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(04/01/09 4:00am)
SuperchunkLeaves in the Gutter4 of 5 starsRockIt may be surprising or even offensive to some but Superchunk is not the uncouth pack of snot-nosed kids they once were. Having started Merge Records the group's Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance have put out highly polished and highly successful records by the likes of Arcade Fire and Spoon.It's no shock then that the big budget polish has worn off on this EP. And that's not a bad thing.The excellent clarity of this very professional release only highlights Superchunk's more advanced but still rough and rowdy parts.The tumultuous waves of bass" drums and squealing distorted guitar of ""Learned to Surf"" hit with more furious impact because of the clean sound" which is good as it's the group's best song from this decade.Riding a metaphor for life as a rough sea McCaughan delivers the declaration" ""I can't hold my breath anymore"/I stopped swimming and learned to surf with as much youthful angst as he's ever had.But how does Superchunk stay this edgy and vital even as they age? The answer is that they resent the hell out of getting old.In the scaldingly bitter Misfits and Mistakes" retrieved from a 7-inch from last year, McCouughan taunts Say you will gather like leaves in the gutter"" as he upbraids his peers for giving in to their age.Superchunk still has the same resentment it had for the establishment forced on the world by older people that it did back in the '90s.The only difference now that the members themselves have reached that age is that the band now lashes out at its peers. This makes Leaves in the Gutter a fascinating study in how punk angst changes with age.And luckily for its fans, in the case of Superchunk, this process has removed none of the band's trademark sarcastic rage.This fact is on full display in Screw It Up."" After verses filled with jangling" sunshine filled acoustic guitar in which McCaughan gleefully dismantles the complacency of mid-life mediocrity the band's traditional distorted crunch roars back in as he spits out the retort" ""Why work hard at any dream when you're happy with less than a quarter.""It's a scathing declaration of grievance made all the more powerful by the band's willingness to ironically change its sound.After three songs' worth of this unbridled bitterness it's a relief to take a dip in the cool waters of the acoustic demo of ""Learned to Surf"" that ends the EP. The soft strumming and tenderly cracking vocals find the touching hope that is all but covered up in the final version.So while Superchunk has added more studio polish on this record"" they still attack with as much fervor as they once did against one ""Slack Motherf---er"" of a boss.And when you've got aggression like that" all the production in the world couldn't cover it up.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
(03/26/09 4:00am)
ATTEND THE SHOWTime: 9:30 p.m. todayLocation: Duke Coffeehouse Crowell Building" Duke campusInfo: duke.edu/web/coffeehouse
(03/18/09 4:00am)
Music ReviewEmbarrassing FruitsCommunity/ExploitationRock4 of 5 starsAfter listening to the debut full-length from Chapel Hill's Embarrassing Fruits it's hard to imagine the trio ever making it while hailing from the band's birthplace of Greensboro.With prickly distorted guitars and insistent bass lines reminiscent of Pavement and Archers of Loaf the beautifully rendered teenage angst that the band creates comes off as the 10-years-distilled product of having grown up with the indie rock that put Chapel Hill on the map in the '90s.That's not to say that it comes off as a rehash. Listening to Community/Exploitation vividly embodies the experience of having gone through the trials and tribulations of growing up with all that great music as the soundtrack.In this way the record is a gritty" but still bright and summery reminiscence of the days when life contained less responsibility and more tumultuous emotion.The bouncy guitar and bass combo of ""On the Corner"" is representative of the sunnier side of this feeling. Between ridiculous" and really cute references to talking about coffee and watching clouds singer Joe Norkus delivers the oh-so nostalgic declaration" ""We made so much progress/On the corner.""When you come down to it"" it's amazing really how much of forming who you are came from just standing around chewing the fat with your friends.""I Thought I Was Bleeding …"" proves that the Fruits are equally adept at expressing and deservedly making fun of the more painful aspects of teenage drama. As the guitar riffs crunch with tension" Norkus delivers zingers such as" ""Take the painting off the wall"" smash it on your face/Put your make-up on and go to school.""No matter how hard you try to cover up your past and present appearance" you're not going to be able to hide who you are. But as Norkus accurately portrays it not many of us got that in high school.But despite the occasional mocking the bright haze of the band's comforting reassembly of last decade's indie rock comes off as a touching tribute to the times and music that the Fruits as well as many of the rest of us cherish. And though homage is an integral aspect of the band's sound" this record still manages to come off as relevant and modern because it readily accepts and relishes its debt to the past.The feeling this allows the band to create is best shown off in ""Details."" ""Hanging out with kids in soccer socks/Weren't we the sh-t in high school lots?"" Norkus sings in a voice that's half mockery" half sincerity.When thinking about those days while listening to the well-orchestrated nostalgia of Embarrassing Fruits it's hard not to agree.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(03/04/09 5:00am)
Nathan OliverCloud Animals(4 out of 5 stars)It's hard to think of an artist in the Triangle that has more fun being depressed than Nathan White. First on the 2007 self-titled debut of his band Nathan Oliver and now on its new LP Cloud Animals he has utilized his piercing bleat to deliver declarations of resignation and despair with an air of near giddiness at being able to nail his emotions so well.But with the latest release White has hardened his attack mixing irony with true" bare-bones emotionality as his band continues to pump out its jaunty mix of post-grunge rock and traditional elements of indie pop all while maintaining a constant sense of the macabre.The end result is an album just as entertaining as its predecessor but with a powerful resonance that the earlier record never achieved.On ""Alone in a Fog"" as a heady, distorted riff and drums cascade around him, White sternly delivers the line, I know you want to be on your own/To salt your own wounds."" Such unrestrained bitterness coming from the often ironically happy singer makes the song hit with even more force than it would have had already.But don't think for a second that White has forgotten how to have fun with his troubles""Playground Lies"" puts the immaturity of failing relationships back in the schoolyard with a bouncy" chugging acoustic guitar and bass combination as White half laughs after each declaration of betrayal" ""Oh"" you lied.""It's a moment where you want to laugh though you know the performer might have been crying when he wrote it.It's this improved ability to mix real pain with exuberant pleasure that makes Cloud Animals a greater success than the band's first record. And furthermore" it's a rare instance of a record that can be grabbed up off the shelf during both moments of absolute sadness and complete happiness and be enjoyed immensely either way.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(03/04/09 5:00am)
Red CollarPilgrimRock
(03/04/09 5:00am)
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
(02/25/09 5:00am)
Terms have a funny way of taking on a life of their own. Especially in music. Once a word has been invented to describe a certain kind of music that term often becomes a crutch for critics writers and plain old music fans to describe music that would be more difficult to put into words otherwise.This week Dive explores one such term: Southern metal. Is there such a thing as a distinct style of heavy music from the land of Dixie? This was the question we posed to musicians from the region hoping to pin down exactly what the term means.Some things take a while to catch on. This is a painful and often debilitating reality when you're in a band that plays a style that just hasn't quite caught on yet. Athens" Ga.'s Harvey Milk was one such band.""I never thought of being from the South as being a particularly good thing as far as being in a band over the time because you have a lot of problems to overcome going to see shows"" said Kyle Spence, drummer of the recently reunited metal outfit. If I was from Philadelphia"" you can play very large cities and they're only a couple hours from each other.""Perhaps this was a contributing factor in the band's 1998 breakup" which has been said to have centered on lack of interest in the band specifically poor sales of the band's first three records.But now with good sales on re-releases of its material and two recent albums including 2008's acclaimed Life ... The Best Game in Town Harvey Milk finds itself at the forefront of an oft talked about new movement in music Southern metal. But for Spence" it's a style that's hard to get his head around.""What you get if you're from the South is a lot more isolation" so we could do our own thing" he said, talking about how Harvey Milk's style evolved and explaining why he thinks there really isn't a stylistic unifier among heavy bands in this area. Chances are you're going to be left to your own devices down South and come up with something more unique.""So perhaps the only thing unifying these bands is that the South is a source of inspiration to them. Nora Rogers of Chapel Hill heavy duo Curtains of Night advocated this kind of outlook" citing her parents who moved to the area to play in Southern string bands" as an important influence on her own music.""The tunings" the drone that happens with the banjo or the old time music it's a very driving kind of music" she said, talking about how the style is similar to the monolithic pillars of distorted rage her band creates.Music" so much is the people that you're surrounded by" she continued, explaining how unique experiences in this area affect all of its heavy bands. To me"" it's like those connections are local and we're in the South.""John Crouch" drummer of fellow Chapel Hill heavy band Caltrop" also saw a connection between his band's sound and its Southern locale but was hesitant to draw a complete connection between the two.""I'm trying to avoid ‘we're Southern and we're laid back"' but there's definitely that kind of feel to it he said. It's a hard thing to pin down" I don't even think that Caltrop is a Southern metal band. Location is not the only factor.""Maybe not"" but Van Carney of Virginia's Pontiak found it difficult not to think that the realities of Southern life don't have an effect on its musical output.""The South has a tortured history"" he said, referring to the pains of the Civil War, Reconstruction and the civil rights movement. Things are a little heavier in the South. Just the humidity alone"" I think it kind of lends itself to being that way.""And while bands like Pontiak" Caltrop and Curtains do take pride in the South as a part of their identity" it's important to remember that some don't.""The guy who's been putting out our vinyl" he's not from the South" said Kevin Clark, lead singer of Chapel Hill metal band Black Skies. He's totally" just completely all about this Southern metal scene. I myself think personally" our band would sound like what we sound like if we lived in Antarctica.""Clearly" the degree to which being from the South is waved as a banner by its heavy bands varies greatly. But the members of Chapel Hill's In The Year Of The Pig found it hard not to think there's something about the region that does spur people on to make heavier music" considering the large number of such bands that come from this area. The reason drummer David Cantwell arrived at was socioeconomic.""In the South rent's cheaper"" he said. It's easier to buy a house in the woods where you can play really f--king loud.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(02/25/09 5:00am)
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.
