunch of backup vocalists in the band now, which is exciting.” 

Rehearsals have revealed one major problem, Sutton says, and it has to do with how equally excited the entire band seems to be with the proceedings. 

“I’m concerned about keeping our tempos slower,” He admits. “We’re playing these songs in practice like we’re trying to kill somebody with them.” 

Isabelle’s Gift has always been the angry red-faced stepchild of the local scene, railing against mediocrity, hypocrites, traditional society, and more in their music and motifs. American Idle, released through the Jimmy Franks label of the Bloodhound Gang, was a high-water mark for the group, combining the sludgy Soundgarden vibe of their bottom end grooves with a punk fury reminiscent of Charlotte legends Antiseen. Topically, many of the subjects broached are still relevant a decade and a half later, and Sutton says getting reacquainted with how his younger self felt back then was not just surreal, it was affirming of his own life journey. 

“I remember the things I said, and the way I sang, as something I was embarrassed about,” Sutton says. “I realized that not only was I proud of some of the songwriting that was on it, the music is great, and it told a much more intricate story than I remembered–it made me a little more proud of who I was, and I’d forgotten a lot of that.”  

It was the album’s unexpected current relevance that inspired the idea to just perform the whole thing, he says.  

“It was scary how topical it was, and with the exception of maybe one song title and a couple of lyrics it even fits into current events,” Sutton says. “Usually guys our age are going to run into problems about things we said in our past being politically incorrect now, or not in step with some of the things we are defending these days, but it all checked so many weird boxes.  

“Within minutes of me telling the other guys the idea at rehearsal, we were blasting through the album, and I got left in the dust because I didn’t remember as much of the songs as the rest of the band.” 

Ultimately, it all started coming back to him, and in the process of working through the songs again, Sutton says it was a cathartic experience for him. 

“I don’t like to come right out and say some of the things I’m saying in these songs, but it’s unbelievably fitting in today’s political climate,” He admits. “I’ve always dealt with a lot of trauma, I’m lucky to be alive, and I didn’t plan on living this long. Back then I was pretty suicidal and I’m not now. Those are feelings I’ll be working through my entire life. I’m a completely different person than I was back then, but the trauma might even be felt stronger.” 

At this point the biggest question might be how the band’s new chapter might be read by fans old and, possibly, new. Sutton and Carrion both admit they are unsure, but optimistic.

“I don’t how it fits into today’s environment, how people who used to like us may take where we are coming from,” He says. 

“The last time we played a live show was in February, three years ago,” Carrion says. “We played that Ramones tribute show earlier this year, and getting to know those people, and the excitement behind that and other local shows lately, I love seeing the support now.” 

As for American Idle, growing up, and looking back, Sutton has the last, encouraging words for himself–words that might apply to anyone taking stock of their list of accomplishments later in life. 

“It’s so fucking honest, all the way through. I felt like walking up to myself like I was one of my kids and saying, ‘Good for you, you did better than I thought you did…you were honest, and it feels real as shit.’” 

Isabelle’s Gift plays this Friday, July 22nd, at New Brookland Tavern. Shun and the Transonics open the show. Visit www.newbrooklandtavern.com for tickets and more information. 

THE BEAT: Sam and Illia The Duo of All Trades

By Emily Moffitt

Sam & Illia are not your average cover duo. Based out of Columbia, the two talented musicians met up through a mutual association with the local music instruction school Freeway Music and decided to form a performing duo with Sam playing bass or guitar and Illia on vocals. Both of them have been around music for most of their lives, with Sam picking up the guitar in college after playing piano as a child, and Illia participating in theater groups while taking voice lessons since the age of 4. Falling in love with the idea of musical performance was what set them on the track to pursue music as a career.            

There is no preferred genre of the duo; rather, they perform everything they love to hear from soul and jazz to punk rock. Both musicians developed their craft on their own at first; Sam learned to utilize one of the most powerful tools a musician can use: his own ears. “I love bands like Pink Floyd, and drew a lot of bass specific influence from Flea,” he says. “What was big for me in learning to play would be putting on some recordings of my favorite songs and just listening to the bass lines by ear, or I would just have to learn the song by ear entirely.”  

Illia herself grew up through an emo phase with the music she listened to, finding Paramore to be heavily influential. She eventually got into the R&B scene, citing Bruno Mars and Kehlani as two beacons of inspiration for forming her own lyrical style. Her secret weapon to developing her voice and deciding what style works for what song is repetition. “I try to get creative with runs when I’m singing, and repetition helps a lot with that. I try to do something different every time I record, so I can go back and pick out something I like, then try to repeat what I did that sounded the best.”  

Sam and Illia each have their own creative techniques when it comes to creating the duo's distinct sound. Sam’s own guitar playing is heavily influenced by guitarists like John Mayer, and the desire for the cleanest sound. Illia’s solo sound is rooted in a balance between punk or soul. For Illia, her goal is to be a true individual; “I don’t want to sound like anyone else,” she states. “I really want my voice to be my own.” Put them together, and the duo accomplishes beautiful covers of everything they touch, from jazz pieces to pop music.

 The duo appreciates how great the music scene of Columbia is for anyone wanting to kick off their career; “The scene in Greenville was extremely competitive, and in Columbia I’ve never had an easier time getting gigs for us than now,” Sam states. The two value the business side of the music scene highly, something that both musicians believe other musicians should take into consideration when they’re starting their own careers. “It matters a lot more than some realize,” Sam and Illia say. “Learning marketing and how to make the money work for your gigs is super important.”  

