The Totally RT-able Day-and-a-half of Radfest recap

Radfest was this past weekend in Wilmington, NC. I saw some bands.

Not every band I saw is mentioned below, and unfortunately I had to leave early Saturday before most of the headliners.

Instead of trying to describe every show, here's the Totally RT-able day-and-a-half of Radfest recap.

Every entry in 140 characters or less. Oh yeah, follow me on Twitter: @deckfight.

Friday

Greenland is Melting: Punx do bluegrass right. If they changed their name to "Fickle Meek" they would blow up Americana.

Blacklist Royals: Never knew you, but I wanted to. Had to walk my dog. Will keep Night Owl apparel in mind though.


PJ Bond

PJ Bond: "I think it's okay to call off work on a sunny day." Me too.

The Measure (SA): Packed venue & not a bad set to boot.

White Tiger and The Bed of Roses: More long hair in the crowd than anywhere else.


One Win Choice

One Win Choice: Energetic is an understatement.

Captain We're Sinking: Punchy and wall-to-wall nonstop. Most impressive performance from a band I didn't know.

Red City Radio: A standout. Sucker for gang vox. Best (and only?) rendition of "You've lost that loving feeling" at Radfest.

Spanish Gamble: Good to see the wolfpack reunited.

Fin Fang Foom: NC faves. Sometimes punk doesn't sound like punk.

Saturday


Red Collar

Red Collar: The light in the tunnel speech, pumped fists, and sing-a-longs by Mike. They give everything, every time. Best 4pm show ever.

Lemuria: I'm now a fan, but little bit of a letdown after Red Collar madness.


O Pioneers!!!

O Pioneers!!!: Thought they were the same as Junior Battles. They're not. They're better. Oh, yeah "shirts off, dudes on!" & on & on & on.


Cheap Girls

Cheap Girls: The band all the other bands came to see. Crowd built from a few into a mass, complete with Chason crowd surf.

RVIVR: Actually punk in music and lyrics. Thought this no longer existed.

(>>>And that's it...I had to leave early<<<) More after the jump...

review: Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass is Blue by Greenland is Melting

Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass is Blue
Greenland is Melting
Self-released, 2009

Don't know what to make of the folk-punk movement. The Avett Brothers are they folk-punk? What about Against Me!? But with Gainesville's Greenland is Melting, these songs could be punk, could be folk, but are great. Another thing--a good name is half the battle for listening, I don't care, if your name sucks, it says something about your aesthetic, you know like a book with a cool cover.

"No More Sorry Songs" is that heartbreaking, but catchy narrative song about locked up letters, and then Kyle or Will or Shaun or whoever the vocalist is, yells "This is life, this is life, this is life" and it is and we know it is, and "it's the form of a song that no one should ever hear" but we've heard it and we're better for it.





"The Kitchen Song" is self-deprecating, relaxed, no songs for the radio, but songs for the kitchens and basements of friends. Pull up a bucket, a bar stool, a plastic fold out chair and sit down and sit and sit. That feels good.

"Hotel Floors" brings the harmonica, the harmonica is under used. Everyone needs a harmonica. Everyone needs Woody Guthrie, too. The details, the details--"I changed my socks three times today," everything is wet, everything is pouring, I hate peeling off wet socks too. The details, the details.

There are more songs here for sure, but the details, the details makes Greenland is Melting a band to watch. Oh yeah...listen to "Blood on the Banjo" too--that's a good one.

More after the jump...