(02/18/09 5:00am)
MorrisseyYears of RefusalRock
(02/11/09 5:00am)
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
(01/29/09 5:00am)
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
(01/21/09 5:00am)
David Karsten Daniels is a restless guy.In his life he has found it difficult to remain in one place for too long. In his music he constantly bounces from genre to genre and theme to theme. And during an interview with him" it was nearly impossible to keep him nailed down to one topic.""I think that I have a little bit of a itch to scratch" he said. That can show itself in terms of wanting to move around a lot" or it can show itself in terms of wanting to take different kinds of music styles and put them in a pot together. ""Both kind of come from the same inability to sit still.""It's an itch that leads Daniels" whose nomadic travels recently led him through a stint in Chapel Hill working in Davis Library to use his talents not just for the singer-songwriter pop of his records.Daniels also takes part in such diverse projects as film scoring and a recent collaboration with Fight the Big Bull a jazz collective from Richmond.And though Daniels' recent marriage has taken him away from Chapel Hill and on to a short stay in Seattle before finally settling in Ashland Ore." he will return Saturday for a performance at Local 506.""I like the Pacific Northwest a lot in general"" he said. It's really pretty. Not that North Carolina isn't. I like the trees.""But a move and a marriage haven't been enough to slow Daniels' creativity. In addition to his other projects"" Daniels is also writing songs for another album despite having released two records in the past two years.""I just started work on a new album that's going to be about rabbits"" explaining that he just got one as a bet. It's my first pet since a dog when I was a kid that didn't work out really well.""The theme of caring for another creature should prove a great fit for the bruised"" orchestral folk that Daniels has already wound around phenomenal break-up songs with 2006's Sharp Teeth and the dread of death on 2007's Fear of Flying.""I've had the most success with writing about something that's very close by or close to myself" he said. I don't think that I've ever been a particularly nurturing person" and I think having to care for something little and defenseless like that necessitates some sort of tweaking of one's outlook with regards to other living things.""And though things are going smoothly for him in his new home"" Daniels said that he's still excited to come back to town.""I've played a lot more shows in the Triangle than anywhere else" but I haven't played any of the songs from the new record" he said, adding that he has a non-musical reason for his enthusiasm.I'm excited to get some ceviche at Carrburritos. I've been missing that.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(01/14/09 5:00am)
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.""
(11/19/08 5:00am)
Jon Gregory knows life sucks. Every song the Chapel Hill rapper makes under the moniker Juan Huevos seethes with the notion that there is something wrong in the world. Whether he's pointing out how silly it is for you to respect him just because he can rap telling you how scared he is to start another monotonous work week or just declaring his distaste for the acting of John Travolta Huevos' songs are rife with sarcastic disappointment.But as far as he sees it" it's nothing a little partying can't fix.""If you really listen to what I'm saying" I'm whining about something but I put it to this really fun party music" Gregory said. I'm trying to party. I'm trying to dance. I don't want to sit home and be sad.""It might come off as unusual for a rapper to pay more attention to whether audiences are dancing to his beats than whether they are listening to his rhymes" but then again" Juan Huevos is not a typical rapper.""It's hard at shows because people aren't dancing. I think they're listening to what I'm saying"" he said, adding that this is not the atmosphere he prefers. I want to see hair flailing and people getting hit in the face because people are going so crazy.""Perhaps it's just that the people who attend his shows aren't the type to dance" but it certainly has nothing to do with the music. Layered under Gregory's hilarious and caustic mocking" the music splices rock and dance parts with inventive sample choices to create a sound that pops with quirky excitement.And it's been enough to get the notice of some connected people. Gregory recently returned from a visit to France where he met with rapper Subtitle. The two were meeting to discuss making a Huevos record for Subtitle's new label.Gregory said it was interesting to finally meet the man he had previously only communicated with via enigmatic e-mails.""To him" with his record label he's like Professor Xavier" he said. And he's scouting mutants with super powers and assembling this team. He's weird like that.""Despite his new friend's quirks" Gregory thought it was a successful trip. He was able to make connections with many people in the European music scene and make progress towards a release with a wider scope than he's used to.And for a person to whom making music is vital" an opportunity to make it a more major breadwinner is serious stuff.""There's some pretty depressing shit" I feel like in my music" he said. It really is the demons. ""I'm sitting there" it's Sunday. I'm by myself. I'm hung over. I don't know what to do" so I go into the studio and make a song. And then I feel better.""And when it comes right down to it"" that's what he's trying to do for the listener too.""My problems aren't any different than anybody else's for the most part" he said. So I want people to hear what I'm saying and be like ‘I felt that way too and I want to dance too" and I want to forget my problems.'""It's like" sure your life sucks" but it might suck less if you drank another beer and shook it.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(11/12/08 5:00am)
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
(11/12/08 5:00am)
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.
(11/05/08 5:00am)
It may come as a surprise to some in the area that the Triangle has enough talent to produce a three-day music festival using almost all local bands.Proving this to the unconverted is one of the main missions of Troika the annual local music extravaganza that will happen all over Durham tonight" Friday and Saturday.""There are a lot of people who know how great music from N.C. is" but there are a lot of people who don't know what's in their own backyard and might not necessarily go to a great show by a great band any given Saturday" said Kyle Miller, cofounder of Durham's Churchkey Records, who helped to plan this year's festivities. The fact that there's a festival" and there are so many bands" and it's all over town; there is a higher profile to that.""Troika boasts 62 bands this year" 52 of which are from the Triangle area. Only six are travelling from outside of North Carolina a fact that founders of the festival say is a step forward.Troika started in 2002 as the Durham Music Festival. Changing names in 2004" the festival began expanding to include artists that were not from this area.""One thing we have done over the years is add the national touring acts"" said Melissa Thomas, chairwoman of this year's festival and member of the effort since its beginnings. We kind of had to check ourselves and say" ‘Is that a good thing to do" and do people want that?'"" Thomas said that growth in the area's talent base made Troika able to thin out its national acts.""We have this growing talent pool"" she said. It keeps getting bigger and better.""Though most of the acts may be from right here at home" one of the acts with the highest national profile is from Olympia Wash.Kimya Dawson" who has gained a great deal of national recognition for her work on the soundtrack of the popular film ""Juno"" will play Troika's main show at the Carolina Theatre on Friday.But even though Dawson may not hail from N.C., she does have ties to the area.I am a friend of Melissa Thomas and I really like what she tries to do for the community there in Durham"" Dawson said in an e-mail. When I was touring a few years ago I was asked to play at a ""Piggy Princess Party"" for a little girl in her yard"" so I did that. I think that might actually be how I met Mel.""And now you guys have my dear friend John Darnielle (of the Mountain Goats) there as well.""According to Miller"" Dawson's connection to North Carolina was important in the decision to bring her here.""The fact she knows bands around here" and has played in bands around here and was interested in playing that's just a general positive thing for everybody" he said.Another big change for Troika this year is the use of the Carolina Theatre, one of the area's most famous and historic venues.In addition to Dawson, the show will feature increasingly popular local acts the Rosebuds, Bellafea and the Old Ceremony. I think it's cool that we can involve such a historic site" said Miller. I think it appeals to the bands playing there" and I think it appeals to the fans.""They don't have a ton of shows there. Not a lot rock and roll shows and not a lot of indie rock shows on top of that.""Django Haskins of Chapel Hill's the Old Ceremony said that his band is excited to take part.""Since I live in Durham" I'm excited about the opportunity to play at such a beautiful venue here in town said Haskins in an e-mail. He also mentioned that he thinks the area really needs this festival to give its bands more exposure.This area has such a great music scene year round but in the past it hasn't really had one big festival to showcase it like most similar places have" he said. Troika is starting to fill that void and we wanted to be a part of that.""And though Thomas is also excited about the buzz the festival is able to create"" she said that she doesn't want Troika to become like other high-profile music festivals.""We don't want to become that kind of $50"0 beer-endorsed festival" she said, being sure to mention the fact that she doesn't think the desire to keep Troika the way it is will make it an nonviable option anytime soon.Our bands are becoming touring acts for other cities. We're at an advantage" she said. We might just be at the start of it" now that I think of it. ""After six years"" we might be taking the training wheels off.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(11/05/08 5:00am)
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
(10/30/08 4:00am)
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.
(10/22/08 4:00am)
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.""