Wilco - Durham Performing Arts Center - Mar. 26 That's right. Dive got to go shoot some photos at the Wilco show last night. Check out the slideshow from Tweedy and Co.'s Durham stop and check the DTH tomorrow for a full review of the performance.
Woods are a self-claimed “psychedelic folk” or “freak folk” band out of Brooklyn whose jam sensibility surpasses that of any act of late with shades of folk. Behind a vastly touted 2009 release, “Songs of Shame,” the band has recently acquired a newfound extensive welcoming by not only music enthusiasts but the general public at large.“We’ve been packing it in there and really playing a million times,” said Lucas Crane, the band’s tape-effects technician and improvising extraordinaire. “We’ve really become a touring unit when it comes to live shows.”Woods is currently on a month long trek with pals Real Estate. The bands mapped out a two week route to Austin, Texas’ South By Southwest festival through Canada and Kansas via New York, playing five shows on the way.While in Austin they played 6 shows in 3 days, an astounding feat that isn’t uncommon at South By Southwest, but one that Woods prides itself on. “It’s not 11, it’s not 13. We know a lot of bands that do that kind of thing,” said Crane. “We decided to go for quality over quantity this year.”The bands are now en route for their launching mark with shows in Nashville, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, and Durham’s very own Duke Coffeehouse. This will be the first time that Woods will have ever played in the triangle area. Opening for the bands will be local act Soft Company.The band is currently perfecting their fifth studio album, At Echo Lake, which will be released on May eleventh through Woodsist, lead singer Jeremy Earl’s own label.“It’s much more cerebral. It’s just you and the page,” Crane said about composing At Echo Lake. “Each one (album) is a snapshot of the timing and places that it’s been constructed around. So it’s the same, but different.”Their low-fidelity folk sound, fire pit lyrical composition, rustic genius, and genuine fun will be intimately shared with 250 fortunate souls Sunday in Durham.Woods plays Durham's Duke Coffehouse tonight with Real Estate and Soft Company. Show starts at 9 p.m. and costs $10.
Shearwater - Local 506 - Mar. 15 Jonathan Meiburg's Shearwater works in broad, big strokes. Soaring landscapes light by, belted out by Meiburg's rich, insistent baritone. It's an amalgamation of woodwinds, strings, big melodies and even bigger ideas. So how does all this come off when the Austin band rolls through town with only five people? The answer Thursday night was shown to be very well. Trading the clean sound of the records for a more fuzzed out indie rock, the band kept its music huge while tearing into it with added urgency. Meiburg's voice was the star of the show. Expressive and versatile, it allowed him to deliver lofty messages with arresting charisma. Whether in expansive records or in small rock clubs, Shearwater moves audiences with surging anthems that land with visceral impact.
If you were to throw “Catch Me If You Can” and “Brokeback Mountain” in a blender, and add a hint of “Bonnie and Clyde,” the cinematic concoction would probably taste somewhat like the upcoming crime dramedy, “I Love You Phillip Morris.” But don’t expect to serve it in America anytime soon.After struggling for over a year to get a U.S. distributor to touch this star-studded, but graphically homoerotic picture, directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa decided to re-edit the film, and finally found distribution with Consolidated Pictures Group (nope, I haven’t heard of them either.)“I Love You Phillip Morris” tells the true story of con man Steven Jay Russell, who is portrayed by Jim Carrey in the film. Russell, once a police officer involved in a peachy suburban church-every-Sunday marriage with Debbie (Leslie Mann), has a stunning realization one day that he is gay, and ventures out into the world in his true, homosexual self. In order to finance this lifestyle, he pulls off a number of high profile cons, eventually landing himself in prison. This is where he meets Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor), and I’ll let you guess what kind of relationship they have. Russell cons his way out of prison, taking Phillip with him. Managing a life together outside of prison, Russell hides his secret dealings from Phillip, who’s convinced that Russell is a lawyer, as Russell’s past crimes inevitably catch up with him.
The Unthanks Here’s the Tender Coming(RabbleRouser Music/EMI Records)The latest Unthanks album suggests the onset of a harsh, bitter winter gusting from the UK on the sails of early 20th Century folk with an Irish tinge.Traditional instrumentation supports the gallingly shrill voices of the Unthanks sisters, making for an excessively lithe album too superficial to accept with sincerity.If the album is not depressing the listener with austere tales and breathy whines, it is evoking the naïve retrospections of a Disney princess’ sobbing croons into the moonlight. The beginning established a stale sound that dissolves into a lethargic amalgamation of a capella accompanied by sparse, muted instrumentation strung together for no apparent reason.The closing title track is a trepidation-provoking nine minute ordeal that exposes a startling hidden track. That hidden gem presents an adventurous tempo that any leprechaun would gladly jig to. This unmatched, concealed song produces a half-empty pot of gold at the end of this monotonous rainbow of neutral grays.Here’s the Tender Coming gives prominence to its pompous vocals and rarely veers away from its bland foundation to experiment with the group’s apparent plethora of capable players. Lifeless pianos, violins, and acoustic guitars ride shotgun on this outing. The band never revs the engine. Never sends you careening around some unexpected curve.Though sparse flahes of decency abound, the album calls for a vigorous bout of tomato throwing at the band’s label for provisionally paralyzing the forthcoming of spring with this gloomy, disheartening release.
In the interest of shameless self-promotion, I am happy to present the poster for Dive Party VIII. This semester's posters were designed by Rat Jackson/Dry Heathens guitarist Steve Oliva, who also graced us with last semester's battle ready advertisements.And if this epic design isn't enough to get you hungry for some awesome local music, the links below will let you sample the music of each of the party's participants. 15 days and counting.LuegoThe BeastThe Dirty Little HeatersJason Kutchma
Jonathan Meiburg works in large concepts. It’s this fact that shapes everything his band, the Austin, Texas-based, orchestrally minded Shearwater, does.He describes the band’s new album The Golden Archipelago as the last piece in a triptych, the culmination of the themes and styles running through the band’s last two releases. For him, it’s the end of an artistic vision that has lasted almost five years.Shearwater plays Local 506 tonight as part of its current world tour. Diversions Editor Jordan Lawrence caught up with Meiburg for a long chat about his art, his politics and his plans for the future. Diversions: How’s the tour going?Jonathan Meiburg: Tour’s been great. We just got back from Europe the day before yesterday. We played 20 shows in a row. The audiences were bigger than we’d ever had over there. We were playing better and better, so I was really exciting like that. I’m always looking forward to playing in the U.S. I don’t know why, but it feels a little less like being in a zoo exhibit.Dive: You’re calling the new record the third panel in a triptych. What’s that about?JM: I think this album and the two that preceded it have a common emotional thread running through them as well as some common themes — thinking about the natural world and the disappearance of the old version of the natural world and the replacement of it with something that’s been created by us. Us being human beings. At the same time, I don’t like the idea of this being some kind of eco-rock band. I think it’s much more metaphysical than immediate, these concerns. I’m more concerned with what it means for the world to be changing in such tremendous ways with such speed.
In honor of UNC making the NIT Final Four, Dive's got four mixtapes for you this week. Think what I just said is lame? You should hear my jokes.Biggest release of the week came courtesy of Mr. Asher "I Love College" Roth. His Seared Foie Gras with Quince & Cranberry tape is the emcee spitting his normal polysyllabic rhymes about licking titties and hanging out with his buddies Bangley and Boyder over an excellent choice of industry beats of present and past. I don't want to be too redundant here because there will be a review of this next Thursday in the print edition, but guests include Talib Kweli, Blu, Pac Div and Truck North; DJ Wreckineyez joins in for the cuts. Love him or hate him, the man warrants some respect.What's Good?: "Fuck Your Ringtone, Dog," "Sour Patch Kids Remix" Feat. Talib Kweli, Blu and Travis BarkerTracklist and Download link for Seared Foie Gras with Quince & CranberryI didn't post this a few weeks back when it dropped but after listening to the Talib's verse on the above tape, I figured what better time to bring back a dope project from a great artist. Teaming with Hevehitta - who in my opinion is hit or miss - Talib fills this with some new, some old, some remixed and some hard to find tracks. Pretty much a great compilation to hold someone over until a new album drops. It's just full of little things like a great freestyle from Shade 45 and an unreleased track with Little Brother that make you feel good.What's Good?: "Getting My Grown Man On" Feat. Little Brother, "Guerilla Monsoon Rap" Feat. Black Thought, Kanye West and Pharoahe MonchTracklist and Download link for A Tree Grows in BrooklynGoing on the rare, unreleased, remix tip and adding the warm weather we've been having, how about some summertime anthems courtesy of 1/2 of The Neptunes. Pharrell Williams may not be as in vogue as he once was, but some of his music is undeniably, well, awesome. Mick Boogie - who is regularly behind great projects - put together the latest Sounds of Miami tape and used a formidable entertainer to provide the soundtrack. The "jiggy" era may be over but Pharrell is still a force.What's Good?: "She Wants to Move (Native Tongues Remix)" Feat. Common, Mos Def, De La Soul and Q-Tip, "Sympathy for the Devil (Remix)" Feat. The Rolling StonesTracklist and Download link for Sounds of Miami Volume 4If you do the Twitter thing or keep up with MTV related news, you would have heard about Diggy Simmons, son Rev. Run and MTV reality show star, signing with Atlantic Records this week. Just so you know, kid is no joke. I threw it out there a while back that I was behind him on my own twitter feed and I wasn't alone. His first mixtape which came out in December is pretty good and he's recently killed Drake's "Over," Jay-Z & J.Cole's "A Star is Born," and, most unbelievably, Nas' "Made You Look." Don't say I didn't tell you about kid. Oh yeah, his 15th birthday was this week too.What's Good?: Those freestyles, damn.Tracklist and Download link for The First Flight
With about 300 words to rant through, honestly they should all be go toward sentence repeated ad nauseam: “Do not go see this movie!”“Remember Me” sucks more than a vacuum cleaner convention held in a red light district smack dab in the middle of a giant tornado.No, it isn’t simply because Tyler Hawkins is played by Robert Pattinson, whose only acting talent consists of blandly brooding, the majority of the time with a cigarette in hand.Nor is it just because Hawkins’ older brother Michael commits suicide before the movie starts, giving Tyler the excuse he needs to be an emo teen-angst existentialist.It isn’t due solely to the fact that Tate Ellington (Aidan Hall) is a whiny and unlovable roommate, who may have been originally slotted to have an alcoholic subplot struggle, but ends up as an annoying variety of comedic relief.He refers to his sexual prowess by motioning to his crotch and saying, “I’ve planted this flag in every continent.” Tyler’s love interest, Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin of television’s “Lost”) asks incredulously if Tate has had sex with an Eskimo. He gives her a knowing look and shrugs.It’s not terrible just because it has a formulaic Hollywood plot with an ending that strives for a deeper resonance despite its predictable storyline of “boy makes bet with boy, dates girl, falls for her, girl finds out and boy is distraught.”No, this movie is truly unbearable because it tries to be something its not. It hamfistedly and unnecessarily appends 9/11 to what is just another lackluster Hollywood rom-com. It’s a tasteless climax, cheaply riding this nation’s greatest tragedy to give it more meaning than it earns.“Remember Me”? Psht. I’m trying my best to forget.
The biggest news this week is the premiere of the trailer for “Predators,” the reboot of the classic franchise that began in the late 80s before eventually devolving into the steaming pile of crap that is the “Aliens vs. Predator” series. While director Nimród Antal’s resume isn’t all that impressive (the tepid “Armored” and “Vacancy” are his only two American films) this trailer looks pretty good compared to a lot of remakes. To be fair, the only great “Predator” movie was the first, so there isn’t as much to compete with. With Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, and multiple Predators, this could be an exercise in badassery.
Rejoice all ye fans of fiercely emotive power pop. Vancouver's famous group of lovesick indie rock punks The New Pornographers will be making a stop at UNC's Memorial Hall on June 25.The group, led by the irrepressible A.C Newman, will be on tour this summer supporting their new album Together, which hits record store shelves on May 4.Joining the Pornographers on their Chapel Hill tour stop will be The Dodos and The Dutchess And The Duke. Stay tuned to Diversions for more information on the concert as the date approaches.
This year Lewis Black's annual appearance won't be UNC's only high-profile comedy event. On April 27 the Bonnaroo College Comedy Tour will make a stop in the Great Hall of the Student Union.The first-ever comedy road outing for the Manchester, T.N.-based festival will feature performances from Amy Schumer, Pete Holmes, Kumail Nanjian and Reggie Watts."They sent out a thing to me, and then I saw the list of comedians," said Sam Morgan, comedy chair of UNC's Carolina Union Activities Board, the group brining the festival to the University. "I said, 'That's a really good line-up. We should bring them here.'"The tour will be swinging across the country, visiting various other campuses all through April and May, leading up to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which takes places from June 10 to 13 in Manchester.
