State of The Union: Let's Talk About North Carolina

While scanning the Warped Tour Battle of The Bands website this summer, I was considerably taken with the music scene developing in North Carolina. My previous experiences with North Carolina had been limited to sand dunes and ducks, so this new chance to explore the state through its up-and-coming musicians was a welcome one.

One of the most noteworthy trends coming out of North Carolina is the mixing of ambient and post-hardcore, which creates an atmospheric, blizzard- like tunnel of sound. The emo/pop punk scene is strong too, as evidenced by a slew of features in Alt Press magazine covering bands like The Hotelier and Messenger Down.

Below, find some of the top tracks from North Carolina natives: