Odds and ends

Michael writes to tell me about his indie label Fractured Discs, and about the following shows:

*SONS will be playing at the 506 on the 18th as part of the north elementary cd release party (Note from Karen -- N.E.'s new CD "Berandals" is excellent) and work clothes will be playing at the cat's cradle on the 26th with portastatic, des ark and the strugglers- this show is a darfur benefit.

According to the label's Myspace, they feature the following bands/releases: Hundred Air (Sept '07) / *SONS / Work Clothes / Robert Deeble / The Winter Blanket / Alina Simone / V/A We Could Live in Hope – A Tribute to Low (Mark Kozelek, HNIA, Jessica Bailiff, more) / V/A Preserve, Volume One (M. Ward, Shearwater, the Decemberists, more). Definitely check it out.


ALSO: Thanks to Alex for posting this. If you've ever sold CDs at Schoolkids for beer money, that source of income may soon be in danger -- and already is in Utah and Florida.

NOW LISTENING TO: Midtown Dickens, "Oh Yell"

Wow. I can honestly say I haven't been totally blown away by a local CD in a long time. Kym Register and Catherine Edgerton create the sweetest, most heart-rending anti-folk, using guitars, their winsome harmonies, and a slew of unusual and found instruments, from banjos to bottlecaps. I can't listen to this CD without stopping and repeating "Airplane" about five or six times. For what it's worth, Edgerton's father is novelist/bluegrass musician Clyde. I can honestly say I've never liked his books, but I think his daughter's music is awesome. DO NOT FORGET to check out the Midtown Dickens Get Down Showdown this Saturday at 305 South in Durham

My latest youtube addiction

I'll admit, I don't know a damn thing about this band, but this series on Gaahl, from the black metal band Gorgoroth, had me riveted. Wait till they get to the part where he makes the American film crew climb the mountain with him

Annuals free show Wednesday at Urban Outfitter

There's no guarantee you'll get in, but you absolutely WON'T get in unless you have a ticket, which you can print out here. This is somehow going to benefit WKNC, so I'm guessing they'll take up a collection. Otherwise, how are they really going to benefit from a free show?

Get up, get on down

This week's show of the week is undoubtedly the Midtown Dickens "Get down showdown" this Saturday at 305 South. The day-long event features a slew of local talent, from The Ex-Members to Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan, plus not-local folkie Kimya Dawson (formerly of Moldy Peaches), who will also perform a kid-friendly set earlier in the day. the whole thing starts at 2 p.m., admission is $5-$10 and I understand there will be food. If it's the same duo that served the vegan empanadas at the Ex-members show, you should go just to eat. Seriously. I'm not even a vegetarian, and that stuff rocked.

A small example of how much rock variety there is in the Triangle

Friday night was a perfect example of what's wonderful, and terrible about the music scene in the Triangle. Two great shows that I really wanted to see, but at the same time in different cities. Luckily the Burlytime Records showcase at 305 South in Durham was early, so I headed over there first, and caught Megafaun. I'm glad Grayson has started this label, because it's going to introduce me to a lot of stuff I'm not familiar with --like Megafaun. According to the description on the Megafaun CD, the band moved to North Carolina in 2005 and was originally called DeYarmond Edison (not familiar with them). Now they're a three-piece, formed to "bridge their disparate loves of Appalachian sounds with avant improvisation." That's a good description, though I would have simply called them acoustic noise. Basically, you have some acoustic guitars, banjo, drums, gorgeous harmonies, a computer, a bunch of effects and boundless enthusiasm. Check out the crowd sing-a-long about midway through this 10-minute video I shot. After Megafaun I headed back to Raleigh to check out one of my favorite local bands, The T's, at Slim's. BTW, Slim's has started charging now, though it was only $3 to get in. The doorman said they were going to start paying the bands, which is certainly worth $3 on my part.Anyway, I wasn't expecting Abe Quinn's new band, Man Will Destroy Himself, which is just the sort of brutal, throat-shredding metal I love. A great palate-cleanser before jumping into The T's. Check out this video. And, finally, there was The T's, whom I've said quite a bit about already. I understand the band was interviewed by The Village Idiot before the show, so check that out when it's released. Unfortunately the memory on my camera ran out before this song was over, but I still managed to get most of it.