This from Chris Tamplin at Tir na Nog. When he says "This Friday" he means Sept. 10:
Hopscotch weekend brings us the chance to party all day without needing an excuse! We are doing a day party at the nOg this Friday with five great NC bands! New Raleigh and Aviator Brewing are sponsoring the party as well ans we are throwing a twist in it. We also be doing a Local Record Label rock n shop event where the each label will have a table set up selling artists from their respective labels. The show is free so it should give you a chance to buy some killer music. The show goes as follows
12:45- Cellar Seas
1:30- Veelee
2:15- Filthy Bird
3:00- Temperance League
3:45- A Rooster For The Masses.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Check out the Hopscotch Speakers' Series!
Yet more interesting stuff from Hopscotch. The fest and Edward McKay Books are sponsoring an author series, taking place the afternoons of Sept. 9-11 at Raleigh City Museum. Check it out:
Partnering with local staples Edward McKay Used Books and Raleigh City Museum, Hopscotch Music Festival proudly announces its Edward McKay Artist & Author Series, featuring discussions with Grammy winners, Grammy nominees, bandleaders and some of the best music critics in the country.
During three late afternoon sessions on Sept. 9, 10 and 11, musicians like Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene and Apostle of Hustle and hip-hop producer 9th Wonder will talk about music’s cultural and social impacts with critics and authors like Spin and Village Voice writer Christopher R. Weingarten and acclaimed author and Duke University professor Mark Anthony Neal. Other guests include Dolph Ramseur of Ramseur Records, Phil Cook of Megafaun and Charlie Smarts of Kooley High, with more panelists to be added as Hopscotch Music Festival approaches.
“Writing about music often feels like such a vacuum. It’s someone tucked behind a keyboard with their thoughts and their headphones, ultimately sending some message out into the world,” says Independent Weekly Music Editor and Hopscotch Curator Grayson Currin about the series. “My goal with this series is to break that vacuum by putting artists and their analysts in the same room and letting them talk about inspirations and ideas.”
Each discussion is free and open to the public, though seating capacity inside Raleigh City Museum is extremely limited. Early arrival is recommended. Tickets for Hopscotch Music Festival—Thursday, Sept. 9–Saturday, Sept. 11 in 10 downtown Raleigh venues—are still available in very limited numbers atwww.hopscotchmusicfest.com.
ABOUT THE PANELS
THURSDAY, SEPT. 9 (Free/ 5–7 p.m.)
North Carolina’s Musical Heritage: Past, Present and Future
From the old-time music and bluegrass that’s moved from the state’s mountains to the litany of jazz and soul icons that have called North Carolina home, this state has a tradition of fostering musical innovators. Several careful students of those lineages will gather to discuss the state’s musical past, how it’s being preserved, and why it has such an important influence on the music being made here now.
The speakers include Durham’s PHIL COOK of Megafaun, a band that blends folk sounds of the past with adventurous experimentation; Concord’s DOLPH RAMSEUR of Ramseur Records, who has helped turn both The Avett Brothers and Carolina Chocolate Drops into international emissaries for the sounds of North Carolina; Raleigh’s MARSHALL WYATT of Old Hat Records, a Grammy-nominated, Bob Dylan-approved label that collects historic recordings and curates them into rich compilations; and Chapel Hill’s AARON SMITHERS, who has traveled the state recording under-documented artists. Hopscotch Curator and Independent Weekly Music Editor GRAYSON CURRIN will moderate the discussion. Cook will also perform as his one-man band, PHIL COOK & HIS FEAT, to begin the discussion.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 10 (Free/ 4–6 p.m.)
Black Mountain College: Legacy and Inspiration
Andrew Whiteman writes, sings and plays guitar in the Canadian bands Broken Social Scene and Apostle of Hustle. Not long after Broken Social Scene confirmed their co-headlining Hopscotch set, Whiteman approached festival organizers about an event that would honor Black Mountain College, the influential interdisciplinary school that opened in western North Carolina in 1933. Whiteman will read his own poetry, as well as that of several Black Mountain acolytes, and discuss the school’s importance with a panel of local poets.
