Hopscotch 2016 Bootcamp: Car Seat Headrest

I can’t get enough of Car Seat Headrest. Specifically, his 2016 release Teens of Denial. I’ve been calling this “emo for people that don’t like emo.” It’s frank and earnest without being cliche. When it’s sad, it’s not for sadness’ sake, it’s about how sadness can transform. At times it makes me think of Japandroid’s Celebration Rock. Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales is a standout and an easy intro to Car Seat Headrest. You will sing along.  My favorite is prob the 12-minute-ish The Ballad of the Consta Concordia where he deals with his mistakes and builds to a chorus of “I give up!”

Here’s some samples:

Hopscotch 2016 Bootcamp: Low-Hanging Fruit

I did some skimming and sampling of the 2016 lineup and found some solid songs from bands I’m looking forward to seeing.

Hopscotch 2016 Bootcamp: Let’s Talk About Sam

The wonderful Future Islands have appeared at Hopscotch a few times. Their shows are the stuff of legend. Samuel T. Herring is their amazing gruff-voiced front-man. If you’re not familiar, check them out on Letterman:

Future Islands formed at ECU and have played a lot of local shows, including an all-day party last year when they celebrated their 1,000th show.

Sam also fronts The Snails. A punk/ska/art rock kind of thing. The Snails will be making their Hopscotch debut this year. It looks like they put on a crazy live show:

Sam also raps under the name Hemlock Ernst. He’s collaborated with several hip hop acts, including *another* Hopscotch 2016 act, Milo (check out Souvenir by Milo, feat. Hemlock Ernst). So look for Sam this year – he may make some extra appearances.

The Snails’ Latest, Songs from the Shoebox:

 

Hopscotch 2016 Boot Camp: Getting Started

Hopscotch 2016 is right around the corner (sorta). Check the lineup and you’ll likely see some familiar artists, plus a bunch you’ve never heard of. Hopscotch is a wonderful way to discover new bands. But it does require you to do some up-front planning and a bit of homework. I’ll be posting here as I work out my plan for this year.

First – let’s take a look at some bands that are already known quantities. Some solid stuff here. Take a listen: