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Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Why Rainbow Kitten Surprise's new album is a ‘spill-your-guts-out record'
Last year, the British dance musician known as Fred Again.. put out a feeler to the Nashville-based alt-rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise about a possible collaboration. Ela Melo, who's fronted Rainbow Kitten Surprise since she and guitarist Darrick Keller formed the group over a decade ago as students at North Carolina's Appalachian State University, was intrigued by the invitation. 'It's brilliant music,' she says of Fred Again..'s soulful electronica. So the singer and songwriter began sending ideas to the artist's team. 'They'd be like, 'That's not it, but keep sending stuff,'' Melo recalls. Before long, she and her bandmates had written nine songs, then 32, then 48. 'Eventually, we ended up with close to 160 songs because it just felt so good to write,' she says. What happened with the Fred Again.. feature? 'I don't know,' Melo says with a laugh. 'If he's still interested, we're still here.' One thing that happened was a new Rainbow Kitten Surprise album: 'Bones,' which the band said Wednesday will come out Sept. 26 from Atlantic Records. A 10-track collection produced by Jay Joyce, it's a quick and dirty follow-up to last year's 'Love Hate Music Box,' which ran for 22 tracks — including 'Overtime,' with Kacey Musgraves — and which took the band six years to complete. 'This one kind of just came pouring out,' Melo says from upstate New York on a recent afternoon between tour dates. The sound is raw yet tuneful, with scratchy electric guitars and whomping live drums in place of the synth-ier, more intricately layered productions of 'Love Hate Music Box.' Rounded out by guitarist Ethan Goodpaster and drummer Jess Haney, RKS had its rowdy live show in mind as it worked on 'Bones,' according to Melo. 'It was the idea that we gotta be able to play this stuff — not build it and play it later, but play it right out of the gate,' the singer says. (Next month, the band will log its fourth sold-out show at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre and perform at the annual Ohana festival in Dana Point.) Melo wrote many of the LP's songs on guitar, she says, which provided 'a different energy' compared to writing on keyboards as she did for 'Love Hate Music Box' and 2018's 'How To: Friend, Love, Freefall.' The straightforward sound is matched by lyrics Melo describes as 'way more direct' than RKS' earlier stuff. 'It's a spill-your-guts-out record,' she says, adding that for every song, she'd write a first verse, then ad lib the rest in the studio. In more than a few tunes, she sings about how relationships are affected by drinking and drugs. 'It's interesting what comes out on the mic,' says the frontwoman, who says she's been sober for about 10 months. 'I feel like it's channeling some energy that I don't take part in anymore, though I do have fond memories of getting stoned on the Parkway in Boone, North Carolina.' What inspired her life change? 'I noticed that when I drank, I could be a little meaner — just say things I wouldn't normally say,' she replies. 'I realized I want control of that, and anything that removes some of that control is a no-go. It applies to music, as well. Being as regulated as you can possibly be opens you up to — this gets a little heady — but to other frequencies. Then you have the largest bandwidth to communicate your truth — maybe the truth — into a microphone.' With its fuzzy textures and unruly tempos, 'Bones' arrives as rock seems to be resurging after years of domination by rappers and pop stars. Melo has no grand theories as to why, but she knows exactly when she started to believe that rock is back. 'It was the opening track of 'Guts' by Olivia Rodrigo,' she says of the former Disney kid's 'All-American Bitch.' 'That kick drum hit me, and I was like, 'Ah man, I don't need an 808 and all the bells and whistles — I just need old-school guitars, bass and drums.' That s— hits.'
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
North Carolina mountain paradise becomes surprising boomtown
As summers in the south get too hot to handle , savvy residents have found an escape nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains that stays 20 degrees cooler than the low country. Southerners love to stay in Boone, North Carolina , a mountain town filled with culture and crisp breezes, and escape from the heatwaves that blaze across southern states like South Carolina and Florida during June, July and August. Boone offers 70 to 80 degree summer days and a lifestyle for everyone from antique lovers to outdoor enthusiasts. The town, considered a hidden gem, is repeatedly listed as one of the best summer getaways in the South. 'In general, we're having a warm week this week and we're only touching low to mid-80s,' local realtor Brandon Freyer told the Daily Mail. 'When it's 90 down [in Charlotte] and it's 77 up here, it's enough for people to say, 'I'll head up for the weekend,' Freyer explained. The mountaintop haven is a vibrant college town home to Appalachian State University, where over 20,000 undergraduates bring young energy and diversity to the region. 'We got a variety of different folk,' Freyer said. 'We have a bunch of locals that live here. We get a lot of people who have gone to school at App and now they're settled maybe somewhere else in the Carolina region. 'They still have fond memories of the place and dream of having a second home.' Many people have enjoyed Boone so much that they have purchased a second home either as a weekend retreat or an investment property to rent out. 'It's probably... maybe two-thirds to 75 percent of our homes are second homes up here,' Freyer said. He added that Boone's population surges in the summer as out-of-staters – particularly from South Florida and other sweltering regions – seek out the area's milder climate and high-altitude adventures. 'We have a bunch of locals that live here. We get a lot of people who have gone to school at App and now they're settled maybe somewhere else in the Carolina region. 'They still have fond memories of the place and dream of having a second home.' There's plenty of hiking, fly fishing, golf, or ziplining in Boone and its neighboring towns like Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and West Jefferson. Boone is also the main hub for nearby towns. 'We've got a bunch of small mountain towns... Boone's kind of the main hub,' Freyer said. 'You get a lot of folks that come up here to play tennis, play pickleball, golf, lots of great hiking, water sports as well.' For those in the know, Boone also remains a four-season destination. 'We're also kind of as far south as you can ski more or less,' he added. 'So we do get a lot of folks again from the Carolina region that'll come to ski in the winter time.' Food, festivals, and lawn chair concerts also add to Boone's appeal. From summer concert series at the base of Beech Mountain's ski slopes to Friday night food truck rallies in Valle Crucis, Boone has no shortage of entertainment. 'There's a whole lot of great dining in the area,' Freyer said. 'The town has something going on pretty much every weekend. 'People are sitting out in their lawn chairs along the slopes for the concerts, it's very family friendly. People bring their kid and hang out.' Art shows, farmer's markets, and community events make it easy to see why so many visitors flock there for summer. Boone's popularity has raised the median home price slightly. 'As far as single-family [homes] go, you're definitely getting over $500,000,' Freyer said. 'We're pushing kind of into that $600,000 range now.' Still, for many, it's worth the break from scorching summer heat. There is such an influx of visitors that Boone was awarded an $850,000 grant to revitalize Howard Street, the 'largest downtown Boone street revitalization effort in modern history,' according to the Town of Boone. The grant will support several Howard Street updates: relocating electrical utilities underground, improving water, sewer, and stormwater systems and converting part of Howard Street into pedestrian and bicycle only.
