As a newbie to the Brazos Valley, I have attended and participated only in last year's Northgate Music Festival. But I've got to say, I was very disappointed in how organizers chose the bands last year.
It seemed as if promoters were more interested in bringing in marginal performers from anywhere else in Texas except here, and those who did play from Bryan-College Station were asked only at the last minute -- plugging in gaps at horrible time slots. I had pretty much written off the festival as another great idea in theory but muddled in practice.
This year, Northgate Music Festival is back under the reins of co-founder Willie Bennett (he joined the effort after A&M student Nathan McFall came up with the idea in 1997), and the word is that the event will be taken back to its roots by focusing on popular regional bands.
There are a handful of incredible regional acts that Bennett and the other judges should not miss in their effort to present the spectrum of what else the B-CS music scene has to offer besides the country and singer-songwriter sound we are normally associated with. Here are Poptones' top five suggestions:
The Hangouts -- This College Station four-piece should have their MP3s listed at the very top of the Wikipedia entry for "punk rock." Their songs blaze by in a flurry of teenage angst rescued by the quartet's pop smarts and the antics of a lead singer who has an obvious love for kicking out the jams for an audience. Not to mention that the husband-and-wife duo at the front of The Hangouts -- Matt and Niki Shea -- are easily two of the biggest proponents of the underground music scene around here.
Transmography -- OK, this duo is actually from Austin, but they might as well be from here as they spend a lot of time playing shows locally. Trans-
mography makes a brand of synth-heavy prog-influenced post-rock that is very difficult to categorize. Sometimes whimsical, sometimes bludgeoning, Transmography is one of the few bands I've seen in recent years that is highly original, and if I were a betting man, I'd be willing to lay the farm on them blowing up big-time in the international indie music scene. Book 'em now, then lay claim to being the festival that headlined them right before they became big rock stars.
Travis Wayne -- This College Station rapper has a lazy Southern flow with a knack for writing a serious hook. Who Are You is a hit waiting to be picked up on someone's mix tape. And while you're at it check out...
Versy -- This local MC is able to balance a hard lyrical approach with an introspective side, all delivered with a smooth hyper-melodic R&B-influenced flow. Versy has the potential to be the area's biggest breakout star since Blue October.
Russell Huie -- Most B-CS live-music supporters already know this guy is a star from his days with Wish Found Nation, but you have got to hear him on his own. The man is graced with a voice equal parts Ryan Adams and Howie Day plus songs that have that graceful aching quality that used to make Coldplay such a phenomenal band. When he's backed with his band, those songs are beyond transcendent.
• Kelly Minnis is a music writer, KEOS DJ, musician and father of two. E-mail him at kellyminnis@gmail.com.
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