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Subject: RTP-area local music and culture

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  • From: grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>
  • To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Stuff to do, Week of September 23, 2004
  • Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 18:49:22 -0400

There are also Flicker workshops all day Saturday at the Carrboro ArtsCenter, and the Carrboro Music Festival all day Sunday. Of 130 or so band/artists listed at the website [http://www.carrboromusicfestival.org], I could recognize and recommend about 3 of them, which means somebody's way out of touch, and I'm not going to speculate whether it's them or me.

I'm curious about the Indy Music Awards nomination process as outlined by Kirk Ross here: [http://indyweek.com/durham/current/scan.html - note that's not a permalink & will expire in a week] "We decided very early on in the process that the initial set of nominations would come through polling a group of roughly 40 music writers, club owners, musicians, producers and other folks with a good sense of history and knowledge about the local music community. They each were asked to nominate three artists, records or songs in the various categories . . ."

Now, that might sound like an OK process (although I'd have greatly preferred some sort of open nominations, perhaps augmented by editorial choices--so you're saying that it sucks that Ralph Nader can't get on the presidential ballot in NC, but it's OK to skip the listening public entirely during the nominations process of your own mini-election? huh?), the results were a little weird. (it's also a little weird that the choices were limited to either 3 or 4 per category--is that all that would fit, or were nominees required to poll at least 15% in order to be included on the final ballot?)

Specifically: Superchunk, while a wonderful and groundbreaking and, yes, seminal local band, have played, what, two shows in the Triangle in the past year; their most recent releases were a b-sides comp, a video comp, and a 5-year-old live album.

2 of the 3 nominees for "Best Rock Song" are from records that came out on October 7, 2003 -- just squeaking in under the wire, I guess.

Taking a page from the Grammy playbook, one of the nominees for "Best New Rock Band," Utah!, have been together for 6 years, have lived in Raleigh for at least 2 of those, and had their first local release (a split 7" with the Rosebuds) in late 2002 (which was the Rosebuds' first official local release as well, actually).

Two of the nominees for Best Country Group/Artist don't live in the Triangle anymore.

Trailer Bride's "Hope is a Thing With Feathers" came out exactly 1 year ago today--again, squeaking in under the wire, I guess.

I know this all sounds kinda nit-picky--and it is--but my point is that since they felt compelled to have a preliminary nominating round, opening the nomination process up to the World At Large might have resulted in a more varied and representative slate of nominees.

Had they had open nominations, here are some folks I would've voted for, in whatever category they might've fit into--as far as I know, they all still live here, and they've either released new material or played live locally within the past 9 months:

Audubon Park
Hotel Motel
Cantwell, Gomez and Jordan
The Ghost of Rock
des_ark
The Sames
Erie Choir
Shark Quest
Bellafea
Transportation
The Strugglers
Shallow Be Thy Name
Work Clothes
Kingsbury Manx


OK, sorry for the digression (although I encourage y'all to add your own faves to that list, or better yet write 'em on the Indy's ballot & mail it in); on to the stuff to do:


Thursday, September 23
Flicker [http://www.chapel-hill.nc.us/flicker]
Local 506, Chapel Hill

It's Flicker's 10th Anniversary Weekend, and they're kicking it off
with this screening of films by the various Flicker hosts (Norwood
Cheek, RogerWarrenBeebe, Jim Haverkamp, Jen Ashlock), as well as a
screening of Norwood's full "Young Rock" video compilation from 1994
(Archers, Superchunk, Polvo, etc). Either starts at 8:00 or 9:00,
depending on who you ask.



Thursday, September 23
George Clinton [http://www.georgeclinton.com/]
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Thursday, September 23
Dig Shovel Dig [http://www.digshoveldig.com/], Shadow of a Great Name,
Continent [http://216.117.191.68/continent/]
Kings, Raleigh

Dig Shovel Dig are one of the 236 bands from Asheville, most of whom
contain 2 or more of the same 35 people. I've heard good things about
DSD from my friends in the Finks, who rule, so that seems promising.

Shadow of a Great Name are an instrumental space-prog-electro-whatever
band from Raleigh.

Continent contain ex-members of the Ladderback and El Sucio, and the
songs I heard sounded just about like that, yes. Given that those were
two of my all-time fave local scream-spazz-grind-sludge-freak bands,
I'd say that's a very good thing.



