Reunion Tour

The Weakerthans are coming to Carrboro on the 9th of April. Am I pumped? Considering how much I liked their release from the Fall of 2007, yes!

However, before the Canadians get down to the Southern Part of Heaven, I plan on seeing Jose Gonzalez on campus at UNC on March 3rd, and then the everybodyfields and Chatham County Line in Carrboro on March 7th. Good times.

See you there.

Tomahawk Chop

The spring semester is still a few days from starting, but I've already set aside a reward for a hopeful strong finish. I'm getting tickets for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets series in May. I've always been a Braves fan, but never seen them play, so the three games against their biggest rival should be a treat.

Other tickets I picked up/plan to pick up recently:

1/9 - UNC vs. UNC Asheville basketball
1/18 - the everbodyfields in Winston-Salem
3/7 - Chatham County Line CD release with the everybodyfields in Carrboro

I hope everyone had good and safe time on New Year's Eve. I hope your night was as good as mine, just without the shouting match over which suburb of Winston-Salem was better, Walnut Cove or Clemmons, at two in the morning in a crowded diner.

The Everybodyfields & Caleb Caudle in Winston-Salem

I went back to Winston-Salem this weekend for a few reason, one being to get out of Chapel Hill before the masses flocked in for the first football game of the year. Another reason for going back though, was to catch the Everybodyfields at the Garage in Winston-Salem.
The opening act last night was Caleb Caudle and the Bayonets, an alt-country-rockish group that operates out of Winston-Salem. Caleb has been benefiting from lots of good press in the Camel City as of late, and I went to high school and grew up with the guy back in Walnut Cove and Germanton. Caleb's band would be of interest to anyone who grew up going to indie rock shows in the Piedmont the past few years - his bassist and brother, Kyle, is formerly of Good For You, his guitarist, Daniel, was (and maybe still is?) in Monday in London, and the drummer was from Tori's a Shaker. It was a little odd thinking I'd seen all four guys on stage play dirty little house shows in punk bands five years ago. They've all come a long way.

Caleb being too cool for school.

Caleb Caudle has really matured into a strong songwriter in the past couple years, and his voice is on par with any musical act he shares a sound with. The songs sounded strong and entertaining, and I'm sure they'll improve some more once the band gels (this was only their second time playing together). After his set Caudle told me he had quit his job at the Mellow Mushroom down the road and was on salary to play music full time. So, in the smallest sense, he's kinda made it. Good for him. He recorded a record on his own dime in Johnston City, TN and now a financial backer has started a record label just to let Caleb be a full-time musician and to push the record. If you are a wealthy person and like music, take note - these types of things should happen much more often.

After Caleb Caudle and the Bayonets, the Everybodyfields came on. Last night marked the third time since January I've seen this group in action, and I'll see them again come September 28th in Chapel Hill. Because of the past two shows' amazing quality, I've come to expect a lot from Sam, Jill, & Co. Last night just didn't deliver like I was used to. Sam Quinn, the male half of the Everybodyfields, said he was sick, and it showed. (I think he said Strep throat.) As anyone who has every had Strep will know, singing isn't the first order of business. I can't imagine taking the stage for an hour-plus of sweating when your throat feels horrible, your joints ache, and you are running a fever. The Everybodyfields' slower songs like "Birthday," "Be Miner" and "TVA" really suffered. Most of the slower songs sounded rather weary and unfocused, even with a pedal-steel, electric guitar, and keyboards. A drummer really would have helped tighten the set up, especially the songs off the new record, but no dice. The best parts of the set were by far the "Happy-Time" parts, like "By Your Side" and "Workers' Playtime." However, you could tell that Sam was struggling - his voice was strained throughout and he botched a guitar part on "Workers' Playtime" and an entire verse of "Nubbins."

"Nubbins" was by far the most interesting arrangement of the night - I would almost call it a rock and roll version. The best parts of the song were when the band shifted rhythms from a waltz into a more straight-three like they do with the new song, "Everything is Okay."

So sure, the show was a bit mediocre because the headliners were not on their game, but I'll forgive them this time, if just because they've wowed me so much already. I'll give them a free pass, but only if they bring it hard later this month at the Local 506. Oh, and as long as both Sam and Jill are as beautiful as always. It will be good to see them in Chapel Hill again - I can't believe how dead Winston-Salem is on a Saturday night. Shame on you Wake Forest students.

This week looks to be a good one - The Mountain Goats on Thursday night and the National on Friday. Until then, take care.

