This Little Underground

Over on Mills, Charlotte, N.C., band Matrimony (Will’s Pub, Sept. 29) impressed with an unusually sultry take on folk music. Placing rustic acoustic instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin) alongside contemporary singing styles, vibe-rich keys and a rock rhythm section, they’re an indie-rock translation of American and Irish folk. Making them exceptional, however, is their polished and purposeful sense of melody and composition. Coming up with a refined, modern take on folk music without sounding sanitized and gutless isn’t the easiest thing to do, so credit is due them.

Melodically, I’ve never quite gotten on the wavelength of alt-folk headliner Langhorne Slim, but at least it can be said that it’s an identifiable and intriguing one. His music’s fiery, has legitimate soul and goes somewhere. And I think something clicked for me at this show.

All I could substantively glean from the xFalxcorex Festlineup (Oct. 1, Hoops) is that it mysteriously featured lots of bands from Palm Bay and lots of post-hardcore. Of the three or four I bands I caught, the one that really struck me was Gillian Carter. Like a swooning dance between Explosions In the Sky and At the Drive-In, their moody, heavy blend of post-rock and post-hardcore is massive, dramatic and well put-together. Even in the somewhat limited sonic capabilities of Hoops, they managed miles of expression.

Florida used to be reasonably fertile ground for post-rock. But aside from Bestiarii, it’s unfortunately become a fallow genre around here; all the more reason to welcome these guys warmly to Orlando. And start paying attention, because there’s something happening on our East Coast.

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