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(10/28/09 4:21am)
Tonight, Gerrard Hall will resonate with grand orchestral arrangements. But don’t expect a chamber orchestra or symphony. Instead, Chapel Hill band Lost in the Trees will play a show free to UNC students, bringing their brand of epic, elaborate pop to campus.This isn’t the first time Lost in the Trees has graced the stage at Gerrard Hall, but the band’s mandolin player and Trekky Records co-founder Will Hackney says the group looks forward to playing at UNC for a second time after its successful show last year.“We have a lot of members of the band who are connected to UNC,” Hackney said, citing the bulk of the band’s string section and the year he spent at the University.Unlike the band’s previous on-campus performance, tonight’s show will feature music from Lost in the Trees’ upcoming album, the follow-up to last September’s somber “All Alone in an Empty House.” The show will be an opportunity for Lost in the Trees to play the unrecorded material in front of an audience, a set of new songs that will supplement tracks from previous recordings.“I definitely want to make a more upbeat record,” songwriter and band leader Ari Picker said. “The last record was much more subdued and it was meant to be so, but I think it would be fun to make a really raucous record.”And while Lost in the Trees’ sound is far from conventional, Hackney and Picker believe that UNC students will find it enjoyable and accessible despite the plethora of instruments and members that characterize the band.“I’ve been really surprised to see that every kind of music listener seems to find something in the music,” he said. And Lost in the Trees has experienced the diverse appeal of its music firsthand.“We played a show in New Jersey yesterday and nobody in the audience was under the age of 40, so even those old people were getting something out of it. It has a special way of having something for many different kind of music listeners,” he said.Hackney emphasized the importance of exposing students to local music that they might not otherwise encounter.“I’m really glad that they’re bringing local bands to UNC, because we can play here at Gerrard Hall and it’s easy for students to come,” he said. “Hopefully when we play at Cat’s Cradle they can come and see a band that opens for us and check them out at Local 506.”Picker also sees the performance as an opportunity to expose students to the burgeoning Triangle music scene.“I think the Carrboro music scene and the Triangle music scene is really blossoming,” he said. “So if people haven’t discovered music outside the campus bubble, they should.”Even if Lost in the Trees doesn’t suit the taste of every Gerrard Hall member of the crowd, Picker hopes that the band’s audience will, at the very least, appreciate the uniquity and dexterity of what they hear.“I think people that come out should enjoy it,” he said. “Or at least think it’s different. At least that it’s a worthy project, whether you like it or not.”Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(10/15/09 3:13am)
For several years, if you followed a scantily clad girl or a boy with a popped collar, chances are you would end up at Players. Operations manager Nick Stroud is aiming to change that perception — at least partially.Players, the East Franklin dance club that’s been a staple among UNC students for years, changed ownership this summer, and under the new guidance of Stroud, the club will host live music. With a lineup of shows that includes Jupiter One, Warpaint and Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, the Players that gained notoriety for its line of patrons stretching down the street might soon be receiving attention for something entirely different.Players reopened in July with its first live concert in 19 years after changing ownership. Hammer No More The Fingers played there for The Club is Open Festival, the first band since Hootie & the Blowfish to do so. Since then, the club has had about one show a week. And though bands are becoming an important part of Players, Stroud is quick to point out that the club will also retain its dance elements.“That’s still our bread and butter,” he said. “Shows are always from 8 to 12, and the bands are done at 12, and we’re a dance club again.” Stroud, who took over operations of the venue this summer, has already seen the benefits of the timed system.“That’s worked out really well, because you get that cross-traffic. There were people at first who were like, ‘Live music, what’s up with that?’ And now they come in and they catch an act and they’re like ‘That was awesome!’ And they dance and come back,” he said.The Club is Open Festival allowed musicians such as Betsy Shane of Pink Flag to test out the venue. “It turned into a booty-dance club again after we were all done packing up,” she said, adding that she still sees potential in Players.“Having a kind of crossover place like that could be really good, because it could get people exposed to something they’re not used to seeing,” she said. “They’re going to be able to coast off the fact that it used to be the club to go to for pretty much anybody who goes to UNC-Chapel Hill.”Though Players has hosted several successful shows, its financial viability in an area saturated with music venues could be cause for concern. With clubs such as Local 506 and Cat’s Cradle a few blocks away, Players will have to compete to attract audiences.Glenn Boothe, owner of Local 506, explained that operating a venue in Chapel Hill’s music scene comes with a unique set challenges and rewards. “It’s a smaller town, but the quantity of music that we have rivals some of the bigger towns,” he said. “Really that becomes an issue in the sense that there are so many options for a person going out that it does become the venues competing when they’re booking similar bands.”In the face of this problem, Boothe advised booking genres that are largely ignored at other clubs. “I think the venue has to be distinct from the other venues in town. There are definitely some niches that are overlooked. Another venue that’s going to book local bands and more in the indie rock vein — it’ll be tougher on everybody.”Though Players’ presence has caused concern in the local music scene, Stroud is striving to differentiate the club from other venues. “I don’t want to lose the novelty,” he said. “I don’t want to book bands that are at other venues. The local bands, I have to book them, and I want to book them to open up for these bands that are on good indie labels.“It’s not my goal to unhealthily compete with those venues. I mean, they were here before we started doing live music. It’s just another angle.”And Players, an East Franklin bar that doesn’t subsist solely on music, comes with a different set of difficulties based on its location and size. “You definitely have to think more about crowd appeal. You can’t really book a band because you like the way they sound,” he said. “This isn’t a place that survives on live music six nights a week.”For now, Stroud, who put in the club’s sound system himself, is attempting to learn the ins and outs of managing a club that offers both a club and concert atmosphere.“I’ve been doing the sound. I’ve been behind the board or running around doing lights or whatever needs to be done, so I’ve yet to enjoy a live performance,” he said. “But I definitely look over there and see them dancing and see them singing, and that’s all that matters.”And though bringing live music to the East Franklin environment will be difficult, it’s a challenge that Stroud embraces. “I know that it’s hard and I know that it’s different crowds, but juggling is something that I’m good at,” he said. “The street’s just so homogenized. It’s the same drink specials. It’s the same deals, and everyone plays rap music, and everybody has beer pong. I wish that every bar had something special about it, some kind of niche.“I want Players to be the place where you can get a little bit of everything. I want to expose kids to some culture besides what they’re used to.” Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(10/15/09 3:12am)
Back in the ’80s, these weirdos from Oklahoma decided to unleash some distorted, electronic pop on the world. Since then, the band’s cheerful, hard-rocking songs charmed the hearts of critics and college students alike. Now, The Flaming Lips are back with Embryonic, a record that combines the band’s eccentricities with meditation and nuance.Embryonic is a monster — 18 winding compositions with enough dimensions to baffle even die-hard fans. But this isn’t a flaw. Like most great albums, it warrants concentration and focus, and after a few listens, it blooms like a lily in water.“Evil,” with its haunting keyboard and off-kilter harmonies, is one of the most impactful tracks on the album, peppered with eerie static. “Aquarius Sabotage” follows with an immediate dose of distorted, frenetic guitar and unexpected chimes. These songs demonstrate the Lips’ inimitable dexterity. Just when the album builds an aura of contemplation, it becomes forceful and brash, a jarring yet welcome shift that makes the record feel like an odyssey.Though it’s largely contemplative, the tracks never feel stale. Each song brims with myriad instruments, stray sounds and layered vocals, and disassembling the components is no easy task. Subtle variations in tempo, subject matter and instrumentation ensure that each song reads as a chapter in a well-constructed novel; the plot may not be linear, but the components are cohesive.The lyrics are equally impressive. Juxtapositions between the mechanical and natural world and the daunting linearity of time characterize a group of songs that address modernism in a postmodern era. “The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine” deals with a bird whose fears prevent him from flying while “See the Leaves” proposes a George Harrison-esque reincarnation saga. It’s intimidating subject matter, but it imbues each song with depth and profundity, ensuring that few verses, if any, seem remotely pedestrian.“If” stands as a melancholy critique of human nature, a hymn-like parallel to 2002’s “Do You Realize??” Wayne Coyne whispers, “People are evil, it’s true/But on the other side they can be gentle too,” alongside ambient keyboards and the distant drone of an organ. It’s the most pared-down track on the album, and as such, it’s a startlingly beautiful moment of reflection. Embryonic is a meditative journey from one song to the next, with The Flaming Lips abandoning the carefree sensibilities of its more popular songs in favor of a brooding, intricate epic.It may not be the Lips many casual fans have come to know and love, but it proves that even at this late date in its career, the band has experimentation and depth to spare.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(10/15/09 2:53am)
In the early ’90s, there must have been something in the water in Chapel Hill. As bands such as Superchunk and Archers of Loaf emerged, critics and fans alike took notice of the Triangle’s talent, and local legend Polvo was at the front of this pack. Polvo doesn’t just have the distinction of being local rock royalty — it was Merge’s first signee after Superchunk, and now, after a 12-year hiatus, the band is back with a new record and an upcoming show at Cat’s Cradle.Diversions Assistant Editor Linnie Greene spoke with guitarist and vocalist Dave Brylawski, a UNC alumnus, to hear about the ins and outs of rocking in Chapel Hill and around the world.Diversions: How has your sound changed since you started playing in the area in the early ’90s?Dave Brylawski: I think the changes in the sound are that the technology’s gotten a little better, our instruments have gotten a little better, and we used this guy Brian Paulson, a legendary producer. He did Spiderland (by Slint). He’s pretty hot stuff, and he lives in Carrboro, but he’s very well known. Dive: When you first started playing in Chapel Hill, how did people react to your sound? Was the reception positive?DB: I would say I don’t think people reacted that strongly to it. We were a little more chaotic and noisy and hadn’t really matured into our sound yet, so I think some people were into it, but I’d say the majority shrugged it off a little bit. It took us a few months to get up and running in Chapel Hill.Dive: Looking back, what effect do you think signing with Merge had on your career?DB: Well, they gave us our first break in 1991. They sort of broke us, so they had a huge impact on our career. And we’re very fortunate to be back with them now, because they’ve gotten a lot bigger. They were and still are very homegrown, so they gave us our first break and our last break, so we’re very fortunate.Dive: When did you first encounter Superchunk? Was there collaboration going on before you signed to Merge?DB: Mac went to Jordan (High School) and Steve (Popson), the bass player and I went to Jordan, and Mac was a year ahead of us, so he was sort of like the big music guy in our high school. Steve and I were younger and inexperienced, and we looked up to him in a way. He was in a bunch of bands, Waxx and Bricks and Superchunk, so Steve and I didn’t really know him in high school. We met him through Polvo. There wasn’t really any musical collaboration, but everyone was inspiring each other.Dive: How did your experiences as a student at Carolina influence Polvo?DB: So I did the Spanish placement test and I’d taken three years of Spanish at Jordan. I didn’t understand some recording they played in Spanish, so I sort of made up every answer and just winged it, and for some reason I got placed into a mid-level Spanish. Ash was in my Spanish class at Carolina, like Spanish two. We sort of met and bonded over R.E.M. He lived in Winston and I lived in Mangum.Dive: Obviously the Triangle is a really fertile environment for producing musicians, especially when Polvo and Superchunk were forming. Why do you think that is? Is there anything in particular about this place that makes such great musicians?DB: I think it’s the same thing that makes everywhere that’s a good music scene so good. It’s relatively inexpensive, the university’s there, so there’s culture, there’s cheap beer and cheap rent. You get a bunch of young people together in a young place, and music gets made.Dive: After Polvo’s long hiatus, what was the impetus for coming together again to record In Prism?DB: We got asked to play this festival in England called All Tomorrow’s Parties. It’s this pretty big festival where they have gotten bands back together in the past. It’s curated by bands, and Explosions in the Sky curated ATP. When you curate you ask the bands you like to play. They asked if there was any band that had broken up that they wanted to play, and I was sitting at work and got this e-mail from their manager.I got the e-mail, and at the time we had no plans to get back together, but we decided to try it. Once we made that decision, we hadn’t played together in 10 years, so we decided if we were going to do it we were going to write new material, so that led to the record.Dive: What do you hope to achieve on from the current tour? Do you have any specific goals?DB: I don’t think we have any goals; I’m way too old for that. We’re not trying to make it big or anything like. It’s actually a lot lower key than that.Dive: What changes have you noticed since your last tour several years ago? How has the tour been going so far?DB: We’ve been playing off and on for the last two months, so we’ve actually played most of the American shows we’re going to play and then we’re going to Europe for a little while. You know, it’s like when you’re up on stage playing, it’s funny how little things changed. It’s not that different though, still the same crowds and mix of ages. There’s definitely some people our age who saw us the first time around and this time, there’s also young people, too, that come out. The crowd’s sort of mixed, young and old, which is nice.Dive: How do you think the scene in Chapel Hill has changed since Polvo emerged in the early ’90s?DB: There were great bands in the ’90s, but there are great bands coming out of there now.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(10/08/09 3:41am)
When most people go to Carrboro on a weekend night to check out an artist or two, they usually expect to find music. This Friday, that expectation will change as local artists collaborate in Minus Sound Research 4, a visual art exhibit that features the work of area musicians.The event started when co-curators Maria Albani and John Harrison began to notice their fellow musicians’ talent for creating art off the stage about five years ago.“At the time I was in a band called Pleasant, and we played a lot with John’s band, North Elementary,” Albani said. “We were just chatting, and at the time I was just about to graduate from UNC.“I was an art major, and we started talking about how many musicians we knew that were making visual art but not showing it, and we weren’t really sure why.”Both co-curators found that visual art was prevalent in the local music community, yet most artists hadn’t found a way to exhibit their work. Harrison was struck by this fact when he visited Kingsbury Manx member Bill Taylor’s house.“I’d been to some musician friends’ houses, in particular Bill’s, and I saw some paintings and thought ‘Damn, these are really awesome.’ They ended up being his, and I had no idea,” Harrison said.Instilled with a mission to provide musicians in the area with a space where they could show their art, Albani and Harrison began to search for venues that made sense to a pair of musicians.“At the start, we were showing at non-traditional spaces that weren’t galleries,” said Albani. “We wanted to make a platform to make that happen, and we approached it in a way that was similar to how we book shows.”Harrison said, “We just put up flyers and found a bar or a coffee shop and just kind of did it the way I knew how to do it.”From its humble beginnings in coffee shops and bars, MSR4 has moved to Carrboro’s Wootini Gallery for the second year in a row. This year’s exhibition features art by Mas Sato of Nathan Oliver, Lincoln Hancock of Strange, Laird Dixon of Shark Quest, Drew Robertson of Phon and John Kurtz of Bull City, along with work by co-curators Albani and Harrison.Past artists have included such local heavyweights as Laura Ballance of Superchunk and Beth Tacular of Bowerbirds.And with its impressive lineup, Mas Sato sees the event as an indicator of the talent local artists bring to the table. “I think it speaks to the surplus of artistic creativity that’s in this local scene. There are a lot of DIY bands that record their own music, do their own artwork, do their own flyers and such,” he said.“It’s just a representation of that spirit, of these individuals who want to do art or music and just go out and do it.”Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(10/01/09 3:54am)
The triangle is routinely seen as a musical hot spot, but This notion applies to more than just the bands that populate our stages. It also applies to our well-filled air waves. Representing three different universities and three different cites, WKNC, WXDU and WXYC each attack radio with their own distinct style.
(09/25/09 7:38pm)
Before his performance with The Minus 5 Saturday night, Dive caught up with Scott McCaughey, frontman of venerable indie rock band The Young Fresh Fellows and a music veteran who’s survived a changing industry and the challenges that come with navigating between two successful bands. Read on for McCaughey’s take on songwriting, baseball, and the perks of portable wi-fi.
(09/17/09 2:43am)
In the music industry, 20 years is like an epoch. With trends entering and exiting America’s consciousness at the speed of the sounds leaving its speakers, artists and institutions often get left behind.But somehow, in the midst of a fickle industry and the ever-changing landscape of local and national scenes, Durham’s Merge Records has not just survived its 20th year, it has done so at the peak of its powers.And to document its ascent from local anonymity to national fame, Merge and Algonquin Books are releasing “Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records.” To promote the book, Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan, co-founders of Merge and members of the band Superchunk, will be at Bull’s Head Bookshop to play a few songs and share some passages.The book documents Merge from its infancy in 1989, when Ballance’s bedroom served as her office. The label began as a way to sell cassette tapes for Superchunk, the then up-and-coming punk band.“I had no idea it would last more than three months,” Ballance said. “It was something that Mac and I started when we were still in college, and I expected it to be something we did for fun for a little while before we moved on to whatever one does when one graduates.”With the addition of Polvo in the early ’90s, the fledgling label had aligned itself with two of the most progressive and influential bands in the emerging Chapel Hill scene.“For a long time Merge was pretty much regarded as Superchunk’s label,” Ballance said. “Once we had other bands on the label that got a significant amount of press and attention from people we felt like, ‘Yes, we have a real label here.’”It soon became clear that the two had a knack for finding artists who would benefit and diversify their label. “There’s no genre-specific thing that we go for. It’s just music that Mac and I like,” Ballance said. This instinctual process has helped Merge sign such successes as Neutral Milk Hotel and Arcade Fire.A look inside the newly released book shows aged photographs of Ballance with crimped jet-black hair and a cigarette alongside McCaughan’s hand-drawn chord charts and letters.The writing process allowed co-author John Cook to discover the complexities and history behind music and artists in the Triangle on regular visits to Chapel Hill.While he had expected a group of tight-knit musicians, he also found that the area’s musical history included a few feuds. During the early ’90s, the local scene was poised to put the area’s music on the map. When Ballance split with Raleigh-based rock musician Scott Williams and began dating McCaughan, Raleigh and Chapel Hill had a new rivalry and two new kings of the rock scene.“The facts are true, but looking back people laugh about saying that Scott Williams was the king of the Raleigh scene and Mac became the king of the Chapel Hill scene,” Cook said. He found that the story might be more folklore than fact. “It was surprising to me that there was this kind of antagonism and then after that surprise, I was sort of surprised that the antagonism wasn’t real.” And in the face of a changing industry and the ever-shifting nature of its own musical community, the co-founders of Merge have managed to maintain their growth with a simple philosophy.“It’s always been one step at a time,” Ballance said. “Ten years ago we never aimed to be where we are now.” “I think that’s been key to our survival. We don’t push ourselves too hard and overspend in an effort to get there.”Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(09/10/09 2:30am)
Over the years, the blues have gained a misleading reputation. In an environment where pop and rock dominate iPods and airwaves, many people have come to associate the blues with the woeful rants and raves of embittered old coots.V. Dianne Pledger, producer of the upcoming 22nd annual Bull Durham Blues Festival, knows that the stereotype is dead wrong.“People tend to think blues is sad, old music, nothing up to date,” she said. “But the blues talks about life. It talks about what goes on every day.”The Bull Durham Blues festival, which runs Friday and Saturday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, boasts an impressive lineup and an equally remarkable history. Since 1988, the festival has brought legendary blues musicians to the city, where the style has been a major part of the music scene since the 1920s.Since then the event has grown from about 2,500 people in its early years to an estimated 10 to 15 thousand attendees this weekend. Such increases have allowed the festival to expand.“The music has grown, the artists have grown, and we’ve been able to bring in aspiring blues groups with established artists,” Pledger said. Past performers at have included such legends as Buddy Guy, Ruth Brown and, this year, Elvin Bishop. But the lineup is not the only draw of the event. Tom Gray of Atlanta-based band Delta Moon, slated to play the festival for the first time, says blues festivals provide a sense of community.“You meet a lot of other musicians,” he said. “We get to see a lot of other shows and talk with the other musicians. It’s a good chance to compare notes and see what’s going on.”The atmosphere of the festival, situated in the heart of Durham’s historic tobacco district, also brings in the crowds. “We get visitors from all 100 counties in North Carolina, and we have people from 10 countries who set their vacation to attend,” Pledger said.And as the festival draws near, the city will once again be out to disprove the old-fashioned notion that the blues’ main ingredient is depression.“Folks who aren’t hip to it all hear the blues and they think, ‘sad,’” said Nancy Lewis-Pegel, manager of Delta Moon. “But that’s just the opposite of what you find, because if you go out to a good blues festival, you see dancing.”And to her, concerns about the popularity of the blues are equally insignificant.“I was a lot less optimistic 10 years ago, but I really think people are kind of hungry for something a little more organic, and they’re looking back to the roots and people who can reinvent the roots.”Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(08/27/09 2:41am)
Correction: This article has been revised to correct an error that misstated Raleigh-based band Kooley High's hometown.
(07/08/09 4:00am)
When Bombadil wants to celebrate its CD release there are few things that can get in the way of the party. In the face of tendonitis that has forced bassist Daniel Michalak to go on an indefinite hiatus from music Bombadil decided to throw a listening party Saturday for its new album Tarpits and Canyonlands where fans can hear the new record and view artwork" an improvisational guerrilla marching band and fellow rockers Luego and The Tender Fruits.The unconventional party format came as a response to Michalak's two-year battle with the condition. ""He couldn't drive a car" couldn't write a letter" said Bryan Rahija, a member of Bombadil. So with his health in mind" after two years of hoping things would get better taking medications and doing yoga and stuff like that" it wasn't working. So we had to stop."" But instead of resigning themselves to reclusion after they were forced to cancel their original release party at Cat's Cradle" Bombadil forged ahead with plans for a listening party at Durham's new urban arts campus" Golden Belt. ""We just wanted to get the record out there" and we're not really sure when we're going to play Rahija said. We wanted to spread the word about the record and celebrate" to throw a party for everyone who's been there with us for so long.""The space itself was a major draw for the band"" which hails from Durham. ""I'd heard about this new space" the Golden Belt and it's a really awesome and comfortable space Rahija said. We're not huge rock club guys so we wanted a space where people could be comfortable without smoke or complete darkness" a more relaxed atmosphere where we could do different things.""Allison Polish" Golden Belt's marketing director" also expressed excitement about the role local musicians like Bombadil will play for the future. ""One of the buildings on our campus" Building 7 is slated to be a music venue" she said. Golden Belt has already hosted local favorites The Rosebuds and Lost in the Trees, and Polish said she expects the venue to host many more local musicians in the future.While the listening party might sound like a disappointing plan, Rahija said the band looks at it as an opportunity to fulfill some of their long-standing desires for an unconventional show. You know" it has food which we all love. Daniel always had a dream of doing a show at a Chinese buffet" Rahija said. Bombadil is also incorporating visual art into the show. It comes as a result of a meeting between Bombadil and Idiots' Books publishers Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr, whom the guys met at a show. They enjoyed the concert and invited us to come to their barn where they live and have their workshop" and we just fell in love instantly with their art" Rahija said. A few weeks later they just sent us this basically already produced packaging and had the complete vision already laid out for us in the shape of a CD.""The images depict a man who flies off of a building and through many different terrains"" ultimately crashing and walking away unscathed. It's a fitting visual for a band which has weathered adversity to put on this event.""I'm kind of hoping that the night will just be sort of a collection of things that we like as a band.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(05/20/09 4:00am)
When one takes into consideration Neckbeard Records' name philosophy and history it's pretty obvious that the label spawned by three UNC alumni and one N.C. State alumnus won't be representing the next big national sensation. With a business plan that favors exposure over money earned and an ambition for being a first step for up-and-coming bands it seems unlikely they'll be responsible for any releases that will make a splash on the national scene.But at the release party at Local 506 for the label's first record The Return of the Norfolk Regiment by Chapel Hill band Lemming Malloy it's also clear that the local music junkies behind Neckbeard have a lot to celebrate.Bryan Reed a former DTH diversions editor an assistant editor for Charlotte's Shuffle Magazine and one of four Neckbeard founders" said one of the differences between Neckbeard and other labels lies in its innovative economic model.""I thought" if I were putting out a CD I'd just want to sell it and be done with it and have a sunk cost" he said.And while it might seem that the area is saturated with small labels, Reed insists that Neckbeard's unique approach to the artist-label relationship could play an important role for local artists. One small label can't put out all the great bands in this area"" he said. I'd like to think we're just a drop in the bucket that's contributing to something more than ourselves.""But although the Lemming Malloy release marks a first success for Neckbeard" things haven't always gone so smoothly. Chapel Hill band I Was Totally Destroying It part of the release party lineup and a former Neckbeard client" started having problems with the label which resulted in a publicized and contentious split.John Booker of I Was Totally Destroying It said the schism was due to many mistakes that occurred during the course of the band's roughly three-week experience with Neckbeard. ""We pointed out the mistakes they made" they got their feelings hurt by us pointing out their mistakes and decided to drop us" he said.Since the separation, I Was Totally Destroying It has signed on with Greyday Records, a label based out of Portland, Ore. The band had initially planned to release a limited run double EP alongside Lemming Malloy, but are now releasing it later on Greyday.And while the course of Neckbeard's musical relationships haven't always been smooth, Jay Cartwright of Lemming Malloy says his band has had a positive experience.It's been absolutely excellent" he said of Lemming Malloy's connection to Neckbeard.They've brought a lot of ideas to the table" and that enthusiasm has been great."" I Was Totally Destroying It's Booker is similarly optimistic despite past disputes between the label and the band.""We might disagree with what happened" but we just want to share the stage with good people and to play in front of as many people as possible" he said. And through successes and disputes, the label has kept a single goal. I just want to see us signing talented bands who want to put music out" who want to do different music" said Allie Mullen, Neckbeard co-founder and former DTH photo editor.Just signing more people that believe in our philosophy and want to put their music out there — that's all we want.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(04/22/09 4:00am)
