RTP-area local music and culture

[grady AT ibiblio.org]

The SXSW fallout continues, with some nice-looking benefits:

Tuesday, March 23
The Washington Social Club [http://www.washingtonsocialclub.com],
Monsonia [http://www.monsonia.com], Carlsonics
[http://www.carlsonics.com/]
Kings, Raleigh

For at least a year, Washington Social Club have been my favorite
non-local band, or at least in my top 3, based solely upon a
half-dozen MP3s I downloaded from their
[http://www.washingtonsocialclub.com/main.html] website
(seriously--endure the flash load & go to the sounds page & get
everything, especially the "previous tracks"). I've never actually
seen them, but I must've listened to "Backed to the Future" 200
times.

What're they like? Well, on record at least, they're
charismatic-frontman pre/proto/postpunk, who at various times remind
me of Violent Femmes, Modern Lovers, and on at least one song, the
Adverts (really!), with a bit of Svenonious-style bombast thrown in
for good measure, natch, as they're from DC. They've got
call-and-response, they've got the occasional squirrelly strum stolen
from the Feelies, they come with some kind of dance-based imperative.
I'm driving to Raleigh on a Tuesday night just to see them.



Tuesday, March 23
Laramie UK [http://duckonbike.com/artistinfo.asp?artistid=272], Regina
Hexaphone [http://www.reginahexaphone.com]
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Laramie UK like the slow-building artrock anthems; their guitarist
makes all the classic facial contortions whilst playing like 4 notes
per minute, which is just utter genius.

Regina Hexaphone are Sara Bell's "other" band, the one in which she
sings lead and makes all frontwoman-like; I guess you could call them
lopey folk-pop or something.



Tuesday, March 23
The Fever [http://www.thefeveronline.com/], The Rogers Sisters
[http://www.therogerssisters.com/]
Go! Studios Rm. 4, Carrboro



Wednesday, March 24
Pretty Girls Make Graves [http://www.prettygirlsmakegraves.com/], The
Constantines [http://www.constantines.ca/], Mahjongg
Ace's Basement, Greensboro



Wednesday, March 24
The Walkmen [http://www.thewalkmen.com/], French Kicks
[http://www.frenchkicks.com/]
Go! Studios Rm. 4, Carrboro

Walkmen got namechecked this weekend in the Times, in an article
entitled "New New York Rockers Follow Their Gloom." To wit: "In
February the Walkmen released their major label debut, "Bows + Arrows"
(Record Collection /Warner Brothers); though it abandons many of the
ingenious piano-based innovations of the group's 2002 debut album in
favor of more conventional guitar arrangements, it still has a depth
that feels new. There are hints of mid-period U2 in the grand and
wind-swept open spaces of 'No Christmas While I'm Talking.'"

(wait? which period of U2 would be "mid-period" at this point? My gut
was to say "unforgettable fire+Joshua Tree" but how many albums have
come since those?)



Wednesday, March 24
Stars, Broken Social Scene [http://www.arts-crafts.ca/bss/]
Kings, Raleigh



Wednesday, March 24
Amish Jihad, The Stand Ins [http://www.thestandins.com/], Ray of Light
[http://www.rayoflight.net/]
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Wednesday, March 24
27, Sentinel
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Our friends at PS211 said this about 27 when they played over there
the other day: "27 is from boston and has a couple of full length
albums out (kimchee records and release entertainment) as well as an
upcoming 7" on hydrahead records. perhaps think rebecca gates mixes
with pj harvey as a reference point" . . .

Sentinel are from Chapel Hill and are heavy-as-shit; I forget which
local heavy-as-shit bands used to house some of the members, but I
assume maybe Goatthrower. Their EP is a great mix of total sludge and
paranoid screaming.



Thursday, March 25
Xiu Xiu [http://www.epitonic.com/artists/xiuxiu.html], The Tape Is Now
The Music, Cantwell, Gomez, Jordan
[http://www.cantwellgomezandjordan.com]
Project Space 211, Winston-Salem

Our friends at PS211 in W-S sent this along about this show:

Once again the beautifully disturbed Xiu Xiu graces PS211 with their
presence. Once they came as a instrumentationally (new word?) unique
and absolutely amazing 3-piece. Last year Xiu Xiu was merely Jamie
Stewart, main Xiu Xiu man. A reason for this could have been that
mid-2003 tradgedy struck--their van was broken into on tour and all
its contents were removed. The rest of that tour was cancelled. I must
say that "merely" must be taken very lightly, perhaps disregarded
altogether. It was a breathtakingly powerful performance with guitar,
harmonium, and voice. To this day it is high up on the list of the
most important performances ever to happen at PS211. This time around
will be Jamie and a percussionist. There is a good chance this
performance will be the most amazing. You'll have to show up to find
out. TTiNtM is a local two piece soundscape/beats/ambient/drone group
that is quite incredible. CG& J are a noise/prog/spazz rock trio from
the triangle that will blow yr gourd.



Thursday, March 25
Manamid [http://www.manamid.com], Sun Eye, Degrassi
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Degrassi are the current/latest Raleigh-based Russ DeSena
"supergroup," this one involving the mighty Christie Eames (drummed
for Blue-Green Gods *and* Orifice, so yeah, she rules), Katherine
Carpenter (of the Dents, and occasional weird late-night emails) and
Phil Martelli (utility bass in every band in Raleigh at one time or
another over the past 3 years). Russ says "We do Television/Sonic
Youth influenced double guitar stuff."

Sun Eye are in some way related to Scuppernong, via Brian Neelon, I
assume. I can't remember if I've seen them or not. Manamid are from
Greensboro, and they'll be happy to know that I've temporarily
forgotten what their old name was, so I won't keep pulling it out
torment them. They do contain former members of Sclix, Rebar & Eagle
Bravo (and Rights Reserved, if you're either (a) old as shit, or (b)
one of those people who still holds a grudge about a certain Dog-Faced
Hermans show at the Cradle a decade or more ago).



