Author Archives: Charles Gray

After spending way too much money moving a statue with arguable relevance, the University of Memphis has landed on a solid cultural centerpiece to fund.

Blue Tom Records, UofM’s student-run record label, will be throwing a huge show at the University’s Memorial Field on April 6 and has booked some of Memphis’ most notable talent. BlueTomFest is bringing Memphis folk, electropop, and jam bands to UofM’s campus in an effort that will knock the school’s involvement with the city’s eclectic music culture up a few notches.

Kinda soulful super-poppy rock act Star & Micey are set to perform at BlueTomFest on a rare date when they’ll actually be home from touring in support of their most recent EP I Can’t Wait. They’ve received all sorts of hype since releasing the Dennis Herring-produced collection of songs, so the show will be great excuse to catch them while they’re in town for anyone who likes happy guitar pop.

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The Modern Memphis music scene has a unique style of architecture, the biggest pillars of which are obscure rock icons better known for their eccentricities than their enormous hits. A key example is early ’90s acts The Grifters.

April marks the 20th anniversary of one of band’s most pivotal albums, One Sock Missing, which rests between the sound of the band’s work in the ’80s and what their upcoming work would become. The record garnered positive reviews from the likes of SPIN and New York Press, who rallied behind the band’s unique stripped-down slop rock and their special detail to melody and content.

In celebration of the anniversary, the band is producing videos for the tracks on One Sock Missing. They’ve recently released the video for their song “Bummer,” and it’s something we think you should get your eyeballs on.

To get your hands on The Grifter’s One Sock Missing or any of their other albums, check out Shangri-La Projects.

Uptempo anything goes great with any night you’re four whiskey-cokes in too deep, but sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses.

Musical gardeners Glorie are a Memphis post-rock band who spend a lot of time, effort, and a little bit of love to carefully construct emotionally complex compositions well worth harvesting.

Earlier this month, the quartet released their latest EP “Falling.” The collection of songs is a dense patchwork of melancholic melodies and gorgeous string arrangements. Among Memphis’ clogged blues and folk genres, Glorie easily stands out with a patient and mature sound that carries a brand of emotional complexity not commonly seen ’round these parts.

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Just because we’re done with Shots doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to do on the weekends.

If you’re looking for something fun and upbeat to do, Memphis is hosting one of Murfeesboro’s best bands on their way to SXSW. Glossary is playing at the Poplar Lounge tonight with some great guests—if you’re looking for some hearty guitar music on a Friday, this is the place to go.

Glossary have been reppin’ the volunteer state since their 2001 debut This Is All We’ve Learned About Living, an engaging sing-a-long effort with an indie rock lean. Since then, the quintet’s sound has evolved and matured, in the process picking up aspects of folk, blues, country, and good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. Read More »

Hey, Memphis! The most popular mid-size venue in town has closed it’s doors, so now it’s time to sit back and take bets on whose gonna fill the void. These next few weeks will be interesting. Hope you’ve gotten enough sleep—it’s time for some weekend shots!

Friday (3/1) has a show heavy on the good vibes at the 1884 Lounge from country crooner Rob Baird. The indie upstart is three albums deep in a blossoming career with each effort further carving a unique niche in country. His sound references a long list of melodic heavy styles including ’90s alt rock and country pop, wrapped up in a tastefully balanced package worth the price of admission. If you’re looking for a nice, easy, enjoyable evening, this is the place to be.

Also Friday, ’90s rap rocker Kid Rock is coming to the Fedex Forum. We’d embed a youtube player, but if you don’t already have a rough idea of the Carson-Daly-era burnout-turn-country-superstar (?!), then I don’t see the need to do you the disservice.

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Making a video for a song is a sensible way to promote it. Making videos for an entire album is an ambitious and creative undertaking well worthy of note.

Memphis garage/post-rock outfit Switchblade Kid is halfway through the lengthy endeavor. “I felt like it was the logical thing to do. The album came out of a singles record idea like Siouxsie and the Banshees Once Upon A TIme or The Cure’s Standing On A Beach. It’s not the MTV generation anymore, and Youtube is too damn boring with just pics of album covers and photomontages, so why not?” said frontman Harry Koniditsiotis.

Today, we premiere the fifth video from the Switchblade Kid self-titled album, for the song “Switchblade Kid 2.” Working with filmmaker George Hancock, the band used a simple setup to convey an authentic aesthetic and the group’s unique vibe.

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