The Everybodyfields -- Nothing Is Okay

1997 was a good year. Radiohead released OK Computer, Modest Mouse came out with The Lonesome Crowded West, Ben Folds Five with Whatever & Ever Amen, and The Mountain Goats put out Full Force Gailsburg. It is one of those years that you look back on ten years later and talk about how good that cluster of music was. The amazing thing is, just as we are now talking about those albums, 2007 is looking to be a banner year as well. Feist dropped what looks to be my album of the year. The National put out Boxer, which is so damn good. Minus the Bear put out a remix album and will drop Planet of Ice in one week. Joanna Newsom gave all her fans a gift in her live EP, Iron & Wine are set to release The Shepherd's Dog, even though everyone who wants to hear it already has, and David Karsten Daniels flew under the radar with Sharp Teeth, a phenomenal album. There were albums from Dan Deacon and Bjork. The Bowerbirds' Hymns for a Dark Horse was tagged by John Darnielle as possibly his favorite debut release EVER. There were solid releases from The Avett Brothers, Andrew Bird, and Against Me! 2007 is almost too good - stuff gets lost in the mix.

And throughout all of that, there has been one release that I've kept my eye on as much as any - and it will move less units than any of the records mentioned above. The Everybodyfields, that friendly looking pair you see advertised at the top of this blog, are set to release their third album, Nothing is Okay, on Ramseur Records on August 21st. The Everybodyfields are essentially Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews, two alt-country songwriters from Johnson City, Tennessee. Sam and Jill are accompanied by a revolving cast of supporting musicians and have never had the same line-up when I've seen them play. There may be fiddle, electric guitar, keyboards, pedal steel, or just the two main bandmembers. However, it rarely matters - these two are always spellbinding in a live setting and are often adored by an ever present group of superfans.

On their previous two albums, Half Way There: Electricity and the South (2004) and 2005's Plague of Dreams, The Everybodyfields has stuck to all-acoustic instrumentation, save for a hollow-bodied electric bass. In fact, the first two albums are just acoustic guitars, electric bass, dobro, and fiddle. These two albums are solid pieces of work that are held together by Sam and Jill's amazing harmonies. Both singers have 'long' southern voices, with Quinn's being rather pronounced and warbly, and their affinity for slow waltz tempos aids in giving their harmonies lots of space.

However, Nothing is Okay is a departure of sorts for The Everybodyfields. The gorgeous vocals are still present. So are Sam's trademark songs in three. The difference lies in the instrumentation on the recordings. By adding a full, electrified band to their studio sound, the band has effectively created depth to their recordings. Instruments like piano, drums, and a reverb-drenched slide guitar are in the forefront on songs like "Don't Turn Away" and "Aeroplane." The fuller sound suits the singers well. "Don't Turn Away" and "Everything Is Okay" are perfect examples of how a fuller band with more volume allows Sam and Jill respectively to push the vocals harder. When the song is toned down, guitar and piano play more complimentary roles like in Quinn's "Birthday" where the warm guitar fades out just in time for the two singers to harmonize wonderfully. "Aeroplane," the opening track, is musically more mature than previous efforts, and stands out because of it. Both the winding vocals and chords make it a great song.

Nothing is Okay doesn't hit any wrong notes, but some songs feel rather out of place in the tracking order. After many listens, it is evident that the album lacks a true opening statement. While "Aeroplane" is definitely the best track in the set, it isn't quite what one expects from in a lead track. On Plague of Dreams, "Magazine" had the upped tempo and bounce, as well as being in four, to lead the album. The only song on the new record that sounds magazine-esque is the final track, "Out On the Highway," and it lacks the instrumentation that characterizes the rest of the album. "Everything is Okay" could possibly work, but it needs to be tacked on to the back end of "Wasted Time" to create flow. "Be Miner" is really the only song that doesn't sound great on the album, with a strange feel to it that doesn't fit with the general Everybodyfields sound.

The record teeters near falling into a take-turns for each singer record sequencing, and the front end trades some flow for doing so. The constant trade from Sam Quinn's waltzes to Jill Andrews' four-quarter ballads disrupts continuity. It is only once Andrews' "Wasted Time" is followed by the lovely and imaginative "Everything is Okay" that the album starts to flow seamlessly.

Even though it doesn't flow as much as I would like, Nothing is Okay is going to be one of the albums I remember ten years from now. In the day and a half I've had to listen to it, "Aeroplane" has already made it into the Top 25 Most Played Songs list on iTunes. This record is a major step forward for The Everybodyfields. The records are wonderful, and their live shows are a treat. I can't wait to see them at the end of September in Chapel Hill. The last time I saw them, everyone in the audience was handed a rose to throw on stage during the encore. It felt completely appropriate. Every time they open their mouths could be described as gorgeous. Go buy Nothing is Okay, and put it on repeat. Fall in love with the singer of your choice. Love them, and most of all, love their music. I do.

