Last weekend, there was yet another Potluck Foundation release show: to celebrate a split 12" featuring Jphono1 and Lakes&Woods (also playing were Hectorina and the Little Books). This Triangle collective of like-minded folks just keep'em coming, supporting music of a slew of the better local bands. As much music as they share with us, they share band-members with each other even more. Case in point, Jphono1, the formerly-solo alter-ego of North Elementary's John Harrison, plays keys in Lakes&Woods.
Jphono1 has been playing off and on as a solo act for a while, complete with lots of looping and other assorted effects to fill in his sparse, atmospheric songs. The result has been a rather psychedelic, rolling, drone of a sound. While this single ("Castles") is similar to that, the full band is just coming into its own. Heavier and less reliant on effects and more on the usual guitar-bass-drums ethos, providing a different outlet for what are good songs either way.
Jphono1...
Hectorina are a Charlotte band that I think has been around for a while. I caught them briefly in Wilmington some time ago, and was a little taken aback at first by a somewhat poppy and schizophrenic sound; are they funky? Are they Animal Collectiv-ites? Wasn't sure what to think. On second listen, I gained a greater appreciation. Maybe if Interpol had more funk and a sense of humor, Hectorina might be the result. They were sorta mathematical and jazzy, too. Definitely not like anything in the Triangle.
Hectorina...
Lakes&Woods have a clean, jangly sound that traces it's lineage back through the Connells, dBs, Big Star, maybe all the way back to the Byrds. Really, though, front-man and songwriter Matt McMichaels' earlier band, Mayflies USA, were practically contemporaries with the later bands in that lineage, so he's just continuing to do what he does. Also not a lot of stuff like this in the Triangle (anymore). Occasional ukelele & harmonica, and organ from Harrison, provide nice depth to their straight-ahead power-pop songs.
Lakes&Woods...
The Little Books were a touring band (from Jacksonville, FL) added to the end of the bill, which made for a very pleasant surprise. They're just a duo, a fact belied their sound. Though they would sometimes settle down for a sweet folk number or two, they alternated this with frenetic, punky, K-records-style rippers. I wonder if they remember Crowsdell, another Jacksonville band from the late 1990's (or subsequent solo music by that band's frontwoman Shannon Wright). Little Books kind of reminded me of them... especially on the song "The Cure" (see video below). Dig up the song "Sugar-Coated", from Dreamette, Crowsdell's debut LP produced by Stephen Malkmus of Pavement. Nevermind, I've done it for you. And watch the Little Books video below to the end to see what they do to their equipment when they get carried away. Also, see the other video below, of Lakes&Woods performing "The Future of the Payphone".
This weekend, there's another Potluck joint going on: See Gulls' much anticipated EP release show at Kings! 'Course, if you saw the Indy this week, you could not possibly have missed that. The Little Books...
This weekend, there's another Potluck joint going on: See Gulls' much anticipated EP release show at Kings! 'Course, if you saw the Indy this week, you could not possibly have missed that.
Durham's wonderful PopUp Chorus performed at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC, as part of the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation benefit on 8/9/14. For those who don't know about this group already, it's composed of anyone who wants to show up and sing. They chose the Lumineers' "Ho Hey" this time. They often pick more esoteric, less well-known songs, but they figured at least some of this rather random crowd would be likely to know a more popular song. The selection lent itself well to a chorus.
From their website: "Founded by arts entrepreneur and event promoter, Lauren Bromley Hodge, the PopUp Chorus launched at Motorco in Durham, NC in January 2014. Seamus Kenney, musician, composer and middle school chorus teacher, artfully conducts the PopUp Chorus events. Singers arrive and learn two themed songs each week, which they perform, record and film on the same night. The PopUp meets again a week later to sing two new songs. It is never the same group twice…"
I'm sure they will release a much better quality video than this, but I just wanted to share, because what they do is just beautiful. It's really amazing what Kenney can get out of a group of ragtag kids, grandmothers, and hipsters in about a half an hour. PopUp Chorus has been on a bit of a break in the summer, but will be picking up the weekly performances at Motorco in Durham soon.
Last weekend's Merge 25, Merge Records' 25th anniversary party, was one whirlwind of great music. "Friday day" and Friday night had some great shows. I barely made the end of the Dinner Party Download taping at Nightlight, but was able to catch Teenage Fanclub play one song in probably the most intimate setting in which you'll ever see a band of that stature play. Then I head over to OCSC to catch slightly younger band, St. Rich garage-out the back lot.
The night at Cat's Cradle started with probably my favorite set of the entire festival, by Hospitality. It seems I'm always most excited about the new bands I haven't seen live yet... restless musical soul, I guess. But they were great. Amber Papini's vocals are truly unique, and the songs are catchy as hell. Wye Oak were another highlight (as always), and although I missed most of Destroyer's set (and all of David Kilgour's), what I did catch made me wish I had seen more... the horns were chaotic and hypnotic. But hey, I was talking to Bob Mould, so you can forgive me. :)
More photos from Saturday's big show to come soon.
