Mann's World

Photos and video of Mark Holland at the Station

2012-01-31T20:33:00.001-05:00

I've been working on a story on Mark Holland (Jennyanykind, Jule Brown, various solo projects) for the Independent, so I went to see him play his acoustic country blues set last Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Station in Carrboro. Mark is a good guy (as is his twin brother Michael), and it was good to talk to him again. I have to say, it was pretty amusing to see some of the Chapel Hill hippies dance to this stuff. He'll be at the Blue Note on Feb. 15

Photos of O C O A I and Generation of Vipers

2012-01-16T18:56:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos of Johnson City's O C O A I (above), and photos and video of Generation of Vipers (below) from Friday at Dive Bar. O C O A I was as compelling (and loud) as when I saw them back in the summer. Unfortunately I couldn't get in a good position to record them, so I just stuck with still photography for their show.

Generation of Vipers shares a member with O C O A I and two members with U.S. Christmas, but is a lot sludgier than either band. I wasn't really in a good position to record them either, but since I'd never seen them before I went for it anyway. The kind of caught me off guard with the beginning of the song, though! Looking forward to seeing both bands again. See more photos.

This week's cool shows: O C O A I, Hog, Monoslang and more!

2012-01-10T21:18:00.003-05:00

I have a short Hearing Aid piece on O C O A I and Generation of Vipers (Saturday at Dive Bar) scheduled to run in tomorrow's Independent Weekly, so I'll let you read what I had to say about this show there. I'll just sum up my thoughts like so: It's gonna rock and you should go.

I also have a short "Introducing ..." piece on Church of Wolves, but I actually had the privilege of seeing COW one more time after writing that piece. I have to say, I am very impressed with how good these guys are after only a few shows. They'll be with Hog and Orthrus (Virginia black metal) on Tuesday at Nightlight.

Also on Saturday, Monoslang will hold their EP-release party with Minor Stars and No Eyes at Kings. You can hear the latest from the new EP below.

ALSO THIS WEEK
Saturday: Rat Jackson, Spiderbags and Red Collar at Local 506
Sunday: 3 p.m. early show with Vile Discourse presents: Curmudgeon, Torch Runner, Mad Dog, Pure Scum, Abuse at Kings

UPCOMING

A partial lineup was released today for this year's 2nd Annual Bull City Metal Fest, Feb. 3 an 4 at the Casbah, and it looks like a good one. Here's the announcement from the Casbah:

Tickets are now on sale for the 2nd annual BULL CITY METAL FEST, Durham's premiere 2-day eclectic heavy music festival to be held at Casbah Durham on Feb 3 and 4. Headlining the festival this year is Black Tusk. Other bands include The Body, Braveyoung, Hog, Bitter Resolve, Shadow of the Destroyer, Make, Widow, Gross Reality, Church of Wolves, Ruscha, Dark Sea Dream, Knives and more to be announced. Tickets (on sale now at www.casbahdurham.com) are $10 for Friday, $15 for Saturday, or $20 for a 2-day festival pass.

The lineup for this year's Double Barrel Benefit, at the Pour House, also on Feb. 3 and 4, will be announced this Friday, Jan. 13, on WKNC during the local lunch.

New music from Lost in the Trees, Kingdom of Rust and Monoslang!

2012-01-10T20:50:00.001-05:00

Continuing the mellow vibe that started with last week's post, this week's batch of new music is pretty and somewhat mellow. First up is "Red," the first song from Lost in the Trees' upcoming (March 20) Anti- Records release A Church that Meets Our Needs. It's streaming now on NPR, so check it out.

Next up is "Sweet Carolina" from the self-released first album by my longtime friend Mark Roper's band Kingdom of Rust. Mark and his friend Kevin Mitchell have been working on songs for more than a decade, so I'm glad to see them finally release a CD. This one is very mellow, and even a bit jazzy at times.

Kingdom of Rust - "Sweet Carolina"

Finally, Monoslang will have their EP-release show this Saturday with Minor Stars and No Eyes at Kings. Check out Monoslang's "Methlab," which reminds me of Pylon more than anything else. I'm really looking forward to hearing the rest of the EP!

Whores. and Church of Wolves at Dive Bar

2012-01-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

Here are a few photos and video from the Whores. show, Friday at Dive Bar. I hadn't seen them live before, but I really like their just-released Brutal Panda album, Ruiner. I didn't expect to get three songs on the video, but they kept playing, and I kept recording. This video really doesn't do drummer Travis Owens' powerful and totally insane playing justice. Throughout each song he was twirling drum sticks and at one point bouncing them off the ground. Unfortunately you can barely hear the vocals in this video.

Durham's Church of Wolves opened up. It was only the second time I've seen them (and only their second show), and they sounded great. They'll be with Hog and Orthrus at Nightlight on Jan. 17. See more photos.

New music! Mark Holland, The Spiveys and more!

2012-01-03T19:28:00.002-05:00

Mark Holland, along with twin brother Michael, is probably best known as one of the creative forces behind Jennyanykind. But he also releases music under his own name, and also as Jule Brown. Holland's most recent release is "The Best Country Blues of Mark Holland," which is pretty much as the name says: acoustic country blues at its best. Hear the menacing "Go Rider," and the rest of the album, on Mark's Bandcamp page. He'll be at the Station in Carrboro on Jan. 26, and The Blue Note Grill in Durham on Feb. 15. Mark is also recording a Jule Brown record now -- the first since 2008's Surreal Folk Blues.

The Spiveys, from Charlotte, haven't been together very long, but they already sound incredibly polished, with charming pop hooks and lush vocal harmonies. They're also looking for a show in the area, so someone out there (Mark Conner? Chris Tamplin?) needs to book them. Check out their songs, especially "Lavender."

Sea Cow's "Tell Me Where It Hurts," has been out since early November, but I'm just now getting around to hearing it. I love the vocals on the vaguely psychedelic "Laughing All the Way." Check it out here.

Finally, continuing with tonight's theme of pretty vocals, Russell Howard, also from Charlotte, released his first single, "Safe to Say," in November.

This week's cool shows: Concert for Oliver and more!

2012-01-03T19:16:00.001-05:00

This week's Show of the Week features good music for a really good cause. Oliver, the 2 and 1/2 year old son of New Raleigh co-founder Jedidiah Gant, has cancer, and Sunday's benefit show at Tir na Nog will help his family pay for his treatments. As you can see from the poster, the band lineup is stellar, and there will be raffle prizes and even a Hot Date Auction (!). Other benefits are being planned and will be announced soon. Come on out and support this brave little guy and his family.

Also this week: Not heart-warming, but totally ass-kicking, Whores. and Church of Wolves will be at Dive Bar on Friday. Whores. are an awesome Atlanta trio that sound like they spent the '90s immersed in the entire Amphetamine Reptile and Touch & Go catalogs. Church of Wolves is a new Durham doom band that impressed me with their first show, opening for Black Skies and Cough back in November.

Finally, on Saturday, regional metal legends Maxx Warrior will reunite for their first show in more than 20 years at the 2nd Annual Cliff Jackson Memorial Jam at Lincoln Theatre. This isn't a benefit show -- it's simply a celebration of the life of promoter Marty Burns' friend Cliff Jackson. Word is, this is not a full reunion. After this event, the band does not plan to play any more shows, so if you don't catch them now, you'll probably have to wait another 20 years for them to reunite again.

Also this week: Hopscotch presents Akron/Family with Bad Weather California, Saturday at the Pour House.

Not a top 10: Albums and shows that were important to me this year

2011-12-21T20:29:00.001-05:00

Note: This post has taken a lot longer to complete than I planned. This was the first year that my mom came to visit me in Raleigh for Christmas, and it involved more work and more socializing than I anticipated! I imagine I'll be back at the beach next year!

Despite what I wrote in a contentious Facebook discussion on the subject, I am not going to make Liturgy's Aesthetica my album of the year, even though I can see how it would be totally warranted. For one reason, I haven't even listened to the album, but their music is really beside the point to the discussions they've sparked about metal and who should make it.

I'm also not going to call this a top 10 or top whatever, even though the albums and shows I'm going to list are kind of loosely in order of meaningfulness to me. And that's really what this entry is: A list of albums and shows that I personally enjoyed and that meant something to me in 2011. Nothing more and nothing less. In the past year I made a conscious shift in my blog coverage away from local music in general toward heavier music. This is what is exciting me now, and it's what I prefer to cover. But that doesn't mean you won't find some local music, or music that's not heavy, on this list.

I also want to say that, contrary to what a lot of people seem to think, I don't know everything. Many times recently I've had friends try to talk to me about certain bands, only to be surprised that I don't know about them. If you know of a band you think I would like, please tell me about them. I always appreciate hearing about new music, especially heavy music.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Graveyard - Hisingen Blues
Upon hearing this album of well-crafted heavy blues back in March, I was convinced it would be my album of the year. This was definitely the album that got the most plays on my iPod. But then September came, and I heard an amazing number of releases -- including Rwake's Rest, which was No. 1 in my mind for a while -- that seemed to shove this one aside. In contemplating this list I went back and listened to some of my favorites from earlier in the year, and concluded that none had the same emotional impact on me. Hear "No Good Mr. Holden."

Feist - Metals
Up until hearing Metals the only two songs guaranteed to make me cry on command were Imogene Heap's "Hide and Seek" and Lucinda Williams' "Sweet Old World." You can now add Feist's "Graveyard" to that list. This is truly a great album.

The Atlas Moth - An Ache for the Distance
I really liked The Atlas Moth's first release, A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky, but I honestly thought Stavros Giannopoulos' death metal vocals didn't really work well with Dave Kush's clean vocals. On Ache, the vocal interplay works much better and the album as a whole is musically more cohesive. The band also earns my vote for Song of the Year with "Holes in the Desert."

Rwake - Rest
"It Was Beautiful but Now It's Sour" will be the soundtrack when the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse come riding across the earth.

Orchid - Capricorn
I really struggled with putting this one on the list. Orchid is derivative to the point of almost being a tribute band. They're basically 99 percent Black Sabbath with 1 percent Deep Purple mixed in. But that mix works, and I played this album almost non-stop this year. Hear "Down into the Earth."

Yob - Atma
This one really took a while to grow on me. At first I found it repetitive and boring, but then I started appreciating its trance-inducing qualities. Hear "Adrift in the Ocean."

Warpaint - The Fool
Haunting, jangly girl rock from LA. Heard this the first time at Poole's Diner on the night of April 15, after going to see Neil Young at DPAC. The next day, it should be noted, was the Great Raleigh Tornado. All that day, while I was stuck waiting out the storm with a hundred other people in the basement of Dorton Arena and later at Slim's, which was operating with candles and warm beer, the song "Undertow" kept replaying in my mind. (Yes, I know this was released in 2010, but it came to my attention this year.)

Black Skies - On the Wings of Time
Crushing and heavy, and yet delicate and exotic. Black Skies outdid themselves with this release, and became the best band in this area's thriving heavy music community. Hear "The Sleeping Prophet."

Royal Thunder - Royal Thunder
These guys were the best surprise of the Bull City Metal Fest, even though they sound more like a super heavy Fleetwood Mac than anything that could remotely be called metal. Hear "Low."

U.S. Christmas - The Valley Path
I listened to this album while ripping up a bunch of nasty carpet in a spare bedroom. Have you ever ripped up carpet? Pulling it up is the easy part. Yanking up hundreds of tiny nails and staples is the thankless part. But when I was done, I had a beautiful hardwood floor, that was almost pristine because it had been covered by that nasty carpet for nearly 40 years. I'd wanted to refinish that floor since moving into my house almost 11 years ago, but I kept the carpet because my dog liked laying on it. As you probably know, my dog died at 15 and 1/2 earlier this year, and his death was very hard on me. Listening to The Valley Path during that process summed up the psychological journey of loss, of throwing away, and of finding something beautiful underneath. U.S. Christmas Facebook page.

Honorable mentions
Saviours - Earthen Dagger
Opeth - Heritage
Skeletonwitch - Of Ash and Torment
Black Tusk - Set the Dial
Blood Ceremony - Living with the Ancients
Seidr - For Winter Fire

Shows

Inquisition at Six Forks Pub
I'm sure you know some old timers who talk about that awesome COC show back in the day in the basement of St. Joseph's AME Church (now Hayti Heritage Center). 20 years from now middle aged Raleigh punks will be talking about that Inquisition show with the same reverence.

Agalloch at Kings
I wrote the following for the Indy: The memory that will stick with me from 2011 is the atmosphere, particularly the scent, of Agalloch’s show at Kings on a misty evening in March. Before playing, the band lit two little cauldrons of what looked like wood blocks, giving the air a dim, smoky feel and heady aroma. Recently I asked drummer Aesop Dekker on Facebook what the incense was, and he said it might have been actual agalloch wood. I felt like I had stumbled upon a pagan ritual in the middle of a burning maritime forest. Read original post.

Oxbow at Berkeley Cafe during Hopscotch
The menacing, tightly wound Eugene Robinson is probably the only man in the world who can out-David Yow David Yow. Read original post.

Scratch Acid at Cat's Cradle
... but I don't want to count the original out so quickly. I've seen The Jesus Lizard many times over the years, but I never saw the band that led me to that band. Just like with the Jesus Lizard reunion show a few years ago, Scratch Acid proved that they had lost nothing over the years. This show brought out the local old-timers, but sadly wasn't as full as I would have expected. I left my camera at home for this one, but Jodi Donkel posted some great shots on Facebook.

Shit Horse at Slim's during Hopscotch
Danny Mason is the consumate showman. When Shit Horse ran into technical difficulties before their insanely overpacked Hopscotch show at Slim's, Mason kept the crowd entertained by dancing, clapping and tossing a seemingly endless supply of beef jerky into the crowd. Then when the PA was fixed, the band tore it up with the best show of the entire weekend. Read post.

Bull City Metal Fest at Casbah
Steve Gardner of Casbah deserves major kudos for scheduling a two-day festival that celebrated a wide variety of heavy music, not just metal. The weekend included incredible performances by Horseback (which was the subject of a post on Invisible Oranges), Royal Thunder, Colossus (above) and Music Hates You. I'm seriously looking forward to next year's festival.
Post from night one. Post from night two.

The Atlas Moth and Ken Mode (pictured) at Nightlight
The only other time I saw The Atlas Moth, the band suffered through sound problems and was hampered by a too-early time slot at Kings. I honestly think I was the only paying customer in the club when they went on. The Nighlight show sounded much better, featured a trippy light show, and was witnessed by a good-sized crowd. I knew almost nothing about Ken Mode before the show, but ended up being impressed with them too.
Read original post.

OCOAI at Dive Bar
By far the loudest show I saw all year. Crazy Appalachian space metal melting the walls of the Dive Bar on a really hot summer night. Looking forward to seeing them on Jan. 6 with Generation of Vipers (from Knoxville) at the same venue. Read original post.

Mann's World Show at Dive Bar during Hopscotch
During this year's Hopscotch, I moved my day show to Dive Bar, and I can't thank Robby, Steven and Dave from Big Boss enough for all their hard work. Dive Bar has steadily become my favorite place in the Triangle to see metal shows, mainly because they truly love heavy music, support the local community, and in turn have earned the support and loyalty of the community itself. Lurch, Black Thai and Righteous Fool all put on killer performances. Unfortunately I didn't follow my own Hopscotch advice (no drinking during the day shows) and I ended up missing Krallice later that night.
Read post.

Guitartown Party at Sadlack's during Hopscotch
A great event kicked into legendary status when the cops shut it down for being too loud. This show is also where I saw Debonzo Brothers for the first (and so far only) time. They'll be at Tir na Nog this Thursday (Dec. 29).

Read original post.

This week's cool shows: Organos, Birds and Arrows, Rock and Shop Market and more!

2011-12-13T21:10:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure what the above graphic has to do with Organos, but it was on their Facebook page, and it looks similar to the symbol of my ancestral homeland, so I'm posting it. Another thing I don't quite understand, but find strangely compelling, is the band's (which is actually just Maria Albani) new video, which features close ups of people (including quite a few area musicians) smiling. Weirdly this reminded me of Godley and Creme's "Cry" video, but when I went back and looked, that video really didn't feature a whole lot of people crying. North Elementary's John Harrison directed the video.

At the End of the Ride from Organos on Vimeo.
The band will be at White Collar Crime this Friday (Dec. 16) with The Big Picture and Boykiller (Ginger from Veelee).

On Thursday, Dec. 15, Birds and Arrows will hold their Christmas party at Casbah with Small Ponds. This is an early (8 p.m.) seated show. And if you're still looking for a holiday present for your art-loving friend, you can purchase the above artwork (among other works of art) by band member Pete Connelly. There's a link for his art, but the images are broken for me. Andrea Connelly also makes guitar straps available on that site, or at Carrboro Music.

Finally, Small Ponds will also play the Rock and Shop Market, Saturday, Dec. 17, at Motorco, where you can find the foxy headgear pictured above. The concept of this event is simple. You rock to good local music and shop for cool, locally made items. The shop part will take place from noon- 6 p.m. at Motorco, Fullsteam and the nearby Trotter building. A fashion show, sponsored by Spoonflower, will begin at Trotter at 3 p.m. Phil Cook & His Feat will also play, and and sponsor Merge Records will be on hand with its catalog of music. Merge will reward donations of canned food with $2 off your total music purchase and a free Merge music sampler, with all proceeds benefiting the North Carolina Food Bank. There will also be several food trucks, including Only Burger, Chirba Chirba, Klausie’s Pizza, Olde North State BBQ, Will & Pop’s, Slippin’ Sliders, Monuts Donuts, bikeCoffee, Pie Pushers and KoKyu BBQ!

Also this week:

Wednesday, Dec. 14: Whatever Brains PC Worship Mutilation Logic Problem at Slim's
Wednesday, Dec. 14: Hog with Midnight Ghost Train and Church of Wolves at Chapel Hill Underground
Wednesday, Dec. 14: Chatham County Line at Pour House
Saturday, Dec. 17: The New Raleigh Christmas Party with Dynamite Brothers and Shirlette at Kings
Sunday, Dec. 18: Double Negative with Bukkake Boys, Manic and Atrophix at Kings

Photos and video of Inquisition, -/- and Old Painless

2011-12-08T18:57:00.001-05:00

I don't think I'm alone in saying that Monday's show by legendary black metallers Inquisition at a cramped sports bar in North Raleigh will go down as one of the weirdest, and most awesome, shows I've ever seen. It was a last minute show. Word went round on Facebook late last week that the band had an open date and wanted to play in the area. Ira Rogers, who books a lot of punk house shows in the area and who ended up putting the show together, told me the story:

"I got a call on Thursday night from my friends from Richmond, Mark Osborn and Andy Horn; they also book shows/tours. Inquisition was planning out a tour, and their old tour manager flaked out in the middle of booking it, so basically, they had about 7 open days without shows, and this was one of them. They needed something between Richmond or Asheville, and told me they would be down to play a DIY show on their day off. At first I didn't know exactly what to do, but then slowed down and figured that I've done plenty of last minute shows before, and that surely if I call some others to work out some tweaks, that it should be fine. I called "partner in crime" Alex Taylor, because I knew he really liked Inquisition, and he freaked. He got all the bands together to play the show. I called Tyson Dale, to see if he had any ideas, and he usually pulls some tricks out of the hat.

We emailed several all age venues, and if that were to flop, called a friend to ask if we could use his garage JUST IN CASE nothing was open. Tyson had Six Forks agree to do the show within minutes, and Alex had the bands already, so essentially, we booked this show in just a couple of hours. We put up some homemade flyers the next day, just so it wouldn't be exclusive to the internet, and then waited it out.

Some people talked a lot of shit about how the show should have been at DiveBar or Slim's in downtown Raleigh. I think those places are fun and the people running those places are great, but half the people at Monday's show were underage. I only do all-ages shows, and I'm sticking to that.

From what I gathered, Inquisition seemed excited to play with some hardcore bands, because it's out of the element and more creative, with multiple crowds of people as one. They were very nice guys and told me they'd love to hit me up again next year for if they set up a DIY gig tour. I'd definitely book them again. All the bands were KILLER last night!"

I have to echo Ira's sentiment that the band seemed really excited to be playing the show. They were extremely gracious to me, and from what I understand, everyone who talked to them. Dagon thanked the audience profusely many times, and mentioned at one point that we were getting the most stripped-down version of Inquisition ever because they were using absolutely no effects on stage.

But there was a totally surreal element to the whole experience. Six Forks Pub really is a sports bar. If I lived up that way It would probably be my venue of choice for watching the game. The decor consists of beer signs and posters of classic rockers like Hendrix and The Who (though, to be fair, do does the decor of most bars). Bryan Reed summed up the atmosphere with this photo. But my friend Keith basically said it best while watching the band set up: "It's so weird to see a guy in corpse paint set up his drums while Ke$ha plays in the background." But I think that surrealism is part of what made this show so great. Everyone who was there will be talking about this one when we're all trading stories in the rest home.

I wasn't terribly happy with my photos, but if you know Tara, who goes to all the metal shows, she has a GREAT set on Facebook. I was pretty happy with the video, not because it looked like much, but because it sounded a lot better than I expected it to, especially since I was standing in front of a screaming guitar amp the whole time.

Double Negative (above) and Old Painless (below), opened the show. It was my first time seeing them in a good while -- certainly since singer Cameron Craig and drummer Bobby Michaud joined the band. Unfortunately this video is a little blown out. Double Negative were a lot louder than Inquisition! See more photos.

The Trousers and Corvette Summer at Sadlack's

2011-12-07T19:15:00.001-05:00

My love of The Trousers, The T's and Cartridge Family has been well-documented here. Of the three, I'd have to say my favorite has always been The Trousers simply because this band played late-60s British blues and truly knew what they were doing.

Unfortunately this past weekend was the last for all three bands because Stephen Gardner (above, drummer for The Trousers and Cartridge Family; singer/guitarist for The T's) is moving to Louisiana. Sadlack's basically had a mini festival for all three bands, with The Trousers playing their last show on Saturday, and Cartridge Family and The T's playing their final shows on Sunday. These photos are from Saturday's show, but all three bands will be missed around here.

I hadn't seen Corvette Summer in a while. I don't usually write about cover bands, but I just love the selection of deep cuts they choose when they pay. Seriously, hearing Judas Priest's "Rocka Rolla" live has pretty much made my month. I suggested that they really need to cover Riot's "Hard Lovin' Man." If they don't then certainly someone does! We'll see if they listen to my suggestion.

New music of the week: Bowerbirds and Thee Dirtybeats

2011-12-01T19:33:00.001-05:00

Just got word today that Bowerbirds will release their third album, "The Clearing," on Dead Oceans March 6, and will open their tour at Cat's Cradle on March 17. Here's the full track listing:

BOWERBIRDS’ THE CLEARING TRACKLISTING:
01. Tuck the Darkness In
02. In the Yard
03. Walk the Furrows
04. Stitch the Hem
05. This Year
06. Brave World
07. Hush
08. Overcome with Light
09. Sweet Moment
10. Death Wish
11. Now We Hurry On

In the past couple of years the band has dealt with some seriously trying times. The press release pretty much sums it up:

The Clearing is more than a third record for the Bowerbirds. Between 2009’s Upper Air and this one, Beth nearly died after a mysterious illness that put her in the hospital. They rescued and adopted a dog that ran beneath their tour van’s tires. Beth and Phil even ended their long relationship but began it again after realizing that, despite their own shortcomings, they didn’t want to be with anyone else. Mostly, though, they returned to their cabin in the woods of North Carolina to nest—to make soup and walk dogs, to make art and write songs, to realize that this was their life and find contentment in it. For the Bowerbirds, The Clearing represents the perfect realization of a fresh, timely outlook. Here, there’s acceptance with ambition, patience with aspirations, understanding with intelligence. On The Clearing, Phil and Beth sing of the best and most important moments of their life and, in turn, create new ones.

I really can't top that. I'll just say that after hearing the hauntingly dramatic first track, I can't wait to hear the rest.

Bowerbirds - "Tuck the Darkness In"

Thee Dirtybeats have just released a debut album of fuzzy, Nuggets-style vintage rock, with equal references to The Yardbirds and The Plimsouls. They are taking a short break from playing for guitarist/vocalist Jamie McLendon and his wife, Maria Brubeck, to have a baby, but they should be playing again shortly afterward. EDIT: Jamie emailed me to let me know that Maria's band, Shipwrecker, will play Pinhook with Erie Choir and Wigg Report in early January.

The Dirtybeats - "You Lied to Me Before"

This week's cool shows: American Aquarium, Stephen Gardner's last shows in town and more!

2011-11-30T19:46:00.001-05:00

This Saturday is going to be a little troublesome for me logistics-wise. Against my better judgement, I am going to try and see American Aquarium's album-recording show at the Pour House -- and I say "against my better judgement" simply because I expect the venue to be slam-packed. Given this band's ever-growing popularity, I fully expect there to be way too many people at this show, which I'm sure is really going to amp up the energy for recording. Can't wait. Kenny Roby is one of the openers.

Unfortunately, The Trousers, one of my all-time favorite local bands, will play their final show ever at Sadlack's that same night. Drummer Stephen Gardner is moving to Louisiana, and Sadlack's is featuring a weekend of final shows by three of his bands: Trousers on Saturday and The T's and The Cartridge Family on Sunday. Since Sad's tends to hold early shows, I'm going to hit this up before going to the Pour House, and hope the PH show isn't sold out when I get there.

Backing up a bit, there are several good options for going out on Thursday. Kings will be showing "Karp Lives, "the new documentary about Karp, while Tir na Nog will host the Hopscotch kickoff party with The Music Tapes and Depressed Buttons. BTW, writstbands for Hopscotch go on sale tomorrow (12/1). I was lucky enough to get in on the pre-sale this morning, so I am set, though it this sale did kind of put a cramp in my December budget. If you're expecting a Christmas present from me, you might want to seriously diminish your expectations.

Also on Thursday, Backwoods Payback, Bitter Resolve, Akris and Church of Wolves will be at the Casbah in Durham. That's most likely where I'll be.

Other great shows this week:

Friday: Valient Thorr at Kings
Wednesday (Dec. 7): LA Guns (you read that right) at Pour House
Next Thursday-Saturday (Dec. 8-10): The Great Cover Up at Kings with proceeds partially benefitting The Beehive!

Photos of Chimaira and Skeletonwitch

2011-11-23T10:40:00.001-05:00

I am heading out of town for Thanksgiving (and my birthday), but wanted to quickly add these photos of Chimiara and Skeletonwitch from last night's show at Lincoln Theatre. This was my first time shooting there (other than an aborted attempt to shoot The Sword a few years back), and I have to give major thanks to the club for being so accommodating. The Eric from the club was super nice, the lighting was good, and there was a barrier that I could get in front of to shoot - though it did feel weird to be up there all by myself. See more photos.

I was not very familiar with Chimaira before the show, but Skeletonwitch's latest, "Forever Abomination," is one of my favorite releases of the year. Both bands put on great shows, though Skeletonwitch's set was shorter than I would have liked. Hopefully I'll get to see them again soon on a headlining tour.

The only thing I didn't like was the fact that this show was so EARLY. Seriously, Skeletonwitch went on around 8 p.m. I know I'm constantly complaining about shows starting too late, but 8 p.m. is a little much.

Finally, as most of you know, I am involved in the Beehive, and am currently involved in a fundraising effort for the organization. In honor of my 45th birthday, which is Friday, I'm trying to get 45 people to donate $5 apiece to my page. I am thankful to everyone who has donated so far, but I need a lot more people to participate. Please click on the link and donate. The Beehive is going to do great things in Raleigh in 2012, and this is your chance to be involved.

This week's cool shows: Skeletonwitch, Hull, Debonzo Brothers and more!

2011-11-16T18:47:00.001-05:00

Show of the week for yours truly is undoubtedly Chimaira/Unearth/Skeletonwitch on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Lincoln Theatre. Skeletonwitch (above) is actually one of the opening bands on that bill, but their recent release, "Forever Abomination," is one of my favorites of the year, so they're the band I'm most excited about seeing. It's also an early show (doors at 6!) so don't miss it. I've created a Spotify playlist of the best heavy music of 2011, and Skeletonwitch is on there, so check it out. Username is mannsworld.

The other big metal show this week is Caltrop, Hull and Ruscha on Saturday, Nov. 19, at Chapel Hill Underground. Check out the Invisible Oranges review of Hull's "Beyond the Lightless Sky," which was posted today. I am genuinely torn about this, because I also want to see The Debonzo Brothers with North Elementary and Revolutionary Sweethearts (a very non-metal show) on the same night at White Collar Crime here in Raleigh. Also on Saturday, The Bleeding Hearts (with Joe Yerry back in the band) and The T's (playing one of their last shows ever) will be at Dive Bar. I wrote a small blurb about that show for the Indy.

Also coming up:

Sunday, Nov. 20: Chuck Johnson / Fan Modine (full band) / Mark Holland from Jennyanykind at Nightlight

Friday, Nov. 25: Smashfest Scrap Exchange benefit with Church of Wolves, feast upon thy brother and Systems

Cough, Black Skies and Church of Wolves at Kings

2011-11-12T07:57:00.001-05:00

Cough headlined Wednesday's show at Kings, but it really was Black Skies' night. They celebrated the release of their excellent new album, "On the Wings of Time," and played a powerful set. The video is of my favorite song on the album, "Darkness and Disguise."

Cough (above) seem to get more bonecrushingly slow and sludgy each time I see them, but that didn't stop some dude from trying to mosh, and even jumping on stage. Michelle from Black Skies has major cojones for stopping him.

Church of Wolves (below), which included Bret from Lurch and Chris from The Mouth of the Ghost, played a superb first show. See more photos.

.mp3 of the week: River City Ransom!

2011-11-10T20:02:00.001-05:00

This week's .mp3 is from Raleigh's River City Ransom, who I have been raving about since they stole the show as Meat Loaf a few years back during Raleigh Undercover. Their original stuff is just as impressive as their Undercover set. Think earnest, energetic anthemic pop with nods to U2 and Bruce Springsteen. Fans of IWTDI, Red Collar and American Aquarium will definitely like River City Ransom. This is "Bitter," off their just released album "We've Got Fucking Wolves."

River City Ransom - "Bitter"

This week's cool shows: Black Skies and more!

2011-11-09T18:50:00.000-05:00

This week’s show of the week is undoubtedly tonight’s Cough/Black Skies show at Kings. Tonight is a CD-release show for Black Skies’ excellent new release “On the Wings of Time.” Cough is on their way back to Richmond after playing the Forward to the Apocalypse fest in Savannah. I had the pleasure of interviewing Michelle and Kevin of Black Skies last week, and was very proud to see the article in today’s Indy. Thanks to Michelle and Kevin for being gracious hosts, and thanks to Grayson for letting me write the article. Church of Wolves opens the show so get there early.

The other big show that everyone is talking about is Megafaun and Bowerbirds this Friday at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw. I have not been to the Hall River Ballroom, but it sure does look like a gorgeous spot that would be ideal for seeing both bands. A little-known fact about yours truly: I lived in Saxapahaw for about three weeks back in 1993. If Saxapahaw had been as interesting back then as it seems to be now, I might not have broken my lease and lost a whole bunch of money in an effort to get the hell out of there.

Also, this Saturday offers a prime opportunity to hear some great regional bands and drink local brews at the N.C. Beer and Band Festival at the Lincoln Theatre.

Old Habits, Holy Ghost Tent Revival and Greensboro’s House of Fools are among the bands on the lineup. Mother Earth, Natty Greene’s, Lonerider and Roth are some of the brewers. The event starts at 3 p.m. and is sponsored by the N.C. Brewers Guild

Finally, if you’re not celebrating National Metal Day on 11/11/11, you should check out The Loners, the Infamous Sugar and Soundsystem 13 at Kings

Other shows of note this week:

Friday: Colossus with Swordmasters of Ganz at Nightlight

Saturday: Wooden Shjips and Bird of Avalon at Kings

Saturday: Small Ponds and Sarah Suskind at the Pour House

This week's cook shows: Shit Horse, Scratch Acid and more!

2011-10-26T20:36:00.001-04:00

I wrote about the Zen Frisbee Halloween show featuring Shit Horse for this week's Indy. In case you don't see it, here's the gist: Shit Horse put on a great show at Hopscotch despite technical difficulties, and you should go see them Monday night at Local 506.

Here are some other shows you should check out this week (assuming, of course, that you're not going to be in Asheville for Moogfest this weekend).

Thursday: Birds and Arrows with Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands at Tir na Nog

Thursday: RBT with Hessian at Dive Bar

Friday: HNMTF with Wesley Wolfe at Nightlight

Sunday: Boris at Cat's Cradle

Sunday: Arbouretum with Celebration and The Moaners at Nightlight (download Arbouretum's "Destroying to Save" and see video of "When Delivery Comes")

Sunday: Grohg with Whatever Brains and Left Outlet at Kings

Monday: Screaming Females at Nightlight

Wednesday: Scratch Acid (next week's show of the week!) at Cat's Cradle

New .mp3s from Black Skies, Bombadil and Sinful Savage Tigers!

2011-10-25T21:23:00.000-04:00

I've been bad about posting on a regular basis. Planning to remedy that by posting some new music for you tonight. Tomorrow I'll post my weekly can't miss shows. All three of the bands in this week's new music post have shows in the next couple of weeks so you'll be hearing about these shows again soon.

Black Skies will hold their CD-release party Nov. 9 at Kings with Cough and Church of Wolves. You can stream the band's latest, "On the Wings of Time," on their Bandcamp page.

Bombadil - "Laundromat"
Bombadil will have their CD-release party on Nov. 12 at Cat's Cradle.

Sinful Savage Tigers - "The Fort Garry Horse"
Sinful Savage Tigers will be at Americana Revue Night at the Station in Carrboro: Nov. 10th. Josh Oliver (of the Everybodyfields and Jill Andrews) will open the show. Free (donations welcome).

Kenny Roby and Caroline Mamoulides at Sadlack's

2011-10-16T21:26:00.003-04:00

Despite the somewhat somber tone of these photos, Friday's show with Kenny Roby and Caroline Mamoulides at Sadlack's was a virtual laugh riot. Kenny was nailing the one-liners left and right, and Ronnie Monroe livened things up (I guess that's really the only way to put it) with his interpertive dancing. Sorry, but no video from that night, which I really kind of regret in retrospect. Kenny also did something unusual in that he covered Elvis Costello's "Every Day I Write the Book."I had never thought about how much Kenny sounds like Elvis until right then, and the similarity was uncanny.

I've known Caroline Mamoulides for a while now, but actually had no idea that she is a singer-songwriter in her own right. Friday's show was one of her first playing live. I liked her songs, even if they were pretty sad (her own description), and I'm looking forward to seeing her again. See more photos.

Come to the Doggie Fun Fest and Cherry Bomb Ball!

2011-10-11T20:35:00.000-04:00

You know, I can give you 5,000 reasons why you should check out the Doggie Fun Show and Cherry Bomb Ball, a dual-event benefit for the Independent Animal Rescue. But the main thing is this: Look at that face! Seriously, look at that awesome sweet face! That, folks, is Miss Cherry, a sweet pup who is now able to walk again thanks to IAR. That's an organization that does great work and deserves some serious love. Sunday's Doggie Fun Show at Phydeaux and Oct. 21's Cherry Bomb Ball at Kings are both going to be awesome love fests for this very worthy organization.

If you know anything about local music, you know Caitlyn Cary and Skillet Gilmore. They were Cherry's foster parents/eventual adoptees. They live in my neighborhood, and I often saw them walking Cherry in a stroller, of all things, after her injury. And if you read this blog on a regular basis you know I lost my buddy, Mr. C, in March after 14 and 1/2 years together. I now have a new buddy, Sir Alex, who is doing well, and barking up a storm, in his new home. Thus I'm already partial to anything that helps dogs, but this benefit truly is going to be super amazing. Here are the details.

Doggie Fun Show: Sunday's event (Oct. 16) will take place from 4-6 p.m. at Phydeaux, a really cool, well-stocked pet supply store in Seaboard Station. I get most of my supplies from here so I can personally vouch for this place. Dog owners can enter their pups in a variety of contests, including Best Kisser, Best Costume, and Cutest Ugly dog. Yours truly will be there taking photos, so if you want to come out and tell me how badly my writing sucks, please do so! Just make sure you donate to IAR first. If you would like to enter your pooch, registration is $5 in advance, $7 day of event. And if that's not enough, Big Boss will be there too!

Cherry Bomb Ball Best in Show and Live Music: The winners from the Oct. 16 event will gather at 7 p.m. at Kings for the final judging and great live music from Schooner, The Tender Fruit, Birds & Arrows and Small Ponds. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 of show.

I truly hope to see everyone out at both of these events. Independent Animal Rescue does amazing work, not just for Cherry, but for animals in need throughout the Triangle. They're a great organization, and I'm very proud to be helping them in whatever way I can.

This week's cool shows: The War on Drugs, J. Roddy Walston and Thou

2011-10-09T16:55:00.001-04:00

Looks like I'll be spending a good part of my week at Kings.

(Thou)

Incredibly prolific NOLA doom/sludge band Thou starts off the week on Monday. Proselyte -- including members of Phantom Glue -- and Chapel Hill's MAKE open. You can download Thou's 23 albums here.

Tuesday at Kings is The War on Drugs -- my official show of the week, and a show that's pretty much guaranteed to sell out. Go ahead and get your tickets now. Seriously, everyone I know is talking about this one. New Raleigh is even giving away copies of the band's Secretly Canadian latest, Slave Ambient, and the latest release by show opener Carter Tanton. Fans of both Bob Dylan and My Bloody Valentine will fine something to love with this band. Check out the video for "Baby Missiles" below.

The War on Drugs "Baby Missiles" from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

And on Thursday J. Roddy Walston and the Business will bring their boogie-piano glam rock to Kings. Bright Young Things and J. Kutchma open this show.

Photos and video of The Atlas Moth and KEN Mode

2011-10-06T19:26:00.003-04:00

(The Atlas Moth)

(KEN Mode)

The Atlas Moth's "An Ache for the Distance" was one of my most-anticipated albums of the year, and it totally lived up to my expectations, so I was really looking forward to their show at Nightlight. The only other time I had seen them was during the disappointing Kings show with Nachtmystium and Zoroaster about a year ago. The difference between last year's show and this year's was like night and day. The band sounded good, the crowd was larger and more appreciative, and the photos were much better -- even with the band's psychedelic LED light show.

I was certainly aware of KEN Mode, who have been getting a lot of press lately, but I'l admit their recorded music didn't really grab me. The aggressive and angular live show, however, was a whole 'nother story, and made me want to give them another listen. See more photos.

Photos from night three of Hopscotch!

2011-09-11T10:28:00.002-04:00

(Danny Mason)

I hate to say it, but I kind of wussed out on day three of Hopscotch. I had good intentions of seeing Krallice at the Berkeley, but ended up going home around 11:30. But I had a great time up until that point. See more photos.

(Lurch)

The day was spent at my day party at Dive Bar. You never know how a day party is going to go, but I truly couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. We had a good crowd, and all three bands (Lurch, Black Thai and Righteous Fool) all sounded killer. Thanks so much to Robby and the gang at the Dive Bar, and Dave and the gang at Big Boss, for making this happen.

(Lurch)

(Black Thai)

I am so happy Black Thai made the drive down here from Boston. They seemed to have a great time, and I know they made some new fans. Maybe we can get them back down here again soon.

(Danny Mason from Shit Horse)

The only official Hopscotch show I saw last night was Shit Horse at Slim's, and as far as I'm concerned, I got my money's worth for the whole weekend. Slim's had some problems with the PA, so the set got started a bit late. The band still managed to keep the crowd (and I do mean crowd) entertained in the mean time. Check out the videos below.

Photos from day 2 of Hopscotch!

2011-09-10T11:36:00.001-04:00

I'm heading out soon for my day party at Dive Bar, sponsored by Big Boss. Here are some of my favorite shots from day two! See more photos.

(Liturgy at Kings)

(Liturgy)

(Evan Caminiti of Barn Owl at Pour House)

(Small Ponds at Fox Liquor Bar)

(Hoopscotch charity bball game)

(Serving the 'cue at Hoopscotch)

(Transportation at Kings)

Transportation from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(The Body at Kings)

(Earth at Kings)

Photos from day 1 of Hopscotch 2011

2011-09-09T10:35:00.002-04:00

(Oxbow)

Highlight of the night: Absolutely Oxbow, who are probably the most menacing band I've ever seen -- even during the acoustic part of their set. The freakiest thing for me was the duct tape over Eugene Robinson's ears.

I also got to see the Debonzo Brothers for the first time, and liked them a lot. They were one of the bands who played after the Sadlack's party was restarted at 5 p.m. In case you didn't hear, that party was shut down for noise around 1 p.m., and the organizers were told they could only begin again after 5. See photos from throughout the day.

(Man Will Destroy Himself)

(Dan and Scott Phillips at Sadlack's -- Guitartown party)

(Pink Flag at Kings -- 307 Knox party)

(Toon at Kings -- 307 Knox party)

The Debonzo Brothers from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Photos and video of Weedeater, Saviours and Bison BC

2011-09-08T12:08:00.000-04:00

(Weedeater)

This one is going to be quick and dirty because I'm heading out soon for some Hopscotch day parties. Weedeater and Bison BC were both killer on Tuesday night at Kings, but I have to say Saviours pretty much owned the evening for me. I also bought their brand new CD, "Death's Procession," and have been listening to it non-stop. See more photos.

(Saviours)

(Bison BC)

In the interest of saving time, I don't plan to shoot much video this weekend. Might get some from local acts I haven't seen before, but for the most part, you'll be seeing mainly photos from me for the next three days. I'll be tweeting my observations along the way.

Bison BC from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Saviours from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Mine and others' recommendations for Hopscotch

2011-09-08T08:38:00.003-04:00

Thanks so much to New Raleigh for letting me give my Hopscotch recommendations. They contacted a fairly diverse selection of people who offered up their recommendations as well. As others have said, don't try to see everything. Just pick the shows that you absolutely must see and stick to them.

New Raleigh also added a guide to dining/shopping/drinking downtown, but I honestly thought they left out a lot of the best places, so I added my own thoughts in the comments section.

There are lots of day parties going on, but I sure hope that you'll come to mine -- the Mann's World Day Party at Dive Bar on Saturday, sponsored by Big Boss. I have an awesome lineup: Righteous Fool, Black Thai and Lurch. It's free!

Finally, with all the talk of Hopscotch happening, it's easy to overlook Scumfest happening at Volume 11 on Saturday. I know these guys, and I've told them I think it's a bad idea to have their festival happening the same weekend as Hopscotch. But I truly admire the fact that they basically don't give a damn, and are going to do it anyway.

Also on Saturday, Lechuza Booking is sponsoring a metal night with Systems, Beneath Oblivion, Earthling and Sperm Count at Dive Bar.

This also points out one of my major concerns about Hopscotch, which is, you can't really hold a major Raleigh music festival and ignore at least two well known clubs (Volume 11 and Dive Bar). The argument that Dive Bar is not a downtown club just doesn't work with me. Dive Bar is about a five block walk from Kings, and the R-Line stops right in front of the club. It's true that Volume 11 is not downtown, but last year the festival ferried people around via a biodiesel bus. There's no reason why that bus can't also make a two-mile trek out to Volume 11.

This week's cool shows: Weedeater, Cough and more!

2011-08-30T20:25:00.003-04:00

With Labor Day coming up, and Hopscotch happening next week, this weekend is somewhat light on shows. But the shows that are happening are definitely worth your time.

On Thursday, Sept. 1, Cough, MAKE and Swordasters of Ginaz will be at Casbah. I don't know anything about the Swordmasters, but Cough and MAKE have consistently been two of my favorite doomy bands over the past year.

Over at Motorco on the same night, DejaFest will feature American Aquarium, the Love Language's Stu McLamb, Prison Book Club and Gray Young.

On Sunday, one of my all-time favorite North Carolina bands from way back in the day, The Bad Checks, will be at JawsFest at the Station in Carrboro. And on Labor Day itself, Black Skies, Vaz and Pygmy Shrews will be at Casbah.

But the show of the week in my opinion is Tuesday's Weedeater, Saviours, Bison BC and Fight Amp show at Kings. I will admit to having never seen Weedeater or Saviours, but Bison BC and Fight Amp both put on an amazing show.

Also, there are two very different festivals happening this weekend: the annual ProgDay international prog rock fest at Storybrook Farm, and Bull City Rumble, a celebration of rockabilly and classic car/motorcycle culture, at Casbah.

Photos and video of Holy Grail!

2011-08-18T17:55:00.002-04:00

I've been kicking myself ever since missing Holy Grail at the Lincoln Theatre back in December. They were opening for someone (can't remember who now) and playing at 8:45 p.m. -- right around the time I had scheduled a long-overdue get-together with three of my closest girlfriends. I love the metal, but that night I decided to stick with my girls. I was very glad I did. Sort of.

Anyway, I was very glad to find out they were coming back to Kings. The band's Crisis in Utopia has been one of my favorite albums of the past year. You know I'm a fan of NWOBHM from back when that genre was actually brand new. It makes me happy to see a band whose members weren't even alive when "Number of the Beast" was released giving classic metal their own interpretation.

Holy Grail is the best of these old-school-inspired bands that I've heard. Eli Santana (above) is an incredible guitarist, James Luna has a phenomenal voice, and the band puts on a great show. It was even worth getting punched in the back and having some dude who was covered head-to-toe in spikes fall on me.

Holy Grail -- "Immortal Man" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Video from OCOAI

2011-08-14T18:06:00.002-04:00

This is bad to admit, but I rarely wear earplugs. I do have a pair that I normally carry with me, and if a band gets a little too loud, I will wear them. That actually doesn't happen very often for me -- maybe a result of the hearing loss I've already experienced?

Anyway, the point of all this is that last night I did not have my ear plugs with me, and regretted that because OCOAI were loud. Really, really loud.

I didn't know anything about OCOAI (pronounced oh-CO-eye) until I got a Facebook invite for last night's show at the Dive Bar. I read up on them and found out that they are from Johnson City, Tenn., they incorporate cello, they're friends with U.S. Christmas, and every description of them (including the invite itself) referenced Pink Floyd. Sure, there's a lot of Pink Floyd in what they're doing, but also a lot of Deep Purple and King Crimson. And even though it was loud, the volume didn't get in the way of the music. There's a lot of really great psychedelic space metal coming out of Appalachia right now, but I think OCOAI is currently my favorite.

OCOAI from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Yob, Dark Castle and USX at Kings

2011-07-21T06:29:00.002-04:00

I think I said it best on Facebook during the show: Yob blew my mind Monday at Kings. They also blew out my little Flip cam, so this video is simply for anyone who wants to take a few seconds remembering the dark, overwhelming power of the band's show. So far I've been very happy with what I've gotten from the new Nikon, but it truly isn't good for video. Instead of taking the Flip cam, which just clearly doesn't work in situations like this, I'm going to start taking the Canon G9 and the Nikon. The G9 wouldn't have gotten better video of this show, but it always did capture fairly good audio, even of super loud shows.

Yob at Kings from Mann's World on Vimeo.

A few folks remarked to me that they thought Dark Castle had improved significantly since their last show at Kings (with Nachtmystium in September). I don't think improved it the word because I thought they really good before, but they definitely put on a better show.

U.S. Christmas were at almost full-strength, which is where I think they sound best.

Announcing: The Mann's World Day Party at Hopscotch!

2011-07-15T18:30:00.003-04:00

Today The Independent released the list of day parties and other unofficial events taking place during Hopscotch. These are parties put on by local labels, websites, venues, etc., and not usually officially sponsored by Hopscotch itself. Like last year, there's going to be some good stuff happening during these parties.

And like last year, I'm throwing my own day party! This year's event will feature three of my current favorite heavy bands: Heavy local supergroup Righteous Fool, Boston's doomy Black Thai, and Durham's awesomely abrasive Lurch. This party, which will be sponsored by one of my favorite beers -- Big Boss, will take place during the day (I'll update the times later) on Saturday, Sept. 10, at Dive Bar, which, as you should know, is right on the R-Line. That's if you're too lazy to walk the four blocks from Hargett Street to get there.

I'm really excited about this show, and I hope to see you all out there!

This week's cool shows: Yob, Dark Castle and USX!

2011-07-13T16:19:00.003-04:00

(Yob, photo courtesy of 12th Records)

Oregon doomsters Yob will play one of my most-anticipated shows of the summer on Monday, July 18 at Kings. Their latest Profound Lore album, "Atma," will be out on Aug. 16, but you can hear the opening track, "Prepare the Ground," on Haunting the Chapel. Check it out and see if you aren't as excited about this show as I am. According to the press info I got, the band will have copies of "Atma" available at shows "around the mid-point and onwards of the tour." Raleigh looks to be smack dab in the middle, so lets hope they have it available by then.

But Yob isn't the only reason I'm really looking forward to this show. Dark Castle and U.S. Christmas are opening. Dark Castle has just released "Surrender to All Life Beyond Form," also on Profound Lore. Nate from USX sings on the song "Stare into Absence," so I'm hoping he'll come out and sing it during Dark Castle's set.

To get you prepared for this show, here are some photos and video of the tour with Batillus in NYC, thanks to Brooklyn Vegan.

Other shows this week that you should check out include:

Tonight (Wednesday): Abouretum with Free Electric State and Stag at Casbah. I haven't had a chance to check out Arbouretum yet, and won't be able to make this show, but I do like what I've heard so far.

Thursday: The Beast at Local 506

Friday: Gollum and Make at Dive Bar and Yarn at the Pour House -- Be forewarned: Yarn is going to do three sets, with a set of Dead covers in the middle. That should be the perfect time to duck out and head down to the Landmark for a drink.

Saturday: History Rocks fundraiser for the Museum of Durham History at Motorco with the Billtones, Shipwrecker, Lurch and Phil Cook & His Feat. That's a mighty eclectic lineup there!

Saturday: Hardcore Hank's Annual Birthday Bash with Bukkake Boys, Logic Problem and Asymetric Warfare

Sunday: Lynn Blakey with Ecki Hines at Sadlack's -- starts at 5 p.m.

Phantom Glue and Man Will Destroy Himself

2011-07-10T15:04:00.000-04:00

(Phantom Glue)

Not sure what I think about the new Google Blogs rollout. The backend is certainly sleeker, but it's incredibly buggy. Kind of like Google+ I guess.

Anyway Boston's Phantom Glue put in a great, doomy show last night at Dive Bar. If you didn't see them, they'll be at Casbah over in Durham tonight with Hog and Bitter Resolve. Another Boston band, whose name I'm going to reluctantly censor due to my job, played a really short, but very appreciated, hardcore set next.

(Phantom Glue)

Man Will Destroy Himself was next. It's been a while since I've seen them, and they put on a very powerful show. Looking forward to seeing them again at Hopscotch. See more photos.

(MWDH)

Phantom Glue from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Man Will Destroy Himself - "Oh Lasting Hope" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

This week's cool shows: Whatever Brains and more!

2011-07-05T20:36:00.001-04:00

It's kind of a quiet week around here, but there are still some good shows to check out. On Thursday in Raleigh, Whatever Brains (above) will be at Kings, and in Durham Deleted Scenes and Lonnie Walker will be at Pinhook. On Wednesday, Kolyma and Whoarfrost will be at Nightlight. On Saturday Phantom Glue and Man Will Destroy Himself will be at Dive Bar, and on Sunday Phantom Glue will be at Casbah with Hog. Also on Saturday, Small Ponds will be at Motorco with Birds and Arrows.

American Aquarium at Weesefest

2011-07-05T12:31:00.001-04:00

Since this was Fourth of July weekend, I didn't actually spend a lot of time in town, but I was determined to see American Aquarium on Saturday night at Weesefest at the Pour House. American Aquarium has been around for a while, but I had never seen them. I kept hearing them compared to Bruce Springsteen, and I think that's fairly accurate. I can also hear a lot of Drive-By Truckers in their music too. Unfortunately I only found out tonight that they played last night in Beaufort. That's too bad because I was there, and would have preferred seeing them rather than the Jimmy Buffet wannabe at the Dock House. See more photos.

I got two videos from the night, one including a duet with Caitlin Cary.

American Aquarium with Caitlin Cary from Mann's World on Vimeo.

American Aquarium at Weesefest from Mann's World on Vimeo.

A couple of photos of Centro-Matic

2011-06-26T17:34:00.001-04:00

I don't like to take photos of national acts unless I get explicit permission first. Centro-Matic, who played Local 506 last night, directed me to go through their publicist for a photo pass, and the publicist never responded. So, you're stuck with this cell-phone photo. Of course there were other people there with real cameras snapping away, so some better photos may surface.

Regardless, I was totally blown away with Centro-Matic. My BF introduced me to their music about three years ago, and I fell in love with their music, so we were both excited that they were coming back to the area. They put on a great show, and their bass player was very friendly when we spoke to him afterward.

When I got home last night I put out a Facebook challenge to Kings, Slim's and the Pour House to book these guys. Chris from the Pour House responded that he'd get right on it. I hope he wasn't joking around because this is a band that needs to play around here more often.

This week's cool shows: Pink Flag and more!

2011-06-14T19:41:00.000-04:00

This week's Show of the Week is the CD-release party for awesome all-female trio Pink Flag, happening this Saturday, June 18, at Motorco. Check out the title track from the CD, "King of Scene."

Pink Flag - "King of Scene"

Also happening that same night Annuals with Luego, Saturday, June 18, at Kings; and the split-7 inch release party with Jennyanykind, The Moaners and Pinche Gringo at Cat's Cradle. AND, if you're still confused after Pussy Mountain added all your friends on Facebook, you can find out who they are on Saturday at The Cave.

Video from Jack the Radio!

2011-06-12T21:36:00.000-04:00

I've been hearing great things about Jack the Radio for a while. Finally on Friday I got a chance to check them out at Slim's, and found out that the accolades are justified. Great songwriting, great playing, and a large, enthusiastic fan base. It was also my first chance to check out my brand new camera, a Nikon D3100! I'd heard that Nikons are better in low light and Canons are better with video. I have to say I was fairly happy with the photos (though it's hard to tell because of the blue lighting) but thought the audio wasn't as good as what I could have captured with the G9. Will try to adjust the audio on the camera. If that doesn't work, I might just have to take two cameras to future shows. See more photos.

Jack the Radio - "Change" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Cool upcoming shows: The Rosebuds and more!

2011-06-07T19:46:00.000-04:00

The Rosebuds' "Loud Planes Fly Low" was released today on Merge, and you can see them this Saturday at Kings. Surprisingly, this show is not currently sold out, but I feel certain it will be before the day of show, so get your tickets now. They won't be around here again until their July 29 show with Bon Iver at Raleigh Amphitheater. And as a side note, thanks to Frank Heath for booking that show, and The Decemberists show, also this Saturday, at the amphitheater. I truly hope both of these shows are major successes, and the city of Raleigh will finally understand that you can make money booking something besides washed-up classic rockers.

Other notable shows this week include Jack the Radio, Friday at Slim's, Make at Nightlight on Wednesday, and the CD-release party for Tom Maxwell's new CD, "Kingdom Come," Friday at Motorco.

There are also two non-show happenings you should know about: First, tickets for Kyuss' Sept. 25 show at Orange Peel in Asheville go on sale this Friday at noon. Second, The Independent Weekly is set to announce a new round of bands for Hopscotch tomorrow at 10 a.m.!

New music of the Week: Rosebuds, Pontiak and more

2011-06-01T19:48:00.000-04:00

Spin has a stream of The Rosebuds excellent new Merge album, "Loud Planes Fly Low" here.

Pontiak's "Comecrudos" will be out in a few weeks on Thrill Jockey. Here's "Comecrudos Part III," and a link to the preorder. Also check out video of this song and "Shell Skull" live from SXSW.

Pontiak - "Comecrudos "Part III"

LIVE! from Trekky House II: Phil Cook & His Feat from Trekky Records on Vimeo.

Finally, the most recent episode of LIVE! From Trekky House features Phil Cook & His Feat playing in the upstairs bathroom of the Trekky House!

Video of Eric Eycke singing with COC!

2011-05-28T08:11:00.000-04:00

COC with Eric Eycke - "Poison Planet" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

An unexpected part of a very cool show. I didn't get much in the way of photos, but this video is priceless.

This week's cool shows: COC, Orange Goblin and more!

2011-05-24T20:07:00.000-04:00

If you haven't seen the "Animosity"-era trio version of COC, you'd better head to Cat's Cradle this Thursday, May 26. That show will be the kick off for the band's U.S./European tour, which means you won't see them around here any time soon. In the past year I've seen this lineup twice -- at the Pour House reunion show and the punk rock house party -- and both of those shows were among the best I had seen all year.

And speaking of that Pour House show, I just took a look at some of my video stats for the year, and that video of "Animosity/Loss for Words" had 11, 210 plays! Thanks to Blabbermouth for making that video go viral. Scream and Devour open up for the band on Thursday.

Also this week, Rebuilding Raleigh, a benefit for the Red Cross, takes place Wednesday and Thursday, May 25 and 26, at the Pour House. Night one features BJ Barham, Kenny Roby, The Small Ponds, Debonzo Brothers and Jack the Radio. Night two features Stella Lively, Once and Future Kings, Bitter Resolve, Appetite for Destruction and The Last Tallboy. Proceeds go to help the Red Cross in the wake of last month's tornados.

Friday night (May 27) at Kings, there's a great show with at least four of my current favorite bands: Caltrop, Black Skies, Royal Thunder and USX -- who will be doing a stripped-down, partially acoustic show.

Finally, if you're up for a drive, classic English doom band Orange Goblin, and Indianapolis' Gates of Slumber will be at the Casbah at Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte next Tuesday night. This show will definitely be worth the drive.

New music from Dark Castle!

2011-05-22T21:13:00.001-04:00

To wind down your weekend, here's a new track from Dark Castle's new album, "Surrender to All Life Beyond Form," out now on Profound Lore. These guys put on a great show opening for Nachtmystium at Kings in September. Hope to see them around here again soon. Check it out!

Dark Castle - "Seeing Through Time"

Volture and Twisted Tower Dire at Kings

2011-05-21T10:19:00.000-04:00

Since I'm old enough to remember the original NWOBHM movement, I really appreciate the fact that this style of metal is getting renewed attention. I checked out Richmond's Volture when their album "Shocking its Prey" came out, and while I liked them, I didn't really love them. But last night at Kings they totally sold me with their high-energy live show. Can't wait to see them again.

Volture - "The Horde" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

I had a few technical difficulties last night. First off, I forgot my camera battery, and had to run back home, thus missing most of Twisted Tower Dire. Once I got back, I had various troubles just getting the camera to function, which is why this video starts after the band had begun playing. Unfortunately, since I was up front, you don't hear exactly how powerful vocalist Brent Hubbard's voice is.

As I said, I ended up missing most of Twisted Tower Dire, which was a shame because I hadn't seen them in a while. Also looking forward to seeing them again soon.

Twisted Tower Dire from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Video of Caltrop and MAKE!

2011-05-14T11:21:00.001-04:00

Thank God my social hiatus has finally come to an end. I'm out again, going to shows and working on buying a new camera that will take better photos in low lighting. And what a way to get back in the saddle -- by having my ass kicked and ears shredded by Caltrop. I've seen these guys many times, and I can say that last night was the best, tightest and most powerful show I've seen by them. They're getting a lot of attention lately from national blogs, and they totally deserve it. Now I am REALLY looking forward to that May 27 show with Caltrop, Black Skies, USX (performing acoustic) and Royal Thunder.

Caltrop from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Another of my local favorites, MAKE, opened the show -- their first as a trio since guitarist Daniel McDonald left. The new sound was much heavier, which I liked, but a little lighter on their trademark spacey elements. The video below is one of their new songs, "Valhalla." Guitarist Scott Endres had to do some extra work to carry both sounds. The real star of the evening was bass player Spencer Lee, whose guitar cord failed on the last song, and who managed to keep playing by holding the cord in place and just playing extra hard with his left hand.

Make - "Valhalla" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

This show was a benefit at the Dive Bar for the family of local metal fan Carrie Martin, who died suddenly this year. Though the circumstances were tragic, it was great to once again see how our local music scene will often come together to help each other out. I'm truly lucky to live in an area where we have awesome bands, great clubs, and devoted fans who won't hesitate to help each other out.

New music from Birds and Arrows, and Hog!

2011-05-03T21:10:00.000-04:00

Here are two very different free tunes for you this evening. The first is from Durham's crushingly heavy Hog, whose new release, "Archetypes," is now out on Churchkey Records. Their CD-release show will be at The Casbah on May 20.

Hog - "Sightless & Deaf"

Next up is "Alexia," a short and sweet new song from the latest Birds and Arrows release, "We're Gonna Run," which is out now on 307 Knox. Their release party is this Saturday, May 7, at Local 506. They'll also be on The State of Things on WUNC this Friday at noon.

Birds and Arrows - "Alexia"

Video from Maldora!

2011-04-29T12:58:00.000-04:00

I caught part of the Tornado benefit at Tir na Nog on Tuesday night. Specifically, it was my first time seeing Maldora, which had been described to me a "Patty Hurst Shifter with Lutie on bass." That's obviously true to an extent given that Chris Smith and Marc Smith are still the guitarists and primary vocalists. It's been a while since I saw PHS, but I thought with Lutie they sounded more energetic and together than they had in a while.

Maldora from Mann's World on Vimeo.

.mp3s of the week: White Hills, Goes Cube, ARFTM and Americans in France!

2011-04-22T10:55:00.001-04:00

Yes, I'm slowly coming back to life. Part of social resurrection (appropriate for this Holy Week) is going to see space rockers White Hills (above) with Kolyma at Kings on Monday night (April 25). There's also a band called Arbor Myst on the bill. I don't know what to say about that. White Hills have an album, "H-P1" coming out on Thrill Jockey on June 21. Here's "The Condition of Nothing" off that album, and a video for the same song. Go see the show!

White Hills - "The Condition of Nothing"

I missed the boat on A Rooster for the Masses, whose CD-release party for their new album, "No One is Ready," took place last week. Here's the title track from that CD.

A Rooster for the Masses - "No One Is Ready"

Brooklyn's Goes Cube, which includes Raleigh native and fellow blogger Matt Tyson on bass, have a new album out called "In Tides and Drifts." Here's "Thunderheads" from that album.

Goes Cube - "Thunderheads"

Finally, Americans in France released their latest, "Crawling," on Apri 12. Here's the title track from that CD.

Americans in France - "Crawling"

Hopscotch lineup announced, tix on sale at 10 a.m. today!

2011-04-20T06:13:00.001-04:00

New Raleigh has a great write up, but here are the details:

Lineup
All Tiny Creatures, Andrew Cedermark, Annuals, Apache Dropout, Apex Manor, Apple
Juice Kid, Bandway, Barn Owl, Beach Fossils, Beans, Bird Peterson, Black Lips, Black
Twig Pickers, The Body, Bombadil, Braids, The Budos Band, Bustello, Caltrop, The
Caribbean, Carlitta Durand, Cassis Orange, Charlie Smarts, Cheyenne Marie Mize,
Chip Robinson, Cold Cave, D&D Sluggers, Dan Melchior und Das Menace, David
Daniell, Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross, Des Ark, Dinosaur Feathers, Disappears, The
Dodos, Drive-By Truckers, Duane Pitre Sextet, Dustin Wong, Dylan Gilbert, Earth,
Embarrassing Fruits, Empress Hotel, Family Dynamics, Fight the Big Bull, Filthybird,
The Flaming Lips, Flight, Ford & Lopatin, The Foreign Exchange, Frank Fairfield,
Frontier Ruckus, Future Islands, Gauntlet Hair, Generationals, Grandchildren, Gross
Ghost, Guided by Voices, Heads on Sticks, Hog, Horseback, Invisible Hand, Jack the
Radio, Japandroids, JEFF The Brotherhood, Jennyanykind, Jesse Sparhawk & Eric
Carbonara, J Mascis, John Vanderslice, Jon Lindsay, Julianna Barwick, Justin Robinson
and the Mary Annettes, King Mez, KORT, Krallice, Last Year’s Men, L.E.G.A.C.Y., Le
Weekend, The Light Pines, Little Scream, Liturgy, The Loners, Lonnie Walker, Lost in
the Trees, The Love Language, Lower Dens, Mandolin Orange, Man/Miracle, Man Will
Destroy Himself, The Moderate, Mount Eerie, Mount Moriah, Mouthus, The Necks, Old
Bricks, The Old Ceremony, Oneohtrix Point Never, Onward Soldiers, Organos, Oulipo,
Oxbow, PC Worship, Peter Lamb and The Wolves, The Prayers and Tears, Prurient,
Reading Rainbow, Rhys Chatham G3, Royal Bangs, Royal Baths, Shit Horse, Sir
Richard Bishop, Soft Company, SPCL GST, Spider Bags, Steve Gunn, The Strugglers,
Superchunk, The Super Vacations, Swans, Tender Fruit, The Tomahawks, Thien, Toro
Y Moi, Twelve Thousand Armies, Twin Shadow, Tyvek, Unknown Mortal Orchestra,
Weekend, Wembley, Wesley Wolfe, Whatever Brains, William Tyler, Wooden Wand,
Woodsman, Xiu Xiu, Yair Yona, Yardwork, Yelawolf

Note that Krallice is on the bill. You can hear a stream of their album, "Diotima," at NPR.

Ticket info

Admission for Hopscotch Music Festival is designed to suit a wide range of fans.
Individual tickets for the shows in Raleigh City Plaza are available. The Friday, Sept.
9, show featuring Guided by Voices, Drive-By Truckers and The Dodos costs $32. The
Saturday, Sept. 10, show featuring The Flaming Lips, Superchunk and The Light Pines
costs $34.

For $65, fans can buy a wristband that allows entry into all 11 festival clubs, including
Fletcher Opera Theater, for all three days. For $105, fans get into those 11 clubs plus
both City Plaza shows, a combined savings of more than $25. A very limited number of
$155 VIP wristbands are also available. Those wristbands include priority access to all
shows and a VIP festival kickoff party on Thursday, Sept. 8. Last year, VIP wristbands
sold out in less than a week, and all wristbands sold out before the festival started.
Wristbands go on sale Wednesday, April 20, at 10 a.m.

In cooperation with sponsor etix.com, Hopscotch Music Festival is offering wristbands
and tickets to all fans with reduced service charges. To purchase tickets and wristbands,
visit www.hopscotchmusicfest.com or www.etix.com.

Red Fang's latest streaming on Band Camp

2011-04-19T20:00:00.002-04:00

Check it out! Red Fang's latest, "Murder the Mountains," is streaming now on Band Camp!

My favorite venues

2011-04-19T19:43:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the N.C. Arts Council for letting me write about my favorite local music venues. You can read what I have to say here. You'll start seeing me out and about again soon. My self-imposed exile is about to come to an end.

New music (and upcoming show) from HNMTF!

2011-03-31T18:13:00.000-04:00

This is not an April Fools joke: The new Hammer No More the Fingers cd, "Black Shark," rocks! It's also no joke that they'll be at Motorco tomorrow night for a CD-release party. Check out what the Indy's feature on them, and check out my favorite song from the CD, "It's About Caring."

Hammer No More the Fingers - "It's About Caring"

Details on the new USX album

2011-03-24T20:59:00.000-04:00

Nate from USX posted on the band's Facebook page today that their new album will be out May 31. I messaged him for details and here's what he had to say:

"cd on Neurot, vinyl will be on I'm Better Than Everyone Records. Title is "The Valley Path", just one track 40 minute record. Should have album pic soon."

One 40-minute track! Should be some spacey stuff. Looking forward to it!

Video of Agalloch and Worm Ouroboros

2011-03-24T20:42:00.000-04:00

The first thing I want to do is apologize because this post will not do Sunday's Agalloch show at Kings justice. If you know me, or are just friends with me on Facebook, then you know I had to have my 15 and 1/2 year old dog, my beloved Mr. C, put to sleep Tuesday night. So I'm not in the mood to do much blogging, but since this show was so amazing, I needed to go ahead and post the video. I do want to thank Dr. Jennifer Frey from Peaceful Passings. If you find yourself in the same situation I did, you really should consider using her services. She was incredibly gentle and compassionate, and made an awful situation at least tolerable.

Now, Agalloch really and truly put on one of the best shows I've ever seen in my life. And I liked Worm Ouroboros too (another band with Agalloch drummer Aesop Dekker). The thing I liked about both bands was how sensual they both were, with incense, candles, and Christmas lights. It was appropriate that the guitarist and bass player for Worm Ouroboros both came on stage with glasses of red wine because their music gave me the urge to relax by a fire on a velvet chaise lounge with a bottle of really good old vine zinfandel. The word that kept occurring to me as I listened to Agalloch was "organic." While listening to them I could close my eyes, breath in the smoky incense, hear the crashing guitar and imagine myself walking through a maritime forest still smoldering from a fire.

Agalloch - "Falling Snow" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Worm Ouroboros from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Five Questions with Batillus

2011-03-21T18:27:00.000-04:00

Well, this heavy-music week sure had gotten off to a great start because Agalloch put on one of the top shows I've ever seen in my life last night at Kings. More on that in my next post.

To round out the week we have the Metalliance Tour tomorrow night in Greensboro, Batillus/Hull/Caltrop at Reservoir on Wednesday, Devour/Arabrot/Wizard Rifle at Kings on Friday and The Body at Motorco on Saturday. I'm sure there's something happening on Thursday too. I hope you're following my lead and resting up tonight.

Brooklyn industrial doom band Batillus impressed me with their crushing, gnawing sound when I saw them with Kowloon Walled City and Machete! at Dive Bar back in September. Their first official full-length, the Sanford Parker-produced "Furnace," will be out in April, but if you check the answers below, there's going to be a pretty cool tour-only vinyl edition available.

Even though I'm telling you to go to this show, I unfortunately probably won't be there. My BF got us tickets to see Prince, which is that same evening at RBC. I know myself well enough to know that after a show like that, I probably won't want to hop in the car and drive to Carrboro. If you're not going to see Prince, or if you have more stamina than me, you need to be at Reservoir for this show.

1. The first time I ever Googled you guys, I found all kinds of info about this big-ass supertanker, which I thought was pretty apt considering your massive, heavy-laden sound. Who's the maritime history buff in the band, and what did you find so inspiring about this vessel?

greg: i guess that would be me. i'd been reading a book about the history of measurements, and there was a section about supertankers. we were in need of a name at the time, and Batillus seemed totally fitting, as you realized.

2. A lot has been written about how Fade Kainer helped take the band in a more industrial direction when he joined the band. Was this a direction you wanted to go in, and did you seek him out for this reason? Or did the sound mostly evolve after you began collaborating?

Willi: I think it happened after he joined; but we knew that he would bring that sound to the band, and it was definitely something we wanted.

3. How come y'all don't like Waffle House? You're going to have a hard time finding late-night food in the South if you put them on your banned list.

Fade: After spending a few days in a hotel room reenacting the exorcist a few tours ago I cant bring myself to eat there again.

Willi: Staring at a plate of raw hash browns & lukewarm eggs swimming in frying grease at 3am is enough to send any Yankee a-runnin'. What you need to have more of is 24-hour BBQ! I can eat that for all 3 meals, no problem. (Editors note: I totally agree with the 24-hour BBQ idea)

4. Tell us about the new album, and the tour-only vinyl version you'll have on the road.

Geoff: The album is called 'Furnace,' and it's our first true full-length. We recorded it with Sanford Parker in Chicago, who was really a pleasure to work with. The tour-only version is basically a pre-release pressing limited to 55. The LPs themselves are hand-stamped and hand numbered, the jackets are hand-silk-screened, and once they're gone, they're gone. We just wanted to give our friends and fans something a little more personal and collectible than a shrink wrapped CD, you know?

5. What do you think is a good social media strategy for bands? Are you as tired of Myspace as every other band I know, and if so, have you found any other site that works better.

Geoff: I don't know, I mean, the internet is constantly changing. Who has the time to keep up? MySpace one day, Facebook the next. Twitter. Basically, for us, we just want to make information about our music and shows easy to find for people. We don't want people to have to go on a wild goose chase just to find out when our next show is or how they can get our records. That's the most important thing for us.

Fade: We started our own blog site batillusdoom.com, just so we can keep the info consistent and available to people.

Video from Skullbuckle

2011-03-19T09:48:00.001-04:00

Unlike most people, I kind of like the traditional drinking holidays -- the ones where all your friends post on Facebook that they're going to stay home and leave that particular night to the amateurs. St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorites. On Thursday I there was a really cool celebration at Big Boss (which will always be Horniblow's in my mind) with food trucks and bands. My companion wasn't feeling well, so we left before The Trousers played, but I did get to see Skullbuckle for the first time. Despite -- or maybe because of -- the atmospherics, my photos really didn't come out well. But I did get video of "Girl in a Truck."

Skullbucke - "Girl in a Truck" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

I also decided during the evening that someone around here really needs to start an all-N.C. fried seafood truck. If I had more restaurant experience I'd borrow the cash and do it myself. If someone knows of one already in the area, please let me know.

This week's cool shows: Agalloch, The Trousers, Saint Vitus and more!

2011-03-15T20:19:00.000-04:00

This week, there are at least four contenders for Show of the Week, but I'm going to have to give the nod to Portland atmospheric black metal band Agalloch (above), who will be at Kings this Sunday, March 20 with Worm Ouroboro and Aerial Ruin. But before we get to Sunday, there's the Big Boss party at Horniblow's on St. Patrick's Day, with The Trousers, Skullbuckle and The Hammertons. Get there early because it starts at 7 p.m.

If you're up for a drive, one of the best metal tours to come round here in a while will be in Greensboro on Tuesday, March 22. The Metalliance Tour includes some of the best bands I've seen in the past year (Kylesa, Howl, The Atlas Moth), and one classic band I've never seen (Saint Vitus).

The following night , once again, there will be two great shows at opposite ends of the Triangle. I have tickets for Prince, who only announced last week that he's coming through the area. If you aren't going to see Prince, or if you really think you can do both in one night, there will be an amazing show (Batillus, Hull and Caltrop) at Reservoir.

Other cool shows this week:
Thursday, March 17: Paddy's Irish Cover Band party featuring "Thin Lizzy", "Stiff Little Fingers" and "The Pogues" at Casbah
Friday, March 18: Chatham County Line at Casbah (two-night stand)
Saturday, March 19: Polvo at Kings; Kerblocki reunion at Local 506, Holy Ghost Tent Revival with House of Fools at Cat's Cradle and Chatham County Line at Casbah.
Monday, March 21: Minor Stars at Casbah

Yes, I'm still here

2011-03-13T12:16:00.001-04:00

(Backwoods Payback)

I've been a bit MIA lately. Not really going out at all since the Cough show. There are lots of reasons for that, one of which is that I'm now heavily involved in The Beehive Collective, a giving circle composed of young (ish) Raleigh women (mostly) who support progressive causes. If you're Facebook friends with me, or if you follow me on Twitter, you've seen my appeals to new members during our Membership Drive. If you're interested in knowing more about us, let me know.

I did actually go out on Friday, which was a night in which -- music wise -- you really couldn't win and you really couldn't lose. There were two great shows in Raleigh, a great show in Chapel Hill and a great show in Durham. No matter what you chose to do, you saw a great metal band. And no matter what you chose to do, you missed at least three other great metal bands.

I started off the evening at a house party where I saw Richmond garage punk band Human Smoke and local sleaze rock genius the Infamous Sugar. This was my first time seeing Suge in a while, so I hadn't heard his new Hot Dog song, but it definitely got all the metal heads singing, and has been stuck in my head for two days.

During Human Smoke's set I was asked not to take photos, which is weird because now that I look at their Myspace page they have all kinds of videos on there. Not sure what was up with that, but it worked out because I honestly wasn't in the mood to take pictures anyway, and what I got was pretty crappy.

We missed Might Could (who, I heard, rocked) and went to Slim's for Backwoods Payback, an awesome Southern-style sludgy band from Pennsylvania. Again, I just wasn't in the mood to take pictures. The only thing I got that I liked was the total accident at the top of this page.

I'll be out again soon. Will definitely be at Agalloch on March 20 at Kings, and I will be at Neil Young on April 15. Don't expect photos from that one! Still debating whether or not to make the Tuesday night trek to Greensboro for Saint Vitus. I also really want to see Batillus, Hull and Caltrop on March 23 at Reservoir, but may actually skip out on that to see Prince at RBC Center. We shall see what happens.

Buzzov*en, Cough and Lurch at the Casbah

2011-02-19T09:53:00.001-05:00

(Buzzov*en)

This has been an unexpectedly busy week, so I'm just now getting around to posting about Wednesday's Buzzov*en, Cough, Lurch show at Casbah. K-Lloyd, Kirk Fisher's solo project, didn't play. No word on why he didn't. See more photos from the show.

Buzzoven - "Kakkila" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(Cough)

Cough from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(Lurch)

Lurch from Mann's World on Vimeo.

This week's cool shows: Buzzov*en, Cough and more!

2011-02-15T19:49:00.000-05:00

This week's show of the week is undoubtedly Buzzov*en with Cough (whose "Ritual Abuse" was one of my favorite albums of 2010), Lurch and K-Lloyd, Wednesday at Casbah. Nate from USX has an interview with Kirk Fisher from Buzzov*en on his blog. K-Lloyd is Kirk's solo project, so make sure to get to the show early to catch it.

Also this week:

Thank You will be at Nightlight on Thursday and the Berkeley on Friday. Check out their song "1-2-3- Bad" here.

I Was Totally Destroying It, The Bakers, J Kutchma, Jack The Radio will be at Deep South, and Gwar will be at Lincoln Theatre on Thursday. Schooner, Floating Action and The Tomahawks will be at Kings on Friday, and Weedeater, ASG and Hog will be at the Casbah on Sunday.

Also, looking ahead, Motorhead, Clutch and Valient Thorr will be at the Fillmore in Charlotte in March 5, but apparently every motel room in Charlotte is booked for that night. Just FYI.

Highlights from night two of Bull City Metal Fest

2011-02-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

(Colossus)

Wow! What an amazing evening! There are so many great things to say about all the bands on night two of the Bull City Metal Fest that I don't even know where to begin. Let's just say that I'm really looking forward to next year's festival. In order to conserve space on my cam, I only got video of a few of the bands.

(Monsonia)

I arrived about mid-way through Monsonia's set, missing a few of the bands that played in the early afternoon. Even though this weekend was billed as a metal festival, there were quite a few bands that aren't strictly metal. Monsonia is one of them. This was my first time seeing them, and I thought they had a really cool Helmet/Jesus Lizard sound.

(Horseback)

Next up was Horseback, who put on the performance of the evening with a 15-minute version of "Invokation" and "Tyrant Symmetry." Rich from Hog was playing his first show with the band. He told me later that they're working on booking a European tour now.

Horseback - "Invokation" and "Tyrant Symmetry" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(Gollum)

Gollum from Wilmington were next. At first I wasn't into them, but they grew on me during the show. I really liked the last two songs that they did. I can say they were one of the absolute true metal bands on the bill.

(Colossus)

(Sons of Tonatiuh)

(Royal Thunder)

Royal Thunder was the other band on the bill that wasn't really metal, but they ended up being my favorite band of the night. They were more like a really heavy Fleetwood Mac, with a bit of Led Zeppelin, Stooges, and even some U2 thrown in. They also had a phenomenal female singer/guitarist. I bought their CD and have been listening to it non-stop.

Royal Thunder -- "Intro" and "Sleeping Witch" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(USX)

The surprise of the evening was USX playing with just Nate, Josh and Justin on stage -- only half of their line-up. Nate said that they had played shows as a trio before, and it was no big deal to them. Lots of folks (myself included) have said that USX isn't necessarily a metal band. They're a band with metallic elements among a variety of influences. On Saturday, with just the three of them, they brought the metal, and were heavier than anything else I heard all weekend. After their show I was done (and so was my camera's memory card), and I ended up skipping out on Hog and Caltrop. See more photos from the evening. Ross Grady also has some great photos on his Flickr stream.

USX - "Wolf on Anareta" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

USX - part of "Say Sister" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Night one of the Bull City Metal Fest

2011-02-05T13:50:00.000-05:00

(Music Hates You)

OK, first things first, I miscalculated. THIS is my 1,000th post on Mann's World! Now, a quick wrap up of the first night of the Bull City Metal Fest.

I got to the Casbah around 9 to find MAKE nearly done with their set. Apparently the show had been running a little early all night. It was my first trip to the Casbah, and I can say that it's a very nice, fairly spacious club with good sound and an efficient stage set-up (which I guess contributed to things running early). I'm looking forward to seeing Buzzoven and Cough there on Wednesday, and Weedeater and ASG on Feb. 20.

It was my first time seeing Music Hates You, Graves of Valor and Lurch. I liked all three, but I was most into Music Hates You. Lechuza Booking in Chapel Hill books them, and they play here fairly often, but had somehow missed them until now. I'll make sure not to miss them again. See more photos.

Music Hates You from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(Graves of Valor)

Graves of Valor from Mann's World on Vimeo.

(Lurch)

Lurch from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Show(s) of the week: Bull City Metal Fest!

2011-02-02T19:34:00.000-05:00

I don't even know where to start with the Bull City Metal Fest. Mostly I'm just really glad that I live in an area that can sustain a two-day predominantly local metal festival AND have 160 confirmed guests (as of this writing) on the Facebook event page. That's impressive, and I heartily give thanks to Steve Gardner, who is now booking the Casbah, for making it happen.

Those of you who are in the local alt-country circle will recognize Steve's name. He's been promoting Americana house shows for years. I remember seeing an amazing Alejandro Escovedo show at Steve's house back in 1999. Some people have been a little surprised by Steve's seemingly sudden embrace of metal. Casbah IS booking some of the best metal in the area (including Buzoven and Cough on Feb. 16, and Weedeater and ASG on Feb. 20). Steve talked about this in my interview with him.

I would like to add a personal note here: This post marks the 998th post on Mann's World. I'm saving 999 and 1000 for the Metal Fest. My first post was on Jan. 20, 2003. So much has happened since then. I truly can't believe I've been doing this for so long.

1. You've long been known around the Triangle for promoting house shows -- usually by alt-country bands. Tell us how your foray into metal happened.

People often think I’m just an Americana kinda guy because of the house shows that I threw, but really I’m about as all over the map as you can imagine. I’m 43, so I grew up when the classic rock era was starting to change over into something else. I heard a DEVO album in the early 80s and it blew my mind. I swore I’d never listen to the Rolling Stones and the Beatles again and from then on I was just a punk/new wave kid. Ah, youth. As you can guess that didn’t happen and throughout my life I’ve delved into all sorts of different genres of music. Music is a high for me and I specifically get a high from music that is new to me and drives me to learn more about it. So back then I went from Led Zeppelin to DEVO. I then got into punk music in a big way with my first loves being the Descendents, Agent Orange, Social Distortion, Sham 69, Suicidal Tendencies and the Adolescents. That was all due to a mix tape that a workmate gave to me. Later I got into UK punk and spent a summer in England buying up a bunch of UK punk.

That’s how my life has kind of gone. From one thing to another. Americana was a stop along the way. Other stops have included folk, Celtic, Cajun, bluegrass, oldtime, all forms of college/indie/alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, blues, jazz and whatever else comes my way that excites me. Right now the thing that I’m most excited about is a varied mix of metal, New Orleans bounce music and top 40 Hip Hop (yeah, I know, kinda uncool, but a gave up worrying about what I’m “supposed to like” a long time ago).

Metal is pretty new to me, btw. As a punk kid in the early 80s you either liked punk or metal, not both usually. Some bands, like Suicidal Tendencies tried to bridge that gap, but it wasn’t a bridge that I, nor many of my friends, wanted to get on. I still am not a fan of a lot of metal out there, but the stuff that I really enjoy tends to be the more riffed-based music that has more in common with 80s hardcore than anything with tiny guitars and a million notes per second. Give me Black Tusk over one of those bands, any day. I think the festival I booked reflects this. It’s eclectic, but it’s also something that metal heads and your more indie rock fans can both enjoy.

I think you’ll see my eclecticism if you look at our show schedule. Right now at the club I have a Janis Ian poster hanging between ones for the Bull City Metal Fest and a Weedeater/ASG/Hog show. I love that. Casbah really allows me to book anything that I’ve liked in my life…which is about everything.

2. How is booking a venue different from booking a house show?

It’s pretty different. The biggest difference is worrying about the draw. With my house shows I got to the point where I would put tickets on sale and they’d sell out, usually in less than 24 hours, but sometimes in less than 24 minutes. I could pretty much book anything I wanted and people trusted my instincts and would buy a ticket. It was quite a luxury. The club is very different. I’m still trying to find what works, but getting people out to see live music in a club is much harder than you’d think. In the battle of Casbah vs. TV, sometimes I don’t know who is winning.

The other thing that is different is just the experience. I try to make the appropriate shows at Casbah to be an intimate experience as possible, but nothing is going to be as intimate as a performer sitting 4 feet in front of you with no mics or amps in someone’s living room. But I aim to approach that with our amazing best-in-the-area sound system, chairs for the right shows and generally keeping the place nice and clean and comfortable.

3. Why did you decide to do a two-day metal festival, and what can you tell us about the out-of-town bands you have booked?

I think the metal scene here is the most exciting thing happening in the Triangle right now. We’ve always been an indie rock town, and for a while it seemed to me like we were just spinning our wheels. Then this metal thing came along with bands like Black Skies and Tooth and people started to get really excited about it all. Now it has blossomed into a great lineup of bands. When I first moved to DC I used to love to go to Sleazefest at the Local 506. It was an amazing time and I just love the live music as a circus atmosphere, where a club turns into a badass theme park for a day. Before I was booking Casbah I always used to tell my friends that someone needed to do something that was like Sleazefest, but for metal. Since nobody else really did, I decided to take that on when I started booking the club. I’m by no means an expert on metal, I just like what I like and with the help of some friends, like yourself, Grayson Currin, Michelle Temple and a few other folks I decided to give it a shot. It was surprisingly easy to come up with 18 bands. That shows the quality of our scene.

Besides the great townies that we have in for the fest, there are also some fine out-of-towners.

Graves of Valor are a great band from Florence, South Carolina that should satisfy some of the fans in the audience that are more into the death metal side of things.

Unholy Tongues are a Wilmington band that probably fit into this festival more because of its expansive nature and rather loose definition of metal. They are an instrumental trio, that rocks hard and has great dynamics and skirt the line between instrumental metal and post rock and your classic power trio.

Sons of Tonatiuh (the most misspelled band name at the fest, often by me) are from Atlanta and are sludgy half the time and rather punkish at other times and should be of interest to the Hog/Lurch crowd here. I’m very excited to see these guys, personally.

Also from Atlanta is Royal Thunder who have a badass female lead singer and also are the only band in the crowd to have an NPR feature under their belt. They also are more hard rock than metal, to be truthful, but it doesn’t bother me much to include them at this fest, because I love the variety. To me they sound like a Deep Purple with a female lead.

US Christmas, hail from the unlikely town of Marion, NC. They were noticed by many locally at first due to an article that appeared in the Independent a year ago. They, again, play a pretty unique brand of metal; one which isn’t constrained to any preconceived notions of what metal is supposed to be. They are a large band, with more than a half dozen members, and one of them even plays the violin. So typical metal? No. But if you want to experience a wide variety of sounds instead of a straitjacketed definition of the genre, then the Bull City Metal Fest is right for you.

4. Where should I eat in Durham before the show?

With your ticket from the Casbah you get 10% off at the James Joyce and Alivia’s, so that’s a good option. James Joyce has a new chef and menu, by the way, so if you haven’t tried them in a while and think they just have mediocre pub grub, it’s time to give them another shot. Other great options in the area are the Federal, of course. They’ve always been my favorite place to eat in Durham. They also have a new chef (from Nana’s) and a new menu and the food has only gotten better, I think. The nice thing about the Federal is that you can spend a little more and go fancy with one of their specials, or you can keep it cheap and get the excellent nachos or their amazing pork and jalapeno sandwich.

People forget about Parker and Otis sometimes, I think, when thinking of cheap dining options downtown, but I have to say that their grilled pimento cheese sandwich is the best I’ve ever had. I also love their curried chicken sandwich and their egg sandwich on their brunch menu. Delicious.

If you want to go really cheap (but still really good), hit Cosmic Cantina on Perry street for an excellent burrito (next to Chaz’s Bull City Records, one of the places where you can buy our tickets to shows in advance without any service charge.)

People should also sample our many fine food trucks in the area. I believe we’ll have some parked out near the venue for some cheap, convenient (and good) eats.

5. Priest or Maiden?

Priest. Less notes per second. Plus, how can I not respect a hard rock band that in the midst of the fairly homophobic 80s metal scene had a gay lead singer?

New music from Paleface!

2011-02-01T18:56:00.000-05:00

Concord-via-Brooklyn singer Paleface will also be in town Thursday at the Pour House. He and drummer/girlfriend Monica Samalot have a new album out on Ramseur Records called "One Big Party." Here's my favorite song from the record, "She's So." Check it out!

Paleface - "She's So"

Monotonix's last tour??

2011-02-01T18:37:00.001-05:00

That's what Monotonix singer Ami Shelev says in this article (thanks to Robby for alerting me to this). Guitarist Yonatan Gat didn't mention that when he answered five questions for this interview.

Their PR ~~guy~~ girl, Dean, forwarded this statement when asked about it:

Reports that they are breaking up are a little exaggerated. What's really going down is Haggai, the drummer, has a kid on the way, and Ami wants to spend some more time with his family, so this will be their final tour for a while, but they are not looking at it as the end of the band or touring for good. Just an extended break to focus on the other parts of their lives.

Whether or not it's their last tour, you need to be at Kings this Thursday night for the band's show with Federation X and Pujol. And you need to pick up their new album, "Not Yet," which came out last week on Drag City.

Monotonix - "Give Me More"

1. You guys have such a crazy live show. How do you bring that energy into the studio when you're recording?
We just try to play it the same way.
On this record we were much more about being spontaneous than about getting the takes right. We felt we have nothing to prove ourselves anymore and just wanted to have fun recording it. That made the work easier and more fun and spontaneous than anything else we ever did, and I think you can hear it.

2. Now that the zodiac signs have all changed, what are the new signs for each band member, and how do you feel about them? Are any of you now an Ophiuchus?

I am now officially a Leo. That Virgo thing never sat right in my head.
It's funny the whole "zodiac change" thing got all blown out, astronomers have known all about that for years.

3. What's the worst injury you've ever sustained during a live show?

I got a steel trash can thrown on my head and it was burst open in Athens, GA. Blood was dripping from my hair to my face.
When the same trash can hit Ami, he smeared his own blood on my chin, so my face was full of blood. It was a gay bar full of mirrors. I looked like Freddie Kruger.

4. The band has actually played in Raleigh quite a bit. What do you like about Raleigh, and how does the music scene here compare to that back home in Israel?

I like Raleigh bands. Birds of Avalon are good friends of ours, and I saw a few other good bands from the area.
Raleigh is a personal favorite of mine, I always enjoy the people and how nice and quiet the city is. Maybe i'll move there one day.

5. What's your favorite song on the new album, and why?

It changes every time I have to listen to it. Maybe "Everything That I See" cuz it's fast and fun. I like the fact the song starts with Ami singing "I wanna get everything that I see". It kind of reminds me of a Monk's song.

.mp3s of the week: Skullbuckle, The Red Planets and Ungrained!

2011-01-29T17:56:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I gave you some .mp3s. Today I have three, all of which sound completely different.

The first is from Skullbuckle, who were active in Wilmington several years ago, and have recently reformed and are releasing their debut album. Their album release shows are Feb. 4 at the Pour House and Feb. 5 at the Soapbox in Wilmington.

Skullbuckle - "Underwear" Download

The Red Planets is a new, surfy instrumental solo project from Gary Miller, formerly Gumption, who were active in Durham in the mid-'90s.

The Red Planets - "The Birdbees Revenge" Download

Ungrained is heavy rock from Raleigh. They'll be at Deep South on Feb. 18.

Ungrained - "Up From Drown" Download

This week's cool shows: Moving Island, the Save Our Arts Benefit and more!

