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(10/08/08 4:00am)
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
(10/01/08 4:00am)
It doesn't take an expert to know that the Triangle has built a reputation for ambitious and successful record labels.Merge Records the foremost example of the area's success formed in Chapel Hill in the '90s and has gone on to release records by Arcade Fire and Spoon that have broken into the top 10 of the Billboard 200. But it's easy to forget that Merge was once a small imprint formed around an up-and-coming Chapel Hill indie rock band Superchunk" who went on to national stardom and took the label along for the ride.""I don't think we really foresaw anything beyond getting some music out there for people to hear" which is kind of what we're still doing" Mac McCaughan, co-founder of Merge said in an e-mail.But, even for all of its success, it is important to remember that Merge Records is not the only label in town.Channeling a new generation of eager and talented musicians, a slew of dedicated and highly motivated labels have popped up around the area in recent years.For local labels to be successful like this" there have to be great bands" said Kyle Miller who cofounded Durham's Churchkey Records last year. And there are a ton. And there has always been a ton.""Miller formed the label last fall with friend Steve Jones to put out the debut EP by Durham metal act Tooth. The label produced a second release with the full-length debut from Southern-punk band The Dry Heathens in May.The success of these releases has made Churchkey a hot ticket for bands looking to get their music out.""We have had to say ‘no' to people" he said. We've said ‘no' to records that I really like" which makes me feel kind of awful. We're overwhelmed.""One thing that isn't in short supply right now is success stories. The Bowerbirds released their debut Hymns For A Dark House on Durham's Burly Time Records to critical acclaim before being picked up by national label Dead Oceans.And Durham experimental folk act Megafaun's self-release" Bury the Square" was picked up by an English imprint after the band was featured as a ""Band to Watch"" on the popular music blog Stereogum. All this success has lead some in the music community" including the heads of some labels" to predict that the area is poised to return to the prestige it enjoyed in the '90s.""I think it's about to hit sort of a renaissance"" said Will Hackney of Chapel Hill's Trekky Records. We've been in this music scene for six or eight years. I think this is becoming on one of the most exciting times that we've seen.""Hackney formed Trekky with friends Emma Nadeau and Martin Anderson while the three were in middle school in 2002. The label is currently experiencing its biggest year yet with back-to-back high-profile releases from The Physics of Meaning and Lost In The Trees.The release party for the latter packed Cat's Cradle on a Saturday night.""The community is recognizing that there's a lot of good work coming out of here" and we just want to have a part of that Anderson said.Community is a point of emphasis for Chapel Hill's Holidays For Quince Records.That's a conscious effort on our part to bring together the parts of the Triangle" said Heather McEntire, lead-singer of Bellafea who cofounded the label with fellow Chapel Hill musician Jenks Miller. There's a Durham thing"" a Chapel Hill thing and a Raleigh thing. ""We feel it's really detrimental to the Triangle in general.""Though the label has only released albums by Chapel Hill bands so far"" McEntire echoed the sentiments of Trekky and Churchkey that working together by mixing bands from different labels on bills was important to the community.""It's about collaboration. I think that makes all the difference"" Anderson said. What makes this town special is that people are willing to work together.""But at the point when local labels have pushed their bands to the brink of making it big"" more issues rear their heads.Miller emphasized the significant investment it takes to give a band national exposure.""It's tough as a local label to decide if you want to do that"" he said. There's a lot of people who don't. They really want to be a local label.""One label that has turned being a jumping-off point into an institution is Chapel Hill's Pox World Empire.Zeno Gill" who brought Pox to town when he moved from Ithaca N.Y. in 2001" said that his vision for the label is to be able to step in to help bands that have few prospects for releasing their material.""If we come across a band that is inaccessible" meaning they don't have access to any bigger options or bigger labels then we'll approach them and offer working with us as an alternative to having to release something themselves he said.In doing so Pox has released records by popular Chapel Hill artists such as Nathan Oliver and Schooner who might have never gotten their music out any other way.But Miller was excited to speculate on what it would mean to this area if a label stepped up and made the kind of investment it would take to sky rocket a band to the big time.I think if that happens has a lot to do with money and a lot to do with luck" he said. What if one of these labels does decide that they're going to borrow 20 grand and make it happen?""Maybe that's what it's going to take.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(09/24/08 4:00am)
The opening track to Chapel Hill trio Transportation's first-ever full-length Dreams begs for a good rock 'n' roll station to listen to.But townies and students need not have that problem.Transportation play lean passionate" classic-leaning rock with a grab bag of influences as large as the group's considerable musical ambitions.""Wanting a good rock station" it's kind of blasphemous to say in indie rock heaven bassist Robert Scruggs said. I think it's a cool statement. It's not literally wanting Tom Petty or Eddie Money" but it's just a wish.""And Transportation admit they don't adhere to the standards of some in the music community" listing influences such as Pink Floyd and Steely Dan that some people might consider played out.Scruggs and guitarist Stephen Martaugh said the new album which will be celebrated with a release party Saturday at Local 506" reflects the ways in which the band has been affected by the concept albums of '70s rock and the experience of having lived in college towns almost all their lives.""It has a lot to do with the college" with UNC Scruggs said. I was just thinking" someone needs to talk about the cycle in terms of graduation in a song format."" Parts of the album hinge on that theme of a cycle in a college town that the majority of its residents will only experience for 4 years. ""Your life gets based on the September to May sort of schedule"" Martaugh said. You feel like you're taking summers off.""As such"" the group recorded Erskine Bowles at UNC's graduation in 2007 and placed it over a ""Pomp and Circumstance""-esque guitar line on the album.""Marry the idea of school graduating rhythms to the next logical step" which is the graduation present that most guys get which is a robot that then comes to life and picks up pirated radio stations" Scruggs said, describing far-reaching affair that includes futuristic as well as collegiate themes.The theme of college towns is embedded thoroughly in the band's history. Scruggs and Martaugh first started playing with drummer Ben Dunlap 1993 while attending Massachusetts' Amherst College.Robby had been living on my floor because he got a shitty room draw"" Martaugh said, describing the day he first met and played with Scruggs. Three" four months had gone by" and I'd never seen him even though he was living on the floor.""The three moved to Chapel Hill in 1997 and have been making music under the name Transportation ever since.In the light of the release of the long put off debut full-length release"" Martaugh said that he hopes the band's place in the context of the Chapel Hill scene becomes more clear to its followers.""It's interesting to me the thing with us and the '70s. We don't set out at any level to sound like the '70s. To me it sounds kind of futuristic"" he said. This album I hope will help people see us in more of a contemporary light.""Both Scruggs and Martaugh said that Dreams sounds different and is far more cohesive than any of Transportation's previous output"" a trait Scruggs attributed to the band members improved ability to edit their own work.""Stephen King calls them the ‘little darlings"""" said Scruggs describing the unnecessary parts of the music each member was attached to. ""We assassinated our ‘little darlings.'"" Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(09/24/08 4:00am)
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.
(09/17/08 4:00am)
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.
