RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Friday, February 16
Killer Filler    (http://www.myspace.com/killerfiller)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Killer Filler is the surfy/garagey/organy 60s-style instrumental combo 
of Crispy Bess, who played keyboards in Southern Culture on the Skids 
during their baroque period.



Friday, February 16
The People Under the Bridge 
(http://www.duckonbike.com/artistinfo.asp?artistid=378)
Mingus Young    (http://www.mingusyoung.com/)
Vibrant Green    (http://vibrantgreen.iuma.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, February 16
The Futurists    (http://www.myspace.com/thefuturists)
Electric Sunshine
Proof    (http://www.prooftheband.org)
Kings, Raleigh

Did I read somewhere that Electric Sunshine is the new band of Eddie 
Taylor (ex-Loners)? Proof are way overdue to release their second album; 
they're a Raleigh three-piece, heavy on the circular dynamics.



Friday, February 16
DMVB    (http://www.myspace.com/dmvb)
Embarrassing Fruits    (http://www.myspace.com/embarrassingfruits)
Ships
Remote Islands    (http://www.remoteislandsrockgroup.com)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Saturday, February 17
Spider Bags    (http://www.myspace.com/spiderbags)
Kingsbury Manx    (http://www.thekingsburymanx.com/)
Big Fat Gap    (http://www.bigfatgap.com/)
Michael Holland    (http://www.bigjohnsrecords.com)
Hearts and Daggers    (http://www.heartsanddaggers.com/ )
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

This is a benefit show for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Kingsbury 
Manx are our own new-psych pastoralists; Spider Bags make filthy boozy 
country-rock--they are the Cocksucker Blues of Chapel Hill. Michael 
Holland's most recent album consisted of cut-and-pasted instrumental 
tracks provided by local bluegrass band Big Fat Gap, over which he laid 
vocals that meandered between old-time and ever-so-paranoiac.

Hearts and Daggers are from Raleigh, and they released an excellent 
little cowpunk EP last year, "A Home for my Lonely Tears."



Saturday, February 17
Cough    (http://www.myspace.com/cough666)
Descolada    (http://www.myspace.com/descolada)
Caltrop    (http://www.myspace.com/caltropband)
Black Skies    (http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies)
305 South, Durham

This show was booked by Chaz, I believe, but his website said it was set 
for 305 South, so that's what I'm listing. I can't get MySpace to behave 
today, so I'm unable to hear/grab you any music by Descolada, who are 
from Asheville. Caltrop & Black Skies I've probably rambled enough 
about; Caltrop are huge & mega-heavy--I always visualize big iron safes 
dropping out of the sky, one after another. Black Skies are the band 
that formed from the ashes of The Man, and they're fronted by Kevin 
Clark, who's often manning the door at Cat's Cradle.



Saturday, February 17
Birds of Avalon    (http://www.myspace.com/birdsofavalon)
Akron/Family    (http://www.younggodrecords.com/product.asp?P_ID=37)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham



Saturday, February 17
James Dunn
Remote Islands    (http://www.remoteislandsrockgroup.com)
Viswas
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh



Sunday, February 18
Torch Marauder's Grappling Hook 
(http://home.att.net/~sandydave/torchhome.html)
WXDU 88.7 FM, Durham

You may have already heard the news: the blue-skinned, caped, 
TV-dwelling Video Torch is retiring from The Biz. Torch Marauder has a 
new gig now, fronting his band The Grappling Hook. Your last chance to 
say farewell to Video Torch will actually be at the Cradle, next 
Saturday the 24th (we couldn't invite Video Torch to appear on WXDU 
because, duh, we're a radio station, not a TV station). As a lead-in to 
next Saturday's big gig, the Grappling Hook will be in the studio to 
train you on all the new rock anthems, so you can stand down front, 
fists in the air, singing along loud-and-proud.

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



Sunday, February 18
Dexter Romweber and the New Romans 
(http://www.myspace.com/dexterromweber)
Bringerer    (http://www.myspace.com/bringerer)
Lud    (http://www.smithlevelrecords.com)
The Moaners    (http://www.themoaners.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

This is a benefit for former Ha! Magazine editor/publisher Lisa Garmon.

The New Romans are Dex's big(ish) band: two drummers, two guitars, bass, 
keys, horns. They put a whole different spin on Dex's repertoire of 
rock-n-roll.

Bringerer include Kevin Dixon & Shawn Albert of Zen Frisbee, plus Ron 
Liberti (ex-Pipe, ex-Ghost of Rock). Lud should be releasing their 
long-awaited album, "V", any second now. When they're not hibernating, 
they're one of the finest live rock bands in the Triangle.

The Moaners are the gtr-drums duo of Melissa Swingle (ex-Trailer Bride) 
and Laura King (ex-Grand National). They make swamp-rock.



Tuesday, February 20
Pariah Beat    (http://www.myspace.com/pariahbeat)
The Deviations    (http://www.myspace.com/TheDeviations)
The Drowsies    (http://www.drowsies.com/)
Broad Street Cafe, Durham

Punk Rock Bands (2 from Boston, one from Raleigh).



Tuesday, February 20
Radio Shock    (http://home.jtan.com/~michael/radioshock/bio.html)
Femme Covert    (http://www.femmecovert.filcoproductions.com/)
Symbolist Vampires
Hairs
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight says:

Radio Shock is manpower keyboard rock'n'roll power, like Torch Marauder 
in exercise clothes singing Tina Turner, but ghetto anthems. Femme 
Covert is a lot of loud singing guys jumping around to loud beats and 
trying to incite a riot. History note - Last time Radio Shock came to 
town, Boner Machine played in the street and UNC won the Collegiate 
Men's National Basketball Championship! We're still number-fucking-one, 
and we're spiffy dressed and natty haired taboot! Reports of rambling 
gangs of slippery metal monkey-men invading this night. Take your 
medicine, Bobby! f you remember Hide and Seek then Hairs is your sludge 
trio of choice. Symbolist Vampires is disco-death dub by three XYC jocks 
morgan and steven and jon. no promises on sound except I bet it loud and 
proud.



Wednesday, February 21
Heads on Sticks    (http://www.thisisstrange.org/)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh

Heads on Sticks is the solo/experimental side-project of Strange 
frontman Dave Mueller.



Wednesday, February 21
Marnie Stern    (http://www.marniestern.com)
Barr    (http://www.barrbarr.com)
Skeptic Tank
Vaguely Christian-Babymaker
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Thursday, February 22
Marshall Crenshaw    (http://www.marshallcrenshaw.com)
Hideaway BBQ, Raleigh



Thursday, February 22
The Mad Tea Party    (http://www.themadteaparty.com/)
Menage    (http://www.themenage.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Thursday, February 22
Blag'ard    (http://www.blagard.com/)
Simple    (http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomsimple)
Kings, Raleigh

This is a WKNC local-music showcase. Blag'ard is the new(ish) solo 
project of ex-Capsize 7 singer/guitarist Joe Taylor. Simple spun off 
from North Elementary.



Friday, February 23
Mastodon    (http://www.mastodonrock.com/)
Priestess    (http://www.priestessband.com/)
Caltrop    (http://www.myspace.com/caltropband)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Friday, February 23
$2 Pistols    (http://www.myspace.com/twodollarpistols)
Hearts and Daggers    (http://www.heartsanddaggers.com/ )
Hideaway BBQ, Raleigh

If you haven't been to the Hideaway yet, now's a perfect opportunity. 
It's a big barn of a BBQ restaurant/live-music venue in Raleigh, and 
they've been booking up a storm on the country/amerindie/alt-whatever 
tip since they opened last fall.

$2 Pistols are the reigning kings of local honky-tonk; Hearts & Daggers 
are a buncha young cowpunk upstarts.



Friday, February 23
Deerhoof    (http://deerhoof.killrockstars.com/)
Harlem Shakes    (http://www.myspace.com/harlemshakes)
Busdriver    (http://busdriversite.com/)
The Werehouse, Winston-Salem

In case you missed Deerhoof at the Cradle, you can trek to Winston-Salem 
and see them at the Werehouse, the cozy downtown artists & freaks 
live/work showspace/gallery/coffee bar/bar.



Friday, February 23
Cantwell, Gomez, Jordan    (http://www.cantwellgomezandjordan.com)
Opening Flower Happy Bird    (http://www.myspace.com/openingflowerhappybird)
Apis Bull    (http://www.apisbull.com/)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Apis Bull are from Greenville; they make buzzsaw/staccato gtr/drums 
instrumental spazzout rock. Opening Flower Happy Bird are half-Carrboro, 
half-Richmond; they make gtr/drums/synthpop that's sweet & melancholy, 
with lots of boy/boy vocals.

Cantwell Gomez and Jordan are unlike any other band I've ever seen, I 
think. One part jazz, one part spazz, one part no-wave, one part secret 
pop thrills, fourteen parts playing from the guts & head & heart.



