Friday Five: Top 5 Albums from Merge Records

This summer, Chapel Hill's own Merge Records celebrated 20 years of being in business. And there's a book detailing the ups and downs of the label. To understand Merge from a fan and musician's point of view, I could think of no one better than crazy Duncan Webster, the lead singer of Durham's Hammer No More The Fingers.


Duncan (left, bass), Joe (right, guitar) and Jeff (drums) of Hammer No More The Fingers

Duncan is the most mild-mannered guy in person but undergoes a Clark Kent towards the wild side once on stage as HNMTF's frontman. Here are Duncan's top 5 albums from Merge:

5. Destroyer - This Night



I first heard songs from this record on WXDU 88.7. The Duke University student station. I have memories of listening to this on a Greyhound bus journey down to Florida to visit some friends. Dan Bejar also plays in New Pornographers, who are one of Hammer's favorite bands. He has a pretty unique voice.




4. Polvo - Celebrate The New Dark Age



My friend Nick Wallhausser bought this record when we were in 6th grade. I have many memories of us jamming out to this at his house. It's the scariest, most intense indie rock you will ever hear. I saw them live at Vanish Fest a year later. My parents dropped me off at the show. It was at the old Durham Bulls park. They played two 15 minute long songs. That was their set. Pretty crazy stuff.

3. Spoon - Girls Can Tell



I saw these guys open for Superchunk at Cat's Cradle in, I think, 2002. I had never heard of them. The crowd was totally blown away. Little did I know they would become one of the most well known indie bands of the decade. "Lines In The Suit" is one of the sexiest songs I've ever heard.

2. Shark Quest - Battle Of The Loons



I bought this CD from the used bin at Poindexter records in Durham. Beautiful instrumental rock. One of the first times hearing cello in indie rock.

1. Rosebuds - Life Like



I bought this album at a Rosebuds show back in 2008. It's been in constant rotation since. It's their latest and possibly greatest. I love "In The Backyard." Great song.
More after the jump...

review: Hear Here: The Triangle Various NC artists

Hear Here: The Triangle
WKNC and Terpsikhore Records and Flying Tiger Sound
Various North Carolina Artists, 2009

Compilations are always a weird beast to review, because well, they are disjointed by their very nature. There is not supposed to be continuity, only fresh revelations. It's hell to listen to, because I have to keep referring to the tracklisting just to see which song is going. But none of that is the fault of Hear Here because it does what a comp is supposed to do--introduce excellent new music. But Hear Here takes it a step further and does not just throw a bunch of songs on a disc, but asked all of the bands included to record an original song. And we're not talking slouches. Here's a new Rosebuds single, a new Love Language and Birds of Avalon single, something from Annuals and Terpsikhore Records spin-off band, Sunfold. And Lonnie Walker, Hammer No More The Fingers, The Never are like old nearby friends--it's always good to see them in the neighborhood.

All of the bands are from the Triangle area of North Carolina, an area that is being flooded with good music. But the good kind of flood. There is a serious revolution going on there; it's no joke. In fact, it's easy for me to name another 6-8 unsigned/independent bands that should've been on this comp, that could have created an equally as satisfying mix of music. Hit up this and this for a few examples. So there's no Bellafea, no Midtown Dickens, no Red Collar, no Aminal, no Megafaun, no Bowerbirds. Only one Trekky Records band. But then, this comp succeeds in introducing me to yet another wave of bands that are now on the totally awesome list, like Motorskills. Their song "Right As Hell," sounds like it was a Thom Yorke B-side, which in this case is a good thing. They do not copy Thom Yorke, they embody him, or at least a really air-tight compact version of something he might do. The Kingsbury Manx also offers a gem with "Custer's Last Stand" as they take a new surf music approach to a U.S. western showdown.

A friend of mine told me it was a big deal that Colossus had a new song on here, as they're an older-type metal band who are getting back together for a few shows. So the song is a good welcome back gesture.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Americans in France track, their snotty, dirty garage sound is finally endearing to me. Also surprised by the track from The Never. Called "Littlest Things" it doesn't veer far from their previous work, but it does incorporate some gentler, quieter parts than I'm used to with their music--usually it's so quick and poppy, whereas this is simple and understanding rather than on a sugar rush. It's good for them and their harmonies on this track soar.

There are several hip-hop/rap songs on here from bands like Kooley High and The Beast that I can't really comment on because I have no knowledge of them or other groups that may be like them. With that said, I guess I will comment--I enjoyed "My People" by The Beast.

This disc is worth picking up and knowing about because knowing is knowledge in case anyone was wondering. Track list is after the jump...



Track List:

1. Lonnie Walker, “Feels Like Right”
2. Kooley High, “Can’t Go Wrong”
3. The Love Language, “Horophones”
4. The Never, “Littlest Things”
5. Colossus, “Sunglasses in Space”
6. Birds of Avalon, “Telepathic Creep”
7. Hammer No More The Fingers, “The Visitor”
8. Motor Skills, “Right as Hell”
9. The Kingsbury Manx, “Custer’s Last Stand”
10. Blount Harvey, “The Three”
11. Static Minds, “Time Bomb”
12. The Beast, “My People”
13. Americans In France, “No Love for a Prophet”
14. Inflowential, “Sheriff”
15. The Old Ceremony, “Gone Go the Memories”
16. Sunfold, “Weeping Wall”
17. The Rosebuds, “Brad Cook is Not Your Man”




More after the jump...

New vid: Hammer No More The Fingers "Fall Down, Play Dead"

Was looking for a reason to write about Hammer No More The Fingers (HNMTF) again, so here's a good one. The alt-grunge-power-rock trio from Durham, NC just let out on all of us unsuspecting souls a new video of "Fall Down, Play Dead." The song is from their new record, Looking for Bruce out on Church Key and recorded by J. Robbins. This is one of those songs that makes you yell: "Tight rhythm section! Tight rhythm section!" and "Oh, awesomeness is here!" Don't quite get the moving mobile device/concert poster conceit---but there's a nice teaser at the end that says "To Be Continued." One day, one glorious day, all these great mysteries of HNMTF will be explained!

This song reminds me of that one time I was watching HNMTF and the owner came in and shut them down for being too loud and Duncan wore the cheesiest neon-patterned shirt I had ever seen and I had thought I had died and gone to indie rock/basketball heaven because I could simultaneously watch the band and the Eastern Conference Finals on the biggest, nicest flat screen ever--and I was only like 5 feet from both of the action-filled events. Wait, that was last weekend.

Here are some more dates for the band--they play all the freakin' time so hear them or book a show for them.

Jun 5 2009 ASHEVILLE, North Carolina @ New French
Jun 6 2009 COLUMBIA, South Carolina @ The Whig
Jun 12 2009 WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina @Wherehouse
Jun 13 2009 PITTSBORO, North Carolina TRKfest @ Piedmont Biofuels
Jun 15 2009 HIGH POINT, North Carolina @ NCBF
Jun 19 2009 CHARLOTTE, North Carolina @ Tremont w/ Lights Fluorescent More after the jump...