RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Don't miss the Scene of the Crime Rovers at 7:00 tomorrow (Friday) in 
Downtown Durham, marching from gallery to gallery as part of the Culture 
Crawl. I'd like to request, for some future marching event, "Crazy Train."

Onward!

Thursday, July 20
Tiger Bear Wolf (http://www.tigerbearwolf.com), Colossus
(http://www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou), Body Electric
(http://www.myspace.com/be), Hazerai
(http://www.myspace.com/lystraband)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Tiger Bear Wolf are a huge wound-up but still-sloppy Greensboro
rockband that lately sound like Lemmy sitting in with that overblown
but entertaining 90s Southern Rock band Raging Slab. I'm sitting here
trying to translate that sentence into English but I'm not sure it's
possible.

Colossus are from Raleigh & they are Metal of the "good" variety.



Thursday, July 20
The Vints (http://thevints.us/), Shotgun Romance
(http://www.myspace.com/shotgunromanceband)
Kings, Raleigh



Thursday, July 20
John Howie, Michael Rank
(http://www.sleazegrinder.com/teensleazehanoi.htm), Calico Haunts
(http://www.myspace.com/calicohaunts)
Fuse, Chapel Hill

John Howie, Jr, has for many years fronted the $2 Pistols; before that
he played drums for that great 90s Raleigh Rock band Finger. Nowadays
he also drums for Snatches of Pink, the band Michael Rank has been
Mick/Keith/JohnnyThunders-ing in for the past 20+ years.

Howie's playing solo; Rank will be joined by current Snatches
guitarist Marc E. Smith. Calico Haunts is someone I don't know.



Friday, July 21
The Scene of the Crime Rovers
(http://www.myspace.com/sceneofthecrimerovers)
various downtown venues, Durham

Shannon Morrow used to play drums for the Bicentennial Quarters. (I
believe she's who I was talking about in this quote from that piece in
the Indy last week: "She was the best fucking drummer I've ever
seen.")

She lived in Chicago from 1999-2005 or so, during which time she
played in the Atavistic band Bride of No-No, did a lot of avant/improv
jazz drumming & study, and played on an
(http://www.4boxs.com/page.html) ] album of Stooges covers by a
trombone, tuba & drums group called the Ridiculous Trio (scroll down
midway on that linked page & you can download the whole album).

All of which was preparation, apparently, for her triumphant return to
Durham, where she wasted no time in founding the Scene of the Crime
Rovers, Durham's first avant-garde marching band. Here's a little
press release about their debut, tonight, at Durham's downtown Culture
Crawl:

The Scene of the Crime Rovers are Durham's very own brass and drum
avante marching ensemble. Established with the desire to take the
music to the streets, the SOC ROVERS are a rag-tag collective of
musicians who bring their interests in punk, new music, jazz, and free
improvisation to the ensemble.  For the July 21 Downtown Durham
Culture Crawl, the SOC ROVERS will perform works by composer Pauline
Oliveros, garage rockers The Stooges, and their own original
collaborations.

The march kicks off at 7pm in front of the Scrap Exchange, located at
548 Foster St., Durham, NC  27701.  Follow the band, or find them on
their route past the Bull City Arts Collaborative, the Durham Art
Guild, or Joe and Joe's Downtown.

Culture Crawl is a Downtown Durham monthly art, theatrical, and social
event - promoted and organized by volunteers. Artists of various types
of mediums will showcase their works at downtown galleries, theatrical
spaces, restaurants and nightclubs. All events are open to the public.
Information on the Culture Crawl is available at
(http://www.culturecrawl.com) ] http://www.culturecrawl.com.



Friday, July 21
Wolverines (http://www.wolverinesrock.com/), Toru Okada
(http://www.myspace.com/toruokada), Architects
(http://www.myspace.com/wearearchitects), Dialogues
(http://www.myspace.com/dialoguesharrisonburg), Screaming Females
(http://www.screamingfemales.com)
Chaz's Bull City Records, Durham



Friday, July 21
America's Next Top Models
(http://www.myspace.com/americasnexttopmodels), Beloved Binge
(http://www.myspace.com/belovedbinge)
Joe & Jo's, Durham

Anne Gomez (bass, sax, hotpants) of America's Next Top Models sent a
last-minute update about this show:

"Beloved Binge are a husband/wife guitar/drums duo who transplanted
themselves to Durham a few months ago from Seattle and who have fed me
many a soy white russian.  When they're not promoting vegan alcoholic
concoctions, they play herky-jerky Yoko-Ono-pop-punk with spurts of
Greek folk music.