Thursday, September 23
The Not, Allnight, Crimson Sweet
[http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/crimsonsweet/]
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This is a rockshow featuring Greensboro's non-ironic yet also
non-stupid Southern Rockers Allnight. It commences more-or-less
immediately following the Flicker 10th-anniversary screening.



Friday, September 24
Flicker [http://www.chapel-hill.nc.us/flicker]
ArtsCenter, Carrboro

This is the 2nd night of Flicker's 10th-Anniversary weekend
extravaganza. I'm gonna lift this blurb direct from their
[http://www.flickerfestival.com/flicker/tenth.html] website:

On Friday at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro there will be a screening and
discussion led by Peyton Reed and Phil Morrison.
[http://www.indyweek.com/durham/2000-08-30/movie3.html] Peyton
Reed will introduce "Almost Beat" which screened at the
[http://www.flickerfestival.com/flicker/programs/01.html] very first
Flicker. He has since gone on to direct such films at "Bring it On"
and "Down with Love". Our other speaker, Phil Morrison, recently
finished shooting a feature entitled "Junebug" in his hometown of
Winston-Salem. The film is based on a play by Angus MacLachlan, who
collaborated with Morrison on their first film, "Tater Tomater", which
screened at one of the first Flickers in 1994 and has since become a
[http://www.tatertomater.com/] cult favorite.The discussion will be
followed by a [http://www.flickerfestival.com/flicker/programming.htm] block of Flicker favorites from the last 10 years.



Friday, September 24
Bellafea [http://www.bellafea.com/], Ryan Pound
[http://www.pidgeonenglish.com/], The Strugglers
[http://www.thestrugglers.org/]
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh

Bickett Gallery is an intimate space, but an exceedingly nice
one--part gallery, part bar/lounge. They're open nightly until
way-too-late, and when I'm in Raleigh with time to kill between dinner
& whatever else is going on, they're the first place I head.

Bellafea have a song on one side of a split 7" (des_ark are on the
other), so you've perhaps heard them on the radio lately. Gtr/drums
plus Heather's unearthly warble.

The Strugglers make countryish introvert-rock that can't help but
remind me a bit of Palace both in its sense of majesty & in frontman
Randy Bickford's high-cracking voice.



Friday, September 24
All Astronauts [http://www.allastronauts.com/], Dig Shovel Dig
[http://www.digshoveldig.com/], Manamid [http://www.manamid.com],
Continent [http://216.117.191.68/continent/]
The Werehouse, Winston-Salem

The Werehouse (until further notice, I'd assume that's pronounced
"vehr-haus") was known as PS211 for a while, and before that it was
the Wherehouse. It has always been a big cavernous multi-floor
industrial space in downtown Winston-Salem that has living quarters &
studios as well as a performance space and coffee shop/bar.

As I mentioned yesterday, Dig Shovel Dig are from Asheville, and
Continent are from Raleigh & feature ex-members of the Ladderback & El
Sucio. Manamid are from Greensboro and would not mind one bit being
tagged as Fugazi-influenced (nor should anyone else, for that matter).
All Astronauts are from Winston-Salem & they make big strumming
vibrating rock anthems with soaring vocalese and much guitars.



Friday, September 24
Red Skeleton, Permanent Darling [http://www.permanentdarling.com], The
Cartridge Family [http://www.cartridge-family.com/]
Martin Street Music Hall, Raleigh

This is a benefit for NCSU's student radio station,
[http://www.wknc.org] WKNC. Red Skeleton are split between Chatham
County & Raleigh, and they remind me a good bit of Small, back before
they got the [23].

Permanent Darling bring the bombast that has always been sorely
lacking in the Triangle music scene. Cartridge Family I have forgotten
to learn about.



Friday, September 24
The Bleeding Hearts [http://www.thebleedinghearts.net/home.html],
Roman Candle [http://www.romancandlemusic.com/], Park Life
[http://www.parklifeband.com/], Fashion Design
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Fashion Design are in the vanguard of local 80s dark-chorused-britrock
revivalism. They do a mean My Bloody Valentine cover as well, *and*
they're appealingly goofy onstage, which is a welcome relief.

Roman Candle are from Wilkesboro, and they've lately re-recorded their
pretty-brilliant-the-first-time debut album, "Says Pop," for
re-release by one major label or another. When I reviewed it the first
time a couple of years ago, I said it was only a matter of time before
we'd have to hand them over to the mainstream-radio types, and that's
still true; much moreso, actually.