(09/17/08 4:00am)
As you plunge into the cavernous shelves of CD Alley it's often difficult to distinguish owner Ryan Richardson from one of his customers.Hunched over the massive bin of used CDs looking through the titles and adding new ones" he looks as enthralled as the others around him who dive in to the stacks in the hopes of finding a previously owned gem.""We're able to get to know people"" he said. The owner being there is important as anything.""Whether it's because of this dedication to fostering customer loyalty or something else" the West Franklin Street store has been able to survive where many other record stores in the area have not.With the April closing of East Franklin's Schoolkid's Records" the store became the only record store on Franklin Street.Richardson attributed CD Alley's ability to exist in a place that has killed so many of its peers to the store's low rent and overhead and its selection of hard-to-find titles. ""We've got relatively low overhead here with the small space" and it's pretty reasonable for being on Franklin Street he said. We tend to just have a lot of really good used stuff coming in really regularly" usually more than we can handle just piled up on the counter."" The biggest cause Richards gave for his success was the fact that he doesn't have to rely on students for the majority of his business.""I'm thrilled for the students who find their way down here and shop here" but luckily that isn't our total customer base" he said. We haven't been quite as affected by the downloading and the Ruckus that UNC has on campus.""And for Schoolkid's" the dwindling of student business was one of the major contributors in the demise of its Chapel Hill location.Ric Culross manger of the Raleigh location and former manager of the Franklin Street store" said that lack of student interest and high rent created an environment in which the store could no longer survive.""Each fall for years and years when students arrive our sales would jump way high"" he said. For the last five years the number of students came into the store went down.""Students have found some other means of finding their music.""Culross said he observed that as the number of record stores in Chapel Hill continued to diminish"" the business at Schoolkid's never saw a significant spike.""Each time one store closed" the other store didn't increase our sales" he said. It lost some customer base that would buy music.""Without a record store right on the edge of campus"" Culross said that students are missing out on what he sees as a pivotal part of the college experience.""Someone has to expose the people to the breadth of music that's out there. It used to be radio. But there's a lot of music that they don't play"" he said. The message is in music and I like to make sure that our stores always have the message.""But for CD Alley"" relying on students will not keep them open.""There's a lot more to Chapel Hill than just the student population" Richardson said. I always get that question when school starts. You know" ‘Oh I bet it's busy now.' But it's not a noticeable difference for us. Not on this end of the street.""And not being part of the new generation of stores that have popped up on East Franklin to serve the changing needs of students is a point of pride for Richardson.""(West Franklin) is the cooler end of the street because the other end has been taken over by Cluck-U Chicken and Cold Stone Creamery"" he said. That looks like Mall of America up there. ""Though CD Alley might not be doing much to expand the musical education of University students"" it still has an impact on the youth of Chapel Hill.""You can get old stuff" new stuff and used stuff for small prices" said Eric Jankins, 14, from Chapel Hill. It just feels like a place you can walk into and just spend all day listening to music and stuff.""And while Richardson has had some thoughts about moving CD Alley to a larger location"" for now he's happy where he is.""There's never been a place available that ever seemed even remotely affordable"" he said. For now we're just going to keep trying to cram as much into this little spot as we can.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
(09/10/08 4:00am)
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
(09/03/08 4:00am)
Like any good businessman, junior Al Mask thought his ideafor the student-run, student-led record label Vinyl Records was simply a means to fill a void in the market.I was toying around with the idea of how much it would suck to be an independent musician in college with having to book and promote your own shows" make your music design and sell merch as well as do class" he said.That thought led to the label, a service that - while in its infant stages - is meant to bridge the gap between student musicians and the sometimes intimidating music industry.It was just a big what if" Mask said. What if there was a service that was free for students run by students" that could create a label and management team that would do everything for student artists?""And after almost a year of tediously applying for and securing grants for funding - $25"000 from the Kenan Institute - it seems that Mask along with cofounders junior Tripp Gobble and sophomore Grace Kennerly are ready to get down to what they set out to do: signing artists and putting out records.As a means to get the year kicked off the group will be hosting an artist showcase in the Union Cabaret featuring five student acts.Vinyl Records will take applications through Sept. 5 from