Scowl Brow

Scowl Brow was formed in the late 2000s by singer-guitarist-songwriter Robby Hale, who immediately recruited veteran drummer Joshua Taddeo and eventually bassist Justin Driscoll, who actually came into their orbit as a photographer.

"In 2011 Joshua asked me to come take photos of his band," Driscoll says. "But they were the only Charlotte-based band I'd seen that impressed me. I've been playing guitar my whole life, and I kept asking them if they needed a second guitar player." The answer was always no, until late December 2012. "I was in Chicago and boarding a flight home when he called," he remembers. "So I listened to the six-song EP, got off the plane, called him back, and said I was all in."

Driscoll says that Scowl Brow takes a direct approach to their songs, and they don't have time for simple classification. "We just play honest, straightforward, driving music that is catchy," he says. "It still amazes me how mosh pits break out at our shows. Technically it's considered 'indie rock,' I guess, but I think the punk undertones and the way Robby delivers his lyrics separates us from the rest. His lyrics are brutal and honest."

An example of such honesty is found on Born Again's "Cold Dirty Bed," an acoustic barroom weeper with surprisingly sensitive lyrics: "I held you all night, and I knew I'd never let you go/ Because when your best friend's your lover, it's the best feeling you'll ever know."

For a band that cites punk as one of its biggest influences, there's little of that genre's cynicism or attitude on that track. "Punk-rock is definitely my favorite style of music, and what we were all raised around, but we listen to all types of music," Driscoll says.

As for the band's live performance, Scowl Brow stay as raw and informal as possible. "We just get on stage, crack a beer, let the amps ring out, and just go," Driscoll says. "We don't make set lists, and we don't plan it out. We just play. We're just three dudes who want to play rock 'n' roll." - Charleston City Paper

It’s a weeknight in December at Chop Shop in NoDa when Charlotte’s Scowl Brow – the fourth of five acts – takes the stage. In moments an exuberant crowd is gathered at the front of the stage singing along with Robby Hale.

Beer and foam fly through the air. Fists pump. Bystanders dodge dancing limbs and flying fists at the edge of the small mosh pit. It’s chaotic and contagious and it’s more passion and abandon than what’s usually reserved for national acts selling out the Fillmore.

“They’re moshing to a band you shouldn’t mosh to,” says drummer Joshua Taddeo, a tattoo artist at Fu’s in NoDa who was previously in national touring Charlotte metal band A Stained Glass Romance.

“People buy 24 ounces of PBR just to throw on the band,” adds Taddeo, whose drum kit is rusted from repeat dousings.

“It gets a little squirrely,” echoes bassist Justin Driscoll at a booth at Growler’s in NoDa Monday. “I might get mad for a second ’cause I got elbowed or punched in the face, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Such an intense reaction from local fans is rare, especially at the small club and bar level. Maybe it’s the chemistry of three Charlotte transplants born within three days of each other in 1986.

Scowl Brow plays its home base Snug Harbor Saturday to help raise money for a van. It will open for Andrew WK at Neighborhood Theatre in September.

Besides downright infectious punky indie-rock hooks, Taddeo says it’s Hale’s lyrics and delivery that attract much of that furor.

“Most of our fans want to say the things we say, but can’t,” he says. Hale, who writes on acoustic guitar before bringing his songs to the band, addresses rocky family issues, rockier relationships, a former drug habit and living in his truck. His warts-and-all lyrics are frank and unapologetic, which tends to rub some listeners the wrong way. But like early Eminem and Guns n’ Roses, there’s a raw honesty and sense of danger that encompasses the original spirit of rock ’n’ roll.

“In rock ‘n’ roll, if you’re not offending somebody you’re doing something wrong,” Taddeo echoes the old adage. “We don’t go out of our way to be offensive, but Robby does go out of his way not to sugarcoat anything.”

Scowl Brow toned down that element for 2014’s “Born Again” EP, but it’s those old blunt rockers from its 2013 self-titled full-length that fans connect with. They say they’ve found a happy medium between the maturity of the EP and its more straightforward earlier work. They also want it to reflect the ferocity of the band’s live shows. - Charlotte Observer

Whatever you do, don't break Robby Hale's heart. If you do, chances are the Scowl Brow singer and songwriter will write a series of crass punk tunes showcasing every sordid detail, from heavy drug abuse to bad sex. And, really, that's what we have in his band's debut LP — a string of gutter-level confessions tied together by Hale's shit luck.

Yet this type of GG Allin-style full disclosure songwriting isn't as fringe as it may seem — WuTang Clan has been just as TMI for years. The main difference between ODB rasping "I got burned once, but it was only gonorrhea" and Hale casually admitting "after we fucked/ I guess I woke up/ rolled over to your best friend and felt her up" is that Scowl Brow's songs are evidently true. Still, it can feel like a battle of wills at points, with Hale determined not to blink first. "Tell Me Now," for instance, initially seems like the sweetest song on the album, with Hale ready to get married, ready to be a dad — and ends with an abortion.

Musically, this is solid — punchy production does this '50s-educated punk rock (emphasis on the rock) justice, while Hale's vocal melodies are as consistent and infectious as ever. The tracks are concise, catchy and compulsively honest. Most of these songs already appeared on the Scowl Brow EP, though. While these are undoubtedly strong cuts — "AM 55" and "Ghosts," particularly — their arrangements haven't really changed that much. Yeah, they sound great here (particularly on headphones), but Hale obviously has plenty of new songs in him — and some of them are excellent. The album closes with "Sober" — three minutes of untrammeled, finger-pointing ferocity. "Don't stay sober/ if you're drinking, you're driving tonight," Hale hollers over relentlessly pounding drums and choppy, surf-ish chords, and his heartbreak sounds fresh. An album of 100 percent fresh material — particularly on that level — would have been more satisfying.

In total, Scowl Brow offers a counterpoint to the occasionally accurate perception that the indie world is hopelessly twee: if you prefer your musicians strumming ukuleles and singing about art museums, don't spin this LP. But if you like a little rock 'n' roll with your sex and drugs, this may be your scene. - Creative Loafing Charlotte

The Charlotte music scene knows Scowl Brow. The Charlotte music scene loves Scowl Brow. And with good reason. Robby Hale, Josh Taddeo, and Justin Driscoll seem to work perfect together.

Seeing one of their shows is like attending a party where everyone is best friends, and that’s genuinely what it feels like. For the unfamiliar, SB plays rock and roll with an indie rock/punk rock influence. Sit down with their record and it’s clear that Robby isn’t just singing songs; rather, he’s telling stories that it seems most people that listen are able to find a connection to.

The lyrics and the music fit seamlessly and the result is, in my humble opinion, the best band North Carolina has seen in years. Take a little time and get to know the guys and you’ll meet some of the nicest, and most sincere people you could ever have the opportunity to meet. I could go on and on about how much I love this band, so I’ll keep it short: Scowl Brow is a band you need in your life, so love yourself and let Scowl Brow be part of your life.

This show, like every other Scowl Brow show I’ve seen was a total blast. A room full of people, all smiling, hugging each other, and singing along at the top of their lungs. It’s enough to make anyone happy. They closed the show with what’s become sort of an anthem, Sober.

There’s really not any words to describe it, you just have to experience it for yourself. They are playing in Charleston, SC tonight at Joe Pasta (joepasta.com) on King Street. If you’re in the area make sure you see them before they head back up to Charlotte. - Shutter 16