America's Next Top Models are a trio of Durham malcontents (me, Joyce
Ventimiglia, and Evan Rowe) who wish George Bush to give them all neck
massages and who try to make up for their sloppy playing by wearing
distracting costumes."



Friday, July 21
The Cartridge Family (http://www.cartridge-family.com/), On Three
(http://www.myspace.com/ericonthree)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

On Three is the new-ish project of ex-Fake Swedish guitarist Eric
Haugen. The Cartridge Family are a boozy bar-rock band from Raleigh.
Their first album, "Here Come the Rock Stars," has flashes of
brilliance, and does a remarkable job of integrating the various
bandmembers' simultaneous loves of "Blonde on Blonde" and the New York
Dolls.



Friday, July 21
Proof (http://www.prooftheband.org), Eyes to Space
(http://www.eyestospace.net/), Heads on Sticks
(http://www.thisisstrange.org/), DMVB (http://www.myspace.com/dmvb)
Kings, Raleigh

Proof are a Raleigh trio; they formed from the ex-rhythm section of
the Slinty 90s Chapel Hill band Cole, plus Goner bassist Greg Eyman.
They can be Slinty at moments as well, but the vocals are sung more
passionately and the songs are elastic in a different way.

DMVB is a bunch of folks from other Raleigh bands whose names I don't
necessarily know; I *do* know that at last year's Kings Cover-Up they
wore fake moustaches and covered obscure children's TV show themes.

Heads on Sticks is the solo side-project of Strange frontman David
Mueller.



Friday, July 21
Honored Guests (http://www.thehonoredguests.com/), Little Light
(http://www.myspace.com/littlelight), Dirty5thirty
(http://www.myspace.com/dirty5thirty), The Cheap Seats
(http://www.cheapseatsrock.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Saturday, July 22
Eight Eyes, Twilighter (http://www.twilighterband.com/)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Eight Eyes is the early set; Twilighter is the late set. Eight Eyes
(which is the popmusic project of Durham music teacher Brad Newell)
put out an album a few years ago which, in addition to some fine
quirky pop, contained a gripping, ominous-sounding cover of "Livin' La
Vida Loca" that really got to the paranoid heart of the song.



Saturday, July 22
North Elementary (http://www.northelementary.com), Hotel Lights
(http://www.hotellights.net/), Jennifer O'Connor
(http://www.jenniferoconnor.net/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Hotel Lights is a pop band fronted by ex-Ben Folds drummer Darren
Jessee. Their debut album was recently re-released by Bar None, and
it's so full of interesting textures and brilliantly sad popsongs that
I keep waiting to read about them in the Mainstream Media. Or, shit,
hear them on NPR.



Saturday, July 22
The Bleeding Hearts (http://www.thebleedinghearts.net/home.html)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Sunday, July 23
Functional Blackouts (http://www.myspace.com/FUNCTIONALBLACKOUTS),
Sneaky Pinks (http://www.myspace.com/sneakypinks), Dry Heathens
(http://www.myspace.com/dryheathens)
Chaz's Bull City Records, Durham

Functional Blackouts and Sneaky Pinks are both spazz-core from
elsewhere (Chicago & Tucson, I'm told). Dry Heathens seem more
straightup indie-rock, and they're from right here, which for all I
know may be the only place left to get straightup indie-rock.



Sunday, July 23
Danava (http://www.myspace.com/danava), Snow Foxxes
(http://www.myspace.com/snowfoxxes)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Sunday, July 23
White Rook (http://www.myspace.com/whiterookband), Crossingpoint
(http://www.crossingpoint.co.za/)
Reservoir, Carrboro

White Rook are a new local band with Eddie from Fin Fang Foom on drums
(which pretty much makes him unstoppable, as he's already the master
of the bass, the piano & the flute). Crossingpoint are a hardcore band
from South Africa; this is the last week of their US tour. Show up
early & find out just exactly what the fuck they think of us now.



Monday, July 24
Handsome Family (http://www.handsomefamily.com), Curt Kirkwood
(http://www.curtkirkwood.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Curt Kirkwood is the saner of the two Kirkwood brothers who founded
the Meat Puppets way back in the 80s and changed the face of modern
drug use & guitar playing. He was quite the guitar hero back in the
day, but I don't know what his solo persona is about.

