Two weeks ago on the Local Beat was a full evening of fantastic interviews featuring some amazing musicians in our area.

Greg Humphreys has been making music locally for over two decades now. His newest and second solo album Realign Your Mind has been available for download for a couple months but only recently has he put the album out on CD. Greg came in and chatted with us about his history in the area and his evolution as a musician. In addition, Greg played several brand new tracks, which you can listen to and download in the music player to the right.  Listen to our interview below:

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Songs of Water is a band out of Greensboro, and I am not afraid to say they have taken the top position as my favorite new band with their incredible release of The Sea Has Spoken, which came out earlier this year. Only three of the eight members made the trip down I-40 but that was plenty as they brought so many instruments into the studio, one could hardly walk around. We only had a short time with the group as it took them several minutes to set up but check out the amazing songs they played for us live:

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Maria Albani (Schooner, Organos), John Harrison (North Elementary), Drew Robertson (Phon), and Lincoln Hancock (Strange) came in to present Minus Sound Research, a visual art exhibition featuring works from only North Carolina musicians that is going on throughout the month of October at the Carrboro Arts Center. This interview turned out to be one of the most hilarious and entertaining I have had in awhile so be sure to give it a listen:

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Wow, has it really been a month and a half since I posted the last Local Beat preview blog?  With the enormous amounts of schoolwork and two jobs (plus all the amazing local music concerts I have been going to) I have not had much time to give to blogging recently.  I hope you forgive me.

This week on the Local Beat we have a full lineup planned out.

Greg Humphreys is coming on the show for the first hour. It has been a very long time since Greg has been on the show and you might recognize his other bands Hobex and Dillon Fence. However, Greg has been a prolific solo artist as well with two solo albums, one live album, and one duo album with Gibb Droll since 2008. His newest album, Realign Your Mind, is a more studio-recorded album than his last release Trunk Songs. Greg and I will talk about the album and play some tunes which you have not yet heard on WKNC.

Greg is also playing some live shows coming up so be sure to check those out as well:

• Oct 6: The Casbah, Durham, NC
• Oct 7: Visualite Theatre, Charlotte, NC
• Oct 8:  Grey Eagle Tavern, Asheville, NC
• Oct 9-10: Shakori Hills Festival
• Oct 16: Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC

Songs of Water has released my favorite album of 2010 so far with their output The Sea Has Spoken.  Songs of Water is a eight-piece group out of Greensboro, NC, and their newest release is mostly beautiful, harmonious instrumentals the meld through worldly genres varying anywhere from Celtic, Oriental, Latin, Americana, blues, tribal, flamenco, bluegrass, and everything in between. Rich, deep, and powerful, it’s one of the most kickass local albums I have heard in some time, and I am happy to say they will all be cramming into our small studio to play some live tunes for us. If you are heading to Shakori Hills next week, be sure to check out this group as they play on October 7. Check out the great write-up they got on the Shakori Hills website:

From the woods of North Carolina comes Songs Of Water, an experimental musical fantasia based half in impressionism and half in realism. With a sound both ancient and modern, they dive into an ocean of exotic instruments to create their gorgeously contemplative instrumental vignettes. Utterly beautiful and meticulously presented, they draw deeply from the pool of World music including folk, Celtic, African, Middle Eastern, classical and jazz influences. Founded upon both composition and improvisation, no two performances are exactly alike.

A couple of the fellas and ladies from Minus Sound Research are coming in for the final hour of the show. Minus is an “art exhibition, now in its fifth year, featuring pieces from local North Carolina musicians. The artists will present their creative visions through sculpture, photography, drawings, serigraphy, woodwork and painting.” Some new artists in the exhibition this year include:

• Billy Sugarfix (Billy Sugarfix)
• Casey Cook (Americans in France)
• Wendy Spitzer (Felix Obelix)
• Mac McCaughn (Superchunk/Portastatic)
• Casey Burns (The Nein)

The exhibition is running through the entire month of October at the Carrboro Arts Center and will be featuring artwork from participating artists from past and present exhibitions. Including the artwork be sure to check out the live music at the center on October 8 and 9 featuring: Shark Quest, The Kingsbury Manx, The Moaners, North Elementary, Organos, Free Electric State, Americans in France, & Birds and Arrows.

As always the Local Beat starts at 5 p.m. and runs through 8 p.m. every Friday evening on WKNC.  Listen live here and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and ReverbNation!

Normally, as Sweet Annie Rich, I’m known for handpicking sweet Americana tunes to play on Saturday mornings. The thing is, I have other musical interests too, and jump at the chance to see live acts that I know will be amazing.

Take, for instance, Amanda Palmer. I’ve been a fan of Ms. Palmer since I was a freshman here at NC State via The Dresden Dolls. The Dolls’ first two albums were powerful to me and great ways to help my transition from high school to college. When Amanda recorded a solo album, I was all over it. It’s just an added bonus that this album was produced by well-loved local Ben Folds.

I saw Amanda Palmer solo last March at the Arts Center in Carrboro. As an intense fan it was huge for me, even though she was completely alone and having to carry the weight of the show without the backing group she’d started the tour with. I could barely speak to her after the show, I was in such awe. This time around the atmosphere was electric and lively.

Nervous Cabaret was both the opening and backing band, and they injected the craziest energy you could imagine into the show. All I have to say is, if you weren’t at this concert last Friday night, you missed out.

I was THIS CLOSE.

Oh yeah, and I managed to snag a spot on the stage. Not in front of the stage. I was sitting on the edge of the stage. I’ve never been more excited in my young life.

Elyas Khan of Nervous Cabaret.

Nervous Cabaret’s sound is so hard to describe, which might be what I loved about them. It’s rock, it’s blues, it’s eldritch and dancehall all at once. Frontman Elyas Khan has a voice that will send chills up your spine.

Amanda as a member of the band that was supposed to open on her last tour but had a bit of a drug problem instead.

The night was also full of snark and jokes. I love it when musicians interact so much with one another and with their audience at the same time. This show had moments that can never be truly re-created even in fevered retelling.

One thing I love about Amanda’s live shows is that she throws all of her energy into what she’s doing. She goes from lady behind a piano to a wild force of nature.

During the ever-popular Ask Amanda session, in which Ms. Palmer answers fans' most pressing questions.

At one point, she read from her book collaboration with Neil Gaiman, Who Killed Amanda Palmer? Even in this reading she kept the audience engaged and I don’t think there was a reaction that was off beat.

Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

I thoroughly enjoyed myself that night. It was completely worth losing my voice as I screamed out the words to every song. It was worth getting next to no sleep just to stay after and get an autograph, a picture, and a little time to just talk to this artist whom I’ve never grown tired of.

I may have ceased breathing at this point.

Punk cabaret forever.