2011-01-25T18:51:00.000-05:00

This weekend's theme is big concerts to assist worthy educational causes. First up is the two-day Buoyancy Benefit for Moving Island, a new Raleigh-based educational facility. The above poster doesn't say so, but Mac McCaughan and Phil Cook and His Feat will be Saturday's mystery artist. This is going to be a great weekend of music, plus the proceeds will help a good cause, so check it out. Adam Crane of Moving Island also answered five questions for me.

1. The press release states that Moving Island "is a Raleigh-based performance and education facility focused on emerging arts, empowering technology, and the business of living." That's a wide-ranging set of ideals. How do they all fit together in one space?

It's more of a methodology, or a state of mind, than a set of ideals. All the people involved in Moving Island value the DIY mentality. Technology is integrated into every part of our lives now -- work, play, art -- and being able to understand and master it puts one in control of that technology, instead of the other way around. By the same token, sustainable living practices and being able to improve your quality of life with your own hands, whether it's learning to cook for yourself or install a solar panel, are equally vital to our vision. We believe the three spheres of art, tech, and daily life all benefit from empowering the "end user" with the skills and courage to improve their own lives and those around them.

On a practical level, we will be offering classes and workshops led by a wide swath of local talent. The diversity of subject material reflects the distinct mixture of interests that converge in Raleigh and the Triangle. Backyard horticulture, home recording/sequencing/mastering and introductory robotics are just a few examples of tentative classes in our future schedule. You won't learn to play guitar at Moving Island, but you may learn how to make your own effects pedal.

2. How did the idea for Moving Island come about, and how long has this been in the process?

I like to think that a place like Moving Island is something that we've always wanted to have available to us, but in the past we were content waiting around for it to materialize on its own. When Chris Riddle and I found the building that is now Moving Island, we were instantly struck by its potential. The two of us are at a unique point in our lives where we have the opportunity to take on a project like this one, so we jumped on it with as much momentum and enthusiasm as possible. That was about three months ago.

3. What is the audience for this space? Will it be kids, adults, professionals, beginners -- or a mixture of all of the above?

Moving Island would like to be as inclusive as possible. Several of our initial instructors have expressed interest in working with children specifically, but I would say most of our events and courses are "age-agnostic." Our courses will be designed with their specific difficulty levels in mind, on a graduated scale from beginner to advanced. Since there are more beginners out there, the scale will be tilted in that direction. On the other hand, one of our priorities is bridging the gap between professionals and amateurs. The workshops target that aspect of the project by collecting people from around the community with a certain interest and presenting a specific goal to bring them together.

4. What will have to happen for you to feel like Moving Island is a success?

As with any new non-profit, survival is our key metric of success. Motivating the community to participate in and support the project will be an ongoing process. Right now we are measuring our expectations in terms of the first year. By this time next year we would like to become a regular location for events like First Friday along with our neighbors at the Ruby Red. Providing a home for regular meetings of some local groups that currently bounce around the Triangle is also tied in to that goal. Having a solid portfolio of feedback from our classes and workshops that we can compile into a publication for next year's Benefit will probably be my favorite accomplishment.

5. You've already told us that Mac is your mystery guest. Any other surprises??

Yes. Phil Cook of Megafaun will be performing as Phil Cook & His Feat on Saturday. We also hope to have some interesting installations around the stage made by some Moving Island members. Keep an eye out!

Also this weekend, the 3rd Annual Save Our Arts Benefit for Central Park School for Children will take place Friday at Motorco. This show will feature performances by student bands from CPSFC, The Wigg Report, The Beast, Midtown Dickens, Sacrificial Poets, The Old Ceremony and a closing performance from some special guests Megafaun. So if you missed Megafaun last weekend at Kings, here are two chances to see either the band or a related band, and support an educational entity in the process.

Finally, the best non-benefit-related show is definitely Best Coast, who put on an amazing, packed and sweaty show at Tir na Nog during Hopscotch. They're at Cat's Cradle on Saturday.

Megafaun at Kings

2011-01-23T18:38:00.000-05:00

On Friday I caught Megafaun's insanely packed show (night one of a two-night residency) at Kings. If you follow me on Twitter, I'm sure you saw my tweet about how I didn't want to deal with the crowd. But honestly I'd much rather be at an overly packed show than one where only a few people show up. The crowd was energetic, and the band fed off of that. They also debuted a new member, multi-instrumentalist Mark Paulson, who really complimented and improved the band's sound. See more photos.

Megafaun - "Heretofore" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Kylesa, Zoroaster and Fight Amp at Kings

2011-01-22T13:55:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night I saw Kylesa and Zoroaster, with Fight Amp opening. I've seen Kylesa and Zoroaster several times each, and I would say both put on great shows. I got video of both, but I was asked by Kylesa not to put theirs online. Any time a band asks me not to post videos of them I am happy to oblige.

Zoroaster - "D.N.R." from Mann's World on Vimeo.

It was my first time seeing Fight Amp, who are from New Jersey. I had only heard a couple of their songs before the show, but I liked them a lot. This video is for a song that they said they'd never played before. Unfortunately, because the lights were almost completely off on stage, you can see almost nothing. See more photos.

Fight Amp - "Shallow Grave" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

This week's cool shows: Kylesa/Zoroaster, Cannabis Corpse and Megafaun!

2011-01-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

2011 is starting out splendidly for local metal fans. Tomorrow night (Wednesday) Savannah's Kylesa, whose "Spiral Shadow" was voted album of the year by many reviewers (including yours truly) will be at Kings. Opening up is one of my favorite heavy bands, Zoroaster. Also on the bill is Fight Amp. This is easily the show of the week, so do not miss it. I don't think Kylesa will be playing club shows like this for long.

On Thursday, Richmond's Cannabis Corpse - who were hilariously great at Hopscotch - and Inter Arma, will also be at Kings. That same night Leslie will be at Slim's.

Also at Kings, Megafaun plays a two-night stint Friday and Saturday. I'll see you there on Friday.

Other cool shows this week:

Thursday: Jucifer at Volume 11
Thursday: Hammer No More the Fingers at Playmakers Theater
Thursday - Saturday: Death to False Hopes Showcase at Motorco
Saturday: Mandolin Orange at Local 506

MAKE and Sinister Moustache at Dive Bar

2011-01-15T13:46:00.000-05:00

Last night I ended my extended unintentional social life hiatus by checking out MAKE and Sinister Moustache at Dive Bar. It was also my first chance to record something with my new Flip Cam. Overall, the photo quality is about the same, and the sound quality is actually worse than recording with the G9. Plus, I swear I recorded the whole song. Not sure why I only got a couple of minutes on the cam. I imported the video through iMovie, rather than the clunky Flip Share software. I'm going to experiment with that and see if there's something I can do to improve the sound quality.

MAKE at Dive Bar from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Anyway, last night was MAKE's last show with guitarist Daniel McDonald. Guitarist/singer Scott Endres told me that the band has decided to continue on as a trio, and they're getting ready to write all new songs. Last night they sounded fantastic, and they had a large appreciative crowd.

I'd also like to say that Dive Bar is quickly becoming my favorite place to see a band in Raleigh, because they are booking some interesting shows, the bands sound great, and the lighting is good enough for me to usually get some good photos. Plus, their shows are free AND if you park downtown you can take the R-Line to the club, which is a total plus because parking on Glenwood South really does suck.

Sinister Moustache from Savannah opened the show. I have to say I was on the fence about them. They were very proggy, and were very good at it. I heard a lot of King Crimson and a good bit of Pink Floyd in what they were doing. They were mostly instrumental, which was a shame because I thought the few vocals they had (especially the interplay when three of them were singing together) were the best things about their music. But evidently I was alone in my assessment because everyone else seemed to be completely into what they were doing. See more photos from the show.

After the show, I made it down to the Mecca for the first time since they've begun opening for drinks at night. It is absolutely my new favorite downtown hangout. It wasn't crowded at all, they were playing good music, and they serve late night food. As much as I love the Landmark, we all know that place turns into jackass city after 11 p.m. on the weekends. The Landmark's patio will still likely be my favorite warm weather Sunday afternoon spot, but for Thursday - Saturday late nights, I will probably spend my time at the Mecca.

This week's cool shows: Manchild book release and more!

2011-01-05T12:57:00.001-05:00

Local drummer/artist/punk historian Brian Walsby celebrates the release of his latest book, Manchild 5, with a party this Saturday, Jan. 8, at Kings. Righteous Fool, Church or Zahn (includes Benny from Valient Thorr and The Kick Ass) and The Kick Ass are scheduled to play. Despite previous reports, Double Negative is not playing this show.

A copy of the book comes with admission, and there will be food from The Remedy, Capital Club 16 and Vic's. Jed at New Raleigh had a great write-up and review of the book, complete with a few excerpts. This is going to be a great show, and a fun celebration, so definitely do not miss it.

Other shows you need to know about:

* The Hell No is playing an art party this First Friday at Atomic Salon. It's early and free, and the Facebook page promises free booze and food.

* Organos with Josh Carpenter and Soft Company at Kings on Friday, Jan. 7

* Hungry Heart of Gold: Neil Young vs. Bruce Springsteen, also on Friday at Local 506. Featured performers include Django Haskins and The Tomahawks, and proceeds benefit the Family Violence Prevention Center.

* Cleave-Fest: A going away for Charles Cleaver (Max Indian/Tomahawks keyboard player), with Stella Lively, Cazadores, Luego and more. This one's Sunday, Jan. 9, at Local 506.

Some shows you need to go ahead and buy tickets for:

* Kylesa with Zoroaster and Fight Amp, Wednesday, Jan. 19 at Kings

* Megafaun, Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21 and 22 at Kings

* Bull City Metal Fest, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5 at the Casbah

* WKNC Double Barrel Benefit, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 4 and 5 at Kings

* Buzzoven with Cough, Wednesday, Feb. 16 at the Casbah

* Future Islands, Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5 at Kings

This week's cool shows: You tell me!

2010-12-28T19:12:00.000-05:00

Folks, I had a blogging snafu earlier this week and ended up losing all the entries in my calendar! I created a sub-calendar of my main personal Google calendar, and am in the midst of repopulating it now. So if you see "Doctor's appt. 10:30" or "Mr. C to vet, 9 a.m." in the middle of the music listing, you'll know what it's about.

That said, I generally don't think of New Year's Eve as a good night to go out and see a band. Usually I'm in the mood to either hang out with a select group of friends, or cook dinner and have a champagne toast at midnight with a certain someone. That certain someone and I have not quite decided whether we'll be going out on Friday or not, but if we do, the most likely candidates are Yarn at Berkeley Cafe or the Chip Robinson/OakTeam show at Slim's. My mom always told me that whatever you do on New Year's Day you'll do every day for the rest of the year, so I can tell you I will most likely be at Dive Bar on New Year's Day to see Black Skies. I guess that means I'll be listening to some seriously heavy music all year.

Music news roundup

2010-12-28T18:43:00.000-05:00

This has been out a few days, but with the busy holidays, I missed it. Horseback is No. 9 on the Haunting the Chapel Top 50 Albums of the Year.

And speaking of Horseback, they're going to be on my Invisible Oranges Readers' Choice entry. What's going to be on yours?

Guess how long it took The Avett Brothers to sell out Cat's Cradle.

The Love Language has a new demo out for your listening pleasure.

Jordan should have added that Locrian is perfect listening when you're stuck in the house because your entire street is one big sheet of black ice.

Stevie from Dark Castle talks to Nate from USX about tattoos and guitar tone.

Year end wrap-up and a look at what's ahead!

2010-12-15T23:07:00.000-05:00

I generally don't like to do year-end best of lists, for the simple fact that I didn't listen to everything that was released in the past year, so there's very likely something out there that is much better than anything on my list. I can say that this year has musically been one of the most exciting I've experienced in a long, long time, and that the list below represents some of the most exciting musical moments for me during this year.

It's obvious that this blog has taken on a heavier, less locally focused tone lately. That wasn't really deliberate. It's just that recently I've realized that I'm a lot less passionate about local music than I once was. Don't get me wrong: I'm extremely thankful to live in an area where there are so many amazing musicians, and a growing number of venues and small labels willing to take a chance on them. But these days the local bands that have me most excited are the heavier ones, and the shows that are most likely to get me off the couch and out to the show are the touring ones.

That means that my blogging is likely to change, but how it will change, I can't really say. I've toyed with the idea of scrapping Mann's World altogether, and starting a heavy music blog with a friend of mine who also goes to a lot of shows, including many shows in Europe. The big hold up there, believe it or not, has been coming up with a name. My friend Ken came up with Reign in Blog, which is awesome, but since we would be writing about a wide variety of heavy music, including a lot of European stoner rock and doom, I'm not sure how appropriate that would be.

I've thought about just dropping the idea of Mann's World being a local music destination and just letting other people post here. Triangle Music and Music.MyNC.com both do a better job of local music news than I do, and more local music blogs keep popping up. Obviously this blog will continue to be somewhat local because this is where I live, and this is where I go see shows. And shooting video and photos has always been much more fun than reviewing records.

I guess I'm not really sure what I'm going to do at this point, and I'm looking for advice from anyone who happens to read this blog on a regular basis. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

Now, here's a wrap-up of some amazing shows I saw, and albums I listened to this year.

Shows

Hopscotch (Sept. 9-11): I'm just going to lump all of Hopscotch into one big group, because if I didn't, every show on this list would be a Hopscotch show. Dungen (most especially), Fucked Up, Best Coast, Cannabis Corpse, U.S. Christmas, and Max Indian's final show would all have been contenders for show of the year. Seeing them all in a concentrated dose was totally amazing, and made Raleigh actually feel like a real city. Kudos to Grayson, Greg and the Indy for putting this together. I'm already looking forward to Hopscotch 2011.

My day party at Hopscotch (Sept. 11): Putting this show together was a lot more challenging than I imagined, and plenty of times I questioned why I'd ever wanted to do so. But as soon as it was over, I was already planning the party for 2011. Next year's show will also concentrate on heavy music, hopefully with a few out-of-town bands in the mix.

The return of COC as a trio at the Pour House (July 31): Like a class of '85 reunion for Raleigh's hardcore scene, this show was exciting for me personally because my video got picked up by Blabbermouth and ended up going viral. Mike Dean's wife, Sue Sturgis, told me that she kept seeing a link for "COC in Raleigh" on various metal sites, and that the link would always go to my video.

Bandway at the brand new Kings (Aug. 28): ... but believe it or not, COC was not the most-clicked video of the year. That honor went to my video of Bandway, reforming and breaking in the new Kings. That's a testament to how much you guys missed both the band and the venue.

The Love Language at the Pour House (April 15): An amazing, joyous show for everyone -- except for soundman extraordinaire Jac Cain, who had about three heart attacks when the entire audience jumped up on the stage.

Batillus, Kowloon Walled City and Machete! at Dive Bar (Sept. 28): A great show Tuesday night show by three bands I knew little about. Thanks to my friend Keith for talking me into going. It was very exciting to see my photos from this show used on Invisible Oranges. That, more than anything, made me decide it was time to go in a heavier direction with the blog.

Kylesa, High On Fire and Torche at Cat's Cradle (Oct. 27): Yes, I know that High on Fire was the headliner for this show, but for my money Kylesa totally stole it and made it their own.

COC and Double Negative at Dregs Grotto (Dec. 10): If the Pour House show was the high school reunion, the house party show was the ultimate after party.

