WEDNESDAY 10.2
Asteroid No. 4 — This cosmic oddity is a nice new find. They began their career with swaths of psychedelic musings quite apparent on the debut recording as well as contributions to compilations. Now the Philadelphia outfit has changed directions and is aiming toward American roots. The full sound twang is the keyword, while the quartet doesn’t forget their beginnings as the guitars take off into otherworldly directions. The Sights are also on for the evening. Fat City (Shukla)
Drunk Stuntmen — A band playing Americana as seen through the looking glass of broken beer bottles. They’ve got the warmth of twangy necessities down so well, you wouldn’t guess they spawned, and lurk, in the cold waters of Massachusetts. Whether they’re going for broke hot-roddin’ down the highways, or watching their tour van go down in flames in South Carolina this past winter, they keep the steel to the pedal and come out rocking. Double Door Inn (Shukla)
Rachel Cross / Kim Buchanan — A pair of self-described musical soul-sisters. Rachel Cross plays a moody, sparse guitar with a feathery voice to bring about the evening’s colors and Kim Buchanan, a husky voiced singer-songwriter, takes her influence from Celtic sounds to psychedelia and weaves a sort of cosmic folk. The end result is bittersweet and a touch above the army of folkies on the similar trail. Rachel Gaudry is also on the bill. The Evening Muse (Shukla)
THURSDAY 10.3
Black Eyed Dog — The Asheville-area country rockers’ most recent CD, Distance Inbetween, was one of the more solid regional releases of the genre for the last year or so. A kind of less-obtuse and gothic Uncle Tupelo quality here, mixed with shadings of both Nick Drake and Piedmont Blues. Throw in some raw-but-refined production by Ted Comerford and a mix job by none other than Mitch Easter, and you have the makings of a keeper. The Evening Muse (Davis)
FRIDAY 10.4
David Lindley / Adrian Legg — Look up eclectic in the dictionary and one of the names that’ll pop up is David Lindley. Lindley’s interest in “world music” and pairings with the likes of Henry Kaiser have led him into musical excursions from the deepest roots of America to Norway and down to the aloof island of Madagascar. Lindley can play practically any instrument he picks up and showcases it all in a mind-melding combination, skating across all known musical genres. / Anyone who has played guitar has probably heard of Adrian Legg. He’s a guitarist with more than a few tricks up his sleeve and has a storied career of experimental bouts with the old six-string monster. Wally Ingram is also slated to play. Neighborhood Theatre (Shukla)
Leisure McCorkle / The b-Sides — Check it out! Leisure, nee Lee McCorkle, is back with a new album, Jet Set Baby, a new label, the locally-owned MoRisen Records, and a new backing band, The Ministry Of Sound. What does it sound like? Well, the usual Leisure formula of Elvis Costello/Snuzz phrasing mixed with a Pure Pop (you know, the kind of pop that doesn’t sell much but collectors adore) backing. Frankly, it sounds good, and the production and mastering work is the best McCorkle’s had yet. Musically, it’s not necessarily my cup of tea, though it is likely the most cohesive, mature Leisure album to date (the nods to the Pixies are relatively entertaining…). The show’s the thing, however, and look for McCorkle to bring a light show, a bubble machine, and more. No, really. (Davis)
Touches of Brian Wilsonesque harmonies, film-noir and B-movie soundtrack splices and general musical mischief are tools the b-Sides use to chisel out their agenda. If they’re not reinterpreting “Bohemian Rhapsody” in a whacko way, they’re out and about with spy cams to record a soundtrack fit for a chase through the streets of the Orient. The Chapel Hill combo is unpeggable, and downright fun. Visulite Theatre (Shukla)
SATURDAY 10.5
Delancey Street — A musically traveled quintet creating sound stories hyphenated with an assortment of genre hopping. There are bits of reggae, Middle Eastern flavors, jazzy interludes and haunting vocalization laid down over rock and pop. A violin caresses senses while the guitar and percussion steer down their own alleyways to explore the dark corners, and later meet up again to collectively chat. Mojo Restaurant & Spirits (Shukla)
Leftover Salmon — Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass, they call it, and while I don’t know what the hell that means in particular, it sure sounds cool. Evidently lots of other folks feel the same way, as the band’s fanbase keeps growing and growing by the year. Improvisational lyricist Vince Herman scat/sings/slams over the Bela Fleck-meets-Canned-Heat-on-acid rip provided by the rest of the band, and the whole thing is somehow tied together with various world — aha, polyethnic! — beats. Visulite Theatre (Davis)
Snagglepuss — I have to admit, I’ve come around in the last year or so on Snagglepuss. Could be I’m just a tired old bastard that doesn’t like fun mixed with his music. Could be I’m thrown off by the occasional plumage of the group. But they are fun, dammit, with a nice new wave/punk blend that keeps the toes tapping, as well as a not-so-serious opinion of themselves which helps it all go down much easier. Hope Nicholls keeps the right amount of energy flowing, Aaron Pitkin keeps the beat solid, and John Morris joyfully pounds the rhythm on the keys like Skynyrd’s Billy Powell. Did I mention the horns? Tremont Music Hall (Davis)
WEDNESDAY 10.9
Richard Buckner — Buckner’s last record, a straight-on musical interpretation of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, was an underrated release, perhaps due to the record’s sequencing. For the uninitiated, Buckner’s strained, bear-like yowl is hard to mistake — like Jay Farrar of Son Volt, it’s as much an instrument as the guitars and pedal steel. Like a truck, it might not have much high end, but the torque it creates is considerable. Sometimes Buckner’s lyricism tends towards the more abstract, and one wonders why he just doesn’t hit the feeling head on. Then you hear him sing, and you know. It’s like hunting deer with a bazooka. Good stuff. With Kathleen Edwards. The Evening Muse (Davis)
This article appears in Oct 2-8, 2002.
