Pressing Strings w/ Van Meter

224 S Blount St,Raleigh NC 27601

26 August, 2021

Description

Pressing Strings w/ Van Meter The Pour House Music Hall & Record Shop 21+ Good Music for the folk. Folky, Blues, Soul, Rock, Singer/songwriter meets star rhythm section from Maryland. Doors 8pm, Show 9pm. What’s in a band name? A little or a lot, depending on how deeply you want to go. For Annapolis, Maryland-based trio Pressing Strings (Jordan Sokel: Guitar/Vocals, Nick Welker: Bass, Brandon Bartlett: Drums), the guitar guy is outnumbered by the rhythm section, but it all started back when Sokel, as a kid enamored with Dylan, Marley, Strummer, Simon, and Withers, learned to simultaneously play guitar and sing his favorite songs. Then, guitar in hand, the songwriting bug took hold. Cutting to 2014, with the current line-up firmed up, the band got to work developing its fanbase in the mid-Atlantic with shows from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas, then headed into the studio to record its Owe The Source album, released in 2015. Not easily tagged, genre-wise, the album deftly mixed a thoughtful soulfulness with union hall rock and roll, and they returned to the road to show it all off everywhere from VFWs to festivals. Rejuvenated from the band’s new energy, the band linked up with Grammy-winning producer/engineer Scott Jacoby (Coldplay, Vampire Weekend, Ronnie Spector) and headed to upstate NY to record Most Of Us. Following that album’s 2016 release, the band then toured coast-to-coast with power-pop songstress Rachael Yamagata in 2017, along with its own headlining shows along the Eastern Seaboard. “On The Wire” follows up 2018/2019’s single “The Madness,” with a late-winter album release. VAN METER: Maryland native and roots rocker, Jennifer Van Meter, has been at it for over ten years now as a songwriter and performer, with upwards of 95 shows in 2014. With a catalog of songs pushing the forty mark, Jen continues to blur the genre lines while refusing to constrict the songs from becoming what they will. Her third full length record, “Fossil”, available March 7th, 2015, features the various talents of Noel White (Underfoot, Jarflys), Larry Melton (Eva Cassidy), Warren Boes (All Mighty Senators), Dan Carlisle (Rachel Yamagata), Bryan Ewald (Rachel Yamagata), Dave Hadley (JuneStar, Caleb Stine), Dean Rosenthal, Jeremy Scott Ragsdale, and powerhouse vocalist Kristina Train. “Fossil” is Van Meter’s most muscular effort to date. The band, anchored by lead vocalist and master songwriter Jennifer Van Meter, effortlessly fuses the genres of Americana and power pop, producing a sound that draws upon familiar influences yet is all its own. From the plaintive title track on, “Fossil” never lets up. Blistering guitars bring “Gumption” to life. Jen’s soaring vocals are the dominant instrument on the gorgeous “Hummingbird.” The playful “Okay, I’ll Wear a Skirt” has an extra helping of twang and rivals anything coming out of Nashville these days from its young starlets. The alcohol-drenched “Whiskey Fever” is an instant classic, with a guitar riff that leaves listeners wanting another shot (and then another). “Boyer’s Farm” is the best rocker that Lucinda Williams never wrote. The spare “Roadside Flower” chugs along like a springtime trip down a country road. “Heartwarmer” is infectiously peppy. “Canada” sticks with you long after it’s over. “I Forget I’m a Lady” will make Lenny Kravitz jealous. “Next To Your Mind” is as loose as anything pumped out by The Band. ”Wreck My Car” is best enjoyed while dancing in the aisles. And “Montana Tags” will leave you ready to give the entire record another well-deserved listen. Record shop by day. Live music venue by night. Raleigh's home for all things music featuring national and locally touring bands, an extensive vinyl record selection and two full bars.