The speakers include Toronto’s ANDREW WHITEMAN, a Broken Social Scene staple who will read from his forthcoming book, Tourism; Durham’s KEN RUMBLE, an installation artist, musician and the author of Key Bridge (Carolina Wren Press, 2007); Durham’s MEG STEIN, an installation artist and musician working and playing in the 715 Washington art collective, along with Rumble; Durham’s CHRIS VITIELLO, a poet and artist and the author of Irresponsibility(Ahsahta Press, 2008); and Raleigh’s CHRIS TONELLI, a professor at N.C. State University, the author of four chapbooks and the founder of the So and So Series. Pitchfork Media Critic and Paste Senior Contributing Editor BRIAN HOWE, an accomplished poet himself, will moderate the discussion. Rumble, Stein and Vitiello will also present a performance inspired by the Black Mountain College happenings of John Cage and Robert Rauschenberg at the start of the event.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 11 (Free/ 4–6 p.m.)
Hip-Hop Planet: Music and Its Work in the World
When people talk about the political importance and immediacy of hip-hop, perhaps no group gets mentioned more than Public Enemy, and perhaps no records more than their It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet. With Public Enemy headlining Hopscotch Saturday night, we decided to talk about the social impact that hip-hop has historically had and if that role might be changing.
The speakers include Durham’s 9TH WONDER, the Little Brother cofounder and Grammy winner who has gone on to make music with Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, David Banner and Murs; New York’s CHRISTOPHER R. WEINGARTEN, “the last rock critic standing” and a scribe for Village Voice,Spin, Rolling Stone and the author of a new book on Public Enemy; Durham’sMARK ANTHONY NEAL, a Professor of Black Popular Culture at Duke University and the author of several books on music and culture; and Raleigh’sCHARLIE SMARTS, a member of the exuberant, emerging hip-hop crew Kooley High. Hopscotch Director GREG LOWENHAGEN and CuratorGRAYSON CURRIN will moderate the discussion. Weingarten will spin his tribute set to It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back before the discussion begins.
Partnering with local staples Edward McKay Used Books and Raleigh City Museum, Hopscotch Music Festival proudly announces its Edward McKay Artist & Author Series, featuring discussions with Grammy winners, Grammy nominees, bandleaders and some of the best music critics in the country.
During three late afternoon sessions on Sept. 9, 10 and 11, musicians like Andrew Whiteman of Broken Social Scene and Apostle of Hustle and hip-hop producer 9th Wonder will talk about music’s cultural and social impacts with critics and authors like Spin and Village Voice writer Christopher R. Weingarten and acclaimed author and Duke University professor Mark Anthony Neal. Other guests include Dolph Ramseur of Ramseur Records, Phil Cook of Megafaun and Charlie Smarts of Kooley High, with more panelists to be added as Hopscotch Music Festival approaches.
“Writing about music often feels like such a vacuum. It’s someone tucked behind a keyboard with their thoughts and their headphones, ultimately sending some message out into the world,” says Independent Weekly Music Editor and Hopscotch Curator Grayson Currin about the series. “My goal with this series is to break that vacuum by putting artists and their analysts in the same room and letting them talk about inspirations and ideas.”
Each discussion is free and open to the public, though seating capacity inside Raleigh City Museum is extremely limited. Early arrival is recommended. Tickets for Hopscotch Music Festival—Thursday, Sept. 9–Saturday, Sept. 11 in 10 downtown Raleigh venues—are still available in very limited numbers atwww.hopscotchmusicfest.com.
ABOUT THE PANELS
THURSDAY, SEPT. 9 (Free/ 5–7 p.m.)
North Carolina’s Musical Heritage: Past, Present and Future
From the old-time music and bluegrass that’s moved from the state’s mountains to the litany of jazz and soul icons that have called North Carolina home, this state has a tradition of fostering musical innovators. Several careful students of those lineages will gather to discuss the state’s musical past, how it’s being preserved, and why it has such an important influence on the music being made here now.
The speakers include Durham’s PHIL COOK of Megafaun, a band that blends folk sounds of the past with adventurous experimentation; Concord’s DOLPH RAMSEUR of Ramseur Records, who has helped turn both The Avett Brothers and Carolina Chocolate Drops into international emissaries for the sounds of North Carolina; Raleigh’s MARSHALL WYATT of Old Hat Records, a Grammy-nominated, Bob Dylan-approved label that collects historic recordings and curates them into rich compilations; and Chapel Hill’s AARON SMITHERS, who has traveled the state recording under-documented artists. Hopscotch Curator and Independent Weekly Music Editor GRAYSON CURRIN will moderate the discussion. Cook will also perform as his one-man band, PHIL COOK & HIS FEAT, to begin the discussion.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 10 (Free/ 4–6 p.m.)
Black Mountain College: Legacy and Inspiration
Andrew Whiteman writes, sings and plays guitar in the Canadian bands Broken Social Scene and Apostle of Hustle. Not long after Broken Social Scene confirmed their co-headlining Hopscotch set, Whiteman approached festival organizers about an event that would honor Black Mountain College, the influential interdisciplinary school that opened in western North Carolina in 1933. Whiteman will read his own poetry, as well as that of several Black Mountain acolytes, and discuss the school’s importance with a panel of local poets.
The speakers include Toronto’s ANDREW WHITEMAN, a Broken Social Scene staple who will read from his forthcoming book, Tourism; Durham’s KEN RUMBLE, an installation artist, musician and the author of Key Bridge (Carolina Wren Press, 2007); Durham’s MEG STEIN, an installation artist and musician working and playing in the 715 Washington art collective, along with Rumble; Durham’s CHRIS VITIELLO, a poet and artist and the author of Irresponsibility(Ahsahta Press, 2008); and Raleigh’s CHRIS TONELLI, a professor at N.C. State University, the author of four chapbooks and the founder of the So and So Series. Pitchfork Media Critic and Paste Senior Contributing Editor BRIAN HOWE, an accomplished poet himself, will moderate the discussion. Rumble, Stein and Vitiello will also present a performance inspired by the Black Mountain College happenings of John Cage and Robert Rauschenberg at the start of the event.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 11 (Free/ 4–6 p.m.)
Hip-Hop Planet: Music and Its Work in the World
When people talk about the political importance and immediacy of hip-hop, perhaps no group gets mentioned more than Public Enemy, and perhaps no records more than their It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet. With Public Enemy headlining Hopscotch Saturday night, we decided to talk about the social impact that hip-hop has historically had and if that role might be changing.
The speakers include Durham’s 9TH WONDER, the Little Brother cofounder and Grammy winner who has gone on to make music with Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, David Banner and Murs; New York’s CHRISTOPHER R. WEINGARTEN, “the last rock critic standing” and a scribe for Village Voice,Spin, Rolling Stone and the author of a new book on Public Enemy; Durham’sMARK ANTHONY NEAL, a Professor of Black Popular Culture at Duke University and the author of several books on music and culture; and Raleigh’sCHARLIE SMARTS, a member of the exuberant, emerging hip-hop crew Kooley High. Hopscotch Director GREG LOWENHAGEN and CuratorGRAYSON CURRIN will moderate the discussion. Weingarten will spin his tribute set to It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back before the discussion begins.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
An interview with Eddie Taylor for the Churchkey Three Day Party
The free day party action at Hopscotch is going to be almost as good as the main event. Case in point: The Churchkey Three Day Party taking place at noon on Saturday (Sept. 11) at Tir na Nog. The name is a celebration of this indie label's third anniversary, and the line-up is a great one: Dirty Little Heaters, Free Electric State, Last Year's Men, The Dry Heathens and Hammer No More the Fingers. To get everyone in the mood for the party, various local blogs are posting interviews with bands on the Churchkey roster over the next few weeks.
I chose to interview Eddie Taylor from The Loners because I've known him for ages, and think he's a great musician and all-around swell guy. I can't tell you how much fun I had during this interview.
This interview began and ended -- and was briefly punctuated in the middle -- with a round of shots. That’s how yours truly found out that Eddie really isn’t one for tequila or Jaeger. If he’s going to do a shot, which isn’t often, he says, he’d prefer to do something “girly” like a Lemondrop. That was the one in the middle.
I also found out that Eddie, one of the friendliest and most gregarious people I know, doesn’t much like talking about himself. In fact, he’s downright shy at times. Sitting in a dark booth at the newly opened Neptunes, with ska in the background, we downed that first round of 1800, and I tweeted that I was about to interview him. The Love Language immediately replied “tell eddie we said hey!!” He seemed flattered and almost a little embarrassed that his name was being thrown about on Twitter. That’s the sort of thing associated with rock stars, or people who think they’re rock stars, and Eddie definitely doesn’t want to be a rock star.
“I don't like rock stars,” he says. “I don't like seeing friend get changed into something they aren't. I like them the way they were. I have a friend who did a video game. He's making bank. I've had a lot of friends who have become real successful, and they're not the same as they were after that.”
Really? Even if being a rock star meant that he, as a newly single dad, would have women throwing themselves at him, plus a nice nest egg for his daughter?
