RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Thursday, October 26
Dry Heathens    (http://www.myspace.com/dryheathens)
The South French Broads    (http://www.thesouthfrenchbroads.com)
Pill Shovel    (http://www.myspace.com/helloimstoned)
Marvell Building, Durham

Dry Heathens are classic Triangle-style bitter indie-rock. The South 
French Broads are an, um, "eclectic" duo from Asheville--spazzo 
drums/sax/noise rantyness, but in more of a Maynard G. Krebs mode, as 
opposed to an Anne Gomez one. Pill Shovel are from Durham & apparently 
take drugs.



Thursday, October 26
Oakley Hall    (http://www.oakleyhall.net/)
Birds of Avalon    (http://www.myspace.com/birdsofavalon)
Heads on Sticks    (http://www.thisisstrange.org/)
Kings, Raleigh

This is Night One of Hatchetfest, the annual rockfest thrown by the fine 
people at the free monthly mag the Raleigh Hatchet. Oakley Hall we just 
discussed (Brooklyn, Neil Young, etc). Birds of Avalon are a Raleigh 
supergroup of ex-members of Cherry Valence and the Weather, and that's 
pretty much what they sound like: Mods & Rockers, united. Heads on 
Sticks is the solo project of Strange's Dave Mueller.



Thursday, October 26
Mustang
Blackstrap    (http://blackstrap.org)
The Gondoliers    (http://www.myspace.com/comeseethegondoliers)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

This is night one of Blackbeard's Lost Weekend, the annual garage-rock 
blowout hosted at the Cave by the [now ex-]members of the Spinns. 
Speaking of ex-Spinns, Gondoliers include some of them, plus some 
ex-Young Ideas. Blackstrap are from Durham, and lately it seems like 
every time I list a show for 'em, they wind up cancelling, so we'll see. 
Mustang I dunno (go ahead, *you* try Googling Mustang & lemme know what 
you get).



Friday, October 27
Tilly and the Wall    (http://www.tillyandthewall.com)
Pony Up    (http://www.ponyup.ca/)
Bowerbirds    (http://www.myspace.com/bowerbirds)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

I dunno these other two bands (are they Canadian? perhaps) but 
Bowerbirds (formed from the ashes of the great Raleigh band Ticonderoga) 
are worth trekking from all corners of the Triangle to see, regardless 
of who else is on the bill.



Friday, October 27
The Port Huron Statement    (http://www.porthuronstatement.com/)
Brite Boy
Transportation    (http://www.myspace.com/transportation)
Dan Bryk    (http://www.bryk.com/)
Kings, Raleigh

This is Night Two of Hatchetfest, put together by / in honor of the free 
monthly rock/arts/drinking magazine the Raleigh Hatchet. Tonight appears 
to be Pop Night; Port Huron Statement come from an early-Bowie/glam-pop 
angle, albeit sans platforms & glitter. Dan Bryk is a transplanted 
Canadian who makes Beatlesy piano-driven pop that'd sit quite nicely on 
yr [Dad's] iPod between the Michael Penn & the Aimee Mann. He has a 
fouler mouth than either of those, though.

Transportation are from Chapel Hill (well, they all moved down here en 
masse from Amherst, MA, but that was eons ago, maybe even back in the 
'90s, so they're from Chapel Hill now, by god), and they're fluent in 
various 70s pop idioms from Queen to Wings to Billy Joel.



Friday, October 27
Oakley Hall    (http://www.oakleyhall.net/)
The Lowlands    (http://www.myspace.com/thelowlands1)
I'll Think About It    (http://www.myspace.com/illthinkaboutit)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro



Friday, October 27
Recess    (http://www.dyss.net/nightlight/)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight is the monthly[ish] local experimental musical roundtable 
thingy curated by Robert Biggers (the Nein, Audubon Park). Here's his 
quick blurb about this one:

"Company Night" featuring Dave Cantwell, Carrie Shull, Crowmeat Bob, 
Drew Richardson, Joshua Willis, Marc Faris, Ryan Martin, Chuck Johnson, 
and myself. In which new combinations will casually take the stage and 
see what happens. 10:00pm sharp. $5.



Friday, October 27
Dirty Little Heaters    (http://www.thedirtylittleheaters.com)
The Lobsters    (http://www.myspace.com/thelobsters)
Thee Crucials    (http://www.theecrucials.com/)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

This is Night Two of the annual Blackbeard's Lost Weekend garage-rock 
mini-fest (any fest happening at The Cave has gotta be compact, just to 
fit through the door). This is the LAST SHOW EVER for the Dirty Little 
Heaters, and I don't think I need to provide any other reason for you to 
attend. See it, or I suppose you'll never know what you missed.



Friday, October 27
Unknown Hinson    (http://www.unknownhinson.com/)
The Crimson Spectre    (http://www.slavemagazine.com/crimsonspectre/)
The Tremors    (http://www.tremorsrockabilly.com/)
Walking Dead    (http://www.myspace.com/wearewalkingdead)
Greene Street, Greensboro

What does it mean that the folks at Greene Street were so readily able 
to come up with 4 NC bands working the ghoul/zombie theme *year round*? 
Are other states so richly endowed with ghoulish rockers?

This is billed as Punk vs. Rockabilly, with Crimson Spectre & Walking 
Dead on the side of the former, and the Tremors & Unknown Hinson on the 
latter. Of the four, my money's on the Crimson Spectre, who may dress 
like ghouls, but are really a top-notch socialist / communist / populist 
/ pro-union / pro-worker hardcore band.



Friday, October 27
Stone Fox
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh

Stone Fox is Johnny Dzubak (Leadfoot) plus half of the defunct Chapel 
Hill band Fake Swedish.



Friday, October 27
Totimoshi    (http://www.totimoshi.com/)
Throttlerod    (http://www.throttlerod.net)
Caltrop    (http://www.myspace.com/caltropband)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Caltrop are an utterly huge, absurdly heavy rockband featuring 
ex-members of El Sucio, Continent & the Ladderback.



Saturday, October 28
Tres Chicas    (http://www.treschicas.org/)
Alejandro Escovedo    (http://www.alejandroescovedo.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Saturday, October 28
The Strugglers    (http://www.thestrugglers.org/)
The Mattoid    (http://www.antifolk.net/artists/themattoid/)
Instruments    (http://www.orangetwin.com/)
The New Sound of Numbers    (http://www.thenewsoundofnumbers.com/)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

I've reached the limits of my hyperbole when it comes to the Strugglers; 
no matter how overblown my descriptions of their sometimes-hushed, 
sometimes majestic country/folk/rock, they manage to outperform my 
guarantees every time they take the stage.



Saturday, October 28
Black Mona Lisas    (http://www.myspace.com/theblackmonalisas)
Coffin Bound
The Young Sinclairs    (http://www.myspace.com/theyoungsinclairs)
Dexter Romweber    (http://www.dexterromweber.com)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Night Three of Blackbeard's Lost Weekend, the annual garage-rock fest 
hosted at the Cave by the [ex-]members of the Spinns.



Saturday, October 28
Death of the Sun
The Hundredaires
Stone Fox
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Stone Fox includes Local 506 bartender Johnny Dzubak (Leadfoot) plus 
half of Fake Swedish. The Hundredaires (or Hundred Air, or Aire, or 
Airs) are the new band of Adam Price (ex-Mayflies USA). Death of the Sun 
includes Kuki Kooks (North Elementary, Fashion Design) and Eric Wallen 
(My Dear Ella).



Saturday, October 28
The Greatest Hits    (http://www.thegreatesthits.org/)
Noncanon    (http://www.myspace.com/noncanon)
The Tiny Meteors    (http://www.myspace.com/thetinymeteors)
Alphas Wear Grey    (http://www.alphasweargrey.com/)
Kings, Raleigh

Night Three of the Hatchetfest, a party for/by the Raleigh Hatchet, a 
free monthly chronicling the Capital City's music, art, and boozing 
options. Tonight's kind of a catchall, from the Raleigh Rock of the 
Greatest Hits & the stripped avant-blues/drone of Noncanon, to the 
experimental electronic pop of Alphas Wear Grey. Tiny Meteors are the 
wildcard; they're a triad supergroup featuring Joe Garrigan (Urinal, 
Taija Rae), Chris Clodfelter (Geezer Lake), Kemp Stroble (Malabaster, 
All Astronauts), and Mark Wingfield (Health).



Saturday, October 28
Robo Sapien    (http://www.gorobosapien.com/)
Glass Witch    (http://www.myspace.com/glasswitch)
Femme Covert    (http://www.femmecovert.filcoproductions.com/)
DJ Admit It
DJs Mothersbrothers
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight sez:

FREQUENC RECORDS NIGHT!! HALLOWEEN PARTY!!! w / Robosapien, Glass 
Witch**, Femme Covert**, PLUS DJs Mothersbrothers , DJ Admit It. Monthly 
party thrown by our homegrown squad of county line beat guerillas with a 
spooky holiday twist. Wear a costume and get in FREE! Robosapien are #1 
party band in the triangle, IMHO - insanely catchy jams and tons of 
charisma -Glass Witch bring an eerie vibe with shambling electronics and 
mild goth affectation - I haven't seen F.C. yet but they will probably 
bring th kids. Your usual NL DJs offer you an opportunity in 
transcendental dance - You know how good these nights get ... 10ish PM / 
3$ or FREE with a costume!



Sunday, October 29
Apis Bull    (http://www.apisbull.com/)
WXDU 88.7 FM, Durham

Apis Bull are a gtr/drums duo from New Bern; near as I can tell, they've 
got the drummer from that insanely technocratic math/instrumetal band 
the Kickass. The songs I've heard are ultra-tight & mathy & pleasantly 
bizarro, but I haven't heard enough of 'em to tell where they'd fit on a 
plane containing Calabi Yau, Ahleuchatistas, and Orthrelm. They'd be 
onnit somewhere, though.

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



Sunday, October 29
Thunderbirds Are Now!
Plastic Constellations    (http://www.theplasticconstellations.com/)
Rescue 
(http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4063913)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

IIRC, Plastic Constellations opened for the Hold Steady on their tour 
last year, and actually managed to wring an enthusiastic response from a 
sort of quintessentially headliner-focussed crowd.



Monday, October 30
Tapes'N'Tapes    (http://www.tapesntapes.com/)
Annuals    (http://www.myspace.com/annuals)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Annuals are from Raleigh; a bunch of 'em went to Enloe, and after 
knocking around in highschooly emo/pop-punk type bands, they've moved on 
to this sort of ecstatic neo-psych large-group indierock that reminds 
the internet rockcrits of Arcade Fire, Animal Collective & Broken Social 
Scene, and reminds me in spots (in addition to those aforementioned 
bands, whose influences *are* clearly audible, especially on the big hit 
single "Brother") of Prince, Pink Floyd, and Steve Miller.

Whatever it is, it was enough to attract the attention of Ace Fu 
Records, who just released the first Annuals full-length.

Only thing I know about Tapes'N'Tapes is their cameo in that video about 
the mobbed-up indie-rock promoter.



Monday, October 30
Wooden Wand    (http://www.woodenwand.net/ )
Zodiac Mountain    (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davenport_(band))
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight says:

Well, well a huge show. Wooden Wand three-piece and Zodiac Mountain, 
ex-Davenport now Zodiac Mountain (solo Clay Ruby). For shame on those 
who stay on couch to watch reality TV. Huzzah for those who leave the 
house to come for free folk/post-country wyrd America revolution. Become 
hypnotized by the new adventures of the stringed instrument world and 
the thought-provoking lyrical stylee of our brightest artists. A little 
background - last time Wooden Wand came to town, it was as Wooden Wand 
solo at Duke Coffehouse. This time it is a song-based trio, not like the 
Vanishing Voice WW of XIAO and other releases under that name. Wooden 
Wand will be joined by Satya Sai and Clay Ruby. Zodiac Mountain has 
emerged from Davenport, which was organized and fostered by Clay Ruby. 
what was the Davenport Family Band, a loose collective making free form 
compositions of roiling feel, is now Zodiac Mountain, which might be 
Clay and Wand, or some other person not yet named. Nightlight is looking 
for one more enterprising local to round out the pita - think you're 
part of "new weird america" or some shit like that? Give us an email at 
nightlightbooking at gmail dot comsucka. CONFIRMAZOIDED! 10 PM $6



Tuesday, October 31
Dexter Romweber and the New Romans 
(http://www.myspace.com/dexterromweber)
Garmonbozia
Evil Wiener    (http://www.evilwienerworld.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Everybody knows nothing really gets rolling on Franklin Street until 
after midnight, so you've got plenty of time to hit Local 506 and check 
out this strange & wonderful triple-bill. Evil Weiner are a gimme; they 
put out a Halloween EP last year, for chrissake, and are the 
acknowledged masters/patron musical saints of any & all holidays in 
Chapel Hill.

