100 Shows of 2010 - #58: Morphius Records & HotCarsKill & Churchkey Records Showcase, BiMA @ Wind-Up Space, 8/27/10

After a wee intermission (and speaking of intermissions, hey y'all! Hope you missed me, cuz I sure did miss your pretty faces), it was time for my second BiMA event of the night. Being as I was a little out of festival practice, this felt like a massive, yet awesome, undertaking. By this point in the evening I was serving as keeper of the spectacles for a friend, and I'd like to offer a word of warning, darlings: Don't attempt taking notes whilst wearing prescription specs that are not, in fact, prescribed for you. It makes deciphering them, well, interesting to say the least!

MINI RECAP: A whole lotta shakin goin' on! Overall Score: B+

The first band of round two to light my fire was Churchkey's Free Electric State, one of those daggum Research Triangle bands that you'll find being awesome just about wherever you look. Seriously. Those North Carolina bands are everywhere, and it's probably got something to do with how great they tend to be. FES was loud, loud, loud, and lordy me I love some loud. A little hint of distortion tends to go a long way when it comes to winning my affections. I liked this band a whole lot, with the hints of shoegazery that permeated into their big ole sound. They sounded dark and a little dangerous, and what gal doesn't like a little danger? Their energy was off the charts, and their intensity matched their musical radness note for note.

As impressed as I was by FES, I was possibly even more smitten with The Moaners. They were, for lack of a better term, badass. They even broke a string, and it really doesn't get much more badass than onstage string breaking. Ok, it does, but work with me. They made some ridiculously filthy, nasty, raunchy rock and roll, which is right up my alley. The rawness they conveyed was off the charts. I was reminded a little of first album Von Bondies, but this band took that Detroit dirtiness and made it sizzle even more, if possible. They were seriously, absolutely, majorly worth the drive up to Baltimore all by their lonesome, and I'm thrilled to have been able to see them.

Up next, new LET pets Hammer No More The Fingers, yet another one of those damned North Carolina bands. I actually wrote in my notes "Stop. Hammer Time", and I just had to share my scribble with you just because (boys, need a new tee idea?). Duncan got himself a haircut and looked eerily like Graham Coxon, so I was preoccupied by that for a while. They once again pulled heavily from their new, unreleased material (coming soon, I've been told). And once again, their big, bad, 90s college radio sound won me over. There's something so cheeky and fun about this band, I just can't help but like them to bits and pieces. They're violently enjoyable, with that kicky racket they make.

All in all, those three bands were all damned, damned fine. And I have to tip my hat to David Andler for his hard work getting BiMA up and running. I was nothing but impressed with my festival experience (well, except for the parking), and I really hope the festival will continue to grow and get even more wonderful year after year.

mp3: Mushrooms (Hammer No More The Fingers from Looking For Bruce)