Illia’s biggest piece of advice for other musicians emphasizes both talent and persistence; “It really matters how much you pursue it. You could be the best musician ever but if you don’t put yourself forward, you’re not going to get to the place you want to get, which I’ve learned even more since we started working together.” 

Sam & Illia can be found on Instagram (@samandillia), Facebook (@samandillia), and their personal website (https://www.samandillia.com/). Upcoming performances include a show at Gardeners’ Outpost on Franklin Street on June 24, Lexington Farmer’s Market on June 25, Steel Hands Brewing on July 17, and more! 

THE BEAT: Both Sides Now Lang Owen explores stories and sounds on his new album "She’s My Memory"

By Kevin Oliver

Columbia singer-songwriter Lang Owen’s new album She’s My Memory is a relationships album, but not in the classic boy-meets-girl pop music mold. Rather, the sixty-something Owen has collected what amounts to a lifetime of thoughts here on friendships of all kinds, from romantic partners new and old to co-workers and the people we see on TV screens and newspaper bylines. In putting the album together, he also relied on musical relationships built over the past five years since he emerged onto the local scene. 

Owen enlisted fellow songwriter and guitarist Todd Mathis as his producer, with a diverse cast of additional players on board and additional recording and mastering from Carl Burnitz. The result is a shimmering statement of purpose, a beautifully rendered collection of songs that tell stories in a way that captures the heart and the imagination. Musical touchstones from James Taylor to Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Todd Rundgren, and more reveal themselves upon repeated listens, but Owen has firmly established his own sound and style with this new album.

There are stories both told and implied here, from the simple work ethic of “Man With A Broom,” to the internal evaluation of “Where Does The River Start?” Of the latter, Owen says, “On the surface the narrator is dealing with a breakup, but in my mind, he’s questioning himself–how did I get to this point, where am I going from here, and especially, how have I made some of the choices I did along the way?” 

Some of the choices Owen made in recording these songs included expanding his musical palette well beyond just himself, with the assistance of producer Todd Mathis. It was all in the preparation, Owen says.

“We sat down with scratch tracks of the songs I recorded on my own and brainstormed what kind of instrumentation would work with each,” He recalls. Guest musicians who ended up participating include drummer Mike Scarboro (The Runout), guitarist Zach Bingham, and backing vocals from Becca Smith of Admiral Radio. Bass duties were split between Chris Paget, Jeff Gregory (The Runout), Mathis’ former bandmate Kevin Kimbrell, and Mathis himself, who also filled multiple other instrumental roles. 

Being in a “band” situation isn’t exactly a new thing for Owen, though it had been a while, he admits.

“I played in bands in the 1980s, and I enjoyed playing with other people,” He says. “When I picked music back up in 2017(after decades as a teacher, visual artist, and social worker), I played by myself mostly because I just didn’t know any other musicians.” 

There are story songs here that those who have followed Owen’s solo acoustic shows the past few years will recognize as falling directly in his usual style, such as the topical “Last Gasp Of The News.” This time around there are also songs where the sound falls more toward the “band” side of things, with a particular vibe that a simple acoustic guitar arrangement wouldn’t be able to achieve as vividly.

“Collection Day” is one such tune, with an unhurried, yet rhythmic indie rock feel not too far from bands such as Yo La Tengo. “Smile From You” leans on Owen’s strummed guitar, but the other elements contribute to the song’s unsettled, foreboding atmosphere of an uncomfortable snapshot in time.

“We spent a lot of time on working out that one,” Owen says. “It went through a lot of different variations to get where it did–any time you work with great musicians, they’ll come up with great ideas.” 

Even with the expanded arrangements and feel of the recording sessions, Owen’s flair for narrative shines through. The title track “She’s My Memory” is a story song about telling stories, where a comment from a co-worker about remembering his life better than he does prompted a story of a person losing their memory who is still able to remember it through his wife’s anecdotes.

“I think that song sets the tone for the album,” Owen concludes, “which in part is about the importance of relationships to our well-being.” 

In “Everybody Here” the opening lines, in their own way, reach that same conclusion–we all help each other, whether we realize it or not: 

“Everybody here’s my therapist

I need all the help I can get

I look around, I’m losing my ground

I don’t like what I see one bit

I float by like a whisper, you hand me a megaphone

In our own little worlds somehow, we’re not alone

We’re not alone”

Lang Owen releases “She’s My Memory” officially on all platforms June 17th. The release show, featuring a full backing band of many of the players on the album, happens at Curiosity Coffee on Saturday, June 18th, from 5-8 p.m. $10 

Facebook Event with ticket link

THE BEAT: Former Voice contestant CammWess debuts new single, video for “Tired”

By Kyle Petersen

It’s been a few years since Columbia area native CammWess made somewhat of a splash on season 18 of NBC’s The Voice. The young, fresh-faced R&B singer got to work with one of his biggest inspirations and influences in John Legend at just 21 years old, and ultimately finished 4th on the show, just shy of the finals.

The reason he was on The Voice at all, of course, is his tremendous talent. Blessed with a deep, sultry voice capable of rattling the rafters as well as a crooning falsetto, CammWess also demonstrated some budding songwriting chops on the show and was allowed to premiere an original, “Save it for Tomorrow,” in addition to his covers of tunes The Weeknd’s “Earned It,” Prince’s “Purple Rain,” and “Say Something (I’m Giving Up On You),” A Great Big World song famously performed with Christina Aguilera.

While the peak of his fame on the show was unfortunately timed with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, CammWess has doubled down on his original material in recent years, including his most recent single “Tired.”

In addition to showcasing his consummate vocal talent and increasingly polished songcraft, the tune features fluttery background vocal processing that lends a contemporary edge and hints at a more adventurous production style in the artist’s future. But most compelling is the video from HoneyButter productions, a fully formed production that brings the song’s romantic heartbreak to life. View it below. CammWess is set to play the SolFest RollFest in Earlewood Park July 2.

THE BEAT: 48 Fables - Here Ya' Go

This is the sound of a band so sure of themselves that they are comfortable trying on all kinds of different sounds and styles from country and blues to Celtic and rock ‘n’ roll.  

48 Fables

Here Ya Go

Self-released 

After a few years of trying out different configurations and lineups, Columbia’s 48 Fables have settled into a three-piece arrangement; ironically resulting in the fullest, most complete sound the band has produced to date. 

The biggest change in the transition was adding lead vocals to drummer Kevin Brewer’s responsibilities, and he’s a natural–his slightly weathered, lived-in voice on songs such as the cautionary tale “Drink It Away,” is a raspier counterpart to bassist Kevin Pettit’s rousing shout on other tracks, such as the Cowboy Mouth-esque “The Fine Details.”  

A trio can be a tough musical vehicle to create a diverse sound within (Think the singular, monolithic sound of ZZ Top), but with the variety of Chris Howard’s guitar tones and styles, there’s no danger of such sameness. There’s even an almost-Irish tune, sung by Kevin Pettit (whose tenure in the local Celtic rock act Loch Ness Johnny means he’s well suited for this assignment) and featuring some seriously frenetic drumming by Brewer. This is the sound of a band so sure of themselves that they are comfortable trying on all kinds of different sounds and styles from country and blues to Celtic and rock ‘n’ roll.  

The other improvement may be the songwriting; there are plenty of bands that can produce a twangy hook, but to hang a decent lyric on it that tells a story is another thing entirely. “Girls Like Her,” lopes along like a lost John Prine tune with lines such as, “He met her on a Friday after the ball game, smoking a Spirit and laughing at hope / Found her a lighter, and sat down beside her, said I got something stronger if you’re not opposed.” By the end of the song, the titular girl is 80 years old, and the lyric, like her life, circles back around to the beginning lines. 

If this had come out in 1997, 48 Fables would have been playing shows with Whiskeytown, The Bottle Rockets, and 6 String Drag. Rather than feeling dated or tied down to the late-90s “Great Alt-Country Scare” that made critical darlings out of those and myriad other twang-leaning acts of the day, the passage of 25 years means that the high-octane Americana of 48 Fables sounds fresh, fun, and meaningful again, and it stretches the definition of what’s possible within the genre.

by Kevin Oliver

THE BEAT: Kevin Oliver Reviews Sean Thomson's Self-Released Jank Volta

Columbia musician Sean Thomson first came to local music fans attention as half of the indie folk duo Post-Timey String Band, and he’s played in The Restoration, Marshall Brown, and the Rare Birds, and more including the upcoming “Zion” project from Saul Seibert. Then there’s the simultaneous stream of lo-fi mostly instrumental albums full of odd instrumentation and sounds, including several where he managed to acquit himself quite well on sitar, even. On this new collection of instrumental compositions, Thomson incorporates traces of all of those prior endeavors while crafting something meditative, intricate, and inventive. 

Even the song titles are creative and fun–with no lyrics, one can presumably name a tune anything, and Thomson manages to come up with delightfully playful names for all eight compositions here, some of which even have at least a tangential relationship to how they sound. “Large Indian Beer,” for example, incorporates some heavy sitar into its stomp-and-drone, while “Never Take a Sitar to Maxwell Street” answers the question of what Jimi Hendrix might have sounded like playing sitar.  

Occasionally Thomson gets serious, as on his version of Blind Blake’s “Sweet Papa Lowdown,” or on a nasty, fuzzed out guitar, or the sunny, island-vibe gone Ventures surf rock of the title track (featuring Jeff Gregory of The Runout on manic congas). More often, he’s enjoying creating brief musical worlds that manage to collide wholly different eras of music in under a couple of minutes. “Fungus,” for example, vacillates between Beatlesque chording and some unsettling electronica.  

The closing track has both the silliest title and the funkiest, slinky feel. “Yanni (heart) NASCAR” doesn’t seem to have anything to do with either cultural phenomenon, but the funk bassline and disco gone wrong atmosphere are undeniably catchy. As the tune slowly grinds to a stop like it just ran out of gas, all I want is to take it back out on the dance floor for another lap or two, along with the rest of this thoroughly entertaining album.

A Midlands Gives Message from Cindi & Wade -- The Jasper Project's State of the Heart

Thank you!

As we approach Midlands Gives next week and you make your decisions on where to invest your gifts, we’d like to report back to you on how the Jasper Project has used the tokens of your kindness since last year.

First and foremost, we have published two 64-page issues of Jasper Magazine and we have another issue in design now that will be in your hands in a matter of weeks.  These issues have reviewed, previewed, examined, explained, memorialized, and celebrated more than 100 of our Midlands-based artists. The issue coming your way will look at the art of Lindsay Radford, Quincy Pugh, Rebecca Horne, Lucy Bailey, Tyrone Geter, Diko Pekdemir-Lewis, Mike Miller, Jane Zenger, Josetra Baxter, Tamara Finkbeiner, Terri McCord, Juan Cruz, Saul Seibert, Rex Darling, Tam the Viibe, Desiree, Katera, Lang Owen, Hillmouse, Space Force, Candy Coffins, Admiral Radio, Carleen Maur, the mission of SCAC ED David Platts, and the international efforts of Columbian-founded dance organization, Artists for Africa.

We have published a dual volume of Fall Lines – a literary convergence, celebrating the prose and poetry of 60 SC writers, awarding the Broad River Prizes for Prose to Randy Spencer and Kasie Whitener and the Saluda River Prizes for Poetry to Angelo Geter and Lisa Hammond, while at the same time celebrating the photography of Crush Rush. And we have issued a call for Fall Lines 2022.

We have conceptualized and implemented a competition for the publication of a chapbook for a SC BIPOC writer in honor of Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer and the winner is being announced and celebrated as we speak. Board member Len Lawson brought us this beautiful idea and will edit the book which will be published this fall. 

We have implemented another issue of the Play Right Series, with new board member Jon Tuttle issuing a call for an original, unpublished one-act script, overseeing the adjudication, and selecting young playwright Colby Quick as the winner. Nine community producers have joined director Chad Henderson and his cast to learn more about the page to stage process for theatre arts, and we will invite you to join us for a staged reading of Moon Swallower in August. 

We have featured one artist per month in our virtual Tiny Gallery under the direction of board member Christina Xan, including artists whose work you know very well and artists whose work we think you’ll be happy to learn about including Gina Langston Brewer, Adam Corbett, Bohumila Augustinova, and more.

Because of the dedication of our amazing web maven and board member Bekah Rice, we have a website that is comprehensive, up-to-date, easy to maneuver, and quite lovely, if we do say so ourselves. Since last spring we have brought the good news of Columbia arts to you via more than 160 Online Jasper (previously blog) posts. And counting.

We threw a fabulous party to celebrate the 10th birthday of Jasper Magazine, and, with board member Laura Garner Hine’s incredible work, we welcomed more than 30 artists to demonstrate and celebrate their talents.

We have shown art for Columbia artists at Jasper Galleries that include Harbison Theatre, Motor Supply, also under the management of Laura Garner Hine, and our sidewalk gallery at the Meridian building conceptualized and realized by board member Bert Easter.

We have included the work of 25 (and counting) brilliant SC writers under the auspices of the Jasper Writes project, implemented in conjunction with Jasper poetry editor, Ed Madden. 

We have helped a new non-profit spread its wings by serving as the fiscal agent to Columbia (Summer) Repertory Dance Company, which is now its own entity. Bye bye little birdie! 

We have launched several new projects including:

• A new weekly music column by Kevin Oliver called THE BEAT;

• First Thursday featured artist exhibitions at Sound Bites Eatery – with artists including Marius Valdes, Ginny Merritt, and Quincy Pugh lined up for the next few months, and Alex Ruskell showing his work in May;

• The monthly Jasper Poetry Salon hosted by Al Black at the One Columbia Co-Op;

• Another monthly singer/songwriter happening called Front Porch Swing, also by Al Black, also at the One Columbia Co-Op.

• Last Thanksgiving, we launched a weekly newsletter called Sundays with Jasper that keeps the community up-to-date on Jasper news and arts happenings in general. You can sign up for Sundays with Jasper here.

Of course, none of this could have been done without the support of our community and your recognition of the vital role grassroots arts organizations play in the landscape of an arts community.

We continue to vow to you that every penny that comes the way of the Jasper Project will go directly back into the greater Midlands area arts community as we keep our overhead close to zero, save for insurance and rent (when we have a brick-and-mortar home.) None of your generous funding goes to payroll, taxes, or nice desks and chairs. We work from our homes and from our hearts.

It's worked this way for 10 ½ years. We’re keeping at it as long as you let us.

Thank you for your continued support.

Cindi Boiter, Wade Sellers, and the entire board of the Jasper Project and staff of Jasper Magazine

THE BEAT: Stardog - On the Ropes - Self-released

By Kevin Oliver

When the sudden news of Stardog guitarist Beau Long’s death spread through the local rock scene last year, it looked like a void had opened up that would be difficult to fill. Long’s proficiency in the kind of 70s/80s arena-ready rock swagger that Stardog excelled at is not something that’s all that common anymore. How would the band soldier on, or would they? 

Turns out that Long had one more fight left in him; his guitar parts for the band’s next album were completed prior to his passing. It is a fitting tribute to their late bandmate that the remaining band members chose to press on and finish what they’d started with Long. 

Four of the six tunes here are new compositions–Long’s last written and played with the rest of the band. There’s the boxing allegory, “The Left Hand,” which equates the sweet science to life lessons learned the hard way. “Lying” brings the Stardog sound into a more swinging 90’s alt-rock direction, more Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots than anything that might have worn spandex tights on stage. It’s also lead singer Artie Joyner’s peak performance, vocally, where he’s just soaring above the music on the chorus, yet emotive and restrained in the verses when he needs to be. 

 “All Time High,” with an insistent tempo driven by rock solid drummer Scott Mark King and a chorus that invites fist pumping and singing along, is typical of the band’s strengths–taking something that in lesser hands might be considered dated and cheesy and making it sound fresh and exciting all over again.  

