The Fire Tonight’s show in Anderson, SC Saturday brings them back to their roots in a lot of ways. None of the current members live in the same town anymore so the live performance aspect of being in a band for them has become few and far between. But after line up changes, a full length album, and multiple EP’s the band is truly happy with where they are today.

Anderson, SC is like their first or second home. It’s where founding members Collin Derrick and Stephen Russ met while they were in school there. It’s also where they recorded their latest EP …And Then You Were Gone. An EP that they believe captures the full sound of who The Fire Tonight is, even thought it almost ended the band in the process.

“Getting this EP out took forever, because it is extremely personal for all of us” said Russ, drummer of The Fire Tonight. “And the thing that really kept us going is that we knew we needed to do it, even if it was the hardest thing we had ever done musically.”

Over time things changed in many ways in The Fire Tonight camp. Early on they focused on touring and playing shows all over the Southeast. Their first full length album was cut and ready for radio, something in retrospect might not have been exactly who they were.

“I can say with full faith that I can’t stand our first album at all, but I think we’ve really come along since then at least in, doing what we do which is generally melodramatic art rock” said Russ. “We’ve all had a lot of experiences in music outside of the band, Collin teaches recording, I interview musicians, Jesse is in school for music. We also became less concerned about doing what we thought people wanted. You know, “oh we need a slow song, oh we need another rocker” that kind of thing.”

So on their last EP they recorded it Mono, just because it was something they wanted to do and something that they enjoyed bands like The Beatles doing. They also joke that they wanted to beat The Restoration to the punch. For the average listener, it’s a recording nuance that no one will notice, but for them it was a challenge and something they cared about.

As The Fire Tonight settle into their lives away from rock n roll, they’ve figured out more what they want to do. And that’s create music they care about, and to enjoy the live shows they do play more than ever.

In talking about their past releases and the fans relationship to the music Russ says “But music is forever. It’s what people make of it.”

The Fire Tonight will be opening for The Restoration in Anderson, SC Saturday Jan 21 at McGee’s Irish Pub. The show is free and starts at 8 PM.

Saturday November 5

When: 1:00-1:45

Where: Art Bar (Indoors)

How would you describe your sound to someone that has never heard your band?
Southern Gothic concept music with bluegrass instruments and a drum set.

Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Blind Willy McTell, Johnny Mercer, Jump Little Children, Tim Eriksen, Leonard Bernstein, Weezer, Glass Jaw

What other bands are you excited about seeing at Music Crawl?
There’s no way we’ll be able to see everyone we want to. We’re fortunate to have friends playing on every stage overlapping all night!

What are you most excited about for the future of your band?
We’ve finished new stories for our next release(s) and are excited to be demoing the corresponding songs in preparation for final recording sessions. The stories focus on three families from Lexington, SC: one from the early 1800s, one from the mid-twentieth century and one that extends to present day. Despite the range of eras, each family is affected by the same evolving tradition of subjugation, born from selective interpretation of the very religious texts each family holds sacred. At least one character from Constance appears in the new story.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Littlest Sounds have released their first compilation featuring 31 bands, including four from South Carolina.

This release will be part of a monthly compilation series spreading good music to fans everywhere.

Check it out, find new music, get in touch with the bands, buy their albums, go see them live.  Circle of music life.

1. Golden Age – Beat Radio

2. Afraid of the Dark – Big White Clouds

3. Space Feeling – The Bird Day

4. Ivory Buttons – Commerce

5. Giant Hands – Dog & Panther

6. Lynette, I Love You – Drew Danburry

7. Don’t be Downhearted – Elonzo

8. Too Much to Say – Germany Germany

9. Colours - Grouplove

10. One in a Million Does – Hancock Basement

11. Laughing – Hooded Fang

12. The Opposite of Hallelujah – Jens Lekman

13. The Recovery – Kissing Party

14. metaPhysical – Long Walks On The Beach

15. Flowers In Your Hair – The Lumineers

16. Hollowed Out – Micol Cazzell

17. It’s Too Early/ If it’s Gone… it’s Gone – Netherfriends

18. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men

19. Pack Your Bags – Pandit

20. Reverend Samuel Harper – The Restoration

21. Today We’re Believers – Royal Canoe

22. Lahaha – Shugo Tokumaru

23. Say You’re Still Lonely – Slow Runner

24. Abandoned Town – The Smooth Maria

25. Sink/Let it Sway – Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin

26. Julius – Starf***er

27. Chandeliers – Summer Fiction

28. Down in the Ghost House – Uno Møller

29. Lonely Internet – US English

30. The First - Valley Maker

31. Cover Your Tracks – Young Galaxy

(Old Photo without current band members by Clayton Bozard)

Facebook Event

Thief-Said and Done

Thief-I Was Afraid

While Sequoyah Prep School and The Restoration are two of our favorite South Carolina bands, this Friday night the Scene SC family won’t really be there to see them.  The fact that Thief is playing a show again will have us there.

