Madeleine's out of town so here's the cut-and-dry.

The Now Sound, the label of WXDU Music Director Jeremy Steckler, will release two 7" singles in July, the third from SPATULA and a split 7" with Guided By Voices and the Grifters . . . Ross Grady of The Independent, is collecting bands to contribute to a Richard Hell tribute CD. Some of those slated so far: JUNE, BEATLESS, ASHLEY STOVE, BICYCLE FACE, FIRE EATERS (half the BACKSLIDERS plus Brad Rice from FINGER), MOTOCASTER, PINE STATE, PIPE, and VANILLA TRAINWRECK. Everything is still tentative, but the compilation is supposed to come out in spring 1995. Richard Hell says he wants the profits to go to ACT-UP . . . PICASSO TRIGGER have a new drummer named Johnny. They just recorded a bunch of new songs. Former drummer John McClain is now playing with LOOSE CANNONS, a band comprised of former C.O.C. members.

WIFFLEFIST folks are gearing up for their next CD compilation. Scattered and Smothered will include stuff by BEATLESS, POLYCARP, SILICA GEL, LASO HAL, REPETOPHILE, MAG WHEELS, KRAPPER KEEPER, GLOCKENSPIEL, and maybe FEEDSTUFF, and ORIFICE. Look for it late summer/early fall.

Friction Media will put out a JOBY'S OPINION 7" in September. It'll be the first record for the band, which has a cassette out, Slippy Jewels, and a cut on the label's Cognitive Mapping compilation tape. The CD follow-up to Cognitive Mapping is also planned for release later this year.

JUNE just finished recording some stuff with MITCH EASTER. The band's second single, "Stripteaser" will be included on the forthcoming Spinart compilation, Lemon-Lime, alongside Velocity Girl; Suddenly, Tammy!; a Dambuilders spinoff and others. The band is rumored to be putting out a third seven-inch on Squealer, a Virgina label. June, as well as Raleigh's MOTOCASTER, will also be included on the second volume of Record Exchange's Monitor This! compilation. The CD will be out in September.

ARCHERS OF LOAF will release a five-song EP, Archers of Loaf vs. The Greatest Of All Time, in September. Bob Weston produced. The full-length comes out in January '95 . . . SMALL 23 have already recorded their second full-length. Chin Music will come out in September . . . Kirk Ross (Lud, Kinko's), Randy Bullock (Siena Hotel) and "lots of people" are starting a yet-unnamed local label to put out the debut CDs by SPATULA and TINSEL, as well as a LUD 7". They're shooting for October.

People with access to the Internet should check out a local music newsgroup/e-list, Chapel Hill-Scene. To subscribe and have messages delivered individually as they happen (not a good idea, unless you're ready to deal with a loaded mailbox every day) you can send email to: listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu with the text: SUBSCRIBE CH-SCENE

Instead, I'd recommend the digest, which comes at the end of each day and combines all the messages into one with a sort of table of contents at the beginning. First send the subscribe message, then, also to listserv@gibbs.oit.unc.edu, send the message: SET CH-SCENE MAIL DIGEST. If you do decide you want up-to-minute reports on something, you can always go to the newsgroup, alt.music.chapel-hill. Like most of the lists/newsgroups I've run into, there's a lot of stuff to wade through, but it really is a good place to discuss Chapel Hill minutiae. If you have any questions about The Scene, email Doug Matthews: doug@gibbs.oit.unc.edu

A 35mm feature length motion picture, The Immortal, will be shot in and around Chapel Hill in July. The soundtrack will feature performances by NC bands, including ARCHERS OF LOAF, DILLON FENCE, SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS, and VERTIGO JOYRIDE. From the press information: "The Immortal is about a band struggling for success (Grave Danger played by Vertigo Joyride), and its guitarist, Dex Drags, who is a vampire. His addiction to killing threatens his career with the band and his relationship with his best friend/girlfriend Linda." And it "combines both the 'vampire' genre, which is universal, and the college 'underground' music genre, which offers something new and unknown. The story is actually a parallel to drug addiction and explores how such a 'supernatural' addiction affects the human will and its struggle with 'evil.'" . . . Need more? Contact Storm Bear at Immortal Pictures (919) 967-8032 or dexthevamp@aol.com.

Carrboro lost a really, really great record store when Tony Maygarden closed Discology last month to devote his time to "something else." He'll continue doing mail order and record shows so keep an eye peeled for all his bargains at the next Hillsborough fair. Good luck, Tony!

A new Merge compilation celebrating the label's first five years comes out July 25. Rows of Teeth will feature, surprise, a lot of Merge bands. I think the idea behind this is that even the previously released stuff hasn't been on CD before. Neat. The weekend of July 28-30, as you probably know by now is Merge's showdown at Cat's Cradle. Tons of bands not to be missed. Tickets should be gotten in advance as crowds are expected to descend upon the town that weekend. Also stay tuned to your radio. Though nothing's final yet, Todd Morman, Spott (WXYC music director, Merge) and I are thinking about getting some talk radio going with some of the music people who'll be in town. Listen to the station (89.3 FM) to keep posted on who, what, when, etc. It'll probably be Friday (7/29) and Saturday (7/30) nights around 6 to 8 pm.

Also, remember the Cradle isn't the only place to see good shows amd the Duke Coffeehouse needs support, especially during the summer. Jeremy Steckler had to beg the powers that be to keep it open so go see Pony play with ARCHERS OF LOAF July 8th. Also upcoming . . . SF Seals, Barbara Manning's new band, is playing on July 28 (ie during Merge fest) with Dambuilders, Harry Pussy and some other Siltbreeze band. On August 2, Heavens to Betsy and PICASSO TRIGGER will play there and coming in September is a show with Peter Jefferies, Mecca Normal and Trash. Aren't you glad you live here?

Misc. demo hits: the TRAILER BRIDE tape and new JOBY'S OPINION (esp. the stuff for the single - ouch!), SECRET CERVIX "Barbara Manning," and three RUBBER MAID songs that are carted up at WXYC. (CM)

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