(Courtesy of The Independent Weekly)1. The Independent Weekly announced the names of six performers set to play at September’s Hopscotch Music Festival, the start-up festival currated by the publication. Bear Hn Heaven, Balmorhea and Washed Out, First Rate People, Javelin, and NOMO will play the Raleigh festival set for Sep. 9 to 11. An official line-up announcement will be released in the next few weeks. Ticket prices for the 3 day festival have already been announced, ranging from $30 to $120. (via trianglemusic.blogspot.com)2. Members of Red Collar, Midtown Dickens, Mount Moriah and The Rosewood Bluff will play a tribute concert to Bruce Springsteen on April 16. "Deliver Me from Nowhere," which will pay tribute to the classic Boss album Nebraska, will take place at the N.C. School of Science and Math ETC Auditorium preceded by a free screening of theTerrence Malick flick "Badlands." Proceeds will benefit the Coalition to Unchain Dogs and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. (via Rob Koegler)3. Alex Chilton, of Big Star and the Box Tops, died of a heart attack on Wednesday, Mar. 17 in New Orleans. After complaining of feeling ill he was taken to the hospital where he later passed away. He was 59. The reunited Big Star was slated to perform at South by Southwest this past weekend.(via Pitchfork) 4. Director Michel Gondry and musician Björk have “a very ambitious project, a sort of scientific musical,” in the works, according to Gondry. While things are still very much in the early stages, the two have previously worked together for many of Björk’s music videos.(via Pitchfork) 5. Jam band Phish announced its 2010 summer tour, including a stop in Raleigh on July 1. The first leg lasts until July 4, beginning in Chicago. Tickets go on sale April 3, starting at $42.50. (via Music.MyNC.Com)
It's The Good, The Funny, and The Simply Bizarre this week at Dive TV. Lets start off with The Good, aka The Crystal Antlers and their music video for their self-released "Little Sister." This video keeps a relaxing summertime aesthetic while looking like a mashup of a nature documentary and a home video. That is, if your old home videos were filmed underwater. Watch it below:
If you love The Doors as much as I do, then you’ve probably seen Oliver Stone’s 1991 catastrophe “The Doors,” which depicted the band as bunch of drunkards engaging in a half-assed self-fulfilling prophecy whose theatrics outshine the poignancy of their work. Replete with historical inaccuracies and blatant instances of Stone’s signature over-dramatization of true events, the film took the legacy of one of the most influential rock bands to ever enter the national consciousness and, as Jim Morrison would say, “ravaged and plundered and ripped her and bit her, stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn, and tied her with fences and dragged her down.” But here to finally salvage the band from a tainted public perception is Tom DiCillo, writer and director of the soon-to-be-released rockumentary, “When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors.” As the title suggests, the movie chronicles the revolutionary and controversial lifespan of The Doors, exploring both the chemistry between the band members and the historic death of lead singer Jim Morrison. The film was a major crowd-pleaser during its run in the film festival circuit, and has generated strong critical reception within the past several months. Two main reasons for the hype: First, it’s narrated by Johnny Depp (yes, the Johnny Depp), who, in the trailer, delivers Morrison’s poetry in a hypnotic, Doorsy whimsy which enchants you to see this movie. Secondly, the film’s 90 minutes are almost entirely comprised of never-before-seen footage of the musicians, allowing for a more intimate and candid look into a band which many people saw as a group of buffoons.
About halfway through The White Stripes' 2004 concert film "Under Blackpool Lights," Jack White remembers hearing George Harrison talk of The Beatles' reverence for those titular London bulbs.In his own appearance on the stage, he quips that he's in "the right place, the wrong time." "That's how I feel everyday," he jokes with a laugh that's half amused, half bitter.Jack White is as close as modern music comes to a true rock star. He's an immensely popular musician with the power to bestow hit records on three different bands while also getting raves from music critics all over the map. But he's still not The Beatles. He's still not Bob Dylan. The time he lives in just won't allow for it, yet "Under Great White Northern Lights" displays a rocker who yearns for that kind of renown.In every shot, every performance, every brooding rock 'n' roll facial expression, this film and the 2007 Canadian tour it documents strive for the electric music environment of the '60s. It's so precise, so fully fleshed out that it strains the boundary between homage and posturing.The tour itself is what allows the film to paint the Stripes as classic rock greats. On a tour that goes through each and every territory and provence in the country, Jack and Meg White perform in small towns where a moose being spotted on Main Street would make the front page of the newspaper. In this environment their stunts are met as amazing events. When they perform "Wheels on the Bus" on an actual city bus and play a short set in a harbor floating on a boat, the crowds go bananas, shocked that such things are happening where they live.
