Eyes of the Elders

EYES OF THE ELDERS If you aren't familiar with Off the Record, it's a new monthly series that combines onstage interviews with intimate performances. What's going to make this night special is Charlotte hip-hop outfit's first acoustic performance. Though there's always a band backing up the rhymes, this time things are going to get stripped down and a bit more personal. - Creative Loafing

Up and coming local band Eyes of the Elders gets interviewed before their unplugged storytellers-style set at the Evening Muse in Noda on March 23, 2011 by local news channel WSOC. Link below to the video of the news story:

http://www.wsoctv.com/video/27325048/index.html
- WSOC TV , Charlotte NC

"THE DEAL: Charlotte group Eyes of the Elders releases four-song EP.
THE GOOD: Emcees Bearcat and Ricky Radar have offered different versions of Eyes of the Elders since the group first started in 2004, but its latest incarnation, backed by a full band, remains intact on this latest offering. Guitarist Austin Hill, formerly of Charlotte band Humans, leaves more of a mark on Amerikan Night, giving harmonies and backing vocals and sporadic riffs to drive the music forward. "Dopest Night" describes life on stage at an EOE show — "Kids bouncing around like we got the juice/Heartbeat, bass drums fused as one, now if that don't get you, check the lyrics son" — in the vein of Eminem's "Lose Yourself." "What's Done is Done" is driven by a repeated sample. "A Powerful Thirst" is driven by a smooth Hill vocal. The final track, "American Man," is the album's strongest. Built off a Hill riff and highlighted by the violin work of Christina Swinger and poignant lyrics, the song is instantly catchy.
The Bad: That it's only four songs.
The Verdict: Each time EOE releases a new album, it's solid from start to finish and always leaves you wanting more, and Amerikan Night is no different. Through four songs, the group not only showcases its musical and lyrical talents, but also the diversity within the hip-hop genre. "

Creative Loafing, Charlotte NC
January, 2011 - Creative Loafing

Talk about evolution: a mix of Anticon/Def Junkie thesaurus rap combined with a live backing band just as likely to kick out a banjo riff as a big bass bumper, EOE's backpack-’n'-a-sack wraps should be on more shoulders than Jansport right about now. Well worth your time, and one of the best “new” bands around, whatever the genre. (Timothy C. Davis) - Creative Loafing

Charlotte hip-hop collective puts a new spin on the rock/hip-hop marriage with atypical instrumentation and classical music backgrounds that give its tracks layers of world music, rock, classical and traditional roots.
The unique, genre-busting layers brought about by the combination of violin, piano, electric guitars and thoughtful rapid-fire raps. - Charlotte Observer

Fresh from being mastered, Eyes of the Elders, sent us their new track, “American Man.”
Creative Loafing was given exclusive access to this track from the band that somehow seems to get bigger and bigger, yet better and better. They are one of the few acts out there that can, literally, cover all bases and this new song has something very badass about it. But don’t let the patriotic title fool you, the lyrics question the warped American Dream more than pushing a Marlboro Man image.
Sure, it sounded like a hip-hop version of Bon Jovi’s ”Wanted Dead or Alive” at first but it doesn’t take long to realize this one wasn’t no cowboy shit. Longtime EOE listeners will notice the rhymes have slowed down and, on this track especially, feel more deliberate.
Eyes of the Elders are a bit of an outlier. You can’t call them a rap group. Can’t call them a straight up rock or country act either and labeling them alternative would be vague and still not explain their sound. Your safest bet would just be calling them different…in a good way. Their sound works for them and “American Man” is a great example of the layers you can get from them.

They’ll be shooting a video for “American Man” during their April 24th show at The Double Door in Charlotte. It’ll be a “mini-show” as they shoot the video, starting at 9 p.m., then a “big gig,” as their drummer Jacob Gresham put it, following.

Those unfamiliar with EOE can learn more here. In the meantime, you can check out their most recent album, EOE, on iTunes here and we’ll keep you posted on when this track goes up in the store.

You can catch the band live, performing all over North Carolina this month. April 8 in Burlington, April 17 in Greensboro for a Parkinson’s fundraiser, as well as the aforementioned show at The Double Door in Charlotte on April 24.
- Creative Loafing

Eyes of the Elders While it’s technically Eyes of the Elders with Stump Dickens –they’re gonna get that pirate ship rockin’ regardless of the name. If you haven’t seen the Eyes/Stump combo before, it’s basically Eyes of the Elders with a live band backing the duo up, including violin, guitar and drums. Not to say Eyes of the Elders isn’t strong on its own, but when they get a live band to join them, it’s like going from rabbit ears to satellite TV. With Lou Ford. Snug Harbor (Jeff Hahne)

- Jeff Hahne-Music Editor Creative Loafing


The Deal: Charlotte hip-hop collective releases innerstellar rubberkarma holdingcell.