10 Songs You Probably Haven't Heard but Should Immediately

Note: The following was first posted here on 30 June 2007.

Isn't it a wonderful experience to hear a great song for the first time? The whole jaw-dropping experience where you realize you will listen to this one song until you know every word, until your significant other starts pleading not to hear it again. I love it, and the feeling I get from hearing a new gem is the reason I listen constantly. Below, I've compiled ten songs that don't seem to register when talking about music, but I have dreams that someday they will. Some of the artists are relative unknowns, some are completely knowns. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to comment.

1. My Oldest Memory – the Bowerbirds. Unless you follow the Raleigh-based Bowerbirds, I’m fairly sure you have not had this song pass through your ears. “My Oldest Memory” is the sixth track to the Bowerbirds’ debut, Hymns for a Dark Horse, and these fellows haven’t really gotten a lot of pre-release hype just yet for the album, which comes out July 10. John Darnielle is endorsing the album, so that is probably going to change. Pitchfork recently gushed over it, so I am hoping everyone will know about it before long. But you should run over the www.bowerbirds.org and stream the track a few times over. Make sure to listen to the chorus multiple times as well – definitely the centerpiece of the song with its sing along style. Bowerbirds are the perfect example of how jam-packed the Triangle music scene is right now with talent. The group is worthy of as much praise as any critic can generate, and from what I remember, they got next to nothing from Independent Weekly or the Daily Tar Heel this past year. Really, the Triangle market is so tough to compete in with acts like the Rosebuds and the Bu_Hanan groups stealing the spotlight, as well as the Old Ceremony. All those acts deserve their great reviews, but the Bowerbirds do not deserve this neglect. So go listen to the Bowerbirds, pick up their album, and take in the indie-folk guitars, quirky lyrics, accordions, and pristine home recording.

2. Epilogue – David Karsten Daniels. This fellow is another staple of our wonderful scene in Chapel Hill, and I hate that most people haven’t listened to him. Unlike the Bowerbirds, DKD did get some hype before his release of Sharp Teeth this spring, which is probably going to be on of the top albums of 2007. Yet, even the alpha and omega of pushing unknowns into the spotlight, Pitchfork, couldn’t make it happen for David. “Epilogue” is the ‘secret track’ tagged onto the end of David Karsten Daniels’ previous release, Angles. The man can write some rather depressing music, but “Epilogue” really has a good feeling bounce to it, at least in the guitar line. Perhaps that is why it was the secret song and not a listed track – it sounded too happy. David describes the song as, “Sometime, around town, you see the car your ex-lover used to drive. For a moment you flip out or your stomach kind of sinks. Then you realize it’s a stranger with the same make/model of vehicle. At that point you know you’re not as far away from things as you hoped you were.” That description came from where you should go to get the song, for free: Daytrotter. David’s Daytrotter Session featured a version of “Epilogue” that is well worth having, especially if you need an intro to the wonders of DKD. Make sure to pick up the three great songs above it as well. http://www.daytrotter.com/article/775/free-songs-david-karsten-daniels

3. Basketball Shoes – Hide and Seek. This song is 48 seconds long. The only way you could have it is if a band member gave you a CD-R copy. I’m pretty sure only my girlfriend and I still listen to this song. Hide and Seek was definitely the best spazz-punk/no-wave band out of Winston-Salem, and their live sets are dearly missed. Maybe if everyone goes to http://www.myspace.com/hideandseekwillkillyou and downloads “Jehovah All Over Yah” and then writes to Devin, Zach, and Savannah, we can get a reunion. I’d be there. I make it a point to put “Basketball Shoes” on each and every mix I make for people so they can enjoy the chorus of “You can play basketball in those shoes! / I can do anything in these shoes! / Recognize.”

4. Everything Reminds Me – Le Chevre. I really don’t know a whole lot about the guy that goes by the stage name Le Chevre. I was given a burned CD-R of a home made, self-titled release with 8 tracks on it way back in 2004 by this fellow. I think I remember he is out of somewhere down in South Carolina. Obviously, a bit obscure. The important part is, the music is for real, especially this track. I would describe Le Chevre as Postal Service that relies heavily on acoustic guitars, and a bit more kitsch in the synthscapes. The intro comes in like a good pop rocker, and the guitar work is actually pretty deft for what one would expect out of this genre. What pulls “Everything Reminds Me” together? The great hook of a chorus – “Nothing’s gonna get better until you pick up and start / Images don’t create themselves, but everything falls apart. / Everything in the world reminds me.” Yeah, makes no sense to me either. Sounds great though. I don’t know if this fellow even has a website, but if you feel like doing some investigative work, I suggest trying to find this material. I keep looking for Le Chevre to pop up in the ‘hot new act’ section of magazines like Alternative Press, right next to the flavor of the month.

