RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Thursday, February 1
White Rook    (http://www.myspace.com/whiterookband)
Blag'ard    (http://www.blagard.com/)
Chest Pains    (http://www.myspace.com/thechestpains)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

White Rook is one of several current bands featuring Eddie from Fin Fang 
Foom; he's a busy cat. Blag'ard is the primarily-solo outlet of Joe 
Taylor (Capsize 7, Lystra); it's kinda like a one-man Capsize 7, actually.

Chest Pains is Greg Barbera on bass & yelling; Eric Hermann (Pleasant) 
on drums, and Tim Ristau (ex-Jett Rink) on guitar. It's kinda punk, if 
married guys are allowed to be "punk" anymore.



Friday, February 2
Good Samaritan    (http://www.myspace.com/goodsamaritanmusic)
Red Collar    (http://www.myspace.com/redcollarmusic)
Simple    (http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomsimple)
AOK    (http://www.myspace.com/aoknc)
Marvell Building, Durham



Friday, February 2
The dB's    (http://www.thedbsonline.net)
Mayflies USA    (http://www.bigshoe.com/mayflies)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

So, the "classic" lineup of the dB's (does that apostrophe go there? I 
think it does, Proper-Noun-Wise, but it bugs the crap out of me) are 
back together, recording, playing shows, etc. Dave Menconi of the News & 
Observer flew to NYC to see one of the shows, which he'll be writing 
about in this Sunday's N&O, so look out for that. Or you can just go to 
the Cradle & plunk down your money like everybody else.

I assume there is fuss being made, of the happy/excited variety, over 
this dB's reappearance, but where is the fuss over the reappearance of 
Mayflies USA? I know, they haven't been gone as long, but they've been 
missed nevertheless by local lovers of sweet wistful boy/boy harmonies 
and power-pop guitars.



Friday, February 2
The Mountain Goats    (http://www.themountaingoats.net/)
The Old Ceremony    (http://www.theoldceremony.com/)
The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers 
(http://www.prayersandtears.com/)
Megafaun    (http://www.myspace.com/megafaun)
Kings, Raleigh

This is night one of the annual WKNC Double Barrel Benefit. I guess it 
takes a lot more electricity to run a gazillion-watt transmitter like 
they have nowadays, even if it's all being supplied secretly by the NC 
State nuclear reactor there under the brickyard.

WKNC has a long history of supporting local music, and, once the "metal" 
jokes died down, local music has a long history of supporting WKNC. 
Tonight's lineup includes megastars the Mountain Goats, megaband The Old 
Ceremony (at least 7 or 8 dudes in that band), meganame The Prayers and 
Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers, and, well, Megafaun.



Friday, February 2
The Last Town Chorus    (http://www.thelasttownchorus.com)
Dan Bryk    (http://www.bryk.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

The tracks I heard sounded kinda like the Cowboy Junkies, if Margo 
Timmins played crazy badass freakout lapsteel in addition to singing. 
Worth a listen.

Canadian-by-way-of-Raleigh songwriter Dan Bryk opens; his Christmas 
album was the 2nd-best new Christmas record I heard last year (#1 was 
Bootsy's, and there's just no beating Bootsy).



Friday, February 2
Across the Elementary    (http://www.myspace.com/acrosstheelementary)
Sweater Weather    (http://www.sweater-weather.com)
Shapiro    (http://www.shapiropeople.com)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Friday, February 2
Extra Blue Kind    (http://www.extrabluekind.com/)
Mowgli    (http://www.myspace.com/mowglimowgli)
Can Joann    (http://www.canjoann.com/)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham



Saturday, February 3
Annuals    (http://www.myspace.com/annuals)
Future Islands    (http://www.myspace.com/futureislands)
Tiger Bear Wolf    (http://www.tigerbearwolf.com)
The Nein    (http://www.thenein.com/)
Kings, Raleigh

This is night two of the WKNC Double Barrel Benefit. Art-rockers The 
Nein mix it up with dirty Greensboro southern post-whatevers Tiger Bear 
Wolf, and Future Islands, who're from Greenville and are kinda 
uncategorizable. The fourth band was originally listed as "special 
guest" but has since been revealed to be superstars-of-the-instant Annuals.



Saturday, February 3
Cunningham Lane    (http://www.cunninghamlane.com)
Pickup Setdown    (http://www.myspace.com/pickupsetdown)
Tennis and the Mennonites    (http://www.tennisandthemennonites.com)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Sunday, February 4
Future Islands    (http://www.myspace.com/futureislands)
WXDU 88.7 FM, Durham

Been trying to align our stars & get Future Islands up on-air since 
before they were Future Islands, back in their previous incarnation as 
Art Lord & the Self-Portraits. They're a bunch of scruffy-looking dudes 
from Greenville NC, and they make bizarrely chirpy 
oldschool-casio-keyboard-driven dance-pop. Way fun. 5:00 p.m. 88.7 FM or 
wxdu.org.



Monday, February 5
Vashti Bunyan    (http://www.anotherday.co.uk/)
Vetiver    (http://www.vetiverse.com)
ArtsCenter, Carrboro

Vetiver are the band of Andy Cabic, who used to be from Greensboro & 
used to be in the Raymond Brake; now he lives in San Francisco. They're 
sorta affiliated with that Devendra Banhart/Joanna Newsom freak-folk 
scene, which explains in part how/why they're touring with Vashti 
Bunyan, the 60s folkie who released her debut album in '69 and then 
more-or-less vanished for 36 years or so, only to resurface in 2005. 
She's only playing a handful of dates on this tour, and this is one of them.



Monday, February 5
Yo La Tengo    (http://www.yolatengo.com/)
Portastatic    (http://www.portastatic.com)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

Yo La Tengo are my Desert Island Band, in part because I love some of 
their albums more than just about any other albums (and even the ones I 
don't love that much are pretty damn good), and in part because they 
either know or can fake their way through about 40,000 popular songs of 
the 20th century.

Tonight you get to see them with Portastatic, the 
actually-currently-active rockband of Superchunk frontman Mac McCaughan.



Tuesday, February 6
Yo La Tengo    (http://www.yolatengo.com/)
The Rosebuds    (http://www.therosebuds.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

If'n you went to see Vetiver & Vashti Bunyan last night, you get a 2nd 
chance at Yo La Tengo. Mighty nice of 'em. This time around you'll be 
warmed up via the Rosebuds. Were it not for the Monday-night 
competition, we might've been able to take these two nights' attendance 
numbers as some sort of local Merge band referendum; instead we could, I 
suppose, at least make the Venn diagram of Yo La Tengo & the freak-folk 
scene.



Thursday, February 8
Squirrel Nut Zippers    (http://www.snzippers.com/)
The Old Ceremony    (http://www.theoldceremony.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

This is the half of the Squirrel Nut Zippers that includes Jimbo, 
Catherine, [I think] original drummer Chris Phillips, and some portion 
of some version of the horn section. Notably absent: Ken Mosher & Tom 
Maxwell. They still haven't quite patched up those bad feelings between 
the two camps.

I wonder if that means they won't be playing any of the Maxwell-penned 
numbers, such as "Hell." Hmm . . .



Thursday, February 8
Hi-Fi Sky    (http://www.hi-fisky.com)
Jeffrey Dean Foster    (http://www.jeffreydeanfoster.com/)
Lynn Blakey
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Jeffrey Dean Foster was in the almost-caught-the-ring Winston-Salem band 
The Right Profile. He keeps banging away at it, and [I believe] 
self-released his most recent album, so maybe the elusive ring isn't 
such a big deal anymore.

Lynn Blakey was in a great band called Glory Fountain, and is currently 
in another great band called Tres Chicas.



Thursday, February 8
Beloved Binge    (http://www.myspace.com/belovedbinge)
Eberhardt    (http://www.myspace.com/eberhardtnc)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Two Durham duos. Beloved Binge have been at it longer; they released a 
CD in their former hometown of Seattle, and then moved here a year or 
two ago & released another one. They make gtr-drums indie-rock with a 
stripped-down K-style aesthetic, though maybe a little more distortion 
pedal.

Eberhardt are also a gtr-drums duo, though occasionally trombone & banjo 
make an appearance as well.



Friday, February 9
Charles Latham    (http://www.myspace.com/sircharleslatham)
Midtown Dickens    (http://www.myspace.com/midtowndickens)
Future Kings of Nowhere    (http://www.thefuturekings.net/)
Wigg Report    (http://www.synchronizedswim.org)
Billy Sugarfix    (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/billysugarfix.htm)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

This is being billed as the First Annual AntiFolk Southeast 
Extravaganza. What defines AntiFolk? I dunno, but I think it has 
something to do with writing wordy songs & playing acoustic guitar but 
not getting too hung up on sincerity.



Friday, February 9
Black Skies    (http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies)
The Needles    (http://www.moonrockneedles.com/)
Adult Film Makers    (http://www.myspace.com/adultfilmmakers)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Black Skies are the heavy rockband of Cat's Cradle doorman Kevin Clark 
(ex-The Man, ex-Smearcase). The Needles are a kinda trashy rockband from 
Wilmington. Adult Film Makers are a rock-n-roll side-project wherein Bad 
Checks/Ghost of Rock/Victory Factory drummer Rock Forbes gets up & sings.



Friday, February 9
Double Negative    (http://www.myspace.com/thedoublenegative)
Caltrop    (http://www.myspace.com/caltropband)
Hex Machine    (http://www.myspace.com/hexmachine)
Kings, Raleigh

Double Negative are a Raleigh hardcore band made up of a bunch of 
veterans of the 80s NC hardcore scene; remarkably enough, they totally 
kick ass, without any of the overproficiency or metal-crossover issues 
that so many adult-HC bands seem to get tripped up by.

Caltrop are uber-heavy; they make songs like the earth cracking in two.



Saturday, February 10
Veronique Diabolique    (http://www.veroniquediabolique.com/)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

This is the early (7:30-ish) show. Veronique Diabolique are, of course, 
the French Goths of Durham. They're especially fond of Valentine's Day, 
so the proximity of the holiday should make for a particularly Gothic 
evening.



Saturday, February 10
Scott Biram    (http://www.scottbiram.com/)
Black Diamond Heavies    (http://www.blackdiamondheavies.com)
Hideaway BBQ, Raleigh



Saturday, February 10
Fake Swedish    (http://fakeswedish.4t.com/index.html)
Bringerer    (http://www.myspace.com/bringerer)
Hope, Star & Browning    (http://www.lowcityrecords.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Fake Swedish are reuniting, perhaps just for this show, perhaps for 
more, I'm not sure. You should assume it's just for this one show, and 
make damn sure you make it out to see them; they were truly one of the 
great local bands of the last five years. All snappily dressed and in 
love with 70s brit-rock, psych, and Scott Walker.

Bringerer are also making a rare appearance; I dunno if their 
disappearance counted as a breakup or just a hibernation, but either 
way, catch 'em while you can.



Saturday, February 10
Twilighter    (http://twilighter.net/)
Warm in the Wake    (http://www.warminthewake.com/)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Twilighter are a far stranger band than they used to be, a couple of 
years ago. Or so their new record would suggest; it's sung primarily by 
a man whose voice falls somewhere in the neighborhood of Lou Reed or 
Gordon Gano, with music falling generally somewhere between country-rock 
and the later Velvet Underground. Sometimes he's joined on vox by Sonar 
Strange, who was in Foreign Bodies & Safehouse back in the 80s. There's 
a weird feeling about the whole thing that's not entirely unpleasant.



Saturday, February 10
Caltrop    (http://www.myspace.com/caltropband)
Hex Machine    (http://www.myspace.com/hexmachine)
Tiger Bear Wolf    (http://www.tigerbearwolf.com)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Heavy & slow (Caltrop) meets slightly-less-heavy and faster (Tiger Bear 
Wolf). TBW are from Greensboro, and they fall somewhere between 
Motorhead and the Allman Brothers.



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