Since their re-debut in December, Royal Kush has been settling themselves in as one of the more exciting and interesting bands in town. Their mix of R&B, ska, hip hop, and reggae gives them the versatility to play with nearly anyone while carving a niche bridging the hip hop and rock scenes.
This Saturday, The Kush hit The Upstairs Club to team with beat master The Break Mechanic to show this versatility. With the full band headlining, frontman Jim Melvin will also be hitting the stage solo style while bassist Matt Nokes will reprise his solo hip hop set. It all starts right at 10pm, so showing up early is imperative to not miss out.
Fresh off last week’s mention of ‘We Were Lions’ by The Den Scholars, the band has now posted four fully mixed tracks on their ReverbNation site. They have decided to release We Were Lions as a ‘pay what you can’ single with a bonus b-side track, available by emailing your name and address to thedenscholars@gmail.com. Check out last week’s column for a quick review on the tune.
On Friday night, Breagh Potter hits The Upstairs on her east coast tour. The Cape Breton songstress is backed by locals Adam White and Scott Boudreau (of The Roots and Rhythm Remain) and is ramping up for an EP release in the spring. Accompanying her will be The Yarnells and Halifax’s Tom Terrell & The Modern Grass Quartet, an outstanding folk foursome featuring members of the Transatlantic Zodiac Ensemble and the Laura Merrimen Band.
At Governors Pub, it will be quite a different Friday night with a trio of songwriters telling their stories. Mike Fagan brings a modern rock twist on the typical singer songwriter motif, showcasing his vocals while playing songs that do not stray far from familiar. Rob Miller will be backing him up on a few songs, while also playing his own set of tunes. I will also be getting in on the action, delivering some songs from my band The High Tide as well as some other from my upcoming solo EP.
Track of the Week: Tom Fidgen‘s “Liberation Square“. Tom is fresh off the release of his new record A Boy Named Fish, but is not slowing any in its wake. “Liberation Square” is one of a few new tunes he has thrown on YouTube, a love story inspired by the recent situation in Egypt. The song is almost haunting in its current form, unfinished and stripped down. Expect perhaps a more fleshed out version when he hits The Upstairs Club on March 19th.