The other thing that Stardog does well is create the kind of songs that make you think you’ve heard them before. “Nobody’s Sleeping” is one of two older songs included on this new release, It opens the proceedings with a not-so-subtle Van Halen style arrangement; stick around for the scorching Beau Long guitar solo–it’s worth the wait. “Lemonade Girl” is built on a riff and chord progression that’s naggingly familiar (I have my suspicions, but I’ll let you figure it out for yourself) before the full band kicks in for yet another great singalong chorus.

There is no pretense or artifice in the music Stardog plays, nor has there ever been. The band’s signature style is pure unadulterated over the top FM rock grandiosity, and here they deliver it like they are playing for the kids in the cheap nosebleed seats, lighters raised for an encore.

THE BEAT: Review - Henry Luther's Southern Cities

by Kyle Petersen

I’m coming a bit late to local singer/songwriter and raconteur, Henry Luther.

His latest studio record, Southern Cities, was released back in November 2020, but I honestly just came across it recently, after planning (and failing) to make it to a show he was playing at New Brookland Tavern.

Even having missed the show, I’m sure Luther is great live, mostly because he writes in that rowdy but whip-smart troubadour mode that’s built for clubs and honky tonks. “Jesus Christ Second Amendment Blues,” one of the standout tracks from the record, is a great example of this. Riding a dusty lead guitar lick and some simple strumming, Luther drawls out a fabulous yarn with the would-be savior shot down by a racist cop for arriving “Constitution and gun in hand.” It’s a hilarious bit, and one that might get a beer bottle thrown at him in front of the wrong crowd. 

And that blend of gallows humor and sardonic insights is rife throughout, whether he’s working in coded class commentary (“Lifestyles,” “Myrtle Beach Girl”) or tales of substance-based debauchery (“Southern Cities,” “I Love Liquor (But Liquor Don’t Love Me”). His ability to be both funny, direct and philosophical at the same time puts him firmly in the lineage of Jerry Jeff Walker, John Prine and Todd Snider. Not bad company.

But he’s not quite a straight shooter, guitar picker-type–musically, Luther is a hodgepodge of DIY Americana in the vein of early Avett Brothers or Old Crow Medicine Show, with a streak of Jeffrey Lewis-style anti-folk contrarianism and Dave Berman’s droll exasperation.  

For all of its charms, the record very much seems to be catching Luther in transition, torn between the solo troubadour mode and the possibilities of a more rocking alt-country guise. Regardless of which way he leans in the future, he’s clearly a songwriter that can’t help but engage and enrapture.  

THE BEAT - Songs From The Vault: Admiral Radio’s New Album of Very Old Songs

By Kevin Oliver

Before we sat down on their front porch to talk about the release of Admiral Radio’s new album Songs From The Vault, I spied a vintage door leaning on the wall in a side room of Coty Hoover and Becca Smith’s charming Earlewood Park home. Described by Becca as “a project that I haven’t tackled yet,” the door’s flaking paint and unusual upper glass panes certainly appeared to be the bones of something that could be repurposed to great artistic effect. The songs on the new album are like that, worn yet comfortable tunes with the familiarity of an old coat of paint peeling from a door, layers upon layers that reveal older truth underneath. 

“We held on to the concept behind this album for a while, wanting something a little more simple and stripped down,” Smith says.  

The duo’s debut, Sounds Like You, was produced using a full band in the studio, something they rarely have the luxury of having on stage in a live setting. 

“We wanted to have something out there that reflected our pure duo sound,” Hoover admits. “We made a point to have this not be extremely polished.” 

The recording was done with the same production team of Carl Burnitz and Todd Mathis who helmed the debut, but this time around they eschewed the trappings of studio mikes, overdubs, and multiple takes in favor of a single condenser microphone hanging in the middle of a room between the two performers. Every song on the album is a single, complete take in that setting with nothing added–just Coty and Becca singing to each other and playing guitars and banjo.  

“A lot of the songs on this are ones we already play, songs we have collected over the last few years that we are drawn to for different reasons,” Smith says. “Sometimes it’s the lyrics, the story that the song tells, or it could be the way it makes us feel, and the way we sing it together.” 

Hoover and Smith sing together like the married couple they are, with their two voices playing off each other in close harmonies that sound as natural as a spring breeze bending the branches of a live oak tree. The sidewalk that constrains and conceals the tree’s roots is an apt metaphor for modern musical expectations that limit what people know about the history behind what they are hearing.  

Smith and Hoover both have deep connections, personal stories that link them to many of these songs and recording them was a bit of a history lesson for them, too. 

“One of my earliest memories growing up is a stuffed animal that I had,” Smith recalls. “It played ‘You Are My Sunshine,’ which if you really pay attention to the lyrics is pretty morbid.” 

Hoover’s recollection touches on the ancient ballad, “Oh My Darling, Clementine.”

“My uncle used to sing ‘Clementine’ to us while we were swinging in the back yard with the other kids,” He says. “I love songs like that where I have a specific memory of it, but when we play it now, I’m always thinking ‘Man, that’s a really sad song.’” 

Hoover and Smith’s easy familiarity with this material belies their own relatively recent vintage; so, when they decided to reach this far back to find songs for the new album, it took a little thought and some effort to research the sources.  

“With this project has come the recognition that some of our favorite songs span a stretch of time that’s much longer than we realized,” Smith says. “The songs we chose go back as far as the 1800s. To dive into the details of who wrote what, when was it published, and thinking about life then versus life now, and that we are still singing that same song two hundred years later, it’s really powerful. It has been a humbling and enriching experience to bring these into our own light and sing them in our own way.”  

