RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Friday, September 29
Hackensaw Boys    (http://www.hackensawboys.com)
Death and Taxes    (http://www.deathandtaxesrva.com/)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro

Indie-country from Virginia, notable ('round here) in particular for
the fact that Death & Taxes' primary songwriter is Kathy Poindexter,
yes *that* Kathy Poindexter (ex-Picasso Trigger, ex-Bucks DeLuxe, now
living in Richmond). Don't expect a kick in the teeth, at least not a
literal one; the songs are country, of the slow, tragic & weepy
variety.



Friday, September 29
Dexter Romweber    (http://www.dexterromweber.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This show begins with a screening of the Dexter Romweber/Flat Duo Jets
documentary "Two-Headed Cow," after which the Dexter Romweber Duo will
take the stage (hopefully to play more than the 2-3 songs they played
at the movie's premiere in Durham at Full Frame last spring). Although
Dexter is perturbed about some aspects of the movie (*and* about
people who ask stupid questions during post-movie Q&A, so be smart,
people), it's nevertheless an excellent portrait of Dex's unique brand
of tortured genius.



Friday, September 29
Joe Swank and the Zen Pirates
   (http://www.myspace.com/joeswankandthezenpirates)
The Last Picture Show
   (http://www.myspace.com/lastpictureshow)
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Friday, September 29
Sweater Weather    (http://www.sweater-weather.com)
Gray Young    (http://www.myspace.com/grayyoung)
The Busy World
   (http://www.myspace.com/thebusyworld)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Some (mebbe all) of these bands are part of a UNC posse that's out to
prove that UNC undergrads *do* give a shit about music, local music in
particular, so you can support that excellent project *and* get a
sneak preview of what the rest of us may be yakking about 9 months
from now, just by hitting this show.



Friday, September 29
American Aquarium
   (http://www.americanaquarium.com/)
Shannon O'Connor    (http://shannonoconnor.com/)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh



Saturday, September 30
Midtown Dickens
   (http://www.myspace.com/midtowndickens)
Dirty Little Heaters
   (http://www.thedirtylittleheaters.com)
Natasha    (http://www.myspace.com/natashatheband)
The Moaners    (http://www.themoaners.com/)
Joe & Jo's, Durham

This is a post-party after the big NC Pride show/celebration. Moaners
are Melissa Swingle & Laura King playing dirty swampy gtr/drums
blues-rock. Midtown Dickens were profiled recently in the
(http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A37148) Indy;
their goofball folk half-conceals a pair of big hearts fully willing
to lay themselves bare. Plus that mix of accordion & banjo just
rules.

Natasha are super-fun post-LeTigre DIY synth-pop-punk-funk partymusic.
Dirty Little Heaters are a ferocious gtr/drums duo.



Saturday, September 30
The Nein    (http://www.thenein.com/)
L in Japanese
   (http://www.myspace.com/linjapanesemusic)
Crash    (http://www.myspace.com/crashkills)
Social Memory Complex
   (http://www.myspace.com/socialmemorycomplex)
des_ark    (http://www.des-ark.org)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

des_ark you know about; it's been a year or so since Tim left the
band, and while the volume may have changed, not much else did (not
the brilliant songwriting, nor the slack work ethic).

The Nein have a new bass player & some new songs, which I've only
heard through the wall of their practice space, so I shouldn't comment
on how "emo" one of them sounded.

L in Japanese, Crash, and Social Memory Complex are all members of the
Common Ground hip-hop collective.



Saturday, September 30
Eugene Chadbourne
   (http://www.eugenechadbourne.com/)
Jew(s) & Catholic(s)
The Garage, Winston-Salem



Saturday, September 30
The Strugglers    (http://www.thestrugglers.org/)
Filthybird    (http://www.myspace.com/filthybird)
Vireo    (http://www.myspace.com/vireoband)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro

The Flying Anvil is the new club in Greensboro that seems dead-set on
breaking the Greensboro Rockclub Curse once & for all. Maybe once
they've done that they can get to work on Durham's, since it's struck
twice of late (Chaz's floor broke, and then I heard a rumor that Broad
Street Cafe had a FREAKOUT and decided to close at 7:00 every night,
thus quashing the shows that were just beginning to be booked there).

Strugglers you know, and oughta love. Filthybird have airy/freaky
female vox that'll either remind you of Joni Mitchell or Joanna
Newsom, or any other singer who simultaneously grates & entrances. I
love 'em but I'm not allowed to play 'em around the house, if you know
what I mean.



Saturday, September 30
Phon
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh

This is a CD-release party for the ambient pedal-pushing dronemakers
of Phon.



Sunday, October 1
Chuck Johnson
The Hundredaires
The Rosebuds    (http://www.therosebuds.com/)
Victory Factory
Ashley Stove    (http://www.ashleystove.com)
Orange County Social Club, Carrboro

This show was postponed from 9/24 due to impending thunderstorm doom &
stuff. It's part of the monthlong celebration of the 5th Anniversary
of Orange County Social Club. The big newses of this show are the
Ashley Stove reunion, natch, but also the debuts of Victory Factory
(Ron Liberti, Joe Romeo, Rock Forbes, I heard Dave IT as well) and the
Hundredaires (new band of Adam Price, ex-Mayflies USA). The show
starts at around 4:00 p.m. with Chuck Johnson, Phil Blank & Friends,
and then goes Victory Factory, Stove, Hundredaires, Rosebuds.



Sunday, October 1
Tennis and the Mennonites
   (http://www.tennisandthemennonites.com)
WXDU 88.7 FM, Durham

Tennis and the Mennonites are finally on the verge of releasing their
debut full-length, so they should come primed & ready & loaded for
bear, or whatever it is people say in Alabama, homestate of frontman
Jerstin Crosby. He's got a Jonathan Richman hiccup and is utterly
unafraid to include a selection of "la's" in any song he writes,
wherever they may be needed. And those pants!*

5:00 p.m. 88.7 FM or  wxdu.org.

*Pants will not be visible on the radio.



Monday, October 2
French Kicks    (http://www.frenchkicks.com/)
The Little Ones
   (http://www.wearethelittleones.com/)
Honored Guests    (http://www.thehonoredguests.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Monday, October 2
Ex-Models    (http://www.exmodels.org/)
Razorsnakes
Kings, Raleigh

This is listed as happening after "WKNC Forum Night" and I'm hoping
someone will email to let me know what that is, because I wanna see Ex
Models but I have limited stamina and/or patience on a Monday night.

Ex Models are part of that class of post-whatever Brooklyn bands (Yeah
Yeah Yeahs, Seconds, Liars, Les Savy Fav, Oneida) who managed to
briefly push grating noisy postpunk onto the popular radar a few years
ago.

Of those, nobody grated more abrasively (or catchily) than Ex Models.
Nowadays they're touring as a four-piece (2 gtrs, 2 drums). I saw them
a couple of years ago as a trio & it was more like an extended barrage
of shrill staccato noise than an actual rockshow, and I adored every
second of it. I can only imagine this'll be even better, particularly
given that one of those drummers is Kid Millions of Oneida.



Tuesday, October 3
Ratatat    (http://www.ratatatmusic.com/)
Envelopes    (http://www.envelopes.se/)
Panther    (http://www.jyrk.com/panther/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Wednesday, October 4
Elf Power    (http://www.elfpower.com/)
The M Coast    (http://www.marshmallowcoast.com/)
Health    (http://www.myspace.com/healthyportions)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro

Elf Power & The M Coast are both AthensGA/Elephant Six type psych-pop
bands. Health are a side-project of Jonathan from Tiger Bear Wolf;
they're stripped-down & country-rockish, I guess, and lately I love
'em even more than I love Tiger Bear Wolf, which was already kinda
excessive.



Thursday, October 5
Regina Hexaphone    (http://www.reginahexaphone.com)
American Aquarium
   (http://www.americanaquarium.com/)
Raleigh Music Hall, Raleigh



Thursday, October 5
Smog    (http://www.dragcity.com/bands/smog.html)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Thursday, October 5
The Sammies (http://www.myspace.com/thesammies)
Elevator Action (http://www.elevatoractionband.com/)
The Talk (http://www.the-talk.com)
Kings, Raleigh

The MoRisen Records tour comes to Raleigh. These 3 Charlotte-area
bands are the mainstays of that city's MoRisen Records, which (like so
many other people/thinks in the Queen City) has aspirations to true
giantness. They're workin' on it, and if believing it is half the
battle, then, well, they're halfway there.

The Sammies' debut CD from earlier this year is a wild mishmash of
influences--I hear equal parts southern redneck-rock and The Cult
(both Love-era and Electric-era), along with a smattering of Cure,
Talking Heads, and even a dash of the Contortions. I have no idea how
that translates live.



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