Garmonbozia are a Durham supergroup (members of Malt Swagger, Dom 
Casual, I dunno who else), covering the music of Angelo Badalamenti 
(Twin Peaks, OK, get it?)

The New Romans are Dexter Romweber's big band (multiple guitars, 2 
drummers, keys, a horn section) and though I do love Dex's classic 
stripped-down duo setup, I gotta say the New Romans are my favorite way 
to see Dex play. They crackle.



Wednesday, November 1
Danielle Howle
Regina Hexaphone    (http://www.reginahexaphone.com)
Raleigh Music Hall, Raleigh



Wednesday, November 1
Natasha    (http://www.myspace.com/natashatheband)
Soccer Team
Antelope    (http://www.ant3lop3.com)
Reservoir, Carrboro

Natasha are the local all-lady synth-punk-danceparty band, 
Le-Tigre-style. Antelope are on Dischord.



Wednesday, November 1
Modern Machines    (http://www.myspace.com/modernmachines)
Pink Razors    (http://www.myspace.com/pinkrazors)
Crossed Eyes    (http://www.myspace.com/chriscarraway)
The Ringers
Kings, Raleigh



Thursday, November 2
Black Elk    (http://www.blackelk.net/)
Chest Pains    (http://www.myspace.com/thechestpains)
Dark Horse    (http://cdbaby.com/cd/darkhorsemusic)
Kings, Raleigh



Thursday, November 2
Kylesa    (http://www.kylesa.com/)
Idea of Beauty    (http://ideaofbeauty.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, November 3
Vialka    (http://vialka.com/)
Double Muslims    (http://www.doublemuslims.com/)
The Werehouse, Winston-Salem



Friday, November 3
Pulsar Triyo    (http://www.thepulsartriyo.com/)
Sweater Weather    (http://www.sweater-weather.com)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

Pulsar Triyo are a trio of Duke students playing funky jazz a la MMW, I 
guess. Sweater Weather are at least partially UNC students; hopefully 
there won't be a rumble.



Friday, November 3
Colossus    (http://www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou)
Worn in Red    (http://www.myspace.com/worninred)
Hazerai    (http://www.bearsalive.com/hazerai)
Kings, Raleigh



Friday, November 3
Nathan Asher & the Infantry    (http://www.nathanasher.com/)
Bombadil    (http://www.bombadilmusic.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, November 3
The Cartridge Family    (http://www.cartridge-family.com/)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh

Sloppy-fun bar-rock from a Raleigh band who hold the Stones, NY Dolls, 
and "Blonde on Blonde"-era Dylan in equally high esteem, (but don't let 
that get in the way of their good time).



Friday, November 3
Simple    (http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomsimple)
Prabir and the Substitutes    (http://www.prabirandthesubstitutes.com/)
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Saturday, November 4
The Physics of Meaning    (http://www.thephysicsofmeaning.com/)
des_ark    (http://www.des-ark.org)
Hope for a Golden Summer    (http://www.hopeforagoldensummer.com/)
Auxiliary House    (http://www.trekkyrecords.com/auxhouse.html)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

This show is smack in the middle of a monthlong tour for des_ark and The 
Physics of Meaning, wherein Aimee will play guitar with TPOM, and TPOM 
will play everything they variously play as part of des_ark. I know you 
all love the 2006 version of des_ark, which involves Aimee, various 
stringed instruments, and a predictable amount of tuning (and not much 
else). But if you haven't seen her songs performed with a full band, you 
don't even know.



Saturday, November 4
Bellafea    (http://www.bellafea.com/)
Ume    (http://www.umemusic.com/urgentsea/index.php)
White Rook    (http://www.myspace.com/whiterookband)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Bellafea are Heather on guitar & singing, and Nathan on drums. And 
clogging . . . lots of clogging. White Rook are a newish Chapel Hill 
band with Eddie from Fin Fang Foom, but I haven't seen 'em & have no 
details beyond that.



Saturday, November 4
Graveyard Boulevard    (http://www.thegraveyardboulevard.net/)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



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