Helio Sequence

The energy of rock.
Guitar, drums and a computer.
Van ride home.

Bringing it.

The boys from Portland based band, Helio Sequence, got a bit of culture shock when they showed up for their gig at The World Famous Milestone Club in Charlotte on May 30. They had recently been touring with Keane, playing large venues and had been at Radio City Music Hall a couple of nights prior. The Milestone is in the heart of a tough section of Charlotte and the club portrays an even tougher image with a fenced in rutted parking lot and graffiti and sticker laced walls and interior. But behind that tough presence, the Milestone carries the soul of the hundreds of bands and thousands of fans who have passed through its doors since the early 1980's. Known as a place where bands such as REM played to 30 people shortly before going on to greater fame, it is easy to see that Helio Sequence might find itself in the same place. The guitar player told me when they arrived a band was warming up in the room, but basically nobody was there and they wondered whether or not they were in the right place. He marveled at having had the opportunity to play Radio City and seemed a little taken aback that he was here just a couple of nights later. Yet, shortly thereafter, the band from the Subpop label rocked a set of power pop that had the crowd bobbing its heads in unison. I don't know if this is called "shoe gazing" music and a rather drunk young lady was explaining to me that her fave band in this genre is "My Bloody Valentine". I thought she was talking about a movie. Anyway, with a guitar and drums and background sampling to fill out the sound, these guys did some songs that had a ring of familiarity. Though I don't listen to popular radio, preferring instead independent station WNCW 88.7, I can tell that this sound will dent the pop charts. So, anyway, be on the lookout for Helio Sequence. http://www.myspace.com/theheliosequence