Friday, September 24
The Greatest Hits, The Husbands [http://members.cox.net/thehusbands/],
El Boa
Kings, Raleigh



Saturday, September 25
Flicker [http://www.chapel-hill.nc.us/flicker]
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

Night 3 of the giant Flicker 10th-Anniversary weekend. Again stealing
from the [http://www.flickerfestival.com/flicker/tenth.html] Flicker
website:

The weekend will conclude with a
[http://www.flickerfestival.com/flicker/programming.htm#sat] screening
at the Cat's Cradle. The program is a compilation of some of the most
memorable films that Flicker has screened in its ten years. It will
include shorts from
[http://www.brighteyepictures.com/monsterroad.html#filmmakers] Brett

Ingram, Joyce Ventimiglia, Chris Jolly, Jason Middleton, and many
more. Come out to see animations, documentaries, narratives and
experimental pieces all shot on film, all shown at Flicker from
1994-2004. You will be able to see the history of your local film
festival as it has always been seen, projected onto a screen in a
small, dark rock club.

$5, 8:00 p.m.



Saturday, September 25
Drive-By Truckers [http://www.drivebytruckers.com/], Allison Moorer
[http://www.allisonmoorer.com/]
Lincoln Theater, Raleigh



Saturday, September 25
Dibiasi, Psyche Origami [http://www.psycheorigami.com/], Minamina
Goodsong [http://www.minaminagoodsong.com/]
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Saturday, September 25
The Bleeding Hearts [http://www.thebleedinghearts.net/home.html], Jeff
Hart & The Ruins, The Pink Slips, Hank Sinatra
[http://www.clearchannelnewmusicnetwork.com/artist/hanksinatra]
Kings, Raleigh



Sunday, September 26
Lud [http://members.aol.com/~ludkmr/], Dom Casual, Mogote
[http://www.mogotemusic.net/], Jaguaro, The People Under the Bridge
[http://www.duckonbike.com/artistinfo.asp?artistid=378]
Ooh La Latte, Durham

This is a benefit for the Starlite Drive-In, whose screen burned down
a few weeks ago. Doors open at 4:00 and the rock commences around
5:00. I believe there's also a classic-car show & auction & whatnot at
the Starlite itself earlier in the afternoon; you can get full info on
everything Starlite-related at [http://www.saveourstarlite.org] the
Save Our Starlite website.



Monday, September 27
Semantics, The Antagonizers [http://www.antagonizers.com/], The
Vibrators [http://www.thevibrators.com/]
Kings, Raleigh

The Vibrators are one of those &lt;insert fawning hyperbolic adjective
here&gt; UK punk bands of the late 70s. Difference between them &
nearly everyone else is that they've been together in one form or
another for most of the past 25 years. That certainly doesn't mean
they're any good; I honestly have no idea. They're at least honest &
relatively free of "we're relevant artists" bullshit pretension,
apparently, judging from this entry in their
[http://www.thevibrators.com/faq.html] FAQ: "3) What's your best
album?
It's probably got to be PURE MANIA as that's the one that's sold the
most and the record that most people love"

That's Pure Mania, their first album, from 1977. They've made 13
others since then.



Monday, September 27
They Might Be Giants [http://www.tmbg.com/]
Lincoln Theater, Raleigh



Monday, September 27
snmnmnm [http://www.snmnmnm.com/], The Billy Nayer Show
[http://www.billynayer.com/], Rick Wakemed
Local 506, Chapel Hill

snmnmnm settled in Chapel Hill after bouncing around between upstate
NY and LA. No wonder they stopped here; RTP must've seemed like
paradise. Hey guys, sorry nobody told you that nobody goes to
rockshows anymore around here.

The Billy Nayer Show is the band responsible for the brilliant and
insane indie film "The American Astronaut." I've listened to a couple
of their other recent albums, and I have to say, without the stark
black-and-white visuals, the music didn't seem quite as compelling. So
the question becomes: will frontman Cory McAbee's Hugh Jackman-esque
jawbone be as erotically-charged onstage at the 506 as it was when it
was 20 feet tall on the screen at the Carolina Theatre?



Tuesday, September 28
Guided By Voices [http://www.gbv.com/], Portastatic
[http://www.portastatic.com]
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



--------> http://www.trianglerock.com <--------




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