Categories
Miscellany

PDF version of today’s Citizen (including Mill) now up!

Here are the links for main section and Mill:

Main: http://www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/print/citizen012810.pdf

Mill: http://www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/print/printedmill/mill0210.pdf

Categories
Arts & Music

Advance Notice: The Week in Happenings 1/25-31

As you can see, there are more than a few chances to take January out with a bang.

Mon – 1/25

  • Arielle Bryant / Nathan Asher @ Local 506 – The much esteemed Nathan Asher sort of fell off the map after his Infantry broke up, but now he’s back– although I have it on good authority that’s more a “back around town” than a “back playing a lot of shows,” so you better catch him while you can. $FREE!

Tues – 1/26

  • The Mebane Acting Company presents the play “Art” @ The Pinhook – $TBA

Wed – 1/27

  • The Entrance Band / Lights / I Was Totally Destroying It @ Local 506 – $10
  • Western Civ / Boy Genius / Mitch Easter @ The Pinhook – $TBA

Fri – 1/29

  • Those Darlins / Pine Hill Haints / Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies @ Local 506 – The Darlins have been all the buzz since before they even showed up much hailed but record-less at last year’s SXSW.  Their swaggering country comes off with just the right touch of kick ass attitude and you’d be crazy to miss out on them while they’re still on the upswing.  If you do make it out to the show, be sure to take the gals sage advice from their tune “DUI or DIE”: “Remember if you want to drink and drive / Better find a boy to take you home for the night.” $7 adv / $8 at the door
  • Killer Filler / Blood Red River @ The Cave – $5
  • Fin Fang Foom / Free Electric State / Gray Young / deVries @ The Pinhook – $TBA

Fri/Sat – 1/29-30

  • Donna the Buffalo / The Believers @ Lincoln Theatre – $17 adv / $20 day of the show / $30 advance Fri/Sat bundle
  • PineCone’s Winter Music Fest @ Raleigh’s Meymandi Concert Hall – One-day tickets, either day: $40-$50 PineCone members, $45-$55 public / Two-day pass: $70-$90 PineCone members, $80-$100 public
    • Friday: Kris Kristofferson, Tift Merritt (with special appearance by Raleigh’s own Community Music School Choir), Tony Rice Unit, and Bearfoot
    • Saturday: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, and Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass

Sat – 1/30

  • Minor Stars Record Release Party with Transportation / Devries @ Local 506 – $5 (includes a copy of the CD)
  • Jo Gore & The Alternative / Highway 54 @ The Cave – $5

Sun – 1/31

And?

Categories
Arts & Music Miscellany

Gimme Five! Maria Albani of Organos

This week, I’m proud to kick off a new feature to spotlight artists and entertainers in our community who though deserving of a real high five, will have to settle for our internet version–although this one‘s pretty great too.  The concept is simple: one person, five questions.

Kicking us off is Maria Albani, who after playing bass for some of the area’s best (once upon a time with: Pleasant, Un Deux Trois,  and Tennis and the Mennonites, currently with: Schooner) is now ready to take center stage with her own understated and wholly mysterious music under the moniker Organos.

organos limbs ep

Given her murky lyrics and percussive arrangements, it’s clear Albani’s new found stake to the spotlight is less a calculated progression than an artistic risk.  The tracks are cluttered with more cardboard boxes and kitchen utensils than typical indie rock dude-bro instruments and the song narratives feel unselfconscious, fragmented, although the hooks are catchy.

The sound bespeaks the project’s beginnings as a little homework experiment, but now it’s grown legs with Albani set to release her first EP of tunes this February.  She’s also assembled a seaworthy crew to aid her in translating the music to the stage which you can catch in action at the release show for Organos’ The Limbs EP on Pox World Empire Records at The Pinhook on February 5th featuring openers Birds and Arrows and Ye Olde Shoppe with members of Wild Wild Geese.

Now all that’s left are the five hardest hitting questions in faux business. Get at ’em:

1. If your band were a movie, what would it be?

Gremlinsgremlins

2. When did you start to think music might really work out as something more than a livingroom hobby?

When I played my first show at CD Alley. It was 1996, and we set up outside  behind the dumpster of University Massage. And hornets were swarming around my hands and nobody elses! At that moment I was like, “Wow! I can totally do this, for real!”

3. Describe your typical high school dance experience.

I barely went to High School, let alone a dance. I can tell you about some Middle School dances though. Sneak drinkin’ Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill and/or Mad Dog 20 20 beforehand, and dancin’ my butt off when any INXS song came on.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that might really surprise people?

Stevie Nicks, Michael Hutchence, Pepe The Prawn, Cats, & tequila. I don’t think that people would be too surprised by those last two.

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (how ’d that turn out?)

Ricky Schroder’s wife (now known as “Rick” Schroder), an artist, & a singer. Ricky and I never hooked up, but the artist and musician dreams have come true!

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Tune in next time, you never know who’s coming or what questions will be thrown their way. And by all means, if you happen to see Maria on the street, give her a high five.

Categories
Miscellany

Kinnaird’s Costco letter

As per the article in this week’s Citizen, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird’s case for Costco in a letter to alderman Dan Coleman.

kinnairdletter

Categories
Miscellany

PDF version of today’s Citizen now up!

Here’s the link: http://www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/print/citizen012110.pdf

Categories
Arts & Music

Advance Notice: The Week in Happenings 1/18-24

There may be more variety this week than in any post yet.  I take it as a challenge; you should take it as an opportunity.

Tues – 1/19

  • Sperm Count / Shithorse / Cerebral Ballzy @ The Nightlight – Billed as a “HARDCORE SHOW!!” Be prepared for manic guitars distorting, krautrock flailing, audience participating and the tiniest bit of cursing (if I had to guess). $5

Wed – 1/20

  • Secondhand Freespace: Book Smart – How to Book a Tour with Panelists: Django Haskins of the Old Ceremony, James Helper of I Was Totally Destroying It, Jason Kutchma of Red Collar, Emma Nadeau of Lost in the Trees / Trekky Records and Moderated by Eleni Binge of Beloved Binge @ Local 506 – $FREE!
  • Studio Gangsters / Robobilly @ The Cave – These g-men and their cowboy robot buddies, clearly take their pot shots at white boy rap and overly-sentimental country (respectively), but they also church out their fair share of head banging/hanging tunage. $5

Thurs – 1/21

  • Jason Webley / Billy Sugarfix @ Local 506 – $TBA
  • Gross Ghost / Veelee / Old Bricks @ Slim’s Downtown – The triangle’s largely cornered the market on the pop bliss of couple-dom (I’m thinking Bowerbirds, Birds and Arrows, Rosebuds) and Veelee is a worthy addition to that impressive roster.  The precocious melodies of Matt and Ginger, who have been playing together since sometime last year, run down those familiar drifty byways of the country folk, but mix it up with their fair share of shakers and minor chords too. Go hear for yourself. $TBA

Fri – 1/22

  • Caltrop / US Christmas / Curtains of Night @ The Nightlight – An understatement: this will be loud. Bring earplugs and a willingness to be totally metal.  $TBA
  • Casey Driessan and the Colorfools / The Kickin’ Grass Band @ Berkely Café – $10
  • Vince Gill @ DPAC – “Go Rest High on That Mountain” is a KILLER song. I do not front. $28-$5
  • The Old Ceremony / Floating Action @ The Pour House – $6 adv / $8 at the door

Sat – 1/23

  • Haitian Earthquake Benefit: The Moaners / Terry McInturff & Friends / New Town Drunks / Charles Pettee / Puritan Rodeo / HWYL / Kitty Box & the Johnnys / + More TBA @ Cat’s Cradle – $10
  • Cantwell Gomez and Jordan / Whatever Brains / Birds and Arrows @ The Nightlight – $TBA
  • River City Ransom / Beloved Binge / Up the Down Escalator @ The Pinhook

Sun – 1/24

  • Queer Puppet Theater Night featuring Gepetta / Modern Day Pinocchio / Evan Greer @ The Nightlight – Taking the puppets to the political, Greer, a community organizer out of Boston, and Gepetta a “queer fabulist/puppeteer,” promise a fable for modern Pinocchios in all strings of life.

We’re always looking for new places to be and new bands to hear.  Please share.

Categories
Community

Video: UNC student in Haiti

Categories
Miscellany

Hot Newspapers Now!

PDF version of The Citizen now up for 1/14/10. Here’s the link: http://www.ibiblio.org/carrborocitizen/print/citizen011410.pdf

Categories
Arts & Music

Advance Notice: The Week in Happenings 1/11-17

Hey baby, it’s cold outside– but even I, a born Floridian who whines so much about the cold I annoy myself, know that’s no excuse for missing shows.  See you out there!

Mon – 1/11

Wed – 1/13

  • Jemina Pearl / The Ettes @ Local 506 -Pearl’s record sports additional performances by Thurston Moore, Iggy Pop, Dave Sitek, and Derek Stanton and the tune “Sheena is a punk rocker” was featured on Gossip Girl (J Humphrey Designs FTW). So, I mean, if we’re talking cultural currency… omgzstfubffsrsly. – $10
  • The Tim Stambaugh Show @ The Cave – $5   
  • Jill Andrews / Amelia’s Mechanics @ The Pour House –  When the supremely wonderful Everybodyfields broke up, I was terrified, horrified, and utterly wrecked with paranoia that when it came to taking it solo Sam Quinn was going to turn out totally insane and Jill Andrews was going to be a massive bore.  THANK GOD, Jill (so far, at least) proved me wrong. SO COMPLETELY WRONG. I have been listening to her new EP since it landed in my mail box way back in October. So far, after about a million listens (if my iTunes count is to be believed), I have realized at least two true things: 1- Jill Andrews hates (perhaps LOATHES) refrains  and 2- I LUV Jill Andrews…but really I already knew that. Come on out to the show (I don’t want to stand alone). – $8 adv / $10 at the door

Thurs – 1/14

  • Wood Ear / Ben Davis and the Jetts / Filthybird @ The Pinhook

Fri – 1/15

  • Sierra Hull & Highway 111 / David Olney with Sergio Webb @ Berkeley Café – Hull, a mentee of the lovely Allison Krauss, offers up a mean mandolin breakdown. $15

  • Prison Books Collective Benefit – Radical Short Film Showing followed by Dance Party @ The Nightlight – Yep, you read that correctly.   
  • The Moaners / Lonnie Walker / Liza Kate @ The Pinhook – Top nominee for local show you best not miss.

Sat – 1/16

  • MOVITS / Juan Huevos @ Local 506 – umm… Swedish swinging hip-hop teams with local electro indie rap act? – $8 adv / $10 at the door
  • Blair Crimmins and the Hookers @ The Cave – Bawdy 1920’s pulp wannabes play seemingly accessible, melodic tune-age – $5
  • General Johnson & The Chairmen of the Board / The Executives @ Lincoln Theatre – If you’re into watching old white people dance, this is the show for you. – $10 adv / $12 day of the show

Sun – 1/17

  • The James King Band / Lorraine Jordan & The Carolina Road Band: A Benefit to Help Save James’ Beloved Cat @ Berkeley Café – Allow me to quote from the press release on the Berkeley’s website (because I’m vaguely sure you wouldn’t believe me): “James King is a cat lover. Recently his cat was attacked by a coyote that came up into the yard. He and his wife rushed the cat to the emergency vet clinic in hopes of saving it’s life. When they arrived the cat had lost a lot of blood and gone into shock. The vet was ready to put it down but James and his wife asked them to please try to save it. Well it turned out to be a miracle cat and lived but had no way of going to the bathroom on its own. A special operation was performed and it worked. The vet bill grew to $5,600. James and his wife have put everything they had saved into saving this cat. They have all of the bill paid except $2,240. If this is not paid the vet hospital said it would have to keep the cat. Also, if a new owner did not come in and adopt the cat they would keep it 10 days and then put it down. So this bill has to be paid.” Right. -  $15 (though larger donations are welcome)

Other places we need to be? Cough it up (but not in like a germy, mucus sort of way– that’s gross).

Categories
Weather

This week’s weather

My it is cold this morning — all of 13 degrees at Horace William Airport.
For the rest of the week, we seem to heading back to normal temps.
Via the NWS:

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 44. West wind between 5 and 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight: Scattered flurries after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. South wind around 7 mph becoming northwest.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. North wind between 8 and 13 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 19. North wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming west between 4 and 7 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 56.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 28.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 48.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 34. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 40. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Categories
Weather

Enjoy the weather

This morning is the warmest it’s going to be all day.

If you need some advice on how not to wind up with frozen pipes here’s a story from this week’s paper.