5. Grendel’s Mother – The Mountain Goats. “Grendel’s Mother” is the odd case of a lesser-known song by a better known artist. Why is it lesser known? It stretches back to Zopilote Machine, John Darnielle’s 1994 release that was recorded on a Panasonic boombox. Couple the poor recording by most standards with being towards the end of an out of print record, and your make your case for inaccessibility. I’m a sucker for literary allusions in song, and no songwriter today does that better than John (he majored in English literature). Darnielle flips the perspective on us – we are not hearing of the triumphant Beowulf anymore, but instead the vengeful mother of a slain son. The usual quite Mountain Goats rage is there still in the chorus – you can run, but I will carry you home in my teeth.

6. Controversy – Prince. People should all know this song by heart and there should be a choreographed dance to go along. It just seems to get lost because it was released in that pre-Purple Rain period when people were still trying to figure out whom this fellow was. The whole purpose of the song is to bring to mind all these taboo or controversial subjects. In the opening lines, “Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay?” The first chorus, which kicks major ass – “Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me?” It isn’t often that you find existential musings being dropped over a beat your parents would have really enjoyed wearing spandex to. What is really the most controversial part of the song? A bridge that consists of the purple one reciting the Lord’s Prayer over that insistent beat. Also, this song is seven minutes long, which gets points in my book for being an extended jam.

7. Julianne – Wood & Steel. Wood & Steel is a bluegrass band from the triad area. Not ‘nugrass.’ Not that quasi-imitation bluegrass that has been perfected by the Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show and gets a crossover indie crowd. There is no outlaw aspect here, no rough edges. When these guys play live, it is a suit and tie affair. Just some seriously talented musicians playing insanely difficult music. “Julianne,” the third track from their release The Old Ones are the Best Ones, was written by mandolin player Joey Lemons. It is fast, it is good, there are tight harmonies, and it is best when played loudly while driving down two lane blacktop. If you woman ever leaves you at home because you are no fun, listen to the pleading lyrics of “Julianne” and use them to get her to stay home with you. You won’t regret it.

8. Dooley – The Dillards. People get confused when I try to explain who the Dillards were. The Dillards were occasionally characters on the Andy Griffith Show from years ago, where they played themselves, but weren’t called the Dillards. They were called the Darlins. So the Darlins were the Dillards being the Dillards. Got it? Good. I’ve never heard such amazing banjo playing as done by the guy who pulls of notes here. Never before has anyone played so fast, continuously. The lyrics are great – this song is about a local moonshiner who is the town hero, though no one will admit it. Well, the song is just about the moonshiner. It is amazing to hear where bluegrass was in the sixties, and the Dillards must have been one of the best groups of the decade. The best bet for finding this track will be looking on the net for an anthology or best of work. Just make sure to stay away from their late-career albums. Pure trash when compared to the likes of “Dooley.”

9. Quit – Hey Mercedes. Hey Mercedes’ debut album, Everynight Fire Works, was the album that I listened to non-stop from eighth grade until I finished high school. Most older kids thought they were mediocre or worse because they grew up on Braid, and were loyal to that band. I remember being sixteen and standing outside MSU skatepark in Kernersville and having a discussion with a member of a now well known band that thought Everynight Fire Works was terrible because it sounded like a Braid ripoff. However, no Braid album had “Quit” on it, did it? This is a behemoth track that I think was the best indie rock song ever written. There’s the guitars! The guitars! And Bob Nanna. Go get this, find it wherever you can now that they’ve broken up and were on a tiny label. Even if you don’t like that original brand of emo from the nineties, go pick this album up and stare at the cover for as long as you can. Yeah, amazing, I know.

10. Don’t Turn Around – The Everybodyfields. This is the first track to leak from the Everybodyfields’ third album, Nothing is Okay, which is set to make some noise towards the back end of August. I must say, it is quite a treat to see the ‘fields employ a full band, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. While recent live sets have featured strings, pedal steel, electric guitar, and keys, the drums really do fill this track out. Sung by male half of the band, Don’t Turn Around brings a shinier feel to the waltz tempos of the first two Everybodyfields albums. “Don’t Turn Around” holds all the great aspects of old songs by these guys, but the larger instrumentation does a great job of supporting Sam’s country warble. Be ready for the great guitar solo in the middle, and think about how this track could be a sign of everyone not being sad that Songs:Ohia isn’t what it used to be. Go to http://songsillinoismp3.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-track-from-everybodyfields-ramseur.html for the download.