BASS MUSIC | Snails
w/ Kompany
Wed. Dec. 18
8 p.m.
$25
Music Farm
Frédérik Durand, a.k.a. Snails, commits to his gimmick. The Quebec DJ and producer’s debut album, a devastating collection of highly intense electronic bass music, was called The Shell. He subsequently played a sold-out concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado called “Sluggtopia.” In 2018 he released an EP called Slimeageddon. And he founded his own record label called Slugz Music. He likes the whole snail thing, is what we’re saying, which might be annoying if he weren’t such an effective bass music artist. Durand’s music is designed for maximum impact, layering strobelike beats into dizzying patterns and dropping atom bomb-sized bass hits designed to crack your ribs. Up top, he likes icy synths, clattering electronic distortion, and occasionally some old-school robotic vocals. To say the least, Snails’ music is a disorienting experience, especially when various guest MC’s start screaming out verses over the chaos, but there’s something undeniable about Durand’s approach. His releases are expanded audio collages and it’s easy to envision a dark, pulsating dancefloor full of EDM lovers losing their minds to his abrasive wizardry. It’s not meant for the faint of heart, or for those who haven’t fallen under the spell of bass-heavy electronic music, but there’s no doubt that Durand has a gift for creating shattering aural battlefields of music that cannot be ignored. There’s no tuning his stuff out; you can flee, or you can surrender to it.
—Vincent Harris WEDNESDAY
ALT ROCK | Pink-Eye Sunday
w/ Fulcrum, Lilakk, Obvious Liars
Sat. Dec. 21
8 p.m.
$7
The Sparrow
A full four act lineup will be taking over the Sparrow to celebrate the 21st birthday of Pink-Eye Sunday’s frontman Josiah Filos. The Summerville based indie punk outfit released a self-titled nine-song EP earlier this year as well as a single titled “God Doesn’t Care” back in July. And given the celebratory nature of Filos’ birthday, the band is sure to turn up the volume and energy a little more this time around. Joining the birthday band will be Savannah, Ga. alternative rock group Lilakk, still fresh off of the release of their single “Prep Rally” this past October. Another grunge inspired band, Obvious Liars out of Hampton, S.C., will also join the festivities. The band just released their single “Solo El Momento” on Dec. 13. Lastly, is Fulcrum out of Charleston. The night promises to be full of young, alternative rock bands with affinities for ’90s grunge. The birthday celebration of a Lowcountry music veteran means that Dec. 21 at the Sparrow is going to be loud, proud, and raucous, which seems to be exactly what Pink-Eye Sunday wants out of this.
—Alex Peeples SATURDAY
INDIE | Single Sparrow
w/ Youth Model, Chris Compton
Thurs. Dec. 19
8 p.m.
$7
Tin Roof
Not one, not two, but three South Carolina indie rock acts will be teaming up to form the bill at Tin Roof on Dec. 19. Charleston’s Single Sparrow and Youth Model will be taking the stage along with Columbia singer-songwriter Chris Compton. The concert serves as something of a release show for Single Sparrow’s newest album, Masks That Look Like Us, their third album to be released in four years. The new LP continues the clean, laid back indie rock sound that frontman Patrick Leitner (also of Saint Maybe and the Runout) has been building. That’s not to say that the other two acts are just there for support. Youth Model is an amalgamation of local music veterans lead by singer-songwriter Matt Holmes. The band prides themselves on making guitar centric alt-rock with a pop hook here and there. The venue even warns (or anticipates) that they will be loud. Chris Compton is something of a diversion from the other two acts. Compton is a folk-rock artist who gets inspiration from acts like Jason Isbell and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Compton previously released a full length album titled Furtherville in February of 2018, putting him in that sweet spot of having a likely mix of old standards and some new material. While all three artists operate within the indie rock sphere, it still promises to be a night of diverse sounds and styles from three true blue Carolina acts. —Alex Peeples THURSDAY
INDIE FOLK | Gold Light
w/ Grace Joyner, Mechanical River Dream Band
Sat. Dec. 21
9 p.m.
$8
The Royal American
“Goodbye” is never a word we want to say to artists as likeable as Gold Light. But, sadly, their upcoming gig at Royal will be the last before an indefinite hiatus. “I just kind of got in my head that I needed a break,” says songwriter Joe Chang. “I’ve been getting a little burned out on touring a bit. Being in a van, I’ve realized over the years, more recently gives me a lot of anxiety.” Gold Light has been a consistent touring band, taking their indie-pop and folk sound all across the Southeast. Although Chang currently lives in Asheville, his band has been popular with the local scene, even recording with defunct record label Hearts & Plugs. Gold Light released two albums this year, Shadows in the Shallows and Zephyr, that explored a traditional folk country sound. “That was a nice direction to go in. I think my creative output right now — I want to put it into some other things right now,” Chang says. “I’ve done film-making, music, comics, and stuff like that, and I think I just want to write right now.” And, while the songwriter is unsure if Gold Light’s hiatus will be the definitive end, he says that he’s glad to end the band’s current era in Charleston. “I feel like that’s where Gold Light started proper,” he says. “Being a part of the scene in Charleston was really huge for Gold Light. Those were its formative years.”
—Heath Ellison SATURDAY
JERRY GARCIA COVERS | Motown Throwdown
Wed. Dec. 18
10 p.m.
$12/adv, $15/dos
Pour House
The Motown Throwdown is one of the most colorful fixtures of the Pour House’s lively, community-oriented scene. The band has been crooning in the Sunday Farmers Market for some time now and their authentic, innovative reinventions of classic tunes are received with adoration each week. Kanika Moore’s virtuosic and effortless vocals are a huge part of this phenomenon. The band supporting her, led by Mike Quinn, can really play in any context with precision. Doom Flamingo’s mastermind, Ross Bogan, is a huge Jerry Garcia Band fan. He’s studious and dedicated to perfecting his interpretations of JGB’s work, especially the lush organ sounds. It makes perfect sense that these two concepts could become a buoyant, lively marriage, considering the chemistry already present in the band, as the players involved have been working together for a long time. Jerry Garcia’s light and beautiful Sunday morning approach to music makes for a heart opening experience and this band configuration is well equipped to meet that task. Expect lots of love and the swirling, true, familiar sounds of some of Charleston’s most dedicated and celebrated musicians.
—Jeffrey Wilson WEDNESDAY
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