the dotmatrix project

Mowgli
I Don’t (Mean) [Short Version]
Unsigned, from Chapel Hill, NC

Mowgli is a band that tends to blur the boundaries of song style. Vocalist Anthony Watkins’ soothing but sturdy voice enhances absurdly catchy keyboard progressions in tracks like ‘Prodigal Song,’ yet in other, more placid material, like ‘Velvet,’ the band takes it down a notch, as simple but effective guitar melodies provide the backdrop for Watkins to again astound listeners with his rich sound and passionate lyrics. The band’s presence is palpable in each track, and on the stage, this doesn’t change: when Mowgli plays, you can’t help but perk your ears up and listen.

- Bennett Campbell of The Daily Tar Heel

The deeper I get into Greensboro’s music scene, the more I hear musicians complaining about the propensity of support for cover bands over original acts. And while it’s true that some local bands enjoy a steady following — The Mantras, Old Stone Revue, The Urban Sophisticates, to name a few — it’s a fact that most venues can’t consistently draw a crowd to check out (read: pay a cover) original bands, unless they’re retreads from the eighties like Pat Benetar or Van Halen.

And at that point, that’s kinda like listening to a cover band, you know?

There’s no silver bullet out there that will radically increase Greensboro’s patronage of original music to reflect, say, a Chapel Hill or Asheville, but I do believe in the power of cross-promoting community — from artists collaborating on projects to jamming together at shows to showing up as a band to listen to and support other acts, bringing new fans with them.

More can be done; I’m sure of it.