Music review for April 23
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Kingsbury ManxAscensuer Ouvert!pop
It's a strange time to love music. I'm not smart enough to wax on about the implications of the nation's current economic situation. But I am dumb enough to think that strapping on a guitar and hitting the road seems like as good a career option as any at this point.Take note I said think about it.I don't like Dylan or Kerouac near enough to actually try it.These are just the things you romanticize when none of your friends have jobs one of them wants to join the Army and lying around listening to pop songs seems like the most logical response to recession. Shiny guitars and vocal harmonies are the only things seeing a surge in stock these days.I've got a whole year more to contemplate my impending introduction to the real world but if I've learned anything turning to my record collection for career advice isn't going to get me too far.It's a fun way to suspend reality though.You know" maybe I could be a ""Paperback Writer"" or an ""Astronaut"" or" God forbid" a ""Hairdresser on Fire"" — Morissey's always good for life advice. A friend of mine told me the other week that the problem with being a ""music geek"" — his words" not mine — is that the best record you've ever heard is always the next one you're going to listen to.That's a depressing thought for a broke college kid with no real source of income. I know what you're saying: get a job you privileged entitled prick. I hear you. I'm trying.But for now I'll keep diving through crates of records going to rock shows and generally existing in a fantasy world where Pavement and Otis Redding trade house band duties every few days depending on my mood.And hey that's been my job for the past year: editing Diversions. I find records I like and convince myself that someone out there values my opinion. If that's not a blatant disregard for reality I don't know what is.Now I don't have any delusions that my endorsement has sold anyone any records but it's been a lot of fun.My time in these pages however has (un)fortunately run its course. I'll spend the next year actually doing my school work and preparing myself as best I can to go out and hunt for a job that probably doesn't have rattling off Chapel Hill's 10 best bands at any given moment as a requirement. Although I'm not opposed to Merge throwing some of that Spoon or Arcade Fire money my way.That seems as much a fantasy as anything else though.No matter though. None of those worries need be addressed until after the Diversions Party on Friday May 1 at Local 506. I've spent a good chunk of the semester putting it together and three of my favorite bands are playing.Sure some of you might have exams the next morning but don't let that slow you down.Let's all just dance around and put off the real world together.That's what music's for after all.Contact Jamie Williams at jameswe@email.unc.edu.
The rush to categorize music into neat little genres has created some silly classifications.But doom-pop? Steve Brooks lead singer of Atlanta's Torche a band that has received this distinction in plenty of reviews of its latest album Meanderthal" is as confused as anyone about this seemingly contradictory descriptor.""All that stuff is stupid" Brooks said. It's rock. I don't think we really put it into categories. Any of that s--t" it makes no sense.""Full of soaring guitars and Brooks' even-higher-soaring vocals" Torche's heaviness is immediate but the just barely subterranean pop sensibilities give the band its tough-to-pin-down sound.But for God's sake" don't call it metal.""We listen to all kinds of s--t" Brooks said.I'm not a big fan of metal I like the '80s stuff the thrash stuff" but metal died in the early '90s. Everything has been done. That form of music has just been so limited. We just do whatever we want.""Those impulses have gained the band plenty of acclaim" earning them spots on several publications' (including this one's) best-of-2008 lists" a fact that is also pretty surprising to Brooks.""It was a surprise. We weren't expecting anything"" and for (the album) to be on a lot of people's tops list is pretty cool.""That attention has been a long time coming for Brooks" who said he has been tirelessly touring since the late '90s. But to hear him tell it" there's no secret formula for finally breaking in. It just takes patience. And plenty of work.""We did it the hard way. It's pretty funny how you get a lot of attention really quick" he said.But I've worked my a-- off" and I do it because I love to do it. And it's not like we're rich. We're still struggling.""Torche has become a hot commodity for festival organizers" landing several appearances at prominent metal festivals in the last year. And despite his attitude about the genre as a whole" he welcomes the prospect of playing these shows.""All the bands that play those things are friends of mine"" Brooks said. I just end up just talking the whole entire time.""Brooks said plans for future touring will be with more rock-oriented bands. He specifically mentioned garage rock freaks Monotonix as possible partners.""There are a lot of bands that I love seeing that I'd like to get tours with"" he said. A lot are more rock bands. I don't really care to tour with metal bands in the future.""But for now"" Brooks said Torche will continue making the music it wants to make. Genre classification be damned.""We're kind of doing our own thing and it just comes different to different people. We started doing what we're doing years ago. I'm glad people are catching on.""ATTEND THE SHOWTime: 7 p.m. April 21Location: The Brewery" 3009 Hillsborough St." RaleighInfo: www.myspace.com/thebreweryContact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
Maybe it's the gluttonous nature of America. Maybe it's the desire for bigger louder and more intense. Hell maybe it's conventional wisdom. But most people just don't think a duo is a viable band configuration.Eleni Vlachos says that's changing to some extent" and hopes this weekend's third installment of Duo-Fest in Durham will help quell the notion that a pair of players can't do enough to satisfy.Vlachos is now back in her home in Durham after seven months touring with her husband as Beloved Binge and screening her documentary on vegan activism. She said this trek included fewer inquiries about a missing bass player than ever before.""It's really the ultimate insult"" she said. But this time out we heard it a lot less.""The reality" she says for the 16 duos who will be taking over Bull City Headquarters Saturday is that limited numbers do not equal limited ability or creativity.In fact the duo dynamic increases the need for both" as she's seen in her three years organizing the event.""The sort of general mindset is that you need to have all these multiple layers"" she said. But duos work because people are willing to start from a minimal base and expand upon it.""But they are certainly not limited to the drum-guitar configuration that seems most logical. That musical diversity is one thing Vlachos finds most intriguing about the groups playing this year's Duo-Fest.""What I usually see is the sort of experimental sound with technology" that has served the duo using laptops. Others have standard drum and guitar" or you play two things at the same time. It's just a lot of interesting songs.""This year's undisputed headliner is Vancouver's Mecca Normal"" who made special arrangements to include Duo-Fest as part of their current 25th anniversary tour.""It's so crazy that they're still out and touring after 25 years"" Vlachos said of the group, whose feminist stances made it an early influence on the riot grrl movement.For those that work up an appetite, there will also be a vegetarian/vegan potluck, which Vlachos sees as an important part of the fest's sense of community.It's a nice time to socialize and meet some great people and eat some really great food.""All that after getting your fill on music. Just think of the whole day as controlling portions without sacrificing taste.