Albums

Kylesa, "Spiral Shadow": Here's an example of a pretty amazing album kicked straight into greatness on the strength of one song: "Don't Look Back." Any song that can make me feel like I'm cruising around the Circle in Atlantic Beach, back when the Circle was actually a destination for people who loved loud music, surfing and cheap beer, is automatically a great song. "Don't Look Back" captures that moment perfectly.

High on Fire, "Snakes for the Divine": I probably listened to this more than any other release this past year. And I'm not ashamed to say that the majority of the time I was listening to it, I was on the elliptical trainer at the gym. I don't think anything has ever inspired me to throw myself into something and go full blast the way the opening riff of "Snakes for the Devine" does.

U.S. Christmas, "Run Thick in the Night": USX's latest was released on a night on which we had a rare autumn equinox that corresponded with a harvest moon. I'm not a pagan, so I can't discuss the significance of this astronomical event, but I can tell you that listening to this ominous, organic-sounding record under such a beautiful moon was a magical experience.

Ufomammut, "Eve": Never had a band so perfectly lived up to their name. Ufomammut, which means UFO mammoth in Italian, really does sound like a mammoth being chased by a bunch of UFOs. That combination of crushing heaviness and weird spaciness made this one of my favorites of the year.

Filthybird, "Songs for Other People": Renee Mendoza has the most gorgeous, slightly loopy voice, and a wonderful ability to spin a heartbreaking yarn that's more sweet than bitter. And she wrote a song about one of my Joycean heroes, Stephen Dedalus, which is just awesome in itself.

Cough, "Ritual Abuse": I described Cough's show at Nighlight as being like all the good things about drinking too much cough syrup without the sickness that usually follows (at least for me). That description also fits "Ritual Abuse," which is slow, oppressive and distorted. The last 1:16 of "Crippled Wizard" was probably my favorite crushing riff of the year.

Black Tusk, "Taste the Sin": Imagine leaving an overturned bong and a half-eaten Hardee's chicken biscuit in a broke down Camaro in a swamp in 95-degree heat. If the smell inside of that car had a sound, it would be "Taste the Sin": fast, hot and nasty as hell.

Zoroaster, "Matador": When I interviewed Dan from Zoroaster, I thought the band might be heavily into Eastern philosophies and religion, because "Matador" is so exotic, so psychedelic and so otherworldly. Turns out they just like to party. I guess that'll lead to an exotic, psychedelic, otherwordly experience too.

Horseback, "The Invisible Mountain": When I was about 12 my cousin and I had a serious discussion in which we decided that the Devil really should have won the Golden Fiddle because his solo was clearly more rockin' than Johnny's corny solo. But the fact that he brought in the Band of Demons meant that he cheated, so he couldn't have won anyway. If the Devil had just played "Invokation," with its weird, funky groove and gnawing vocals, he would have won despite the cheating.

Honorable mention:

Salome, "Terminal"

Black Thai, "Blood from on High"

COC and Double Negative at a house party in Raleigh

2010-12-12T20:49:00.002-05:00

What is there really to say about this? If you were there, you experienced one of the most intimate and powerful shows of the year. For some it was a return to youth. for a whole lot of others, it was a chance to experience something that had its heyday years before they were born. See more photos.

COC - "Animosity" and most of "Loss for Words" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

COC - "Holier" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Double Negative - "Torture Genius" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Righteous Fool and Black Thai at Dive Bar

2010-12-11T13:35:00.000-05:00

Last night I skipped the Cover Up altogether and saw Righteous Fool with Black Thai at Dive Bar.

Unfortunately I didn't get there in time to see much of Black Thai, who are from Boston, but I liked the song and a half that I heard, and even bought a CD.

Black Thai - "333" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Righteous Fool sounded great as usual. I've been trying to get my boyfriend out to see them because I knew he would like them a lot. Finally he listened to me, and agreed with my assessment. Reed plays so hard at the beginning of this song that he actually loses his bandana.

Righteous Fool from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Photos and video of Devour, "The Animals" at the Great Cover Up

2010-12-11T12:59:00.000-05:00

On Thursday I had intentions of spending most of the evening at The Cover Up at Kings. But after witnessing Sugar, Brian, Stephen and Joey totally nail "The Animals," I went down to Tir na Nog, and ended up staying for Devour. I understand I missed a Kyuss cover, but ultimately I think I made the right decision. I liked Devour a lot, and am looking forward to seeing them very (very) soon. Double Negative headlined the show, but I ended up leaving early. Looking forward to seeing them very (very) soon as well.

They had a few technical issues during the show. First there were problems with the bass amp, then the bass drum kept sliding around, so one of their friends actually sad on stage and held the drum in place. Brave dude.

Daniel from Devour says this song doesn't yet have an official title. See more photos.

Devour from Mann's World on Vimeo.

At the Cover Up at Kings.

Suge with "The Animals."

This week's cool shows: The Cover-Up returns to Kings!

2010-12-07T20:08:00.001-05:00

You would really have to be completely out of the loop to not realize that this weekend is the return of the Cover Up, a three-day event that used to be the biggest end-of-the-year party, to Kings. I expect this weekend's festivities to have a joyous homecoming feel rivaled only by that of the opening night Bandway show. The strange thing this year is that I've heard almost nothing about who is playing. Usually by this point I have a good idea about some of the better covers being planned. If you have some info you'd like to share, feel free to post it here, but I ask that you only reveal who is playing, not who is being covered. I personally like to know in advance, but a whole lot of folks out there really do prefer to be surprised.

Other great shows this week:

Thursday: Double Negative and Nine Fingered Thug at Tir na Nog (free)

Friday: Pipe, Caltrop and ~~Double Negative~~ at Nightlight (DN had to cancel); Righteous Fool and Black Thai at Dive Bar; and Tom Maxwell, Bustello and The Breaks at Local 506

Saturday: The Carolina Chocolate Drops at Lincoln Theatre

Monday: Justin Townes Earl at Cat's Cradle

This week's cool shows: Annuals, Great Band Swap, Isaac Hunter's anniversary and more!

2010-11-29T19:28:00.000-05:00

The after-Thanksgiving show line-up in the Triangle looks to be a good one, starting with three fine shows on Tuesday of all nights. If you're into metal, you do not want to miss Crowbar, Black Tusk (one of my current favorite bands) and Chapel Hill's MAKE. If you're into New Wavish singer-songwriters, you do not want to miss Amy Rigsby and Wreckless Eric at Motorco.

But yours truly will be spending Tuesday at one of my favorite, and I believe most underrated downtown watering holes: Isaac Hunter's Tavern. I love this place for their N.C. beer selection, and the fact that they have a Wii, and I can play Wii Tennis when I'm having a Shotgun Betty. The bar will celebrate its one-year anniversary tomorrow with The Loners and Revolutionary Sweethearts.

On Wednesday, there will be a celebration of long-time local music favorites The Connells at Kings. Apparently the entire Connells catalog is now available digitally. That means you can go download "Boylan Heights" before coming out to the show and hearing other local bands do their renditions of Connells songs. Tonk will definitely be there, which should be interesting.

On Thursday The Loners will be at Motorco, so if you don't see them at Isaac Hunter's, you should check them out then. But the show of the week is that very same night at Tir na Nog with Annuals and Light Pines. Raleigh Denim is sponsoring the show and will apparently give away a free pair of their jeans. If you've seen the price tag on these jeans, you know that's a big deal.

Also that night in Durham, The Great Band Swap will take place at Pinhook. The concept is that every band must perform at least one song by each of the other bands on the bill. This will happen Thursday-Saturday, and will include a widely diverse bill, so it should be pretty amazing. I can only imagine what Hog covering Embarrassing Fruits will sound like.

Friday's big concert is undoubtedly Lost in the Trees at Motorco. But also that night (and on Saturday) Reservoir is celebrating its anniversary with Monsonia, jokes&jokes&jokes and Blag'ard. I'm most likely going to check out J. Roddy Walston & the Business at Local 506.

Saturday the Reservoir celebration continues with Colossus, Backwoods Payback and Caltrop. Finally, that same night, American Aquarium and House of Fools will be at the Pour House.

Lemmy documentary coming to the U.S. next year!

2010-11-23T18:08:00.000-05:00

Details on a new documentary about Lemmy will be revealed here tomorrow! Titled "Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch,"looks to be insightful and totally rockin'. Looks like it's getting rave reviews too. Certainly it's a step up from his cameo in the John Wayne Bobbitt movie (Google that if you don't know what I'm talking about, but keep in mind that it's NSFW). I'm betting, and hoping, this will be at the Rialto sometime next year. Can't wait!

While I'm at it, Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. I'm headed to Morehead City to celebrate T-day, and my birthday, with family. There's a chance I'll be back in time for Saturday's Hank Sinatra/Stegmonds show at Southland Ballroom. Looking forward to that because I understand from folks who were at the Chip Robinson benefit that the room sounds great.

Black metal without the silliness

2010-11-19T19:53:00.001-05:00

I admit black metal isn't really my thing, mainly because I just find the trappings surrounding it silly. The big exception for me has been Ulver, who have always been willing to experiment, and have refused to allow themselves to be confined based on what people think black metal should look or sound like.

Liturgy is another band that, like their "transcendent black metal" tagline says, plays by their own rules. And they melt faces and expand minds in the process. Rich from Hog was standing beside me last night, and he summed it up nicely: "They made a whole song out of one note and it didn't suck!"

They played last night at Kings, where I managed to capture two new songs (as yet untitled). The first video was their first song, but I was so astounded by the playing of drummer Greg Fox, that I shot a second video where you really get to see him in action. I've seriously never seen anyone play so fast and yet move so little.

I was a little happier with Kings lighting, but it still doesn't present the ideal shooting circumstance. I ended up just playing around with my prints in Lightroom to see if I could get anything interesting out of my photos. See more photos.

Liturgy from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Liturgy 2 from Mann's World on Vimeo.

9 Fingered Thug - "Hun" from Mann's World on Vimeo.
Nine Fingered Thug, which includes Picasso Trigger bass player Sam Mauney, opened up.

In case you haven't seen this yet ...

2010-11-18T18:54:00.001-05:00

Birds of Avalon have a new album coming out on Bladen County Records in January, and New Raleigh has a sneak peek, with a download of the first song, "Invasion."Check it out!

Bad news for Leslie!

2010-11-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

Well, this sucks, especially considering what an awesome show they put on a couple of weeks ago at Slim's. Leslie's gear was stolen last night in Delaware! Here's the e-mail from the band:

All of Leslie’s gear was stolen last night in Delaware. They have no insurance to cover replacements and are currently filing a police report and checking pawn shops around the area.
Any donations would be greatly appreciated to help the band get back on their feet & can be sent to http://bit.ly/bixoW9 or you can mail a check payable to “Leslie Entertainment” to the address below.
Leslie Entertainment, PO Box 50009, Summerville SC 29485
We appreciate your support during this incredibly tough time for the band.

This week's cool shows and music: Monsonia, Static Minds and more

2010-11-10T07:21:00.001-05:00

This week's two best shows are tied to CD releases, and luckily for you, I have some music for you to check out before the shows.

The first is Monsonia, who will celebrate the release of "33.3," out now on Holidays for Quince, with a release party Friday, Nov. 12, at Nightlight. This record reminds me a lot of one of my all-time favorite bands, The Jesus Lizard, with a little Shellac and Honor Role thrown in. MAKE and Minor Stars are also on this show.

Monsonia, "Age of Machines" Download

Also on the same night, Static Minds will celebrate their CD-release, "Electricity," with The Loners and Maldora at Kings. You can stream "Electricity" here.

Looking ahead, Brooklyn "transcendental black metalists" Liturgy will play with Nine Fingered Thug and Here Lies ... at Kings on Thursday, Nov. 18. They'll have a new album out on Thrill Jockey next year.

Liturgy, "Ecstatic Rite" Download

Finally, N.C. expats Future Islands, Lonnie Walker, NAPS and Veelee will be at Kings the following night, Nov. 19. Check out the Jason Urick remix of my favorite Future Islands song, "Tim Man," here.

Cough at Nightlight

2010-11-07T09:59:00.001-05:00

Friday was another night where I had a difficult decision: Cough and Black Skies at Nighlight in Chapel Hill, or MAKE and In the Year of the Pig, at the exact same time, over at Troika in Durham. Since Cough are from Richmond, I opted to check them out, but thought I might stop by Durham first, and see what was happening there. The Sames were about to start over at Motorco (which, if you haven't checked it out yet, is a very nice, big club) when I realized I had left the battery to my camera back on the charger in Raleigh. I halfway considered just witnessing Cough without shooting photos, but at this point, it's really kind of weird for me to be at a show without my camera. It didn't take much for me to drive back home, get the charger and head out, thus missing Troika.

Cough were definitely worth the effort, and lived up to their name. They have a sound that makes me think of all the good things about drinking too much cough syrup (slow, numbingly heavy) without the spins and intense vomiting that usually come afterward. Cough has an album called "Ritual Abuse" out now on Relapse. See more photos.

Cough from Mann's World on Vimeo.

This week's cool shows: Troika!

2010-11-02T19:31:00.001-04:00

Troika fest is easily the best way to see as many local bands as possible in a short amount of time and for a great price ($25 for three days). This year's line up is a fine one, with some of my favorite local heavy bands. See the full schedule here, and check out my list of the best shows of the festival.

Thursday: Valient Thorr with Double Negative and Hog at Motorco
Friday: In the Year of the Pig with MAKE, Americans in France and Naked Gods at Pinhook; also, try to catch Whatever Brains at 618 Foster
Saturday: Organos with Phil Cook & His Feat at the craft show (1 p.m.); Filthybird and Chatham County Line at Motorco (7 p.m.); Pink Flag at Motorco (midnight); Mount Moriah at Fullsteam (11:30 p.m.) and Spider Bags at Pinhook (11:30 p.m.)

~~Also, not part of Troika, but happening at the Casbah on Friday and definitely worth your time: a heavy show with Black Skies, Cough (doomy Relapse band) and Resister (from Greensboro).~~ CORRECTION!: This show is at Nightlight in Chapel Hill on Friday. Lurch, Black Skies and 38 Gauge are at Casbah TONIGHT (Wednesday)

New video from The Love Language

2010-11-02T19:07:00.000-04:00

The Love Language - Heart to Tell from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Extra bonus: It was created by my former co-worker, the supremely talented Jason Arthurs. I'm pretty sure this footage is from last year's joyously crazy Pour House show, where the entire audience ended up on stage with the band.

Leslie and Corvette Summer at Slim's

2010-10-30T12:01:00.001-04:00

Charleston rockers and Slim's favorites Leslie returned to Raleigh last night and played to a very appreciative audience. These guys play the type of heavy, hard, Zep-inspired Southern rock that sound perfect in a bar like Slim's, where the PBRs are cold, the shots are plentiful, and there's no need to be embarrassed if you fall off your barstool. Thanks to the band for letting me take numerous photos of them. They were cool guys and I think I got some good shots.

Leslie - "The Rescuer" from Mann's World on Vimeo.

Corvette Summer, a new covers project with Larry Burlison and Erik Sugg, made a fine debut. Some of their covers included Pat Travers' "Snortin' Wiskey, Drinking Cocaine," Free's "Ride on Pony," and best of all, BOC's "Tattoo Vampire." See more photos.

High on Fire, Torche and Kylesa

2010-10-29T18:43:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick post with some photos from the High on Fire, Torche and Kylesa show on Wednesday at Cat's Cradle. I was skittish about getting video for this one, so these are still shots only. All three bands rocked, but I personally thought Kylesa put on the best show. My companions disagreed and favored High on Fire. If you were there, what did you think?

(High on Fire)

(Torche)

(Kylesa)