Handsome Family are Brett and Rennie Sparks, who mobilize vast
quantities of obsessive laptop-recording technology to make weird
ancient-sounding music, about which Greil Marcus said "Words that in
their everyday surrealism have no parallel in contemporary
writing...Music that mines the deep veins of fatalism in the
Appalachian voice."



Monday, July 24
World Inferno Friendship Society (http://www.worldinferno.com/),
Summer Sorcerer
Reservoir, Carrboro

World Inferno Friendship Society are a ~ 9-piece soul band with a full
horn section, but since they're a buncha [ex-]punks, they wanna
complicate matters by tossing around terms like "cabaret" and
"orchestra" and writing songs about anarchy, or at least anarchists. I
dunno. If you saw the Hold Steady this past tour, you probably
remember the piano player, Franz, who had the waxed handlebar
moustache & seemed to play the same arpeggiated solo in the bridge of
every song; he's in WIFS.

I'm told the Summer Sorcerer involves Dave Laney (ex-Griver,
Milemarker, Challenger) as well as member/s of Kerbloki and/or Fin
Fang Foom.



Tuesday, July 25
Jaguaro (http://www.myspace.com/jaguaro), Chamomile
(http://www.myspace.com/chamomile), Joe Jitsu
(http://www.myspace.com/joejitsu)
Chaz's Bull City Records, Durham

I hope it isn't any Great Secret I'm revealing when I say that the
word 'round town is that Jaguaro drummer Maria Brubeck is fixing to
pack it up & move up to Stooges Country (this is what happens when a
young woman learns to play the drums by covering "I Wanna Be Your
Dog"), so you'd best take in as much of the mighty Jaguaro as you
possibly can, while the taking's good.



Tuesday, July 25
Vibrant Green (http://vibrantgreen.iuma.com), The Annuals
(http://www.myspace.com/annuals), Future Islands
(http://www.myspace.com/futureislands)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Annuals are from Raleigh, and they're one of those under-the-radar
bands who get signed to a non-local label (in their case Ace-Fu, home
of the great Man Man) without first getting a lot of press/attention
at home. The couple of songs I've heard betray a certain level of
Arcade Fire influence, but I've managed to avoid Arcade Fire
overexposure by severely limiting my trips to local coffeeshops, so
I'm OK with that.

Vibrant Green have been around for quite awhile (well, in their
original form they were the three Tunnell brothers, so they'd been
around since the youngest, Johnny I guess, was born). 2/3ds of the
Tunnells are heading out to See America with their other band, the
Never, so I believe eldest brother Stephen will have a non-sibling
rhythm section.

Future Islands emerged from the ashes of the
collapsed-under-weight-of-backstory Art Lord and The Self Portraits.
Similar low-fi Casio dance-party vibe, just less memorization of
narrative.



Tuesday, July 25
The Meek (http://www.myspace.com/themeekusa)
Reservoir, Carrboro

The Meek contain at least one ex-member of Blind Melon (as well as Stu
Cole, who has done time in all sorts of local bands, including Chicken
Wire Gang & the Nut Zippers), and like Blind Melon somewhat
legendarily did back in the 90s, they're fixing to finish a three-week
residency at the Reservoir (and about to commence one at the Cave,
apparently).



Wednesday, July 26
Red Collar (http://www.myspace.com/redcollarmusic), Terset
(http://www.tersetband.com/), Anaturale
(http://www.myspace.com/anaturale)
Kings, Raleigh

Early show (8:00-ish, maybe?) featuring all-woman punk/postpunk from
Brooklyn (Terset) plus queer/tranny hip-hop from Chapel Hill
(Anaturale) plus Fugazi-influenced workingman's rock from Durham (Red
Collar).



Thursday, July 27
Elevator Action (http://www.elevatoractionband.com/), The Ashley Crash
(http://www.myspace.com/theashleycrash), Johnny Fever and the Frantics
(http://www.myspace.com/jfandtf)
Marvell Building, Durham



Thursday, July 27
Bible of the Devil (http://myspace.com/bibleofthedevil), Viper
(http://myspace.com/viper), Valkyrie (http://myspace.com/valkyrie)
Kings, Raleigh

The photo on Bible of the Devil's MySpace page showed a buncha dudes
in sleeveless denim jackets playing Flying V's, and if that's not
Metal, I'm fucked if I know what is.



Thursday, July 27
Alvarez Painting (http://www.trekkyrecords.com/alva/index.html), Red
Collar (http://www.myspace.com/redcollarmusic), Grasshopper
(http://www.ahhgrasshopper.com/)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Grasshopper make good old-fashioned indie-rock; the song I heard
seemed to involve spite, or loathing, but in a melodic kind of way.
Like I said, good ol' indie-rock.

Alvarez Painting is what you get when a bunch of kids who were born in
the late 80s grow up in the shadow of the Chapel Hill music scene.
Duelling guitars, off-kilter song structures, and a sort of intensely
warbly vocal style that has actually become sort of a Trekky Records
trademark (see also: Mortar and Pestle, Vibrant Green).



Friday, July 28
Black Heart Procession (http://www.southern.net/southern/band/BHP00/),
Devics (http://www.devics.com/), Castanets
(http://www.asthmatickitty.com/musicians.php?artistID=2)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Friday, July 28
The Midnight Gladness Band, Dry Heathens
(http://www.myspace.com/dryheathens)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Both these bands are on the new 307 Knox Records "Certified Diskette"
compilation which is (a) free, (b) 2 CDs, and (c) pretty damn good, so
you should either hit yr local record store & look for it, or go to
the show & hit up the bands.

In the nearly-indecipherable notes I took while listening to the comp,
I tagged Dry Heathens "twangy pissed-off indie-rock," while Midnight
Gladness got off with "Monday Nites at the Black Lodge." I really
gotta track down a decent copy of the Twin Peaks pilot episode.



Friday, July 28
The Nein (http://www.thenein.com/), DJs Mothersbrothers, Mowing Lawns
(http://www.dyss.net/mlawns.html)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

This show marks the triumphant return of one Mr. Finn Cohen,
singer/guitarist for the Nein and bona-fide World Traveler, who
recently returned from some kind of bizarre summer-study program in
Russia which involved lots of drinking, late nights, and interviewing
random Russians about, yes, Satan.

I keep waiting to get to see the full-band version of Mowing Lawns,
but the version I keep seeing is the Todd-and-Mike alone with acoustic
guitars, so while I can tell you about that (remind me of Rubeo, lots
of intricate plucking, did a truly badass Urinals cover with Crowmeat
Bob), I can't tell you anything about the other (nor, for that matter,
about which version you're getting this night anyway).



Friday, July 28
Colossus (http://www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou), Space Age
Polymers (http://www.sapcoonline.com/), Uncomfortable
(http://www.myspace.com/uncomfortablenoise)
Kings, Raleigh



Friday, July 28
Husky (http://www.huskyrock.com), Imogene (http://www.imogene.info)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Husky come from that fertile Charlotte instrumental space-rock scene
(yes, that's the first time anybody's ever used *that* phrase in
print). Or, rather, either they're part of the Pyramid posse, or there
might actually *be* a fertile Charlotte instrumental space-rock scene,
because they're making big wide-open-vista rock with lots of
Vibrolux.



Saturday, July 29
The Sibling Project (http://www.thesiblingproject.com/), The Tattle
Tales (http://www.thetattletales.com/), The Vents
(http://www.myspace.com/thevents), Down in the Dumps
(http://www.myspace.com/downinthedumps)
Chaz's Bull City Records, Durham



Saturday, July 29
Chicago Afrobeat Project (http://chicagoafrobeatproject.com/ ), Global
Repercussions (http://www.globalrepercussions.com/)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro



Saturday, July 29
Gray Young (http://www.myspace.com/grayyoung), Invasion
(http://www.myspace.com/invasionmusic), Alias Smith & Jones
Kings, Raleigh

Our man Chris Toenes, writing in the Independent Weekly, had
(http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A31224) this to
say about Invasion:

"Invasion is a nascent band, just formed in March, that trespasses
into more recently familiar territory for Triangle musicians--the
drone-wash of guitar-only noise-play. Joe Mazzatelli, 18, just
graduated from Chapel Hill High last year and formed the band with
Eugene, Ore. transplant Riley Miller."



Saturday, July 29
American Aquarium (http://www.americanaquarium.com/), Pawnshop Ruby
(http://www.pawnshopruby.com/), Maxwell/Mosher
(http://www.maxwellmosher.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Saturday, July 29
Bibis Ellison (http://www.myspace.com/bibisellison), Tigersaw
(http://www.tigersaw.com), Annie Palmer
(http://www.myspace.com/anniepalmermusic)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill



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