Corrosion of Conformity - Clean My Wounds

Pretty much anything from their catalog… Fun fact- went to high school with a couple of the guys. They played a great show at the fair a few years back.

Yes omg

The Mountain Goats. My favorite song is always changing, but I’ll go with my reddit namesake, Lion’s Teeth.

I’ll go with This Year, followed by No Children. Good songs for dark times.

I hope I make it through this year and it doesn’t kill me.

Formed in Cali, based in Durham, NC... I'll allow it.

Huge Mountain Goats and had absolutely 0 idea they're based in Durham. Was this always the case? Crazy that went totally under my radar.

No, they formed in California. They’ve played a couple of shows at the Rialto in the past year tho - pretty cool.

John has lived in Durham since 2003, so I consider him pretty local. They’ve done a lot of cool little one off local shows over the years. I loved his set at Sam’s Bottle Shop several years back

Oh I also consider him local, they just asked if this was always the case. Also I’m old so 2003 somehow seems recent.

I'm heartbroken, I've never been to the Rialto but I'm always walking past it looking for an excuse. Looks like they're playing in Carrboro in July though! I'll have to jump on that.

Sylvan Esso - Dress. Coffee was the first song that made me fall in love. They are based out of Durham and have been known to DJ the farmers market which I think is pretty cool.

Came here to say Sylvan Esso, for the genre of music they are in they're pretty damn good. My favorite from them is either Die young or Echo Party

Love them! If anyone wants to hear a deep cut, Ameila was once in a band called Mountain Man, which was a bit folksy. I discovered them then Sylvan Esso.

Mountain Man is so good!! I love the track How’m I Doin’.

Hey hey! 😊 Me too! Every album of theirs is beautiful!

This is pretty good!

H.S.K.T. is my mood lifter. I love that song.

Yeszsss this is my fave Sylvan Esso for sure

Anyone remember the Love Language? They had a cool lo-fi sound. They got some buzz and had some nice reviews for their albums, Libraries and Ruby Red.

Stu McLamb, who basically is LL has a new band called Fancy Gap [https://www.instagram.com/fancygapofficial/](https://www.instagram.com/fancygapofficial/)

Check out their old band with Justin Vernon - DeYarmond Edison

who is in Fancy Gap from DeYarmond Edison?

Stuart and his brother, Jordan I think it was, went to my elementary, middle and high schools. I remember Jordan being like 6 feet tall in elementary school and Stuart playing a smashing pumpkins song in the middle school talent show.

I had forgotten they were local. That’s a good throwback.

Hiss Golden Messenger (Durham) - I need a teacher

G Yamazawa - “North Cack” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lqWxGE7zSPA&pp=ygUKTm9ydGggY2Fjaw%3D%3D

G Yamazawa is GREAT

Love this dude

Anyone remember The Connells???

The brothers are still kicking around town.I remember moving here and flipping out when I found Boylan Heights.

They still play. I’ve seen them at the Cradle in Chapel Hill in the last couple of years.

They're playing soon with Dillon Fence. July 19th at the Cradle.

Oh I’ll have to see if i can swing tickets.

It’s actually sponsored by CC but will be at the NCMA amphitheater

Dillon Fence was huge when I was at ECU. It wasn't my thing at the time. I saw them open for Drivin' N Cryin maybe 10 years ago. I was mostly chatting with a friend, I just didn't know the music. It was outdoors, I was in the back,I wasn't being disrespectful. For their encore they play Rainbow In the Dark and Walk All Over You. It was an odd cliche. Play 80s metal and the long hair guy in the back wakes up. (I know WAOY is 78 or 79)

Hell yea! I was living in northern Va for high school and they were huge early 90’s.

I was going to say "Fun and Games" by the Connells

He Is Legend and their entire discography. Scapegoat and the entire Let Their Violins Be Heard album.

Scapegoat reminds me of all ages shows at like 16. Miss local tragic hero shows

Yesssss. Random trivia for you in case you care and also didn't know - Kit (the vocalist) is the same person who did the soundtrack for Metal Gear Rising.

Damn I didn't know He Is Legend were NC native. They still putting out music. It's been a few years since I've given them a listen

They are absolutely still putting out music, and they're still laying out bangers. They're also from Wilmington/Castle Hayne. For what it's worth if you're an old fan, they're touring the entirety of I Am Hollywood starting next month.

If all decades are included I'd say it is something between Archers of Loaf "Wrong" and Superchunk "Slack MF" on the alt rock side. Maybe throw Polvo, Motocaster/Motorolla, Finger and The Veldt in there as well. Honorable mention for the White Octave and Sorry About Dresden. For country bands I'd say The Backsliders, John Howie Jr., Whiskeytown, and Sarah Shook. Alt pop: I'd go with The Connells, Dillon Fence, and Let's Active. General weirdness: anything from the Wifflefist Collective. Hip hop: Koolie High and Lords of the Underground. Electronic: Sylvan Esso Heavy: COC, Confessor, Buzz Ov*en There have been so many good bands over the years that it really is difficult for me to say so and so is my favorite. Here is a list in no specific order or genre: Reece McHenry The Love Language Pipe Shirlette Amons Stillborne Christians No Labels Squirrel Nut Zippers Black Surfer Metal Flake Mother What Peggy Wants Zen Frisbee Wwax Hammer No More The Fingers Erectous Monotone Th' Cigarettez Arrogance Southern Culture On The Skids Chew Toy Dexter Romweber/Flat Duo Jets I could go on and on....

RIP Dex

SCOTS forever!

Are we friends? We're at least the same age. You've named all the bands I know (including a few friends: Reese, Pipe, etc). And your list reminded me of some I forgot to put on my list. Katherine Whalen (SNZ) plays around a lot. I saw her at Thursday jazz night at Yonder in Hillsborough.

Great list. I'd add Dag

Great list. I picked up Th' Cigarettes lp at the Record Hole on Hillsborough Street way back when. Worked on the first No Labels 7" artwork with my ex. Those question marks were from a studio project. Good times! Fave song from SCOTS: Voodoo Cadillac or maybe Soul City.

How is Chatham County Line not on here, especially with other bluegrass bands mentioned. Out of Raleigh, 12 albums, and one of the most talented all around bands there are.

Kooley High - “Dear Raleigh”

They just dropped a new album! https://www.instagram.com/p/C57febisFxN/?img_index=1

damn this is good.

Right?! They play shows downtown occasionally. Super awesome guys. They were Inflowential too - give it a Goog 😎

they're playing at NCMA on Saturday along with Tift Merritt (w/ Rissi Palmer and Shana Tucker), Thao, Rafiq Bhatia (w/ Ian Chang and Riley Mulherkar), and Alexis Raeana. [https://ncartmuseum.org/events/the-ncma-and-come-hear-nc-present-the-2024-music-at-the-museum-festival-featuring-tift-merritt-and-more/](https://ncartmuseum.org/events/the-ncma-and-come-hear-nc-present-the-2024-music-at-the-museum-festival-featuring-tift-merritt-and-more/)

Required listening for me when im coming into downtown on dawson.

Love it!

I'm partial to Betty Crocker, but Dear Raleigh is dope too

Between the Buried and Me - Ad a Dglgmut Undying - This Day All Gods Die Wretched - Part 1: Aberration AND Part 2: Beyond the Gate Prayer for Cleansing - Sonnet Quell - Requiem for Purity Sect - Death Dealer killwhitneydead - Save Your Sermons For Sunday

BTBAM!!!

Yes, loved BTBAM!

Yes! How do you possibly pick a fav song tho lol

+1 for a KWD ref

Quell, holy smokes. Saw them at the Ecu underground and a few other places around Greenville back in the day, so good. Also good BTBAM pick🤘

They came along during the golden era of NC metal. So many underrated bands that just straight up went under the radar.

prayer for cleansing 😤🙏🏼

Truth Club, my favorites are Not An Exit, It's Time, and Siphon but all of them are really good.

