Friday February 10th, 2012 was a stellar night at The Cave, one of Chapel Hill’s premier musical venues.  In my well worn painted biker jacket I trudged though the chilly night along with another photographer, and I am very glad that we did. On the way we were hailed by  a UNC Sorority who were hosting a bake sale, and while my first instinct was to flee, I bought a large cookie that turned out to be invaluable rations the next morning.

The Cave featured  not just one, but two great local Punk bands.   First up was Raging Nipple, a fireball of Punkmania hailing from Statesville.   With the energy of an out-of-control nuclear warhead, their searing music soon had the audience spontaneously erupting into a frenzied mosh pit.  Their amazing performance ended all too soon. Then the awesome P-90′s took the stage.  Well known from their other musical projects, the P-90′s delivered a blazing salvo of steady Punk that simply obliterated the senses.   And just when I thought I had weathered their sonic storm, I was amazed to hear them play my favorite Ramones song, “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg”!   Gabba, Gabba Hey, all right!  This night was living proof that Punk is alive and well in NC.  My hearing did not return for nearly 24 hours, but it was well worth it.

CD reviews for both Raging Nipple’s demo and the P-90′s “Limited Supply” will be forthcoming soon!

Raging Nipple

The P-90′s

Once again, Eli August, has managed to render yet another masterful CD which delves deeply into the abyss of the  soul, balancing delicately upon that dark  precipice of no return.  He leads the listener  through veritable seas of sadness in this musical foray with a nautical flavor,  a fitting vessel for the tides of sadness and regret surging  within ‘The Bottom of the Sea”.

“A Nautical Mile”is classic Eli.  From the onset, the song exudes an ominous feeling of dread, and the accordion imparts a sense of the seas, relentless and unforgiving, as seafaring men have discerned since the dawn of time.  The song picks up speed, like a doomed sloop being inexorably driven towards a jagged reef.  Eli’s vocals rise in a frantic appeal to the dark, stormy skies of   “Why can’t I be happy????“   The allusions mount, in this tale of a nautical disaster of the heart.  The end is swift, as Eli trails off plaintively, a last gasp before slipping beneath the waves of a pitiless fate.

“Dead Reckoning” changes pace, with the percussion lending an exotic Middle Eastern feel alongside the folkish, yet energetic guitar.   About two thirds of the way through the song, the song slows and the timbre suddenly drops to a tone of lonely reflections, and the listener is standing on the shore of a vast, impersonal sea, where pleas and heartbreak are meaningless against a cold eternity.

The Deep” begins with guitar that has a renaissance sort of inflection, then Eli’s vocals echo forlornly, with backing vocals by Mell Picco giving an even greater sense of icy solitude.  Mike Darnell’s bowed double bass lends the perfect touch.

“The Plunge”  marches steadily towards a grim reckoning.  The guitar has a Latin sort of feel, enhanced by the firm percussion of Nicky Sund.  ‘”A journey like the Nautilus,/ there’s only pain down here for us” , Eli intones.   Chord changes are crisp and sharp,  with backing effects like waves surging over wreckage.   “The  depths have secrets that they keep”.    Surely, they do.

The superb “Waves” is next, with Eli’s stalwart, nearly martial guitar leading the listener towards a watery Valhalla.  A touch of  cold, haunting  piano  and echoed, barely perceptible layered vocals heighten the sense of foreboding and loss.   “Sink, sing slowly down/they won’t find us now/to our hopes we are enslaved/driftwood down upon the waves” Then vocals are then shouted, as if from far away, and  echoing  off the walls of distant glaciers, who are the last imperturbable witnesses to a lonely demise.  The song aptly ends on a bit of wonderfully  piano

Just when the listener feels hopelessly adrift in Eli’s oceans of despair,  “Steady” amazingly ends the CD on a hopeful note.  “Steady as we go/there are those who stay with us through each ebb and flow”.  The sheer impact of the song belies the fact that  this is only Eli’s singing accompanied by his guitar.   This is perfect example of a comment I made in another review, that less is sometimes more.  In the song, Eli tells us that the journey’s end is still beyond our vision, and to be sure,  the limits our our endurance,, to be sure, but hold the course, and “we’ll find our own way home”.

“The Bottom of the Sea” is much like a dream, barely remembered, of battling monstrous seas and the demons of our memories and regrets.  This is yet another highly evocative, intensely personal project by Eli August.  Repeated listening will only begin to reveal the true depths of his music.  By all means, buy this CD!    Oh, and  if you get the chance to see Mr. August perform, don’t miss it.

http://www.eliaugust.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eli-August/127927807072

“Ghost Dance Party” is the full length debut from the Knuts, which formed in 2005 by  Brazilians Daniel (Guitar, Vocals) and Tiago Abud (Bass, Vocals), Airton Silva (Drums) and Cezare (Synths) .  Rooted firmly in Deathrock and Punk, “Ghost Dance Party” is clearly a Gothic band for today, yet is far from stereotypical.

