XX Merge Night 1 at Cat's Cradle: Oakley Hall and The Clientele

Continuing our coverage of the first night of XX Merge, the third band to play Wednesday night was New York septet Oakley Hall. The group tore through a brief, energetic set of wild pop tunes and were even joined by Nate Walcott of the Mystic Valley Band for ones song. They ended with a cover of Nick Lowe's "I Love My Label," which they dedicated to Merge. How appropriate.

Next up was, as Kelly Crisp put it, the only British band playing XX Merge. That would be The Clientele. After some technical problems which delayed the set, the band mellowly rocked, kicking of the set with a cover of Big Star's "Nightime." As the set progressed, the other nine songs spanned the band's entire catalog and even included a couple of new songs from the band's forthcoming Merge release, Bonfires on the Heath. One of the crowd-pleasers of the set was definitely "Bookshop Casanova" from the group's last album, God Save the Clientele. Check out the complete set list below.

iTunes Single of the Week: Ana Laan, "Paradise"

This week's free song, "Paradise," comes to us from Ana Serrano van der Laan. Now that's a mouthful.

The Spanish-born and Sweedish-bred Laan combines playful melodies with bossa nova beats to create a sound all her own. While I'll admit this is usually something I would usually breeze past while browsing the aisles at Schoolkids, Laan's music is fun and definitely worth a listen. "Paradise" is the perfect track to ease out of winter doldrums and into spring.

For more of Ana's music, check out her album Chocolate and Roses, which was released last summer.

iTunes Single of the Week - Black Tide "Shockwave"

Is it awful that the first thing I thought upon hearing this song was, “Wow, this would be great on Guitar Hero”?

Apple’s free song this week “Shockwave” comes from Black Tide, a heavy metal band from Miami.

The song itself isn’t anything spectacularly innovative — though it’s certainly not bad either — but what got my attention is that lead singer Gabriel "Weeman" Garcia is just 15!! In fact, the band’s oldest member is 19.

“Shockwave” is definitely worth a listen, so bounce on over to iTunes, crank the speakers and start head banging like it’s 1987 (which is, uh, before any of them were born).

Black Tide’s album, Light From Above, will be available in February.

Review: The Stills at Lincoln Theatre

Hobbling is not very rock 'n roll. Yet, Dave Hamelin of The Stills made it cool Tuesday night when the Montreal-based group played Lincoln Theatre.

Hamelin, as he tells it, injured his left heel after hopping a fence while "running from the police" in Norfolk, Va. recently. He played and sang perched on a stool, representing three-fifths of the band that was seated including the drummer and keyboard player.

"That's pretty rock and roll," said lead singer Tim Fletcher.

The Stills played to a crowd of about 150 — not too shabby for their first trip to Raleigh on a Wednesday night.

Opening with the first two tracks off their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart, before diving into a 90 minute set of material off that album and the more recent Without Feathers.

The Stills, with their 80s tinged alt rock groove, are proof that bands can sound just as good live, if not better, as on their recordings without the assistance of prerecorded loops and backing tracks, something that is all too prevalent lately.

Opening the show were Stratocruiser (from Chapel Hill) and Tiger Thief (formerly Iconic, from Raleigh). While neither left me running for the door, both groups paled in comparison once The Stills took the stage.

The members of Stratocruiser (none of whom played Fenders, for what it's worth), while musically competent, left much to be desired when it came to their formula songwriting. The highlight of their set was a cover of Cheap Trick's "Surrender" (which was even a little sullied when the guitarist paused to awkwardly toss a t-shirt into the crowd near the bridge).

Tiger Thief wins my personal award for Most Improved Band in the Triangle. It had been a while since I'd seen the group, and had I been blindfolded tonight I wouldn't have recognized them. While their newly progressive sound is much more appealing than their formerly bland rock, the band appears to still be mid-transition as their songs were sometimes an awkward mix of punk rock (a la The Clash) and New York Cool (such as The Strokes). I won't write these guys off yet, though. There's definite promise if they could focus their songwriting and cut out some of the shtick.

[all photos by Kevin Norris]

Avett Brothers draw Schoolkids biggest crowd

The Avett Brothers stopped by Schoolkids Records in Rlaeigh last Tuesday to celebrate the release of their new album, Emotionalism.

About 150 to 200 people showed up for the in-store. The crowd was a diverse mix of young college students, hipster kids, families (including children), older music fans and a lot of people who had obviously made their way to the store on their lunch break.

The band took the stage shortly after noon and played for about 30 minutes. The set included "Shame," "Die Die Die", "Paranoia In Bb Major" and "Go To Sleep." The set was truly electric, without the electricity. The band played acoustic instruments including guitar, upright bass, and banjo. They also brought cellist Joe Kwon with them to play on a few tunes. He played on as well.

Review: Polyphonic Spree at Cat's Cradle

Polyphonic Spree are a lot like other alt rock bands. There's a drummer, a lead singer, two guitar players and a bassist. There's also a harpist, flautist, two keyboard players, another percussionist, a three person horn section and six backup singers dubbed the Polyphonettes.

OK, so maybe the Polyphonic Spree are a little different.

The group brought its 32 person entourage (band + crew) to Cat's Cradle last weekend for a one of a kind show.

Dressed not in their characteristic robes but instead in black military uniforms with hearts, red crosses and an arm patch, the Spree took the stage and launched into material covering all three of their albums, including the upcoming The Fragile Army, to be released June 19.

Lead singer Tim DeLaughter asked the crowd nicely to buy their new album so the group doesn't get dropped from another record label.

But if anyone in the group was feeling down, you sure couldn't tell. For the entire two hours they were on stage, every member of the group (21 at our best count) was spilling over with enthusiasm. The only unfortunate part is it wasn't as infectious as you might think.

From my spot about four people back, I was amid a sea of arm-crossed zombies. It was only toward the end of the show when DeLaughter essentially demanded that the crowd give back some of the energy they were sending out that people really started to bounce and sing to the music.

There was one moment, though, that absolutely stood out from all the rest. During the last song of the main set, "The Championship," a track on the new album, the band exited the stage one by one as the remaining band members and crowd sang in unison, "All in good time, raise our voices." While it may sound cheesy, the sheer power of that moment, of everybody coming together as one, was incredibly. Check out this video on YouTube (of the band at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York two days before the Cat's Cradle show) to see what I mean.

When the Polyphonic Spree first gained popularity in 2003 a lot of people said, jokingly or not, that the band seemed to be part of some cult. They wore robes, were always happy and seriously, there are 24 of them. But if it takes dealing with such accusations to get such innovative, awe-inspiring and downright fantastic music, I'd say that's a pretty good deal.


[all photos by Kevin Norris]

Ben Gibbard plays to a sold-out crowd

Loyal Death Cab For Cutie and Postal Service fans turned out in droves to sing along with Ben Gibbard last week at the Cat's Cradle.

Gibbard opened the show with "Sing My Song," a Donovan cover which transitioned straight into "Brand New Colony." Through the night, Gibbard played songs from the entire Death Cab For Cutie catalog as well as a few tunes from his successful side-project The Postal Service. Most of the show was just Gibbard and his guitar, but he took a seat at the piano for a few tunes including "Soul Meets Body," "Passenger Seat" and a very interesting cover of Nirvana's "All Apologies."

While most of the crowd sang every word and respected the intimate vibe of the show, there was a lot of underlying chatter that made the one man show a little hard to enjoy. Gibbard played a great set and kept the bulk of the crowd happy through the night.

On a random note, there was a celebrity in attendance that night. John Krasinski, best known as Jim Halpert on The Office, could be seen ducking in and out of the backstage area throughout the night. Krasinksi and Gibbard are apparently friends. Kransinski hosted Death Cab For Cutie's DVD release party for Directions last year and Gibbard has a role in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, a film directed, co-written and starring Krasinski. Unfortunately, Krasinski along with Gibbard, David Bazan and some others, snuck out of their bus and headed down the street to bar, leaving Krasinksi's attendance at the Cradle a mystery.

[photo by Kevin Norris]

Review: Annuals at Urban Outfitters

I'm not sure how much more hipster you could get than by playing a show to support independent radio at Urban Outfitters.

Annuals did just that last Wednesday at The Streets at Southpoint.

A crowd of about 200 people lined up outside on the stormy day to see the Raleigh-based six-piece play the free show. The show was sponsored by WKNC 88.1 and Free YR Radio.

Inside, the band was set up in a back corner of the store (Note to UO: If you're going to have a band in your store again, please set up a riser to put them at least a few inches off the ground.) with a pretty cool looking neon display and the band name in huge letters on the wall. The signage also promoted the Toyota Yaris, a sponsor of the event, but what can you do. It wasn't nearly as obscene as Camel's display at the Bravery concert back in December. (And look, now they've done their job by getting me to mention it again.)

But back to the band. Annuals played songs of their album Be He Me to the crowd, many of whom bounced to the beat as they sang along. With any luck for those of us in the area, I really think this band is setting itself up to be one of the great music acts to come out of N.C. over time. The songs are catchy while still being meaningful — no easy feat — and they put together a solid live show that still has you singing along in your head hours later. Keep an eye on this band, with any luck you'll be hearing much more from them in the future.

And just because I like you guys? Here's a free song.

Annuals, "Brother" [MP3]

[all photos by Kevin Norris]

Dr. Dog is fashionably late

Dr. Dog were scheduled to hit the Schoolkids Records stage in Raleigh last Wednesday at 4:00 PM. Well, at about 4:20 PM, the band pulled up in their van and after a quick set-up the band proceeded to rock out for the fans who had been waiting.

Dr. Dog hit the stage looking dirty and a little disheveled like any hard working, touring band should. They played a full band set that included songs from their most recent album, We All Belong. The set included "Ain't It Strange," "Worst Trip" and "Die Die Die." The thirty-minute set was intense and the band sounded great considering the lack of a proper PA system. The band has that old, dry, 70s sound down and they proved don't need a lot of tricks or technology to pull it off.

The short set left fans wanting more but the band had to head down the road to Local 506 for a set later that night. Dr. Dog plays Local 506 regularly, so keep an eye out for the band the return for another show in the coming months.

[photos by Kevin Norris]

Jay Clifford at Cat's Cradle

For those who missed it, Jay Clifford once again put on a striking solo show at Cat's Cradle last week.

But perhaps even more exciting than the show itself was Jay's announcement that his first solo album is complete and will be released in August. Details such as album title and track listing (and who's releasing the thing) are to be announced, but surely the album will include some of the new songs he played that night. A full set list is below with asterisks next to new songs and the album's track list can be found here (thanks, Michael).

The favorite of some in the crowd seemed to be "Little Ranger," a song he wrote about his one-year-old son Wyatt who roams about the back yard like Vasco da Gama. No, it's not a real song, just something he made most of up on the spot, but such is the greatness of Jay Clifford.


Set List:
Safe Keeping
Dim and the Dark
Know When to Walk Away*
No God, No Country
Waltzing Past the Grave*
Rains in Asia
Mexico
Don't be Fooled*
Pigeon
By the Way They Dance
Dissolves*
Mountains So Grand
Daylight
Cathedrals
Say Goodnight
***************
Do You Love an Apple (with Amanda Kapousouz)
Little Ranger
Where She Lies
* denotes new song

[photo by Kevin Norris]

Sean Lennon brings Friendly Fire to the Cradle

Photo by Kevin Norris

Sean Lennon and his band made a stop at the Cat's Cradle Friday night and really brought their A-game.

Lennon took the stage after openers Kamila Thompson and Women and Children. He played his latest record, Friendly Fire, in its entirety. Highlights included the Marc Bolan-penned tune "Would I Be the One" and an energized version of Lennon's tune "Headlights." Honestly, there were no songs throughout the night that were not hauntingly beautfiul.

As much as I don't want to compare him to his father, Sean undeniably inherited his father's sense of humor. He spent almost as much time during his set talking in-between songs as he did playing and he was incredibly funny and charming the entire time. As he slipped into a British accent at one point, I couldn't help but be transported to one of the old Beatles' press conferences we've all seen footage from. It was uncanny.

Wilco's Sky Blue Sky hits one note from beginning to end

Wilco's highly anticipated new album, Sky Blue Sky, in usual Wilco style, is quite a leap from previous releases. While the album is vaguely reminiscent of Wilco's early records, A.M. and Being There, the album adds some jammy tones to their progressive sound.

The album is much less diverse the previous two Wilco records. It is very mellow and doesn't really digress from that sound at all. At the same time, some of the album's speed crazy, jam band-like guitar riffs seem really out of place. They remind me of a dreadful time that I had to sit through a Dicky Betts show.

The album does have a few saving graces though. The album's title track, "Sky Blue Sky," is a beautiful tune with an Jon Brion-esque, quirky pop melody that is very refreshing and very different for Wilco.

Where the album really hits is stride though, is the last three tracks.
"Waken" is an amazing quirky pop tune which may be the best track on the record. "What Light," (click the song title to download) the first song released from the new record, bears a stunning resemblence to some of Dylan's early records. It's a soulful tune complete with pedal steel and vocal harmonies that really soothe the soul. The last track is the beautiful "On and On and On." It's a very dynamic piano tune that moves very symphonically and resembles a number of tunes on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Overall, the new Wilco record is just average. I've come to expect more from Wilco over the years and this record delivers a sound that lacks the innovation that previous records offered.

Sky Blue Sky will be out on May 15 via Nonesuch Records.


Download Wilco on iTunes

Review: Of Montreal at Cat's Cradle

Every once in a while a show will leave me speechless. Other times, I'll have a few dozen sputtering, incomplete thoughts that have no real point. Such is the case with Of Montreal, who played to a sold out crowd last night at Cat's Cradle.

Despite the fact that I don't own one of their albums, I love these guys (and gal). And I've learned well that going into an Of Montreal show, you never quite know what you're going to get. Last night's show was no exception, but I should note that everyone did keep their clothes on. Mostly.

One thought that wouldn't escape my mind during the show is that I'd absolutely love to be there when the band is picking out their concert attire. I imagine the dialogue to go something like this, "What a great ivory suit jacket. I'll pair it with a fuchsia ascot and this stainless steel Marvin the Martian helmet I've got lying around." Seriously. But you've got to give them credit for the elaborate lengths — and heights — they reach. Like when front man Kevin Barnes climbed atop a ladder to become the world's tallest Chiquita banana lady in gold lamé. I sincerely apologize for the lack of photos on that one.

I'll admit that there are certain things I "don't get" about these guys. (Maybe it was the subtle guy-on-guy action involving a man in a white full body suit.) But you don't have to be one of the cool kids to know that dance music with great lyrics, a good beat and a captivating performance will win the crowds every time.


Download Of Montreal on iTunes

Review: Dave Rawlings Machine at Cat's Cradle

Several years ago I wrote in a review that somewhere inside Dave Rawlings hides a rock god. Well folks, I stand corrected, because it looks like the real Dave Rawlings has come out to play.

Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt — a stark difference from his usual concert attire of a suit and dress shirt — Rawlings took the stage as the Dave Rawlings Machine Sunday night at Cat's Cradle with Gillian Welch providing backup.

The duo played two sets of songs familiar to most in the crowd, including Ryan Adams' "To Be Young," (co-written by Rawlings) Bob Dylan's "Queen Jane Approximately" the old standard "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and even Cyndi Lauper's 80s classic "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." No, seriously — and it was fantastic.

It's an inspiring thing to watch Rawlings play, if you want the sappy truth of the matter. As an audience member, you're never quite sure what he's going to do when he takes over for a solo, his body writhing behind his guitar and his fingers straining. But you also get the feeling he's not quite sure either as his face is in a near constant state of wonderment.

Gillian helped explain the "bemused" looks on both their faces at one point during the show after Dave had thrown her off with a song they'd never played. (There's no set list for these shows by the way, it's all spur of the moment.)

"We're still not quite sure what this machine does," Gillian said. "So when we finish a song I think, 'Oh! Cool, we know that one.'"

But even if they'd messed up, the two were having too good a time to care.

The Dave Rawlings Machine doesn't have any future local dates scheduled, but if you're intrigued, head on down to Charlotte Thursday night, Feb. 15, to see the two play at the Neighborhood Theatre.

The Shins: This album will change your life

OK, that's taking it a little far. But The Shins' latest release, Wincing the Night Away, is definitely a decent way to spend 41 minutes.

"Sleeping Lessons," the album's opening track, comes to the listener as if through a dream, slowly building to a drum and electric guitar crescendo before fading away.

The first single, "Phantom Limb," may be my new favorite song with its distinctive head-bopping chorus and layered vocals.

While the album takes a definite step outside The Shins' established comfort zone (see: "Sea Legs"), fans old and new won't be disappointed by their latest effort.

Besides, if you squeeze a 7 out of Pitchfork, how bad can it be??


Download Wincing the Night Away on iTunes

Zach Galifianakis at the Cat's Cradle

When I was a kid I had a huge fascination with Victor Borge. Something about his combination of music and humor (Borge was actually quite an accomplished pianist) just got me and I could sit and watch him for hours.

Now, it appears, I have developed a similar interest in Zach Galifianakis.

I won't waste my time telling you how funny Zach was or how great The Explorers Club, a band from Charleston, SC, sounded. Instead, through the magic of multimedia, I'll show you.

Here's my disclaimer: There IS foul language and there ARE jokes of, uh...questionable taste. Proceed at your own risk!

Zach berates Claudia, an audience member who just couldn't help talking on her cell phone from the front row.



The Explorers Club closed their set with "Johnny B. Goode." Be sure to stick around for the end when their guitarist defies gravity.



Not a "best of," but an assortment of jokes from Zach's act.

Wish you were there

Well, it's way past my bedtime but I still can't get over tonight's show at Cat's Cradle — Zach Galifianakis and The Explorers Club. A more detailed review will come tomorrow but for now let's just say...wow.

Here's a video of The Explorers Club (a band that is further proof that the Charleston music scene is just awesome) performing their song "Forever" to tide you over until tomorrow.