RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

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.



Sunday, February 25
Beloved Binge    (http://www.myspace.com/belovedbinge)
WXDU 88.7 FM, Durham

Beloved Binge are a Durham gtr/drums duo; they relocated here a year or 
two ago from the Pacific Northwest, and though I hesitate to make a 
regionalist argument, nevertheless they've got some of that K-Recs 
mid-fi DIY indie-rock spirit about them. You can always tell they're 
having a good time when they're playing, even if they're nervous. And I 
betcha even if you're listening on the radio.

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



Wednesday, February 28
Brass Castle    (http://www.brasscastle.com/)
Calloused Hands    (http://www.myspace.com/phelangroovy)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Wednesday, February 28
DMVB    (http://www.myspace.com/dmvb)
Donny Hue and the Colors    (http://saucerecords.com/donny_hue.htm)
The Naught    (http://www.myspace.com/thenaughtnc)
Kings, Raleigh



Thursday, March 1
Dr. Powerful    (http://drpowerful.googlepages.com)
Shaking Hands With Danger    (http://www.myspace.com/shakinghandswithdanger)
Thunderlip    (http://www.thunderlip.com/)
Volume 11 Tavern, Raleigh

Volume 11 is the new metal/hardrock club somewhere in Raleigh. I think 
it may be an adjunct to a popular practice-space that sort of morphed 
from a de facto party spot into a club, but I'm not really sure.

Shaking Hands With Danger is a Triad band, and I think they've got 
ex-members of All Astronauts and Kudzu Wish, but I may be confused.

Dr. Powerful are from Sanford, and they make kinda spacey rock; their 
drummer is Eddie Watkins (ex-Polvo). Thunderlip are from Wilmington, and 
they make ultra-amped hardrock with a singer who likes to give 147%.



Thursday, March 1
snmnmnm    (http://www.snmnmnm.com/)
Rat Jackson    (http://www.myspace.com/ratjacksonmusic)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Thursday, March 1
Crowmeat Bob presents Death Jazz
Kings, Raleigh

& they say "w/ 'wrong move', featuring: dan hall, rick lassiter, julian 
sparacino and of course, bob"



Thursday, March 1
63 Crayons    (http://www.the63crayons.com)
The Young Sinclairs    (http://www.myspace.com/theyoungsinclairs)
A is Jump    (http://www.myspace.com/aisjump2)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Thursday, March 1
Le Weekend    (http://www.myspace.com/mattwkalb)
Goner    (http://www.gonertheband.com/)
Darker Brighter
Reservoir, Carrboro

Le Weekend is the new band fronted by Matt Kalb (Audubon Park, ex-Hotel 
Motel) along with Robert Biggers (AP, the Nein), Bob Wall (ex-Razzle, 
ex-Hotel Motel), and a couplea folks from that great defunct Asheville 
band Piedmont Charisma. They're like a somewhat more prog Hotel Motel, 
maybe.

Goner are the long-running bass/drums/keyb Raleigh band. Darker Brighter 
is the brand-new band of Linc Hancock, who used to play bass in The 
White Octave, but is playing guitar in this new thing. He's joined by 
Charles Story (ex-Weather) and Brian Donohoe (Shadow of a Great Name). 
Linc says, half-jokingly, "we're a power trio. on the spectrum between 
rush and buffalo tom we are probably sebadoh."



Thursday, March 1
Simple    (http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomsimple)
Ye Olde Shoppe
Fuse, Chapel Hill



Friday, March 2
Red Collar    (http://www.myspace.com/redcollarmusic)
The Cassandra Project    (http://www.myspace.com/tcpnc)
305 South, Durham

This is a CD-release party for the new Red Collar EP. Cassandra Project 
are one of those Durham supergroups where everybody wears party dresses. 
There may be more bands I don't know about; here's hoping the warm 
weather holds.



Friday, March 2
Sparklehorse    (http://www.sparklehorse.com)
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter    (http://www.jessesykes.com)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Friday, March 2
Hundred Air    (http://www.myspace.com/hundredair)
Kingsbury Manx    (http://www.thekingsburymanx.com/)
Heads on Sticks    (http://www.thisisstrange.org/)
Kings, Raleigh

Kingsbury Manx we all know, of course; they are the Triangle's finest 
purveyors of slow-n-pastoral psych-pop. Hundred Air are the new band of 
Adam Price (ex-Mayflies USA). Heads on Sticks is the solo side-project 
of Strange's Dave Mueller.



Friday, March 2
Red Sparowes    (http://www.redsparowes.com)
William Elliott Whitmore    (http://www.southern.net/southern/band/WILEW)
US Christmas    (http://www.uschristmas.net)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, March 2
Electric Sunshine
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Saturday, March 3
Veronique Diabolique    (http://www.veroniquediabolique.com/)
The Gates of Beauty    (http://www.myspace.com/gatesofbeauty)
Beloved Binge    (http://www.myspace.com/belovedbinge)
Clang Quartet    (http://www.myspace.com/clangquartet)
Bombadil    (http://www.bombadilmusic.com/)
Broad Street Cafe, Durham

This is Dorkfest Two. A Durham band called Salt To Bitters is also on 
the bill. It's up to you to determine what the word "dork" means to you, 
and to act appropriately. I know what it means to me, and it's probably 
in this photo somewhere: 
http://www.veroniquediabolique.com/photos/dorkfest2.jpg

Veronique Diabolique, when they aren't dressed like dorks, dress like 
French Goths, and act accordingly. Beloved Binge are dorky in that cute 
"self-deprecating jokes about themselves" kinda way. Clang Quartet is 
kind of ultimately dorky, in the sense that Scotty travels all over the 
southeast performing an intense noise/percussion show about Jesus.

Gates of Beauty bill themselves as "three women . . . three instruments 
. . . three time signatures"



Saturday, March 3
Hammer No More the Fingers    (http://www.hnmtf.com)
AOK    (http://www.myspace.com/aoknc)
305 South, Durham



Saturday, March 3
Grizzly Bear    (http://www.grizzly-bear.net/)
Papercuts    (http://www.myspace.com/papercutsmusic)
Dirty on Purpose    (http://www.dirtyonpurpose.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



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