RTP-area local music and culture

[Ross Grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Thursday, December 2
Dry Heathens    (http://www.myspace.com/dryheathens)
Pneurotics    (http://www.myspace.com/pneurotics)
Brett Harris
Pink Flag    (http://www.myspace.com/pinkflagnc)
The Pinhook, Durham

It's the inaugural round of the Great Band Swap, wherein each band on 
the bill has to play at least one song by each of the other three bands 
on the bill. It's gonna be a three-night affair, and it kicks off with a 
bang with the snarly (but still way poppy) riotpunk of Pink Flag, the 
Beatlesy pop of Brett Harris, and the barroom rock-n-roll of the 
Pneurotics and the Dry Heathens.



Thursday, December 2
919Noise Showcase
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

This month's lineup includes Andrew Weathers & Austin Glover, Electric 
Cactus & Weather Machine, and the local space/improv ensemble Boat Burning.



Thursday, December 2
Annuals    (http://www.myspace.com/annuals)
The Light Pines    (http://www.myspace.com/lightpines)
Tir Na Nog, Raleigh

This week's Local Bands, Local Beers is a doozy, with the 
next-years-model swirly anthemic pop of The Light Pines stealing the 
show from the last-years-model swirly anthemic pop of Annuals. Those NYT 
celebrities Raleigh Denim will also be on hand to give away a pair of 
their fancy pants to one lucky audience member.



Thursday, December 2
The Loners    (http://www.demonbeachrecords.com/loners.html)
Motorco Music Hall, Durham

The Loners are the creme-de-la-creme of stompy Raleigh gtr/drums 
garage-rock duos.



Thursday, December 2
Dexter Romweber    (http://www.dexterromweber.com)
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Friday, December 3
Lost in the Trees    (http://www.lostinthetrees.com)
Butterflies    (http://www.myspace.com/butterfliesnc)
Veelee    (http://www.myspace.com/seeveelee)
Motorco Music Hall, Durham

I seem to recall reading that Fullsteam would be debuting a 
locally-foraged fig beer named for/dedicated to Lost in the Trees 
tonight as well.



Friday, December 3
Billy Sugarfix    (http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/billysugarfix.htm)
Juan Huevos    (http://www.myspace.com/juanhuevos)
Antibubbles
Joy in Red    (http://www.facebook.com/joyinred)
The Pinhook, Durham

Night two of the Great Band Swap, to benefit Friends With Benefits. As 
in the first night, each band tonight covers at least one song by each 
of the other three bands on the bill.



Friday, December 3
Bio Ritmo    (http://www.bioritmo.com/)
The Casbah, Durham



Friday, December 3
Dan Melchior und das Menace    (http://www.myspace.com/dasmenace)
Last Year's Men    (http://www.myspace.com/lastyearsmenband)
Brainbows    (http://myspace.com/wearebrainbows)
2702 Lawndale, Durham

It's a birthday party for 2702 Lawndale house-show host Craig Layabout. 
Last Year's Men are about the most exciting live band around these parts 
right now, and their debut LP is gonna top a lot of top-10 lists as 
well, at least among Triangle-area garage-rockers.



Friday, December 3
John Howie & the Sweethearts
The Cave, Chapel Hill

I haven't had the chance to hear the new John Howie & the Sweethearts 
album yet, but it's pretty much guaranteed to rule.



Friday, December 3
Hell Razor    (http://www.myspace.com/hellrazornc)
Lurch
Janzig    (http://www.facebook.com/janzigxo)
Berkeley Cafe, Raleigh



Friday, December 3
The Small Ponds
Kings, Raleigh

The Small Ponds are the crackerjack, often a little mournful duo-pop 
outfit of Caitlin Cary & Matt Douglas. Wonderful wonderful stuff.



Friday, December 3
North Elementary    (http://www.northelementary.com)
Gray Young    (http://www.myspace.com/grayyoung)
Wages    (http://www.myspace.co/wageswages)
Nathan & Patrick
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Friday, December 3
J. Roddy Walston and The Business
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, December 3
Transportation    (http://www.myspace.com/transportation)
Monsonia    (http://www.monsonia.com)
Blag'ard    (http://www.blagard.com/)
Jokes & Jokes & Jokes    (http://www.myspace.com/jokesjokesjokes)
Reservoir, Carrboro

It's a 6th-anniversary celebration weekend at Reservoir.



