TALKING GHOSTS — this Merced, California band achieves a rare victory for true storytellers with poetic tales of sorrow and beauty. The songs simmer patiently and tenderly. But soon, the music bubbles and boils as Talking Ghosts meticulously arouse and crescendo, reminding listeners of why we listen to music in the first place— to feel our hearts beat and radiate that rhythm through our feet and into the ground, connecting us to what’s real. It’s no wonder Northern California and musicians all over the West Coast are obsessed with RC and Talking Ghosts—they know exactly how to make us feel like animals again, return us to nature.

RC has played with Pinback, Islands, Y La Bamba, Dave Dondero, Willy Tea, Mira, Decemberists, Xiu Xiu, Mount Erie, Neko Case, Calexico, Deerhoof, Cave Singers, Frank Black, and more.

STRANGE VINE—"Descending from the Sierra Nevada mountains and now repping Fresno hard as granite, the blistering blues duo Strange Vine arent just lighting the central valley up with their stomping sound, the band is exploding right now after a national tour that has brought them widespread attention. Think the Black Keys if they were willing to get a little mud on their boot, or Jack White under a heavy flannel and barking at the moon. Strange Vine is the combination of  Ian Blesse on drums and Rhodes piano, and guitarist Toby Cordova, armed with finger slides and cigar box six strings. Individually, each would be a powerhouse unto himself, but together, Strange Vine is an all out rollicking, crowd-pleasing force of nature.

Originally bonding over an obsession about obscure blues music, the two spared no time in building up an impressive array of heavy and swampy arrangements that harken back to simpler times, while gathering some trippy psychedelic elements into their largely organic Americana rock and Delta approved blues. This combination of inspired ingredients transforms Strange Vines analogue sound into something fresh and vibrant in its electric fury.

Even so, with all of this racous music theres still the fact that youve got to get people to hear it. Not a problem for Strange Vine, who have spent the better part of the past two years on the road, gear packed tight in a single car, and traversing up and down the west coast, over the plains, to Nashville and beyond. Sharing the stage with legends like BB King and contemporaries like Kurt Vile, Strange Vine are only adding to their unstoppable momentum and leaving in their wake an equally obsessed fan base. While the we wait for an official release from Strange Vine, they make their Noise Pop headlining debut and return to the Bottom of the Hill for a truly massive night."
~Charles Swanson, NOISE POP FESTIVAL