acts seeking a spot in the showcase's line-up. The A&R; staff of Vinyl will then select five acts to play the showcase.Students who attend the showcase will then vote online for their two favorite acts who will be signed to the label Gobble said.The American Idol-style system will help alleviate some of the burden on the Vinyl Records staff" Mask said.""We wanted the students to tell us what they wanted to see" not to have us just sit around and say 'Oh they're better than them' and things like that" he said.That attitude is indicative of the environment Vinyl Records is looking to create. Ultimately, the label views its mission as a shelter and aid for ambitious (and confused) student artists, Mask said.We want people to know that there's a space for you to bring your music"" he said. We just want the people who are hungry.""As it stands now" though" the label is still looking to secure the means to advance its name within the UNC arts community.""We want to create a sort of legitimate music scene here on campus that we really don't think exists currently" Gobble said.Everyone kind of hides in their pockets. We want to help push everyone and have people coming to us and knowing that we are providing them with stuff that's going to be worthwhile" Gobble said, noting the tendency for campus music groups to remain inwardly focused.But the goal is in no way limited to simply incubating talent. The group wants to make its way off campus and showcase the talent of students for Chapel Hill at large.We want to work with CUAB to get our bands on their bills"" Gobble said. We want to be able to take people that are ready to play larger venues and secure that for them.""And they want to do it with the sort of grassroots"" DIY aesthetic that has been the fuel for countless bouts of undergraduate entrepreneurship.""I think we're just trying to be organic. The whole idea is the idea itself"" we're just putting it in motion.""Contact the Dive Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(09/03/08 4:00am)
As much as Triangle college towns are great incubators for music students are often not the main audience for the bands.Duke University senior Corina Apostol is out to change that.As president of the university's Campus Concert Series" she has expanded the lineup this year to local bands and more shows. ""A lot of people on campus want to hear something else. They don't want to hear everything that's on MTV"" Apostol said, explaining why she thinks students will be receptive to local music on campus.Apostol has led Carolina Campus Seriesto expand its lineup to include 14 weekly shows at the Armadillo Grill on Duke's West Campus this semester. Shows are on Fridays from 5:30 p.m. to about 10 p.m.The series kicks off Friday with the Hey Man! Festival, featuring Durham's Red Collar, Chapel Hill's I Was Totally Destroying It and Raleigh's The Secret Theatre, in addition to Duke-student band Panda Force.Chamindra Goonewardene, president of the Duke University Union which funds CCS, said that he supported the expansion because it will help to remove the divide between Duke and the rest of Durham.Especially at Duke (students) tend to be sort of distant from the music scene"" he said. We're trying to build that bridge and make sure students are exposed to local music. That's one thing that we really want for them to do.""The series's funding for the year was expanded to$15""300 to facilitate the expansion.Apostol said she was excited to include local bands because of the great experiences she has had going to local shows.""My first semester here I felt really trapped on campus"" she said. I wanted to go out there and see something else.""Some of her friends began taking her to off-campus concerts and she was hooked immediately. ""There was a lot of live music. All the musicians came and talked to you" she said. I thought that if I put in the bands that I really liked if I brought them here people would think 'Oh this is a really good band" I want to listen to these people.'"" Goonewardene said he is also supportive of the initiative because of the opportunity it gives student bands to share a bill with more established local groups.""The idea of having a local band and a student band was actually thought of by Corina" and I think it's fantastic he said. You give exposure to bands on campus" and you give exposure to local bands.""Jason Kutchma" lead singer of Red Collar" said he's excited for the series as an opportunity to get students excited for local music.""It's important that you go where they are"" he said. They simply don't know what's out there. You have to bring it to them first. You can't expect them to necessarily leave their comfort zones.""Kutchma also emphasized that he thinks CCS is an example of how possible making this happen can be.""A lot of universities say" 'We should get local music playing here' but they look at that as such a large pain in the ass he said. All it takes is one person who's willing to work a small amount of money and somebody who's hopefully tied into the local scene" he said.Apostol is hopeful that the series will get Duke excited about local music, using herself as an unlikely example of a student who didn't.I'm from Romania originally. I had no connection. The only thing we watch is MTV. If I came to the point where I love what's going on here and want to support it"" I think it's possible.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(09/01/08 4:00am)
It would be hard to imagine a more dedicated fan than Raleigh's Cy Rawls.For about the last 20 years, the former Merge Records intern and one-time WXYC DJ has gone to great lengths to see local bands.He goes to a show in D.C." and he'll drive back in time to come back and see the last band play here" said local drummer James Hepler, a long-time friend of Rawls.In addition to such displays of musical commitment, his dedication also extends to UNC football: He hasn't missed a home game since 1982.I've always enjoyed being in Kenan stadium"" the 33-year-old said. They're not that inconvenient for me to get to.""This year" the local music community got its chance to give back to one of its most frequent audience members though it came under the most unfortunate of circumstances.On July 12 doctors found a tumor in Rawls' brain after he suffered a seizure. After running tests for about a week doctors realized it was too risky to operate and decided to treat him with radiation and chemotherapy.But Rawls who has no health insurance" would be unable to pay for the expensive treatment on his own.""It could easily hit a half a million dollars"" Hepler said of the cost. To not have insurance and to have to deal with that is pretty ridiculous.""When the news of the diagnosis spread throughout the local music community"" Hepler rallied bands and venue owners to come to Rawls' aid.""There were so many bands and so many people who wanted to help out"" Hepler said, explaining why he stepped in to coordinate. We were finding it very difficult to figure out how to distribute all these bands to different venues and stuff.""Once organization was in place" a series of shows began to formulate the most prominent of which will be held Friday with Chapel Hill legends Superchunk" the Rosebuds and Birds of Avalon taking the Cat's Cradle stage in support of Rawls.All money raised by the $25 tickets will go toward Rawls' treatment.""Cy is such a fixture in the local music scene" I think it would have been more peculiar had we not gotten involved" said Derek Powers, director of operations at the Cradle.Cat's Cradle, which hosted a benefit for Rawls earlier this month featuring newly reunited Chapel Hill stalwarts Polvo, will also donate all of Friday's bar profits. Between the $15 tickets and bar money, Powers said the venue was able to raise almost $5000 from the last show. Paul Siler of Raleigh's Birds of Avalon said that his band jumped at the opportunity to help such a devoted follower of local music.There couldn't be a better cause than a guy like that just out of the blue getting sick and needing help"" said Siler who has known Rawls since 1995. It's good to do a benefit for a person who likes music so much.""But charity shows are not the only means planned to be used in easing Rawls' plight.Hepler" with the help of localproducers is organizing a Web-based music store to raise money.The site dubbed CyTunes" is planned to launch in the next two or three weeks and will feature songs by local and some national bands. Songs donated will be exclusively available for one year and will cost a dollar each.Hepler said that the store will be a way to raise even more substantial sums for Rawls.""It's not like we're raising money for a cause like the Red Cross where a $100 donation's really nice" he said. But getting an exclusive song from a band like Superchunk can raise real money. They can sell 50000 records without even thinking about it and if they can download 50000 songs at a dollar a song" that's real money.""In addition to donated songs" CyTunes will feature live recordings made at the benefits.Glenn Boothe owner and operator of the Local 506 which has already hosted two Rawls benefit shows and a dance party" said that the push to help Rawls has helped bring the music community together in a way that it hasn't in some time.""Every once in a while the music scene needs a wake-up call" he said. This is an unfortunate way to get our priorities straight" but now there's a greater purpose. And that just kind of helps every one realign and commune and come together.""Hepler emphasized that this is a movement he plans to continue.""I think that the need for raising money is not going to go away any time soon"" he said. This is going to be kind of ongoing.""Despite his condition"" Rawls doesn't want to miss the chance to hear some of his favorite bands perform.""I felt pretty confident that I could be at the shows because I'd be getting better each day"" he said. I was definitely planning on being at these shows.""And though Rawls said it is odd to go to shows in his honor"" he tries to not let that alter the experience. ""I'm quite flattered by it"" he said. But once the music starts I'm just enjoying it. It doesn't feel any different. I just enjoy it as usual.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
(09/01/08 4:00am)