The “Intro” is a little over a minute of strange ambient sounds, swirls of electronic layers, rat-like squeaks, and more.    “Ghost Dance Party” is sheer Deathrock joy in the vein of .45 Grave, which could be a virtual anthem for  Goth and Deathrock of the 21st century.

“Just be You” is a bit more post-punk, with a dark, yet fun, twist.  Fine guitar, with a very rousing chorus, and nice little electro twists.

“You Are the Wonder” is sort of Horror-punkish, but not quite as raucous.  I love the layered, spooky chorus, and the horror-film electro effects.

“Ice” is one of my favorites here.  This song has an edge that is addictive.   The chorus is fantastic, sort of punkish with synth loops that area very catchy and guitar that balances things quite well.

“Heaven Outside the Mirror”  is slower and more reflective, alternating with bursts of energy.   It has an indie kind of impact, that is rather charming.

Next, “Fishing Day” blows the dance-floor wide open with a punk flavor.

“Red Sound” has an electro intro that brings Devo to mind, then segues into a fast paced, but with Cure-ish guitar and vocals that are quite exuberant.  Keyboards have a rather carnival tone, that gallops the song along.

“The Hanging Man” reminds me somewhat of the Cure.  Slow, with funereal percussion and edgy feedback, the bass is simply ominous.    Then the song suddenly shifts into a higher gear, with shouted vocals that brim with frustration and anger.  There is a touch of grungy guitar and buzz in the background, then the song slides into a calmer, yet fervent vocal mode before grinding to halt.

“Where Are You Now” is a slow, poignant ballad.  Keyboards and measured percussion carry the song, with guitar being low-key but crucial.  The vocals are slightly layered, regretful and sincere.

“Bern Depois” is another  one of my favorites.  With an eerie sort of intro, it has a New Wave feel.  I can’t understand the lyrics, heh, but the guitar is visceral and  hard hitting.   A great song!

The Knutz  one of the new breed of bands with Gothic sensibilities, yet with all sorts of diverse elements that come together superbly.  “Ghost Dance Party” will satisfy your craving for Deathrock, then turn on the Goth Rock, and add a few twists that will keep the listener coming back for more.

http://www.theknutz.com/

The project of the Ukrainian couple  Alexey Nightchild A. (vocals, guitar, keyboard, programming) and Olga ‘Holy Cat’ (bass), Nightchild is another band who shows that Gothic Rock is by no means the defunct corpse that many people in the electro club scene would have us believe.  “Some Stories and Thoughts”  is a delightful return to the early to mid-eighties era of Goth/postpunk, (the March Violets, Rose of Avalanche, etc.) with a stripped down  approach that also fits quite well with the post-punk revival.  All of the songs on the CD evoke a visceral sort of emotional resonance that is a hallmark of  classic goth.

“Away”, which   begins with a  sort of ’80s pop flavor that is suddenly belied by the cutting vocals that are reminiscent of deathrock.   I love the guttural chorus  on this excellent song.  “Questions”  transfixes the listener like a relentless interrogation.  The stern vocals give way to firm guitar before the song resumes its course.  A spoken segment echoes from the background over thudding bass and electro swirls before a sawing guitar throws you back under the glaring lights.  “With Me”  has exquisite  guitar and female backing vocals that give this hard-hitting song even more depth.    With its edgy guitar and bursts of staccato percussion, ‘Sleepwalker” has a fervent chorus that pushes the song to a rising crest, then suddenly drops,  only to swell  upward again.

“Why Would You Wait”   invokes  a dark sense of regret  that is heightened by the echoes on the vocals, and the steady drumming, offset by sharp guitar interludes.   Fast and quirky, “It is Time”  is an anthem that both beseeches and demands.  I particularly like the way the guitar “drops” in contrast with the speed-of-light percussion.  “Shadows of the Past”  has deeper vocals that are very catchy, with faint echoes.  This song reminds me vaguely of Fear Cult.

“”Through the Night”  is another very powerful song, enhanced by deeper guitar, and percussion that reminds me of a horses’ hooves pounding across the desert bearing its rider to an unknown destination.  “Whispers in the Night” is  faster, with an almost frantic pace  that is underscored by slashes of guitar, but drops to a low urgency before erupting with a guitar solo that flashes like a cavalry saber.   The song grinds to an eerie halt, then leaps back into life.

‘Vampire and Witch”  is a simply  awesome song, with a catchy guitar hook and subtle organ-like electronics in the background.  The vocals give the song its bite, with the fast percussion and a great guitar solo pushing  the track  to its  conclusion.     “Will”  opens with  tribal drumming and well, tribal guitar, if there is such a thing.   The razor sharp guitar in the middle is a fine touch.   The ending is unexpectedly poignant and dreamlike.   This is a  very compelling song that is a fitting end to a fine album.  “Love under will….”   ( That sounds familiar!)

“Some Stories and Thoughts”  is a fine, evocative album, and the production is excellent.    I look forward to hearing more from Alexey and Olga!   “Some Stories and Thoughts” is a worthy addition for anyone who truly appreciates Gothic Rock or music with Gothic sensibilities.

http://www.myspace.com/thenightchildband

http://thenightchild.at.ua/web/homeenglish.htm