Orange Driver - Ugly As Sin - 1991 (WARNING: Language!!!)
live at the Cat's Cradle - previously unreleased

In 1990, Ugly Americans guitarist Danny Hooley (nee "Hooligan") moved from Durham to Raleigh to form the first version of Orange Driver with singer/guitarist Danny Kurtz, bassist Chris Stephens and drummer Chris Brewer.

The band, which played most of its gigs at The Fallout Shelter (now defunct) that year, was short-lived, but during this time, Hooley wrote some of the songs that would be carried over to the next version of the band, including "Walk Home Alone" "Rio Rita," and "The Driver."

Hooley moved back to Durham in mid-1990 and formed another band with guitarist Matt Paul, and bassist Joe Caparo and drummer Norman Underwood of Chapel Hill band Leap of Faith.

Caparo and Underwood worked at Pepper's Pizza, so Chapel Hill naturally became the band's base of operations. At the time, of course, Chapel Hill was experiencing a musical renaissance, with bands like Superchunk, Archers of Loaf and Pipe. Hooley's idea was for the band to stand out with its punk-inspired hard rock, much in the same way The Dead Boys stood out in the art-rock scene of Cleveland in the late `70s.

But, just as The Dead Boys had to eventually move to New York to make their fame, Orange Driver learned that going against the grain in a tightknit scene doesn't always work. Although they drew enthusiastic audiences in Durham, Greensboro and Raleigh, the band was unpopular in Chapel Hill, despite getting some college radio airplay the single "Walk Home Alone" /The Driver/"Rio Rita" on the band's own Power Trash Records.

Drummer Norman Underwood was the first to leave, replaced by OD mach 1 drummer Chris Brewer. Orange Driver split up for good in 1993.

Band Members:
Danny Hooley — Guitar, vocals
Matt Paul — Guitar
Joe Caparo — Bass, vocals
Drums — Norman Underwood

Glory Fountain - Faith - 1997
from the cd "Blame Love"

Glory Fountain began as the duo of John Chumbris and Lynn Blakey, who called themselves Sundowners. The two natives of Washington, D.C., had begun a casual songwriting partnership after becoming acquainted at a local studio while recording. When both Chumbris and Blakey settled in North Carolina, the pair began to craft songs together and to play out on area stages. Chumbris would play guitar and contribute harmonies, while Blakey wrote lyrics and sang. Glory Fountain evolved into a four-person outfit with the additions of drummer John Williams and bass player David Collins. The group has performed with a list of artists that includes Tanya Donelly, Mary Lou Lord, Juliana Hatfield, the Backsliders, and Whiskeytown. Before settling down in Glory Fountain, Chumbris played bass in both the Wanktones and the Slickee Boys. Blakey previously teamed with Lynda Stipe and Linda Hopper in the Georgia band Oh-OK. Williams has worked with the Lubricators and Econoline, while Collins worked with Eighthundred.

Lynn is now a member of Tres Chicas.

Band Members:
Lynn Blakey - Vocals, Guitar
John Chumbris - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Organ
Eddie Walker - Drums

Grover - Yeah, I'm Dumb - 1995
from the Zero Hour release "My Wild Life"

Grover was the short-lived trio led by ex-Let's Active guitarist (and the former Mrs. Mitch Easter) Angie Carlson, backed with drummer Chris Phillips, and bassist Dave Burris. Their sole album, My Wild Life, was released by Zero Hour Records in 1995, but pretty much disappeared immediately. Phillips went back to his day job as the drummer for the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Burris (see Light In August) switched to guitar and formed the eclectic alt-country act Jolene with ex-HardSoul Poet John Crooke. Carlson largely retired from music, taking up a position as an editor for a North Carolina alternative weekly newspaper. Angie now works for Yep Roc in Carrboro, NC.

Band Members:
Angie Carlson - Guitar, Vocals
Chris Phillips - Drums
Dave Burris - Bass
*Mitch Easter - Heavy Bass

Notes From A Strange Mailbag - Doy - 1986
from the Deep South Records release "If I Was A Russian I'd Be A Czar"

Notes from a Strange Mailbag had a sound. What that sound was exactly, I can't really define...but it was their sound. The band was a amalgam of each members prevailing tastes: Norwood's hip-hop influence, Evan's hard rock riffage, Jeffs pop-rock songcraftand Eddie's jazz-school percussion. And the common denominator between all four band members was punk rock. Wherein most bands these contrasting influences would cause conflict, in Notes it spurred creativity.

Originally formed as a three piece by high-school friends Eddie, Evan and Norwood, things kicked into high-gear when the founding members asked college bud Jeff Carroll to join on second guitar. Adrenaline flowing, Notes: Mach II headed out for world domination (or at least a good support gig at Cat's Cradle). In turn, this CD is not a comprehensive take of the bands career but rather a snapshot of this period, the most creative of the band.

Although "Fight for Your Right to Party" and "Walk this Way" were dominating the radio charts, no one was combining rock and rap in a live element. Fact is Notes from a Strange Mailbag were blending components of rock/rap/metal before most people would admit to liking more than one of these genres. After all, this was 1986. It wasn't until years later that bands like Urban Dance Squad made a splash and much later before Beck mastered the still-fledgling 'genre'. Notes were ahead of their time, way ahead of their time.

This CD is combination of recording sessions from '86-'87. Although a nice reminder of what was, these low-budget recordings do not fully capture the dynamics of each individual song. Nor the brilliance of the bands performances. Live is where the band really propelled...from the 'Face Dancing/Bass Scratching' of 'Doy' Jo the full-metal blast of "Call the Maker" (Look, every good southern boy owns a copy of "Back in Black", okay?). And the band never recorded their array of covers: from Disco ("I Love the Nightlife") to New Wave ("Rio" complete w/kazoo solo)...and again, before it was deemed fashionable to delve into these musical era's.

If a band this creative and talented started today, they'd be signed in a second and you'd have Kennedy or Tabitha spelling about the group, not me. I was the defacto manager mainly due to my 'music industry experience' (I had read a few issues of CMJ and attended the New Music Seminar...). Well, of course I wasn't ready for the gig but that's not the point. The two years I spent working with the band was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Whether this is your inaugural experience or a walk through memory lane, I hope this disc moves you as much as it does me. Well, just Evan play, play, play, play

Glenn Boothe

Band Members:
Evan Olson - Guitar, Vocals
Eddie Walker - Drums, Vocals
Norwood Cheek - Bass, Vocals
Jeff Carroll - Guitar, Vocals

The Raymond Brake - Phillistine - 1995
from the Simple Machines cd "Piles Of Dirty Winters"

from the Simple Machines web site:

Patti Smith once wrote, "The perfect noise exists between everything and nothing".

Some bands are everything: the naked object, they rock in capital letters according to the most recent, successful examples in their field. They are all flash pots, angst and compression. At the other extreme bands exist as nothing: living science projects that embrace calculation over result, they remain forever all math and no magic.

The Raymond Brake existed precariously in between these two extremes. They did not state facts or obscure them with detail, they inferred. At their best they implied or divined and you, as listener, did the work to meet them in the middle at the perfect noise.

Hailing from Greensboro, NC, the Raymond Brake was in a unique position at a remarkable time. With access to the "young rock" that was pouring out of nearby Chapel Hill from Superchunk, Polvo and Archers of Loaf, you might think that they'd just have become another indie rock band. But they didn't fall into such an easy trap. Greensboro is a small town, and the Raymond Brake boys wrote incredibly complicated songs that showed their influences but mimicked none. They didn't have the luxury of being caught up and brought down as the poster children of any useless hypothetical movement. They didn't sound like another local older band that kicked ass...because there wasn't one.

Their other undeniable asset: they weren't afraid of melody. Hey, don't worry. These boys grew up on the best of American math rock...Grifters, Polvo, Sonic Youth, even the "P"-word. If there's a strange tuning or rythym in the world they tried it, but that doesn't mean you should get out your calculators. Melody is the glue in a Raymond Brake song and just because "sing" has become a four letter word in most of the rest of the indie-world, but that doesn't mean you won't find it here. The extremes of both musical innovation and simple melody co-exist with genuine depth but in a surprisingly catchy way. This is the very essence of great songwriting. The perfect mixture of freshness and familiarity.

When the Raymond Brake recorded these releases, they were all barely old enough to get in the venues they were playing. Touring was fun, recording was fun, playing was fun, and it shows all over their music. It's not cuddle-core mind you... there's nothing naive or twee about The Raymond Brake. But just the same, they're not punching the rock-n-roll clock. These boys wrote great music and they enjoyed playing it.

