Harvest Records of West Asheville will be celebrating its 5-year anniversary with TRANSFIGURATIONS -- an intimate gathering of Harvest's favorite musical artists today.
Kurt Vile
http://www.myspace.com/kurtvileofphilly
Philadelphia guitarist/vocalist Kurt Vile first came to Matador's attention (and possibly yours as well) with the release of the 2008 CD ‘Constant Hitmaker’ on the Gulcher imprint ( a label whose paw prints extend to dusty genius recordings by the Gizmos and MX80-Sound and contemporary stuff from Home Blitz and Magik Markers). What the homemade ‘Hitmaker’ (recently reissued on vinyl by Woodsist) lacked in fidelity it more than made for in scope —- to dub the album “psych pop” barely scratches the surface of a work that’s as impossibly catchy as it is wildly experimental.
Subsequent exposure to Kurt’s live shows in a variety of settings, both on his own and with crack ensemble The Violators, made it abundantly clear that Matador would either have to sign this guy or find someone else who sounded exactly like him. Since the latter task proved impossible, here we are. Having signed a worldwide, multi-album pact with Matador, Kurt Vile’s first full-length for the label, ‘Childish Prodigy’ will be released on LP/CD and digital formats in Autumn 2009.
The Coathangers
http://www.thecoathangers.com
http://www.myspace.com/fuckthecoathangers
In less than three years, The Coathangers, Julia Kugel (guitar/vocals), Stephanie Luke (drums/vocals), Candice Jones (keyboard/vocals), and Meredith Franco (bass/vocals) have grown from a band of girlfriends buying the cheapest instruments an Atlanta pawn shop could offer, to a group of formidable, adaptable performers... Here is the group as a group, an unbreakable unit - the chemistry and magic of all component parts interacting - all the girls or none.You could look at them and think they're this way or that, but they will not conform. These are four really different people who have bonded beyond the point of just being friends. You might think you can pin them down, but they don't care. Their fashion isn't contrived...their music feels like music for music's sake because that's exactly what it is...natural, voluntary, spontaneous, impulsive, intuitive...and entirely better for it.
Floating Action
After Seth Kauffman’s 2006 debut and 2007 follow-up left critics drawing comparisons as diverse as Motown to the Carribean, Kauffman returns as Floating Action. This April, Park The Van Records will release Floating Action’s self-titled debut, and Kauffman’s most accomplished work to date. Once again Kauffman has performed and recorded virtually every note himself at his home studio, and - in an age where obsessive computer editing and auto-tuning are taking the humanity out of even most home recordings - once again his refreshingly organic approach to making music is receiving rave reviews: “He invokes those classic, soul staples of deep and penetrating bass lines, simple but ideal and perfect lyrics about the troubles of love and jingling guitars. He gives you the jitters and the absolute sway is all his." (Daytrotter).
8:30pm. $10.
Advance tickets available online, and at Harvest Records and The Grey Eagle.
Standing room only.
Click here for weekend passes and additional TRANSFIGURATIONS information.
Other artists playing TRANSFIGURATIONS include: Bonnie Prince Billy, Akron/Family, The Books, The Budos Band, Espers, Circulatory System, The War on Drugs, Mount Eerie, Brightblack Morning Light, Jonathan Kane, Steve Gunn, Villages & Ice Cream.
