Show Review: Merge 25 at Cat's Cradle Parking Lot

Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

Usually when I spend all day getting drunk in a parking lot it's highly frowned upon, but apparently when a record label is involved it all becomes okay. As the closing day for Merge Records' four day anniversary bonanza, Saturday proved to be a day filled with constant stimulation. Whether it be the seemingly non-stop flow of incredible Merge acts both young and old, the delicious beer on tap, the FREE SUNSCREEN (because Merge cares) or that sweet Locopops goodness hidden around back, there was plenty to love about the day-long event that took over the Cat's Cradle parking lot.

Merge's anniversary celebrations are always a pleasant reminder that one of the most prolific, important record labels in the past 50 years was built and blossomed right in our own backyard. Merge planted their roots all over the Triangle and those roots swiftly blossomed across the nation, now a quarter century later they're home to some of the largest names in indie-rock history. Events like Merge 25 run the gamut for Merge's impressive lineup, new signees like Hiss Golden Messenger are able to share the spotlight with esteemed acts like Destroyer, Wye Oak, The Love Language and other indie acolytes. It's a wonderful way to not only put-on for your constantly deepening roster, but to show the fans that you appreciate all that they do to support you.

The Love Language
Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

Despite the intermittent clouds that would shade us all from the sweltering heat, the day was a sweat-filled foray into many different corners of Merge's roster. The day began with Vertical Scratchers, a tightly wound, simplistic pop/rock album that one would expect from Merge. They were the typical college-rock expectation, thus I was more than happy to scarf down some Carburritos while they performed. As local darlings Love Language took the stage though, the crowd was palpably more excited, singing along to their infectious summer anthems. Acts as great as The Love Language can seem to become little more than filler music for fans that have seen them countless times, but having them re-contextualized amidst Merge's impressive roster makes you remember that they're not those road worn locals to everyone else. Some folks at Merge 25 drove across country to see acts like The Love Language in everyones favorite local venue parking lot, which truly makes you appreciate the breadth of our local scene.

Ex-Hex
Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

The afternoon all seemed to bleed together as acts like Ex-Hex and Mikal Cronin took the stage, blending together low-key punk with high-energy pop sensibilities. While Ex-Hex left me focusing on following the shade like some nomad lost in the desert, Mikal Cronin momentarily took me away from the parking lot and into a thoughtless haze of shouting and swaying to Cronin's alt-pop goodness. But surely enough as every band announced that they were on their last track I high-stepped into Cat's Cradle to enjoy the luxurious air-conditioning before the crowd herded in. I stayed inside throughout most of Bob Mould's set, never getting into Husker Du is definitely something I regret, but seeing Mould for the first time in this light with no prior context of his musical explorations was just something that didn't feel right. But with Jon Wurster on drums I'd imagine that Mould's set was a raucous occasion to say the least.

After Mould the night kicked into overdrive, representing the vastly different ends of the Merge spectrum. Caribou brought an hour of dance-filled, entrancing electronic music while Neutral Milk Hotel left most folks standing still and transfixed on the dimly lit icon Jeff Mangum. There were two massively different vibes for each artist, as the sun was setting during Caribou's career-spanning set there were handfuls of folks dancing wildly (myself included) to Caribou's intricately arranged and brilliantly executed tracks. Frankly my only problem with the Caribou set was the amount of people just cross-armed and uninterested, seemingly unwilling to give this music a chance. But even a whole slew of curmudgeons couldn't suck the fun out of a set filled with "Sun," "Odessa," and "Can't Do Without You."

Mikal Cronin
Photo Credit: Agatha Donkar

Afterwards MC Margaret Cho came out to inform the crowd to kindly put their phones and cameras away for the evenings headliner, as per the artists request. Everyone by now is familiar with Neutral Milk Hotel's picture policy, but that was something totally beside the point for this set. I love Neutral Milk Hotel, I've got some of Mangum's lyrics tattoo'd on my arm, I'm a full-on fanboy for this band. I've seen them three times this year and each time I was closer than the last, but it still doesn't entirely feel right. The songs still move me, they're just as powerful as they've always been. Everytime I hear the opening strums to "Two Headed Boy Pt. 2" my heart still sinks a bit. But, seeing Neutral Milk Hotel live isn't particularly what this music is about...at least to me. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is and always will be a pivotal album for many people, these songs are vividly attached to places, times, memories and people. It's a joy to be able to see these things revitalized through the art of live music, but it's never going to match the crackle of that record you've played a few too many times. Now that doesn't particularly take away from how beautiful and cathartic it is to shout over "how strange it is to be anything at all" amidst hundreds of other diehards, but in a sense it becomes less of a personalized experience. Maybe my reasons for feeling detached from these shows is a bit selfish, or maybe it's because I saw an older woman grinding on her husband during, "Oh Comely," but nothing can detach these songs from my own experiences. Granted that's not what they're trying to do here, they're trying to allow folks that never got to see this short-lived act a chance at redemption, but it's hard for me to gaze upon a stage full of aging indie-rock figureheads and pretend like I don't just want to close my eyes and travel somewhere else. All in all though Mangum and company put on a fantastic performance, even it it's roughly the same set most folks have seen time and time again. Neutral Milk Hotel is a testament to Merge's perseverance, and one can only hope that they have another long, illustrious 25 years of life. So here's to hauling our gray-haired asses back out to a parking lot in 2039.