Look up ""G.D.I."" on UrbanDictionary.com and its meaning might come as a surprise. The term" which serves as the title for UNC senior Michael Washington's new feature-length film refers to a person who's not affiliated with a particular fraternity or in Washington's words" someone who's ""…damn independent.""While Washington himself is not in a fraternity"" the multitude of friends that joined after graduating their small private high school meant he got his fair share of exposure to the frat life.""At Carolina" we're very Greek" he said. And while the fraternities that populate UNC's campus provide a backdrop to his story, Washington's film extends far beyond the frivolities of weekend partying and pledging.It's not a movie in any way" shape or form bashing fraternities" he said. It's really about the time in everyone's life when you've got to stop being a slacker and become whatever you want to be.""It's about standing on your own two feet"" dealing with life in a comedic way.""Washington relied on UNC's filming resources"" using only Canon GL2 cameras rented from the Undergraduate Library and the Final Cut Pro editing software in the Media Resource Center. Washington drew on his experiences as a theater major to film ""G.D.I."" and although UNC doesn't offer a film major, he said the film community at Carolina is growing.I personally know about four filmmakers" he said. I know three people who actually moved out to LA. At Carolina you start out just taking classes about writing" and from writing you actually get to making films.""""G.D.I."" is now a feature-length film" but it began as a running joke amongst Washington and his friends in 2005. When Washington sat down and wrote a script the joke became a reality and several years later" he and his cast await the premiere of ""G.D.I."" at the Carolina Film Festival on April 23.In the future"" Washington's ideal outcome would be for ""G.D.I."" to land a distribution deal and continue to tour beyond the Carolina Film Festival. He hopes its universal themes will extend its appeal beyond the college-age demographic.""I would say the film is about making mistakes" trying to get yourself out of those crazy mistakes you make in college and ultimately growing up he said.Kind of a coming-of-age story with beer pong" fraternities and Rock Band.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(03/04/09 5:00am)
If you're a music aficionado in Chapel Hill it's likely that you may never have heard the name Nathan White. But you've probably heard of Nathan Oliver.Nathan White is not synonymous with Nathan Oliver. Well it used to be but UNC dental resident Nathan White has added members to what once was once a solo act to create the band that goes by his first and middle names. As his career progressed" the addition of Mark Lebetkin and drummer John Tokarczyk made Nathan Oliver.""That's kind of why we're a band but it's under the name Nathan Oliver"" White said. Because when I went in it was just me. Eventually I started playing shows.""The local musician cited a surprisingly unusual combination of influences"" mentioning Nirvana and Elliott Smith alongside local bands and their on-stage antics.But White doesn't necessarily rely on the same brooding sounds that made some of his influences famous. ""I just want to play something that's honest and unassuming" and not to waver on what that means whether it's saying something that's a little bit personal or that's really kind of silly" he said.White rightly describes his latest release, Cloud Animals, as a more distilled realization of this ambition. It's more an entire album rather than just some songs put together" he said. I think the songwriting is more directional on this one" and the songs are more cohesive."" In addition to local influence" White said that having spent more than his fair share of time on and around UNC's campus has been a major factor in his success. He completed his undergraduate degree in biology completed dental school and is now a resident here. In White's words" ""they can't get rid of me.""That same proximity gave White his star. A chance meeting with record label Pox World Empire propelled Oliver from bedroom songwriting to public musicianship.""I really lucked out"" Oliver said. One of my friends from high school introduced me to a guy that worked with the record label."" Then"" it was straight to the recording studio. ""I kind of got hooked up with them and recorded songs for fun just to see how they would turn out.""But it took the transition from high school to college and the Chapel Hill music scene to draw White onto the stage. ""It's something that I was always interested in" but it's not something I pursued until I was actually here he said. Chapel Hill has such a strong music scene" I felt that I could be a part of it""And while White has found musical success over the years because of his time at the University"" balancing his numerous years of school with a career as a burgeoning musician hasn't always been easy. ""I would end up playing music until one o'clock in the morning" White said. I would always come back and make time to do music" because that's what I love.""CD RELEASE PARTYTime: 9:30 p.m. SaturdayLocation: Local 506"" 506 W. Franklin St.Info: www.local506.comContact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(02/25/09 5:00am)
Western Civ has come a long way since it moved to Chapel Hill from Alabama. Looking back on its transition from small town to college town home demos to studio-recorded albums Western Civ prepares for the release of its newest album Shower the People You Love With Gold with an upcoming release party at Local 506 with fellow Chapel Hillians Embarrassing Fruits and Mitch Easter.While its new release and rising success might indicate otherwise Western Civ arose out of humble high school beginnings. In the same way that many bands take shape Western Civ began as three high school friends who met occasionally to jam slowly developing a cohesive sound and a few self-penned songs. After band members went their separate ways for four years the three members reunited and in the words of frontman and guitarist Rich Henderson" ""took it more seriously and it all kind of grew from there.""After years of finding their musical identity" Western Civ has honed its method of songwriting to a multi-step" collaborative process. ""I write 90 percent of them myself" Henderson said. I'll show them a part I have in mind and they'll usually put their own spin on it. I come up with maybe the superstructure of the song myself" and they fill in the gaps a little bit.""Henderson draws inspiration for Western Civ's songs through an almost academic study of music"" a method of listening that makes car radio listeners look like amateurs. ""I listen to music at least two or three hours a day" Henderson stated matter-of-factly. I listen to music the way some people might sit down and read a book" just listen to music and focus on it. I don't want to listen unless I can focus on it.""And given the blues rock sound of Western Civ"" Henderson's musical palette might be surprising. ""Probably the biggest influences are from the 1960s or the 1990s"" he said, citing artists ranging from Brian Wilson to Pavement and Yo La Tengo.This amalgamation of inspirations helps to account for Western Civ's idiosyncratic style. Henderson was quick to point out that Western Civ doesn't subscribe to many other artists' musical formula. I don't see why so much music has to be a commercial for someone's point of view. I just try to put words together that sound poetic to me"" he said. I think we're definitely more music-based and less message-based.""As the band celebrates the numerous changes looming on the horizon"" Henderson is particularly eager to play tonight. ""I'm really happy to be playing with the other two bands" he said. I really like the Embarrassing Fruits a lot" and Mitch Easter's just a living legend. I'm surprised he's getting on the stage with us. We're pretty honored.""And what makes a quality gig in the opinion of Henderson? ""I definitely like the ones with a real stage and a real sound guy"" he said. That's always a plus.""Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(02/18/09 5:00am)
M. WardHold Timerock(4.5 out of 5 stars)On his newest album Hold Time M. Ward proves that collaborating with a veritable army of talent in recent years hasn't zapped his creative genius. Though She & Him his collaboration with Zooey Deschanel might have had the critics buzzing and college kids surgically attached to their iPods Hold Time stands as a testament to the fact that M. Ward is at his very best as a solo act singing mellow" strum-heavy tunes that are liable to resonate in your head for days on end.From the very first chords of ""For Beginners"" the initial track on the album, Ward creates a record that sustains itself, repetitive only in its genius. Its versatility ensures that Hold Time is just as appropriate as background music as it is for concentrated listening, a trait that few artists, or records, can claim. The pleasant ebb and flow of M. Ward's voice hasn't lost any of its magic since such epic tracks as Chinese Translation"" and ""Vincent O'Brien"" yet the artful chord progressions and effortless lyrics are an improvement over many older, less impressive records. From beginning to end, M. Ward's songs are pleasantly cohesive, straying in content and sound just enough to maintain the listener's interest but similar enough to preserve a unified sound.One of the strongest aspects of Hold Time is its emotional connectivity. The tracks don't usually deal with particularly heavy subjects —most of the songs are laced with confusion over the latest unintelligible action of the opposite sex. M. Ward's husky, gentle voice paired with the soothing strums of his guitar evokes the carefree warmth of dangling an arm out the window on a balmy summer drive. As evidenced by his contributions to the masterful soundtrack of the film The Go Getter"" M. Ward's songs work perfectly to encapsulate the lives and sentiments of his subjects, even if that subject is himself.Though the album is no departure from past M. Ward records, it follows the same magical formula that has worked for Mr. Ward in the past, a happy-go-lucky sensibility that holds no pretenses and relies solely on talent and extraordinary songwriting. Because of this, Hold Time should be no letdown for M. Ward fans, and for others it's a perfect opportunity to discover M. Ward, a distinct voice in an otherwise calm sea of sameness, at the peak of his powers.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu
(02/11/09 5:00am)
For Django Haskins, lead singer of The Old Ceremony, a lot has changed in the past four and a half years. As The Old Ceremony has risen to more and more success, he's been able to abandon that loathsome day job"" perform at envy-inducing gigs, and write music that's garnered both critical acclaim and a sizeable fan base. With such a burgeoning musical career and a new album, Walk On Thin Air, one might think Django Haskins is content to revel in The Old Ceremony's success, but he doesn't hesitate to point out a very different philosophy.It's really nice to have that kind of thing happen"" Haskins says of the recognition that the band has received. But we try not to take it too seriously because the only thing that matters is the next show."" In short"" he operates under a simple and effective mantra: ""If it sounds good"" do it.""Part of The Old Ceremony's success" according to Haskins" comes from the close bond the band shares. He emphasized that its current sound isn't necessarily reflective of its past. ""It's definitely changed a lot over the years" Haskins states. Originally it was kind of a loose bunch of musicians and we'd have as many as eleven musicians on-stage at a time in some of our earliest shows—horn players strings" all kinds of stuff.""But since that period"" The Old Ceremony has experienced a definite evolution. ""Over time" it's just really kind of turned into the real core. The band is still all the same people; it's just turned into much more of a band said Haskins. We're all married to each other" basically.""In the process of writing the new album" Haskins encountered his fair share of inspiration while the band was touring" some of which wasn't musical.""Sometimes I get inspired by weird things like movies" he said. I'll watch some movie and not necessarily the story" but the mood or the colors will make me want to write a song. ""I'll take inspiration wherever I can find it"" because it's not always easy to sit down with a blank piece of paper and say something in a new way."" Though The Old Ceremony has traveled throughout the United States" Haskins made clear that the band's loyalty and love for the Triangle is still intact. The large community of local musicians is a considerable draw for Haskins. While he cited a limited number of venues as an occasional hindrance" he pointed out that ""the benefits far outweigh the difficulties.""The venues might be limited"" but that doesn't prevent the band from enjoying local gigs. ""The Cradle is one of our favorite venues"" Haskins said, largely because it's our hometown venue. Those are some of our favorite shows because we're really lucky to have people that come and see us play.""The band doesn't hesitate to play a venue that might appear inadequate at first glance. ""Some of my favorite ones are these really small venues where we'd show up and see the stage and think" ‘There's no way we're going to fit on this stage""" he said. ""And then somehow we Tetris ourselves on the stage and it's one of the best shows we've ever had because we're so connected to each other.""
