HIP-HOP | Diss Associated
w/ Estee Gabay and Ryan Becknell
Fri. Nov. 7
8 p.m.
Free
Brick House Party Plantation

Charleston hip-hop duo Diss Associated began two years ago when Adam Seigler, a.k.a. Seigs, and producer/songwriter Jeff Borckardt, or DJ JeyBi, collaborated for their debut Connected Thoughts. Now, the group will release Return of the Southern Gentleman on Nov. 7, an album Seigler says combines Charleston’s island sound with old-school hip-hop. And there’s a highly personal element present, too. “The topics I rap about are directly related to my life experiences, from the past to present struggles of everyday life, my childhood growing up in Charleston, my love for hip-hop and rhyming to living the nice, quiet life with my fiancé,” Seigler says. That nice, quiet life is something Seigler relishes after an admittedly tumultuous past, a fact he is honest about in his music. “The ‘One More Brew’ song is a true story from when I lived in Columbia,” he says. “A real rough patch in my life — dating strippers, doing drugs, and drinking every day. Awful memories.” But his past is what has led Seigler to the content life he lives now. At 21-years-old, he was diagnosed with a rare blood vessel disease (granulomatosis with polyangiitis) and eventually met his fiancé, who was living with the same disease. Later on, Seigler met his musical partner Borckardt, who just happened to be an associate professor at MUSC’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. He helped Seigler stabilize his mental health before the two collaborated musically, and the rest is history. —Kelly Rae Smith FRIDAY

INDIE-POP | Jukebox the Ghost
w/ Coins and Mike Mains & the Branches
Tues. Nov. 11
8 p.m.
$10/adv., $12/door
Music Farm

While we were searching through Jukebox the Ghost’s history, the thought popped up that they might be one of those rare overnight success stories. They quickly put that thought to rest. “It’s interesting to hear you describe us as an overnight success story. From our perspective, it’s been the exact opposite,” says guitarist and vocalist Tommy Siegel. “Our entire career trajectory has been slow and organic from the start.” The band started touring 10 years ago and dealt with sleeping on couches in random cities. They played shows with only the supporting band and their girlfriends in attendance. The band’s sound has slowly evolved into upbeat piano pop, and they have definitely paid their dues. However, after all that hard work, Jukebox the Ghost tells us they’re like a new band with the release of their latest self-titled album. “It really just felt like we were hitting the reset button on the band,” says Siegel. “The songwriting process was so much more involved and group-oriented than anything we’d done in the past, and we all felt like it represented a turning point.” Jukebox the Ghost has gone from singing tunes about made-up experiences on earlier albums, like 2010’s Everything Under the Sun, to writing about more personal matters. “It was a gradual change,” says Siegel. “I’m not sure if there was a clear reason behind it other than wanting to tell our own stories.” —J. Chapa TUESDAY

Reggae | Da Gullah Rootz
w/ Jimmy Jamz
Fri. Nov. 7
10 p.m.
$20
Music Farm

A Charleston institution since 2001, Da Gullah Rootz mix calypso beats with their Gullah Geechee style to produce a funky reggae rhythm that’s unique to the Lowcountry. The band — General Top Rank’n, Rome-G, Jaboo, and Jah’D — actually go way back; they were friends as children before they began making melodies together as adults. The guys have always kept their roots locally, but they’re more often on the road than not. “We tour the Southeast coast constantly and usually try to perform in town three times a year,” vocalist General Top Rank’n says. Self-described as a mix of “Lowcountry roots, rock, and culture,” Da Gullah Rootz have been able to fit in some studio time lately as they work on their new album, Geecheeology Vol.1 & 2, which is due out in April. In the meantime, fans can get a free download of their unreleased record PRAY at their annual Music Farm show. —Kelly Rae Smith FRIDAY

AMERICANA | This Frontier Needs Heroes
w/ Avi Jacob
Thurs. Nov. 6
8 p.m.
$5
Tin Roof

Although the official bio for This Frontier Needs Heroes says that they hail from Brooklyn, the truth is the band members are spread across the entire country. Vocalist Jessica Lauretti and bassist Turner Stough still reside in Brooklyn, while guitarist Brad Lauretti and violinist Sadie Frederick live in Jacksonville, Fla. Meanwhile, drummer David Roses-Berry will be somewhere in between Texas and Louisiana touring with another project when this article is published. Despite the distance, TFNH comes together to create earnest Americana that can go from playful to dark in a heartbeat. “The way recording technology has evolved, you really don’t need everyone in the same room,” says Brad Lauretti. “Really, it depends on who is available and who of my super-talented friends I want to call.” The track “George Clooney,” off last year’s Hooky, encompasses both heaviness and lightheartedness; the folk ballad concludes that even Clooney and Angelina Jolie can get a little lonesome. And the lamenting continues on the sorrowful “Sometimes Things Just Don’t Work Out,” as well as “It’s Over Now,” a pretty Hindi-inspired song that’s perfect for a pity party. On Dec. 2, TFNH will release a single on a cool new listening format that’s slowly gaining popularity. “This project is a CD/vinyl-hybrid series,” says Lauretti. “You can listen to it on a CD player or spin it on your turntable.” Whether they are touring as a full band or as a solo act, the guys of TFNH don’t let challenges keep them from their ultimate goal. “Right now I am focused on being a sustainable artist,” says Lauretti. “We have been doing this for a while, and it has brought us on a wild journey that we couldn’t have possibly predicted. So we are just going to keep it going.” —J. Chapa THURSDAY

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