At last weekend's Merge 25 festival, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Merge Records, Neutral Milk Hotel closed the big concert on Saturday outside the legendary Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. Many may know that it's a standing request of Jeff Mangum's and Neutral Milk Hotel's that their shows not be photographed or videotaped. One can debate whether that's a cynical move with capitalist motives, an attempt at stemming the sometimes obscene reliance on technology that we've developed, or a heartfelt plea from an individual who grapples with legitimate anxiety issues.
But this is not the place for that debate. This is my confessional.
I tried to respect those wishes. I really did. But about three songs in -- right about when Mangum began to strum the opening notes of King of Carrot Flowers Part 1 -- I just couldn't. The lighting was just so... so... perfect. Pale blue spotlights, dimmed at the band's request, illuminated Scott Spillane's beard like an inverted phoenix. They cast a cobalt halo over Mangum, setting him aglow, making him seem almost angelic. As if that wasn't enough temptation, the sunset began to paint the sky behind this scene with a turquoise hue that could only be described as surreal, a perfect natural complement to the artifice of the stage lights.
So I stole my way to the back bleachers. And yes, I discreetly pulled the Nikon D3100 out of my backpack. I removed the lens cap. I checked my settings. And then I snuck this one, quick, guilty homage. I can't say that I regret it. I won't.
Scroll down to see the photo...
It's one of the best photos I've ever taken, if I do say so myself.
Also, below are a couple of close-ups cropped from the original (since I didn't want to risk more than one shot).
North Elementary and Lud held a sort of joint "albums release" show for their respective new releases, Honcho Poncho and Defenestration Boulevard, last Friday. Lakes&Woods opened, but I missed them (sorry!).
It was kind of an early show, which promted Lud frontman Kirk Ross to wonder why the fuck they ever went on at 1:00am back in the day? Maybe starting relatively early was more conducive to the slow build of this night. Lud's first few numbers were a kind of mellow-but-intense brand of Americana, and it was a nice way to begin. Then, gradually, the intensity turned less mellow, and by the end, they were burning down the newly-constructed Cat's Cradle Back Room (shame on them). Not being from these parts, I'd only seen Lud, I think, once before. I remember that entire show being heavy and fast... but it was the Cave, and I'd had a few. The slow-to-fast burn of this show, however, really worked.
I'd also only seen North Elementary once or twice, and a while ago. Listening to Honcho Poncho, I'm starting to realize how much variety they have within their sound. This is a trait shared by frontman John Harrison's solo music (as Jphono1). On it's face, their sound is your basic, mid-tempo indie-pop-rock. But as you listen, all manner of detail reveals itself. Mid-90's (Sebadoh-esque?) guitars are complemented by rolling organ, and sometimes a quieter, more pleasantly tinkling piano. Male/female vocal harmonies courtesy Harrison and keyboardist Betty Rupp give the crunchier songs a soft edge. While there isn't as much of the technology-assisted trickery and layering providing the variety as on a Jphono1 record, the guitars and rhythm section pull from the styles of decades ranging from the 60's until now (Decade Styling, I guess, to lift a song title from one of their earlier releases). The farfisa of Way Out (Happy Here) sounds almost Mersey, while the House Your Home could be a Pink Floyd/midnight movie soundtrack. Then there are the songs by (new?) member Sean Parker: Hi-Lo and Left Doubt. These are unmistakably cut from 80s cloth... I personally hear Modern English in both Parker's vocals and the meld of new (but not too) wave and harder post-punk, and the keyboards.
There are a lot of songs that grow on you in this collection: the 80's vibe of those two, the summer breeziness of Eventually Everything Connects and the opener, Return to Couches, and the barroom rocker Undressed and a Place to Go. Again with the variety.
So good album, and good show. Oh, and, um, not to take anything away from the band -- but if they had pulled the plug on the music when the cat videos started playing, I would have still been plenty entertained.
Buy one (or both!) of these bands' new CDs: North Elementary's Honcho Poncho and Lud's Defenestration Boulevard.
The Music Tapesimpart a
childlike glee and a magical wonder to their audience through their shows. Since things like magic and wonder can be
hard to express with mere words, I thought I’d try something different for their
indoor circus-tent tour, the Traveling Imaginary. So I’ve made a short little film to capture
what my “night at the circus” was like.
Bandleader Julian Kostner, member of the Elephant 6 Collective and formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel, is whimsy personified. It’s as if he’s on a mission to help all of
us reclaim our inner child. Having seen
the Music Tapes twice, I can attest that they’re making great strides towards
that noble cause… be it via big-top, lullaby, or Christmas caroling tours. In addition to the music, props, and games,
Julian is a wonderful
storyteller. His lilting voice relates tales
of quirky characters and places unknown, or forgotten, touching the mind and the
heart.
I’ll leave the stories to him. It seems only right that some of these things
should be kept secret, as they are best experienced in person. Even one of the games was kept hidden from
those of us in attendance, unless -- and only
if -- they chose (one-by-one) to play it!
I’ll just let the film tell the rest of the tale. Enjoy!
