Seattle’s The Moondoggies released their second album “Tidelands” on Sub Pop/Hardly Art in October. Similar to LA’s The Dawes, The Moondoggies’ pop harmonies and lush organs propel the band forward over intimate lyrics. The band is playing the Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Jan 27 and TVD has a pair of tickets to give away.
Be the first to name the Washington state capital in the comments (please leave your E-mail address too, so we can contact you) and you’ll win a pair of tickets to the show, along with a copy of the LP.
Central Park School is a year-round tuition-free public charter elementary school in downtown Durham. The school served grades K-5 and offers an arts-based curriculum. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Proceeds will go toward student art supplies, staff development for arts education, arts based field trips for workshops, gallery visits and performances and artist-in-residency grants. For more info, click here.
Other bands set to perform include: student Bands from CPSFC, The Wigg Report, The Beast, Midtown Dickens, Sacrificial Poets and The Old Ceremony.
Durham’s The Jackets started their second week of residency at Motorco with a “rehearsal” for about 50 people that was more live show than practice. The Old Ceremony’s Django Haskins opened and later joined The Jackets for an encore performance of Johnny Cash’s “Get Rhythm.” Check out the video below.
Turns out, brushing up on its chops is not something The Jackets need to focus on. Sunday’s performance showed the country-tinged band in fine form as they prepare to enter the studio to begin work on their debut record. Guitarist John Teer also proved he’s got more skills than playing fiddle and mandolin in Chatham County Lineas he ripped some blazing solos during the hour-plus set. Check out an interview with The Jackets that ran on TVD here. The band continues its residency throughout January with shows Sundays at 2 p.m. and on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Click here for more information.
Local 506 owner Glenn Booth knows how to pick ’em. Here’s Booth’s top ten list of records from 2010. The man has good taste.
1 – Sharon Van Etten
2 – Superchunk
3 – Belle & Sebastian
4 – New Pornographers
5 – Black Mountain
6 – Laura Veirs
7 – Lost in the Trees
8 – Love Language
9 – Kanye West
10 – Best Coast*
* Of course, there are about ten other records that could take Best Coast on any given day including Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Versus, Girl Talk among others.
Carrboro’s Mandolin Orangeis known for Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin’s beautiful and sparse Americana. The band has been at work on a new record, recording with some local musicians from the Drug Horse crew down in Asheville this winter.
The band plays Chapel Hill’s Local 506 Saturday. Sinful Savage Tigers and Alex Hall open. Win a pair of tickets by being the first to guess which style of NC barbecue the band prefers–and why. Leave your e-mail address in the comments so we can contact the winner.
The first record got great local reviews and you guys have been received very well in the Triangle. What’s different about the next record?
As far as sound, it’s a bigger record. Quiet Little Room was intentionally sparse, but in recording the new songs we took a more expansive approach, and are involving a lot more people’s ideas. Almost all of the rhythm tracks were recorded live, so the songs retain an honest feel.
Was there any new inspiration behind the new record? Have you two been listening to anything that would lend itself to a different sound than the last one?
Definitely. What we’re listening is constantly changing, and that affects our approach to arranging songs. We’ve been digging a lot of old school country, but also some more poppy stuff.
Do you have any top tens from 2010? Top ten records or shows?
The Books — The Way Out and countless local albums.
Any funny stories from touring last year? Franz: We played a one day festival in Wilmington in October… after our set a woman told me she wanted to be me for Halloween. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not…?
What’s the last record you bought? Franz: Feist, The Reminder Marlin: Tim O’Brien, Chicken and Egg
Lost in the Trees is already off to a killer start this year, with some pretty impressive shows booked opening for Neko Case in coming weeks. Now comes a new announcement from Chapel Hill-based label Trekky that it will release an expanded and re-recorded version of the band’s first intro to leader Ari Picker’s intricate orchestrations, 2007’s Time Taunts Me, on red vinyl Feb. 1. The reissue–originally seven songs–will include three new tracks. For more info, check out the label’s blog.
Download the calypso-esque first single, “Tall Trees,” now via the link.
Thirteen years after pulling the plug, local indie rockers Archers of Loaf reunited to open for sold out Love Language show Saturday at the Cat’s Cradle. Unfortunately, TVD couldn’t be there to catch it so we had to grab video from You Tube to prove it. All the Nations Airports was a favorite of mine back in high school; here’s hoping the band comes back to give us more.
And, check out video of The LL playing “Brittany’s Back” from the band’s 2010 record, Libraries.
We here at TVD like lists. Shopping lists, school supply lists, top ten lists… David and Shirle Koslowski, the dynamic duo and husband and wife team from Free Electric State sent along their favorite music from 2010. Check out their national and local lists below. And, when you’re done, swing over to their excellent music/cooking/book blog, Rockin’ The Stove.
FES has also just announced that the band will open for A Place To Bury Strangers March 11 at Motorco in Durham. This is the first time the band will play since going on break to write and record following their performance at the 2010 Troika Festival.
National:
Beach House – Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest (4AD)
The National – High Violet (4AD)
To Rococo Rot – Speculation (Domino)
Liars – Sisterworld (Mute)
The Soft Moon – The Soft Moon (Captured Tracks)
Weekend – Sports (Slumberland)
Deutsche Elektronische Musik – Experimental German Rock & Electronic Musik 1972-83 (Soul Jazz)
No Joy – Golden Blonde (Mexican Summer)
Tamaryn – The Waves (Mexican Summer)
Local:
Gray Young – Staysail (307 Knox)
Embarrassing Fruits – Frontier Justice (Trekky)
Organos – The Limbs EP (Pox World Empire)
Cassis Orange – Cassis Orange EP (Grip Tapes)
Veelee – The Future Sight (Grip Tapes)
Last Friday’s Hungry Heart of Gold tribute at the Local 506 was, for lack of better phrasing, a big giant clusterfuck of the best possible order. A couple hundred people packed out the Chapel Hill club to catch local acts Supreme Fiction, Django Haskins, Big Fat Gap, Semi-Formal, the Mary Johnson Rockets, Wylie Hunter & The Cazadroes, Birds and Arrows and the Tomahawks cover Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen or both. The event benefitted the Family Violence Prevention Center.
Sadly, The Boss didn’t show up, even though his daughter is in school down at the street at Duke.
Here’s a couple of videos we dug up from the show:
Semi-Formal on Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart.”
Asheville’s Reigning Soundis dropping by the Local 506 Friday in support of their latest album, 2009’s Love & Curses. The band’s blend of country/distorted rockabilly/garage rock with guitarist and vocalist’s Greg Cartwright’s snear is a kind of a meatier Reverend Horton Heat mixed with the energy of Rat Jackson–another band with some Asheville ties.
This is the first time the band has played the 506 since 2005. Check ’em out; locals Last Year’s Men open (sorry, the contest is over).
Chapel Hill’sButterflies will hit the road later this month in support of the band’s new album, Residual Child, supporting labelmates Lost in the Trees on a string of Southeast dates. They’re also giving away their infectious lead single, “Goodbye (Like A Stranger)” free along with the news. Check out the song and then watch the band play it live and acoustic on the Trekky Records porch. We here at TVD love the banjo in this tune.
LITT announced last week that they will open several dates for Neko Case in February.
Tour dates:
01-12 Atlanta, GA – The Earl*
01-13 Gainesville, FL – Common Grounds*
01-14 Jacksonville, FL – Underbelly*
01-15 Orlando, FL – The Social*
01-16 Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Monterey Club*
01-17 Tampa, FL – The Orpheum*
01-18 Tallahassee, FL – Club Downunder*
01-19 Charleston, SC – The Charleston Pourhouse*
01-20 Macon, GA – The 567*
01-21 Asheville, NC – Sage Cafe*
01-22 Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor*
Raleigh’s The Jacketsare relative newcomers to the Triangle music scene but just because the band may be new, doesn’t mean it’s members aren’t already seasoned vets. Half the band, John Teer (guitar/vocals) and Chandler Holt (guitar/bass/vocals) make up bluegrass standard-bearers Chatham County Line. Roger Gupton (guitar/bass/vocals) and drummer Evans Nicholson are well-known for having toured and played with a number of local bands.
The Jackets will start up a residency at Motorcothis coming Sunday. Dates/times are located below and all events are free.
Holt and Nicholson talked a little bit about the upcoming residency.
The Jackets as a band are relative newcomers to the Triangle music scene but the band’s members are not. How did The Jackets come together as a band?
Holt: For sometime Teer had coveted the idea of starting a rock band to show off his monster guitar prowess. He and Roger met and started loosely putting some stuff together w/Evans until I basically hijacked the band. I started forcing them to play a bunch of my tunes. It seredipitously became a lot of fun and seemed like something we should keep doing.
How did the idea to take up this residency come about?
Holt: The Jackets are going to start a recording project very soon and we decided a residency would be a great way to get well rehearsed and try some stuff. Plus, nobody does these things and we just thought it would be fun try it. Most importantly, Chris Tamplin at Motorco was totally into the idea and said he would host it.
Nicholson:
I think the idea to do it at Motorco was Chandler’s. But, since he lives so close, I also think he did it so he wouldn’t have to drive to any of the gigs.
Can fans expect to hear anything new or different?
Holt: We’re definitely going to mix it up a bit on different nights. We’ve got some new tunes that we’re going to be trying out which might mean some different arrangements from night to night. We’re also gonna just do some covers and just try to have fun and stretch out a bit. Look for some more fiddle in these four shows.
Nicholson: Fans can hear and see what a rehearsal is like for us. They can also see what we look like during the day in sunlight ( for the Sunday gigs ), so that may be interesting! Plus, since we’re billing it as a practice, that means we can play songs we don’t know and will possibly mess up – no pressure! Right? So that’s good…
What are The Jackets working on right now?
Holt: New tunes and getting a record out in 2011.
Are there any plans to tour?
Holt: Yes, we’re not sure when or where though.
If The Jackets were NC BBQ, which style would the band be?
Holt: The style of Red Bridges in John’s hometown of Shelby. That stuff is crack!!
Do you have any favorite records or shows from last year? Feel free to list away…
Holt: Honestly, I’m a bad person to ask this question. I’m a bit partial to Chatham Co. Line Wildwood. Did anybody else release a record last year? As far as shows, I got to see The David Rawlings Machine and Wilco at a festival in Holland. It was killer! Troika in Durham also sticks out as a great introduction to a lot of new bands like The Small Ponds, Onward Soldiers, Futurebirds, Filthybird and Birds & Arrows.
What’s the last record you bought?
Holt: It might have been a Mount Moriah EP or a Jonathon Byrd record? I tried to by more local music this year. There are so many cool bands in this area and the quality of these band’s projects is deserving of more national attention in my opinion.
Sun Jan. 16 – Rehearsal
Wed Jan. 19 – Performance (pint night!)
Sun Jan. 23 – Performance – Acoustic w/Django Haskins from Old Ceremony
Friday night is Art Walk in Carrboro and to top it off, Phil Cook & His Feat will play an in-store at All Day Records, the city’s newish mostly-vinyl record store on Main Street.
Local rock gods The Love Language return to headline the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro this coming Saturday for the first time since the band’s sold out CD release show there last July–and it should be a triumphant return, too, considering the success of 2010’s Libraries, the band’s first release for Merge Records.
We here at TVD have a pair of tickets to give away to the first person that can correctly name the label that released the band’s 2009 debut. Leave your reply in the comments below along with an email address.
The Love Language, initiated by Stuart McLamb, is a fortunate by-product of the North Carolina native’s rudderless mid-20s, where a tempest of breakup, inebriation, and incarceration found the abandoned songwriter embarking on a storage-space recording project to slow his seeming disintegration. The growing body of emotional fight songs, committed to MP3 with a high-school era multitrack recorder, became postcards from exile, a way to let his friends and former flames know he was getting along, battered but not beaten.
The band that McLamb has said was never intended to be has just completed a tour that saw the band travel across the U.S. and, now they’re prepping for a late-winter tour with Merge label mates Telekinesis–who are prepping a March release. The LL’s second record, Libraries, issued last summer, saw the band topping many critic’s year end lists.
McLamb took a few minutes to talk with TVD:
Libraries has wound up on quite a few best of lists for 2010—and in some pretty great company. What’s your reaction to that?
We’re very proud of that record and glad that other people share our enthusiasm for it. It’s a great feeling to make music and see it connect with the listener.
The LL will tour with your label mates Telekinesis later this winter/spring. What are you looking forward to on that tour?
Seeing our Portland family, IN and OUT, and stealing Michael for some sweet backing percussion on a few songs. Me and BJ listened to their new record 12 Desperate Straight Lines and it’s really brilliant.
What’s your essential must-have for touring, something you can’t leave home without?
My mom’s chocolate oatmeal cookies. The band’s kind of obsessed with them.
What’s the weirdest thing a fan has given to you or said to you while on the last tour?
Nothing comes to mind that’s really outlandish. Once a kid had me and Missy sign his shoes. I get this question a lot. Can a crazy fan out there please freak me out so i’ll have a good story for this popular interview question? please?
Fill in the blank: After several days of being in the tour van, I wish we were all riding horseback instead.
Fill in the blank: The best bathroom I’ve found in a rock club so far has been the trashcan outside of Guided By Voices’ dressing room. For real. Those guys are rowdy.
What’s the last record (not CD) you bought? King Crimson- In the Court of The Crimson King. Finally.
What’s next for the LL? Me and BJ are going to track demos for the next record while undergoing the master cleanse. Should be interesting.
