Locally grown music in Chapel Hill, NC!! Nathan Asher and the Infantry

Nathan Asher and the Infantry

While perusing one of our best local independent and progressive newspapers, the Independent Weekly, here in the triangle area of NC, which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, I found this terrific local band, who sadly is calling it quits after 5 years. I wish I would have discovered them earlier, but alas, I only moved up here to this mecca of Progressiveness and great music about a month ago. I have noticed over the years that some of the greatest music out there is either local music or independent music or both. This band is no exception. Their name was Nathan Asher and the Infantry and the only song I can find at the moment is titled Turn Up the Faders.

It can be found at Trianglerock.com. Listen to what a beautiful song this is. And mesmerizing!! I love this damn song! And I just wish I could have heard them play it live.

Two of my favorite lyrics from the song read as follows:

"So we take the A-Train into the city,
Sticky seats shake at the station,
Women's footsteps drag,
From the cave of the tunnel dragon,
Into the open high-rises, buildings,
Street urchins come to siege us,
Corner preachers carry Jesus,
Like he carried the cross, toss leaflets.
All this misdirected lust,
All these, all these, all these people,
As dusk turns into evening,
We just get funneled to the clubs. "

And

"I'm in the backroom, drunk,
The stars cut chunks out of the darkness.
It's a portrait of the young artist,
As another target market,
Playing dumb in the club,
Using liquor as a tourniquet,
Let's succumb to our desires,
We'll become just like our fathers,
Bang into each other
Until the lights smother us
And we go under. "

Wow!!!!!!!!! That's all I have to say!! Any band who references James Joyce, I can't recall any other band to do so, has to be cool!! This was not only music it was sheer poetry!! Beautiful stuff!!

Here is what the little blurb at the Independent Weekly had to say about them:

NATHAN ASHER & THE INFANTRY

From: Raleigh
Since: 2004
Claim to fame: Writing songs for self-improvement; playing them big

"Nathan Asher & the Infantry gathered a singer-songwriter with a defiant spirit, his best friend (a keyboard whiz since middle school), a blues harmonica player and the core of a since-forgotten Raleigh rock band named Nova Cancy. Tonight, they'll close out a five-year career with a show at the BERKELEY CAFÉ, which they'll record for future release. The small stage of the Berkeley is an admittedly awkward exit for an act whose intentions and sound always seemed so big: They commandeered a stretch of Hillsborough Street windows for an advertisement and played several Manhattan showcases for record labels. The Infantry's Springsteen-based presence worked best with the big lights and speakers of the Lincoln Theatre, but—after only deciding to end the band three weeks ago—they'll take this exit on Martin Street. 10 p.m."

They also have a myspace page which can be reached through the Trianglerock.com page I referenced above. Or you can reach it directly at Nathan Asher

Enjoy!!! And tell me if you agree what terrific music this is!!