RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Thursday, May 11
Fin Fang Foom ( http://www.lovitt.com/artists/finfangfoom.html ) ,
Tiger Bear Wolf ( http://www.tigerbearwolf.com ) , The Rosebuds (
http://www.therosebuds.com/ ) , tommygun ( http://www.tommygunrock.com
)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro

The Flying Anvil is the big new club in Greensboro that's being booked
by Andrew Dudek of Gate City Noise; he actually moved his store into
the club, in fact. Or something like that. This is night one of their
Grand Opening, and I guess it's indie-rock night. I probably don't
have to explain the Rosebuds to anybody reading this, but I would like
to mention that if you're the pop-hating sort who gave up on them
after their first album, due to there being too many hooky catchy
songs, you actually missed out on a much darker, richer, more brooding
2nd album. Of course, there were still a metric ton of catchy hooks,
so maybe it's just as well.

Tiger Bear Wolf are a burly Greensboro band, who used to sound like
one of those central-NC post-hardcore bands sitting in with Motorhead,
and now sound more like one of those central-NC post-hardcore bands
sitting in with Raging Slab.



Thursday, May 11
Old Time Relijun ( http://www.krecs.com/OldTimeRelijun/ ) , The Whigs
( http://www.thewhigs.com ) , Grasshopper
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, May 12
Liberti and Konkel for All ( http://www.bullfightparty.org/ron/ ) ,
Joe Romeo ( http://www.myspace.com/joeromeomusic )
RooM Gallery, Carrboro

This is a show-opening party for [Ron] Liberti and [Soleil] Konkel For
All. Here's what Ron says:

soleil and i are having an art show.
photos/screenprints/collage
friday night� may 12, 6-11pm
room gallery 109 brewer lane carrboro 969-0031
(across and down a bit from reservoir)
dj's blastoff bob and flying winnebego
live music by joe romeo and the orange county volunteers

fun.....maybe wiffle ball



Friday, May 12
Neil Diamond All-Stars, New Town Drunks (
http://www.thirdmind.org/featured_artists/NTD/index.html )
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Friday, May 12
Hotel Lights ( http://www.hotellights.net/ ) , Can Joann (
http://www.canjoann.com/ ) , Shakermaker ( http://shakermaker.org/ )
Kings, Raleigh



Friday, May 12
Django Haskins ( http://www.djangohaskins.com/ ) , Kapow! Music (
http://kapowmusic.net ) , Andrew Vladeck (
http://www.andrewvladeck.com )
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh



Friday, May 12
Olympic Ass Kicking Team ( http://www.terryandersonrocks.com/ )
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Friday, May 12
Bad Checks ( http://demonbeach.com/checks.htm ) , Ghost Writer (
http://www.ghostwriterband.com/ ) , Dexter Romweber and the New Romans
( http://www.myspace.com/dexterromweber )
Local 506, Chapel Hill

The Bad Checks dug it out of retirement for a show last month at
Kings, and now they're apparently on a roll. They've been making
boozed-up psychobilly/punk around these parts since the VERY early
80s, and they haven't lost their edge (nor Hunter Landen, their
frontman, his propensity for falling down onstage).

Dexter Romweber and the New Romans is Dex's large band setup,
featuring drums, add'l percussion, keys, horns, bass, and multiple
guitars. They're huge, and tight, and just all-around amazing. Don't
miss this. (Video [*> http://www.trianglerock.com/video <*] here, see
for yourself.)



Friday, May 12
Caltrop ( http://www.myspace.com/caltropband ) , Year Future (
http://www.myspace.com/yearfuture ) , Autocode
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Caltrop feature ex-members of El Sucio & Continent. They're
ultra-heavy sludgy Sabbath/droney thunderousness.



Saturday, May 13
Street Sharks ( http://www.myspace.com/streetsharsk ) , Government
Warning ( http://www.myspace.com/governmentwarningrva ) , Pedestrians
( http://www.criminaliq.com/ )
Chaz's Bull City Records, Durham

Daniel from [*> http://www.deadmetaphor.com/ <*] Dead Metaphor
(post-DeepFryBonanza, if you remember that punk webzine) booked this
show, and sent these descriptions. He didn't send a description of
Government Warning because, apparently, at the time he sent the mail,
the lineup was different.

Pedestrians: 80s-sounding punk from Chicago. They're usually compared
either to classic Chicago punk a la the Effigies and Naked Raygun or
to Dez-on-vocals-era Black Flag. Both comparisons have something to
them but neither says it all.

Street Sharks: Pop-punk-influenced hardcore from Raleigh. Sort of like
if one of the bands on Flex Your Head tried to sound like Dillinger
Four.



Saturday, May 13
Straight 8s ( http://www.straight8s.com ) , The Crimson Spectre (
http://www.slavemagazine.com/crimsonspectre/ ) , The Tremors (
http://www.tremorsrockabilly.com/ ) , The Goons (
http://www.thegoons.com/ )
The Garage, Winston-Salem

This is billed as The Greasers vs. The Punks, with the Tremors & the
Straight 8s (both rockabilly trios in that neotraditional
standup-bass/drums/hollowbody guitar style) as the Greasers, and the
Goons & the mighty Crimson Spectre as the Punks.



Saturday, May 13
Roman Candle ( http://www.romancandlemusic.com/ ) , Thad Cockrell (
http://www.thadcockrell.com/ ) , Keegan DeWitt (
http://www.keegandewitt.com/ )
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Thad Cockrell makes heartbreaking/heartbroken country music; he used
to live here but last year decamped to Nashville, a town which he's
much too good for. Roman Candle are the Matheny brothers, who grew up
in North Wilkesboro; they make light breezy pop that shows just enough
roots/country influence to make it more interesting than most light
breezy pop. Keegan DeWitt is a friend of theirs, but his site breaks
my browser so I don't know the details.



Saturday, May 13
Leadfoot ( http://www.leadfoot.net/ )
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Sunday, May 14
Opening Flower Happy Bird (
http://www.myspace.com/openingflowerhappybird )
WXDU 88.7 FM, Durham

Opening Flower Happy Bird are half from the Triangle and half from
Richmond. There are two of them, and they make excellent
gtr-keyboards-drums/drum-machine sing-song low-fi pop with weird
elaborate narrative lyrics and just the right amount of falling-apart.
5:00 p.m. 88.7FM or www.wxdu.org.



Sunday, May 14
MC Frontalot ( http://www.frontalot.com/ )
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Monday, May 15
Art Brut ( http://www.artbrut.org.uk/ ) , The Robocop Kraus (
http://www.therobocopkraus.de/ ) , Think About Life (
http://www.thinkaboutlife.org )
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Monday, May 15
The Essex Green ( http://www.essexgreen.com/ ) , Destructionnaire (
http://www.myspace.com/destructionnaire )
Kings, Raleigh



Tuesday, May 16
Blood on the Wall ( http://www.bloodonthewall.com ) , Psychic Ills (
http://www.myspace.com/psychicills ) , Invasion (
http://www.myspace.com/invasionmusic )
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Wednesday, May 17
Transportation ( http://www.myspace.com/transportation )
The Cave, Chapel Hill

This is the late show (the Cave website sez the early show is the
Spinns' Talk Show, but I heard they broke up. I guess that'll give
them a lot to talk about.) which means 10:30ish.

Transportation have been in the "about to release a brilliant album
that will knock us all on our asses" holding-pattern for about, oh, 3
years now. They make chaotic/eclectic 70s-influenced rock; if I had to
pick a single referent it would be Queen, in their ability to go from
piano ballads to all-out guitars-blazing ROCK.



Thursday, May 18 - Sunday May 21
Soundscape Movement Fest ( http://www.soundscapefest.org/ )
various locales, Chapel Hill

Soundscape Movement Fest is an ambitious collaboration between local
dance and improv-music folks. The shows are at the following times and
places (there are also workshops; more info about all of this is at
[*> http://www.soundscapefest.org/ <*] the website):

Thursday, May 18:
Carrboro ArtsCenter - 8:00 p.m.
Nightlight - 10:00 p.m.

Friday, May 19:
Local 506 - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 20:
Carrboro ArtsCenter - 8:00 p.m.
Nightlight - 10:00 p.m.



Thursday, May 18
DMVB ( http://www.myspace.com/dmvb ) , Ghostfinger (
http://www.myspace.com/ghostfinger ) , New Lou Reeds (
http://www.newloureeds.com/ )
Kings, Raleigh



Thursday, May 18
Work Clothes ( http://www.workclothesmusic.com/ ) , North Elementary (
http://www.northelementary.com ) , J. Phono, Venice is Sinking (
http://www.veniceissinking.net )
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Work Clothes in their recent/current 5-piece (gtr/bass/drums/piano)
lineup are one of the 5 best bands in Chapel Hill. Lee & Jenny write
beautiful hushed bedroom pop songs, and then the band expands them
into masterful rock anthems.

North Elementary make loopy/wandery stoner-pop. Venice is Sinking are
from Athens.



Friday, May 19
Pleasant ( http://www.pleasantmusic.com ) , The Sames (
http://www.thesames.com ) , The Rosebuds ( http://www.therosebuds.com/
) , Schooner ( http://www.schoonermusic.com ) , Audubon Park (
http://audubonpark.blogspot.com )
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

The show of the season, and it's free, even. 'tis bittersweet, of
course, because the occasion is the demise of the Sames, who're
calling it quits after ~4-5 years, and at least three times that many
perfect noisepop songs. Measure the esteem in which they're held
locally via this lineup:

Rosebuds
Schooner
Pleasant
North Elementary
Audubon Park
The Torch Marauder
Pox Family Singers

Put simply: Don't miss this show.



Friday, May 19
AOK ( http://www.myspace.com/aoknc ) , Deep Sea Diving (
http://www.myspace.com/deepseadiving ) , Across the Elementary (
http://www.myspace.com/acrosstheelementary ) , State Park, European
Ambulance
305 South, Durham

I think Across the Elementary, Deep Sea Diving & AOK are all young
Triangle bands who share overlapping membership, but I can't quite
suss out all the details.



Friday, May 19
Twilighter ( http://www.twilighterband.com/ ) , Glissade (
http://www.myspace.com/glissade )
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Friday, May 19
Oakley Hall ( http://www.oakleyhall.net/ ) , TV Knife (
http://www.myspace.com/tvknife ) , The Longshoremen
Kings, Raleigh



Saturday, May 20
The Apes ( http://www.selfstarterfoundation.com/apes.html ) , Liars (
http://www.liarsliarsliars.com/ ) , Deerhunter (
http://www.notownsound.net/deerhunter/ )
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Saturday, May 20
Evil Wiener ( http://www.evilwienerworld.com/ ) , Bombshell
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Evil Wiener you know about: they've been making utterly charming &
naive popmusic (but with a decidedly sinister undertone) for the past
12-14 years or so. They are a North Carolina Treasure, and it's about
time that somebody from Raleigh awarded them some kind of certificate
testifying to that.

Bombshell are a new supergroup of old fogeys; at present I don't
recall all the fogeys involved, but I know that two of them are Danny
Hooley (Ugly Americans, Orange Driver) and Sarah Reichman (Cat Toy).



Saturday, May 20
Black Skies ( http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies )
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh

Black Skies evolved from a band called The Man; they make Heavy Rock
that's rendered heavier by the fact that their frontman is
ex-Smearcase singer / Cradle doorman Kevin Clark, who never met an
Iggy Pop he didn't like.



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