Apart from this week being my birthday (C’est La Bri turns 21 on Saturday y’all!), it’s also another great week for spring shows in the Triangle.

4/17 (Wed): Bleached/Hunters/Gross Ghost at Pinhook

4/18 (Thurs): Bob Mould/Barren Girls at Cat’s Cradle

4/18 (Thurs): WKNC presents Local Band Local Beer with North Elementary/Antique Firearms/Natural Science at Tir Na Nog

4/19 (Fri): T0W3RS/Estrangers/Cassis Orange at Kings Barcade

4/19 (Fri): WXDU presents Letha and Dan Melchior Benefit feat Greg Cartwright/The Dirty Little Heaters at Pinhook

4/20 (Sat): Schoolkids Records presents METZ etc as a DAY SHOW for Record Store Day

4/20 (Sat): Pet-Tich-Eye NC music collaborative project at Motorco

Check back next Wednesday for another weekly update on some of the Triangle’s biggest shows!

-Cest La Bri

Tuesday, April 2nd- Brett Harris, Young Rapids, and Paperhaus at Motorco Music Hall, 8pm, FREE

 (Young Rapids)

As always, the Triangle provides us with some great concerts this week.  You can check out the full round-up over at the Rock Report.  The standout show for this week features local singer/songwriter Brett Harris as well as two up and coming indie pop-rock bands out of DC. Brett Harris has become something of a local master of pop. He began his career by releasing a batch of EPs and touring heavily. His debut album Man of Few Words was released in 2010 and made its rounds through various music blogs.  After some time off since its release, he is back at it again.

But the main highlight of this show are the bands making their way down from DC.  Young Rapids released their debut album Day Light Savings last year.  The album received quite a bit of praise from all around including some love from NPR’s All Songs Considered as their infectious breed of perfectly crafted indie pop-rock took hold.  Their music is a very smartly composed and driven of indie rock that is sure to get you going.  With them they bring an even newer band out of DC, Paperhaus.  Paperhaus is a band in much of the same vain with a bit more of a psychedelic influence.  Their new song “Helicopters” off their upcoming EP, Lo Hi Lo, was recently featured on NPR.  While love for music from DC is to expected from NPR, this DC duo of bands have received a stamp of approval from the rest of the country as well as their two-month nationwide tour approaches its end.  So be sure to stop by the Motorco this Tuesday for a great time.  Who can say no to a free show?

Hopscotch Music Festival just recently announced their upcoming Hopscotch Road Shows shown above. Several other music festivals such as Bonnaroo have begun to do this. This is Hopscotch’s first attempt to bring some of their past festival favorites on the road to some new areas to try and spread their influence. Hopscotch is now going into its fourth year of existence, and it continues to grow. Hopscotch 2013 takes place September 5th-7th all across downtown Raleigh. While the line-up has not been announced yet, they just recently revealed that the co-founder of The Velvet Underground, John Cale, will be performing at this year’s festival. The rest of the line-up will be announced in late April. With the additional effort being to put into road shows and the success of past years, this year’s festival promises to be the best yet.

Each of the road shows host an incredibly strong line-up. All of these bands have performed either at past festivals or at day parties. Most of these acts hail from North Carolina and are no stranger to putting on incredible live shows. With each show only being $5, there is no way that you have any better to do on these nights. So be sure to check out the road show nearest you and stay tuned for the full line-up announcement for Hopscotch 2013 in late April!

Thursday, February 14th- Art Lord & the Self-Potraits, GOOGOOLOO, and Lonnie Walker at Kings Barcade, 9pm

While there are many great shows this week that can all be seen here at the Rock Report, there is one show that rises above all the rest. As you probably know, we here at WKNC worship the North Carolina bred synth-pop fanatics Future Islands.  But what you might not know is that Future Islands was not the first endeavor of Samuel Herring, William Cashion, and Gerrit Welmers.  Before Future Islands, the three of them were in a band with Adam Beeby called Art Lord & the Self-Potraits.  They played their first show 10 years ago on Valentine’s Day.  The band toured vigorously around North Carolina as well as a tour with Dan Deacon up and down the East Coast. After 2 years of existence, they laid the Art Lord to rest and started Future Islands.

This Valentine’s Day, Art Lord & the Self-Potraits are getting back together for a 10 year anniversary of their first show to release a double LP retrospective off Friend’s Records entitled The Definitive Collection.  This release is their first vinyl release to date and compiles songs from their four albums.  The show is at Kings Barcade this Thursday at 9pm. Brian Corum opens with a special solo Lonnie Walker set followed by GOOGOOLOO. Art-Lord and the Self-Potraits will then close out the night which is sure to be one of the best shows of this year.  So grab your loved one and come on out to the show.

