The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 84

116 'U WHAT'S UP 1 Friday April 5 1996 13 MUSIC DV DAVID MENCONI STAFF WRITER szr CITYLINE To hear samples of Foo Fighters Go to Blazes Fuzzy Cibo Matto and Tracy Bonham dial 549-5100 on a touch-tone phone and enter category 7625 This is a free call except where long-distance fees apply Clay When: Saturday 7:30 pm Where: Smith Center Chapel Hill Cost: $1950 Call: 834-4000 Michael Smith isn't the Michael Jackson figure of Christian rock exactly More like George Michael and since George has been in self-imposed semiretirement since 1990 Smith may even be more popular than him by now Frothy pop your mom would love without those naughty words or ideas What: Songwriter's Alliance When: April 16 Where: The Cave 452 12 Franklin St Chapel Hill Call: 968-9308 Cost: free Jeff Hart hosts this monthly get-together in which songwriters swap songs and stories in an informal acoustic setting The April edition has an intriguing lineup in addition to regulars Wes Lachot and Holden Richards Guests are Connells guitarist George Huntley (plugging his new ITT Records solo album "Brain and Ben Barwick from local Ashley Stove What: The Fugees Goody Mob Roots When: Thursday 8 pm Where: The Ritz Call: 836-8535 This year's biggest breakthrough act the Rigees (short for refugees) have been camped near the top of the album charts for the past month This New Jersey mixed-gender group got there with a style that puts a premium on performance yes they play instruments rather than just relying on samples and a decidely un-gangsta sensibility that doesn't equate humanity with weakness As they themselves put it in "How Many Mies" "If you're misogynistThen you probably can't get with this" Since Walnut Creek has decided to hold off starting its concert season until May small-to-midsize shows reign for another month It's not a slow one either: What: Go to Blazes Jolene When: tonight at 10 Where: Local 506 506 Franklin St Chapel Hill Cost: $5 Call: 942-5506 One doesn't think of Philadelphia as a hotbed of alternative counAPRIL try but that's where Go to ROCK Blazes hails from Gotta give 'em credit too: Their upcoming "Waiting PREVIEW Around for the Crash" album (ESD Records) is terrific twang-core As for which part of the country is Ground Zero for alternative country why that happens to be the Triangle and Jolene is one of the best of the bunch See them open for Go to Blazes tonight or on a great double bill Nith Whiske3rtown at Captured Live in Durham on April 12 What: Spinanes Blast Off Country Style When: tonight at 10 Where: Cat's Cradle 300 Main St Carrboro Cost: $7 Call: 967-9053 The Spinanes are a guitarand-drums duo from Portland Ore and they've been dubbed "nicecore" Which means they've got up-tempo tunefulness to spare and also seem like the kind of folks you'd like to have over for a barbecue sometime What: Michael Smith Jars of What: Cibo Matto Pipe When: April 12 10 pm Where: Cat's Cradle Cost: $5 advance $6 door Call: 967-9053 Boy are some cultures gonna clash at this here show Cibo Matto (which means "food madness" in Italian) is a Japanese pop duo that plays well that's tough to pin down Kitschy dance music from Planet Earth I guess It's strange and foreign stuff so open your mind up and go take a listen In a fine example of the random interconnectedness of all things the opening act is Chapel Hill punk band Pipe a crueler rougher version of Green Day What: Velocity Girl Fuzzy Chisel When: April 15 11 pm Where: The Grove 224 Blount St Raleigh Cost: $4 Call: 821-7872 The band to watch on this bill is middle act Hazy who seem to have a bit of an identity crisis Despite the spitting snake on the cover of their second album "Electric Juices" (TagAtlantic Records) this Boston group plays to-die-for guitar-pop of the sort that hasn't been heard since the Bangles were in their prime Keep an ear out for their single an ace cover of the Beach Boys' "Girl Don't Tell Me" What: Fon Fighters Amps that dog When: Tuesday 8 pm Where: The Ritz 2820 Industrial Drive Raleigh Cost: $1250 ($15 day of show) Call: 834-4000 April's marquee show features Nirvana spinoff the Foo Fighters in their first Triangle visit in almost a year Since opening for Mike Watt at the Cradle last spring they've quietly become one of the biggest new acts of the past year with a fabulous debut album The Amps are the post-Breederspost-Pixies band of Kim Deal and play ultra-low-tech pop Michael Smith: nice stuff on Saturday I --7T11-14114 r----0s: 19 1 Zt la 't'' --'041 I 44 Mimeo i''k '1 411-1 4'111411' i't 1 of -L 111A Michael Smith: nice stuff on Saturday 1---: 4 ii1 Lo 1 l'2t I 4a 1 0 yi pi 1 4 1 ''''t'r' 1 'v 4-0 4 I 4 1 13 i i 4 --1 114t---- -i0 -i lit 3 El moolimilautoomml111111111111111 1110ritro --i'A 1 I 4 I I 04 0r- 1 11-- Tio 01 ii 0 Vt k- l'iv-1014 we Ai 1 -7 -1'14kirk 'N 7' et i ee A -6- A -1- 1 -41 I 4 7 1 -4 '''S :4 I 't fo 1-1 i ti '1 What: Lotion Possum Dixon When: April 16 9:30 pm Where: The Brewery 3009 Hillsborough St Raleigh Call: 832-7101 rock guitar bands can be notoriously one-dimensional So it's a pleasant surprise to happen across "Nobody's Cool" (SpinartWarner Bros Records) the second album by New York City's Lotion which shows lots of range beyond the usual guitarbass-drums punk-pop rave-ups Varied textures tempos sound effects and instruments (piano even!) make this a keeper What: Morphine 16 Horsepower When: April 19 Where: The Ritz Cost: 612 Call: 836-8535 We don't need no stinkin' guitars This Boston power trio is strictly bottom-lineoriented They dispense with treble altogether in favor of bass using saxophone drums and bass to conjure a sound with all the lower end in the world Talk about mud flaps this band's got 'em What: Discopallooza with KC and the Sunshine Band When: April 19 8 pm Where: Marrz 912 Hodges St Raleigh Cost: $12 advance $15 door Call: 834-4000 That most maligned of decades the '70s continues its comeback At the rate things are going KC and the Sunshine Band will be playing Carnegie Hall next right before headlining Lollapalooza What: Loud Lucy Tracy Bonham When: April 21 9:30 pm Where: The Brewery Call: 832-7101 You can skip Loud Lucy who were thoroughly unimpressive when they opened for Alanis Morissette at the Civic Center in February Instead get there early for Tracy Bonham a new act bound to have to deal with a few Morissette comparisons but the thing is Morissette suffers by comparison Bonham's debut album "The Burdens of --sedl 14 1 ti 1 rk i ot I 1141:1 ::41 i 4 1 NikS 8 4 'Al i i 44 wi 46 Fuzzy: to-die-for guitar pop with an identity crisis April 15 1 Fuzzy: to-die-for guitar pop with an identity crisis April 15 Olt ffono iffico flounut Ittruz ftrL A CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE.