Indy In-Tune

A Little Voodoo, Some Bearded Women, and No Shame

Artist Spotlight

Indy rockers, Voodoo Sunshine, feels and sounds like my favorite type of rock show. Sounds like it takes place at a bar buzzing with college kids that are gallivanting in alcoholic celebrations on a Saturday night. Feels like they are torn between youthful indiscretion and the expectation to grow up, and I loved every second of it. This is part of what makes Voodoo Sunshine a fun listen—their genre falls right between blues rock and classic rock for me, and it's stained with a sense of nostalgia. Their sound is polished, and bigger than what I expected. The lyrical backbone keeps the ear attentive while you're listening from start to finish, and don't be surprised if they make you laugh a bit from time to time too. Voodoo Sunshine's instrumentation on the Something to Say EP remains mostly stripped down—punchy garage rock, with dirty rock ‘n roll riffs, big drum beats, and rolling bass lines—still allowing the band's vocal prowess and entertaining lyrical themes to shine. The EP feels like Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators from time to time.....and if those guys are good enough for Slash then Voodoo Sunshine is heading in the right direction. (Listen To: Bad Hangover, www.reverbnation.com/voodoosunshine)

Show Review: The Bearded Lucy's and The Good Shame at White Rabbit Cabaret 4/19/2013

Had it been a group of musician's that I wasn't anticipating seeing live for some time now, then I would probably have skipped this show given the ridiculous weather and long day at work that I encountered. Thankfully, it was The Bearded Lucy's and The Good Shame, locals that know all too well how to cure a long work week and these Indy winter blues it turns out..... even if it is mid-April.

The Bearded Lucy's opened up the show and impressed me with there music, stage presence, and the fact that they were just happy to be up there jamming with one another. In the current popularity, with folk-flavored acoustic strummers such as Mumford & Sons and the Lumineers topping the charts, TBL is a bit of an anomaly with its raw energy and especially its cover of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" mid set.

The Good Shame, with being described as "dirty rock", I half expected a full rock show and when The Bearded Lucy's took the stage I was pleasantly surprised. I did get hopeful that maybe the banjo player would stage dive with his instrument strapped to his chest and I for sure thought that there would have been percussion throughout the set but they ran mainly with strings and passionate vocals to set the tone for the evening.

As we waited for The Good Shame to headline the evening, I realized something.

The best thing about watching our music scene for me these days, is seeing so many musicians continue to blossom throughout their careers. I was about to be fortunate enough to witness it with The Good Shame member, Mark Alexander. Mark has been writing and performing some of my favorite, and inspirational original music, in my opinion, around Indy for years. If you get a chance checkout Closer and my favorite Dear Friend EP, then checkout The Good Shame. He has expanded his sound with this group from his folk rock beginnings to a soulful, and bluesy rock complete with brooding atmospherics and plenty of hooks. If you are a fan of folk rock though don't worry, I can promise you that Mark will display every now and again as this band continues to evolve.

There are hints of melodic tunes, but they're definitely going for a more adventurous sound that's an eclectic mix of guitar rock, new wave and punchy rhythms. The result is some dazzling indie rock that captivated the audience long after they said goodnight and thank you. Rebirth of Indy local music scene? Nah, this is start of an uprising.

(www.reverbnation.com/thebeardedlucys and www.reverbnation.com/thegoodshame)

Support local music. We are only as strong as the support we give to one another.

Brandon Cannon is a founding member of the band Spanking Shakespeare, the visionary behind the "Shine: Local Music Spotlight" series, and Editor-in-Chief of the Indy In-Tune blog.