—
You can check out one of the remastered tracks that will be on the upcoming release here. These songs were all remastered by Talk Normal’s Sarah Register.

Check out a synopsis from Samuel Herring of how Art Lord & the Self-Potraits came to be below:

“AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 1980’S, THE SPECTRUM OF MUSIC AND ART WERE BEING BLOWN WIDE OPEN. THE WORLD WAS CHANGING AND THE PEOPLE WANTED A STAR, AN ICON, TO CHALLENGE THEIR MODE OF THINKING. SOMEONE THEY COULD FOLLOW, WHETHER TO WATCH THEM ASCEND OR PLUMMET INTO THE HISTORY OF TEXTBOOK LORE.

AT THE AGE OF 18, LOCKE ERNST-FROST, WOULD BE SUCH A MAN. PROPELLED INTO BEING—LOCKE—THE SELF-PROCLAIMED, GERMAN LORD OF ART (FROM GERMANY, OHIO), THE NEW YORK ART SCENE BY STORM. GIVING HIS ONE OF A KIND VIEWPOINTS ON THE BANALITY OF LIFE, HE TORE APART THE AMERICAN POP CULTURE IDOLATRY, AND CHASTISED THE WORLD AUDIENCE’S FOOLISHNESS FOR FALLING FOR SUCH SIMPLE TRICKS.

HOWEVER, THIS PROVED TO BE TOO GREAT OF A CHALLENGE FOR THE YOUNG MAN. WHILE THE WORLD HERALDED HIM AS THE SAVIOR OF ART, HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS BECOMING THE THING THAT HE DESPISED. THE SPOTLIGHT WAS TOO GREAT, THE LEVEL OF OBSERVATION TOO HIGH. HE WANTED TO ESCAPE THE LIFE HE HAD CREATED. AND SO, AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 19 HE BANISHED HIMSELF FROM THE SPOTLIGHT, TO A BUNKER IN ZURICH, NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

FLASH FORWARD, FEBRUARY 2003, LOCKE ERNST-FROST EMERGES FROM THE BANKS OF THE TAR RIVER, IN THE SMALL, COLLEGE TOWN OF GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. IT HAS BEEN TWO DECADES SINCE THE ART LORD HAS SPOKEN, AND NO ONE KNOWS HIS NAME. THE MYTH. ERNST-FROST HAS BEEN IN SECLUSION FOR THE LAST TWENTY YEARS TRYING TO CRACK THE AESTHETIC CODE. HE HAS SPENT EVERYDAY, SINCE HIS RETIREMENT, DREAMING, SCULPTING AND PAINTING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD. HIMSELF. AFTER BEING SET AWAY FOR SO LONG, HE BELIEVED IT WAS TIME TO FINALLY STEP OUT OF THE DARKNESS, AND SING TO THE WORLD HIS TALES OF WOE.

AFTER AUDITIONING MUSICIANS FOR HIS PROJECT, HE REALIZED IT WAS FRUITLESS. NO ONE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY FOR HIM. DETERMINED, HE GAVE LIFE TO THE ONLY BEINGS WHO WERE WORTHY TO STAND ON THE STAGE BESIDE HIM, FOUR TEARS DROPPED ON CANVAS, AND HIS SELF-PORTRAITS WERE BORN. TOGETHER, THEY SET OUT, LOCKE, #1, #2, #3, AND #4. FINALLY, THE ART LORD AND HIS SELF-PORTRAITS, COULD TELL THEIR STORY TO THE WORLD…HOW HARD IT IS, TO BE, SO GREAT.”

Double Barrel Benefit 10 is quickly approaching. If you haven’t had time to check out the bands yet, I have made a Spotify playlist that includes a couple of my favorite songs from each band (except for The Lollipops and Some Army who are not on Spotify). So please check them out so you can sing along with us at Double Barrel this weekend. As always, tune in to 88.1 WKNC to hear these artists as well as other great artists all day.

Check out the playlist here!

Here are the songs in the playlist in addition to some songs you should check out by the artists who are not on Spotify.

Night 1
Wolves by The Lollipops
I Love You by The Lollipops
Teenage Lions by Jenny Besetzt
Always by Jenny Besetzt
Rise by Lilac Shadows
Bloodworth by Lilac Shadows
I’ll Survive by JKutchma and the Five Fifths
There’s a Light on by JKutchma and the the Five Fifths

Night 2
Open Wide by Oulipo
Build It Up by Oulipo
Servant Tires by Some Army
We’ve Been Lucky by Some Army
Crying Only Counts the First Time by Wesley Wolfe
Crying/Laughing by Wesley Wolfe
Friday Night by Spider Bags
Simona La Ramona

As always, the Triangle hosts some amazing shows coming up this week including our annual Double Barrel Benefit. To see the full list of shows for this area check out the Rock Report. Here’s some of the best of the best.

 
Monday, January 28th- The Music Tapes at Cat’s Cradle , 9:30pm OR
Tuesday, January 29th at Duke Coffeehouse, 9pm

The Music Tapes is the experimental brain child of Julian Koster of Neutral Milk Hotel and Elephant 6 and more recently Robbie Cucchiaro. The music features many non-traditional instruments including banjos and singing saws just to name a few. Their latest effort off Merge entitled “Mary’s Voice,” was recorded in a carnival tent which seems to infiltrate the music. The shows will be performed in a larger version of this tent. This show promises to be one of the more unique shows that you will ever see.

 
Wednesday, January 30th- Ty Segall, Ex Cult, and Gross Ghost at Kings Barcade, 9pm

If you know anything about garage rock, chances are you have heard the name Ty Segall. He has been a very busy man this past year. He released a solo album, as well as an album with the Ty Segall Band, and a third album with White Fence. Their seems to be no end to this young mastermind’s creative genius. In addition to these endeavors, he also managed to produce Ex-Cult’s brilliant debut who also makes the bill for this night. With the always amazing local favorites Gross Ghost opening, this show promises to be one of the hardest rocking and most energetic shows so far this year.

 
Wednesday, January 30th- Jeff Mangum with Tall Firs at Brooklyn Arts Center (Wilmington), 8:30pm OR
Thursday, January 31st at Neighborhood Theatre (Charlotte), 8pm

If you have yet to see Jeff Mangum, this is your chance. You never know which tour will be his last. Although some accuse him of still riding on the coattails of his now 15 year old fame when “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” took the world by storm, seeing him live will change your mind. The pure, raw emotion he brings to the stage with just a guitar and his voice seems to breathe new life into these well aged songs. Make the drive, it will be well worth it.

 
Friday, February 1st- Double Barrel Benefit X Night 1: JKutcha and the Five Fifths, Lilac Shadows, Jenny Besetzt, The Lollipops at The Pour House , 10pm
Saturday, February 2nd- Double Barrel Benefit X Night 2: Spider Bags, Wesley Wolfe, Some Army, Oulipo at The Pour House , 10pm

Double Barrel Benefit speaks for itself. Over the past 10 years, Double Barrel has brought to Raleigh the best local music acts from across North Carolina.  If the name doesn’t do enough for you just go ahead and check out more information on the line-up here. You don’t want to miss the 10th installment of Double Barrel Benefit.

 
Saturday, February 2nd- : Organos, Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores, Estrangers, Ghostt Bllonde, and The Spacemen at Tir na nOg and The Pour House , 1pm

This year’s Double Barrel features our second annual Day Party and Market. After its huge success last year at Tir na nOg, we decided to expand it next door to The Pour House as well. So come on out to check out some great local artisans and vendors selling their wares while enjoying some amazing local music.

Shuffle Magazine announced the line-up for Phuzz Phest 2013 today. Phuzz Phest is an annual, weekend-long music festival that takes place in Winston-Salem, NC. In its two years of existence, Phuzz Phest has featured some of the most talented local musicians as well as several of the best, but most underrated, indie acts from across the nation. This year the festival takes place April 4th through the 6th across downtown Winston-Salem. The line-up this year is the best we have seen in this still young festival. If only the bands that started with the letter “L” showed up, I’d still be there.

The festival this year features 32 bands amazing local and national artists. Although the day parties and after parties are still to be announced, past years have proven that these are just as incredible as the night shows of the festival. One of the most notable national acts this year are Baltimore’s Lower Dens who latest effort “Nootropics” left these psychedelic pop-rockers towards the top of many “Best of 2012″ lists. Other notable national acts include self-proclaimed baroque acid-rockers Invisible Hand, shoegaze noise-pop group Eternal Summers, and psychedelic punk group IYEZ. This festival also features some great local acts who have been receiving a lot of national attention such as garage-rock gods Spider Bags, orchestral-folk kings Lost in the Trees, and the ever-explosive, indie-rock favorites The Love Language. Other North Carolina champions featured are new Merge signees Mount Moriah and folk-favorites Hiss Golden Messenger. Triangle natives The Lollipops, Some Army, Airstrip, Lilac Shadows, Robes, and The Toddlers also make the list. With this very well-rounded line-up, this year’s Phuzz Phest promises to be the best yet. See the full line-up below.

 
Phuzz Phest 2013 Line-Up

Airstrip (Carrboro)
Alligator Indian (Asheville)
Blood Waves (Winston-Salem)
Bolmongani (Winston-Salem)
Burglar Fucker (Winston-Salem)
Dark Prophet Tongueless Monk (Winston-Salem)
Drag Sounds (Greensboro)
Elim Bolt (Charleston)
Estrangers (Winston-Salem)
Eternal Summers (Roanoke, Va.)
Hiss Golden Messenger (Durham)
Invisible Hand (Charlottesville, Va.)
IYEZ (Brooklyn)
Joint D≠ (Charlotte)
Kill Devil Hills (Brooklyn)
Late Bloomer (Charlotte)
Lilac Shadows (Carrboro)
The Lollipops (Raleigh)
Lost In The Trees (Chapel Hill)
The Love Language (Raleigh)
Lower Dens (Baltimore)
Motorist (Winston-Salem)
Mount Moriah (Durham)
Nightdogs (Brooklyn)
Robes (Carrboro)
Some Army (Carrboro)
Spider Bags (Chapel Hill)
Toddlers (Carrboro)
Torch Runner (Greensboro)
White Laces (Richmond, Va.)
Wilde Blood (Winston-Salem)
William Tyler (Nashville)

This week is going to be a great one for shows in the Triangle, but it could involve some tough decisions on certain nights.  Check out some of the best shows listed below and many more listed in the Rock Report.

 
Tuesday, January 15th- Spider Bags and Gross Ghost at The Pinhook, 9pm

These bands are two of the best acts in the area both live and on the record.  Gross Ghost released their Grip Tapes’ debut “Brer Rabbit” in March of last year and showing that in their several years of existence they have already crafted a sound of their own.  This diverse album features hints of lo-fi garage rock, 90′s era indie rock, as well as some influences 60′s pop-rock.  Last year they were seen playing all over the Triangle, but most notably at WKNC’s 9th Double Barrel Benefit and the 3rd annual Hopscotch Music Festival where their music lit-up the audience.  They are followed up by Spider Bags.  Spider Bags are beginning to become a household name in the North Carolina.  They are known for their incredibly energetic live shows that will leave your ears ringing for days.  Their latest effort has been receiving a lot of national attention including an 8.1 review on Pitchfork as well as sitting number 1 atop PopMatters’ Top Overlooked Albums of 2012.  This is a show that you don’t want to miss.

 
Thursday, January 17th- Birds and Arrows with Katherine Whalen at Tir Na nOg, 10pm

Katherine Whalen of Squirrel Nut Zippers fame is back at it again.  Her solo work is often labeled under the title of “folk music,” but her new sound encompasses so much more.  Her new album titled “Madly Love” has something there for everyone.  Birds and Arrows are an incredible act that were seen at last year’s Double Barrel Benefit.  The trio’s folky sound led by a cello appeals to every audience  with their well-perfected live show.  The trio has well stood the test of time in an area that has seen many folk acts come and go.  It is amazing to see three people translate such intricate music perfectly to the stage.  This is a show is a folk-lovers’ paradise and a great introduction to anyone else.

 
Friday, January 18th- Bleeding Rainbow and Jenny Besetzt at Duke Coffeehouse , 9pm

If you have yet to go to a show at Duke Coffeehouse, there is no better time.  The atmosphere there always makes for the most energetic and intimate shows.  Greensboro natives Jenny Besetzt open up the night.  Jenny Besetzt are a brand new band who have exploded onto the local music scene.  They turned many heads when they performed at last year’s Hopscotch Music Festival as well many different shows all around the Triangle.  Their debut LP “Only” dropped this past October.  Their sound is a fusion of dream-pop and shoegaze with a punch which they describe as “dream-punk.”  The night ends with indie-pop quartet Bleeding Rainbow out of Philly.  This band has only released a handful of 7 inches, but with their debut album due out at the end of this month their are bound to break big.  With several different tracks being reviewed by Pitchfork and the like, they have created quite a buzz for themselves.  This is bound to be an amazing show that you do not want to miss.

 
Friday, January 18th- Annuals with The Lollipops and  Eros and the Eschaton at Local 506, 9pm

This night starts up with the great Greensboro husband-wife duo Eros and the Eshaton.  Their sound falls somewhere between shoegaze and dream-pop.  This new act has been turning heads opening for many different acts over the past year.  They are followed up by The Lollipops.  This lo-fi indie pop bedroom project of Iggy Cosky has expanded into a full band project and exploded onto the scene in the past year with their numerous recordings.  Their live shows have proven themselves time and time again to be just as fun as their songs.  The night ends with the always entertaining Annuals.  Annuals’ name speak for themselves.  This 6-piece indie pop group out of Raleigh have been a household name in the Triangle since the release of their critically acclaimed debut in 2006.  They have been known for their energetic live shows.  If you have not seen them yet, there is no better chance then with this great supporting cast.

New Year’s Eve is always a very important night. It signifies the end of one year and the beginning of the next. It’s a huge responsibility to make sure that you end 2012 on a good note and bring in 2013 in the best way possible. So how do you do this sans Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve? Well WKNC is here to help you make the best decision. This New Year’s Eve seems to have something for  everyone in the Triangle. From salsa to jazz, hip hop to indie rock; this New Year’s Eve seems to cover all the bases. With so many great options, it’s hard to go wrong.

The biggest event of this year is without a doubt New Year’s Jazzin’ Eve with Art of Cool at the Cotton Room. The headliner of this event is the incredible hip-hop duo The Foreign Exchange. The Foreign Exchange features Raleigh-native rapper Phonte (formerly of Little Brother) and famed Dutch producer Nicolay. This show also features some amazing jazz by the Al Strong Quintet, Marcus Anderson, and Yolanda Rabun along with special guest DJ Apple Juice Kid.  There will also be a special performance by Toon and The Real Laww who were most recently seen bringing down the house at Tir Na nOg for Local Band Local Beer several weeks back.  This event is complete with a chicken-and-waffles breakfast buffet.

If this event doesn’t seem quite your speed, Kings Barcade and Neptune’s Parlour in Raleigh are hosting New Year’s Eve Double Decker Debauchery. This event features DJ sets by Jon Yu, Sean McKee and Michael Perros.  It also includes your customary champagne toast and countdown to midnight, followed by an anything but normal full band set from The Lollipops.  The Lollipops rocked like it was their last moments on earth at Local Band Local Beer’s End of the World Party at Tir Na nOg and you can expect much of the same here.  If you haven’t seen these guys yet, I can think of no better way to ring in the New Year.

Some other notable events around the Triangle include the Salsa Party at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro featuring Orquesta GarDel & DJ Keith Ward; the Dance Party at The Pinhook in Durham with DJs Shahzad, Treee City, Trademark, and Queen Plz; and the North Carolina Symphony in Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh conducted by Jeff Tyzik with special guest drummer Dave Mancini.

With so many great opportunities all around the Triangle, there is no bad way to spend New Year’s Eve.  Whether you are rocking with The Lollipops at Kings or watching the acorn drop in City Plaza, you can be assured that you will have a great New Year’s Eve.  Check out the full list of events in the Triangle below to find the best event for you.

Raleigh
Kings Barcade & Neptune’s Parlour – The Lollipops & DJs Jon Yu, Sean McKee and Michael Perros
Meymandi Concert Hall – North Carolina Symphony conducted by Jeff Tyzik with Dave Mancini on drums
Tir Na Nog – U-Phonik & Wake & District Pipes & Drums
The Pour House Music Hall – Barefoot Manner & The Morning After
Berkley Cafe – GruvGlu LOOPED w/ MCLC, Matic, Special Blend, Severe & Outburst, AudioRush & Xander, Beastmode, Noisydrums, Andrew Cappaletti, Tyler Buck Vs. Bassik, Zom-B, Trizzak, Jordan Clark, SeanEboy & Shuhandz & Roudee
First Night (downtown) – Delta Rae, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Saints Apollo, and many more
Deep South the Bar – Hanks for the Memories w/ Hank Sinatra & Debonzo Brothers
Lincoln Theatre – Revolution Raleigh w/ DJ WOBBLE Factory / Vertical & DJ FM
Southland Ballroom – Cry Wolf & Unlimited Gravy

Durham
The Cotton Room – The Foreign Exchange, Al Strong Quintet, Marcus Anderson, Yolanda Rabun, DJ Apple Juice Kid, & Toon and The Real Laww
The Pinhook – Dance Party featuring DJs Shahzad, Treee City, Trademark, & Queen Plz with appearances by Toon and the Real Laww
Motorco Music Hall – The Wusses & The Pusses
Broad Street Cafe – Hog, B Side Project, Spiralfire, & JKutchma
Casbah – Peter Lamb and the Wolves & Kate McGarry

Chapel Hill/Carrboro
Cat’s Cradle – Salsa Party with Orquesta GarDel & DJ Keith Ward