ATTEND THE SHOWTime: 9:30 p.m. todayLocation: Duke Coffeehouse Crowell Building" Duke campusInfo: duke.edu/web/coffeehouse
When the winds of creativity strike Keegan Dewitt he often has to sit back and consider exactly which way he wants to follow the muse.Occasionally channeling his inspiration into his solo recording project and other times into composing the film scores he is constantly working on (he's just wrapped three)" Dewitt said he hasn't yet perfected which creative pathway is the most appropriate route for each of his splashes of inspiration.""I haven't been doing it long enough to find which is my default creative part" he said.A lot of times I'll just sit down at the piano and start writing and if I start out writing words" I just know that's a song for me.""Oh" and in addition to those projects Dewitt also plays guitar in Nashville-via-Chapel Hill rock band Roman Candle" a project he describes as his major opportunity to cut loose and enjoy himself.""I just have a lot of fun playing with Roman Candle. I don't have to be this big ball of stress.""Dewitt will bring his solo project to The Cave Saturday night"" hoping to recreate the atmospherics of his recordings without the strings that provide much of his solo work's unique flair.""A lot of the music has these big string sections and it will be a test to translate the songs without them.""The care that Dewitt puts into his compositions are evident" both in speaking with him and actually listening to his work.The routes Dewitt has taken to his current projects speak to that studied attention to detail.Starting as an actor attending film conservatory Dewitt then returned to the world of music to play with Roman Candle create his solo compositions and score documentaries.That cinematic history is evident in his music" using string swells to capture many diverse emotions.""When you're in an extreme emotional situation"" you end up with this intangible emotion that's a bundle of all of these strange things.""""That's what I'm in pursuit of; the feeling I'm trying to create.""Above all"" he just wants to make sure that he stands out from all of the other singer-songwriters touring the country at any given time.""There are just so many white males out with their guitars" he said. I am so deliberate with my songs because I want to stand out and be definitive.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
For Leigh Watson most everything is beautiful. It's a word she tosses around quite naturally in conversation using it to describe the home she and her sister share in Los Angeles to the unique experience of live music to the Laurel Canyon country sound that has influenced The Watson Twins' music since they moved west from Kentucky nine years ago.It seems things are going well for Leigh and her twin sister Chandra.When we spoke the duo was preparing to hit the road in support of Ben Kweller making a stop at Cat's Cradle Sunday night.The group's pristine harmonies are something Watson said the group is protective of" but added that she understands the uniquities of the live setting give it its charms — its beauty.""I try not to be as precious as I used to be about it. I want to nail my performance" but also realize that every show is different and that's the beauty of it. The interaction is different every time and we just live in the fact that we're experiencing something that will never happen again" Watson said.That attention is apparent on record, as the Watsons' voices meld in harmony, influenced just as much as Crosby, Stills and Nash — California legends — as the hymns they grew up singing in their native Kentucky.The act of leaving Kentucky still weighs on her mind, Watson said.There are certain things about the Midwest and the South that are awesome things" and there are some things that I'm not so proud of" she said. There's a balance there and it's something that you obviously take with you.""Those values are things the Watsons picked up in the church where the girls learned to sing" presumably developing the courage to let their vocals rise alone standing stark against sparse instrumentation.But even for that seasoning" Watson said without the support of the fellow musicians living in Los Angeles' Silver Lake neighborhood — where the twins have made their home for the last nine years — they may not have been bold enough to expand their sound as they have.""The beautiful thing about the community that we're a part of is that none of us are really playing the same kind of music" she said. Everyone was just sort of figuring it out" and now some people have found amazing success and others are still just plugging along. But we help each other out.""They all exist in the shadows of Laurel Canyon"" the scene in the '70s that put California on the country/folk map. That fact isn't lost on Watson.""The harmonies and the vocals are what we focus on because that's where we come from" but also the '70s California scene has influenced us as well. That whole Laurel Canyon scene is something we've been turned on to being out here" she said.To think, they weren't even supposed to go West. We were supposed to be moving to New York"" but at the last minute we ended up moving to the other side of the country. I told myself I'd give myself a year and then I'm out. And now I've been here nine years. And I'm happy.""It's that contentment and sense of security that is audible when the Watson Twins sing. And when they speak. They are" after all two sisters who have found success leaving home" all while retaining the charm of a Southern past.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
MorrisseyYears of RefusalRock
Unless you live in a total state of blissful denial you know that Valentine's Day will be upon us come Saturday. And we at Diversions want to make sure your Hallmark-invented day of love is as enjoyable as possible. Seriously we want it to be awesome. After all most of the songs and movies we write about are based on love in at least some way. So thanks Cupid. If it weren't for you I might not have a job.What we have here is a somewhat definitive guide to the day of St. Valentine.We had a good time putting this together so hopefully you enjoy your evening just as much whether you're going out staying in or wondering if he'll actually call.Facebook's romantic secretsIt is a universally acknowledged truth that a college student in possession of a Facebook has used the Web site to check out the opposite sex. Honestly who hasn't used Facebook to look up the cute girl or guy in one of his or her classes? In this way the social networking site functions as a way to screen potential love interests before deciding whether they are worth pursuing. All it takes is one visit to Facebook to get the essentials. Do you share any of the same interests? Do you have any mutual friends? Is he or she even single? However as with any private investigation" looking at someone's Facebook may leave a person with more questions than answers.What does it mean if the all-important ""interested in"" column is missing? Does his or her political affiliation even matter? Could you pursue someone who listens to Hootie and the Blowfish? In a matter of seconds"" that hypothetical relationship that you were imagining goes up in the flames of ""too much information.""But to some"" the idea that people might be looking into them as a romantic possibility via the Internet is not copacetic.""If people want to know about my personal life they can ask me"" said sophomore Lori Baldwin.To complicate matters further, a person can be more than just single"" or ""in a relationship."" What does ""it's complicated"" even mean? ""I usually think they like to mess around and not be monogamous"" said senior Carrie Clifford.Senior Annie Stevens, however, believes these statuses may also be used facetiously. Most of the time it's just friends messing around as a joke"" she said. But is it really necessary to broadcast the intricacies of one's personal life?According to sophomore Matt Waters, there may be more meaning behind relationship statuses. It gives people more options. Relationships are not black and white"" he said. Fellow sophomore Dan Kennedy agreed and said they afford you more flexibility to express yourself.""Even if it was not the intention of Facebook's creators to enable users to connect with potential significant others" the site has become an integral part of the social and romantic lives of most college students. If manipulated correctly Facebook can have the potential to be another online dating service. Who needs eHarmony when you have Facebook?-Cassie PerezDudes' night in also OK guysOK so maybe you don't happen to have a date for Saturday. No problem guys. Call up your buddies order one of those heart-shaped pizzas from Papa John's I got a flier about in the mail the other day and you know" do guy things.That awful MTV show has put the term ""bromance"" into the national lexicon" but that doesn't exactly make it acceptable. Please guys don't ever use that word.That's not what this is. This is hanging out with friends on a Saturday night. Nothing wrong with that right?Maybe there will be a good NBA game on or something. If that's not your bag then a good comedy (avoid John Cusack) can be a nice way to kill a few hours while you wait for the one roommate who actually did manage to trick someone into going out with him to get back and describe just how he managed to strike out.So guys don't let Valentine's Day get you down. It's just another day after all.And you know if things get really rough just go out and laugh at the guys on dates who just have no idea what they're doing.Who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky and find another group doing the exact same thing.-Jamie Williams
PhosphorescentTo Willie4.5 of 5 starsThe music of Phosphorescent is best enjoyed late at night. After wrestling with sleep for a few hours the tender yet pained voice of lead man Matthew Houck has an almost intoxicating quality. Floating over shakers plinking keys and mournful strums Phosphorescent often takes the shape of a weekend bender personified through sonic form.With that said it makes sense that Houck's latest a tender tribute to Willie Nelson would work so well. To Willie is a covers album by definition but Houck owns the songs in such a way that they quickly become his own.For the disc's 11 tracks he's dug deep into Nelson's catalogue eschewing the obvious hits in favor of the drinking songs" the praying songs and the ""too sick to pray"" songs. These songs have lives of their own" with characters and stories that combine pain" regret and lapsed faith.Houck does these songs like he's lived them. When he opens the record with ""Reasons to Quit" an old Merle Haggard and Nelson song that kicks off with the declaration Reasons to quit/The coke (Nelson sang smoke) and booze don't do me like before/I'm hardly ever sober and my old friends don't come around here anymore" you feel it, and more importantly, you believe him. Houck has lived with these songs and knows them inside and out, which is, of course, what makes this record such a success.In recent years, Nelson's image has been turned into a sort of caricature: a long haired aged hippie who has become the butt of jokes after a few drug possession arrests,.It would be easy to lose sight of what a true songwriting talent Nelson really is. When Phosphorescent takes on these songs, there's no denying their power.Houck has referred to this project as a musical love letter"" to one of his heroes" and that's exactly what it is. Having established himself as an important and dynamic voice Houck now has the luxury of having a terrific label (Dead Oceans) to release this love letter that otherwise may have just been tucked away in a drawer deemed too private and a little too beautiful to see the light of day. It's an aching tribute to hard living Saturday sin mixed with the Sunday repentance tradition of country music created by a man who sounds like he's sitting in his bedroom staring out the window strumming and singing with a few empty bottles on the dresser trying to come to grips with his lack of sleep lapse in faith and surplus of sin.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
The morning I spoke with Jason Brewer lead singer and songwriter of Charleston S.C.'s The Explorers Club was frigid with the January temperature hovering just above 40 degrees. The half-hour before the scheduled time of the interview was taken up by a quick run-through of the group's excellent debut album Freedom Wind" an exercise that temporarily suspended the reality of winter.The warming power of his band's music is not lost on Brewer.""That's the bonus of hearing The Explorers Club in winter … the temporary warmth"" Brewer said.That warmth comes from the band's sunny brand of pop. Combining the universal themes of girls, sun and fun with complex harmonies, the group immediately calls to mind heavyweights like The Beach Boys or The Zombies.Brewer doesn't get tired of the comparisons, preferring to think of them as high praise.It's nice to be mentioned along with people that I really respect"" he said. It could be worse; at least we're being compared to a band that is great.""As winter drags along" the band is set to hit the road melting the ice under the wheels of its van with sunny sounds of summer. Brewer admits