Otago Daily Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Stalwarts of bluegrass to treat town
A band hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountains, where bluegrass is firmly rooted, is coming to give Gore an authentic taste of Americana. In his slow, southern drawl, Randy Gambill said three out of the four members of his band Sassafras come from the Blue Ridge Mountain area of North Carolina. The band have been to New Zealand two times before, but not to Gore and he was always in awe of the friendships and connections he made with people through music. He spoke of playing at the Niagara Falls Bluegrass & Roots Festival on one of his visits, saying that he felt he could relate to the "really neat" locals. "These are our people, you know, they're country people, and that's what we are, you know," he said. "So we fell right in there with them." On top of bluegrass, he said the band play a mix of old country classics, like Johnny Cash, a few originals and some Western swing mixed in too, just to keep it interesting. "We go to have fun and make sure we emanate that from the stage and let everybody else have a good experience." He said where he grew up, near the mountains, was a "hotbed" for country music, where the influential Carter Family originated in the 1920s. Earl Scruggs, who originated the three-fingered way of playing a banjo which bluegrass music is based on, also grew up in North Carolina. "I was steeped in it from the start, I didn't have much of a choice, that's what was around," he said. Gambill said in their live show, between songs, the four-piece try to give a bit of background to bluegrass, how it formed and its context. "We like to give a little background on the history of the music, so they feel more connected to it," he said. He found New Zealanders were an "attentive", music loving audience, that was very keen on live music, compared to the watching-TV-at-the-same-time types that they sometimes experienced in the United States. Mr Gambill plays guitar while Ken Dowell is on banjo, Billy Gee on bass, Wes Tuttle switches from mandolin to fiddle and the group all contribute vocals. They try to give bluegrass a little twist and the odd one out, Gee, who comes from Maryland, only got hooked on playing country and bluegrass when he attended Appalachian State University in North Carolina, Gambill said. Originally a rock and roll player, Mr Gee brings a different angle to Sassafras's music, Gambill said. "I guess you could say Americana is really what we do," he said. When the guitar player spoke to The Ensign , the group were in Kaikoura and about to visit a seal colony. Gambill said when he was playing a solo gig in New Zealand around 18 months ago, a local came up and started jamming with him. This jammer became a friend, who coincidentally owned a whale watching business in Kaikoura, which the group were going to enjoy during their stay. "So, again, if it hadn't been for music, you know, I would have never met my buddy," he said. "There's music again, connecting. "Isn't it awesome?" • The band will be playing at the Bayleys Tussock Country music festival this Saturday at The Little Theatre. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $25 on iTicket.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Sprinter Azeem makes statement of intent to go faster this season
PETALING JAYA: National sprinter Mohd Azeem Fahmi (pic) continues to show that he is a different breed of athlete. Just days after a challenging outing at the Southeastern Conference Championships, the 21-year-old returned to make strong statement by winning at the Appalachian State University Track and Field Championships on Sunday.
New Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Sprinter Azeem scorches Appalachian track
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's fastest man, Azeem Fahmi, was on fire at the Appalachian State University Track and Field Championships on Sunday. Azeem ran a blistering 10.01 seconds in the men's 100m heats in Boone, North Carolina. The time was actually faster than Azeem's own national record of 10.09s, but it was not recognised because of a tailwind (plus 4.7). The 10.01 came close to the 10.00 qualifying mark for the World Championships in Tokyo in September. Azeem, representing Auburn University, won his heat, and two hours later, won the final with 10.09s (tailwind plus 3.7). Deonte Hardy of Coastal Carolina was second (10.41) and Armonte Ferguson was third (10.43). Malaysia Athletics technical director John Ballard said: "Azeem ran fantastic times, but unfortunately they cannot be recognised as national records because of tailwinds. "Azeem has shown tremendous progress under coach Ken Harnden. He has a very good chance of qualifying for the NCAA grand final next month in North Carolina. "All his hard work in training is paying off and he has improved on his body strength. After clocking 10.01, he definitely will move up the world rankings.
