RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Friday, January 19
Chatham County Line    (http://www.chathamcountyline.com/)
The Mad Tea Party    (http://www.themadteaparty.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Friday, January 19
Fin Fang Foom    (http://www.lovitt.com/artists/finfangfoom.html)
Kerbloki    (http://www.kerbloki.com/)
Bellafea    (http://www.bellafea.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This is a 10th-anniversary and CD-release party for Fin Fang Foom, and 
it has been a long time coming. Joining them to celebrate are the goofy 
party-rappers Kerbloki, and gtr/drums duo Bellafea, who cranked things 
up about 18 notches with their breathtaking performance at last year's 
Trekky Christmas show at the Cradle. Ones to watch.



Friday, January 19
Apothecary Hymns    (http://www.apothecaryhymns.net/)
Function    (http://www.functionensemble.com/ )
Dead Elephant Bicycle    (http://www.myspace.com/deadelephantbicycle)
Insect Factory    (http://insectfields.org/)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Function are from Australia, apparently. Dead Elephant Bicycle are from 
a little closer to home -- Winston-Salem.



Friday, January 19
Kenny Roby    (http://www.kennyroby.com)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh

Kenny Roby is a longtime Raleigh country-soul singer; he used to front a 
downright amazing band called Six String Drag, back in the 90s.



Friday, January 19
Magic Babies    (http://www.myspace.com/themagicbabies)
Eyes to Space    (http://www.eyestospace.net/)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh

Eyes to Space are nerdy space-rock from Chapel Hill. The Magic Babies 
are a couple of guys (Galen--lead gtr, and Charles--bass) from The 
Weather, plus some other dudes (one of whom I used to live with, long 
long ago). Given that pedigree, I'd assume they'd be blissfully 
Badfingery, or something.



Saturday, January 20
Camera Obscura    (http://www.camera-obscura.net/)
The Essex Green    (http://www.essexgreen.com/)
Georgie James    (http://www.myspace.com/georgiejames)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Saturday, January 20
The Breaks
Sodajerk    (http://www.sodajerkcountry.com)
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Saturday, January 20
Roman Candle    (http://www.romancandlemusic.com/)
Bull City    (http://www.bullcitytheband.com/)
Running Lights    (http://www.runninglightsband.com/)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

Roman Candle are the North Wilkesboro-via-UNC country-tinged pop band 
who deserve to be taking the wider world by storm. I don't really pay 
attention to the wider world, so they may actually be doing so already. 
Bull City are a Durham band of local-scene veterans; Running Lights 
appear to be a Duke undergrad band.



Saturday, January 20
Shannon O'Connor    (http://shannonoconnor.com/)
Robo Sapien    (http://www.gorobosapien.com/)
The Ex-Members    (http://www.myspace.com/theexmembers)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

This is a benefit for Planned Parenthood. Shannon O'Connor is some kinda 
country/folk diva; Robo Sapien bring the stoopid-phat laptop beats and 
queer (as in weird *and* as in queer) rhymes. The Ex-Members are all 
ex-Gerty & they're still rocking the 80s-inspired synth/gtr-dance-pop.



Saturday, January 20
Death of the Sun    (http://www.myspace.com/deathofthesun)
Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies 
(http://www.myspace.com/violetvectorandthelovelylovelies)
The Gondoliers    (http://www.myspace.com/comeseethegondoliers)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Yet another crop of Bright New Chapel Hill bands, though both Gondoliers 
and Death of the Sun are actually recombinations/supergroups, featuring 
ex-members of the Spinns & Young Idea (Gondoliers) and Fashion Design & 
My Dear Ella (DotS). Best thing about living around here: how quickly 
folks get back on the bicycle.



Saturday, January 20
BQs
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Monday, January 22
The Dears    (http://www.thedears.org)
Annuals    (http://www.myspace.com/annuals)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

The Dears are from Montreal, and there are like six people in the band. 
Draw your own conclusions.

I read an article in the paper about Annuals in which they denied any 
interest/influence in/from either the Arcade Fire and/or Animal 
Collective, two bands whom they're damn-near-universally agreed-upon to 
sound somewhat like.

Fair enough: to be honest, I heard as much Pink Floyd & Steve Miller 
Band in it, expecially in all the tracks that *aren't* the uncannily 
Arcade-Fire-esque "Brother."

On the other hand, the band claims to be huge Mike Patton fans, which 
would draw them nearer & dearer to a lot of hearts I know, at least 
until those self-same hearts actually heard them play.



Wednesday, January 24
The Flash Attacks    (http://www.myspace.com/theflashattacks)
Gabe Zander    (http://www.myspace.com/gabezander)
Kings, Raleigh



Thursday, January 25
Bobby Bare Jr.    (http://www.bobbybarejr.com/)
Explorers Club    (http://www.myspace.com/explorersclub)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Thursday, January 25
Midtown Dickens    (http://www.myspace.com/midtowndickens)
Marla Hooch    (http://www.myspace.com/marlahoochnyc)
Boxcar Bertha    (http://www.myspace.com/boxcarbertha)
The Curtains of Night
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Thursday, January 25
Table    (http://www.myspace.com/table)
Chest Pains    (http://www.myspace.com/thechestpains)
Kings, Raleigh

Longtime local rock veterans making gabba-gabba punkrock. Check them 
both out in the player ( http://groovo.org ) & you'll see what I mean.



Thursday, January 25
Summer Sorcerer    (http://www.myspace.com/summersorcerer)
Pinebender    (http://www.lovitt.com/artists.php?artists_id=27)
Reservoir, Carrboro

Summer Sorcerer are members of Milemarker & Fin Fang Foom. Pinebender 
are FFF's Lovitt Records labelmates; they're from Chicago.



Friday, January 26
Transportation    (http://www.myspace.com/transportation)
Victory Factory    (http://www.myspace.com/victoryfactory)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

This is the late (10:30ish) show. Transportation are a buncha guys whose 
love for 70s piano balladry may only be exceeded by their love for 
gritty 70s guitar glam-rock.

Victory Factory are, personnel-wise, half of the original lineup of 
Pipe, half of The Ghost of Rock, and a couple of guys from Joe Romeo's 
Orange County Volunteers. All in just four guys: Ron Liberti, Dave IT, 
Joe Romeo & Rock Forbes.



Friday, January 26
Can Joann    (http://www.canjoann.com/)
Alternative Champs    (http://www.alternativechamps.com/)
Kings, Raleigh



Saturday, January 27
Stranger Spirits    (http://strangerspirits.com)
Future Kings of Nowhere    (http://www.thefuturekings.net/)
Endless Mic    (http://www.trekkyrecords.com/endlessmic.html)
Broad Street Cafe, Durham

This is a matinee (2:00 p.m.) show. Can't quite suss out the connection 
between the frantic nasal folk of FKON, the acoustic pop of Stranger 
Spirits, and the backpack hip-hop of Endless Mic. Hemp?



Saturday, January 27
The Bottle Rockets    (http://www.bottlerocketsmusic.com)
Otis Gibbs    (http://www.otisgibbs.com/)
Tom Gillam and Tractor Pull 
(http://www.myspace.com/tomgillamstractorpull)
Hideaway BBQ, Raleigh



Saturday, January 27
The Bleeding Hearts    (http://www.thebleedinghearts.net/home.html)
Patty Hurst Shifter    (http://www.pattyhurstshifter.com)
Stone Fox
Kings, Raleigh

Bluesy stonesy rock, with hair. And some vests, I bet.



Saturday, January 27
Viswas
Uncomfortable    (http://www.myspace.com/uncomfortablenoise)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh



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