though" that recreating the pristine qualities of the band's harmonies in a live setting can be an ""adventure.""""Sound engineers and our band are an interesting combination" Brewer said. They're used to turning up the guitars and kick drums" and here we are with guys trading vocals mid-song. We try very hard to work with them and not make it too complicated on our end.""Still" Brewer is proud of his band's insistence on harmony and melody" saying he wished there were more bands out there with a similar sound.""We're not trying to be an alt- rock band" we just want to be a pop singing group" he said.I'm hoping there will be a change in more of that coming around.""Brewer says The Explorers Club is happy to lead that charge" adding that upon the completion of this short run of tour dates the group will get into the studio to prepare a follow-up to Freedom Wind.Even though the group is already looking forward to album number two Brewer said they are still excited to bring the songs of Freedom Wind to audiences that may not have heard them yet.And when those people do come" Brewer said he has a specific vision of their response to the band's music.""We just want to warm everyone up and provide a little bit of an escape"" he said. It's really just all about warmth and positivity.""
When Kyle Miller founded Durham-based Churchkey Records his goal was to produce vinyl records. That was the vision he had for his label: producing honest-to-goodness vinyl records with ornate artwork that people could buy and collect.With Saturday night's Duke Coffeehouse celebration of the release of Fatty Don't Feel Good" a 7"" single from Durham's Dirty Little Heaters"" Miller and the label have reached the goal.""It's the first one we've done"" he said. But moving forward there are going to be a lot more.""But like anything else"" the first time provided some unknown hurdles.""In a way" the process of making records and CDs is similar" Miller said.But we've had to learn some things just because this is the first time. The mastering is a little different and there are just different people you have to go through.""Despite the hurdles"" Miller said he adopted a do-it-yourself approach to finish the packaging of the records.""We got the records back from the plant and we got the artwork done by a local printer and then we went out and bought some plastic sleeves" sat down and did all the packaging ourselves" he said.Reese McHenry, lead singer of Dirty Little Heaters, doesn't even own a record player.She used to. But not anymore. She still buys records, though, just for sentiment and collecting.I think things like this are sort of collector's items" she said.When Kyle approached us about it we were like ‘Hell yes" absolutely.'""This run" with only 500 individually numbered records printed may well produce a hot item for Triangle music fans.Especially since Miller called Dirty Little Heaters and the songs on this record" ""perfect for this format.""""There's such a market for garage rock records out there.""""I think people will be excited; vinyl is back.""The statistics bear out that claim as well. According to figures from the Recording Industry Association of America"" sales of vinyl in 2007 were up 36.6 percent from the year before. McHenry said that the experience of being able to buy a local record on vinyl is only augmented by the two brand new songs on the release.""We're working on a full-length record right now"" she said.But I really love the idea of having two brand new songs absolutely available now for people to hear. We passed over a bunch of songs because I think these are really perfect.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
For some reason" the term ""student band"" comes with a dirty connotation. Most hear it and immediately think ""sub-par"" but really, it's much more of a commentary on the age of the members than their skill level. And with that first word — student"" — comes the added responsibilities that go with being full time scholars"" all while being pulled by the desire to succeed as musicians.As Sam Logan of The Huguenots said in an interview earlier this year: ""We do it when we can. Writing and performing — not school work.""Lake Inferior formed more than a year ago" and in those 12 months" members Dax Beaton and Bo Beard said the band has shifted from simply a weekend passion into what has become basically a full time job.""There is definitely pressure on us" Beard said.We've had you know the talk and we've decided that music is what we want to do so we've been taking it more seriously and practicing and writing more" also playing a lot more shows.""Add that to Beard's two jobs and status as a full-time student and it's a wonder the four-piece band has any time to get together for practice.""Four of us are taking classes and one even commutes from (N.C.) State"" so we'll be having practice and someone will have a paper or a midterm the next day and be really stressed out the whole time. We've all sort of lost it at least one time.""But they do it through strict scheduling"" making it easier for everyone to work around practice schedules and upcoming concerts because they know well in advance when they will use their nights to practice and write new songs and when they will use their evenings to write papers and study.""We practice on Wednesday and Friday nights" Beaton said.That schedule is so important so that people can commit to those days and know that those nights" that's what we're doing.""For Andrew Rooney" who raps under the name Apollo though" scheduling is something that he finds difficult due to the basic nature of creativity.""I can't say" I have free time Tuesday from 3-6 so I need to write this song because the inspiration may not be there Rooney said. And then I may be writing a paper the night before it is due and out of nowhere I get this great idea" and I'd have to put the paper on hold.""Liz Ross of the band Lafcadio said that the social environment of campus is particularly conducive to making music.""I just have this great community of friends"" she said. And luckily that community really facilitates making music.""Rooney agreed"" saying his position as a student puts him in the position to expose people to his music through the captive audiences provided by on-campus music events.""A lot of the dorms have music events and then there's stuff like SpringFest where you can play and there's always a lot of people there who will be getting the chance to hear your music.""Beaton from Lake Inferior said that his band didn't want to play those sorts of events before this year"" when it signed to the student-run label Vinyl Records.""We really weren't involved with UNC stuff before this year" he said.We didn't want to be known as just a UNC band" we wanted the music to speak for itself.""To ensure that the music does that"" the group has been concentrating more on music and ""skipping a few more classes to jam and write during the day.""""We've got two shows coming up and" you know people have school stuff to do but we're concentrating more on writing and recording Beaton said.And maybe people have to rush to practice or shows after classes are over or have longer nights" but that's a choice we've all made and I don't think I'd really want to be doing anything else.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