Band Members:
Andy Cabic: guitar, vocals
Ryan Stewart: guitar, vocals
Peder Hollinghurst: bass
Joel Darden: drums

Patty Duke Syndrome - History - 1994
from the Blast - O - Platter split 7"

In honor of the news that Lindsey Lohan has become smitten with Ryan Adams, I give you the Patty Duke Syndrome, the ying to Whiskeytown's yang (or is it the other way around).

from the Answering Bell web site:

The members of Patty Duke Syndrome came from utterly different circumstances--drummer Brian Walsby from the hectic West Coast punk scene, singer/guitarist Ryan Adams and bassist Jere McIlwean from the rural splendor of downstate NC--and the resulting music documented the tension between those two worlds in every note. During their short existence, they broke up at least a half-dozen times, but while they were together, they recorded some of the tightest postpunk around. Thanks to both the interpersonal tension and the music, it's easy and tempting to raise the specter of Husker Du -- but the songs never dive into the depths of anguish that Bob Mould always seemed to be in.

Band Members:
Ryan Adams: Guitar, Vocals.
Jere McIlwean: Thunder Broom.
Brian Walsby: Drummist.

X-Teens - Say It Isn't So & Western Eyes - 1984
from the Dolphin Records lp "Love and Politics"

Okay I am making a plea right here and now. Someone reissue the X-Teens catalog now!!!! Falling somewhere between XTC and the B52's, mixing power pop with ska and just plain quirkiness the X-Teens were in my estimation as good as it gets.

from CMJ.com

Part of the early-'80s explosion of Southern power pop, the X-Teens emulated the quirky wit and geeky tension of new wavers like Elvis Costello, XTC, and Talking Heads. The group was formed in Durham, North Carolina, and featured guitarist/vocalist Robert Bittle, keyboardist/vocalist Todd Jones, bassist/vocalist Kitty Moses, and drummer Ned Robie. Their debut release was the Don Dixon-produced EP Big Boy's Dream, issued on the local Moonlight label in 1980. Local legends Dixon and Mitch Easter both worked on the band's self-titled first album, which was released on Dolphin in 1983, several years after it was originally completed. The follow-up, 1984's Love and Politic, was the band's biggest seller, even scoring a little MTV airplay with the single "Change Gotta Come." However, that taste of success led to internal tensions, and the X-Teens split up in 1985. Jones and Robie formed 4 Who Dared, while Bittle and Moses embarked on their own project; neither achieved the respectable underground profile of their former vehicle.

note: anyone have any of the 4 Who Dared stuff or what Kitty and Robert after the X-Teens?

Band Members:
Kitty Moses - Bass
Robert Bittle - Guitars
Ned Robie - Drums
Todd Jones - Keyboards

The Ugly Americans - Night On Redneck Mountain - 1985
from the "Comboland 3" cassette

from the Independant Weekly

Sometime in 1983, Northgate Mall Record Bar clerk Bob McIlwee discovered that he shared a love for punk rock with Danny Hooley, a video arcade employee. The two formed a band that summer, recruiting drummer Dan Adams and bassist Chris Eubank--both Duke students--to complete the lineup. Adjoining dorm rooms in Duke's Alspaugh Hall were the home of the band in its infancy, though they quickly graduated to practicing and playing shows at the Duke Coffeehouse.

Early the next year, the band acted quickly, founding its own Discipline Records and recording a 14-track debut with Byron McKay at JAG Studios. The album was pressed and issued on blue vinyl months later and just months before Adams left the band. Jon McClain of Stillborn Christians success stepped in behind the kit, and a more metal-oriented approach quickly manifested itself, due in large part to Raleigh crossover rabble-rousers, Corrosion of Conformity.

The band later signed to Metal Blade imprint Death Records and issued the eight-song Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed in 1985. Tours with The Dead Kennedys, The Descendents and COC followed for two years. The band broke up in 1987, only to reform following their first reunion gig in 1988. Once again, the band eschewed metal, experimenting now with punk songs conceived with open tunings and wild time signatures when original drummer Jon McClain rejoined. They broke up for the last time in 1990.