Saturday, December 4
Bonnie Prince Billy    (http://www.dragcity.com/bands/bonnie.html)
Reynolds Auditorium, Duke, Durham

I'd seen Palace once or twice, and came away with decidedly mixed 
feelings, so it was sort of on a whim that I went to see BPB at the 
Carrboro ArtsCenter last year. Wound up being one of my favorite shows 
of the year. A sublime mix of dead-seriousness & transcendent goofiness.



Saturday, December 4
Birds & Arrows    (http://www.myspace.com/birdsandarrows)
Lizzy Ross    (http://www.reverbnation.com/lizzyross)
ArtsCenter, Carrboro



Saturday, December 4
Hot Club of Cowtown    (http://www.hightone.com/bios/hotclub.html)
The Casbah, Durham



Saturday, December 4
S.C.O.T.S.    (http://www.scots.com/)
Pinche Gringo    (http://www.myspace.com/pinchegringoband)
The Forty-Fives
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

There will be catered BBQ (naturally).



Saturday, December 4
Mosadi Music    (http://www.mosadimusic.com/)
Embarrassing Fruits    (http://www.myspace.com/embarrassingfruitsband)
HOG
Cassis Orange
The Pinhook, Durham

Night Three of the Great Band Swap, wherein each band covers at least 
one song by the other three bands on the bill. That's a lot of ground to 
cover tonight, given the distance between the casiotone pop of Cassis 
Orange and the massive tech-metal onslaught of HOG.



Saturday, December 4
North Elementary    (http://www.northelementary.com)
Gray Young    (http://www.myspace.com/grayyoung)
Jew(s) & Catholic(s)    (http://www.myspace.com/jewsandcatholics)
Kings, Raleigh

Three 307 Knox Records artists share a bill at Kings; both North 
Elementary & Gray Young have released new albums on the label within the 
past month or so.



Saturday, December 4
Bellafea    (http://www.bellafea.com/)
Spider Bags    (http://www.myspace.com/spiderbags)
Whatever Brains    (http://www.myspace.com/whateverbrains)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

The folks at the Daily Tarheel's Diversions entertainment section have 
raised the stakes a few notches with this installment of their 
local-music series, swapping out the fresh-faced young'uns for the 
scary-brilliant (and just scary) old men of Spider Bags. Bellafea have 
been around the block a few times as well.

As have Whatever Brains, although at least one of them is still in high 
school, so . . .



Saturday, December 4
The Breaks    (http://www.reverbnation.com/thebreaksofpittsboro)
The Stars Explode    (http://www.myspace.com/thestarsexplode)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Power-pop springs eternal, via a couple of bands who collectively have 
about 175 years in the music business.



Saturday, December 4
The Ex-Monkeys    (http://www.myspace.com/theexmonkeys)
Xiu Xiu    (http://www.epitonic.com/artists/xiuxiu.html)
Cheezface
DJ Skull Vomit    (http://www.myspace.com/djskullvomit)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill





Saturday, December 4
Caltrop    (http://www.myspace.com/caltropband)
Backwoods Payback    (http://www.backwoodspayback.net/)
Colossus    (http://www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou)
Reservoir, Carrboro

Reservoir's 6th-anniversary weekend blowout continues.



Sunday, December 5
Veelee    (http://www.myspace.com/seeveelee)
All Day Records, Carrboro

This is an earlyish (sometime between 6 and 9) show.



Sunday, December 5
Heads on Sticks    (http://www.thisisstrange.org/)
Wowser Bowser    (http://www.myspace.com/wowserbowsermusic)
Kings, Raleigh

Heads on Sticks is the mostly-solo side project of Birds of Avalon 
bassist David Mueller. His new album, Mocking Bird, is a dizzying mix of 
electro-funk, krautrock, and lo-fi weirdness.



Tuesday, December 7
Michael Holland    (http://www.bigjohnsrecords.com)
Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band
The Casbah, Durham



Tuesday, December 7
Yohimbe    (http://www.myspace.com/partywithyohimbe)
Hunnie Bunnies
Ski Mask
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



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