Betsy Shane of Durham's Pink Flag admits that talking about female musicians has gotten her into trouble before. But her brazen attitude toward the subject suggests that she doesn't really care about bruising anyone's feelings.""I think we're kind of in this third wave for girl bands that are just these b----es that just say" ‘I've got a guitar" and I'm going to get up there and play.'""And so it goes for Pink Flag"" a trio determined to break down ""girl-band"" stereotypes by refusing to take a backseat to the boys.""We just want to upstage everyone" Shane says with the sort of sly smile that manifests itself musically each time Pink Flag plugs in its instruments and begins to create the spunky punk gems that have garnered the band plenty of attention since it formed in January when Shane answered a Craig's List ad posted by the group's bassist Princess Ojiaku.Even Shane seems taken aback by the band's quick rise within the Triangle music community.It's just been a short rocket-like like thing she said.We've just been slammed with good luck. We got to play Franklin on Halloween" a great house party the night after; we're doing Troika and releasing our record pretty soon after that.""And in advance of all of those shows" and in all of the reviews of the group's upcoming record" the gender of the three members will undoubtedly be mentioned. That fact doesn't bother Shane; she just wants the band's music to be considered fairly.""It bothers me when people are surprised when we can play our instruments because we are girls or when people blame the fact that we can't play our instruments on the fact that we are girls.""After a few songs at any of their shows though"" the band quickly shifts from a ""girl band"" into" quite simply" a very good band providing three minutes of sonic jabs with each of its high-energy jams.""It's as weird as people let it be. If you don't stick your vagina in everyone's face"" people will just let it go.""And even with the insistence on not being pigeon-holed"" Shane said she is still considering hanging a big ""No Boys Allowed"" sign on Pink Flag's proverbial clubhouse.""I sort of have this thing where I don't think that I would want a boy in this band" she said before bassist Ojiaku chimed in.I just think it's easier this way" Ojiaku said. I'm more comfortable with this as someone who has never been a professional musician before this.""That comfort is an important part of a band that Shane compared to some sort of ""really obnoxious polygamous group.""""With us" it's never me going to a show; it's all of us going to a show. If two of us go out to dinner the other is always like ‘Hey" why didn't you guys invite me?'""That type of bond is evident from the stage" as the girls play with the singular goal of ripping your preconceived notions to shreds.Contact the Dive Editor at dive@unc.edu
Ari Picker sighs when asked about the past few months" spent organizing the Project Symphony concert" which finally takes place Saturday after months of ""lots of coffee and e-mails.""And all that is in reference to securing a venue and recruiting a 60-piece orchestra made up entirely of volunteers. It doesn't even begin to address the process of composing an original symphony"" a project Picker described as both ""intimidating"" and ""a spiritual experience.""He admitted a little bit of trepidation at the beginning.He was" of course" staring in the face of the masters such as Bach and Mozart who are often the only names given consideration within classical music.""Those guys are almost mythical figures"" Picker said. They were so good at what they did. I am very humbled by the whole thing.""He tried to shape his mind to fit the traditions of a genre that is known for its discipline by immersing himself"" choosing five specific pieces to study extensively.""I learned to shed my modern musical ear and try to think in more traditional melodies suited for traditional form"" he said. I was trying to write in a genre that is absolutely horrifying to write for."" ""Some days I would just lock myself in a room and come out with a measure"" and some days it just poured out.""That modern ear was honed by a youth spent playing in pop bands around Chapel Hill. A few years in classical composition classes at Berklee College of Music led him toward more orchestral and classical music.He conceded" though that some pop influence sneaking into his piece was not only unavoidable" but intentional.""I really wanted my melodies to be classic and memorable"" he said.I think people could walk away humming it. It has a clear beginning and end. And that was on purpose.""Leah Gibson" a UNC senior who will play cello in the orchestra and has worked with Picker's folk project Lost In The Trees for the past year" said those pop flourishes shine through.""You can still hear the styles from his other projects" she said.At times it sounds very much like a film score" and other movements have elements that kind of sound like hip-hop to me. I would describe the whole piece as catchy.""Picker hopes his turn as composer will inspire others to both develop an appreciation for classical music and work on composing their own pieces.""Part of the mission is to create resources for modern composers"" he said.The more you know about it the more you might enjoy. Ultimately I hope Project Symphony can bring this music back into the mainstream by having the composers that are young and energized.""In addition" the event has a charitable purpose with half of the proceeds from the event going to Chatham County Together" a mentoring and academic outreach program.""I think there are just so many angles to approach this show" he said.There's the fact that it's for charity" the fact that the orchestra is made up of members of the community and friends and also the fact that it's a new piece of music that's being performed.""Ultimately he's most excited about the piece itself"" describing it as ""bombastic.""And" after all of the work that's been done in preparation" Picker admits that he's no longer nervous.""I was nervous a few months ago because there was just so much to do" he said.Now" it's kind of just a question of whether or not I studied enough for the test.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
There are a few things that make college towns culturally unique. Among those is college radio which remains one of the most important sources of exposure for local artists the people that provide students and residents the opportunity for a musical experience unlike people in different parts of the country.Steph Russ the Promotions and Special Events Director for UNC's student-run radio station WXYC" said she takes this mission very seriously.""We always try to keep local bands in rotation. We really love putting the spotlight on bands that make great music in this area.""On Sunday evenings from 8 to 9" the spotlight shines brightest during the station's Backyard BBQ program an hour dedicated to exposing listeners to local music.The show gives air time to local acts but also invites bands in for interviews and in studio performances.And Friday night at Local 506 three bands that the station has firmly stamped with its approval will take the stage in celebration of both Backyard BBQ and the music it so ardently supports.Sam Taylor of Caltrop who will headline Friday's show" said being asked to play the concert served as a little bit of validation.""We're glad to be a part of this show" he said.It's great that they're paying attention to us and that our music can get a little bit of distribution through WXYC. I guess it just means they dig it" and there's nothing wrong with that.""Django Haskins" of Chapel Hill's Old Ceremony said the experience of going into the studio for the radio show provides a surreal environment" which leads to inspired performances.""We've been on the Backyard BBQ a couple of times" and it's always been a great experience" he said in an e-mail.There's something uplifting about playing music in a room literally surrounded by vinyl and rock posters and memorabilia.""Those performances" in the cramped WXYC studio upstairs in the Student Union also provide the opportunity for a free recording for the band" said Brennan O'Brien of Greensboro instrumental trio The Bronzed Chorus.""Playing live on the radio not only helped promote us by being broadcast to all the listeners" it also helped us by us being able to use the recording for a more recent collection of our songs to sell to people at the shows we play O'Brien said in an e-mail.Russ said that the ultimate goal of the Backyard BBQ is to make sure that local music is thriving because that can only help the radio station.We really want to support local artists because when the scene is doing well — like it is now — it can only benefit us at the station she said.Haskins said that sort of symbiotic relationship between local musicians and college radio is what makes it stand out as commercial radio continues to lose its cultural relevancy.With commercial radio becoming a shell of its former self college radio remains a bastion of free thinking and for-the-hell-of-it programming and that's a great thing he said.Taylor said that the benefit of the show should not be underestimated.It's emblematic of stuff that should happen he said.There's a lot of bands that just need to be heard. It's difficult to have your ear on every pulse" but they do a great job of picking up on a lot of great stuff.""
Trying to get an artist to talk about his or her creative process can be a daunting task.Getting a shortstop to discuss the most effective way to turn a double play is a little easier. At least there is a technique involved concrete right and wrongs.So" imagine trying to get artists to describe what makes them follow one impulse over another when they are perfectly capable of following the seemingly divergent paths of visual art and songwriting to equally beautiful results.""I think the source of inspiration is pretty much the same"" said John Harrison, member of Chapel Hill band North Elementary.If I get stuck or stymied with the guitar or something"" I'd rather turn to art than just shut it down and watch TV or something.""The fruits of that inspiration will be on display at Wootini gallery in Carr Mill Mall beginning Friday as the third installment of Minus Sound Research" an art exhibit that exclusively displays the visual art of local musicians opens.The exhibit features works from Schooner's Reid Johnson as well as Nathan White of Nathan Oliver and Superchunk's Laura Ballance among others.For MSR's co-founders Harrison and Maria Albani art has always been more than a simple side project. Each said that their artistic pursuits aren't antagonistic but actually" beget each other.They are intimately related.""If you're writing songs or playing guitar and you get stuck" it's easy to leave it for a few days and work on painting" Harrison said.I think that when you come back to the other you can find a whole new source of inspiration.""The relationship between visual art and music has shown itself to be strong from art school graduates The Talking Heads and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon" to Andy Warhol's iconic banana adorning the cover of The Velvet Underground and Nico the two mediums have oft walked hand in hand.But despite all of that precedent" Albani and Harrison said they were still surprised to learn that so many of their musical peers kept themselves busy making art.""It happens all the time. I'll be in someone's house" see a painting on the wall ask them who it's by and they look at me and say" ‘I did it.'""The problem for these artists" though Albani said is that although many musicians in the area have art to display" they don't know how to approach a gallery about the prospect of a showing.""I feel like there is a disconnect between the art and music scenes in the area"" she said.I like the idea of combining them.""Even Harrison" who has shown his art in coffee shops" admitted that he has approached booking art shows like he would booking shows for his band.""I really wasn't sure what to do" he said.And honestly" I'm still not sure that I've done anything I haven't done before booking shows.""Therein lies another purpose of the MSR opening"" to expose the work of those who may not know how to get exposure for their projects.""Our only formula is that they play music and that they are local" Albani said.The goal is just to kind of get the work out there" because we know that if people see it they will really like it.""Albani said she and Harrison actually received inquiries about participating in the opening"" something that she said had not happened in the two years previous.""It was