Sunday, May 25, 2008

Check out the photos and video from The Needles and Dropsonic

I'm loving the G9 more and more! I've never gotten photos this clear at Slim's before. Anyway, here are some photos and video from The Needles and Dropsonic last night. I'm guessing most people are out of town, because the show was rather sparsely attended. That didn't stop both bands from putting on LOUD killer sets. The folks who were there certainly appreciated it.

The Needles, "Your City is Not My City" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(The Needles -- "Your City's Not My City")

Dropsonic from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(Dropsonic -- sorry, I don't know the name of this one. Can a Dropsonic fan please enlighten me?) More photos here!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

More from Caltrop, plus Colossus

A few years ago, some folks covered the early chiffon-era Judas Priest (pre-British Steel, maybe even pre-Hell Bent for Leather) at the Kings Great Cover-up. That was seriously one of the most awesome things I ever saw at the Cover-up. This morning I realized that Colossus, whose updated NWOBHM-style metal references Priest, Maiden and forgotten gems like Diamondhead, was the band that did Priest at that show. I thought they were fabulous enough after seeing them last night at Reservoir, but realizing that made me decide that they are now my new favorite band in the Triangle. Check out the video. You won't see much, but you will hear what they sound like. Go see them, and buy their CD.

Colossus from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Caltrop was even better than when I saw them last week, mainly because original drummer Jason Aylward, who now drums for Valient Thorr, sat in with them for a double -drum assault.

Caltrop from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Another one by Caltrop from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Wow, I am enjoying my new G9!

Still getting used to it, but enjoying it nonetheless. Here are a few photos and some video I got last night of Black Skies at Volume 11 Tavern here in Raleigh. The sound is a little blown out, but it looks good -- or at least the raw file looks good. It kind of looks crappy on youtube. I need to investigate better ways of getting my videos online. Going to shoot Caltrop and Colossus tonight, and I got some advice from a co-worker who is a video expert, so hopefully those videos will sound better.

(VIDEO DELETED)

The T's to replace Richard Bacchus Sunday at Slim's

Here's the note Gary just sent out on myspace:

That's right Buckaroos, The T's are playing a "surprise" gig this
Sunday night at Slim's.

It's a long story, but due to a very unfortunate incident, Ricky and
the Luckiest Girls have been forced to cancel their performance for
Erica's birthday party Sunday night.

We love our brothers, but we love Erica more! Therefore, The T's have
gladly agreed to play the date, along with the Sugar!

The Infamous Sugar will go on at 10pm with The T's to follow (around
11pm), SUNDAY NIGHT.

Obviously, it's Memorial Day weekend so the only excuse we'll accept
is if you're out of town. Otherwise, HAUL YOUR ASSES TO SLIM'S, THIS
SUNDAY NIGHT TO HELP CELEBRATE ERICA'S BIRTHDAY WITH THE SUGAR AND....

THE (MOTHERFUCKING) T'S!

g

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

OK, this was a first

Until last night, I've never been asked to stop taking photos or shooting video in a club. I'm not sure if it was a directive from Lincoln Theatre (I got video of The Hold Steady when they were there) or The Sword. I'm inclined to think the former because the guy who told me to stop was wearing a Lincoln Theatre T-shirt. Oh well, at least he didn't make me erase what I'd already gotten, so here's a partial video of "The Frost-Giant's Daughter."

(VIDEO DELETED)

Monday, May 19, 2008

Tuesday night's can't miss show: The Sword

I could just do a cop-out here and quote my friend Joe, who said that The Sword's new CD, "Gods of the Earth," could be summed up in two words: "Bad ass." Or I could once again point you to the video I shot of them at Kings back in 2006 -- which was one of the heaviest shows I ever saw at that club. That should show you that "bad ass" is an understatement when it comes to this band. "Gods of the Earth" sounds like the soundtrack to an ancient battle involving elves, wizards, dwarves and a host of other magical peoples. Peter Jackson really should have have used "The Black River" for the battle scene between the Riders of Rohan and the Orcs in "The Two Towers." The fantasy imagery struck me as a bit heavy-handed the first few times I listened to this CD, but eventually I realized how well it goes with the band's stomping, grinding sound. They'll be at Lincoln Theatre on Tuesday night with another amazing band, Philadelphia's Stinking Lizavetta, who have been described as "doom-jazz." I know that when I saw them more than four years ago I was totally blown away.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Found at Artsplosure yesterday


If you find yourself at Artsplosure today, go into the Pour House and check out the cuff bracelets made from old records. Basic black vinyl cuffs go for $15, while the colored ones go for $20. As you can see, I snagged a yellow one, but the white one seemed to be calling my name too. If you can't make it down there, just e-mail the woman who makes them at ronnie2many@gmail.com.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Videos of In the Year of the Pig and Caltrop!

Last night Jess and I drove out to Chapel Hill to check out Caltrop (pictured above) and In the Year of the Pig at Nightlight. Thrones was there too, but my main concern was with the local bands, so that's what I captured. I seriously cannot remember the last time I went to Nightlight (which used to be called Skylight Exchange regardless of what time of day it was) but the place had changed not one bit. I'd be willing to bet that at least 95 percent of the books in that place were there when I first went in 1991. Anyhoo, it looks like I do need to live up to my constant promises to go to Chapel Hill more because some of the heaviest music in the Triangle is coming from there. I think there's also a new rule that you can't be a dude in Chapel Hill unless you have a big bushy beard. I don't think I've seen that much facial hair in one room in my whole life. At one point Jess sent me a text saying "BEARD ALRET!" which in Jess-speak meant "Alert," though I'm not sure who among the multitude the "Alret" was supposed to indicate. Caltrop, who played second, lived up to my expectations and more with their super heavy sludge. If it wasn't raining -- and the ticket price wasn't $15 -- I would go see them again tonight at Volume 11 with ASG and Helmet. But they'll be at Reservoir next Friday, so until I can get someone to book them another show in Raleigh, I can make do with that. Here's the video, which given the fact that Nightlight's stage lighting consisted of one red bulb, came out a little better than expected.

Caltrop from Mann's World on Vimeo.

In The Year of the Pig, who played first, was the biggest surprise for me. I'd heard they were HEAVY, but I was not prepared for how heavy they actually were. Dave Cantwell, who is a powerhouse on drums, is one of two guys playing drum kits. They also have two bass players -- one of whom only has two strings on his bass -- and a guitarist. This video did not turn out well at all (they were set up in front of Caltrop's equipment and so missed the weak benefits of having the red bulb shine directly on them). But if you look closely toward the end you might be able to see drummer No. 1 get his stick caught in the headstock of bass player No. 2's bass.

In the Year of the Pig from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Addemdum to show of the week: The Bronzed Chorus


Just found out that The Bronzed Chrous from Greensboro will be at Reservoir in Carrboro tomorrow night (Thursday). They blew me away when they played with Red Collar a couple of weeks ago at Tir na nOg (see the video here), so I suggest you check them out!

Interview with me on the Random Thoughts blog

As the name states, this was totally random. Mike is my co-worker, and we decided to do this five minutes before we actually did it. I had to work at 4:30 this morning, so that's why I look so exhausted.

Check it out!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

This week's cool shows: Bleeding Hearts, RebusFest and the Sword!



Wednesday, May 14: Thrones with Caltrop at Nightlight
Thrones is Joe Preston, whom you probably remember from his stint in The Melvins. Caltrop is super-heavy sludge from Chapel Hill. They have an awesome new song up on their Myspace, so check it out.

Thursday, May 15: Helmet with ASG and Caltrop, Volume 11
Honestly, I couldn't care less about Helmet these days, but if you miss Caltrop with Thrones the night before, you might want to check this show out, especially since Wilmington's ASG is also opening.


