Mountain Music

(Jack Rose with Black Twig Pickers/photo by Amy Shea)

The Black Twig Pickers have snapped their way back into my thinking. Today, I stumbled upon a very illuminating blog post that describes a Blacksburg gig with the guitarist Jack Rose back in November. In case you missed my earlier Black Twig musings, these guys are former alternative drone noise rockers (formerly with the Richmond-born band Pelt) who have become infatuated with traditional Appalachian folk music. Naturally, the music they make is informed by both strains. I've only heard the Black Twig Pickers on record, but judging from the account on the Strawberry Flats blog, it sounds like they're terrific live. The Seattle Weekly mentioned them as part of a refreshing new wave of twangy alternative in this piece.

Paul is Live ...Long Live Paul

(Photo nabbed from mgblakenship.blogspot.com)
Public Radio's Paul Shugrue said tonight on his show "Out of the Box" that he plans to mark the fifth anniversary of his joining WHRV-FM wth a special retrospective program on Saturday.
So this is a fine opportunity to give Paul some luv.
It's hard for me to believe it's already been five years. But in another sense, I have trouble remembering what the airwaves were like without him. With no disrespect to the wonderful Rollie Bristol who died last year, Paul's show has become a fundamental part of my musical world. I listen habitually. Of course I don't love everything he plays. But I can depend on Paul to spin lots of good music that's creating a buzz in the industry or the underground. So often, I am introduced to music that I've previously only read about as I drive home from work around 7 p.m.
Paul also deserves credit for playing music from Hampton Roads artists. He's definitely dedicated to fostering a sense of community here and I appreciate that. Thanks.

Trooper Take Two

(Bobby, left, is out. Jonnie, right, is now center stage/MySpace photo)

A few weeks ago, I ran into the guitar player from Little Trooper at The Boot and he informed me that Bobby, the band's previous lead singer and primary songwriter, had left the band. The guitar player didn't go into detail, but I could tell this was an unhappy and uncomfortable situation. On the bright side, Little Trooper will apparently live on. They were supposed to play at The Taphouse on Friday (I missed it because I've been battling a nasty cold). I understand that a reconfigured version of the band now features the guitar player, Jonnie, as the new lead singer and they've got a batch of new songs. Admittedly, I'm concerned because I was fond of the old version of the band ... but we are in a season of change, right? I see from the band's MySpace page, that they're set to play The Boot on Feb. 12.

Race For the Prize

(Muckrakes photo/ MySpace)

Port Folio Weekly recently published its list of nominees for 2009 Local Music Awards. You can see the full list and cast your vote here. Awards will be handed out Feb. 28 at the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach.
Scanning the names, I see several bands and performers that Toggle Switch has been following over the last year. The Villains are nominated for Album of the Year. At War was picked in the Metal/Hard Rock category. Mas Y Mas, The Super Vacations, The Trauma Dolls and Basic Riffs all will compete in the punk category.
Under the Americana heading, I see Gina Dalmas, Pawnshop Lifters, Shifty and The Muckrakes, who I heard for the first time this past Friday at Tanner's Creek in Norfolk.
I'm happy to report that The Muckrakes are a great addition to the Hampton Roads scene. Their rustic ensemble sound -- made up of banjo, fiddle, lap steel and strong harmony vocals -- shows they have a bright future. On Friday I only heard a handful of tunes, including Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and a honky-tonk version of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven," but I heard enough to know I want to see them again soon. Fortunately, they're scheduled to play a bunch in coming weeks. Their schedule includes shows Jan. 22 at Cozy's in Newport News and Jan. 23 at O'Sullivan's Wharf in Norfolk.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I should point out that Muckrakes lap steel man Cory Nealon is a co-worker of mine. But don't hold that against him.

Ten Gems from Oh Eight

(Death Vessel's Joel Thibodeau: Not exactly what I imagined.)

Happy new year, Toggle Switch readers. Here at T.S. World Headquarters, our crack team of technicians, ethnomusicologists and barbecue fanatics are still putting the finishing touches on a best-of 2008 Virginia music collection for you to download. In the meantime, allow me to introduce my ten favorite tracks from 2008. Here they are in no particular order and not hemmed in by any geographical limitations what-so-ever:

1. "California Girls" Magnetic Fields, from the album "Distortion." Stephen Merritt's homage to the droning, grungy sound of Jesus and Mary Chain didn't turn out to be my favorite Magnetic Fields album, but it did produce this sweet, sarcastic gem.

2. "Baby Likes a Love Song" Malcolm Holcombe, from the album "Gamblin House" A gravel-throated North Carolinian at his rustic best.

3. "Bruno's Torso" Death Vessel, from the album "Nothing is Precious Enough For Us." I was obsessed with this song after hearing it on a free Sub Pop sampler CD I picked up on Independent Record Store Day. A big part of the attraction was that voice -- which upon closer examination turned out to belong to a man, not a beautiful woman. Hmmm.

4. "Furr" Blitzen Trapper, from the album "Furr." Coincidentally, another song included on that Sub Pop "Happy Birthday to Me" sampler, this track is one of several nice ones on the band's newest disc. Seeing these guys open for Iron and Wine at The NorVa sealed the deal for me. What a great band.

5. "He Doesn't Know Why" Fleet Foxes, from the album "Fleet Foxes." Yes, lots of people have been singing the praises of these guys, so I'm not enlightening anybody, but I've got to be honest. I was infected with Fleet Foxes Fever like everybody and your brother. This track finds them getting more Zombies than CSN, which is always a good thing.

6. "Effington" Ben Folds, from the album "Way To Normal." I always thought the Norfolk street name Effingham sounded like the punch line of a joke. Could never get the setup, though. Then Ben comes along and writes this great song about how "life is effing great in Effington." Jerk.

7. "That's Not My Name" The Ting Tings, from the album "We Started Nothing." I hated Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" a few years ago -- even though a bunch of people thought the tune was a guilty pleasure. I'm embarrassed that I like this track so much. But fuck it. I do.

8. "Time to Pretend" MGMT, from the album "Oracular Spectacular." Another popular favorite in new music circles, and I understand why. Great melody, great lyrics and great production from Flaming Lips pal Dave Fridmann.

9. "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" Vampire Weekend, from the album "Vampire Weekend." The thing that still amazes me about this album is how relaxed and effortless it all sounds. This is my favorite tune from the disc -- and the first one I heard when my man Joe Atkinson sent me a link to a video of the band playing it unplugged.

10. "Broken" Tift Merritt, from the album "Another Country." Looking back over the songs I've picked, I think I'm revealing myself as a incurable fluff-head. Anyway, this is the sweetest track from a possibly too-polished album. Can't give the whole album a recommendation, but I absolutely loved this tune.