Andy Willard and Carter Browning first met in 2002 while beefing up the rhythm section of a band that (little did that know) wouldn’t last even six months more. After that inevitable breakdown, the guys moved on. Charged by their connection and mutual appreciation for spaced out, dark improvised rock’n’roll they started jamming together and hammering down a sound of their own. All that musical experimentation just led them to form a band of their own: Monsonia
Over the years, Willard and Browning have honed their aesthetics and recruited a third man, Nick Petersen to fill out their sound. On drums, guitar, and bass (respectively), the men of Monsonia spin webs of noise-addled rock with jazz abandon to create some genre bending avant-metal, post-punk caterwaul of music.  And you can hear it for yourself on their brand new LP 33.3 (available on Holidays for Quince Records), the release of which they’ll be celebrating along with their friends Make and Minor Stars at The Nightlight next Friday, November 12th.
And now just the five hardest questions in faux business:
1. If your band were a Muppet, which would it be?
We don’t think we can pull off being personified as a single Muppet, so we say:
“The grass does not grow on the places where we stop and stannnnnnnnnnnnnnd…”
– Stanley Weasel
– Howard Snake
– Fred Lizard
The Nightmare from Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas.  We’re these guys in the moment after they rock out at the talent show, when the curtain draws back and they look at each other and smile and geek out about their performance. You realize they’re not really bad guys – they’re just lovable Muppet rockers that happen to be way cooler than Harvey Beaver (but maybe not Wendell Porcupine). We’re currently auditioning growling bear keyboardists and catfish stage dancers.  Please hit us up at contact@monsonia.com.
2. What can listeners expect from the new record?
Nick: Expect a 180 gram vinyl disc of power trio, not bar rock music. The record has 8 songs, the artwork looks really good, and it’s a bit more sonically precise than our previous recordings. Hopefully the listener will not have expectations. Hopefully our music creates a mood or soundscape that can surprise and entertain in many ways – with intensity and release, with repetition and agility, and sometimes being awkward and humorous. These are probably the emotions we experience the most playing the songs.
3. Describe the dynamic of playing in such a tight trio.
Andy: We’ve been friends for years and have made music together most every week since 2003, so the tightness has developed over time. Â We “write” our music collaboratively, but there’s not a lot of discussion – everyone is free to create and change their own parts. Â We listen to each other and watch each other for cues, but sometimes songs come together slowly. Â We’re really proud of the takes on 33.3 because they’re captured pretty soon after the songs locked into form – they’re snapshot recordings but the energy is high and there’s adventure in the playing.
Carter: It’s very difficult because it’s fun to watch Andy play. But watching him we can get distracted and forget how to play the song, and then he thinks we’re signaling for him to make a change to the next part, which isn’t right, so everyone messes up and gets confused. Then we either have a new song or have to start over from the beginning.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
Andy: I wanted to be an astronaut, but my teacher took me aside and explained that I’d have to work harder in math to be an astronaut. Â So I asked her if I needed math to be a clown and she said no. Now I analyze quantitative data during the day and play drums at night, so I guess I found a balance between the two. Â But so far, I’ve stayed on planet.
Nick:Â I always was way into being Indiana Jones from the Temple of Doom, or Rambo. I ended up being a ninja for Halloween, and I pay my bills as an audio engineer. Go figure.
Carter: I wanted to be a human beat box like the guy from the Fat Boys. It’s been on the back burner for a long time, but as I keep telling myself “there’s always the next record.â€
Help Monsonia celebrate of their latest release 33.3 at The Nightlight next Friday, November 12th. And, by all means, give the guys a high five when you see them!
The week’s chock full of places to be and if that weren’t enough, it’s also National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo if you’re too busy spitting out dozens of pages to say whole words). So get out there! (And then go home and write about it!)
Mon – 11/1
Vetiver / Twelve Thousand Armies @ Local 506 – $10 adv / $12 at the door
White Rabbits / U. S. Royalty @ Local 506 – $9 adv / $11 at the door
Wed – 11/3
Nightsound Musical Chairs CD Release Party with Luego / Puritan Rodeo / Lizzy Ross Band / New Town Drunks / North Elementary / Pecosa / Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores @ Cat’s Cradle – $FREE!
The Legendary Pink Dots @ Local 506 – $12 adv/ $14 at the door
Pinche Gringo / The Runaway Suns @ The Nightlight (late) – $TBA
Bullbot Troika All-Star Revue with Jason Kutchma (of Red Collar) / Phil Cook (of Megafaun) / Reid Johnson (of Schooner) / Greg Humphreys @ Broad Street Cafe – $FREE!
Veelee by the numbers is a thing of beauty and stunning brevity. Twenty-nine minutes is all it takes to listen to Veelee’s debut full length, 2010’s The Future Sight. Seven minutes is all it took for them introduce themselves on their EP, 2009’s Three Sides. Two is the totality of their band membership.
Playing together since 2008, Carrboro couple Matt Park and Ginger Wagg have quickly aligned to create catchy and capricious pop. The two charm their way through all manner of arrangements with punchy guitars, coed harmonies, playful hooks, and sidelining melodies. That’s not to say there’s any lack of ambition or intricacy here. Their music hits its stride when it finds the interplay between jubilation and complexity, whether that means with a seven-minute build (as on “Animal Dreamsâ€) or in energetic bursts (“When You Gonna Come Home?â€). Whatever the tune, these kids are one the move and you can catch them at The Pinhook next Thursday, November 4th where they’ll be playing as a part of Troika 2010.
And now check out how they tackle the furious five:
1. If your band were a dance move, what would it be?
It would be our own invented dance move called the Ginger Snap. The Ginger Snap can also be a wrestling move.
2. When was the moment you realized there was something to this musical partnership that needed to be shared?
We never thought about not sharing the music we were creating. As performers, sharing what we do comes naturally.
3. Describe the last time you felt totally at home.
Matt – To me home is an abstraction. That feeling comes and goes. I could feel totally uncomfortable inside my own house or completely at ease in some strange city. It all depends on what’s going on in the environment around me. We just played in Athens and everyone was so nice to us that, even though we had never been there before, it felt kinda like home.
Ginger – I agree, somehow it can sometimes be easier to feel a deep sense of belonging in a place that you’ve never been before. I know I feel at home when I don’t want to leave. In September we went swimming in Wilmington, NC with Maria and Reid of Schooner. The water was the most perfect temperature and I could have just stayed in that ocean.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
Matt – I’m not sure anyone would be surprised by any inspirations we may have had. Tons of Artists–musicians, filmmakers, writers, and visual artists–from so many eras and places have made their way into what we do. Things like nature, humanity, and technology have also been a major inspiration. Influences keep growing; they are endless.
Ginger – Crochet artist Agata Olek, Brahms, The BodyCartography Project, letting my vision be blocked so that my perspective is skewed/framing, repetition. The generosity of others.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How ’d that turn out?)
Ginger – I think I was just dreaming about the next day. I always enjoyed what I was into at the time. Now I’m the same way, dreaming of all the things that I’d like to do tomorrow – eat delicious food, play music, laugh a lot, dance a little, see new places.
Matt – I remember wanting to work at an ice cream place. I think it was specifically the notion of working at a Friendly’s. Also, according to my sister I used to want to be a barber but I would pronounce it Barbra. Turned out that I still love ice cream, and I’ve been cutting my own hair for years now.
Ginger snap your way over to The Pinhook next Thursday, November 4th to hear Veelee in action. And, by all means, give Matt and Ginger a high five when you see them!
To get bogged down in the genre semantics of describing Raleigh’s Gray Young is to miss the point entirely. Guitarist/lead-singer Chas McKeown, bassist Dan Grinder, and drummer Jeff Dopko don’t seem to be in it for the genre tags or the sound alike comparisons or even to explain the origin of their band name. They’re in it for the music and weird and wonderful ways it builds around their dynamic interplay.
Fusing all manner of distortion and rhythm and texture, this trio’s ambitious instrumentality results in songs that build and release with a certain moody elegance that captivates. With one record (2009’s Firmament) on the books a brand new release to celebrate (2010’s Staysail), the band’s just tapping into their potential.  But don’t just take my word for it, catch Gray Young live (at the release party for Staysail) this Saturday, October 23rd at The Pour House, where they’ll be joined by their friends Free Electric State and Invasion.
And now just five old questions for the guitar man of Gray Young:
1. If your band were a book, what would it be?
if our band were a book it would probably be a dynamic and melodramatic screenplay that would also be available as a book on tape.