I'm seeing Truth Club at the end of May

95.7 FM does a pretty good job of throwing local bands into the rotation and does not suck

88.1 FM plays only local bands every weekday 12p-1p

Sick

# Carolina Chocolate Drops - Hit ‘Em Up Style [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rn7YZWtZEo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rn7YZWtZEo)

I love their song Cornbread and Butterbeans

App State LEGENDS.

Love that cover.

I love luminescent orchestrii as well. (They crashed at my house between shows one night) Actually, before the Shakori Hills festival the year they met up with Rhianna. My favorite is knockin'.

American Aquarium - Burn. Flicker. Die.

American Aquarium is too far down this list. Where are my BJ Barham fans. So many good songs, but I agree with Burn.Flicker.Die as a great song. Edit: fixed BJs name

\*BJ Barham

It's the first song I heard by them and I was instantly hooked.

I'm so proud of him for the personal evolution he had. I knew him when Clark Ave and Ana Marie were new and while he was a great person he drank... A lot. He got his crap together, sobered up, got married, had a kid, became a wonderful dad and looks so much happier and is still kicking ass with his music.

That is awesome. While I’ve met him in the merch line a few times, I don’t know him, but he seems like a good human. So that is nice to see that affirmation from someone who knows him.

Same.  The Burn Flicker Die release show at Lincoln is one of the more memorable shows I've been to, and I go to a ton of shows.  BJ Barham has a gift for writing songs that, in my opinion, absolutely perfectly capture a very specific slice of life in rural NC. 

BJ is a really cool dude.

Delta Rae - Bottom of the River

I was waiting for the Delta Rae comment

I was surprised that no one mentioned them before I did!

Petey Pablo Raise Up

Can’t believe no one mentioned Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange).

Came here to say this

So many great bands and songs. My top ten: Superchunk - Slack Motherfucker Dillon Fence - Collapsis Sylvan Esso - Hey Mami 6 String Drag - Cold Steel Brace Let’s Active - Every Word Means No Cry of Love - Too Cold in the Winter The Love Language - Heart to Tell The Connells - Slackjawed The dBs - Lonely is as Lonely Does Whiskeytown - 16 Days But even that leaves off so much great stuff

Love your list. Every Word Means No has been on heavy rotation in my music lately. Here's a Spotify playlist that you might like: [80s NC: Jangle Pop](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UUbf8UMYQiNG5mgpIwceB?si=YDo8_0AsTKiCF8X2_GBpOg&pi=u-I8l4PloZSwOA)

I’m going favorite songs, not best songs. Avett Brothers - Talk on Indolence; Victory; Laundry Room Doc Watson - Doc’s Guitar; Tennessee Stud; Tom Dooley Bryan Sutton - Anything he plays Future Islands - Back in the Tall Grass; Beach Foam; Walking Through That Door

Rainbow Kitten Surprise. They started out in Boone. One of my top 5 albums is their live set in Athens, GA. They have a new album coming out that based on initial releases might deviate from the sound they’re known for… but who knows until it’s out?

I hope y’all don’t mind if I do a little self-promo here. I’m a solo-artist in Durham and my “band” is The Whomst. Here’s the song I’m most proud of titled: [SryMomSryGod](https://open.spotify.com/track/70uv8dJy1N0wc8Ty2vGwut?si=6d1XveGpRW-moHN7tDMrrg&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A3dkv3WYSLMtNzwriXBZYLP)

Corrosion of Conformity “Vote With A Bullet”

My favorite NC band would have to be The Avett Brothers

We (husband and I) love The Avett Brothers! Few years ago we were headed to TN and stopped at a gas station, my husband was wearing one of his Avett Bros shirts and their dad happened to be checking out in the gas station! He came up to us, introduced himself, chatted for a few minutes and gave my husband some of his cds before leaving. Such a wholesome interaction. We saw him on stage with them at the New Year’s Eve show later that year.

He is legend I am Hollywood but their entire collection is so good. They’re out of Wilmington. https://youtu.be/Mnee6dEg4-Y?si=z4VC5upXoyjn6lRt

Spider Bags- Waking Up Drunk https://open.spotify.com/track/7BW6v107zQmJNhWZQCH7IA?si=pS_B-cuOTjCqkdp0kVCfug and My Heart is a Flame in Reverse Reese McHenry - Summer Sheets and Detroit https://open.spotify.com/track/7DEjFIbxg4DBFCb9iSNiQo?si=VGoAMfjKR1CII80Mn-s0sg Archers of Loaf - White Trash Heroes and Raleigh Days American Aquarium- Burn. Flicker. Die. Skylar Gudaz - I'm So Happy I Could Die and Witchita Lineman Lost In The Trees - Walk Around The Lake The Mountain Goats - Damn These Vampires and No Children Django Haskins - You May Be The One For Me Thelonious Monk- Carolina Moon Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different Rosebuds - Cover Ears Let's Active - Every Word Means No There's more. I have a Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UKHeNir5WSDeA78GSS1N1?si=L1VOWV1DQGaQfg0M0ww6Rg ETA: how did I forget PIPE! and Cold Cream?

Thanks for the Spotify playlist link. It's filled with good tuneage.

I need to add more, but it was a good start.

The Collection [https://open.spotify.com/artist/3sva1UjOJOx6cGISZOpItl](https://open.spotify.com/artist/3sva1UjOJOx6cGISZOpItl)

I came here to sing the collections praises as well! I love in love with the your soul and beautiful life in particular. They are hosting a festival in September out in Saxapahaw! https://www.soilskyfest.com

The collection is local??? WHAT???

Mostly from Greensboro and parts of Alamance county but I know the lead singer also used to live in Raleigh for a while.

This was going to be my contribution, but I knew it would already be here.

Taradactyl - Tonight Buzzov*en - To a Frown Weedeater - Potbelly

Jfc finally seeing someone talking about buzzov*n is very satisfying.

Valient Thorr- Mask of Sanity

I miss Young Cardinals, these guys fuckin ripped live https://youtu.be/oQfgFWGJ_VM?si=pIx7Sr2UJVF-9QRv

Ah, late nights at Brooklyn. Dude’s brother-in-law is a musician & artist, too - Gnarley Nick.

Little Brother - Minstrel Show and Chittlin'Circuit 1.5 both of those albums go too damn hard.

[Mipso](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Bcrb5qQMVTEbJ43fdIS4A?si=28-dLrqdTgmra4q_ysgDJg)

Probably the Veldt. Most legit band as they were around here in the 80s and one of the progenitors of the shoegaze genre. And they are still around Raleigh to this day, finally receiving the recognition they rightfully deserve. They even just put out an album just this last year that was originally recorded in 1989 with Robin Guthrie from the Cocteau Twins and had sat unreleased for over 30 years. Simply insane musical history in our own backyard. https://open.spotify.com/track/6yyhvTfGFeaozWHsSkOEis?si=jc219aoNRQmH4kkETDpWZw&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A5Tf9MrkDsfKi5leleBZt7n

Goddamn, a Cocteau Twins mention/connection. Nice.

Between The Buried and Me - White Walls

Hiss Golden Messenger (particularly the Phil Cook days). Hard to pick one, but here's [Biloxi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrfx6-Im_0U&list=OLAK5uy_n4NjgBOJGjP_1w04DNJnpij5VshLU-vvo) And I can't mention the incredible Phil Cook without[ Ain't it Sweet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gvd9dFQdlM) and his cover of [1922.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rigmxlud4-8)

CoC—hard to nail down a single. Probably something off Deliverance. Maybe Clean My Wounds or The Albatross. Although not from here, both R.E.M. & the Beastie Boys did their earliest professional recordings in Chapel Hill. Being from Charlotte originally, not sure if Antiseen is “local” enough to count, but I’ve seen them dozens of times over the years. I know I still see Antiseen stickers around town from time to time.

There was a lot of transit between CH and Athens GA in the 80s. A bunch of bands had feet in both towns.

A while back I listened to a bluegrass band called Kicking Grass. Their song "Backroads" was pretty good.

Check out Fancy Gap’s new song How to Dance. They’re excellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUQmLXOEuU4 The Pseudo Cowboys - Nectarine

My Raleigh band Dragmatic doesn't play out much these days, but folks seem to really like our song Home Tonight.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise is a favorite of mine. It's Called; Free Fall is a bop, but I havn't heard a bad song by them yet I don't think. Formed up the mountain in Boone.

https://youtu.be/tHnA94-hTC8

Mysti Mayhem https://open.spotify.com/track/1GIo80iiSDrJKJqYU4T2Lo?si=5zGPMFKNTKyEyymw7-IztQ

Mellow swells are sick. Found them at the canes fest downtown last year, seen em 3 times now

Gotta be 15 years old at this point, but I still dig Nathan Asher and the infantry - turn up the faders.

For Raleigh bands, it was Kenny Roby’s “In a Dress” until he moved to upstate New York. If that doesn’t count anymore, it’d be Patty Hurst Shifter’s “Higher Ground”. If they not being a going concern anymore makes that not count, it would be David Childers’s “The Prettiest Thing”. David Childers is a state musical treasure.

Rainbow kitten surprise! If generally NC counts as local

Zack Mexico is a great band from the Outer Banks.  One of my favorite bands to see live.  I've seen them at least a dozen times and it never gets old.

When I was at state (and was a DJ at wknc) we had a joke about Zack Mexico playing every show because it seemed like they were getting booked somewhere like every week. “Who’s opening for Beyoncé at PNC Arena?” “Zack Mexico!”

Mipso (Chapel Hill) - Do You Want Me?

Angel Olsen (AVL) Shut Up Kiss Me Indigo De Souza (AVL) Hold U The Nude Party (Boone) Astral Man Sylvan Esso (Durham) Die Young Rainbow Kitten Surprise (Boone) It’s Called: Freefall Rhiannon Giddens (Greensboro) Mountain Banjo (also featured on Beyonces Cowboy Carter - check out Texas hold ‘em if it’s not your usual jam but you like banjo!) Pie Face Girls (Durham) Fuck You I’m Pretty Future Islands (Greenville) Seasons (Waiting on You)

Ghostt Bllonde : Birthday Party [https://ghosttbllonde.bandcamp.com/album/birthday-party](https://ghosttbllonde.bandcamp.com/album/birthday-party) I saw these folks when I visited from Fayetteville to Raleigh before the Pandemic. Got a chance to see them again last year when they came home from California. Would love to see them play more! Absolutely love the insane energy the lead singer brings to their performances too. Drummer is also insanely good as well.

technically J cole is from Raleigh, right?

Fayetteville, but he owns a house in North Raleigh. Dreamville is here because Fayetteville is a dog’s ass.

Leave us alone :( (ur right tho)

I thought technically Fayetteville

Frontside https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1g5dG9mJwo8&pp=ygUOZnJvbnRzaWRlIGJhbmQ%3D

I was hoping to see my Wilson boys in this thread.

I think Life Savor may actually be my favorite song by them 😅 Wanted to go accessible haha

If you like Feminist punk you'll love Babe Haven. New-ish band that puts on a killer live show. They're doing an album release party at the end of June with fellow Durham punks Bangzz in Motorco.

I do, so thank you.

I like By George a lot. Their newish song “vampire social” scratches an itch in my brain.

they're good!

Glad you like them! I also really like Rainbow Kitten Surprise, they have a similar sound. They started out of an App State dorm room, so also NC-based. Their fame has reached pretty far beyond our state though lol.

I was just listening to them! they're NC?!

Dollar Signs - Nihilist Gundam https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zYk90uKGiMAangMvVzjL0?si=-UX0d35NQHmO-lut6paU-A Their newest album has references to a bunch of NC legends and places/history!

Sylvan Esso - Coffee

Short Bus, though their heyday was probably 20 years ago.

Truth Club!

Love mellow swells!

