Around 11 p.m., a good sized crowd started to gather at the Slice. Jan. 15 for  an exciting set from  Axis of Conversation. By the time I arrived, laid back open act Raleigh were winding down their mellow set of cello, keyboard, guitar and drum powered pop music.

Axis of Conversation began in the same vein as Raleigh drummer Matt Doherty took a quick breather before beginning his set with Axis of Conversation.

 They played an interesting and innovative set filled with screeching feedback, some sweet strings solos from cellist Cheryl Bergen and violinist Shelly Groves.

As well, vocalist Chris delaTorre sang some sweet/ chaotic indie pop vocals and added some innovative e-bow guitar lines as well as plenty of bleeps and bloops and unusual synth sounds from his Kaoss pad while Eric Astor added jazzy basslines.

 They showed a variety of influences from gypsy music to classical, with a lot of indie rock and pop thrown in between.