2. What happened at the very first Gray Young show?
our first shows were pretty awful. but i wouldn’t trade them for anything. we learned so much from playing horribly to empty rooms. it’s not the desired situation, but it taught us so much about ourselves and our band.  i feel like if you can play to empty rooms then you can do anything as a band.  it’s also made us very appreciative of anyone who has any interest in our band. it’s hard to take your fans for granted after playing to nobody.
3. Describe the approach you took in making the new record. i don’t think we have much of a cognizant approach in general with the band, but for this record and the last one we have recorded live as a band and used that as the core of the recording. so far we have just liked the idea of no matter what else happens with the record, the feeling of the band playing will be there at the center. with staysail there are more instruments and approaches at play…i definitely think we didn’t make a firmament part two. we aren’t interested in repeating ourselves. at the same time i don’t think we over think it either. i think the best approach is to not really have too much of one.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
simple things.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
when i was a kid i dreamed of being in a band. that’s honestly the dream i remember having as a child and it has never gone away.
Wander to The Pour House this Saturday, October 23rd to help Gray Young celebrate their CD release. And, by all means, give Chas a high five when you see him!
Other than a few backing vocals and a single bass guitar line, every moment on Floating Action’s self-titled debut release was performed by lyricist, musician, and producer, Seth Kauffman.  It’s 14 tracks of Kauffman-style vocals, keyboard, bass, drums, sitar, ethnic percussion, and guitar takes.  It may be DIY in spirit, but the end product is an expertly produced, charming mismatch of folk, Motown, Caribbean, roots, and indie rock.
Floating Action, in many ways more a pseudonym for Kauffman than an all out band, isn’t his first musical foray. He released a debut full length and EP under his own name in 2006, played with Band of Horses’ Tyler Ramsey both on his solo release and the subsequent tour, toured with Shannon Whitworth, and produced, recorded and wrote much of hailed tropicountry maven Courtney Jaye’s record Queen of Sabotage.  With Floating Action heating up (and based in Black Mountain), Kauffman’s on the move so while be sure to catch him while he’s in town, tomorrow night with his Floating Action bandmates helping The Tomahawks celebrate their record release at the Local 506 this Friday, October 15th.
And now the five hardest questions in faux business:
1. If your band were a sunken treasure, what would it be?
A perfectly preserved case of light-emitting caramel apples.
2. When did you start to think music might really work out as something more than a living room hobby?
I was living in a cabin in the San Gabriel mountains in California, around 2001; trying to make it happen with a band that didn’t happen (the Choosy Beggars).. As it was disintegrating, i contacted this bluesman Abe Reid in N.C., to try to play drums for him. He said ‘i’ll put you to work,’ so i moved back to N.C. and started gigging hard with him for a couple years.. that’s really when it kind of became established that music was what i was going to do.
3. Describe the pressures/pleasures of producing your own records.
Pressures: Tricking yourself into not thinking about what you’re thinking about, then thinking about what you’re not thinking about. Then having to switch back and forth between those when you’re not ready to.
Pleasures: Â No one knows your thoughts, not even yourself, at least while you’re tapping from the purest source. So if you do it right, you can eliminate the middle man and make leaps and bounds beyond conventional methods; losing very little original energy in translation.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
Paula Abdul’s ‘Shut Up and Dance’ remix album.  Maybe the best album of all time.  Marianne Faithfull.  Old Italian cars. Karl Barth. Surfing.  Baja Marimba Band.  Saabs.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
Never established that.. too busy snowboarding and skateboarding. Started to be a meteorologist for a second in college; then realized it’s all staring at a computer and hard math. I’m terrible at math. Sorry, Dad. (He’s a (Duke) phd electrical engineer…but has become at peace with my genetic shortcomings.)
“And I do the best I can with this head that I got. / And it’s a mighty fine nice head, and it’s got mighty fine nice thoughts,†sings Brian Corum just before imagining his brain and spinal cord strolling down the block donning protective sunglasses and sunscreen. The lyric, from “Summertime†a track off Lonnie Walker’s debut LP These Times Old Times, strikes some sort of playful absurdist mix of nonsense and total sense.
And considering that Lonnie Walker began as Corum’s own sort of one-man-band-choose-your-own-adventure-quest in Greenville, NC, it’s also telling in it’s confidence. Not everyone would take their brainstem for a walk down the block and, furthermore, not everyone would invite four of their best friends along for the ride. Now a Raleigh outfit, featuring the talents of Corum plus Eric Hill, Justin Flythe, Raymond Finn, and Josh Bridgers, Lonnie Walker’s music is a lively bounce of fun and friction—part Americana, part punk rock with a dash of indie-pop just for good measure. And you can catch Lonnie Walker live this upcoming Thursday at the Local 506 where they’ll be joined by their friends Futurebirds and Johnny Corndawg.
And now just the five hardest questions in faux business:
1. If your band were a painting, which would it be? (why?)
This question is pretty difficult. It’s hard to make a match out of two mediums that are so different from each other. You could compare a band by a comparison in the artist’s life, the concept that drives his/her works, the aesthetic of the pieces alone, and I’m sure there is more I’m forgetting. Anyways, I don’t want to just make this comparison for my band alone and since I love the triangle so much, I chose 20 local bands to compare to visual artists.
1.) Bowerbirds– Andy Goldsworthy: he uses what he finds around the area of land in which he chooses to work to create earth sculptures that decay sometimes just as fast as they’re created.
2.) The Love Language– Gustav Klimt: Klimt’s work is decorative, romantic, and very erotic in certain pieces. I feel like “Libraries” fits the look at points in the album.
3.) Hammer No More the Fingers– Keith Haring: don’t really have a good reason why Haring’s work reminds me of HNMTF but it does
4.) Mount Moriah– Rembrant- super classic painter and print maker. I especially love his prints b/c he would etch them and flatten the metal and etch them again over and over.
5.) Shit Horse- Andy Warhol: There is almost a sense of irony in Shithorse. I guess I think that comes mainly from the way the was band started. They are also the best punk rock group in the triangle.
6.) Megafaun– Robert Rauschenberg- I feel like anyone who has seen Megafaun play live and have also seen Rauschenberg’s work should know exactly what I’m talking about. This was an easy comparison.
7.) Americans in France– Basquiat: Josh’s voice reminds me of Basquiat’s brush strokes.
8.) Veelee– Piet Mondrian: I chose this artist b/c just like Veelee, Mondrian creates his designs while using a very limited pallet.
9.) Embarrassing Fruits– Arcimboldo: HA
10.) The Rosebuds– Georgia O’Keefe- We’ll this was hard. I guess the flower reference is something you could easily compare. Her works are all very naked, beautiful, and they engage the viewer.
11.) Lonnie Walker– Jeff Wall: Jeff Wall is one of my all time favorite photographers. Â His work is, a lot of the time, based off of classic paintings that he then recreates without mimicking. I feel that lots of times I write after experiencing some sort of inspiration through already written songs, movies, books, and whatever other creative pieces or ideas I stumble upon. This isn’t always the case, but I make it a point to never push that part of me away. Wall also arranges his subjects to create a scene that brings about a story before he even puts his eye through the lens of his camera. I find that I work out most of what I want a song to sound like in my head before we ever start arranging it as a band. This also can change, but thus far it has been working alright for me.
12.) The Light Pines– Hieronymus Bosch: When I hear the lyrics Josh is saying it reminds me of something classic and mystic at the same time. Also, There is a lot going on in his work besides just the overall painting. If you zoom in close up there are tons of little subplots and important details.
13.) Annuals– Frida Kahlo: Adam Baker writes and arranges most all of Annuals parts alone. Spending hours upon hours arranging and rearranging the his songs. Kahlo spent a good portion of her life in the hospital painting self-portraits in isolation.
14.) Old Bricks– Andrew Wyeth: The art of the debut Old Bricks album reminds me of something Wyeth would paint.
15.) Motor Skills– Man Ray- Motor Skills’ live show with all the lights is kind of like a rayograph.
16.) White Cascade– Jackson Pollock: The layers of the music is so thick that at times it almost sounds like white noise. Pollock’s paintings remind me of the same.
17.) NAPS– Marcel Duchamp: This is directed to Daniel’s take on creating music and his avenues in getting it heard by others.
18.) Birds of Avalon– Ansel Adams: Both artists feel epic and create something that feels larger than the sum of its components.
19.) Max Indian– Paul Cezanne: Most everyone wouldn’t mind having a Cezanne piece on their wall. Max Indian’s music can’t really piss anybody off. You hear it, understand it, enjoy and accept it.
20.) Whatever Brains– Willam de Kooning: Both artists feel/look sloppy in a very good way. Colorful and catchy as well.
2. When did you first think music was something you’d like to try?
I first started writing songs near the end of middle school and continued through early high school. I stopped playing in mid to late high school and it was around my sophomore year in college that I began writing songs again. I don’t really know why I stopped or anything. I guess I just got board of it and didn’t think I was gonna be any good at it. I got a push from some friends who I played some songs for in College and so I started playing solo at house shows and DIY venues. It kind of just grew into something that people wanted to hear and I had buddies that would book me shows, which kept me busy at writing new songs. It was just a natural progression I suppose. I mean, I always knew that I wanted to do something with my life that I found enjoyment in. I’m still not convinced that music is a great way to go to maintain a decent living, but even if I wasn’t playing shows and doing interviews like this I would still be at home writing songs and recording them because it’s something that I find pleasure in completing
photo by Brian Vetter
3. Describe how North Carolina has affected your music.
I have found a shit ton of bands that I love here. North Carolina music keeps me inspired because I’m always hearing new acts that I love and sharing ideas with like minded artists keeps my mind fresh. I feel like people who live in Baltimore would say the same thing about Baltimore though, just as all the bands that picked up and moved to Brooklyn would say the same thing about the music scene in Brooklyn. I will say that North Carolina music fans give more attention to local music than most places that I’ve been. I feel that they are the best part about it all.
4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?
I’m not really sure what would surprise people. I really love Slick Rick and a bunch of other old school Hip Hop. I listen to a decent amount of classic country too, but I feel like that might not be all that surprising to people.
5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)
When I was in daycare I used to draw my own comic book characters. I’d give them superpowers and tape 4 pieces of paper together to create a huge battle scene with all of them fighting each other. I was super young but at that time I thought I wanted to be a comic book Illustrator. I also remember wanting to be an oceanographer at one point because I was so intrigued by the ocean. When I was playing hockey I fantasized about being a pro hockey player and when I was playing Sega Genesis all the time I wanted to be like Sonic the Hedgehog. I used to spike up my hair as a kid so that I could look as cool as Sonic. haha. As far as the “how did it turn out?” part, I never really ended up doing any of the previous things mentioned professionally. I also, never turned into Sonic the Hedgehog but the future is still uncertain and anything can happen.
Truck on down to the Local 506 next Thursday, October 14th to catch Lonnie Walker in action. And, by all means, give Brian a high five when you see him!
Menomena / Suckers / Tu Fawning @ Cat’s Cradle – $12 adv / $15 day of the show
Born Ruffians / Winter Gloves @ Local 506 – $9 adv / $11 at the door
The Nasher Presents “The Record” After-Party hosted by WXDU @ The Pinhook – $TBA
Fri – 10/8
Wild Wild Geese CD Release! with Drunk Tigers / Bad Cop @ The Nightlight – $5
Anoop Desai and Friends / Clef Hangers / J Timber / Madame Sabrosa @ Cat’s Cradle – $10 adv / $12 day of the show
Minus Sound Research featuring The Moaners,The Kingsbury Manx, Free Electric State & Birds and Arrows @ The Arts Center in Carrboro – $10 adv / $12 day of the show
Joe Pug & The Hundred Mile Band / Vandaveer @ Local 506 – $10
Minus Sound Research featuring Americans in France, Shark Quest, North Elementary and Organos @ The Arts Center in Carrboro – $10 adv / $12 day of the show
Deerhunter / Casino vs. Japan / Ducktails @ Cat’s Cradle – $15 adv / $17 day of the show
Scout Niblett / HOLY SONS / Michael Holland with Peas and Collards / Bad Mr. Viswas and the Family @ The Nightlight – $7
Transportation CD Release! with Simple @ The Cave – $TBA
Sun – 10/10
Built to Spill / Revolt Revolt @ Cat’s Cradle – $20 adv / $23 day of the show
Steve Gunn / Ezekiel Graves / Villages @ The Nightlight – $6