(02/04/09 5:00am)
On a recent visit to the Ackland Art Museum to see the new exhibit"" ""Cultural Politics and Contemporary Art" I was immediately called out as a museum novice by the security guard. You've obviously never been here before" he stated bluntly, eyeing the pen in my hand. No pens in the galleries.""While I'm actually a pretty regular patron of the Ackland" the new student-curated exhibit integrated a mix of abstract and traditional art that proved to be a very eye-opening experience. The exhibit was put together by graduate and undergraduate students in an art class on contemporary art and politics led by professor Cary Levine.As I entered the gallery my senses were assaulted by the menagerie of mediums and genres a bright and noisy mixture that spanned many periods of American history culture and art. Most notably one corner of the space contained an orb onto which an eye was projected its pupil dilating as different TV clips resonated in the background. It's a display that throws the conventional stuffy museums of the elementary-school-field-trip brand right out.While the entire exhibit was multifaceted and thought-provoking" certain pieces were especially memorable. Andy Warhol's unexpectedly somber photo ""Birmingham Race Riot"" evoked the tension and discomfort that challenges the viewer to face such a dark period in history. Mabel Dwight's cartoonish ""Life Like"" examined gender through a sketch of a nude woman posing for a room full of gaping men.As I shuffled from tapestry to painting"" the photographs of Robert Frank proved most captivating. In ""Charleston" South Carolina the wide-eyed and weary (respectively) faces of a white baby and its black caretaker juxtaposes the discrepancies in privilege that were once an integral part of the South. Frank's Rodeo" New York City"" artfully — no pun intended — depicts the relaxed figure of a cowboy on the sidewalk of a New York City street"" an unexpected and thought-provoking subject that expands the scope of the exhibit's commentary.The student curators of ""Cultural Politics and Contemporary Art"" compiled an exhibit that struck the right balance of realism and abstraction" accessibility and complexity.And as I left the gallery I realized that the cultural politics addressed in the exhibit extended far beyond the confines of a small" crowded room inside the Ackland.Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(10/23/08 4:00am)
Local residents who are considering applying for a school board seat are now more informed about just what it takes to be a successful advocate of Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools.About 15 potential applicants for a position on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education received information about the job Tuesday.The position will open when current chairwoman Pam Hemminger assumes a seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners vacating the school board with one year left in her term.Dabney Grinnan one potential applicant at Tuesday's meeting" said supporting the district's teachers would be her main priority.""I have a great deal of concern that due to federal" state and local mandates and initiatives we are asking so much of our teachers" Grinnan said. It's hard for them to teach and be less interested in teaching.""Deb Musson" another potential applicant" cited the economy and its impact on schools as her primary concern.""I know that since we've been here" budget issues have always been an issue and with the economy such as it is that's going to be a driving force" she said.Tuesday's meeting provided insight to many possible applicants who needed more information about the commitments involved with serving on the board.For Theresa Watson, who is considering applying, the meeting reiterated the time and effort involved in a board position.I took from yesterday's meeting that the position will require time" and you have a commitment" she said. That is really important.""Stephanie Knott" spokeswoman for the district" said a member of the school board needs a combination of experience and dedication that does not revolve around a high paycheck.""There is a great deal of volunteerism behind the role itself" Knott said. While it does come with a small stipend for service" it is very small and it doesn't compensate for the time they spend in that role.""She also said that a history of service and the ability to spend extended periods of time working on bettering local schools would be essential.""Someone who has a background of service and the ability to have the time to devote to being a board member is the greatest attribute in many respects"" she said.It's a great responsibility that requires time away from home and family.""The job requirements include serving on various district committees and helping to elect new board leaders in December" among other duties.Instead of an election as is typical with the school board current board members will select the applicant they prefer based on an interview.Applications for the position of the new board member consist of detailed questions aimed at the applicants as well as three letters of recommendation.Though the board hasn't received any official applications a record number of local residents attended Tuesday's informational meeting district Superintendent Neil Pedersen said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
(09/24/08 4:00am)
When Glen Lennox Apartments were built 50 years ago to house World War II veterans Chapel Hill was a smaller town with a much smaller population.The town hosted an informational meeting Tuesday to discuss the complex's future" addressing issues of growth and preservation through the potential of declaring Glen Lennox a Neighborhood Conservation District.""It's a very participatory process"" Planning Director J.B. Culpepper said.According to the town's Web site, this designation is intended to preserve, protect, enhance and perpetuate the value of Chapel Hill's neighborhoods by giving residents more input on development issues. If Glen Lennox is designated a Neighborhood Conservation District — which would take at least a year — property owners could help the town draft a conservation plan to allow their concerns to be addressed in the future.Residents have specific concerns about growth in the area. For Margaret Perkett, a retiree, the key is to keep buildings relatively small.I moved to Chapel Hill and I think I prefer small to big" but that's just my point of view at my age" she said.George Cianciolo, chairman of the Chapel Hill planning committee, stressed the importance of being knowledgeable about possible changes.Many Glen Lennox residents attended the meeting at Town Hall to educate themselves on possible changes that could occur.What we're really trying to do is get the neighbors to understand the process" what it can and can't do what they can accomplish with it he said. Questions need to be asked before we get too far into it and say ‘Wait a minute" I didn't know that was going to happen.'""Last spring" Grubb Properties proposed replacing all existing buildings in Glen Lennox and constructing a mixed-use facility of 900 new residences three parking decks a shopping center a hotel and about 3665 parking spaces. Glen Lennox residents responded with a campaign to prevent the development petitioning for Neighborhood Conservation District status.Grubb Properties formally withdrew the plan this summer after the outcry and promised to reconsider the proposal. Through a series of facilitated meetings and Tuesday's town council information session residents and developers will continue working toward a plan.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.