“It's an integrity factor that gets lost in all that,” he says. “There are very few that hold on to that integrity. Neil Young has always held on to that integrity. There's a lot of people I respect that have been able to granted they're great, they're famous, but they haven't lost touch with where they came from.”
He doesn’t even care that much about playing anywhere other than the Triangle.
“I'd like to go out and play more in other places but I can't dump money into that, get to that town and play for five people who don't really give a fuck,” he says. “I just can't do that, cause I've done it. If someone offers us something in New York, and have a weekend in New York and go play at WFMU, I'm there. But playing to nobody? I can practice and do that!“
Despite, or perhaps because of, this total lack of giving a damn, The Loners have gained a reputation around town as the band that you don’t miss. If you want people to come out and see your band, you make sure to get a show with The Loners. It doesn’t really matter if they play Slim’s three times in the same week. People will go see them, and will love them, all three times. That’s been especially true since they reformed in 2007 (at the goodbye party for the first Kings) after breaking up for several years. During their first incarnation, they were known for putting on shows that might be great and might be crap, but were always entertaining. Now they’re solid every single time.
The Loners formed out of the ashes of Big Joe, Eddie’s alt-country band that moved to Raleigh from Tucson (via Kentucky) after being invited to play the SPITTLE Fest at the Brewery. He struck up a friendship with popular local drummer Chris Jones, who shared his love of ‘60s garage and psychedelic music as well as ‘80s hardcore.
“Chris Jones is one of my heroes,” he says. “I have the utmost respect for that person. I like the fact that I've heard us referred to as a Raleigh tradition. That's a nice feeling. we're not a national act. we don't tour. we are what we are.
The band’s sound has changed a little bit over time, he says, but still retains those two influences, but still retains a healthy dose of ‘70s punk and arena rock. That’s fitting because his first concert, back in Murray, Ken., was Rush, Angel and Blue Oyster Cult. He was 15 and tripping his balls off. His main memories are that he accidentally ripped up his own ticket, and the members of Rush wore silk outfits and appeared to over over a massive shag carpet on the stage.
Eddie says he’s had more time to write lately and that he’s been listening to a lot of Guided by Voices. One of his old pals has an “Eraserhead-meets-’50s-Sci Fi” film that will debut at the Fright Night festival in Louisville, and a couple of Loners songs are in the movie. There are a couple of other things in the works too, but he doesn’t want to jinx them by talking about them prematurely. Buy him a Lemondrop and maybe he’ll spill his guts to you.
Take a look at the other interviews:
July 28: Diversions (The Daily Tar Heel) talks with The Dirty Little Heaters
August 4: WNnG (Bull City Records) talks with Hammer No More The Fingers
August 11: Mann’s World talks with The Loners
August 18: Triangle Music talks with Last Year’s Men
August 25: Recess (The Chronicle) talks with Spider Bags
September 1: The Independent Weekly talks with The Dry Heathens
September 8: On The Beat (The News & Observer) talks with Free Electric State
I chose to interview Eddie Taylor from The Loners because I've known him for ages, and think he's a great musician and all-around swell guy. I can't tell you how much fun I had during this interview.
This interview began and ended -- and was briefly punctuated in the middle -- with a round of shots. That’s how yours truly found out that Eddie really isn’t one for tequila or Jaeger. If he’s going to do a shot, which isn’t often, he says, he’d prefer to do something “girly” like a Lemondrop. That was the one in the middle.
I also found out that Eddie, one of the friendliest and most gregarious people I know, doesn’t much like talking about himself. In fact, he’s downright shy at times. Sitting in a dark booth at the newly opened Neptunes, with ska in the background, we downed that first round of 1800, and I tweeted that I was about to interview him. The Love Language immediately replied “tell eddie we said hey!!” He seemed flattered and almost a little embarrassed that his name was being thrown about on Twitter. That’s the sort of thing associated with rock stars, or people who think they’re rock stars, and Eddie definitely doesn’t want to be a rock star.
“I don't like rock stars,” he says. “I don't like seeing friend get changed into something they aren't. I like them the way they were. I have a friend who did a video game. He's making bank. I've had a lot of friends who have become real successful, and they're not the same as they were after that.”
Really? Even if being a rock star meant that he, as a newly single dad, would have women throwing themselves at him, plus a nice nest egg for his daughter?