Band Members:
Bob McIlwee - Vocals
Danny Hooley - Guitar
Jon McClain - Drums
Chris Eubank - Bass

Let's Active - In Little Ways - 1986
from the IRS release "Big Plans For Everybody"

from TrouserPress.com

North Carolina's Let's Active was probably the most misunderstood of the South's ‘80s new-pop bands. Though dogged by a rosy-cheeked nicest-guys-of-wimp-pop image, they could be downright moody. Producer/multi-instrumentalist Mitch Easter assembled the trio in 1981, but it only emerged nationally in the wake of R.E.M., whose first two discs Easter co-produced at his Drive-In garage studio outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Joining that band's label, Let's Active released a six-song EP, Afoot, bringing new meaning to such overused pop adjectives as crisp, bright and ringing. All the songs, even those with melancholy lyrics, are hook-filled, boppy and ultra-hummable. Pick to click: “Every Word Means No.”

But things were not as they seemed. Although perceived as the engineer of the now-sound-of-today in American guitar pop, Easter's own tastes were running towards the electronic gadgetry of techno-rock. (His career as a producer was also taking off.) Also, his two original partners — bassist Faye Hunter and drummer Sara Romweber (sister of Flat Duo Jets’ Dexter Romweber) — were viewed as sidepeople, despite Easter's egalitarian efforts to the contrary. In real life, the trio were not just simple, cheerful popsters. Both Easter's love of "sounds" and the band's inner conflicts were explored on Cypress, a record that is deeper and more enduring, though not as immediately winning, as Afoot. Denser, rambling textural pieces — some wistful, even angry — came to the fore. Few records sound so multi-dimensional, and Let's Active has, for that reason, been tagged psychedelic — they make sounds you can almost touch. (In 1989, IRS combined Afoot and Cypress on a single CD.)

After Hunter and Romweber (who went on to Snatches of Pink) left the band, Easter did shows with other players (including Windbreaker Tim Lee) and recorded Big Plans for Everybody piecemeal with four people, including Hunter and two permanent associates: Angie Carlson (the future ex-Mrs. Easter; guitar, keyboards) and Eric Marshall (drums). Far less twinky and hardly cute, Big Plans for Everybody is disturbingly downcast, a doleful version of pop music that isn't about sad things, but still leaves you feeling that way. The album connects emotionally, its offbeat songs making a strong impression.

Adding bassist John Heames and a few dBs of electric power, Every Dog Has His Day effectively combines Easter's homey studio approach with co-producer John Leckie's chartworthy British experience. From the blazing-guitars title track and the stomping romance of "Sweepstakes Winner" to the overtly Beatlesque "Mr. Fool," the best songs (most of them on Side One; "I Feel Funny" dominates the flip) are classic Easter: unsettled emotional lyrics and eccentric pop melodies that have him straining on vocal tiptoes to reach the hard bits.

[Elizabeth Phillips/Ira Robbins]

Collectors Choice reissued the entire Let's Active catalog in 2003. For more info click here.

A tribute to Let's Active was released in 2003 as well. For more info click here.

Band Members:
Mitch Easter - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keys
Angie Carlson - Guitar, Keys, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Eric Marshall - Drums

Snatches Of Pink - Travis - 1987
from the Dog Gone Records release "Send In The Clowns"

Snatches of Pink were a Chapel Hill, North Carolina trio, consisting of drummer Sara Romweber (ex-Let's Active), singer Andy McMillan, and guitarist Michael Rank. Unlike other North Carolina bands of the time, Snatches of Pink took a rough and ragged approach, that while often inspired, failed to make much impact. In 1987, they released their debut, Send in the Clowns followed by Dead Men in 1989 and Bent with Prey in 1992.

Michael Rank contiues to keep Snatches Of Pink going. Click Here for more info.

Band Members:
Sara Romweber - Drums
Andy McMillan - Vocals, Bass
Michael Rank - Vocals, Guitar

Archers Of Loaf - Wrong - 1996
from the Alias Records release "The Speed Of Cattle"

from CMJ.com

The Archers of Loaf were darlings of the indie world in the early to mid-'90s, thanks to an off-kilter sound that was edgy and challenging, yet melodically accessible at the same time. Cornerstones of the Chapel Hill, NC, indie scene that also spawned Superchunk and Polvo, the Archers' chief inspirations were the Replacements and Sonic Youth, but that only began to tell the story. Their music was frequently likened to a more intense, raucous version of Pavement's postmodern pop, and indeed they shared key elements: fractured song constructions, abstractly witty lyrics, clangorous guitars, and lo-fi production. More rooted in punk and noise rock, however, the Archers took the dissonance, white noise, and angularity to greater extremes, and played with more overt commitment and enthusiasm in concert. The Archers became a hip name to drop with their acclaimed 1993 debut, Icky Mettle; several more accomplished albums followed before the group called it quits in 1998.The Archers of Loaf were formed in Chapel Hill in 1991, when all four members were attending the University of North Carolina. Coincidentally, they'd all grown up in Asheville, in the western part of the state, but hadn't all gone to the same schools. Singer/guitarist Eric Bachmann, guitarist Eric Johnson, bassist Matt Gentling, and drummer Mark Price cut an independently released single, "Wrong," that helped them land a contract with the California-based indie label Alias (also home to releases by American Music Club and Yo La Tengo). Another single, "Web in Front," became a substantial hit on college radio in 1993, creating a strong buzz for the group's full-length debut. Icky Mettle arrived later in the year to highly positive reviews and more alternative-radio airplay, and the Archers supported it with an extensive national tour.A five-song concept EP, Archers of Loaf vs the Greatest of All Time, arrived on the heels of Icky Mettle in 1994. Amid growing media attention, Madonna's Maverick label made a play for the band, but they elected to continue developing on an independent, with lower commercial stakes. Their second album, the rawer and noisier Vee Vee, appeared in 1995 and was an even bigger college-radio hit, thanks in part to the single "Harnessed in Slums." The album landed in the CMJ Top Five, and even got some press from the hipper mainstream media outlets. In its wake, Eric Bachmann convened the Chapel Hill side project Barry Black, an eclectic, mostly instrumental outfit given to bizarre arrangements; their eponymous first album was also released in 1995.Meanwhile, the Archers compiled a raft of non-LP indie singles, B-sides, alternate takes, and live cuts for 1996's The Speed of Cattle. Their proper third album, All the Nation's Airports, came out later that year and showed the band moving into quieter, more layered territory. Bachmann's second album with Barry Black, Tragic Animal Stories, arrived in 1997, as did the live Archers of Loaf EP Vitus Tinnitus. The band's fourth proper album, 1998's White Trash Heroes, continued its exploration of calmer, more spacious sounds, and began to incorporate keyboards and samples. However, their marathon touring commitments were contributing to a sense of stagnation within the group. After the supporting tour for Heroes, the Archers decided to call it quits. A live album recorded at that tour's Chapel Hill show, Seconds Before the Accident, was released posthumously in 2000. Bachmann moved on to the folkier Crooked Fingers, which issued the first of several albums in 2000 as well.

Eric Bachmann has the solo project crooked fingers for more info click here.

Mark Price is the drummer for Darren Jesse's (Ben Folds Five) band Hotel Lights. For more info click here.

Band Members:
Mark Price - Drums
Eric Bachmann - Vocals, Guitar
Matt Gentling - Bass, Vocals
Eric Johnson - Guitar

Snuzz -The One Piece Band - 2002
from the cd "The One Piece Band"

I'm not sure what posessed me to listen to this cd last night, but I did. It immediately reminded me that I am still constantly amazed at Snuzz's (pronounced Snooze) talent. His voice and his songwriting are so honest and so darn catchy. As if that weren't enough, he's one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. If you've never heard this song before, do yourself a favor and give it a few spins, I think you'll be amazed as well.

The history stuff: Britt (Snuzz) Uzzell started playing bass in the hardcore band Resist while attenting UNCG. After that he band playing in Big Kidz (I'll be posting some of this soon) with Jeff Carroll (of Notes from a Strange Mailbag (I'll be posting some of this soon too). Snuzz then went on to record a solo album with Ben Folds on drums and Evan Olson on bass at Turtle Tapes in Winston-Salem. The played a few shows under the name Pots and Pans. He then went on to form Bus Stop with Evan Olson, Eddie Walker, and Chuck Folds (younger brother of Ben's). Since they broke up Snuzz has released 3 solo albums. For more on Snuzz click here.

Band Members:
Snuzz - Everything

Metal Flake Mother - Tongue Long & Fine Lady - 1991
from the Moist/Baited Breath cd "Beyond The Java Sea"

Metal Flake Mother hit the college rock scene in the early 1990's with indie rock daydreams and moody instrumentals. Making their debut on Moist/Baited Breath in 1991. They eventually called it quits not too long afterwards. Jim Mathus went on to start Squirrel Nut Zippers with a few other Chapel Hill notables. With the success of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Hep-Cat Records reissued "Beyond The Java Sea" -with the additional bonus tracks of their long out of print first EP. Other members moved on to start the Family Dollar Pharaohs and Starletta.