Show of the week! TIE!
Friday, May 16: Bleeding Hearts CD-release party, with The Magic Babies and Sir Arthur & the Royal Knights, The Pour House
The new Bleeding Hearts CD sounds awesome (go here for my review and a download), so you should absolutely check out this show. The Magic Babies include Galen and Charles from The Weather, and based on the two songs I've heard from them, they remind me of a groovier Faces. Sir Arthur is coming off their opening slot for Polvo. I understand Arthur came out wearing a football helmet with a tambourine attached and shook his head in time to the music. Let's hope he reprises that act on Friday.

Gray Young and Citified, Slim's
I was stymied in my last attempt to see Citified, who remind me a whole lot of The Connells with some Smiths thrown in. But everyone who saw them that night made sure to tell me what I'd missed.

Show of the week! TIE!
Sunday, May 18: RebusFest, Rebusworks in Raleigh
Here's info sent out by Rebus gallery in Raleigh: RebusFest, a one-day event featuring art, music, and food, will be held on Sunday, May 18. Bands include The Loners, Kickin' Grass, Starmount, Monologue Bombs, The T's, and Edmund II. Participating artists include Julie Armbruster, Casey Porn, Betty McKim, Staci Sawyer, Clifton May and Lauren Turner. Artist spaces are still available, if interested, please call 919-754-8452.
We are also looking for volunteers, if you'd like to help for a shift (11:30 until 3:30 or 3:30 until 7:30), please let us know by email or phone.

And here's the final schedule:
12:30/The Monologue Bombs
1:30/Kickin' Grass
2:30/Starmount
3:30/Edmund II
4:30/The T's
5:30/The Loners

Tuesday, May 20: The Sword with Stinking Lizaveta
Austin's The Sword are one of my favorite heavy bands, though I admit their new CD is a bit over the top with Stonehenge/gnome imagery. watch the video for "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" (see what I mean?) off Gods Of the Earth here.

I saw Stiking Lizaveta waaaaay back in 2003 and thought they were absolutely amazing. Can't wait to see them again.



COMING UP NEXT WEEK
Thursday - Monday, May 22 - 26: WE Fest, Wilmington
Since this is Memorial Day, there's a good chance some of you folks could be down at the beach. If you're in Wilmington, hit up the WE Fest, which is going on 12 years! This year's festival includes Red Collar, Hammer No More the Fingers, Clang Quartet and much more, and tickets are only $1 per day!

Saturday, May 24: Dropsonic with The Needles, Slim's
From Atlanta. I don't know much about them but I'm liking what I've heard so far. However I DO know The Needles, and I know they're awesome, Hellacopters-style RAWK. Could be a great show.



UPCOMING IN GENERAL


Thursday, May 29: The Trousers at Tir na nOg
I love this band so much, and they hardly ever play out, maybe because drummer Stephen Gardner is mighty busy with his duties as singer/guitarist with The T's. This band is fine British blues rock, and singer-guitarist Jim Pendergast plays with an understated elegance that must be heard live to be appreciated.

Saturday, May 31: Trekky Record Music Fest, Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro
Damn! What a line-up! This is a daylong festival with great bands and local vendors to benefit the Trekky Music collective. According to the press release, they're having it at Piedmont Biofuels because it's apparently a really cool place that has a giant chess board. I haven't been there so I can't vouch for that.
Show starts at 2 p.m.; $10 suggested donation
The line up:

The Never
Bowerbirds
Endless Mic
Megafaun
Embarrassing Fruits
Hammer No More the Fingers
Butterflies
The Future Kings of Nowhere
Barghest
Wil Donegan and the Americans
Vibrant Green
Sweet By and By

Monday, May 12, 2008

Videos from Polvo!

I decided for the Polvo reunion show at the Cradle that I would stand back on one of the risers so I could get a clear shot of the band. Bad idea. You can't see much in the videos, but at least you get to hear their first song, which Steve Popson tells me is something new they've been working on, which, as of yet, doesn't have a name. Here it is:

Polvo, new song from Mann's World on Vimeo.

As for the second video I shot, I honestly don't know which song this is. I'm not sure if it's something that's been re-worked, or if it's something from a single or record I don't have. Someone please enlighten me. UPDATE: Thanks to Ross for telling me that this is Fast Canoe off of Exploded Drawing.

Another one by Polvo, "Fast Canoe" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

The show itself sounded great. Brian Quast is a very powerful drummer, and everyone I spoke with commented on how much heavier the band sounded with him. It was good to see all the old gang from Greensboro, who commandeered the riser right behind the one I was on and held their own little greensboronet party.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Bleeding Hearts on 96 Rock tonight!

Check out an interview with Joe and Jimbo from The Bleeding Hearts at 10 p.m. tonight on 96 Rock. And don't forget the CD-release show is Friday at The Pour House. Here's what the band just sent out on myspace: Tune into 96.1 if you are in the Raleigh area tonight to hear Joe & Jimbo on air for an interview and the radio debut of three new songs from "Nothin' On But The Radio. " The tracks you will hear are: Nothin' On But The Radio In A Bad Place and Status Symbol Also don't forget the CD Release Party on Friday May 16th at The Pourhouse and if you just can't wait then you can buy the CD now at www.doublenaughtrecords. com Polvo movies coming tomorrow. I promise.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

George Clinton in Raleigh this Saturday!

got this from DowntownRaleigh.com:

Band Together presents George Clinton and HOBEX to benefit SAFEChild cosponsored by DowntownRaleigh.com

WHEN: Saturday, May 10th. Doors open at 6pm.
WHERE: Lincoln Theatre, Downtown Raleigh.
COST: $22.50 Advance/$27.00 Day of/$125.00 VIP.
Click here to purchase tickets! 21+ age event.

Those crazy kids at Band Together are at it again, and this time they’re bringing you the ultimate can’t-be-defined man of our time, George Clinton. And to complement the King of Funk? Local Funk'n'Soul band, HOBEX.

What’s more, this soiree will benefit SAFEChild. Cause drinking beer to great music always feels better if it’s for a good cause.

So check out the details below, get your tickets now and make plans to throw down with us on May 10th. Because you – and George Clinton - are like the wind, my friend. And you can’t catch the wind!

Okay - just to recap, here's what to do:
1. Buy tickets because with this lineup, it’ll be a sellout.
2. Volunteer - this week, next week, day of – whatever works for you.
3. Donate if you're out of town or otherwise engaged.
4. Forward this email to friends, family, that girl you’re stalking.
4. Join our mailing list to learn about future Band Together events.

Get your tickets now because…George Clinton? Clearly this will be a sell-out. Plus, if you buy your ticket before next week you’ll save five bucks – and that will go a long way towards beer that night, my friend.

Lincoln Theatre
126 E. Cabarrus Street
Raleigh, NC
(919) 821-4111

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

This week's cool shows: Polvo!



Please pardon the SERIOUSLY abbreviated version of this post. Work has kept me from writing about rock for the past few days.


Thursday, May 8: Hayseed Dixie, Pour House
If you love bluegrass and AC/DC, this show is for you. They played one of the best versions of Whole Lotta Rosie I've ever heard when I saw them at Pour House a couple of years ago.

Thursday, May 8: Dirty Little Heaters, Slim's

I haven't seen these gals since they played a between-bout set at an early Rollergirls game a few years back. Looks like this will be my chance to see them again.

Friday, May 9: Rocket Cottage with Grass Widow, Double Down


SHOW OF THE WEEK! Saturday, May 10: Polvo, Cat's Cradle
One of the most innovative bands ever to emerge from this area starts a series of reunion shows. They're also going to be playing at ATP Catskills (in addition to ATP England) in the fall, and yours truly is debating whether or not to go. Look for for something special on the blog, in preview of the show, next week!