Friday, February 23
Transportation    (http://www.myspace.com/transportation)
Hundred Air    (http://www.myspace.com/hundredair)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Transportation are the local masters of 70s-style glam-meets-piano-pop 
(i.e. Queen meets Wings meets a little T. Rex). Hundred Air is the new 
band of Adam Price (ex-Mayflies USA).



Friday, February 23
The Cartridge Family    (http://www.cartridge-family.com/)
Goner    (http://www.gonertheband.com/)
Darker Brighter
Kings, Raleigh

Cartridge Family are a gtr-bass-piano-drums combo with four songwriters, 
and loyalty split equally between the Stones, early-electric Dylan, and 
the New York Dolls. They rock mightily.

Goner are a long-running bass/keys/drums combo who wear their hearts on 
their sleeves, but in a good way. Darker Brighter is, I'm told, a new 
band with bass powerhouse Linc Hancock (Strange, ex-White Octave).



Friday, February 23
The Blue Hour    (http://www.thebluehour.com/)
Betty and the Boys    (http://www.myspace.com/bettyandtheboys)
Death of the Sun    (http://www.myspace.com/deathofthesun)
Chest Pains    (http://www.myspace.com/thechestpains)
Reservoir, Carrboro

Betty and the Boys is a new band that includes, among others, Jen 
Richelson & Sandee Kooks (ex-Fashion Design). Death of the Sun is a new 
band with Eric Wallen (ex-My Dear Ella) and Kuki Kooks (ex-Fashion 
Design). Chest Pains is crusty-old-punkrock rock.



Saturday, February 24
des_ark    (http://www.des-ark.org)
Ben Davis + The Jetts    (http://www.lovitt.com/artists/bendavis.html)
Torch Marauder    (http://www.torchmarauder.com)
Torch Marauder's Grappling Hook 
(http://home.att.net/~sandydave/torchhome.html)
Nathan Oliver    (http://www.nathan-oliver.com)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

Show of the week. des_ark and Ben Davis have a split CD coming out this 
month; Torch Marauder has a double-EP on the way; and Nathan Oliver has 
his debut appearing sometime soon as well. Plus, as if all that 
new-music goodness weren't quite enough, this show marks the official 
departure of original/"classic" Video Torch from the Torch Marauder 
stable. Henceforth, and for the foreseeable future, Torch Marauder's 
Grappling Hook (featuring current & former members of Maple Stave, 
Analogue, Sweet Militia & Cheap Heat) is the only way you're gonna see 
Mr. Marauder.



Saturday, February 24
The Adversity    (http://www.myspace.com/theadversity)
The Drowsies    (http://www.drowsies.com/)
Cross Laws    (http://www.myspace.com/crosslaws)
Gruk    (http://www.myspace.com/gruk)
Broad Street Cafe, Durham

Punk rock!



Saturday, February 24
The Crimson Spectre    (http://www.slavemagazine.com/crimsonspectre/)
Feces for War Paint
The Karloffs
Giant
The Werehouse, Winston-Salem

This is the farewell show for Greensboro ghoul/socialist punks Crimson 
Spectre. They're ferociously good at what they do, which is to slap on 
the skull makeup and sing songs about the blood that's going to run in 
the streets once the workers arise. And the occasional Misfits cover. 
They will be sorely missed.



Saturday, February 24
Carolina Soul    (http://www.carolinasoul.org/)
Hell, Chapel Hill

WXYCer Jason Perlmutter has spent a big chunk of the past several years 
obsessively searching out the MOST obscure 60s/70s soul 45's on tiny 
NC/SC labels, as well as tracking down as many of the 
players/bandmembers as he can. Thus far, the main output from this quest 
has been his amazing website, Carolinasoul.org, but tonight he's taking 
the next step: the first in a planned series of dance-parties featuring 
choice cuts from his growing collection.



Saturday, February 24
David Karsten Daniels    (http://www.davidkarstendaniels.com/)
The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers 
(http://www.prayersandtears.com/)
The Physics of Meaning    (http://www.thephysicsofmeaning.com/)
Kapow! Music    (http://kapowmusic.net)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This is a CD-release party for David Karsten Daniels's new CD, "Sharp 
Teeth." I've only heard a couple of songs, both of which were great, 
even in the unfinished versions I heard. I'm going to go out on a limb & 
call this, pre-emptively, the best Bu Hanan release to date.

Opening the show is the remainder of the current Bu Hanan roster, in all 
their songwritery baroquish art-pop glory.



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