Benji Hughes sings on the televesion

Benji Hughes, the Charlotte-based crooner who released his double-album debut last year andgraced the cover of Shuffle #3, will make his television debut with a performance tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live on the ABC network.

Birds of Avalon finishing new record

Birds of Avalon are getting ready to issue their follow-up to the Outer Upper Inner EP, produced by Mitch Easter and mastered by Greg Calbi. You can read all about BoA's recording process at their blog.

New Hammer No More The Fingers video: "Nitro"

Hammer No More the Fingers: Nitro from Matt Williams on Vimeo.

Durham trio Hammer No More The Fingers is readying its first long-playing platter, Looking For Bruce, for an April release on Churchkey Records. They've been bringing the new songs to area stages for a while now, and the Greensboro-based Dot Matrix Project captured "Nitro" at a November show at the Gate City venue, The Green Burro.

Attn: Greenville, NC

This is floating around Myspace. Help your scene, Greenville!

To Greenville:
(and all who have been through to see a show or performed in this town and loved the vibe)

The live music and art community here is at an important junction. Over the past few months this town has seen the underground spaces that have made Greenville so special drop like flies. The Spazzatorium Galleria! closed. The Turducken House (11th St.) retired. Spider Skull closed. Legit spaces that opened their doors to keep a music community existent disappeared (R.I.P. 21:11 Beer & Wine). The only club willing to work with us, The Corner, closed.

A legit venue at the former home of Sociology/Spider Skull is our goal. We are doing everything in our collective power to make this happen and to bring about a new incarnation of The Spazzatorium. Our limits have been reached as to what we can do on our own. It is now we ask the folks out there who want this to become a reality to step up and put their efforts forth. If everyone gives a little we can make this happen. People behind the scenes have been fighting tooth and nail, scraping away what time and money they have to do this. We have reached our wall. Everyone reading this who has ever been to a show or event should be able to see how important this endeavor is. A place to host and allow creativity to flourish is vital for this town. We have people willing to be there when this happens. Willing to give their time and efforts to keep this dream going. We just have to get there.

We’re asking everyone to pitch in whatever they can to help. Below is a secure link to contribute to our efforts via Paypal. Even if you don’t have a paypal account most credit cards will work.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2484114

If you have paypal all donations can be processed to moviej2k AT gmail DOT com

A detailed list of where the money is going will be made available.

From Feb through April I will be in the Philadelphia area taking an opportunity to run The Danger Danger Gallery while the people who regularly run this amazing space go on tour with their bands. My departure comes at a time where transition is occurring. Do-it-yourself mentality has run me ragged and it’s clear to me that Greenville needs a broader spectrum of influence and allowance. The only way we can do this is together.

D.I.Y. IS DEAD :

D.I.T.– DO IT TOGETHER!

As we speak there are folks learning the ropes to be their own “booker” and if you have an inclination that this might be something you’d like to try get in touch, because we need ya! The complacency and reliance on one person to do everything was never an intention so I’m stepping back some to allow more diversity.

Unity through diversity!?!

The entire month of Feb will be a benefit month for the Spazz 2.0. All shows that take place will have local/semi-local bands performing as a benefit for the space with all proceeds going directly towards our efforts.

I love this town more than I can express because it allowed me to do what I love doing for this long. I plan on returning here after those 3 months to continue to do my part in making it an amazing place to live in and visit. The catalyst will be if we can get The Spazzatorium going again. Let’s make this happen folks because this is probably the final attempt in a long held dream and I know we can come together to make this happen. Sit back now, do nothing, and watch it die before your eyes. Step up, do your part, and watch the withered roots blossom into a life-nourishing, soul-stirring tree of creativity. I promise you we have something so special here folks. People from all over this country, heck even the world, see and feel the unique energy and spirit Greenville has. It just needs a home.

LET’S SAVE THE SPAZZ!

Please repost this. Everyone...

-Jeff B.

Ryan Adams has had enough.

Pretty much the whole indie rock universe has picked up on this little tidbit, but I saw it here first. Ryan Adams, still the ex-Whiskeytown frontman, has declared his intent to add "ex-Cardinals frontman" to his list of titles. This announcement, naturally, came in blog-form--which you can see here.

The main idea: Ryan Adams' March 20 date in Atlanta will (reportedly) be his last with The Cardinals. He also intends to take time off from music in general, though doesn't rule out the possibility of coming back to it at some point in the future. He's just taking a break.

Adams and the Cardinals have two pre-break-up dates scheduled in South Carolina. Details below.

March 11 – No. Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center Tickets

March 12 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium

Presale starts Thursday, January 15th at 10am here
Password: COBWEBS
Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, January 16th at 10am here

Lunchbox Records celebrates three years

Charlotte-based Lunchbox Records has reached its third year of successful operation, spitting in the face of the music industry's wings-ablaze descent to what seems like inevitable bankruptcy. If ever there were cause for celebration, this is it. And what better way to do so, than to throw not just a show, but two--including what might turn out to be the best punk show you're likely to see all year.

The festivites kick-off with an in-store show at Lunchbox's Central Avenue headquarters, featuring Graf Orlock (CA), Lewd Acts (CA) and Lowbrow (Charlotte).

Then, it's time for the main event at The World Famous Milestone Club. The show will be headlined by the long-running (and p4k-endorsed) Fucked Up and Raleigh's HC-revivalist heroes Double Negative. Local support comes in the form of Grids (featuring Lunchbox clerk Rob Davis) and Planet Piss (featuring Lunchbox honcho Scott Wishart).

Fuck yeah.

Giant = Brave Young

The post-metal behemoth that Greensboro's Giant has become is plainly obvious to any who have seen recent shows. The now-instrumental act has shed it's more metallic trappings, and with it its old moniker. Giant is now Brave Young. Kind of. No massive Myspace switchovers have happened, and you'll still see the name Giant on venue calendars. But if you see Brave Young, you'll know what's up.

Also, while you're confused, head over to Giant/Brave Young's Myspace page to hear the new "The Days That Sat in Front of Everything" in all its 17-minute glory.

Kooley High, movie stars

To date, Kooley High has only released one proper album--and an E.P. at that. But that didn't stop filmmaker Napoleon Wright from deciding the young rap group was a worthy enough subject to be the focus of a documentary, "One Time." The film debuts Jan. 24 at the Galaxy Theater in Cary.

Here's the trailer:

"One Day" Movie Preview from Kooley High on Vimeo.

The Foreign Exchange's Leave It All Behind now available on vinyl!

Raleigh-slash-Wilmington duo The Foreign Exchange--aka Phonte and Nicolay--slated its second long-player, and arguably one of 2008's best contemporary R&B records for a staggered release: digital first, then CDs, and now, vinyl. If you missed it the first time around, here's a chance to catch it on a trendsetting format.

From a Nicolay Music press release:

Calling all vinyl-enthousiasts and FE-collectors! The 2xLP Gatefold edition of "Leave It All Behind" will be in stores this Tuesday, January 13th.This is a one-time pressing of only 1000 copies and there will be no future re-presses. Each copy is individually numbered.

NOTE: Phonte and Nicolay have signed a little over 80 copies to be sold exclusively through Nicolay Music! Click here to visit the Nicolay Music webstore.

The Love Language hits the highway with The Rosebuds

Consider Raleigh well-represented on East Coast Highways this month as the capital city pop crew The Love Language joins Shuffle 4 cover stars The Rosebuds on tour for four dates plus a Cat's Cradle homecoming with Megafaun.

This comes on the heels of the announcement of The Love Language's brand new self-titled LP on Bladen County Records--and addition to Ground Control Touring's clientele.

Love Language tour dates with The Rosebuds
1/14 Otto Bar, Baltimore, MD
1/15 Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, PA
1/16 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
1/17 Middle East Downstairs, Boston, MA
1/24 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC