RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Things lurch back into motion this week; check out the big clot of rock 
coming next weekend the 12th/13th:

Thursday, January 4
Clang Quartet    (http://www.myspace.com/clangquartet)
Yellow Tears    (http://www.myspace.com/yellowtears)
Cathode Terror Secretion    (http://www.myspace.com/cathodeterrorsecretion)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Kick your new year off right with some hellacious screeching noise at 
Nightlight. Clang Quartet, of course, is drummer Scotty Irving's one-man 
noise/percussion tribute to Jesus Christ.



Thursday, January 4
Body Electric    (http://www.myspace.com/be)
Dialogues    (http://www.myspace.com/dialoguesharrisonburg)
Hazerai    (http://www.myspace.com/hazerai)
Kings, Raleigh



Friday, January 5
Beloved Binge    (http://www.myspace.com/belovedbinge)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

This is the early (~7:30) show. Beloved Binge are a kinda K-Recordsy 
husband-wife gtr/drums duo, who moved here a year or two ago from 
Seattle. They're way fun.



Friday, January 5
The Tremors    (http://www.tremorsrockabilly.com/)
Dexter Romweber and the New Romans 
(http://www.myspace.com/dexterromweber)
The Bo-Stevens    (http://www.thebostevens.com/)
TCB '56
Stone Fox
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This is night one of Elvisfest. The lineup tonight includes the majestic 
Dexter Romweber and the New Romans, which is Dex's large band (2 drums, 
2 guitars, bass, keys, sax).



Friday, January 5
Randy Whitt and the Grits    (http://www.randywhitt.com/)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

This is the late (~10:30) show. Randy Whitt is a Country Singer.



Friday, January 5
Recess    (http://www.dyss.net/nightlight/)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

This is the first Recess of 2007. Recess is the monthly-ish 
noisemaker-shakeup series run by Robert Biggers (Audubon Park, the Nein) 
wherein local musicians make a point of making sounds they otherwise 
wouldn't be making.



Saturday, January 6
Brown Mountain Lights    (http://www.brownmountainlights.net/)
Hege V    (http://www.vivanashvegas.com/home.htm)
Memphis    (http://www.memphistheband.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

This is a benefit for the Woods Charter School. Most notably, it's also 
a reunion of the late-80s cowpunk band Hege V, named for its frontman, 
George Hege Hamilton V. George V moved to Nashville a good long while 
ago, so you're not going to get too many chances to see 'em.

To whet yr appetite, check out the hearse-surfing in this vintage Hege V 
video.



Saturday, January 6
Reverend D-Ray and the Shockers 
(http://www.myspace.com/revdrayandtheshockers)
Kitty Box & the Johnnys 
(http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A40789)
Truckstop Preachers    (http://www.truckstoppreachers.com)
Psychocharger    (http://www.psychocharger.com/)
Billy Joe Winghead    (http://www.winghead.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Night two of Elvisfest, the "all really elaborate fucked-up band names" 
night, I guess.



Saturday, January 6
Dom Casual    (http://www.myspace.com/domcasual)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Dom Casual is the surfy/garagey rock-n-roll band of Durhamite Jamie 
McLendon, a man with an endless repertoire of bizarre stories that he 
likes to bust out between songs.



Saturday, January 6
Mothguts    (http://www.myspace.com/mothguts)
Hispanic Dance Club    (http://www.unc.edu/~clarkke/hdc.html)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Sunday, January 7
Cantwell, Gomez, Jordan    (http://www.cantwellgomezandjordan.com)
Maple Stave    (http://www.maplestave.com)
Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight 
(http://www.myspace.com/midnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight)
Broad Street Cafe, Durham

This is at the new Broad Street Cafe, which may or may not be equivalent 
to the old Broad Street Cafe (and which occupies the space formerly 
known as Ooh La Latte). One crucial difference between the BSC now vs. a 
couplea months ago: they're open later than 7:00 p.m., and their 
schedule is chock-full of live music.

Case in point is this show, which unites two of the finest & tightest 
live bands in the Triangle (and hands down, two of the best drummers 
around) with a Tennessee band with an exceptionally long name.

They say it begins at 9:00; if'n we all show up then, maybe it will (and 
set a good example for the future).



Sunday, January 7
Black Skies    (http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies)
Calico Haunts    (http://www.myspace.com/calicohaunts)
Blondsai    (http://www.blondsai.com)
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Sunday, January 7
Screaming Females    (http://www.screamingfemales.com)
Gary Coleman Death Squad    (http://www.geocities.com/garycolemandeathsquad)
The Drowsies    (http://www.drowsies.com/)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Sunday, January 7
The Curtains
Black Socks    (http://www.myspace.com/blacksocks)
Kings, Raleigh



Tuesday, January 9
Nicky Click    (http://www.nickyclick.com)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Thursday, January 11
The Tourist    (http://www.myspace.com/thetouristnc)
The Sibling Project    (http://www.thesiblingproject.com/)
Ruth Eckles    (http://www.myspace.com/rutheckles)
Marvell Building, Durham

This is a free show. The Marvell Building/Event Center is at 119 W. Main 
Street in downtown Durham. If I'm not mistaken, that address appeared on 
the Durham police blotter this past weekend. Should be pointed out that 
several different users/groups book shows/events into the Marvell, and 
the aforementioned shooting took place at an event booked by someone 
*other* than the peeps who booked this show. But, you know, FYI.

The Tourist is an Elliott Smith fan from Cary. The Sibling Project are a 
Rainer Maria-influenced brother-sister duo from Raleigh, or at least 
that's the impression I get from their CD. Ruth Eckles occasionally 
writes for local papers/magazines, and I guess also writes songs.



Thursday, January 11
Tennis and the Mennonites    (http://www.tennisandthemennonites.com)
Future Islands    (http://www.myspace.com/futureislands)
Black Socks    (http://www.myspace.com/blacksocks)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Tennis & the Mennonites have a *long* full-length CD out now; it 
includes the brilliant "Magnets," so if'n you missed it on their 
self-released EP last year, you get another chance. Future Islands 
contain a bunch of ex-members of the Greenville-based 
muttonchops/synthdance band Art Lord & the Self Portraits.



Thursday, January 11
Kingsbury Manx    (http://www.thekingsburymanx.com/)
The Showteens    (http://www.myspace.com/theshowteens)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

This is the late (10:00) show at the Cave. Showteens would appear to 
contain a member or two of the defunct Grasshopper Highway. Kingsbury 
Manx have always moved at their own pastoral pace, which may explain why 
they're still here & still lovely.



Thursday, January 11
The Ghost of Saturday Nite 
(http://www.myspace.com/theghostofsaturdaynite)
50 Foot Face
Kings, Raleigh



Thursday, January 11
The Scourge of the Sea    (http://www.aliasrecords.com/scourgeofthesea.htm)
Petticoat, Petticoat    (http://www.petticoatpetticoat.com)
Sweater Weather    (http://www.sweater-weather.com)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill



Thursday, January 11
Colossus    (http://www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou)
Serpents    (http://www.myspace.com/serpents666)
(Lone) Wolf and Cub    (http://www.hewhocorrupts.com/wolfandcub/)
Reservoir, Carrboro



Friday, January 12
The Heist and the Accomplice 
(http://www.myspace.com/theheistandtheaccomplice)
Audubon Park    (http://audubonpark.blogspot.com)
Pleasant    (http://www.pleasantmusic.com)
Schooner    (http://www.schoonermusic.com)
North Elementary    (http://www.northelementary.com)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

This is a free show, a relative rarity at the Cradle. Buncha great local 
pop(ish) bands, with a fairly early start time, a smoke-free room, and 
no cover? I expect to see you all there.

Pleasant & Schooner represent the new swoony croony adult-pop face of 
that ex-shoegaze Durham label Pox World Empire. OK, not really: they 
both know how to step on a distortion pedal at just the right moment; 
plus, Audubon Park are also on Pox World Empire, and their highly 
tricked-out hyperliterate OCD short-attention-span indie-rock freakpop 
doesn't do much swooning or crooning.



Friday, January 12
Megafaun    (http://www.myspace.com/megafaun)
Homemade Knives    (http://www.myspace.com/homemadeknivesrva)
David Shultz    (http://www.purevolume.com/davidshultz)
Chaz's Bull City Records, Durham

Rare show at Chaz's; couplea folks from Richmond, plus Raleigh's 
Megafaun, featuring many of the ex-members of DeYarmond Edison.



Friday, January 12
The Strugglers    (http://www.thestrugglers.org/)
Lost in the Trees    (http://www.lostinthetrees.com)
Auxiliary House    (http://www.trekkyrecords.com/auxhouse.html)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

The Strugglers are the top of the heap among local country/folk/rock 
bands; Randy Bickford's hushed warble gets better & more distinctive 
every time I see him, and when he's got a band behind him, he can go 
from heartbreak & near-silence to full-blown soul swing.

Lost in the Trees is a side-project of The Never's Ari Picker, I think. 
Auxiliary House is the Trekky Records house band. When I saw them last 
year, they had like 12 people onstage, and they used 'em all.



Friday, January 12
The Physics of Meaning    (http://www.thephysicsofmeaning.com/)
Adah    (http://www.adahmusic.com)
Kings, Raleigh

The Physics of Meaning are members of the Bu Hanan collective; they make 
ornate pop/rock that's simultaneously highly articulate & highly emotiona.



Friday, January 12
Killick    (http://www.myspace.com/iamkillick)
sqrt(ur mother)    (http://www.brokenfadercartel.com)
Feral Pony
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Friday, January 12
Goner    (http://www.gonertheband.com/)
Fighting Poseidon    (http://www.myspace.com/fightingposeidon)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh

Goner are the original Raleigh keyb-bass-drums "emo" rockband; they're 
not "emo" like the bands on MTV2; they're "emo" like they've got 
something to say & they're not afraid to say it.

Fighting Poseidon is a new indie/punk band with ex-members of Kudzu Wish 
& I forget who else.



Saturday, January 13
Eberhardt    (http://www.myspace.com/eberhardtnc)
Midtown Dickens    (http://www.myspace.com/midtowndickens)
Beloved Binge    (http://www.myspace.com/belovedbinge)
Broad Street Cafe, Durham

Battle of the Durham duos. Eberhardt are gtr/drums/trombone; Midtown 
Dickens are banjo/accordion/trumpet (plus whatever else is lying 
around); Beloved Binge are gtr/drums/vegan White Russians.



Saturday, January 13
Ahleuchatistas    (http://www.ahleuchatistas.com/go.php)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh

Ahleuchatistas are from Asheville; they make crazy spazzy insanely tight 
instrumental gtr-bass-drums taut-rock and/or avant-jazz.



Saturday, January 13
The Old Ceremony    (http://www.theoldceremony.com/)
Prabir and the Substitutes    (http://www.prabirandthesubstitutes.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



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