In advance of the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh this weekend, Local Arts Editor Drew Haskins compiled a list of the artists to look out for at this year’s festival.
De La Soul is a hip-hop collective that has been releasing critically acclaimed albums since 1989. Their style draws upon a variety of sounds and influences, and they have been hailed as one of the vanguards of the modern hip-hop movement. They have not released an album since 2004’s "The Grind Date," but they are set to drop their new LP "You’re Welcome" sometime in the next few months.
De La Soul will be playing on Thursday at 8:00 PM at City Plaza.
Philadelphia-based The War on Drugs just released their new album "Lost in the Dream" this past March. Their tendency towards Bruce Springsteen-scale grandiosity and anthemic lyrics combined with jam band sensibilities make them especially well suited for Hopscotch. “Red Eyes,” the first single from "Lost in the Dream," is one of 2014’s best songs.
The War on Drugs will be playing on Friday at 12:30 AM at Lincoln Theater.
Mutual Benefit is a folk band from Brooklyn, NY, headed by multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Jordan Lee. They specialize in expansive, airy folk music with wordy and expressive narratives. Their latest release was 2013’s gorgeous and light "Love’s Crushing Diamond.” Check out their great song “Advanced Falconry” for a taste of Mutual Benefit’s work.
Mutual Benefit will be playing on Thursday at 12:30 AM at Vintage 21.
St. Vincent, also known as Annie Clark, is the must-see act of this year’s festival. Her recently released self-titled fourth album is, according to this author, the best album thus far of 2014. St. Vincent skews traditional pop, art-rock and punk tropes in her addictive, catchy songs; she is one of the best guitarists alive today. Don’t miss this.
St. Vincent will be playing on Friday at 6:50 PM at City Plaza.
Spoon is as close to a mainstay as there is in alternative rock at this point. The band, consisting of members Britt Daniel, Rob Pope, Jim Eno, Alex Fischel and Eric Harvey has been playing and recording since 1993. They just celebrated the release of their eighth album, "They Want My Soul." Their sound is a great combination of power-pop and blues-rock filtered through Daniel’s bitter voice.
Spoon will be playing on Friday at 8:30 PM at City Plaza.
Asma Marouf and Daniel Pineda are Nguzunguzu, an LA duo dabbling in genres as diverse as trap and kuduro. They are best known for their production work with Kelela and M.I.A., as well as their solo EPs and LPs. Nguzunguzu’s most recent release is "The Perfect Lullaby Vol. 2," which was released in March. For a taste of their eclecticism, check out their production on “Enemy” by R&B singer Kelela.
Nguzunguzu will be playing on Saturday at 12:30 AM at CAM Raleigh.
How to Dress Well is the project of singer Tom Krell, who fuses bedroom pop and R&B to create lush and rhythmic music. His most recent album, "What Is This Heart?,” is one of 2014’s best releases and contains 2014’s best song, “Repeat Pleasure.” Krell’s absolutely amazing voice translates well to a live setting, so this is a highly recommended set.
How to Dress Well will be playing on Saturday at 11:30 PM at CAM Raleigh.
White Lung is a great punk band from Vancouver fronted by the ferocious and charismatic lead singer Mish Way. Their 2014 album, "Deep Fantasy," is a raw blast of pure aggression with fantastic, literary lyrics. Their music is complex and absolutely not to missed. Check out our interview with Way in today’s issue!
White Lung will be playing on Sunday at 12:30 AM at Kennedy Theater.
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