weird to get people asking about it"" she said.And we've already gotten people hoping to do it next year. We also had people in mind who we sort of invited. So it worked out to about half and half.""One of those asked to participate in the show was Catherine Edgerton" who in addition to playing in Durham's Midtown Dickens" has been making collages since she was 14.""I've been doing art" well since forever" she said.I had sort of collected a lot of my collages in books and things.""Edgerton said the most difficult part of preparing for this show was coming to grips with the fact that her art — which she views as intensely personal — may go home in someone else's hands.""I'm so attached to the art that I make"" she said.But for this I really decided to challenge myself and teach myself how to let go.""Equally personal" said Edgerton is her songwriting. A process she like Harrison and Albani" sees as being intimately connected to her other artistic pursuits.""For me" the relationship extends even to the sort of art that I do. With collages" you're taking little pieces and forming them into a bigger whole. That's the same way that I write songs.""And for eager fans looking for any glimpse into a creative mind"" Harrison said art can be a great way to gain a greater understanding of the process.""I think if you put on a song by an artist and stared at a painting by the same person as it played it would start to make sense. It comes from the same creative source"" so you can really capture the mood either way.""Edgerton put it in simple terms"" saying both art and music are ways to satiate the same desire.""It's kind of like comparing cravings for food" she said.Sometimes you want cake and sometimes you might want popcorn. You're still hungry but just for different things.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
It seems strange in hindsight. Just like so many of the now antiquated notions of segregation the fact that anyone could be barred from seeing a film or enjoying a restaurant two of the most basic modes of modern entertainment borders on the inconceivable.But it wasn't long ago that this reality was commonplace. Here in our town on top of the Hill black students were not allowed admittance to the Varsity and Carolina Theaters the prominent movie theaters in town located almost directly across the street from each other.These were only two of the examples of the town's public accommodations that were segregated even after the University admitted its first black students in 1951.Even looking at the pictures grasping the reality of it takes a second.But there they are black students marching in front of the former Carolina Theater" hoisting signs reading ""We enjoy movies too.""And just across the way" white townspeople taking the opposite approach marching in support of segregation.In many ways this divide represents the polarizing nature of the issue. For even in a town that was known as one of the South's most liberal the roots of segregation were deep.John Ehle was a professor at UNC during the unrest and wrote about his experiences in his book" ""The Free Men.""""The students" too were not of course liberally inclined as a group he wrote.About 90 percent of them come from the South most of them from North Carolina and they represented the attitudes of thousands of Southern families. I polled a class of about 50 students and asked them if they felt segregation should be permitted in schools churches movie theaters" restaurants and housing. The response was about fifty-fifty on all questions.""For those in the 50 percent opposing segregation" though — mainly the University's small population of black students along with fellow black residents and a large contingent of black high school students — their response was swift and well-organized.The response included sit-ins and protests throughout town" which began in February 1960 with the picketing of the Colonial Drug Store.This effort was a direct response to the sit-ins which began in Greensboro only weeks previous.""The big push started at about the same time as the Greensboro sit-ins"" said John Chapman, who focuses his research on the history of the fight for civil rights in Chapel Hill.Mainly high school students were the ones protesting. We're talking 15 to 18 year olds.""Chapman said that although the University began admitting black undergraduates in 1955"" only a ""couple dozen"" had enrolled between then and 1960.But" these few students when mixed with the town's black residents formed a coalition to oppose the segregation of the town's theater's and restaurants.Chapel Hill was thought of as a model town for the state and region. Organizers believed that if they were able to affect change in Chapel Hill other towns would follow.The national civil rights organization the Congress of Racial Equality established a chapter in town and the protests and demonstrations continued.Chapman said regular — and integrated — marches were held and up to 500 people marched from the black churches on West Franklin Street to the current site of the post office.The movement for integration of the Varsity and Carolina Theaters saw its jumping-off point when the Varsity's then-owner E. Carrington Smith refused an integrated showing of the film" ""Porgie and Bess"" which featured a predominantly black cast.At this point, the Coalition for Open Movies was born, an organization advocating for the integration of theaters. The group even offered to send speakers to town civic groups. Eventually, the message was heard and in the fall of 1961, blacks enrolled in the University were allowed admittance, with the promise that if this policy was deemed a success a more liberal policy would follow.Although success was achieved in integrating the theaters by 1962, other shops and restaurants lagged behind until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandated integration.But before this victory was achieved, more than 1,000 demonstrators were arrested, in what Chapman called one of the biggest movements that took place in the state.Chapman said that although, the general efforts fell short, great victories were achieved.They fell just short of the goal to make Chapel Hill a model for the entire South" but contributed so much to state and national movements" he said.Black Student Movement President, Shaniqua McClendon, said those who worked for integration do serve as a model for current black students, though.Our current members need to appreciate the challenges black students had to go through" she said.We all need to know that history" and know the real reason that BSM is able to exist in the first place.""Contact the Dive Editor at dive@unc.edu.
