in the audio universe The Delgados‘ latest, Universal Audio, eschews the orchestral grandeur of the last two Dave Fridmann-produced albums, The Great Eastern and Hate, for a sunnier pop hop that is at times unabashedly upbeat, both musically and lyrically. If they’re happier-sounding than on earlier records, they’re just as lyrically acute, developing into a […]
Chris Parker
Bio: After a fond stint in the Triangle, Chris Parker lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where he writes about music and politics for a variety of newspapers and magazines. He has written about music for INDY Week since 2002.
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I’m a drummer, not a singer!
You could call it a brilliant mistake. To hear The Wigg Report singer/guitarist Steve Mullaney tell it, it’s just a bold stroke of serendipity. “It’s all just an accident. I’m not a guitar player. I was never supposed to be a singer. I’m a drummer,” Mullaney says, reiterating the esteem generally granted the most replaceable […]
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in Dolliances
Dolly Parton’s striking profile has become a pop culture icon, a testament not only to her good looks and the savvy marketing of her “dumb blonde” persona, but also to her success crossing over into mainstream music and films. But if pop hits such as “Here You Go Again” and “9 to 5” made her […]
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Sonic Reducer
The Honored Guests–Iawokeinacityasleep (lll of 5) This Chapel Hill trio’s music has a thick, sonorous fullness that drips from your speakers like syrup. Reminiscent of British dream pop in the roundness of their tone, they have a sometimes regrettable tendency toward an ethereal psychedelica that lingers like smoke wafting off a still-burning cigarette. The best […]
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Day of the Evil Wiener
It’s the time of year when the thoughts of all twisted, rock-inclined boys and girls turn to Evil Wiener. The area’s pre-eminent holiday rockers, Evil Wiener is as integral to Triangle occasions (such as Independence Day, Halloween and Christmas) as malfeasance is to unchecked power. Led by singer/guitarist Billy Sugarfix, Evil Wiener shows are an […]
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Sparkling music
Like a kid brother, Sparklefest returns, offering a jangly autumnal pop counterpoint to Sleazefest’s end-of-summer garage rock blowout. The nomadic festival, which has seen four venues in five years, started out as a celebration of power pop, much like the International Pop Overthrow festival, but founder Mike Nicholson has recently disowned that handy categorization. “[Power […]
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In giant steps
The Brooklyn duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnel are something like a prime number–you could take all their influences and yet they’d remain, irreducibly, They Might Be Giants. What unites their eight-album oeuvre is an off-beat sense of humor, infectious melodies, and a quirky aesthetic that recalls early XTC. They epitomize late-’80s college rock […]
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Getting the deal
Like a lottery ticket, the promise of a major label deal often far outstrips what the opportunity actually delivers. Singer/guitarist Mike Garrigan discovered this firsthand. Snatched up at the tender age of 21 by Universal Records, he had a deal before he even had a band, and bypassed law school for a spin at the […]
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The Moaners, Chrome Plated Apostles and new Comas
After driving 14 hours from New Orleans, enduring severe gastroenteritis induced by Krystal’s knock-off White Castle sliders, and being hit by an errant beer from a drunk patron, The Moaners can be excused for not turning in their most scintillating performance at Sleazefest–even by their own estimation. But all that aside, the duo of guitarist […]
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From the stage to the studio
They’re rock’s shadowy figures, largely eschewing the spotlight even though their role will in part dictate an artist’s success. We’re talking about the producer, who in the course of his duties wears many hats–from coach to cosmetologist–wringing that great performance out of the players, while fitting them with a sonic ‘look’ that they’re comfortable in […]