2017 Music Line-Up

Noche de Visiones

Lambchop

Easy the most dogged and consistent act to ever come out of Nashville, Lambchop is a celebration of the curiosity of alternative country music. Emerging in the 90’s with a more southern charm, Lambchop has explored, evolved, and, through various detours into the realms of post-rock, soul, and lounge music, realized a sound that stays always one day ahead of its time. Their albums from the 90’s sound like they’re from the 2000’s, and their albums coming out today (their latest, When You Were Mine, was released January 2017) seem like they were beamed from a pleasant and cheeky future. Of course, the affectation of country was never too far from their style, but not in a forced Rascal Flatts sort of way–more of a warm The Band kind of way. Headlining our big Thursday block party, Noche de Visiones, Lambchop will bring their decades-spanning legacy to Columbia, SC, to exalt the glory of that healing southern strangeness that Indie Grits is built upon.

 

Curtis Harding

A comrade in the resurgence of soul, alongside the likes of Amy Winehouse and Leon Bridges, Curtis Harding is a true vanguard of a particularly driven dance-floor soul. If Nile Rodger’s guitar and Otis Redding had a child (forgive the imagery)–it would manifest as Harding’s gospel-rooted blues-inspired funkadelic debut album, “Soul Power”. Propelled by a love for what he calls “slop n’ soul” (“slop” being the Southern term for leftovers), Harding combines the various scraps of music that inspire him across all genres, combined into a hearty meal, good for the soul.

 

Food Truck Parranda

Shara

A vocal virtuoso, Shara (aka Sha-Raw the panther paw, RaRa Bird no. 3) has entrenched herself in the study of the voice. The result of her work in master classes all around the world is evident in her  explorations of electronic/dance, hip hop and R&B. These musical experiments all coalesce to codify her unique style of “hiphopera”. She has quite the long list of notable collaborators, including such groups as MSNRA, Jovian Junction Orchestrea, and Wizard Women. In addition, she has opened for such artists as Nicole Miglis from Hundred Waters, M1 from Dead Prez and performed with renowned musicians Marcio do Bahia and Celso Machado. Shara has also been active with the Church of Holy Colors and Milagros art collectives, and aided in the formation of the Elestial Sound and Orbital Mechanix record labels.

Those Lavender Whales

Those Lavender Whales is a band made up of the husband and wife team of Aaron Graves and Jessica Bornick and their close friends Chris Gardner and Patrick Wall. Though the band is based out of Columbia, SC, they’ve traveled all over the Southeast. Their sound is a little indie rock, a little folk, a little punk, and a sound that is totally and uniquely them.

Vanilla Summit

True architects of suave aural collages, Vanilla Summit is a taste of jazz, rock, and world in a liberated performance like you’ve never seen. They drift in and out of several modalities throughout a single song, busting into bossa grooves and jazz breaks, kept buoyant by their exceptional sax, and their exceedingly deft rhythm section. Throw in a guitarist that responds, mimics, and supplements the proposed archetypes with panache, and you have one capable and coordinated group, ready to take you to the top!

 

The Palmetto Latin 5

You may find David Rodriguez and the Palmetto Latin 5 completely ripping it on Main St during Columbia’s first Thursday event. You may hear, on the wind, the faint sound of pure energy, explosive, unrepentant, tearing through classic latin jazz and soul. That’s them. Always flush with electricity, energy, and excitement, David Rodriguez and the Palmetto Latin 5 are a hallmark of Columbia’s latino music scene.

 

Paper Shoes

Equal parts sonorous and mathematical, Paper Shoes is severely peaceful, deliberate emo rock, tethered to the hearts of two high-cheekboned young men, vocalist/guitarist Andres Perez and drummer Lee Garrett. With a few releases under their belt, their songs have begun to evolve from acoustic dreams to the drum/guitar fusion of a exploratory mathrock brotherhood. Get sad with these boys, but don’t get too down, or you’ll miss the complicated rhythm and guitar masterwork Paper Shoes can deliver.

 

DJ Alejandro

Columbia-based, Colombia-born DJ Alejandro is a masterful music mixer, with a proficiency for Boogaloo, early 70’s salsa, cumbia — Son Montuno, Son Cubano, the works. However, for every throwback, he’s known to offer up a throwforward with contemporary remixes of modern music, designed to stupefy and animate even the stodgiest of the dancefloor dead. Inspired by Fania Records, essentially the Latin Motown, Alejandro has a coterie of artists and sounds to pull from that will put a jig in your step like you’ve never known.

 

After Party at Art Bar

Contour

Hailing from Charleston, SC, Contour, led by visionary Khari Lucas, is a film and music project, premiering with their first visual album, “Softer“, just last February, to critical acclaim. Ruling the world of down-beat r&b, with touches of jazz and yeezy-esque production, Contour paints any room they’re in with a cool blue. Losing yourself in forlorn vibes has never been easier.

 

Father Daughter Dance

Father Daugher Dance consists of Anissa Armaly and Ellen Wood, two rhythm savvy fiends with a penchant for drops on a cosmic scale. The roof will always be raised, and on fire, when they step up to the plate. Having DJ’d the maddest of parties and the rowdiest of dance floors, FDD is always prepared to bring their style to a pair of boogie-woogying feet near you.

 

Puppet Slam

Skeleton

The musical project of local musician and Nick employee, Pedro LDV, Skeleton is an attempt at making bones beautiful again– baring soul and bombastic energy through synth and guitar driven anthems, while also stealing quiet moments with their softer acoustic numbers. Often collaborating with other musicians, Skeleton is an attempt at manifesting the musical intersection of LDV’s latino roots, southern influence, and cosmic interference.

Magic Hour Presents: Disco Limbo

Infinitikiss

Experimental and meditative, Infinitikiss is a boundary-pushing musical experience. In addition to his role as a musician, Jenkins is an illustrator, sound designer, and curator and these varied skills combine through his music to bring the listener an eclectic and unique sound. In January 2017, Infinitikiss released Productive Leisure, an ebullient 11-song LP.