CELLO FOLK | The Moon and You
w/ Laura Jane Vincent
Wed. March 12
9 p.m.
$5
Tin Roof
Thurs. March 13
7 p.m.
Free
Kudu Coffee
It isn’t every day you hear about a guitar-and-cello duo, but Asheville’s the Moon and You are just that. Last summer, the pair released their debut EP, The Ocean’s Lonely Daughter, and it’s quite a pleasant little listen. When Melissa Hyman and Ryan Furstenberg aren’t playing the cello or finger-picking on an acoustic guitar, respectively, they are harmonizing with ease, as on tracks like the easygoing “Take Me With You.” “Baker’s Daughter” is such a beautiful piece of front-porch folk — Furstenberg’s rich baritone augments the understated guitar and cello — that you might find yourself wanting to listen to this track with a cold one the next time sunset rolls around. And despite the somber tone of “Willful Bird,” there is a hauntingly gorgeous lilt to Hyman’s vocals, which is likely to keep you entranced throughout, but the duo are tossing concert-goers a curve with this show; they will be performing as a trio with Dulci Ellenberger, formerly of Now You See Them. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Ellenberger will surely add an intriguing layer to this already fascinating band’s performance. —Brian Palmer THURSDAY
COUNTRY-FOLK | Michael Reno Harrell
w/ the Fustics, JamStain, Heather Luttrell and the Possumden, McKenna Andrews
Wed. March 12
6 p.m.
$5
Awendaw Green
Michael Reno Harrell says one day his father took a look at his report card, shook his head, and bought his son a guitar with his college fund. It was a worthy investment. Since then Harrell has released 11 studio albums, a couple of concert discs, a DVD, and a book of short stories. Indeed he’s as much a storyteller as a songwriter. Inspired by the loose and homey style of Woody and Arlo Guthrie, he often introduces songs with a personal anecdote. Raised in the southern Appalachia of east Tennessee and western North Carolina, Harrell came by his country-folk style naturally. His blend of bluegrass, folk, and country fits snugly within Americana, and Harrell’s definitely benefited from the post-O Brother boom. His twangy tenor, homespun style, and easy-going manner abet the front-porch intimacy of his music. However, don’t let the tossed-off air fool you; these are impeccably crafted songs with honed lyrical sentiments, from “Jesus When You Get the Time” to the heartbroken “I Don’t Listen to the Radio” and the phone-call fearing, “Somebody’s Gone,” three of the highlights off 2012’s Then There’s Me. —Chris Parker WEDNESDAY
SCATOLOGICAL PUNK | Hot Charlie
w/ Insubordination, Harlem Downtrodders
Fri. March 14
9 p.m.
The Mill
Hot Charlie harkens back to punk’s golden age some 30 years ago when it was loud, bratty, and uncompromisingly irreverent. What would you expect for a band named after a scatological sex act? Musically, the Summerville trio are as tight as an Irishman on St. Paddy’s day and twice as reckless. The rhythms race from hook-laden pop-punk evoking the Descendants to chunky, hard-charging shout-alongs. The trio’s unbridled sense of freedom and who-gives-a-fuck attitude is enough to put a smile on your face, particularly when they’re wedded to such amusing ditties as “Artistic Integrity.” On the track, the frontman has his manhood ridiculed, and so he sleeps with his lust-object’s “best friend,” i.e. her dog. This story of revenge bestiality culminates in the chorus: “Now all your puppies look just like me, and every time that one walks by, you’re reminded of your treachery.” Hot Charlie skewers punk-rock dogmatism, admitting to the band’s suckage, explaining, “We’re not in it for the practice, we’re in it for the fun. And the patches” on “The Exploited Suck, and So Do You.” It’s boisterous, darkly amusing, well-played music with the kind of caustic self-awareness most contemporary punk lacks. —Chris Parker FRIDAY
PURE ROCK | Atlas Road Crew
Fri. March t14
5 p.m.
Free
Palmetto Brewing Co.
When it comes to guitar rock, Charleston is not the land of thick, meaty licks. It’s a world of jammy, summery, good-time strumming. Which makes Atlas Road Crew something of an anomaly. These Southern rock stalwarts craft tunes that split the difference between the Black Crowes and Kings of Leon, and they’re not afraid to really, really rock — something that far too few Holy City acts are too timid to do. Case in point: Atlas Road Crew’s “Betty,” which boasts a nasty lick that recalls T. Rex’s “Buick Mackane” by way of Widespread Panic. It’s a killer track. The rest of the band’s self-titled debut EP isn’t quite so beefy, but it’s still pretty damn good. In August, the boys in Atlas Road Crew moved from Colatown to Chucktown, a move in part inspired by the Holy City’s burgeoning music scene. “We saw bands like Shovels & Rope, Stop Light Observations, and the Tarlatans making a name for themselves here and thought that it would be the right move for us,” says drummer Patrick Drohan. “Charleston’s got such a supportive attitude toward local music, and we have already felt the love from everybody here and can’t thank them enough.” We can’t wait to hear what Drohan and company will do next or how they might influence Charleston’s jam- and Americana-heavy scene. —Chris Haire FRIDAY
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