It would be hard to imagine a more dedicated fan than Raleigh's Cy Rawls.For about the last 20 years, the former Merge Records intern and one-time WXYC DJ has gone to great lengths to see local bands.He goes to a show in D.C." and he'll drive back in time to come back and see the last band play here" said local drummer James Hepler, a long-time friend of Rawls.In addition to such displays of musical commitment, his dedication also extends to UNC football: He hasn't missed a home game since 1982.I've always enjoyed being in Kenan stadium"" the 33-year-old said. They're not that inconvenient for me to get to.""This year" the local music community got its chance to give back to one of its most frequent audience members though it came under the most unfortunate of circumstances.On July 12 doctors found a tumor in Rawls' brain after he suffered a seizure. After running tests for about a week doctors realized it was too risky to operate and decided to treat him with radiation and chemotherapy.But Rawls who has no health insurance" would be unable to pay for the expensive treatment on his own.""It could easily hit a half a million dollars"" Hepler said of the cost. To not have insurance and to have to deal with that is pretty ridiculous.""When the news of the diagnosis spread throughout the local music community"" Hepler rallied bands and venue owners to come to Rawls' aid.""There were so many bands and so many people who wanted to help out"" Hepler said, explaining why he stepped in to coordinate. We were finding it very difficult to figure out how to distribute all these bands to different venues and stuff.""Once organization was in place" a series of shows began to formulate the most prominent of which will be held Friday with Chapel Hill legends Superchunk" the Rosebuds and Birds of Avalon taking the Cat's Cradle stage in support of Rawls.All money raised by the $25 tickets will go toward Rawls' treatment.""Cy is such a fixture in the local music scene" I think it would have been more peculiar had we not gotten involved" said Derek Powers, director of operations at the Cradle.Cat's Cradle, which hosted a benefit for Rawls earlier this month featuring newly reunited Chapel Hill stalwarts Polvo, will also donate all of Friday's bar profits. Between the $15 tickets and bar money, Powers said the venue was able to raise almost $5000 from the last show. Paul Siler of Raleigh's Birds of Avalon said that his band jumped at the opportunity to help such a devoted follower of local music.There couldn't be a better cause than a guy like that just out of the blue getting sick and needing help"" said Siler who has known Rawls since 1995. It's good to do a benefit for a person who likes music so much.""But charity shows are not the only means planned to be used in easing Rawls' plight.Hepler" with the help of localproducers is organizing a Web-based music store to raise money.The site dubbed CyTunes" is planned to launch in the next two or three weeks and will feature songs by local and some national bands. Songs donated will be exclusively available for one year and will cost a dollar each.Hepler said that the store will be a way to raise even more substantial sums for Rawls.""It's not like we're raising money for a cause like the Red Cross where a $100 donation's really nice" he said. But getting an exclusive song from a band like Superchunk can raise real money. They can sell 50000 records without even thinking about it and if they can download 50000 songs at a dollar a song" that's real money.""In addition to donated songs" CyTunes will feature live recordings made at the benefits.Glenn Boothe owner and operator of the Local 506 which has already hosted two Rawls benefit shows and a dance party" said that the push to help Rawls has helped bring the music community together in a way that it hasn't in some time.""Every once in a while the music scene needs a wake-up call" he said. This is an unfortunate way to get our priorities straight" but now there's a greater purpose. And that just kind of helps every one realign and commune and come together.""Hepler emphasized that this is a movement he plans to continue.""I think that the need for raising money is not going to go away any time soon"" he said. This is going to be kind of ongoing.""Despite his condition"" Rawls doesn't want to miss the chance to hear some of his favorite bands perform.""I felt pretty confident that I could be at the shows because I'd be getting better each day"" he said. I was definitely planning on being at these shows.""And though Rawls said it is odd to go to shows in his honor"" he tries to not let that alter the experience. ""I'm quite flattered by it"" he said. But once the music starts I'm just enjoying it. It doesn't feel any different. I just enjoy it as usual.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
(02/28/08 5:00am)
In the early part of the 20th century Durham - and North Carolina as a whole - was full of signs of the Jim Crow South.Public facilities were segregated restaurants were specific to the races and even most music clubs in the state were split up - theaters for the white audiences and juke joints and bars for African-Americans.And like most of the region's urban centers housing patterns dictated that the races were separated into distinct neighborhoods.So it is interesting that the blues stylings that came out of Durham's largest African-American neighborhood the center of the town's thriving tobacco industry known as Hayti went on to influence generations of blues players across the nation and the world drawing fans without regard for race or class.Tim Duffy founder of Durham's Music Maker Relief Foundation" said Durham has a legitimate right to be called ""home of the blues.""""People think that the blues came out of Mississippi"" but Durham has just as much of a claim as anyone.""Blind Boy Fuller is arguably the biggest blues star of all time and he came right out of Durham.""Fuller" whose songs have been covered by scores of musicians including Eric Clapton and Jefferson Airplane released more than 130 sides of music in his career attaining national fame.But Fuller like many of the blues musicians who called Durham home in the 1930s and '40s was not originally from the town.Born in Wadesboro" Fuller