“It's an integrity factor that gets lost in all that,” he says. “There are very few that hold on to that integrity. Neil Young has always held on to that integrity. There's a lot of people I respect that have been able to granted they're great, they're famous, but they haven't lost touch with where they came from.”
He doesn’t even care that much about playing anywhere other than the Triangle.
“I'd like to go out and play more in other places but I can't dump money into that, get to that town and play for five people who don't really give a fuck,” he says. “I just can't do that, cause I've done it. If someone offers us something in New York, and have a weekend in New York and go play at WFMU, I'm there. But playing to nobody? I can practice and do that!“
Despite, or perhaps because of, this total lack of giving a damn, The Loners have gained a reputation around town as the band that you don’t miss. If you want people to come out and see your band, you make sure to get a show with The Loners. It doesn’t really matter if they play Slim’s three times in the same week. People will go see them, and will love them, all three times. That’s been especially true since they reformed in 2007 (at the goodbye party for the first Kings) after breaking up for several years. During their first incarnation, they were known for putting on shows that might be great and might be crap, but were always entertaining. Now they’re solid every single time.
The Loners formed out of the ashes of Big Joe, Eddie’s alt-country band that moved to Raleigh from Tucson (via Kentucky) after being invited to play the SPITTLE Fest at the Brewery. He struck up a friendship with popular local drummer Chris Jones, who shared his love of ‘60s garage and psychedelic music as well as ‘80s hardcore.
“Chris Jones is one of my heroes,” he says. “I have the utmost respect for that person. I like the fact that I've heard us referred to as a Raleigh tradition. That's a nice feeling. we're not a national act. we don't tour. we are what we are.
The band’s sound has changed a little bit over time, he says, but still retains those two influences, but still retains a healthy dose of ‘70s punk and arena rock. That’s fitting because his first concert, back in Murray, Ken., was Rush, Angel and Blue Oyster Cult. He was 15 and tripping his balls off. His main memories are that he accidentally ripped up his own ticket, and the members of Rush wore silk outfits and appeared to over over a massive shag carpet on the stage.
Eddie says he’s had more time to write lately and that he’s been listening to a lot of Guided by Voices. One of his old pals has an “Eraserhead-meets-’50s-Sci Fi” film that will debut at the Fright Night festival in Louisville, and a couple of Loners songs are in the movie. There are a couple of other things in the works too, but he doesn’t want to jinx them by talking about them prematurely. Buy him a Lemondrop and maybe he’ll spill his guts to you.
Take a look at the other interviews:
July 28: Diversions (The Daily Tar Heel) talks with The Dirty Little Heaters
August 4: WNnG (Bull City Records) talks with Hammer No More The Fingers
August 11: Mann’s World talks with The Loners
August 18: Triangle Music talks with Last Year’s Men
August 25: Recess (The Chronicle) talks with Spider Bags
September 1: The Independent Weekly talks with The Dry Heathens
September 8: On The Beat (The News & Observer) talks with Free Electric State
Monday, August 09, 2010
Check out the Mann's World day party poster!
Thanks to the very talented Ashlea Green for designing the poster for the Mann's World Day Party! Please also note that start time is now 1 p.m., and the line up on the poster is the line up for the show. Make sure you get there early because you do NOT want to miss Hog!
Sunday, August 01, 2010
The ultimate Raleigh rock reunion
The accolades have been coming fast and furious on Facebook this morning about last night's COC reunion at the Pour House. The band was killer, old friends were reunited, and despite a few sore necks and throbbing heads, everyone had an awesome time. As advertised, the band played songs from "Animosity" and "Technocracy" with a few new songs in between. The band has recorded a new 7-inch, "Your Tomorrow (Parts 1 and 2)" which will be out soon on Southern Lord.
Reed and Mike's side project Righteous Fool opened up. I hope they don't end up on the back burner now that COC has reunited.
With a cameo by the hardest-working sound man in America, Jac Cain.
But other than COC I was probably most looking forward to openers U.S. Christmas. Imagine my displeasure when I arrived at the Pour House at 9:30 to find that they were just about finished with their set. WTF? I checked the venue's Web site beforehand, and saw that doors were at 8:30 and the show at 9:30. Apparently that meant music started at 9. I think a lot of people missed them which is really too bad because I liked what I heard. As far as the Pour House goes, I have to give thanks to Chris Malarky who, unsolicited, sold my extra ticket for me so I could rush inside and catch what I could of U.S. Christmas. They'll be back in Raleigh during Hopscotch.
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