Show Preview: The Love Language and Sylvan Esso

Kings Barcade is hosting a Winter Formal presented by Trekky Records on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7, featuring local artists The Love Language and Sylvan Esso. If you head out for either night, make sure to dress up and wear your fanciest dancing shoes – there will be an official Winter Formal photo booth and dance party following the show with DJ Sweet William (OG Trekky Will Hackney) spinning some tunes.

Sylvan Esso is a Durham two-piece made up of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn. Meath’s feminine voice dances over pulsing electronic beats and bass lines, all of which are looped and layered throughout the songs. Sanborn is also the bassist of Megafaun, so seeing the genre differences and what he's capable of in both is an interesting thing to keep in mind when listening. Their debut 12” was released in July on Trekky Records, featuring “Hey Mami” and “Play it Right.” Since, they’ve played Hopscotch, have been remixed by Broken Social Scene’s Charles Spearin, and have toured with the likes of Volcano Choir, Man Man and Minor Alps. 

The Love Language is another Triangle favorite. The band had their second Merge Records release in July with Ruby Red, a strong follow-up to 2010’s Libraries, that includes just as many catchy tracks as before.  Tight as ever, they’re known for putting on fun shows with rich harmonies among each instrument. The live show translates their rock side much more explicitly than the album, so look forward to a slight twist to what you’ve been playing on your stereo.

Doors open at 9:00pm and the music starts at 10:00pm. The show is $12 in advance and $14 at the door. Tickets and more information is available at kingsbarcade.com

Show Preview: King Khan and the Shrines w/ Hellshovel and Black Zinfandel

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  King Khan and the Shrines perform at Motorco
  in Durham, NC on Saturday, Nov. 2.
  Preview by Anastassia Olegovna

  Trying to identify King Khan and the Shrines in a certain genre is nearly impossible. Trying to identify who they even are is almost as difficult, but thanks to the Internet for no longer concealing the identities of anyone, King Khan is Canadian-born Arish Ahmad Khan. King Khan and the Shrines have been around since 1999 and if you’ve never seen them before and know very little about the state of their shows, you might find yourself going through a bit of a religious awakening. The two opening bands for this riotous party of a show, on Nov. 2 at Motorco Music Hall in Durham, are Hellshovel and Black Zinfandel--two bands that fit the bill perfectly. Hellshovel will start you off with a psyched out set of songs that sound like they are underwater. This Montreal band is signed to Slovenly Records, home of garage bands like Paint Fumes, Acid Baby Jesus, and Bazooka. Next is a local gem, Black Zinfandel, a band that is proving to be one of the most essential Raleigh garage bands. Fronted by Brian Cruse, Black Zinfandel has only been around for a short year but has become a favorite of the Triangle garage and punk scene, opening up for well established garage acts and playing a slew of their own headlining shows. Finally King Khan will blow you away into another dimension. Self-described as a “psychedelic soul band with a spectacle of a show”, a King Khan is a spiritual and ritual experience. A tarot-card reading magical guru, Khan has been at this for over ten years and with the release of his new album, “Idle No More”, he is a force of nature who will not stop bring the soul to garage.

Ears to the Ground: "Calm Down" by The Love Language

The Love Language's new album, Ruby Red will be
released on July 23 on Merge Records

Fans of the North Carolina music scene are most likely already familiar with The Love Language, the brainchild of Stu McLamb.  Their debut full-length wowed listeners with lo-fi bedroom pop that was crafted in a grandiose manner.  Crackles and hisses couldn't quell the mighty presence of McLambs vocals and the band quickly picked up steam, signing to Merge Records for their 2010 follow-up Libraries.  While their self-titled record gained them local notoriety, the shimmering summer sounds of Libraries gave the group national attention.

Stu McLamb wears his heart on his sleeve in these albums, the songs pour out like a late night heart-to-heart with an old friend.  The raw grit and intensity of their lo-fi debut has blossomed into fully fleshed out anthems of heart-ache and nostalgia.  The Love Language has since gone on to perform at festivals like Coachella and most recently debuted a brand new track from their upcoming full-length Ruby Red on Pitchfork.

"Calm Down" is driven by snappy percussion and sharp basslines, coated in McLamb's reverb washed vocals.  The sonic progression in this band continues, expanding upon the strong foundation set forth by their previous efforts.  "Calm Down" bursts into an explosive chorus of rich textures and powerful melodies, and the rest of Ruby Red feels quite similar.  I got to listen to the test pressing as I was interning at Merge last week and must say that the group has continued to grow stronger, the songs are crisp and full of energy while maintaining a balance between slow-churners and faster songs of summer.  The album's closer is capped with a robust string arrangement, further solidifying the expansion of this already sonically immense group.

Ruby Red won't be released until July 23 but you can hear "Calm Down" below.  Also check out the video we shot at Hopscotch 2011 of the group performing a cover of Diana Ross and The Supreme's "My World Is Empty Without You":

Album Review: "Miracle Temple" by Mount Moriah

Miracle Temple is released on February 26, 2013
on Merge Records

Mount Moriah is a band that can connect with their listeners on a very rudimentary level.  Albums like Miracle Temple and the band's self-titled debut perfectly encapsulate life in the south.  Heather McEntire's vocals are dripping with emotion and packed tight with vivid imagery.  You're likely to be transported back to a blistering summer day in a college town with tracks like "Younger Days" or to a day filled with sporadic thunderstorms and dark clouds with the intensity found in the album's closer "The Telling Hour".

Mount Moriah are capable of exploring a vast array of emotions and textures within their albums, and their full-length debut on Merge Records does so in a way that Mount Moriah has never done before.  While Mount Moriah was filled with just enough sheen and substance to attract fans in droves, Miracle Temple shows the true depth of this talented act by displaying a refined and enriching piece of music.

Within the opening seconds of "Younger Days" we're greeted with a nostalgia-tinged line from McEntire that seems to glide over the crisp guitar-work from Jenks Miller, "You were always wild" croons Heather in a track that laments on the hopelessness that comes with being left behind.  "August is over, so when are you coming back?", it's a reprise found within "Younger Days" that feels so bright texturally, but upon further inspection proves itself to reek of abandonment.  Mount Moriah's music doesn't dwell on this sadness though, but rather embraces the full spectrum of our emotions.  A track like "Younger Days" serves as the perfect opener for Miracle Temple, it's bright and catchy and perfectly transitions into the bouncy, anthemic track "Bright Lights", but even then it's a song that contains multitudes.  Most of Mount Moriah's songs do.  There's the surface aesthetic that a listener can immediately appreciate, but there's also a veil to be peeled back that opens up a possibility to truly connect with this artist.  Miracle Temple is filled with big-town dreams from a small-town perspective, lyrics that are filled with a deep desire to clutch on to some sense of security.

Jeff Mangum announces more tour dates, stopping through Chapel Hill

The legendary Jeff Mangum shocked the music world when he announced new tour dates in 2011 and returned from his lengthy hiatus, but his comeback doesn't seem to be over just yet.  Mangum recently announced more new tour dates for the US as well as some rescheduled European shows as well.  As this news gradually spreads I'm sure you'll be able to hear the fanboy shrieks throughout the Triangle (myself included) for days to come when they find out that  Mangum will be stopping through the beautiful Memorial Hall at UNC-Chapel Hill on January 30 with tickets going on sale this Friday, November 11 at noon.

The rest of Mangum's tour dates are as followed:

Around The Triangle: Wild Flag, Blitzen Trapper, Sinful Savage Tigers, Emily Stewart & The Baby Teeth

Wild Flag @ The Cat's Cradle on October 21, 2011

This week's edition of Around The Triangle brings us yet another new Bottom String Session from Shakori Hills, this time with Emily Stewart & The Baby Teeth out of Greensboro, NC, as well as more awesome shots from Agatha Donkar's ventures around the triangle.  This week's shows included Blitzen Trapper and Smoke Fairies at The Cat's Cradle, Wild Flag and Eleanor Friedberger at The Cat's Cradle, and Sinful Savage Tigers album release show with Phil Cook & His Feat at The Station in Carrboro.

All of this week's photos as well as our latest Bottom String Session can be found after the jump!

Album Review: "Last Summer" by Eleanor Friedberger

Eleanor Friedberger's Last Summer was released on July
12, 2011 on Merge Records

The Illinois songstress Eleanor Friedberger may be best known for her work with her brother Matthew in the critically acclaimed The Fiery Furnaces, but after hearing all of her talents shine through on her debut solo record, Last Summer, it's clear that she's much more than just the (pardon the pun) fiery frontwoman of a heavily influential band of the 00's, she's also a powerhouse of a solo artist who's mastered all of the little nuances of her sound, making sure that there's not a single moment on this record that's lacking in sound or lyricism.  Friedberger's record is filled with densely packed layers of instrumentation that perfectly compliment the refrain and subtlety that's displayed in her vocals.