In 2008 we ranked Thief’s album #9 on our list of top 10 albums of the year.  Looking back on that list I see the mistake that I made.  Volksgeist has stuck by my side more than any on that list and has been a constant listen for me over the years.  I’ve actually been bribed by Wylie not to praise Thief so much because they are scared of losing their bass player.  When you go to as many shows as we do it’s hard to get really excited about seeing live music.  We’re really excited to see Thief.

(Scene SC Video Camera 1.0)

We are separating our top 10 albums list into two categories this year, EP’s and full lengths. There were simply too many releases to try and combine them and compare them and rank them fairly. We’ve gone through about 15 different versions of this top 10 list, scratching through and re-ranking them. We’re happy with our top 10 and hopefully you will be too.

Top 10 2009

Top 10 2008

#1 The Restoration-Constance

The Restoration didn’t just make an album, they made one of the most ambitious concept albums that ANYONE made in 2010 or recent history and did a fine job of it. The compendium included a 12 song full-length album along with a 47 page paperback book including lyrics, short story, map, family tree and shape note score of the opening track “Thy Sword, Thy Shield.”

These songs were crowd tested for months before the band hit the studio with a huge vision that became attainable.  This album is a puzzle with each song being just as key as the other, masterfully intertwining a story of love, race and religion.

Full Album Review

#2 Toro Y Moi-Causers of This

Toro Y Moi took the alternative music world by storm this year touring all over the world and hitting the fast track to popularity on the back bone of Causers of This and the world wide web.  On a local level I think you’d say Chaz has done us proud.  After making a highly proclaimed national album, Bundick embraces his roots here and still shows his face around town quite often.  Lookout for this new album in February, you won’t be able to miss it.

#3 Dylan Sneed-Texodus

Two years ago Dylan Sneed packed up his SUV in Texas with all of his belongings and took off for Hartsville, SC. What came out of it was Texodus, 12 wonderfully crafted songs recorded in a 100 year old farmhouse in the country of South Carolina.

#4 Valley Maker-Valley Maker

Austin Crane has done it again. Last year he had the album of the year with his release Place at the Table. This year he is back under a new moniker with an album based on the book of Genesis. A monumental task pulled off lyrically and musically only the way that Austin Crane could. With the help of Amy Godwin, this album drew rave reviews from everyone that heard it.

#5 Michael Trent-The Winner

Michael Trent will end up making his way into both of our top 10 lists in a way. As the other half to Cary Ann Hearst, Michael Trent went and made a fine album on his own. Well not really on his own, he had the help of Josh Kaler, Butch Walker, Cary Ann Hearst and more of Charleston’s finest musicians. Add this one to your collection today.

#6 Coma Cinema-Stone Alone

Coma Cinema is another South Carolina band that took the blogosphere by storm this year with free music and the endorsement of Toro Y Moi. Coma Cinema’s sophomore release Stone Alone features short crafted pop songs, jangly and at times strange, most similar to The Minus 5.

#7 The Dirty White-Vs. Evil Circles

Vs. Evil Circles is a short full length that pounds you in the face with thick beats and chanting vocals and leaves you delightfully worn out at the end. If you give The Dirty White a chance you might like them. Sound-wise they are unlike any other band in our top 10.

#8 The Lovely Few-The Limited Abilities of Man

This album is why you don’t post your top 10 on December 1. Mike Mewborne released The Limited Abilities of Man on December 21, and it is by far one of the best releases of the year. These songs sound so delicate, yet always retain a firm foundation. There are moments on this album that are simply beautiful.

#9 Marshall Brown-New Moons

Marshall Brown’s first full length album lacks the gloss found on other albums in the top 10, but makes up for it in vocal power, melody and the simple fact that the songs are outstanding. At times the album is loud and swirls around your head and at others is broken down to beautiful vocals and piano. An album that you can appreciate for how real it is in an age of replacing snare drum hits and tuning vocals during production.

#10 Death of Paris-Death of Paris

Death of Paris rose from the ashes of This Machine is Me and released their first full-length album in 2010 after recording in Los Angeles with David Baker. What erupted from those sessions were 10 songs that mix emotive lyrics, keyboards, electronic beats and rock and roll.

The fine folks at Rose and Arrow Records in Myrtle Beach celebrate their first release just in time for the holiday season.  The freshman release features 12 artists from around South Carolina including Scene SC favorites American Gun, The Restoration, Magnetic Flowers, Attalaya, The Fire Tonight and Steven Fiore.  I’m sure that we’ll find some future favorite artists on the new album.

The album features both original songs and covers of Christmas traditionals.  Catch the spirit today.

