MUSIC ARCHIVES Reigning Sound, White Lung + More Added to 4Knots Music Festival Roster
by Brian McManus
Last week we announced the first round of bands booked to play 4Knots Music Festival– our big, fun, COMPLETELY FREE outdoor concert down at South Street Seaport (Pier 17), which takes place this year on June 29. And whoa, what a lineup it already is: Kurt Vile, The Men, Parquet Courts, Marnie Stern. Well, we’ve just rounded out the bill, and it’s exciting…
Reigning Sound
The Babies
Reigning Sound: Greg Cartwright wrote a good chunk of the songbook for the ’90s Memphis revival. With both the Compulsive Gamblers and the Oblivians, the frontman’s take on rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and punk music made for a gutsy sound propelled by his expressive, raspy vocals; he also sat in with the Detroit Cobras, the Deadly Snakes, and ’68 Comeback, honing an impressively garage-rock-drenched résumé.
But eventually he broke out of the garage, moving from Memphis to Asheville, North Carolina, five years ago and founding Reigning Sound, who, in 2002, blasted off with Break Up, Break Down, quickly followed with Time Bomb High School, and redefined the r&b/punk crossover with 2004’s fuzzed-out Too Much Guitar. But the latest Reigning Sound record might be his most refined and important release yet.”
White Lung:“Over the past year or so, White Lung has been gathering speed and art; last night’s performance showed off their developed ability to enthrall an audience in a large space despite their upbringing in smaller ones. Every member’s contribution to the band’s delivery was equally explosive and wholly necessary; even drummer Anne-Marie Vassiliou’s hair played a part, literally blowing away from her face not by some bullshit Van Halen-grade effects fan, but by the sheer force of her sticks and feet pounding her kit. The band’s pummeling shrieks, for all their rage, probably have more potential than even the night’s headliners if they continue tweaking their brand of metal-punk with the pop that’s made their songs so infectious and cathartic.”
Fat Tony: “What non-CMJ thing do you want to do while you’re in New York?
I wanna smoke some of the finest weed New York has to offer. I want to pay my respects to all the New York legends that are out there doing their thing. And I want to drink a lot of rum. Whiskey is tight too. Shout out to all the rich people who put money into the open bars for CMJ. Y’all are doing a great job of helping me get faded.
What makes up your survival kit for CMJ?
I survive strictly on pizza, soda water, marijuana, alcohol, and good vibes. And my friends. Yes, I am crashing at a friend’s place. I haven’t reached the status of having rich people pay for my hotel just yet but hopefully I will next year.”
Heliotropes: “Heliotropes formed in 2009 by current members Jessica Numsuwankijkul and Amber Myers. The band released the Ribbons 7″ in 2011 – an offering of heavy psych numbers steeped in dark magic and new-romantic leanings with a formidable lyrical presence. Engineered by Justin Rice (Bishop Allen), “the two tracks garnered enough buzz to propel the band to showcase appearances at SXSW 2011. Heliotropes has continued to record at Rice’s compound upstate, recently producing four yet-untitled songs that recall the phased-out, distorted intensity of the early nineties – and invoke the lush dreamworld of Twin Peaks.” The band’s debut LP is being released on Manimal in spring 2013.”
The Babies: The Babies formed in Brooklyn in 2009 and feature Kevin Morby (Woods), Cassie Ramone (Vivian Girls), Justin Sullivan (Bossy) and Brian Schleyer. Originally conceived as a side-project outlet for Kevin and Cassie to trade song ideas and play house parties, the band has slowly grown into a full time affair, having done several stateside and European tours.”