Another week, another batch of mixtapes. Jam out to some of these with the windows down in your car over the lovely weekend.This was a lovely birthday present for moi. Consequence, who has been hot since back in his ATCQ cameo days, dropped a tape off before the release of his next album. Smooth flows and witty lines abound with guests Asher Roth, Q-Tip, Kanye West, Common, John Legend, KiD CuDi, Talib Kweli, I could keep going. This is star-studded.What's Good?: "Childish Games" Co-Starring Asher Roth, "It's G.O.O.D. Music"Tracklist and Download link for Movies on DemandI did a post about Frank Ramz a couple weeks back as he often collabs with UNC student B. Logik. This is his first official mixtape although it is his 7th project.Apparently it was all done in one session as well. That's pretty cool.So is the tape. Worthy of hard drive space.Tracklist and Download link for FrankensteinHonestly, I hadn't even listened to this one yet. But Terry Urban is one of my favorite mixtape DJs.Dudeman Celeb Famous has a terrible name but I always like finding new music. Good production is also supposed to be on here.Don't let me down Terry.Tracklist and Download link for The Situation Room
Schooner lead-singer Reid Johnson says that the Chapel Hill band's new Duck Key Sessions EP is a result of trying to achieve a brighter, cleaner pop style. "Feel Better," the opener from that album, lives up to that idea — well, it does sonically anyway. Light and frothy, it transitions from a washboard intro into a sunny melody and "Wooo-Oooo" backing vocals. In sound it's as bubbly as anything Schooner has created so far. But the lyrics reveal nervous uncertainty. Addressing a love interest, Johnson shyly wraps his luxurious croon around worries that she might not stick around. "If they sent you away, would you write home everyday with your list of complaints and the ghost that still remains? If they locked you up and threw away the key, would you be happy?" he queries with a jollity that gives way to passionate concern. With its catchy sound and poignant words, it hits at the heart of the unpredictable up and downs of a relationship.Schooner has a busy week lined up. Tomorrow the band plays Trekky Records' Carolina Jubilee at Austin's South by Southwest Festival, and on Sunday it's slated to open for Deerhunter at Cat's Cradle. So download the song, and get excited for Sunday. If you like what you hear, the whole EP is available at CyTunes.org.Download "Feel Better" here.
In honor of the fact that "Under Great White Northern Lights," the new documentary chronicling The White Stripes epic 2007 trek through Canada, is showing at the Varsity tonight (9 p.m., $3), Dive is giving you some special coverage on the band's new CD/DVD. Today we review the live album. Tomorrow we'll take a look at the movie. The two are now available together at most any record store you can think of.The White StripesUnder Great White Northern Lights(Warner Bros.)Listening to The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern Lights there is one phrase that keeps leaping into my mind: "not for the faint of heart."Though it's tracklist, a well-sequenced journey through the major highlights of the duo's career, might make it seem useful as an unofficial "Greatest Hits," the reality is far different. These 16 cuts, culled from various dates on the band's 2007 Canadian tour, are riled-up, raucous and blisteringly raw. Jack White's riffs are like exploding bombs, distorted into flaring sonic napalm, with Meg White's simple drumming keeping time amongst the melee.The incendiary intensity of the Stripes' famous live show is there from the start. The opening version of "Let's Shake Hands" is about as frenetic as the band gets. Between solos that mimic the high-pitched wail of machine work, Jack screams out his come on with a nervously creepy passion. "Say my name! Baby, say my name!" he roars with a fury that suggests violent consequences should he not get his way. It's a charismatic, yet terrifying romp, and it sets the tone for an album that joyfully flaunts the Stripes' most unhinged side.
Remember the ‘80s sci-fi flick “Tron?” I don’t. I was born in 1990. While only a modest success at the time, it’s turned into something of a cult film and is notable for being one of the first major films to use extensive computer animation. And now we’ve got ourselves a sequel set for release in December of this year. As opposed to a lot of recent series reboots/remakes, “Tron: Legacy” actual features some of the original cast and is a linear progression of the tale of interactive cyber competition. The trailer’s actually pretty cool, and the graphics look like they could really take advantage of the planned 3D presentation. Plus anything featuring Jeff Bridges is generally awesome.