“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.”
* Roadkill Ghost Choir w/ Sol Cat and Grass Root Kids at Exit/In ::: I am a serial car-inhabitant. Appreciating the imposition of an “on the road” lifestyle atop what is otherwise the existence of a young woman burdened by emotional cliche, I choose to keep the most vital essentials within each seat of my fifteen-year-old, New York plated Acura.
Among those essentials is a CD collection numbering over one hundred; I attach myself to one disc for a series of time, depending on how well it fits my and my car’s current life trajectory. For a substantial period, Grass Roots Kids’ album was the preeminent voice of my steely gray vehicle, taking me on long, speedy drives down I-65S to a job I despised, curtailing my dread with its youthful passion and inspiring compositions.
On lighter days, when driving down Music Row feels like ascending into an unknown, Monday-night adventure, Sol Cat‘s album is gently plucked from its residence in the glove compartment, and sets the scene for the lightness of a Nashville spring evening, care-free and harmonious with its blooming, progressive streets.
When my crippling introspection has run itself dry, Roadhouse Ghost Choir bridges the gap between my radio and the traveled concrete; the band’s sound speaks in place of my own deafening thoughts. Every once in a while, long car rides must be replaced with Wilco-like harmonies, trucking acoustics, and a submerged ghostliness, underwriting each cigarette that falls from the window under winding trees or construction zones.
The combination of these three bands is enough to remove me from my self-imposed vagabond existence into the confines of Exit/In this Wednesday Night. Sometimes, just sometimes, my thoughts are cleaner inside a standing venue; if I see you, I’ll exchange you an album for a cigarette. – E.K.
* Diamond Carter w/Oak Creek, Oreleck and Lulu Mae at the Basement ::: Diamond Carter is our writer Cameron‘s band, and for the lack of too much self-promotion I won’t tell you a million reasons why you aught to see them. But you aught to. Aside from his literary skills, Cameron plays a mean saxophone, and Diamond Carter is poised to be one of Music City’s most dynamic and unique new acts.
* Cause a Scene House Show w/ Neulore, The Inlaws and Stephen Gordon ::: Nashville’s Neulore is an indie folk-pop band unafraid to admit some mainstream musical tastes. It’s refreshing, really: we believe it’s not the label a band is on that signifies whether or not they are worthy of attention, have “sold-out” or whatnot, it’s whether or not they compromise their music or artist vision, at any level or record company. Sorry for the tangent…
Anyway, in their songs Neulore finds inspiration in acts of all sizes – it’s easy to hear the early Coldplay influences on their concept EP, Apples & Eve, but Local Natives seep in there too. So we asked the band to detail their top five Nashville shows ever, which includes Chris Martin and company as well as other marquee names. They didn’t try hard to hard to conjure up acts that no one is ever heard of, they just were honest. Which is a good way to describe their approach to music in general.
* Tin Pan South Pick /// Shawn Camp, Critter Fuqua & Ketch Secor (of Old Crow Medicine Show) and Parker Millsap at the Station Inn ::: Any chance to see Critter and Ketch wail away up close and personal at the Station Inn is reason enough alone to go. The rest of the night here.
Lockeland Springsteen 