Go to Bandcamp and buy it today!

The Internet-Hate Me

New Brookland Tavern

December 3rd

Scene SC 2011 Vinyl Pre-Release Show

Featuring

Calculator

The Restoration

American Gun

The Internet

Valley Maker (Austin Crane Full Band)

Friday July 2nd

The White Mule

There has been a serious lack of bands in Columbia lately that actually bring people to shows and work hard on their promotion.  Thank God for bands like The Restoration who are still consistently booking shows around town and doing the promotion that is needed to get people there.

Since their compendium release earlier this year, The Restoration has kept chugging along playing show after show.  What might be a little different about this one is it is at The White Mule.  The White Mule caters more to the acoustic side, so you’ll get to hear every little note.  So instead of a loud stage with microphones everywhere, maybe this time the banjo and violin with ring through.

Livin Will from Elonzo on Vimeo.

For regular Columbia music goers that read Scene SC, you’ve probably already heard of The Restoration or seen them live.  So the reason you should really go to this show is Elonzo.  Elonzo hails from Rock Hill, SC and will give you the chance to sit back in your chair and enjoy their slight twang and straight up Southern nostalgic rock and roll.  Think of it like a ride at night with the windows down through the country of SC.

Here are the first two videos for The Restoration’s CD release April 24th and the Trustus Theatre in Columbia.  The release was a huge success.  Within twenty minutes of the doors opening all of the seating was sold out and standing room only tickets were sold.

We’ll be uploading more videos everyday as we have them ready.

On Friday night alone the Scene SC team attended three shows.  We kicked off the night by seeing Bess Rogers and Lelia Broussard at The White Mule.  It was an early show and there were only about twenty people there, which was really disappointing because both of these artists are really good.  So stop complaining that Columbia doesn’t get good shows when you don’t go to the ones we have.  This one was a gem and you missed something special.

After The White Mule the Scene SC team split up and Meredith went to check out Magnetic Flowers at a house show.  I think it was off Greene Street and she said it was hotter than hell in the house.  While she went to that show, I headed down to The Trustus to get set up for The Restoration CD Release.  I know a lot of people have been looking forward to this for a long time and it did not disappoint.  Within twenty minutes of the door opening all of the seats in the theatre were sold out and there was standing room only.  We had a little Scene SC booth set up with shirts and stickers and mailing list sign up and got one name.  Not sure why people were so shy, we give away free stuff on that mailing list!

The Restoration went on at about 10 o’clock and we stood up in the loft with the video camera so we could get a decent angle.  They played straight through Constance and I’m not sure it could have gone much better.  We got our comedic relief when Stephen Russ of The Fire Tonight tossed the tamborine in the air and missed the catch on the way down.  He’s known more for his offense than his defense I suppose.  By the end of the night they had nearly sold out of the books that came with the CD, so to call this a success is an unterstatement.  It was one of the top release parties I’ve ever attended.  Definitely the most interesting.

Saturday we hosted The Rocketboys at New Brookland Tavern.  We always enjoy having those guys in town and we gave away our first Scene SC Care Package.  Remember all that Fuel The Scene talk??  Well we spent some of that money and gave the guys a sweet package of goodies.

The crowd at New Brookland was solid Saturday but about 30 more people there would have been nice.  This was seriously one of the best line ups we’ve seen in a while.  The Patient is quickly growing into not only a top level “local” band, but a band we might vote “most likely to succeed.”  Friends and Romans was great, but The Patient has more well written songs and it is much more dynamic and talented.  Jeremiah was a huge addition to that group of guys and his guitar is just what the band needed.

Brandon Kean opened the show playing acoustic for the first time on a big bill.  It isn’t easy to play acoustic at New Brookland Tavern and Brandon doesn’t have the strongest voice, but he took control and took everyone’s attention by playing in the crowd.  He said fuck the people sitting at the bar, let me play for the people that care.

The Rocketboys soared through their set.  Imagine Explosions in the Sky with a singer with a pretty, clean voice and nostalgic lyrics.  All of their songs are splashed with ambient E Bow guitar parts, delay, xylophone and dynamic ups and downs.  They are as smooth live as the on their album.  Columbia has done a good job at making this town feel like a second home to this band and I’m sure they won’t hesitate to tell you they love coming here.

And it makes it a lot easier to come to Columbia when you are playing main support for one of our premiere artists in Austin Crane.  Kenny McWilliams, who has been playing keys with Austin, filled in on guitar in the absence of guitarist Nathan Poole.  The band didn’t miss a beat and we even got to hear some of Austin’s new material from his new project Valley Maker.  If you haven’t heard Valley Maker yet, then you aren’t following the right people on Social Networks.  Friends and fans have been in love with these songs ever since they hit the net last week.