Song We Like: Yer Nature’s Kind by The Cannonball Jars

Song We Like: Yer Nature’s Kind by The Cannonball Jars

The Cannonball Jars were part of a wave of bands that changed the Asheville underground music sound forever (ahem Kitty Tsunami, Thee Sidewalk Surfers…) Benjamin Hatch can just write the hell out of a great hooky, indie, pop song – with heavy influences by The Beatles and The Kinks. This is Ben’s latest creation – which is all sweetness and prettiness. Ben is like a one-man Brill building on the indie underground scene.

Song We Like: Calling by the Booji Boys

Song We Like: Calling by the Booji Boys

They are called the best punk rock band – and here things get a little fuzzy – The best punk rock band ever? The best punk rock band now? The best punk rock band of Nova Scotia? Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter that I can’t understand the lyrics at all. This is super fast drum rolls – and then whatever chords they’re playing, whatever notes they’re picking, whatever melody line this guy is singing – this is the best punk rock ever!

Song We Like: Fetish by Peachy

Song We Like: Fetish by Peachy

These guys combine wonderful post-punk with straight up rebel grrrl – riot grrrl. Man you had me with that repetitive guitar riff and tight-as-hell drumming, and then, and then – she doesn’t care about your texts. She doesn’t care about your texts at all. However, she’s open to a little bondage and stuff…

Song We Like: She’s On My Mind by The Oh Balters

Song We Like: She’s On My Mind by The Oh Balters

First and foremost – these guys are fun. This is a little tongue-in-cheek, a little lounge singer indie rocker, with a beautiful fuzzed out groovy guitar and a swing in the bass and drums. Then these guys can sing a chorus. It rolls up like a wave and takes you on this great ride. Sweet sing-along catchiness. Totally the coolest.

Wanna hear us talk about this song? – Go listen to it on our #78 podcast at www.hlycrp.com.

Song We Like: Uncontrollably by Paige Beller

Song We Like: Uncontrollably by Paige Beller

Quiet often we trip over artists who should be national stars – and Paige Beller is the prime example of this type of artist. The instrumentation is retained and minimal, setting stage for an incredibly lush, rich, and emotional voice. This is what all country music should be – raw, real emotions, the truth about a broken heart, a slide guitar, and regret. This is the other side of the broken hearted love song – that she “didn’t love you the way I ought to,” and now her love is gone…

Band Management: Blog 48: Screwing It Down

Band Management: Blog 48: Screwing It Down

I am managing “Band A” for a year. (I’m also managing the release of “Pipe” by The Styrofoam Turtles on Holy Crap Records – hey Josh and Tristen I just sent out the single to a second round of radio stations and I’ll send it it to a first round of media next week – I attached the music file directly to the email and we’ll see if that makes a difference.)
This moment marks the end of the run with “Band A’s” 2019 EPs “You’re A Bad Choice Baby” on Kafadan Kontak Records and the self-released “Gimme Gimme Gimme.” “Band A” got on a label, played on a handful of radio stations, reviewed by a couple of music magazines, they’re on a couple of compilations… and two weeks ago they played 4 shows in a week. I nearly killed certain members. It’s always a balancing act with the band – how much of “Band A’s” story am I the protagonist and how much am I working behind the scenes as an assistant? To hold the group of six people together, who have different interests within the scope of the band… To see how far the more chill members are willing to bend – not very far – and to work to placate the more willful members…
To be honest, with the change in season, with Winter approaching, I feel like crawling onto a couch with an acoustic guitar singing some lonesome cowboy songs.
It’s time to head into the studio. Record some super fast garage rock and some slow moody minimalist heartache. At the start of 100 blog posts I was aiming to get the band on a label, to get them playing at a festival, to have 100 people show up for them… Even as I hibernate, my confidence/arrogance is still rising and I wish to see how far “Band A” can go…

Band Management: Blog 47: Screwing It Up

Band Management: Blog 47: Screwing It Up

I am managing “Band A” for one year. (And I’m managing the release of “Pipe” by The Styrofoam Turtles on our label.) I am doing this because I think underground music is the best art form in the world – by far! – without a question!
I grew up in the 80s and it was clear that “indie bands” were the best and that “college radio” played the best music. The Cure, New Order, Fugazi, R.E.M., PIXIES, etc…
About a decade ago, it was clear to me again that the underground music scene was creating art so much more superior than the establishment. And one of the first bands I started following was The Pack AD. (Listen to “Haunt You” or “The Water.”) This is a band with such great songs and a following and label support, so that creating music is Maya Miller and Becky Black’s focus.
I always wanted to know how they negotiated the collapse of the music industry.
We played them on the podcast and then I set up an interview with Maya for our “4 Questions in 5 Minutes” series. She wanted to use WhatsApp for the conversation and then I also downloaded ApowerRec to record the conversation on my phone.
I screwed it up – I didn’t get the two apps working together correctly.
The thing about this blog is that I’ll totally fess up when I screw up. I chatted with Maya – who told me that neither of them knew how to play their instruments when they started, that they never made a conscious decision to have their lyrics be so dark (check out this band Ian Duvall and Jenna Duvall), that MySpace was really helpful when they started, and that Maya thought they’d have a tough time getting noticed if they started today.
It was great to talk with one of my heroes – and I didn’t record the conversation. Sorry. Sorry Maya. I’ve been too embarrassed to tell Maya my phone didn’t record the conversation. Everyone please listen to The Pack AD – “Needles” or “Yes I Know” – they have tons of great songs…

Ep 78 – Peachy, Cannonball Jars, Paige Beller, Booji Boys, The Oh Balters

Ep 78 – Peachy, Cannonball Jars, Paige Beller, Booji Boys, The Oh Balters

Best of the underground, week of Nov, 5 2019: Rock & roll jackets. John meets with a senator. It’s November: Enjoy. (All podcasts are on itunes and spotify, and reviews plus podcasts are on our website, www.hlycrp.com. And you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and, reluctantly and occasionally, Twitter.) We love you artists 💚

Song We Like: Done I’m Done by John Kirby and the New Seniors

Song We Like: Done I’m Done by John Kirby and the New Seniors

We are sons and daughters of the 80s, of that wonderful intersection of classic American rock-n-roll and the indie scene with R.E.M., Social Distortion and especially The Replacements. What elevates this song from only reproduction of that sound is the passion and the catchiness of the chorus – Done I’m Done – and I can’t hear no more!