Haley Dreis’ Beautiful Pop Symphonies

Very few artists come out of the box nearly fully formed, but University of South Carolina student Haley Dreis has done just that with her debut CD Beautiful To Me, released over the summer. Brimming with beautifully produced piano-based pop, the nineteen-year-old Dreis’ songs are as good or better than anything on the radio right now.

If you’re in Columbia, SC this Saturday, check her out as part of the Free Times Music Crawl. For a taste of the album, check out the clip below of “Take It All Away.”

Unaware of the Unawares?

Even on a local level there are more bands out there than time to see them, so getting out to the upcoming Free Times Music Crawl this Saturday night ought to be on everyone’s calendar. While you’re there, make sure that one group you check out is The Unawares.

Together since 2006, The Unawares play a spastic version of garage rock that’s closer to the Minutemen or the No Wave bands of NYC like James Chance and the Contortions than anything else I’ve heard lately. Pinkie Greene, issued early this year, is the band’s third CD in less than three years–all of them recorded on the cheap and quick model that sometimes produces the best results, especially for the kind of down-and-dirty rock of the Unawares.

Here’s a live clip from February that’ll give you a pretty good idea of the scuzzed-up, cranked-up fervor that this not-so-minimalist trio can bring to a live set. For more, check out www.theunawares.com