The Good: Judging by the band's MySpace page, there's no telling how many people comprise the group, but one fact remains – this is some of the best music I've heard come out of Charlotte since I started this job. It's more than just hip-hop – hints of acoustic guitar, Joshua Panda's moments of falsetto and great grooves. Some hip-hop finds beats, but lacks the lyrics to back it up – you can tell there are musicians at the heart of this group. "Dirt Off My Shoes" reminded me of Gorillaz while other tracks hit like Busta Rhymes, Eminem and Wu-Tang.

The Bad: With Panda moving to Vermont for the summer, the band is down one singer – they're looking for a replacement.

The Verdict: One can only hope that Panda's influence returns to the group (and the Q.C.) after his Northern tour. However, there's enough talent in Uncle Fox and Bearcat that they'll be able to survive the loss, however temporary or permanent it is. Check 'em out live if you can, buy the disc when you see it. - By Jeff Hahne-Music Editor-Creative Loafing

Hip-hop's most unlikeliest new stars, the Eyes of the Elders, are taking over its underground by storm, like a flaming-inferno, sparked from a liberated-flint of even unlikelier chance circumstances, fueled by a vengeance of desperation, post-fuck-up madness, and depravation. 
And it's a storm that's resolute on demolishing the status quo of both the genre and the industry as a whole. 
For them, events of the past serve as a motivation, often a painful one. The present is a canvass, waiting to be tinted. 
And for the two scoundrel MCs who front the Elders, Bearcat and Uncle Fox, the future is to be dammed. But that future will have to deal with and include these chaps, no doubt, for they represent what hip-hop inspired and what it will now become. That is, of course, if it wants to survive, and thrive through the original.
The Eyes of the Elders are wise beyond their youthful years, fronted by two resurrected rapper prophets, fresh out the genre's cave, spitting rhymes of hip-hop redemption, offering an unsullied, fresh, chaste, and uncorrupted flavor of hip-hop, a blend that is horrifically unusual, yet seductively unavoidable. It's an offering that's rarely witnessed in any normal scene or venue of hip-hop, and perhaps borders on a never before attempted inventiveness. 
Basically, they're your critic's favorite rap group, with a humbling background, an improbable merger of two dudes who if you met on the street you would never take for rappers, who've now joined forces for a thinking man's sound, exploring hip-hop's numinous side with torches lit by curiosity, bearing unpackaged gifts for the mind. They're rappers by chance, but artists by fate. 
In a testament to their work ethic, constant exploration, and desire to rock a crowd they've branched out and created an almost alter-ego like progressive live hip-hop band, Stump Dickens, that is self-described as "just a one legged man knocking out mules and shit." To put it plainly though, the Elders' extended group is the bastard progeny of hip-hop, citing Papa Smurf as a role model and Frank Sinatra as an idol. Their sound is definitely hip-hop, but it's sort the of hip-hop that you'd think Klingons would be bumping to in a future century, while cruising around in space, for it combines elements of jazz, progressive rock, funk, classical, grunge, punk, psychedelic, ambient, and pure late 80's rap beats. It's a noise far ahead of its time, and BallerStatus had the unique opportunity to see Stump Dickens in the present day, on St. Patrick's Day in fact, at club packed full of sorority sluts and fraternity goons, who weren't prepared for the chaos, and who were too drunk to come close to comprehending it.
(. . . . . review and intereview continues for 6 more full pages.) - Baller Status- Michael Cooper

BEST NEW BAND 2009 (formed in the past 12 months EYES OF THE ELDERS - Jeff Hahne-Creative Loafing

For those who don’t know, Stump Dickens is a rising band with its roots firmly planted in the UNC Charlotte campus and the surrounding area. It’s composed of three Charlotte students and four other members. They have a sound that is very hard to pinpoint, which makes it even better. In a recent interview with the The University Times they said they consider themselves “part 'Rage Against the Machine', part 'The Roots' mixed with ambient, pretty melodies." I have to agree with that statement after getting a chance to listen to their album,“The Stump Dickens EP,” which truly lets their unique sound shine.

The album itself was a pleasure to listen to. The essential parts of their distinctive sound come from Josh Thompson, the keyboardist, who is a music major, and the violinist Kristina Swinger, who is a special education major. The rest of the band complements them very well, each one helping to produce the band’s specific blend. Since I am Irish, my personal favorite tracks on the album were “Celtic Jam” and “Crazy Legs.” The violin work in each of these tracks is truly remarkable and is hard to believe that it was done by a fellow student of mine. The track “History” combines the keyboard and the violin in one of the most extraordinary beats I’ve ever heard. If you haven’t gotten a chance to listen to this album (or the band in general) I encourage you to do so as soon as possible because you don’t know what you’re missing.

If you want to see the band live, you’re in luck because it has many upcoming dates. The band is currently touring in the Charlotte area. The members’ next show is scheduled for Feb. 21 at The Philosopher’s Stone in Charlotte. They are not exclusive to our area, though. According to their Web site, the band has upcoming dates in Maryland, New York, and Philadelphia, so it shows that their sound is being heard all around the country, and hopefully they are building the following they deserve. If you have any questions on tour dates or album information you can visit their myspace page.
- Jim Ghegan-Staff Writer-The University Times