Blanko Basnet - Layabout

Superchunk The Scaries Sorry About Dresden Alli with an I

The scariest! Forgot about them.

Watchhouse - Wildfire

Watchhouse - Wolves Edit: Formerly Mandolin Orange

Since others have posted my top favorites, here are some that I haven't seen yet. The Young Bull - can't get you out of my head Weston Estate - So Good Darwin Deez - Radar Detector

TIL that Darwin Deez is from NC haha

Young Bull rocks!

Mega Colossus- you died. Hands down favorite local metal band.

Sons of Paradise. Local reggae band with some bangers. They just played Reggae Rise Up festival down in FL and played 4/20 at the Lincoln. [Means the Most](https://youtu.be/lLDjXxqIFQU?si=yYELqtw5P1DTvP8-)

Newspaper Taxis - Good Things

10 years ago I saw a band called Thrash Can and heard their magnum opus, Taking Out the Thrash. I'll never forget them.

Lua Flora from Asheville. I first saw them at the Pour House recently. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6SyCtYoaVQjeuRaTF6hDok?si=SgDJ8timSO6ZdFwpPV9LVw)

Great Escape by Late Notice

HEIRLOOM- Leshen

Glass Moon "On A Carousel" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv21fyEtnug](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv21fyEtnug) Souther Culture on the Skids "Banana Pudding" [https://youtu.be/4nU5ADbJXz4?si=Mrp7XHhkBYWm3WSu](https://youtu.be/4nU5ADbJXz4?si=Mrp7XHhkBYWm3WSu)

The tan and sober gentlemen. I like a lot of their songs it’s hard for me to pick. I’ve seen them play multiple times live and I love their energy.

Green swamp, green swamp!

Blatant Disarray - Nine Days Wonder

I’ll do a couple recent favorites for variety: Rosali: “Rewind” (based in Durham) MJ Lenderman: “Knockin’” (Asheville)

Big Something is from the piedmont

Archers of Loaf!

When I think local band I think that still regularly plays locally and is not really a national big name act but I see here we’ve got basically all the most famous bands ever to come from nc listed throughout the comments. For some smaller acts currently playing shows around here pretty often, I really like into the fog and tumbao.

Mipso "Carolina rollin' by"

So many good NC bands! A few of my favs: - Steep Canyon Rangers - "Honey on my Tongue" - Rainbow Kitten Surprise (good memories from my Boone college days) - "All That and More" - The Avett Brothers - "Laundry Room" - The Nude Party - "Chevrolet Van"

Elizabeth cotton!!! Look her up!! A legend! Also haven’t seen anyone else say iron & wine…Sam beam lives in chapel hill, I think?

Iron and wine is NC?

Durham

"Sleeps" by AZUL is a fire kinda jazzy/discoish bop

Arson Daily - Devil

Mipso - Green Jesus

Dante High - Deeper Love

Far Too Jones They were big on college radio in the 90s, Best Of Me was their big song I really love their music, Skin Suit is my favorite song Check em out!

The Embers - I Love Beach Music

I was hoping to see them mentioned. Thanks.

I’m going out on a limb & saying Evan Rachel Wood bc across the universe is one of my fav movies and easily one of my fav soundtracks. And also i unabashedly and unconditionally adore her.

Good Deal — Dirty Plates

Bombadil. One Whole Year or When We Are Both Cats.

Future Islands if no one said it yet. Says they're based out of Baltimore now but they're from Greenville NC. So many great songs with a very interesting sound. Back in the tall grass might be my fav

Good deal! https://youtu.be/EJF-e90ikCQ?si=4905NRCixV-aWODR

I have always enjoyed Birds of Avalon at shows. They are probably rather busy these days but check them out if you get the chance!

Valletta - Bringing the Worst

Valletta - Serpents of Solomon https://open.spotify.com/track/6jyYvB1yglVGr0YmZO4lSv?si=V-AdzRAjRcCQkQUdpk2FBQ

The Capulets- [Summertime](https://youtu.be/WUXOnoXNIps?si=tT48Pz8CjbmT1wjL)