ELECTRONIC | Vibes in the Den: MIMR
Fri. Dec. 9
8:30 p.m.
Free
Music Farm
Oxford defines religion as a pursuit of interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. That’s why Christian Alexander Crouch chose the moniker MIMR, Music Is My Religion, for his pursuits as an electronic/hip-hop/trap DJ. “What I love so much about music is that it has the power to influence people’s emotions, from all over the world, without any translation or bias,” he says. “We live in a world that is constantly trying to divide and compartmentalize things to feel comfortable; however, music is always evolving beyond these boundaries, breaking comfort zones and defining eras. This is my passion. This is my religion.” Crouch has lived in Charleston for four years but grew up near Atlanta, a city with a music scene and culture that has always influenced him. So should you expect to get down or chill out at a MIMR show? “I enjoy playing in different types of settings and being able to cater to different vibes,” he says. “I don’t ever want to be associated with just one genre or style, which is why I like to play songs that draw influences from different types of genres. I’m inspired by artists like Flume, Luca Lush, and Mr. Carmack, who create songs and live performances that span multiple themes and emotions. This is my goal when I DJ.” MIMR performs this week at a new, free series called the Music Farm Den, which showcases local underground artists at the prominent venue. “Instead of performing on the main stage at Music Farm, artists featured in the Den now perform to a more intimate audience thanks to a smaller stage setup near the bar,” Crouch says. As for what’s in store for 2017, Crouch says MIMR will record and release his first EP. “My hope is to jump-start a new sound movement in the hip-hop and electronic music scene,” he says. “In a market overflowing with great music, it is very important to me that I stand out as my own unique sound and ‘brand.'” He’s also recently teamed up with a group of local DJs/artists, known as the Strawberry Squad, to work on furthering Charleston’s electronic music scene. He says, “Being surrounded by so many talented artists not only inspires me to continue working towards my goals, but it also brings out the best in my creativity.” —Kelly Rae Smith FRIDAY
SOUL | Soulitaire: Latisha B
Fri. Dec. 9
8 p.m.
Free
Eclectic Cafe & Vinyl
DJ Scrib and VP on the Radio’s Vaughn Postema have joined forces to present Soulitaire, a new series that aims to highlight funky, soulful local artists and DJs. Friday marks their first installment with Latisha B, who grew up in a family of musicians and singers and has been writing songs since her early teens. “I have been singing all my life but just began pursuing my music career last year,” she says. Latisha B is currently working on her debut R&B/soul EP and has plans to release a single in early 2017. In the meantime, she’s seizing performance opportunities like Soulitaire. She says, “I am filled with so many emotions before a show, and when its go time, I’m excited to share what I love to do, to see the audience’s expression.” —Kelly Rae Smith FRIDAY
EXPERIMENTAL ROCK | Zack Mexico
w/ ET Anderson and Secret Guest
Sun. Dec. 11
9 p.m.
$8
Royal American
The North Carolina quintet Zack Mexico describes their music as “experimental rock,” but there’s something a lot more whimsical in the music than that ultra-serious sobriquet suggests. For example, the leadoff track on their 2015 album Get Rich & Live Forever, called “Suzuki,” kicks off with a surprisingly light synth-drums-vocals trio that bubbles effervescently along until it takes a sudden turn into a fuzzy prog-rock guitar epic, closing out with some seriously chaotic thrashing. And then the band immediately follows that up with a softly demented lullaby called “Early Times” that combines the mawkishly overwrought vocal style of Jonathan Richman with the dreamy echo of Stephin Merritt’s most heartbroken Magnetic Fields songs. In other words, there’s a lot going on here, and while it’s certainly experimental, it’s a lot more fun than you might expect. And for a band with two drummers, they never seem especially bottom-heavy; most of their songs trip along a blissfully psychedelic path with a lighter-than-air feel. —Vincent Harris SUNDAY
METAL | 843Core Birthday Banger
As Temples Collide, AGØNY, Deatheater, In Hope, We Return, Amor Exitium, and Nothing2Lose
Sun. Dec. 11
6:30 p.m.
$5
Cory’s Grilled Cheese
843Core Promotions will celebrate two years of booking successful metal-centered shows in the Lowcountry this weekend with an all-ages, six-band Birthday Banger. The lineup includes Lowcountry metalcore groups As Temples Collide and AGØNY, deathcore band out of Greenville, Deatheater, Florence metalcore crew In Hope, We Return, Savannah melodic hardcore five-piece Amor Exitium, and Myrtle Beach’s hardcore Nothing2Lose. It’s also the 21st birthday of the guy behind it all, 843Core founder Will Manigault, who has a lot of folks to thank right now, like “everyone that has ever attended my shows and shown love and support to all the bands … Cory from Cory’s Grilled Cheese for giving my shows and the metal scene a permanent home …all of the 100-plus bands I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and hosting … and everyone — musician and fan — that has put something into this scene. They are family to me.” —Kelly Rae Smith SUNDAY
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