RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Things you need to know, before I get to the list:

1) Big art opening at Fuse on Sunday from 6-9, featuring art by local 
rockers. Big article in the Indy all about it: 
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A39854    _+_ 
http://www.myspace.com/minussoundresearch

2) Joanna Newsom is playing at a big institutional venue in Greensboro 
on Saturday the 18th. The show is being promoted by the Flying Anvil, 
and I'm told Chaz has tickets at his store.

The list:

Friday, November 10
Charalambides    (http://www.flash.net/~whother/artist.html)
Josephine Foster    (http://www.100songsising.com)
Chuck Johnson
Datahata
DJ One Duran
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight says (hey! I just got an email that said they're going 
NONSMOKING! fuckin'-A awesome!):

Charalambides features Christina Carter, who turned our heads back on 
Sunday Sept 17th, that fateful day. Christina Carter and Tom Carter 
explore a singular form of interplay amongst spiritual soul-lifting 
forms and formlessness through developed interplay and a respect for 
chance. Songs get worked for skeletal structures to include and then 
exclude the haunting vocalizations of Christina while the masterful 
guitarwork of Christina and Tom is laid bare between and amongst slight 
noises like bells and wind. A true treat for the Nightlight faithful. We 
also have Chuck Johnson, who is a local treasure, but I heard he's 
moving to NYC, so this might be one of your last chances to see Chuck so 
accessibly. Chuck has offered a "mystical drone set", which sounds very 
Middle-Earth to me. Elves, dwarves, and Chuck's masterful work at 
creating and sustaining subtly nuanced yet very pronounced musical 
passages using whatever he pleases, including but not limited to guitar, 
homemade electronic devices, and a mysterious suitcase. [. . .] After we 
relax and get unspooked from Chuck and Charalambides, a special 
appearance by former Chapel Hill resident/now ASHEVILLE party lover ZEKE 
GRAVES, who will be rolling down from Asheville to twiddle our 
dee-lite-alicious twizzler dispenser. One Duran spins your fucking hed 
off. Right round the turntable out comes thick deep beats and funky ass 
hip-hop glory. Markus Maerk - organized Signal Music Fest and now we get 
him for a night.



Friday, November 10
Maple Stave    (http://www.maplestave.com)
Red Collar    (http://www.myspace.com/redcollarmusic)
In the Year of the Pig    (http://www.southernloveprod.com/ityotp.htm)
Joe & Jo's, Durham

This is the beginning of the weekend-long celebration of Chaz's one-year 
anniversary as a music purveyor in Durham. It's also a Maple Stave 
CD-release party (finally!) for their EP Two. And of course you also get 
the Fugazi-influenced prole-rock of Red Collar, and the tiny-animal-hat 
wearing wall-of-throb noisejam that is In The Year of the Pig.



Friday, November 10
Erie Choir    (http://www.eriechoir.com)
Audubon Park    (http://audubonpark.blogspot.com)
Pleasant    (http://www.pleasantmusic.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This is a dual CD-release show for both Audubon Park & Erie Choir; 
perhaps more remarkably, both CDs are apparently full-lengths, rather 
than the EPs that both bands have made their names/reputations with over 
the past 2-3 years. Can either one sustain "the mood" for more than 4-5 
songs running? Show up, pay yr $10, and take home yr complimentary 
copies of both discs so as to find out.

In case that last paragraph wound up mis-construable: Erie Choir & 
Audubon Park are two of my favorite bands in the Triangle, and the 6 EPs 
(if you count Erie Choir's contribution to the 3x4 comp) they've 
released between them have been among my very favorite CDs of the past 
few years. They've managed to avoid giving me advance copies of the new 
discs, but even without having heard them I'll wager that a couple of 
slots on my year-end top-10 list will be filled tonight.



Friday, November 10
Weisstronauts    (http://www.weissy.com/weisstronauts/)
Killer Filler    (http://www.myspace.com/killerfiller)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

A double dose of instrumental garage/surf/whatever mayhem from Boston's 
Weisstronauts & locals Killer Filler.



Friday, November 10
Hearts and Daggers    (http://www.heartsanddaggers.com/ )
The Tripple Twins
The Della Rounds
Spader    (http://www.myspace.com/spadermusic)
Kings, Raleigh



Friday, November 10
The Bleeding Hearts    (http://www.thebleedinghearts.net/home.html)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Friday, November 10
Two Dollar Guitar 
(http://www.smellslikerecords.com/artists/tdg/index.html)
Reservoir, Carrboro



Saturday, November 11
Wigg Report    (http://www.synchronizedswim.org)
Beloved Binge    (http://www.myspace.com/belovedbinge)
Charles Latham    (http://www.myspace.com/sircharleslatham)
Chaz's Bull City Records, Durham

This is an all-afternoon extravaganza; in addition to the bands I've 
listed, Chaz is also promising solo sets by Sean Murphy & Jamie McLendon 
(both of Dom Casual), plus food & god knows what else, all as part of 
his 1st Anniversary party for himself and the shop.



Saturday, November 11
Richard Buckner    (http://www.richardbuckner.com/)
Two Dollar Guitar 
(http://www.smellslikerecords.com/artists/tdg/index.html)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro

This is an early (7:00 p.m. and they mean that) show. Richard Buckner 
has been making his sparse singer/songwriter music for 20-odd years; the 
last couple have been on Merge, and he's been getting more into creating 
ambient guitar soundscapes. I saw Two Dollar Guitar once, but it was 
from the street outside the Lizard and Snake, so really all I saw was 
the back of Steve Shelley's head.



Saturday, November 11
Across the Elementary    (http://www.myspace.com/acrosstheelementary)
Ingenue
European Ambulance
Above the Ground    (http://www.myspace.com/abovetheground)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight says this one is all acoustic & most/all solo, and it starts 
at 8:00 (you're encouraged to get a sammich, and I have to heartily 
concur with that).



Saturday, November 11
Gob Iron    (http://66.113.175.214/discs/index-gobiron.htm)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

Gob Iron is the name of the new collaboration between Jay Farrar (Uncle 
Tupelo, Son Volt) and Anders Parker (Varnaline, ex-Raleighite); it's all 
about revising/re-imagining the American folk songbook, or something.



Saturday, November 11
Natasha    (http://www.myspace.com/natashatheband)
Le Weekend    (http://www.myspace.com/mattwkalb)
Noncanon    (http://www.myspace.com/noncanon)
Torch Marauder's Grappling Hook 
(http://home.att.net/~sandydave/torchhome.html)
The Scene of the Crime Rovers 
(http://www.myspace.com/sceneofthecrimerovers)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

This is the annual WXDU Fall Benefit. Every year we (OK, well, mostly 
Herrick) struggle mightily to overcome the convoluted overbooked work 
schedules of the Triangle's musicians in order to bring you the freshest 
possible lineup of bands your friends will be asking you about 9 months 
from now. I'd give you a list of bands who've played previous benefits, 
but it'd be so long & so studded with the names of yr favorite bands 
that you'd probably collapse in tears for having missed 'em.

This year we've got Natasha, who formed 2 years ago at Carolina Friends 
School, played a handful of gigs, recorded and released a knockout CD of 
crazy low-fi Le Tigre-style synth party/punk jams, and promptly broke 
up. Later they realized the horrible error of their ways, and now 
they're devoted to rocking you into & out of pants, yours or someone else's.

Le Weekend is the brand new (as in, this is their first or maybe second 
gig, depending on who you ask) band of Matt Kalb, who plays guitar in 
Audubon Park & who sang & wrote half the songs in the late lamented 
Hotel Motel. He's got various local rock superstars backing him on this, 
so if sparks don't fly, it's probably not our fault.

Noncanon are a gtr/drums duo featuring Danny Vaughn (ex-Mothlight) and 
Rob Koegler (Cheap Heat). Danny sings and plays guitar that veers from 
blues to free jazz to Chrome shards and back again. Rob plays 
jazz-inflected drums with a light touch & a good ear for where Danny 
might be wandering.

Torch Marauder's Grappling Hook is the culmination of everything the 
Caped One has been working for all these years. He's traded in the TV 
sets for Evan Rowe (Maple Stave), Jenny Greer & Dave Heller (both 
ex-Analogue, Cheap Heat), and the consensus seems to be that all the 
scifi/fantasy subject matter is elevated from confusing/amusing dadaist 
prank to the level of genuine emotional resonance, however improbable 
that may seem.

As if that weren't enough, we've been promised a visit by Durham's own 
avant-garde marching band, the Scene of the Crime Rovers.



Saturday, November 11
Jimmy & The Teasers    (http://www.geocities.com/booze1031/teasers.html)
The Cogburns    (http://www.cogburns.com/)
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Saturday, November 11
The Heartless Bastards    (http://www.theheartlessbastards.com/)
Blag'ard    (http://www.blagard.com/)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill



Saturday, November 11
Detroit Cobras    (http://www.motorcityrocks.com/cobras.htm)
The King Khan & BBQ Show    (http://marksultan.com/kingkhanandbbqshow.html)
Taylor Hollingsworth    (http://taylorhollingsworth.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Sunday, November 12
Bowerbirds    (http://www.bowerbirds.org)
WXDU 88.7 FM, Durham

Bowerbirds are primarily Phil Moore (ex-Ticonderoga) and Beth Tacular; 
locally they're often joined by Mark Paulson (also ex-Ticonderoga) and 
Brad & Phil Cook (ex-DeYarmond Edison). I actually have no idea 
which/how many of those folks will be playing today, but I'm fairly 
confident it'll be magical regardless. Bowerbirds songs make an initial 
impression of fragility, 'til you realize they bend, but never break. 
Acoustic guitar, drum, accordion, maybe violin, trombone, whatever seems 
to fit. 5:00 p.m. 88.7 FM or wxdu.org.



Sunday, November 12
Les Georges Leningrad    (http://www.lesgeorgesleningrad.org/)
Future Islands    (http://www.myspace.com/futureislands)
Cantwell, Gomez, Jordan    (http://www.cantwellgomezandjordan.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

I saw Les Georges Leningrad once; were they the Montreal spazz/electro 
crusty punks whose singer/keyboardist appeared to be in perpetual fear 
of a wardrobe malfunction? Her apparent preoccupation with her 
decolletage kinda undercut their radical posturing, but it was a good 
time nevertheless.

Future Islands are a synth/dance pop weirdness band from downstate; they 
used to exist in another dimension as Art Lord & the Self Portraits.

Cantwell Gomez & Jordan deserve a better introduction than I can give 
them; they're one of those bands who can recharge yr "seen it all & 
anyway too tired to leave the house" batteries over & over & over again, 
assuming you get a charge out of seeing three people play crazy 
fucked-up music because they love it or they don't know any other kind 
of music to play.



Sunday, November 12
Ben Davis + The Jetts    (http://www.lovitt.com/artists/bendavis.html)
The Cassettes    (http://www.thecassettes.com)
Summer Sorcerer    (http://www.myspace.com/summersorcerer)
Reservoir, Carrboro

Ben Davis you know about; he was in Sleepytime Trio & Milemarker, but 
now he's slightly more settled & makes moody piano-driven artpop with a 
rotating cast of local rockers. Summer Sorceror is some kind of local 
supergroup featuring folks from Milemarker & probably Kerbloki (since 
all local supergroups seem to involve someone from Kerbloki nowadays).



Monday, November 13
Flicker    (http://www.chapel-hill.nc.us/flicker)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

Flicker is the monthlyish short-film festival started by Norwood Cheek 
back in the 90s to showcase short films shot on film, as opposed to the 
by-then-omnipresent video. Norwood long since moved to LA, but he's 
actually going to be in town to host this episode of Flicker, which is 
devoted to screening shorts from *other* regional Flickers around the 
country. Show starts at 8:00-ish, and there will be, as always, sweet 
treats & door prizes.



Monday, November 13
Blue Cheer    (http://bluecheer.us)
Birds of Avalon    (http://www.myspace.com/birdsofavalon)
Adult Film Makers    (http://www.myspace.com/adultfilmmakers)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Yes, *that* Blue Cheer, or rather 2/3rds of them. I forget which 2/3rds, 
but we're not talking rocket science here, we're talking "Summertime 
Blues" and "Parchment Farm."

Also on the bill, Raleigh psych/rock supergroup Birds of Avalon, and the 
Adult Film Makers, in which Ghost of Rocks/Bad Checks drummer Rock 
Forbes steps out from behind the kit & reveals a pretty-damn-good 
Jaggeresque singing voice. Go Rock, Go.



Monday, November 13
Cities    (http://www.citiesmusic.com)
So Many Dynamos    (http://www.somanydynamos.org/)
Eyes to Space    (http://www.eyestospace.net/)
Grasshopper    (http://www.ahhgrasshopper.com/)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Local young-turk indie-rockers Cities, along with even-younger-turk 
indie-rockers Grasshopper, nerdrockers Eyes to Space, and some cats from 
out of town.



Tuesday, November 14
North Mississippi All-Stars    (http://www.nmsallstars.com/)
Spencer Dickinson    (http://www.yeproc.com/artist_info.php?artistId=10902)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

North Mississippi All-Stars is the band of Luther & Cody Dickinson, 
who're the sons of [legendary] Memphis producer Jim Dickinson. Spencer 
Dickinson is what you get when you throw those boys in a van with Jon 
Spencer. Remember him? Blues Explosion! I still cringe.



Tuesday, November 14
Califone    (http://www.flydaddy.com/bands/califone/califone_fr.htm)
The Judy Green    (http://thejudygreen.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Tuesday, November 14
Video Hippos    (http://www.videohippos.com)
Planecrash
Dig Shovel Dig    (http://www.digshoveldig.com/)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight rambled:

Asheville couch testers bring toe-tapping keyboard slag with bass/drums 
feroxity and not an ounce of pretense, despite the fact that their 7 
Inch Record on Lookalive records was titled Recent Works From the Most 
Important Composers in the Universe. For fans of cheap bourbon and 
infrequent shaving (legs or face). Hype reggae farcical indescribable 
theatrics - weird vocalizations and spooky in your face shoe-untying 
madness. Mark and Ted, bass and drums, they both sing (yell/slurp), and 
Ted plays the keyboard with his toes. I love it, and Mark turned me on 
to Lightning Bolt soon after they released Ride the Skies, and for that 
I am eternally grateful. They requested Plane Crash - Stuart will be 
going back to the old format, with the TVs and turntables and a lot of 
loud ass shit. Videohippos - WTF? VIDEOHIPPOS from Baltimore (home of 
John Waters and sludge) are going to be in NC for a week doing some 
shows, wat a supwise - 2 piece !drummer+ guitar! with video art pieces 
that are projected onto their bodies along with prerecorded 
keyboards/loops so this is like some kind of weird pairing here tonite. 
Wow what luck. :::::: part of the wham city art collective in 
Baltimore::::::::::: Sounds like the freaks come out to night, thanks 
Whodini! You will leave overstimulated, for sure.



Wednesday, November 15
North Elementary    (http://www.northelementary.com)
Now It's Overhead    (http://www.nowitsoverhead.com/)
The Never    (http://www.trekkyrecords.com/never.html)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Now It's Overhead is the band of Athens producer/Bright Eyes 
collaborator/nice guy Andy Lemaster, and the ladies of Azure Ray. The 
Never are a baroque harmony-pop/rock band who recently released a 
concept album called Antarctica that comes with a picture book about 
some kids returning a nuke, or something, I dunno, my copy didn't come 
with the book. And who would they return a nuclear weapon to? Maybe 
better to just bury it in the woods.

North Elementary are still pumping out the psych-pop hits, only now 
they've also taken on a side-job of spawning an endless number of 
spinoff bands (recent additions to that list: Simple, The Rose Marie).



Thursday, November 16
IV Thieves    (http://www.myspace.com/ivthieves)
Velvet    (http://www.velvetpop.com)
Bang Bang Bang    (http://www.bangbangbangrock.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, November 17
Micah P. Hinson    (http://www.myspace.com/micahphinson)
Tennis and the Mennonites    (http://www.tennisandthemennonites.com)
The Rose Marie    (http://www.myspace.com/ryanleedunlap)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Tennis & the Mennonites have a brand-new album out; it's 18 songs in 
about 35 minutes, and it includes most of the hits from their earlier 
limited-release EP, including "Magnets," which is a Perfect Song. Most 
bands never get to write a Perfect Song, so even if T&theM spent the 
rest of their careers doing Mariah Carey covers, they'd still be ahead 
of the game.

The Rose Marie are, I'm told, some sort of North Elementary spinoff. The 
one song I've heard, "Breathing All Wrong," is a sort of mournful yet 
weirdly stately number, but I've no idea whether it's at all representative.



Friday, November 17
$2 Pistols
Mason Smith Band    (http://masonsmithband.com/)
Nola    (http://www.myspace.com/nolaband)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh

There's apparently a show of Johnny Cash photos up at Bickett, and this 
therefore is the Johnny Cash Tribute show. Mason Smith Band are from 
Wilmington & that's all I know. $2 Pistols y'all know already; John 
Howie Jr's voice can only get lower & more heartfelt as the years pile 
upon it.

Nola are a youngish country band from Raleigh & I love their song "Hey" 
every time I hear it; it's in the player somewhere, go look for it.



Friday, November 17
The Billy Carter Band
The Ex-Members    (http://www.myspace.com/theexmembers)
Boyskout    (http://www.boyskout.com)
Kings, Raleigh



Friday, November 17
Ear Pwr    (http://www.myspace.com/earpwr)
Blacks on Blondes 
(http://www.myspace.com/douglasbrazilandafroamericanfriends)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Saturday, November 18
Cursive    (http://www.saddle-creek.com)
Fin Fang Foom    (http://www.lovitt.com/artists/finfangfoom.html)
Jeremy Enigk    (http://www.myspace.com/jeremyenigk)
The Cops    (http://www.thecops.com.au/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Saturday, November 18
The Ex-Members    (http://www.myspace.com/theexmembers)
Boyskout    (http://www.boyskout.com)
Marce    (http://www.marceonline.com/)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

It bears repeating a few dozen more times, since there was a bit of a 
gap in there: The Ex-Members are the new name for the final 3-piece 
incarnation of Gerty, and they're still bringing the danceable 
80s-inflected indie-rock.



Saturday, November 18
Ahleuchatistas    (http://www.ahleuchatistas.com/go.php)
Doctor Oakroot    (http://www.doctoroakroot.com/)
Gutbucket    (http://www.gutweb.com)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Ahleuchatistas make total ADD gtr/bass/drums avant-jazz instrumental 
mayhem; it sounds like it's recursing infinitely yet it never winds up 
in the same place. I think that's called Relativity. Gutbucket are 
jazzbos from elsewhere. Bluesman Doctor Oakroot was playing the Skylight 
long before it developed its Nightlight alter-ego, and if you can't 
quite suss why he's on the bill, the fact that he makes all his own 
instruments out of household items may be reason enough.



Saturday, November 18
The Sammies    (http://www.myspace.com/thesammies)
Elevator Action    (http://www.elevatoractionband.com/)
The Artichokes    (http://www.myspace.com/theartichokes)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill



Saturday, November 18
Future Islands    (http://www.myspace.com/futureislands)
Sodajerk    (http://www.sodajerkcountry.com)
Video Hippos    (http://www.videohippos.com)
Kings, Raleigh



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