Scion Garage Show Presents The Reigning Sound at the Mohawk [Show Preview]
Wednesday, April 27
Mohawk (912 Red River Street)
10pm, free with RSVP
[info] | [tickets]
Since the 1992 release of Compulsive Gamblers' "Joker" EP, guitarist and frontman Greg Cartwright has been an iconic figure in the Memphis garage-rock scene, carrying forth the legacy of that city's unique mixture of greasy punk, rhythm & blues, and power-pop hooks in such bands as the Gamblers, The Oblivians and the Tip Tops. His current band, The Reigning Sound, will play the Mohawk tonight as part of the Scion A/V Garage Tour, and admission is free with an RSVP.
Cartwright formed The Reigning Sound as an outlet for songs that are more melancholic lyrically, with a retro-rock approach rich in its eclectic mining of country-folk melodies, Rolling Stones-like ersatz soul, and wailing organs on top of chugging rock-n-roll guitars. Cartwright's voice has a coarseness that perfectly suits the straight-forward, straight from the garage style. A quick glance at the Cartwright's collaborations indicates the width of his musical interests: he's worked with both the late Jay Reatard, fellow Memphis-based punk, and Mary Weiss (of Shangri-Las fame) on her 2007 comeback album.
Cartwright and The Reigning Sound relocated to Asheville, North Carolina a few years ago, near where their Chapel Hill-based openers Last Year's Men call home. The musical lineage passing through Cartwright has traversed the entire generation separating him from Last Year's Men songwriter Ben Carr, who cites as influences buoyant '60s melodies, doo-wop and pop-punk.
An RSVP does not guarantee entry, so make sure you get to the Mohawk early for this one.