The pandemic forced Hoover and Smith to reassess their musical career and focus on what mattered the most, which for them was the connection with others through making music. 

“Like most other full-time musicians, we were a bit lost in 2020 when the pandemic hit,” Hoover says. “We had plans to put out our debut album and tour behind it the rest of the year, and all of that was gone, suddenly.” 

The duo had to quickly figure out how to make ends meet financially and yet still continue to make music. They filled the gaps musically with livestreams, including a fully produced album release concert filmed professionally at the Sumter Opera House, but it wasn’t quite the same, Smith says. 

“The livestreams we did from home were a way to connect that was very restorative for my sense of community and faith in human connections through those very uncertain times,” She says. “We really, truly needed that, and it was an incredible time of camaraderie and support, even though we weren’t able to see our audiences in person. The Opera House show was a strange experience, in that it felt like a dress rehearsal, not quite the real thing.”  

A little more than two years into marriage and going through a pandemic, Smith says that they have learned a lot in the process about what they really want. 

“We are embracing the bits that aren’t quite perfect,” She says. “The pandemic experience has loosened up our attitude towards performance. Before, I was so serious and wanted everything to be just right every time. Now, I just want to play; I really just want to play.”  

You can hear Admiral Radio play this week when they celebrate the release of Songs From The Vault in concert at Downtown Church, 2030 Gregg Street. Doors open at 6:30, they will play from 7-8. A donation is requested, along with whatever food and beverage you prefer to bring in with you for this casual, communal musical evening. 

The Beat: Prettier Than Vinyl

The acoustic pop duo Prettier Than Matt have been on an extended leave of absence from performing together live, but they had a very good reason–the birth of singer Jessica Sims’ first child. They recently returned to local stages, and this Sunday they’ll celebrate this new chapter with the release of their 2021 album Colors on vinyl. You can hear them live, and pick up a copy of this limited vinyl release, on Sunday afternoon when they play Steel Hands Brewing from 1-4 p.m.

Prettier Than Matt return to live performances, release Colors On Vinyl

For a group that had been playing together for over a decade, sometimes four and five nights a week, taking a four month break was a different experience, but for different reasons.

“It has been bittersweet for me as I’ve missed playing,” Sims admits. “But I’ve loved the time I have had to really focus on how to be a new mom. It feels great to be back, but it’s hard to be away from the cutest baby on the planet.”

Her musical partner in Prettier Than Matt, Jeff Pitts, never actually stopped playing. Picking up different gigs became a way to fill the time. 

“I enjoy getting to play music, period, so I did a lot of solo shows and started playing with Charles Riley as the Jeff & Charles Show,” Pitts says. “I’m thankful for having those options during these months, but being back feels great. Jessica and I did an impromptu reunion set at a Jeff Lucero show on my birthday–he asked us to play, so we did a few songs, and the joy I felt hearing Jessica sing again was probably obvious to everyone in the room.”
So what effect will the new arrival have on Prettier Than Matt’s ongoing activity? Both Pitts and Sims acknowledge that the days of everyday gigs are probably in their past. 

“It’ll be much of the same, but just less on the gigging front,” Pitts says. “We will still put out new music, look for licensing opportunities, and continue to play and livestream, but it won’t be as much as we did before. I’ll continue to do the solo stuff and play with Charles, too, but Prettier Than Matt is still my personal creative outlet and passion.” 

Sims says they feel a debt and an obligation to their fans, but that some priorities, understandably, have changed.

“We’ve made so many great relationships with fans, friends, and venues over the years that we’ve been picking our favorites and making sure that we still play those spots,” She says. “I want to focus on being present and being a good mom, though.” 

On an even happier note, Sims says that motherhood has already brought new inspiration to her writing.

“I will say that becoming a mom and going through all of these major life changes has inspired a few new songs that I’m really excited to record soon,” she says. 

The release of Colors on vinyl is not the duo’s first foray into the newly hip world of LPs, Pitts points out.

“We released a compilation vinyl album in 2019 called Retrograde, which had our favorite songs from our past releases along with one new song,” He says. “When we finished this last one we were proud of it and knew that releasing it on vinyl was something we wanted to do.” For Pitts, vinyl is the preferred medium for listening to such an album-length project.

“We want people to hear the album front to back as it was recorded, and I think vinyl is the best, and most fun, way to do that.”

THE BEAT: Art Bar Concert Review March 12, 2022 by Emily Moffitt

Video game track covers, electrifying synths, and rock and roll; Art Bar’s live music concert on March 12 had it all.

The night featured performances by Outer Ego, Dead Spring, Harry and the Hootenannies, and Bad Stars, giving the audience a plethora of genres and new music to listen to.

Several of the bands debuted new music they were working on, and some performed excellent covers by other well-known groups, like Outer Ego’s great cover of Daft Punk’s “Something About Us” and Harry and the Hootenannies’ getting the crowd going by performing the original Powerpuff Girls theme song.

With so much variation between each group, there was enough to go around for the crowd to enjoy and dance to. The intimate spacing of the stage to the audience in Art Bar bolstered the mood of the entire room, encouraging conversation between the performers and the crowd through the music and during breaks.

It was a great night and a fantastic concert and gives us plenty to look forward to in terms of future gigs for all of the groups involved here.

THE BEAT: Local Music at St. Pat's in 5 Points by Kevin Oliver

Sure, the hype for the return of the annual St. Pat’s in Five Points festival is focused on the headliners Blues Traveler and national acts such as Surfaces, Laney Wilson, and Big Something, but what often gets lost in the coverage is that St. Pat’s is also one of the biggest local music festival opportunities of the year. Columbia bands are well represented on the main stages in 2022, and every year there are additional acts playing at unofficial side stages, local bars, and restaurants in the area, and more. To help you plan a locals-focused day at the festival, here’s a rundown of area artists and when to find them on what stage:

Villanova 

2:40 pm, Greene and Harden St. Stage 

Possibly the most popular local act to play St. Pat’s multiple times, Villa*Nova brings the noise every year. The current lineup includes founding members Bobby Dredd and DJ Able One alongside singer and guitarist Brian Conner. The band released their first new music since 2015 last year, the single “Vipers,” which revealed a commitment to a heavier sound within their melodic funk roots. There’s still plenty of the funk/rock/hip-hop hybrid left in the band’s back catalog to please their longtime fans, however.

George Fetner and the Strays

1:10 - 2:10 p.m., Greene and Harden St Stage 

George Fetner has corralled his band of musical misfits into a herd of magnanimous proportions that turns any stage into a groove-laden party. Despite the near double-digit number of band members on stage, tight arrangements make the proceedings chug along purposefully. If you’re into bands such as Lake Street Dive, or the classic jams of WAR, there’s plenty to love in the joy-filled, tuneful workouts that Fetner and the Strays produce. 

Stranger Company

12:00-12:50 Harden and Blossom St Stage

A newer presence locally, this young quartet has tapped into a jam band style of rock, blues, and jazz that hearkens back to the 70’s classic rock of acts such as Wet Willie, Santana, and Sea Level, where the grooves and the guitar licks were what mattered. 

Ashley Wright and the Vance Gap Ramblers

12:00-12:50  Saluda and Devine St Stage 

Ashley Wright and her band have managed to create twang-friendly tunes that transcend stereotypes and cut close to the emotional bone. The band’s delicate arrangements juxtaposed with Ashley Wright’s full-throated alto voice bring to mind Gillian Welch and Watchhouse. 

Sourwood Honey Tribute Band

7:00-8:30, Home Team BBQ Stage 

The beloved Sourwood Honey was a bar-packing mainstay of the regional club circuit in the 1990s, with the dual front of Ryan Goforth and Chris Conner and ace guitarist Herbie Jeffcoat taking on the wingman position. Their brand of jam-friendly southern country rock was always a cut above the rest due largely to Conner’s songwriting skills, showcased on the pair of full-length albums the band issued in their prime. 

Conner passed from cancer back in 2007 but a few years back most of the remaining band members reconvened around Chris’ younger brother Brian Conner (of Villa*Nova), and called it a “tribute,” with Brian taking over his late brother’s parts; the goal is to keep the memory of Chris alive and reintroduce the band’s classic songs to audiences old and new. 

The Ramblers

4:10-5:10, Home Team BBQ Stage 

Taylor Nicholson logged plenty of miles as the lead singer for the popular regional rock act Atlas Road Crew; this outfit aims to provide plenty of classic rock and blues vibes on familiar material.

Danielle Howle & the Tantrums

2:40-3:40, Home Team BBQ Stage

 The nostalgic aspect of this year’s St. Pat’s Festival is encapsulated in the fact that Howle, a former Columbia resident and musician who now calls the Charleston area home, was playing the festival as early as the 1990s with her band Lay Quiet Awhile. The Tantrums was her next full rock band, featuring members from another late great local act, Blightobody, and the group recorded several albums for Daemon Records in the late 1990s, gaining airplay locally and regionally with songs such as “She Has A Past.” 

Soul Mites

1:10-2:10, Home Team BBQ Stage

The perennial party band for many Columbia natives, The Soul Mites only come out and play any more on special occasions like this.. The gruff, insistent voice of Tim Davis may be the focal point, but his supporting cast gives him a funky soul drenched rock ‘n’ roll machine to carry his crooning to another level.

THE BEAT: Warfare Check - Now That's What I Call Art (River Monster Records) by Kevin Oliver

“Punk was never just about raging against the machine, …“

Punk rock has a long and storied history in Columbia’s music scene, from the original punk era of Nick Pagan and the Fanatics through the positive hardcore of Bedlam Hour, the unhinged crust punk of Antischism and into the more focused assault of Stretch Armstrong, Self, Assfactor 4, and more.  

Lately the genre has seen something of a resurgence, with strong showings by Soda City Riot, Brandy and the Butcher, and now Warfare Check.  

This far down the line, anyone playing punk rock is usually self-selecting for what subgenre or sound they are going to deliver. Warfare Check falls squarely into the California punk of The Circle Jerks and Black Flag, with a bit of screamo angst and grunge bluster thrown in to keep things interesting. Frontman Bubs Rubella is more shouter than singer, a useful trait when one is barking out lyrics to songs such as “Violence Breeds Violence,” or “Go Fucking Die,” with complete seriousness.  

There are nods to the silly comedic side of hardcore on songs such as “Lord Shatterling’s Dildo Collection,” and “Mary Jane Rottencrotch,” but more often than not, the band deals in societal outrage that echoes the frustrations of the past two years plus of pandemic era issues. “2021 (Ain’t No Fun),” may state the obvious, but it does so in under two minutes with a lyrical riff that’s about as good an anthem for last year as there could be.  

“Aryan Garbage” pulls no punches, musically or lyrically. Coming across like a profane version of a Naked Raygun polemic, the song condemns the current trend of rising white supremacy with a string of mostly unprintable epithets over an unstoppable barrage of riffs.  

Punk was never just about raging against the machine, however. The community, camaraderie and belonging that punk subculture introduced was just as important in the long run, and Warfare Check’s catchiest, most memorable tune here, “I Hate This,” wraps up that “we’re all in this together” sentiment in just a few short lines: 

“We all suffer 

We all need a buffer 

What's the latest fashion,

What’s your goddamn passion?”

…Now that’s what I call a great question. How you answer it, that’s up to you.

THE BEAT - Kismet Kind’s Sad Girl Rock

By Kevin Oliver

“Kismet” is the word for the Arabic concept of destiny, or fate–not the kind one is resigned to, but the kind that greets you with promise, anticipation, and the joy of discovery along the way. The Greenville duo Kismet Kind chose the word as their moniker because of a chance meeting, with joyful repercussions that are still playing out. 

“We met in a kismet fashion in downtown Greenville, through an introduction by a mutual friend,” says Corinne Twigg, who along with Ashley Piotrowski is the entire band. Corrine had a track record as a local singer-songwriter, so they connected immediately over music, since Ashley was a drummer–an instrument largely absent from the former’s then all-acoustic style. “A promise to hang out and jam together turned into a series of Sundays spent in Ashley’s music room,” Twigg says. 

The resulting collaboration intrigued both musicians enough that eventually, they decided to take things public; their first show was about a year ago here in Columbia at New Brookland Tavern–where they return this Friday, March 4th.  

So, what happens when a confessional singer-songwriter crosses paths with a rock ‘n’ roll drummer? In Kismet Kind’s case, the musical mind-meld creates a cacophony of swirling guitar sounds and crashing cymbals, underpinned by Piotrowski’s propulsive timekeeping. An audio collision of Sleater-Kinney and Speedy Ortiz, the tuneful racket supports lyrics that would still feel equally at home in a sensitive indie folk song. The more electric, eclectic sound amplifies not only the instruments, but the themes addressed in the song’s subjects.  

“We wear our hearts on our sleeves,” Twigg says. “We find the writing process to be just as healing and as cathartic for us as it is to share the finished product in a room full of listeners.” 

The duo has even coined a name, or a subgenre, for what they do– “Sad Girl Rock.” 

“That most closely describes the emotional nature of our sound,” Twigg explains. “We aren’t your typical female duo because we aren’t afraid to connect with the loneliest person in the room from our vulnerable place on stage.” 

Their star has risen quickly on their home turf, with the Upstate Music Awards nominating them for “Best Duo/Group” and “Best Live Act,” an impressive achievement for a brand-new act. 

“To be as fresh on the scene as we are, seeing our name on anything–let alone nominations for the Upstate Music Awards–floored us,” Twigg says. “What means even more is to see familiar faces at our shows; it’s amazing to feel that support and it never gets old.” 

There are no formal studio recordings of Kismet Kind yet, but the duo is working on something for release in 2022. Until then, you can hear some of their music on a livestream they did last summer with the YouTube channel At The Addition: https://youtu.be/OOfx2IohVUc

Where: New Brookland Tavern

When: 7:00 p.m.

With: Hillmouse, Death Ray Robin

How Much: $10

THE BEAT - Review: Katera - Fear Doesn’t Live Here

By Kyle Petersen

Although Fear Doesn’t Live Here is technically Columbia R&B singer/songwriter Katera’s debut album, she’s long been one of the most intriguing voices in our music scene. Many of the songs on this record have been available online and in her set list for years, so there’s a way in which this record feels like a culmination of sorts, the conclusive exclamation point on the gradually building recognition of Katera as one of the great artistic talents in our city. 

A gospel-trained singer who taught herself guitar in order to burnish her performance and songwriting talents, Katera presents herself as a true student of both the pop-rock and R&B traditions, excelling at brisk, lithely constructed tunes. The lead-in intro “Hate Me Now” has her confidently riding a hook-filled, loping beat that builds gracefully into the sumptuous R&B groove of “Refund (I Don’t Love You),” a pocket-heavy performance which in turn is framed against the throbbing acoustic pop-rock strums and triumphant chorus of “DNA.”  

That opening salvo establishes both the songwriting range and the polished studio techniques that Fear utilizes. As a guitarist and arranger, Katera leans towards punched-up versions of the warm tones of neo-soul and the casually athletic vocal multi-tracks of early 2000s contemporary R&B. It’s a potent blend, and one that could carry the record of a lesser songwriter, really. 

But Katera excels as a songwriter first and foremost, with a distinct sense of character and charisma that, in addition to her technical skills, really fosters her album’s identity. Tracks like “Single” and “No Phone Calls” present a humbly confident twist on women’s empowerment anthems, toying with the romantic themes of the genre while offering a distinct perspective. This is perhaps most evident on “Rush,” the pulsating centerpiece of the record which gracefully pulls back against a breathless melody and giddy chord progression as Katera and featured rapper H3RO articulate the desire to slow down a relationship as a couple feels tempted to succumb to urgent longing.  

There are lighter and more playful moments here too (“Superhero” and “In Love with the DJ”), but it is her distinctive spin on R&B romance that makes Katera’s first album such a triumph. Most debut records are usually about the promise of the artist, but this one is truly more a demonstration of a fully realized vision.