She's tired and admittedly feeling a little nasty from a hard day of cleaning and painting" but Alexis Mastromichalis can't hide her excitement for the future of Nightlight the venue she owns and runs with the help of about 15 people.And in the last three weeks since Skylight Exchange moved out of the space Mastromichalis has gotten to know those people very well" spending the weekends ""essentially gutting the place.""""It just looks so beautiful"" she said.Change is nothing new for the space on Rosemary Street, which has seen its share of re-imaging since it was originally opened in the '70s.A lot of people don't know this was the original Cat's Cradle"" Mastromichalis said.For the past five years, though, Nightlight and Skylight Exchange have served as two distinct business operations sharing one space, with Skylight selling used books, coffee and sandwiches during the day, and Nightlight operating as a music venue at night.But, a month ago, when Skylight closed and moved out, Nightlight took over sole operation of the space. A change that has brought about many upgrades to the room.We painted the walls and cleaned the floors" she said.We even climbed up on the roof and scrubbed the skylights" so there's light now.""The most visible change" though is the removal of the bookshelves record racks and booths of Skylight Exchange" a move that Mastromichalis said has greatly increased the venue's capacity.""We can hold like three times more people now" she said.We've gone from having a capacity of about 135 to well" huge.""Nightlight now stands as one of the few mid-sized clubs in town"" with a capacity that exceeds Local 506.""I'm so excited to be one of the clubs Cat's Cradle will be presenting shows at"" Mastromichalis said.It will be interesting to see the kind of shows we can put on now.""The new space was on display at an early '90s dance party featuring WXYC DJs on Friday. Mastromichalis said the event drew more than 400 people.While increased capacity is something that excites her"" Mastromichalis maintains that Nightlight's place within the community remains essentially unchanged.""Nightlight doesn't want to be exclusive" she said.We want artists to know that this is a very safe space" and that if they bring their art here it will be appreciated.""As part of that community mission" Nightlight will host workshops on topics like screenprinting and audio engineering" as well as offering itself as a practice space for artists.Local musician Jenks Miller books concerts for the Nightlight. He said the expansion will allow for the club to accommodate bands with larger fan bases.""I don't expect the booking process to change much in the future"" but I do think that expanding our facilities will allow us to better accommodate bands with larger draws.""Miller agreed with Mastromichalis on the point of expanding the venue's place in the community by making it available to more artists.""Because we can now offer our space during the day"" Nightlight has a chance to expand our role as a resource for musicians in the community. Practice spaces are hard to come by in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area.""But" although the space has increased in size and scope" the core of loving people running it remains unchanged.""Since I've been here" there has been such a strong community of organizers committed to this place" I can't wait to see what comes out of this upgrade.""""We'll be able to offer so much more.""Contact the Dive Editor at dive@unc.edu.
Mac McCaughan is a busy busy man. Between leading Superchunk and overseeing the meteoric rise of Merge Records McCaughan has always found time for his side project Portastatic.Started as an outlet for songs that didn't quite fit the Superchunk mold Portastatic has always served as a vehicle for thoughtful lyrics and lo-fi charm.With Some Small History McCaughan has essentially cleaned out his closet releasing this collection of 45 rarities covers and previously unreleased material.The songs run the gamut from sparse bedroom recordings to pristinely produced tracks that easily could have made their way onto a proper release anytime in the last 18 years.As you would guess over the course of 45 tracks there are both hits and misses. And considering the perilous nature of rarities collections there are more than enough gems to keep anyone engaged.That is an accomplishment in itself. There are few dull moments and while making it through in one sitting is a tall order probably to be avoided there are more than enough charming moments to keep listeners engaged.Just as important as the tracks themselves — especially on a collection like this — is their order. The record is not sequenced chronologically rather logically" functioning as a massive mixtape that happens to span an entire career.""Skinny Glasses Girl"" highlights the soft-spoken sensitivity that sometimes gets lost among the rapid fire guitar of Superchunk.""Skinny glasses girl" East Texas has not seen you for a while and nor have I" McCaughan sings.The sheer nature of the release can make it difficult to get through, but when taken at face, the songs are great insights into the changing makeup of a prolific artist and burgeoning musical institution.Just as interesting as the originals, though, are the choice covers, that allow for reinterpretations of songs by Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan and Hot Chip (seriously). In his own way, McCaughan turns each into his own. By speeding up the pace of Adams' My Sweet Carolina" and stripping back the dance beats from Hot Chip's And I Was A Boy From School" Portastatic is able to draw out the power of the songs.The highlight of the collection is definitely his take on Bob Dylan's classic It's All Over Now Baby Blue.""Covering Dylan can be ambitious" but considering McCaughan's output it actually seems appropriate. Catching up with Portastatic's main manOn the eve of Portastatic's release show the collection Some Small History Mac McCaughan head-man of Portastatic as well as Superchunk and Merge Records responded to a few questions about how he does what he does.Dive: There are some interesting covers on the new record what process went into choosing them?MM: Pretty much the process is me listening to certain songs a lot being obsessed with them or maybe even just hearing a song on the radio and thinking how fun it would be to sing that song.Dive: How do you manage your time? How do you prioritize your incredible amount of responsibilities?MM: I just try to have a fairly stable schedule. It's not always possible.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu