Seasoned by a childhood on a Connecticut tobacco farm, fortified by a lengthy period absorbing the unique vibe of the Oakland/Berkeley area, and, most recently, embraced by the Nashville Underground, vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Richard Ferreira is poised to break on through. He possesses a thrilling voice and creates music that makes you think of Van Morrison, Elvis […]
Rick Cornell
Posted inNews
In alt-country
Alt-country casts a wide net, pitches a large tent, or whatever personification you’re fond of. Therein lies its beauty, or, for detractors, the rub. Those strong of leg and wallet can experience its breadth thanks to an alt-country weekend of sorts. Trailer Bride kicks things off with Thursday’s Local 506 show (see page 45). On […]
Posted inMusic
Holy matrimony, unholy twang
Not to get all sentimental (or cliched), but it seems like just yesterday that Melissa Swingle and her cohorts in the initial Trailer Bride lineup were making their debut at The Cave, Local 506, The Brewery, and other local, new-artist-friendly establishments. It’s actually been more like 2,700 yesterdays–not to mention four albums, with a fifth […]
Posted inMusic
Tapestry: More King Crimson than Carole King
Jud Patterson doesn’t consider himself an artist–in his words, “I can barely draw water from a well”–but a number of folks insist on thrusting that title upon him. As the founder and sole proprietor of Kreative Concepts LLC, Patterson is a professional etcher. And he finds himself in the enviable position of being able to […]
Posted inNews
In pickin’
Durham’s Jon Shain honed his admirable picking, singing, and writing skills in the bands Flyin’ Mice and Wake before launching a solo career that calls on Piedmont blues and ragtime as often as it rings up pop and rock. His new No Tag, No Tail Light continues to position Shain as the perfect guy to […]
Posted inMusic
What a relief!
Not only does the Triangle have more than its fair share of good musicians, but it’s blessed with an abundance of good-hearted ones; I’m convinced that the area leads the nation in benefit shows per capita. The latest is the Benefit for Food and Medicine, an event with both an admirable five-band line-up that features […]
Posted inMusic
The new old MerleFest shuffle
How to keep the current customers happy while also attracting newcomers? It’s a bit unflattering and unfair to think of MerleFest as a product and its attendees as customers, but the MerleFest moniker certainly has strong brand-name recognition, and its organizers do face the challenge of ensuring that the “regulars” keep returning year after year […]
Posted inMusic
Fiddler’s Waltz
On her full-length debut last year, the aptly titled While You Weren’t Looking, Caitlin Cary was able to sneak up on people. Granted, some listeners knew her from Whiskeytown, but her triple-threat contributions–vocal, instrumental and lyrical–tended to be overshadowed by Ryan Adams’ histrionics. While You Weren’t Looking, which followed the Waltzie EP, was Cary’s opportunity […]
Posted inMusic
Rock of (All) Ages
Many reviews compare Chicago singer-songwriter Justin Roberts to favorite Tarheel son James Taylor, a point that might get the attention of a number of North Carolina music fans. But even more attractive for those with a young child or two in the house is that Roberts makes records for kids that are also suitable for […]
Posted inMusic
The Vinyl Frontier
Perhaps record shows are close kin to Star Trek conventions. But instead of rattling off the name of the character that Kim Darby played in episode 12, record show enthusiasts (let’s call them Rekkers instead of Trekkers) can tell you all of the New Zealand bands that spun out of The Clean. Plus, they can […]