Top 10 Moments in Local Music (Part 2)

21 Dec 2008, Posted by Andrew Hibbard in Durham, End-of-Year Lists, Music, Playground, 0 Comments

Here is the second part of our celebration of the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill music scene. Again, the list is not ranked. For part one, check here.

The Eye-Opener at BCHQ – August 2, 2008

A few of BCHQ’s board members work on a project to promote transgender awareness across the globe, specifically focusing on the Hijra communities in India. To help the cause locally, they put together a day-long festival in a sticky August day that included a bevvy of local artists (Mount Moriah, Des Ark, Megafaun, Embarrassing Fruits, etc.) and a vegan brunch. But the best moment of the day came at the end when the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle gave the best endorsement ever of his current hometown. His numbers might be a little bit off, but someone in Durham needs to hire him to promote the city.

(more…)

Dan Bejar's Top 10

11 Dec 2008, Posted by Andrew Hibbard in Music, Playground, 0 Comments

Pitchfork called on some of the most notorious artists in music to assemble their own top 10 lists for 2008. The lists are varied, with some surprising picks. Justin Vernon, an ex-pat of the Triangle, included Raleigh bands Bowerbirds and the Rosebuds plus Vernon’s former DeYarmond Edison bandmates now know as Megafaun from Durham.

But by far the best list comes from Destroyer‘s Dan Bejar. It’s probably better to call the list top 10 Dan Bejar probably liked:

5. Cat Power: Jukebox (The band is really really good, the production super-classy, and I’m really starting to get into her singing, the way she throws her voice around, you know, like Bob Dylan…people say this is too adult contemporary or something, but to me that’s just code word for “70s”…don’t really like a lot of the songs, but whatever…)
6. Sun Kil Moon: April
Haven’t heard it, but I generally enjoy this man’s work.

A well researched list indeed. As a side note, in the four pages of lists, not a single artist mentioned Bejar’s Trouble in Dreams from 2008.

Issue 12 – We Take Our Fashion Cues from the First Lady-Elect

06 Nov 2008, Posted by Baishi Wu in Playground, This Week in Recess, 1 Comments

Photo courtesy Maya Robinson.

Featured:
Troika Music Festival Preview
64 bands. 7 venues. 3 days. See The Future Kings of Nowhere, Kimya Dawson, The Rosebuds, and more this weekend. See here for more details.

Featured Bands
Schooner
Nathan Oliver
Sorry About Dresden
Hammer No More The Fingers

Barkley Hendricks: Artist in Residence
Barkley Hendricks is at Duke until Nov. 24th, working with visual arts professors and students.

Ghostland Observatory and Flosstradamus: Major Attractions
DUU attempts not only to bring a concert to students, but an experience.

Branford Marsalis Performs
He’s a jazzman. See him play tonight in Page Auditorium at 8 p.m.

Through This Lens
Photographer DL Anderson captures scenes of desuetude, desolation and demolition.

Sandbox:
Humble Pie

Editor’s Note:
Hope in America

Films reviewed:
Soul Men
Zack and Miri Make a Porno

NC Rocks for Change

02 Nov 2008, Posted by Andrew Hibbard in Concert, Music, Playground, 3 Comments

After Superchunk and Arcade Fire rocked Carrboro for the North Carolina primaries, it is only fitting that the Obama campaign provide Triangle residents with another show for the election. Designed to promote voter turnout on the last day of the swing state’s early voting, Saturday’s NC Rocks for Change featured an epic lineup of local musicians – with two sets from Mac McCaughan and a special appearence by Billy Bragg.