Thursday, March 25
Jim Smith & His Tall Buildings, National Eye
[http://www.nationaleye.com/]
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Thursday, March 25
Dirty Johnny and the Make-Believes
[http://futureperfectmedia.com/dirtyjohnny.htm], Fashion Design, Great
Falls
Kings, Raleigh

I dunno from the others, but Fashion Design are from around here
somewhere, and they're at the forefront of this current mid-fi
chorus-pedaled 80s/90s UK-drone-pop-rock revival, or something. They
need to get a show with Strange & Ashrae Fax; are you people
listening?



Friday, March 26
North Mississippi All-Stars [http://www.nmsallstars.com/], Burnside
Exploration
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro





Friday, March 26
Chadbourne Baptist Church [http://www.eugenechadbourne.com/]
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

From Nightlight:

Revival of the Chadbourne Baptist Church! featuring : Dr. Eugene 
Chadbourne guitar banjo voice / Ian Davis drums / David Doyle French 
horn, mandolin / Michael Jackson clarinet, synthesizer / hopefully Shep 
the Hep, electric bass . $5 - presenting evening of country and western, 
oldtime, psychedelic, jazz, and more! more what? more fucking schredded 
and burnt traditions than you can shake an AMEN at. testify,,, right?



Friday, March 26
Straight 8s [http://www.straight8s.com]
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Friday, March 26
The Cartridge Family [http://www.cartridge-family.com/], International
Orange [http://www.intlorange.com/], Proof, Earwig
[http://www.lizardfamily.com]
Kings, Raleigh

Showcase of New Sounds from the Triangle: International Orange are a
local popmuzik combine featuring Greensboro pop legend Snuzz (sorry,
too lazy to look up the umlaut), ex-BFFer Robert Sledge, and relative
newcomer Django Haskins, along with Cody Cods drummer Jason Fagg.

Cartridge Family bring the Rock, Raleigh-style. Proof bring the
angular super-tight post-whatever gtr-bass-drums trio almost-math rock
rock. And I think Earwig are just some Ohio band who stumbled onto the
bill, although lord knows there could be more than one.



Saturday, March 27
Bellafea [http://www.bellafea.com/], des_ark [http://www.des-ark.org],
Del Cielo [http://www.delcielorock.com/]
Hillsborough Road Co-op, Carrboro

The Hillsborough Road Co-op is in Carrboro, at 62 Hillsborough Road.
It was started with the help of Weaver Street by some Internationalist
workers and former residents of the Mallette Street progressive/punk
house. It's member-owned and collectively run. And they put on the
occasional house show.

This one features two kickass local [coed] gtr/drums duos, Bellafea &
des_ark, who just happen to be sharing the two sides of a split 7";
this was supposed to be the release party, which of course means it
won't be, as they won't be ready. No matter: they're both so utterly
great live that you're not going to care about some piece of plastic
for at least a week after you've seen them.



Saturday, March 27
The Rosebuds [http://www.therosebuds.com/], Taija Rae, tommygun
[http://www.tommygunrock.com]
Ace's Basement, Greensboro

The Rosebuds are our own local pop-rock-trio heroes, touring round the
country, jumping up & down, writing one perfect popsong after another.
Taija Rae are from Greensboro, and they include Joe Garrigan
(ex-Urinals), Nicky Trimiar (ex-Mercury Birds) and Kim Walker
(ex-Shiny Beast). They make swirly overdriven psych-pop-rock. Tommygun
are also from the Triad, but that's all I know.



Saturday, March 27
Rocket 350 [http://www.rocket350.com/], The Spooks, Marauders,
Straight 8s [http://www.straight8s.com], The Antagonizers
[http://www.antagonizers.com/]
Kings, Raleigh

This is the first annual [http://www.vendettas.cc/shows.htm] Blood
Sweat & Gears car show, sponsored by the
[http://www.vendettas.cc/main.htm] Vendettas Car Club. 8 bands, custom
cars. The car show is apparently in the parking lot across the street
from Kings, and commences at noon. Rock starts sometime after the
awards are handed out. The bands:

Rocket 350
Straight 8's
The Marauders
The Spooks
Antagonizers
Tombstone Daddys
Top Dead Center
Hearts and Daggers



Saturday, March 27
The Moaners
The Cave, Chapel Hill

The Moaners are a duo--Trailer Bride's Melissa Swingle, and Grand
National's Laura King (Laura moved here a few years ago to drum for
Gerty, and pretty much knocked everybody in town on our collective
asses--she's a total pounder, but with exquisite control). I don't
have to tell you that Melissa is a brilliant multi-instrumentalist
with a knack for writing songs about *somebody's* life; over the
years, many of us have mistaken them as being about *her* life, and
parts of them undoubtedly are, but she's primarily a first-rate writer
in the classic southern tradition.



Sunday, March 28
The 45s, Boss Martians [http://www.bossmartians.com/]
Kings, Raleigh

This is the matinee show, sort of a palate-cleanser of garage-rock
after the massive rockabilly-punk/car-show explosion of Saturday
afternoon/night. Matinees begin at 4:30 or 5:00 or so, so you've been
warned.



Sunday, March 28
Black Mona Lisas
The Cave, Chapel Hill

I haven't seen 'em, but Bob Wall says Black Mona Lisas have the
original drummer from the Spinns, and they do a killer cover of
"Interstellar Overdrive."



Sunday, March 28
Don Caballero [http://www.southern.com/southern/band/DONCA/],
Continent, The Reputation [http://www.reputationmusic.com/]
Go! Studios Rm. 4, Carrboro



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