made his way to Durham and the cultural hub that was the Hayti district.""It had an extremely lively nightlife" certainly the liveliest in the Piedmont" said Fitz Brundage, an American History professor at UNC.Duffy said that while the neighborhood was a place where disabled musicians such as Fuller could get gigs, most musicians came to Hayti to find work.As the center of Durham's tobacco industry, Hayti provided jobs for African-Americans looking to escape their rural roots.They came for the tobacco market. There is only so much money to be made in those small" provincial towns" Duffy said.They could work all week and then make an extra 12 bucks playing bars on Friday or Saturday nights.""Along with the extra money"" the close quarters of the tobacco plants were a breeding ground for musical collaboration.""They were all listening to each other" Duffy said. Just like any artistic community the artists were being influenced by others" internalizing their styles and putting their own spin on it.""Brundage added that music was one of the most important aspects of life in the tobacco industry.""The tradition of music in the tobacco plants really provided two important sources - there was the music that was being played on the streets outside the plants and also the music that was being heard each weekend in the bars and nightclubs.""Brundage said the unique sound of the Piedmont blues was a direct result of many of the players' rural roots being combined with their new urban surroundings and the styles of fellow musicians.""The blues is a music that harkens back to rural roots but is still worldly-wise.""""It was a huge force in helping blacks at the time become comfortable in their new urban environments.""Along with being an aid in acclimation" Duffy said the entire blues movement of the time was something that resonated with the youth of the neighborhood" allowing them to express their concerns with the realities of the excruciating work that they encountered in the tobacco plants each day.""In a way"" it's pretty similar to today's hip-hop music in that it was certainly the music of the youth.""It was angry" it was bold" and it was really a way to talk about the issues of the day.""As time progressed into the '50s" it began to speak more to the most pertinent issue of the day segregation becoming one of the early bridges between the expansive racial divide of the era said Rod Ferguson" a doctoral student in history.""Music really brought a lot of folks together.""In the Jim Crow South"" it was one of the few places where the races mingled.""Brundage said that while the blues was popular with working class white audiences from the beginning"" it didn't achieve great popularity among whites until the folk-blues revival of the '60s.And even that had its Durham roots.""It was impossible to go to a blues festival and not see Sonny Terry or Brownie McGee on the bill.""Any serious music buyer in that time would have had at least one of their records.""And the legacy lives on. Even as a highway runs through the former heart of the Hayti neighborhood"" Duffy's Music Maker Relief Foundation is making sure that ""unheard voices get heard" through professional development and the occasional gig if they are still able.The music is still alive Duffy said.If you think you missed out" you're wrong. North Carolina is really the Holy Land of traditional music.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(02/13/08 5:00am)
Winter is an introspective season. So it makes sense that the nine songs collected on Justin Vernon's debut as Bon Iver For Emma Forever Ago were recorded during a four-month period alone in his hunting cabin in the cold Wisconsin winter.The desolation is evident the solitude palpable. Lyrical meditation gives way to ambience inspiring as much emotion as any couplet ever could.But the lyrics that are present convey the sense of loneliness that permeates the record grabbing your heart and lighting a fire to warm your cold hands. The effect is immediate when he sings" ""Go find another lover to bring a ... to string along.""Vernon uses his lonely guitar to stitch up his own heart" torn and broken by years of memories. For Emma Forever Ago is what happens when a man is left alone to think to remember all he left behind and to muse on his regrets. Combining natural imagery with enough hints of the world Vernon left Bon Iver is able to mold a sense of longing and regret - all while remaining hopeful. There is beauty in his wordplay catharsis in his minimalism and joy in the moments on the record where he expands putting emphasis in all the right places letting you know where you stand.Nowhere is this more evident than on the record's standout" ""Skinny Love."" It's as if he builds everything to this point before letting loose all he has left on the chorus"" seemingly directed at a lost love.""I told you to be balanced/I told you to be kind/Now all your love is wasted?/Then who the hell was I?""It's these lines that sum up the record - a beautiful reflection of lonely self-discovery" an emotional meditation that wraps its arms around you on the first listen serving as a blanket to warm you in the cold and shelter you from life's harshest winters.Contact the Diversions Editorat dive@unc.edu.
(09/14/06 4:00am)
An open letter, from the Diversions staff, to Fox's hit prime-time soap opera, "The O.C.":
Dear "The O.C.",
It has come to our attention that the music playing behind your perplexedly addictive adolescent melodrama has become the litmus test for hipness.