Band Members:
Ben Clark - Vocals, Guitar
Quince Marcum - Bass
Jim Mathus - Guitar, Vocals
"Hollywood" Randy Ward - Drums

The Blind Dates - Rain In Athens - 1985
from the S/T cassette

A few weeks ago I made a trip down to Charlotte to visit my pal Jamie Hoover. He had two LARGE boxes of cassettes waiting for me. Specifically for the purpose of this web site. I have to admit its a daunting task to dig through this much history. One of things that I stumbled across almost right away was the cassette by The Blind Dates. Being from Winston-Salem, I have never been all that familiar with the Charlotte music scene, so tons of cassettes from Jamie were a breath of fresh air, well dusty air. So anyway, I really liked this song and thought I'd share with everyone. In the coming months there will be many more bands such as this that I had no clue about. Hey, isn't that what this site is all about?

The Blind Dates were an all-girl trio from Charlotte, NC. The one fact I do know is that Deanna Campbell (guitar and vocals) went on to form 2nd Skin, Violet Strange and continues to perform today. If anyone has some decent insight into The Blind Dates and any of its members please share.

Thanks to Jamie for saving all this stuff and letting me scavenge through it.

Band Members:
Gina Stewart - Bass, Vocals
Penneye Craver - Drums, Vocals
Deanna Campbell - Guitar, Vocals

Mercury Dime - Shy Ways Into The Limelight - 1996
from the OpryFiredHank records cd "Baffled Ghosts"

from CMJ.com

Mercury Dime elevates moody Southern strum 'n' twang to high art on this LP. The album is rife with reedy, swirling melodies, punctuated with bursts of bright piano riffing and upper-register guitar work. With grace and reverence, the band ably melds the honky-tonk electricity of Tumbleweed Connection-era Elton John with the morose lilt of R.E.M.'s Fables Of The Reconstruction (in fact, the legendary Mitch Easter produced four of the ten tracks here). The result of this unlikely combination are consistently strong, and sometimes downright amazing. "Baffled Ghosts" exemplifies the latter: a classic Southern potboiler turned triumphant by the lyric cipher that it ends with, this tune should be an instant favorite. Lead singer and songwriter Cliff Retalick belts these songs out with authority and his piano skills are formidable indeed, but it's really his lyrics that are his finest work. Retalick is a master lyricist, capable of infusing bleak realities with humor and irony: "I have stained all I've touched with the sweat-sweet perfume of your inventor/Chocolate Impala, ripped cream seats, cheese for you ''neath all the sandwich meats" ("Shy Ways Into The Limelight"). Backed by the meticulous playing Alan Wyrick (electric guitar), Eric Webster (bass), Jim Martin (drums) and Darryl Jones (whose pedal-steel work deserves special mention), Ratalick's words are fleshed out in full, animated colors. Mercury Dime is an aural monument to the passion of the South that sketches an impressive portrait of that stored, mystical world.

Band Members:
Cliff Retalick - Vocals, Piano
Alan Wyrick - electric guitar
Eric Webster - bass
Jim Martin - drums
Darryl Jones - Pedal Steel

Lustre - Kalifornia - 1996
from the A&M Records s/t cd

Former Outer Limits front man Will Marley started Lustre in the mid-90's with John Ray and Greg Clayton (brother of Anti-Seen leader Jeff Clayton). With a song featured on the Empire Records soundtrack, Lustre seemed destined for success. Sadly, they were dropped from A&M after the release of their sole major label release. After the demise of Lustre, Will started the Nickel Slots.

note: If anyone has anything from Outer Limits PLEASE contact me.

Band Members:
Will Marley - Guitars, Vocals
John Ray - Bass, Vocals
Greg Clayton - Drums

Jack B. Quick - In The Trees - 1989
from the cassette "Let The Wild Rumpus Start"

From Winston-Salem this band lasted from 1989 till 1991 and had 3 different names during that time Elephant Decibels, Stranger Than Fiction, and finally Jack B. Quick. It was the combination of two bands Jonathan E (my old band) and Eleven Eleven (some transplants from Annapolis, Maryland). During our brief existence we played such venues as Cat's Cradle, Ziggys Tavern, Orchestra Pit, and Rialto Theatre. We were The Waxing Poetics official opening band whenever they came to town. We also opened for Miracle Legion, who were total jerks.

We were a very odd mix of sounds. One minute we sounded like a nice little pop band (like this song) and the next we'd be trying to channel Gang Of Four. We recorded 4 songs at Turtle Tapes very early on. This song was carted at WQFS in Greensboro and when I went back in 1997 was still being played at least once a week. The opening guitar riff was the first thing I ever wrote on guitar.

Band Members:
Doug Freeman - Keyboards, Vocals
Michael Morse - Vocals, Guitar
Michael Slawter - Guitar
Chris Myers - Bass
Rich Rothermel - Drums

One Plus Two - Windows - 1985
from the Homestead Records ep "The Ivy Room"

I've had a lot of requests for this, so here 'tis. One Plus Two were a jangle pop band from Chapel Hill. They were around from 1983 till about 1986 when lead vocalist Holden Richards started The Swamis (we'll get to that later). One Plus Two had a few lineup changes over the years and featured such rockers as Eric Peterson (Faster Faster and later The dB's) and Andy McMillan (Snatches Of Pink). At their height One Plus Two was featured on the MTV alterna-show "The Cutting Edge".

For more about Holden Richards click here.

Band Members:
Holden Richards - Vocals, Guitars
Mary Clyde Bridgers - Drums
Susan Kent - Guitars
Bob Cook - Bass

Finger - Vessel - 1992
from the S/T Skyclad LP

from Trouser Press.com:

Had Raleigh, North Carolina's Finger managed to break free of the anonymity it endured throughout a three-year career, the quartet would undoubtedly have stood tall in the sea of dreck. Finger (the American album reprises five cuts from the British seven-songer) is worth searching for, worth owning and doubly worth preserving. Led by singer/guitarist Brad Rice, the band demonstrates an uncanny ability to shift comfortably into and out of a number of musical styles without losing any of its identity as a sharp, learned and elastic-tight 4x4 rock'n'roll band. The opening "Alice" sounds a bit like the pre-punk sloppiness of the New York Dolls melded with the refinement of Hanoi Rocks. On "Daddy-Oh," Finger's reference point is the sort of slovenly southern college rock associated with Athens, Georgia. From there, songs like "Drive By" and "Vessel" head into the kind of straight-on, sincere and unfettered bash'n'crash bands like the Goo Goo Dolls hie to. Two years in the (sporadic) making, Finger is a near-perfect blend of tremendous songwriting and a gritty, muddy recording quality that keeps everything honest.

Finger contributed three numbers ("You Can Have It All" and "Out of Focus," plus a superb remake of the album's "Vessel") to the UK Fish Hips and Turkey Lips compilation, which also features regional peers Small and Motorolla (later known as Motocaster). The sound is crisper than on Finger, but again the band eschews studio trickery to stay as lifelike as possible. The EP includes the toss-off instrumental "Hey Benny," a tribute to a seemingly endless series of prank telephone calls made to a crusty southern auto salesman in the early '80s.

Band Members:
Ricky Hicks - Guitar, Vocals
John Howie - Drums, Vocals
Brad Rice - Guitar, Vocals
Jon Singletery - Bass

Sneakers - (Love's Like A) Cuban Crisis - 1976
from the Carnivorous Records ep

A history of music in North Carolina would certainly not be complete without the mention of the fabulous Sneakers. Rather than ramble on about what I think of the Sneakers let's let Trouser Press Record Guide.

from the Trouser Press Record Guide, by Ira Robbins

The 7-inch Sneakers EP—six quirky power pop originals engineered by Don Dixon—marked the first vinyl appearance of a seminal but little-heard band containing North Carolina rock scene VIPs Chris Stamey, Will Rigby and Mitch Easter (a guest contributor). To get the folklore out of the way, Stamey and Rigby founded the dB's; Stamey went on to a solo career; Dixon became a busy producer and solo artist; Easter is also a well-known producer, fronts Let's Active and operates Mitch's Drive-In Studio, one of the breeding labs for new American rock. The record itself has such lyrically anxious Stamey-penned elements of the legend as "Love's Like a Cuban Crisis," "Condition Red" and "On the Brink."

Band Members:
Rob Slater - Guitar
Chris Stamey - Guitar, Vocals
Robert Keely - Bass
Will Rigby - Drums