Saturday, May 10: Killer Filler, Sadlack's

Saturday, May 10: Colossus with Thunderlip, Slims
I really hate that I'm going to miss this show, because I've been wanting to check out Colossus. Alas, I will be at Polvo.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK

Thursday, May 15: Helmet with ASG and Caltrop, Volume 11

Friday, May 16: Bleeding Hearts CD-release party, with The Magic Babies and Sir Arthur & the Royal Knights, The Pour House

Sunday, May 18: RebusFest, Rebusworks in Raleigh
Here's info sent out by Rebus gallery in Raleigh: RebusFest, a one-day event featuring art, music, and food, will be held on Sunday, May 18. Bands include The Loners, Kickin' Grass, Starmount, Monologue Bombs, The T's, and Edmund II. Participating artists include Julie Armbruster, Casey Porn, Betty McKim, Staci Sawyer, Clifton May and Lauren Turner. Artist spaces are still available, if interested, please call 919-754-8452.
We are also looking for volunteers, if you'd like to help for a shift (11:30 until 3:30 or 3:30 until 7:30), please let us know by email or phone.

Tuesday, May 20: The Sword with Stinking Lizaveta
Austin's The Sword are one of my favorite heavy bands, though I admit their new CD is a bit over the top with Stonehenge/gnome imagery. watch the video for "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" (see what I mean?) off Gods Of the Earth here.

I saw Stiking Lizaveta waaaaay back in 2003 and thought they were absolutely amazing. Can't wait to see them again.



UPCOMING IN GENERAL


Saturday, May 24: Dropsonic with The Needles, Slim's
From Atlanta. I don't know much about them but I'm liking what I've heard so far. However I DO know The Needles, and I know they're awesome, Hellacopters-style RAWK. Could be a great show.



Thursday, May 29: The Trousers at Tir na nOg
I love this band so much, and they hardly ever play out, maybe because drummer Stephen Gardner is mighty busy with his duties as singer/guitarist with The T's. This band is fine British blues rock, and singer-guitarist Jim Pendergast plays with an understated elegance that must be heard live to be appreciated.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Videos from Pressure Boys night two!

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I saw The Pressure Boys when I was at ECU. It seemed like they played The New Deli every weekend, and yet I never got tired of them. They were so good, so full of energy, and the club was always packed (this was back when people weren't afraid to dance in clubs around here). That's why I was a little hesitant to go to the 20-year reunion shows at Cat's Cradle. How many reunion shows have you seen that truly recaptured the magic of a band's original run? But when I heard reports that the Friday show was phenomenal, I knew I'd made the right decision to go. I can truly say that these guys don't sound like they've spent one day apart. I felt like I was back at The New Deli all over again. I got three videos, but my perspective was hampered both by John Plymale's music stand, and and this one particular yellow light that was shining at just the wrong angle into my camera. These shows were a benefit for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Singer John Plymale's daughter has the disease. If you didn't go to the shows, but remember the band and thought they were great, please consider donating. "Nite Klub" -- first song (VIDEO DELETED)

Pressure Boys - "Waiting in Queensland" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

"Waiting in Queensland" "Radar Love" -- encore (VIDEO DELETED)

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Interview with Steve Popson from Polvo





In honor of Polvo's upcoming set of reunion dates (particularly the Cat's Cradle homecoming on May 10), here's an e-mail interview I did with bass player Steve Popson (pictured right in the photo above), and a .mp3 for you. I actually really prefer the 7-inch version of "Vibracobra," but as of yet haven't been able to figure out how to record vinyl records to my new computer (was pretty easy with my old laptop). Enjoy!

1. Give us an update on what you have all been doing since Polvo broke up.
Aging

2. Is this reunion permanent? You're scheduled to appear at both Cat's Cradle and The Black Cat. Will a full tour happen, and will you record again? If so, what does it mean for your other bands (Black Taj and The BQs)?
we really have no set agenda or plans. a full (3-4 week tour) could not happen at this point due to our job and family commitments but we are trying to schedule shows across the country. as to recording, again -- that will be further discussed if we get to a point where we have enough new material to even warrant hitting the studio again and then at that point, there would the usual questions surrounding a recording session (where, when, etc etc)

as to our other bands, i have not asked Brian & Ash about the BQs, but i know brian has some material he has recorded that he works on periodically. as to black taj, our second record is scheduled to come out in May, but we have no set shows at this point.

3. How did you end up on the ATP line-up? Did you automatically say yes, or did it take some convincing? Is the Cradle show going to be a sort of trial run for what you do at ATP?

The ATP show is curated by "explosions in the sky" and they were gracious enough to ask us to join the lineup. we didn't automatically say 'yes', b/c the main factor that has prevented us from seriously considering playing again live was whether or not we thought we'd have enough preparation/practice time to be able to pull off a live show. in the past, we had to unfortunately decline other shows we were interested in playing, however, our various personal lives seemed to be lining up to allow for the proper time to get enough practices in for next month's show and so we said 'yes'.

as to the Cradle being a 'warm up' ... whew - NO WAY. i think we'll all be more nervous for that show than any others. We did want to play before ATP and after considering a few ideas, we decided that a show here would be the way to go. If anything, due to set time constraints, we'll probably have longer to play at the cradle then the ATP festival, so its not really a trial run.

4.. Why isn't Eddie part of the reunion? How did you decide to have Brian Quast join the line-up? Since you toured with Brian Walsby, I would have assumed that he would be a more obvious choice.

this is more of a 'reformation' of polvo and obviously not a reunion of the original lineup. it is the next chapter in polvo. after eddie amicably quit the band following 'exploded drawing', we asked Brian Walsby to join. this time around Brian Quast was the drummer we felt best fit what we wanted to try and do musically.

5.. I understand you live in different parts of the country. How are you practicing? Have you found playing the old material difficult, or were you able to get back together as if you'd never been apart?

the three of us that live in NC try to get together at least once a week to work on material. we have played as a full band about once a month since last Nov. Dave will come down for a weekend and we have extended practice sessions during that time.
as to picking up the material, i, personally, can say that there were some definite lapses of memory in regards to specific parts of songs -- however, w/out fail as we would bash through a song for the first time, it seemed to be that one of us would have a decent grasp of each part of the song. so, if i may have blanked on a particular bridge part, once i heard dave or ash play their part, it would help jog the memory and eventually all of us have recalled the songs or we may have changed certain parts, eliminating the need to recall exactly what was done before (see next question).

6. Have you been tempted to re-work some of the old material and update it, or will you perform it more or less as people remember (keeping in mind the band's penchant for improvisation)?

For all of the songs that we have choosen to work on, we are 'revisiting' them and approaching them from a new perspective. For some songs, that means no or little (probably unnoticeable to most) tweaks, however, for others, they have been altered somewhat. It could be a tempo change, changing the number of times we may play a chorus or reworking it to meet the songwriters current desire for each song -- so there are some changes and they are updated.


7. How did you guys all meet and decide to form a band? Didn't it have something to do with football?

I don't know about the football part of that, but we do enjoy football & other sporting events. I've known Dave since 4th grade. He met Ash while they were both freshmen at UNC. We all met Brian through the musical community.

8. The "Can I Ride" records were re-released years ago on local indie Jesus Christ Records. Do you plan to release them on CD again at some point?

Haven't discussed that. Merge is rereleasing "celebrate" on 12" vinyl, though.

9. You are all personally known to have widely varying musical tastes -- from Indian music to classic rock. How do those influences work together in the music you create -- both when you were in Polvo and now in your current projects?

This is a question that is hard to answer. For me, i have been given the pleasure of plaiying music w/ Dave & Ash for many years and they are both exceptional guitar players, each with their own style, voice and songwriting approach. Although i have general ideas about whom they listen to, its hard to try and define what is an influence....

i believe they each pick up the guitar and play with a style that is expressive to themselves and try to write the most engaging songs within their framework or approach.

10. What's the biggest misconception people have about Polvo?


well, if i knew what conceptions were really out there, i could tell you which ones were misconceptions.

seriously, its always hard to know just what people hear &/or read and then believe.

11. If you could listen to only one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

OK, well, i'm going to answer this.

in theory, this question is next to impossible to answer b/c its simply impossible to try and imagine a world with access to only one album.

however, without creating a list and going through it and debating back & forth, i'll answer:
Vince Guaraldi trio -- A Charlie Brown Christmas

i could expand on this b/c the question is laced w/ what ifs (like is this what i hear in the car, elevator, etc) or is this more a stranded on a desert island type situation ....

so alot of it has to do w/ if there was truly one album playing over and over and over and over, at some point, what record or music could withstand the "i'm going to go crazy if i hear that one more time argument"
anyway, its an answer at least


"Vibracobra," (version from Cor-Crane Secret) by Polvo







Friday, May 02, 2008

Video from Red Collar and The Bronzed Chorus

Last night I finally got a chance to see Red Collar at Tir na nOg in Raleigh. I didn't get to see the whole set, and was roundly criticized by my companions for leaving early, but I did get video of the first song, so check it out here:

Red Collar from Mann's World on Vimeo.

I will say the most impressive band of the evening, for me, was opening band The Bronzed Chorus from Greensboro. Basically they're a two-man instrumental band, one guy playing guitar, the other playing drums and keyboards at the same time (never seen that before). Check out the video here:

The Bronzed Chorus from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Review of the new Bleeding Hearts CD!

Raleigh's Bleeding Hearts may have been "Stayin' After Class" on their debut CD, but their newest release finds them graduated and all grown up to a more mature, but still rockin', sound. That's not to say they've abandoned their angst-ridden, 70's style riff rock, with hooks so big you want to hold up your Pabst Blue Ribbon and scream "hell yeah" from the very first note. Musically "Nothin' On but the Radio," would fit right into any music collection where "Cheap Trick at Budokan," "KISS Alive" "Highway to Hell" are favored discs. Listen carefully and you'll hear a little .38 Special sneak into guitarist Joe Yerry's riffage. And you'll definitely hear plenty of musical references to North Carolina's own semi-forgotten '70s pop-rock geniuses Nantucket. But while the debut spent a lot of lyrical time dwelling on the good times and excitement of youth, the latest CD explores what happens the morning after, when the party's over, you're all alone and the good time girl who broke your heart is headed off to rehab. On "In a bad place," singer-guitarist Sam Madison sings about wanting so bad to work it out but his lover can't because she's "in a bad place right now." When he gets the ultimate "I love you like a brother" rejection" on "It Hurts," all he can do is scream the title over and over again until his voice is raw, like a kid who just can't believe he's not going to get what he wants. Maybe The Bleeding Hearts' Young, Loud and Snotty attitude hasn't grown up that much after all! 

New venue found for Earth show

Here's the info from Mike Dillon:

TO EVERYONE WHO CARES,

THE EARTH SHOW HAS BEEN RELOCATED TO KATMANDU, RIGHT NEXT TO THE
BREWERY OFF HILLSBOROUGH ST.

I AM STILL WAITING TO SEE IF DES ARK AND HORSEBACK WILL OPEN....THE
CHAOS OF RELOCATION HAS SHIFTED THINGS A BIT>>>>BUT HAVE NO FEAR,
EARTH WILL BE PLAYING!!!!

TICKETS ARE 10$, WHICH IS WORTH IT FOR EARTH, ESPECIALLY IF DES ARK IS OPENING.

PLEASE REPOST!!!!!!!

THANKS,
MD

THANKS TO PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT GOOD MUSIC IN THE TRIANGLE!!!