Döltz, Brandish, and De()t
Friendship Commanders, …Of Sinking Ships, and Bluething
Friendship Commanders are a heavy duo from Nashville TN. The band is songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Buick Audra and drummer/bassist Jerry Roe. Their new album, MASS, is a concept record about memory, language, and the state of Massachusetts. The ten-track body of work was co-produced, engineered, and mixed by Kurt Ballou at his Salem, MA studio, GodCity. The album is accompanied by a memoir in essays by Buick Audra. Both were released on September 29, 2023. BILL – The Steve Albini Mixes was released on July 22, 2024; these are the original, previously unreleased analog mixes of FC’s second album, BILL. The record was released on what would have been Steve’s 62nd birthday. The single Outlive You (Steve Albini Mix) was released on July 1, 2024; it was Steve’s favorite track from the album.
An Evening With: Clive Carroll
When the music press describes someone as an ‘Incredible acoustic talent’ and ‘Peerless – no other word for it…’ and when people like Jean-Christophe Novelli and Madonna are booking that same someone for their private parties then you know that something pretty special is going on. Welcome to the world of UK acoustic guitar phenomenon Clive Carroll… Born into a musical family at the height of the 1970s, Clive’s musical career really began at the age of two, when his father presented him with a homemade banjo. Apart from a tendency to topple over occasionally under the weight of his new prize, something must have stirred inside young master Carroll, because it wasn’t very long before he was playing regularly with the family band. True, his repertoire in those days was limited to playing the odd nursery rhyme dressed in a cowboy outfit but things were about to change when, at the age of nine, Clive switched to playing guitar. Even at this early stage Clive was exposed to a variety of music – everything from traditional Irish to rock, pop and soul and it wasn’t long before he branched out on his own, playing in bands and even with the occasional orchestra. By the time he reached his teens, it was obvious that music was going to feature in Clive’s life in a very significant way, which led him to enrol in London’s prestigious Trinity College to study composition and guitar, graduating in 1998 with a first class honours degree. However, all the time he was playing the works of Bach, Dowland and Albeniz clutching a nylon string classical guitar, the lure of the steel string instrument was working its charm. Soon after graduation, Clive was given the opportunity to play at a gig with UK guitar maestro John Renbourn, who, on hearing him play, immediately suggested that Clive record an album. So one year later, Clive was working away in the studio, recording his first album ‘Sixth Sense’, which was greeted by press and audiences alike as something of a breath of fresh air in acoustic guitar circles. The album’s 2000 release didn’t go unnoticed by mentor and friend John Renbourn, either, because the pair spent the next two years on tour together in Europe and the United States. In the meantime, Clive would occasionally return to playing classical repertoire, recording the ever popular ‘Canon’ by Pachelbel for BMG/RCA Victor in 2002. His next solo album, ‘The Red Guitar’ appeared in 2004 and this time it was guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel’s turn to invite Clive to tour with him. After a jaunt across Australia together, the pair continued to perform all over the world. The collaborations with John Renbourn continued, meanwhile, and 2005 saw them work together on the Sony Picture Classics film ‘Driving Lessons’ which starred Julie Waters and Harry Potter star Rupert Grint.
Victoria Victoria w/ Noah Dane
Breakout artist Victoria Victoria is praised for her proficient songwriting, bewitching vocals, and celebratory live performances, inviting audiences into a communal experience. Named a “rising act” by RollingStone Magazine, Victoria’s playful yet insightful lyrics and lush harmonies leave listeners entranced. Victoria’s songwriting is what first caught the attention of GRAMMY award-nominated producer and guitarist, Charlie Hunter. After passing demos back and forth in the pandemic, the two teamed up to write and record their album, To the Wayside. Since the release of their debut collaborative effort in 2022, the two have toured along the east coast, playing NPR’s Mountain Stage, The Kennedy Center, the Rochester Jazz Festival and more.
The Tan And Sober Gentlemen + Driftwood
Born and raised in North Carolina, the T an and SoberGentlemen began taking the songs, stories, and tunes thatmake up their beloved state’s musical tradition before theycould talk. The music of the Carolinas, (and Appalachia ingeneral) stems from the marriage of the Irish fiddle and theAfrican banjo, which first met in the American South beforethe Revolution. The T an and Sober Gentlemen aim to bringthese traditions full circle. They play Irish tunes, ballads, andpub songs right next to the Appalachian fiddle tunes of theiryouth, melding the two into what they call “Irish-Americanhillbilly music. ” Meanwhile, they have earned a reputation asone of the South’s hardest-hitting live acts, playing at blazingtempos, and putting every last bit of energy they possessinto the show. The result is a raucous celebration of theCarolinas’ Irish heritage, with drinking, dancing, andmerriment galore. Music has guided Driftwood to hallowed ground many times since its founding members, JoeKollar and Dan Forsyth, started making music as high schoolers in Joe’s parents’ basement.Whether the Upstate New York folk rock group—which today also includes violinist Claire Byrne,bassist Joey Arcuri, and drummer Sam Fishman—are converting new fans on a hardscrabbletour across the country or playing to a devoted crowd at hero Levon Helm’s Woodstock barn,the band’s shapeshifting approach to folk music continues to break new ground. And yet inmany ways Driftwood’s latest work, the transformative December Last Call, finds the groupcoming home.Recorded in that very same basement where the Driftwood dream began, December Last Calllyrically reflects on the recent past, musing on the ways the group grew up, together and apart,through curveballs like new parenthood or pandemic shutdowns. But sonically, the band’s sixthalbum looks confidently to the future, experimenting with new sounds while staying true to thebluegrass roots that built them. Across the album’s nine tracks, the band often leans intohard-rocking electric guitars and driving percussion: On “Every Which Way But Loose,” we get afoot-tapping beat and a sweeping chorus, and on “Up All Night Blues,” the band shines with anambling, sing-along-able reflection on the challenges of new motherhood. But other tracks, likestandout closer “Stardust,” take a simpler route, allowing bare-bones vocals and acousticinstrumentals to underpin a deeper emotional message.
Coyote Island w/ Mammalien
Equilibrium depends on music. Body, mind, and soul move in a perfect harmony together. Synapses fire and hearts thump in time like a drumbeat. In this respect, the right tune sung at the right moment works like the best kind of natural medicine. Maine-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Coyote Island—a.k.a. Mike O’Hehir—recognizes and reveres the restorative potential of songcraft. Mixing folk, reggae, pop, world, cumbia, and psychedelia, he stirs up a sonic elixir meant to invigorate and inspire.
Dance From Above ft: Alec Lomami (no visa)
Wild Roots w/ Cady Fleet
Singer Songwriter Series hosted by Abigail Dowd ft: Maia Kamil and Drew Foust
Maia Kamil – Singer-songwriter Maia Kamil is at home in the world. Maia has spent years refining a musical style that weaves eclectic influences, vocal dexterity, and complex lyrics to create tiny worlds in which the listener can get lost. Much like her writing, Maia’s performances are an invitation to form community and create deep human connection. Her simple melodies act as launch pads for her graceful vocal runs, creating a new sound with a global soul. Her music offers transport to worlds away—the trees of the blue ridge, the salt of the seas she’s floated in, the lullabies of her ancestors—while simultaneously giving the listener a sense of sitting around a campfire with friends, singing melodies they feel they’ve always known. Drew Foust – Drew returns to the beloved Flat Iron for an In-The-Round songwriter showcase with friends Abigail Dowd & Maia Kamil A natural soul singer and blues musician, Drew Foust’s music sounds like it’s made between the bleary hours of a rock bar’s last call and a southern preacher’s early morning prayer. Hand made, self-made and arranged in dramatic structure, the music is lyrical and rhythm driven, always pushing a feeling forward. The Wheelhouse is an amalgamation of some of the best musicians in the piedmont region of North Carolina. Together, Drew and the band lend themselves to heartfelt songwriting with high test grooves, purveying their signature southern soul n’ roll sound. Current members are Jimmy Washington on rhythm guitar, Jared Church on bass, Chuck Pinckney on drums and Cole Covington on keys. The band is known for expanding beyond its core members, having collaborated in studio and on stage with DaShawn & Wendy Hickman, Sam & Eli Fribush, Maia Kamil and Jive Mother Mary. With notable performances at Shakori Hills Festival, Boonerang Music & Arts Festival, and FloydFest 24 in addition to opening for The Wallflowers in Winston-Salem, NC. Drew’s second full-length album, “Good Thing,” released on Charlie Hunter’s SideHustle record label in September of 2022, offers 8 tracks inspired by Memphis soul music from the 60s and 70s.
Mantra, Sweet Dream, and Kenny Wavinson
Mantra is a 4-piece indie rock band based in Charleston, SC formed by Ben Patrick (guitar/vocals) and Noah James (piano) in the summer of 2019. Their sound is a blend of rock, folk, and pop elements. From songs like “Lost Your Home” and “Waiting” you will hear the band’s unique ability to blend sounds and create a feeling within their music. Their debut album “Quarterlife”, recorded with Wolfgang Zimmerman (Susto, Brave Baby, Band of Horses) was released in September of 2024 and can be found on all streaming platforms. Sweet Dream is a Greensboro NC-based psychedelic power pop fusion group, a genre designation that is fitting of their recordings. On stage however, you never know what you’re going to get – virtuosic playing, extra jams, total improvisation, jazz standards, and sometimes even straight ahead power pop and rock n roll. Sweet Dream is the musical brainchild of guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader Julian Creech-Pritchett. Filling out the live band are Ramon Garcia on bass and Xavier Ware on drums. In the studio, Creech-Pritchett generally plays everything, aside from listed features on various songs. Their self-titled third album is available on all streaming platforms now. Kendall Daniels, better known as Kenny Wavinson, is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter from Greensboro, North Carolina. Kenny makes analog vibey melodic grooves under his own genre, “Lakewater Rock”. He has been creating music since he was only 7 years old. Wavinson began making music as just a producer, releasing a couple beat tapes in 2014. By the year 2015 Kenny started a new lane in his new music career by making a name for himself as an alternative Singer/Rapper. Kenny was able to push out an EP titled “Teal”, a collab effort with his producer and best friend Carolina Fiend. One Year after his best friends death in 2016, Jamile Adams gave Kenny Wavinson his first electric guitar to begin fully working on his first couple soft rock singles in 2017. By 2018 he was able to release his first solo album produced entirely himself titled “LonersRadio”, released April 20th, 2018. Since then Kenny Wavinson has been able to really get familiar with his unique sound he calls Lakewater Rock and earn a write up by BandCamp & UPROXX shortly after his first couple of releases. Currently He has just released his 6th single titled “Deja vu” on all streaming platforms.
