Good Charlotte -- While it is cool they got Tenacious D's Kyle Gass and lo-fi god Mike Freakin' Watt to appear in their video (Watt the hell?), I'm still not sure how a band can make a "satirical" video called "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" while exhibiting just that. These kids and their cuddly "punk rock." Sheesh. Aside: Tim Armstrong wants his hair wax back. With Home Grown & Halo Friendlies. Tremont Music Hall (Davis)
THURSDAY 11.14
Altan -- Altan have shied from using electronic treatments or synthesizer overdubs and stuck with warm, acoustic instruments resulting in traditional Celtic music bristling joy. The band, named after a picturesque lake in Ireland, put together perfect music for crisp, fall evenings. All the jigs, reels and Celtic folk tunes they play, whether originals or established standards, treat listeners to an evening of proper contemporary Irish music. Singer Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh's smashing voice presents the extra treat to top it all off. Neighborhood Theatre (Shukla)
Col. Bruce Hampton & The Code Talkers -- Rock & Roll music's second most favorite colonel, Bruce Hampton continues what he started in The Aquarium Rescue Unit and the Fiji Mariners (and before that, numerous legendary Atlanta bands). Namely, jazz-inspired, neo-tropical, guitar-heavy jams that can stretch into the wee hours. Like yet another famous colonel, Hampton keeps things interesting with just the right touch of spice, setting his music apart from many others of the same ilk. Visulite Theatre (Davis)
Freeloader -- NYC trio unfold their emotive Americana rock in an unforced manner. Singer Scott Sinclair gives away his Texas drawl, adding the necessities for genuine crooning while surfing waters that are a tad heavier than their kin. It's fully loaded country-rock that floats along the surface without unnecessarily pouncing at you with teeth grinning while showing that a pared down outfit of drums/guitars/bass lineup can still deliver. Double Door Inn (Shukla)
FRIDAY 11.15
Cindy Kalmenson -- A pleasant and steady voiced singer/songwriter who uses minimal invasive instruments and puts together country and a bit of Latin flavored folk muse. She's put out a couple of records and the latest, Witness, is pretty decent throughout. A Nashville folkie that takes some cues from Lucinda Williams and, though she's one of many, sounds better than most. With David Holtzclaw and Bibis. The Evening Muse (Shukla)
King Johnson -- Atlanta's King Johnson, voted "Best Blues Band" two years running by the critics of Atlanta's Creative Loafing, primarily feature the talents of Oliver Wood, a talented guitarist who has toured with Tinsley Ellis and penned songs for both Ellis and Delbert McClinton. Don't let the smarmy, Myrtle Beach T-shirt name fool you -- Wood does a decent enough job of infusing big doses of soul and R&B into his workman's blues. (The band name is actually a combination of two of the more storied surnames in blues history.) Double Door Inn (Davis)
Mary Prankster -- Mary is the nice gal next door who'll give you a smile, stroke your ego and kick you in the nuts. Actually these pranksters are a trio headed by the effervescent Mary Prankster on guitars and vocals. She spits out cow punk laced with carnival sounds, country line dances and whatever else that gets in her drawers. Mitch Easter twisted the knobs on her latest disc, Tell Your Friends, and all is game in Mary's domain with an occasional reggae ditty or twangy country tune breaking up the spastic rock and roll. The Evoka Project, steamrolling the east coast, are also on the bill. Amos' Southend (Shukla)
SATURDAY 11.16
14 Feet Wide -- These guys are back after a lengthy hiatus and with good reason. They've got some heavy hittin' new material that's probably their best work to date and it should be available in the form of a brand new album before the end of the year. The band is kind of like the heroes of old school hard core for the Charlotte area. Along with 5 Times Down, they started a movement years ago that spawned lots of similar acts but never quite managed the same impact. Tonight, however, they'll be joined by some of the best of the newer breed, Clout and Defi. Tremont Music Hall (Lynn Farris)
Gamble Brothers Band / Gnappy -- A nice double header of jam and funk. Gnappy are a spacey funk band that use a spacious approach to jazz-funk, making it float in a trippy, acid environment. The sax is used here for hallucinatory psychedelic effects while the bottom heavy bass, spare percussion and groovy guitars finish up the sound. It's an enticing approach and works in their favor. / The Gamble Brothers Band are more on the blues and slow tempo side putting some elements of New Orleans R&B in the funky mix. Mojo Restaurant & Spirits (Shukla)
Glen Tilbrook -- Tilbrook, of course, is from one of my all-time guilty favorites, the band Squeeze. Honeycutt, on the other hand, is from the band Everything, and while not a bad band, they're not a favorite, guilty or otherwise. Tilbrook's been touring like a madman recently, in support of his The Incomplete Glen Tilbrook, a nicely-titled record and a damn good one to boot, featuring songs with the likes of Aimee Mann and Ron Sexsmith. Amos' Southend (Davis)
Jeffrey Dean Foster -- As Kurt Cobain says on Nirvana's Unplugged record, I know I'm gonna screw this up. Jeffrey Dean Foster, formerly of the Pinetops, is always an engaging presence on stage, but his solo stuff leans a little more toward the liberal side of the alt.country genre (i.e., not all that alt.country). Good stuff, however. Foster's working on a new record as we speak, along with sometime bandmates Brian Landrum (Black Eyed Dog) and Cliff Retallick (Mercury Dime). To boot, Foster also played guitar alongside William Shatner in those infernal Priceline.com commercials. Perhaps more importantly but not nearly as interesting, Marti Jones recently released his "So Lonesome I Could Fly." They'll be appearing with Black Eyed Dog, and also, to further confuse matters, Jeffrey Hyde Thompson. The Evening Muse (Davis)
TUESDAY 11.19
Cicero Buck -- The Anglo/American duo have a newish disc out, Delicate Shades of Grey, on the appropriately titled Super Tiny Records. The first thing that grabs you is lead singer/songwriter Kris Wilkinson, a vocalist with an earthy lilt to her voice and a crafts(wo)man's way with a song. Bassist and songwriter Joe Hughes pairs nicely with Wilkinson, playing Linda Thompson to her Richard (if that makes any sense). The meat-and-potatoes production quality works well with the songs, allowing them, simple and unadorned, to stand by themselves, rich in flavor and lyrical freshness (two months without a music/food reference down the drain. Damn!). The Evening Muse (Davis)
WEDNESDAY 11.20
Dr. Didg -- Dr. Didg (aka Graham Wiggins) got his name because of his fascination with the didgeridoo and because he's really a doctor -- he earned his PhD at Oxford University. And what this educated fella has done with the traditional wind instrument is truly interesting. He's blended a primitive sound with modern dance music to make a multi-layered, hypnotic, psychedelia groove. Before becoming Didg, Wiggins spent time in London in the band Outback, who he released two albums with. Didg also gigged with the Grateful Dead and appeared on two solo albums from the Dead's Mickey Hart. Mojo Restaurant & Spirits (Lynn Farris)