Come out and celebrate two years of Blank Tapes, North Carolina's local music webzine! We're marking the occasion the only way we know: by showcasing some wonderful rock bands from across the state. Alla Prima kicks things off with garage rock swagger, Misery Twin brings the shoegazy haze, and General Purpose wraps up the night with their prog theatrics.
Alla Prima
Alla Prima is an Asheville, NC band fusing garage rock and blues influences with inspiration drawn from The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and the Velvet Underground. The band consists of Aiden Sheely (rhythm guitar, vocals), Jesse Harrison (lead guitar, vocals), Zak Johnson (bass, vocals), and Dillon Walker (drums, vocals).
Formed after a string of prior projects that left its founding members wanting something looser and more their own, the band takes its name from an Italian painting technique meaning "at first attempt," a fitting nod to their instinctive, in-the-moment approach to songwriting and live performance. That spirit carried directly into their debut album, What Paint, a 17-track collection built from songs written, tested, and refined in front of live crowds before the band ever stepped into a studio.
FFO: The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles
Island Moons
American singer-songwriter Brandon S. Harwood, professionally known as artist Island Moons, has two decades of live performance and songwriting experience in various iterations. However, while living in NYC, new inspiration struck in the midst of the COVID-19 silence. A surge of creativity ensued and he began to sing and pen his thoughts with a newfound voice. He took his songs into the studio and discovered his artist's name after finding a lost manuscript of William Blake. He emerged with 5 singles in 2023-2025 and his debut EP, "DREAM," (Jan. 2026) which combines indie, psychedelic, and folk-rock elements. His versatility in songwriting and arrangements takes listeners on a journey, residing somewhere in the musical space between Radiohead, Bowie, and Cat Stevens. In 2024 he relocated to the triangle area of North Carolina, where he is very active, playing solo or with his band. His debut LP "Dreambell" (June 2026) was pressed on 12" vinyl and is available for purchase.
RIYL: Brendan Benson, George Harrison, Band of Horses, The dB's, David Bowie
The Wigg Report is Stephen Mullaney on guitar, Christine Fantini on drums, Ben Riseling on sax, John Killeen on bass. Garage meets pop meets punk. Someone once said if Sesame Street had a house punk band, they’d be it! You can hear their latest at thewiggreport.bandcamp.com/album/hells-got-its-lid-off
RIYL: the Ramones, Sonic Youth, Nino Rota
