Wednesday, April 11, 2012

THIS WEEKEND AT WHITE COLLAR CRIME!



Friday evening White Collar Crime welcomes Greensboro funk outfit THE BRAND NEW LIFE.  With at least 6 members, some playing percussion instruments from around the world and several horn players, these guys make rooms shake.  In the style of Galactic or Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, The Brand New Life is about as dancable as it gets.  So, get down to White Collar Crime Friday night and shake your asses to some genuine boogie down funky jazz infused rock. 

SATURDAY night WCC welcomes Once and Future Kings to the stage.  Originally from Nashville, TN, the members of Once and Future Kings have carved out a musical style which ranges from majestic, ethereal rock to the entrancing infectious environs of psychadelia.  Their home is now Raleigh and their popularity in the triangle is on the rise as they continue to wow audiences with their own potent brand of powerfully creative music.  



Catch them for FREE Saturday 4-14 at WHITE COLLAR CRIME in downtown Raleigh. 

LAMBCHOP @ MOTORCO MUSIC HALL SAT. 4-14



Lambchop arose from the Nashville alternative country scene as a collective of musicians who surrounded the lyrical genius of band leader Kurt Wagner.  Wagner, a character on the outside and in, carries a vocal style unmatched by anyone I've ever heard.  Subtle and withdrawn with the delivery of the Enola Gay is one way of describing his voice and lyrics.  Wagner's songs consists of random thoughts, subjects, objects, heartbroken memories and cautionary tales which, in the end, gel to create thought provoking and occasionally heart wrenching  works of art.  Even the smacking sound his mouth makes when opening and closing is a noise for which fans prick up their ears.  The often changing band is heavily laden with strings of the slide, bow and finger picking variety, perfectly arranged with piano, bass and drums. 

Out in Support of their latest offering, Mr. M. , Lambchop  is sure to put on a memorable performance at Motorco Music Hall in Durham this Saturday night. 

Monday, April 9, 2012

The MAGNETIC FIELDS @ Cat's Cradle April 11 and 12



The Magnetic Fields music is often labeled as indie pop or noise pop, but the songwriting of Stephen Merrit is the defining force behind every record released by the band since 1991. I  keep them filed under "indefinable".  On earlier records,  graceful strings swiftly replace electronic bleeps and cheap drum machine work at the touch of the seek button. 1995's Get Lost is a shining example of the bouncing back and forth of Leonard Cohenesque poetry to New Order channeling synth found throughout their cannon   But, what remains constant is the gender bending, heart wrenching lyrics and droll vocals of Stephen Merrit. Songs like "Papa was a Rodeo" and "I Thought You Were My Boyfriend" dutifully represent the style and forlorn beauty of Merrit's inner dialogue. 

Out in support of their latest album, Life at the Bottom of the Sea, two nights with The Magnetic Fields will hardly be enough time to  scratch the surface of their vast collection of songs, but I'll take what I can get.